questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Playing football may lead to brain damage."
},
"options": [
"Playing football may lead to brain damage.",
"Repeated small damages to the brain.",
"Footballers should wear headgear when playing. .",
"Evidence to dementia... | A number of scientific studies have suggested that repeatedly heading a football could increase the risk of developing dementia in later life.
In 2002, former England international footballer Jeff Astle died aged 59. A coroner said that Astle died from a brain disease likely to have been caused by "repeated small damages to the brain" related to heading a heavy leather football.
Dr. Scott Delaney, research director of emergency medicine at McGill University Health Center in Montreal, Canada, has also researched soccer-related head injury and agrees that head-to-head or elbow-to-head blows are the real risk.
In 2007, Delaney carried out a study on footballers aged between 12 and 17 that showed they were half as likely to be concussed wearing headgear than without.
He said youngsters have a higher risk of head injury than adults because their heads are thinner and less able to absorb shock. To make matters worse, their neck muscles aren't as well developed and they often lack the correct heading technique that can help throw away the force of the ball.
Delaney recommends that children wear headgear when playing football and says his two eldest children wear head protection playing the sport. But he admits that children can be unwilling to be the first to wear head protection--especially when their football heroes play without it.
While headgear can protect footballers from being concussed during a match, no one knows the long-term effects of repeated "sub-concussive" blows to the head.
Delaney says that while there is indirect evidence that a career in soccer can lead to dementia, no one has yet found a sure link between the two. He says proving a link would mean monitoring hundreds of footballers for three or four decades--and that would take a lot of funding. | high12364.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Applicants could sit for the college entrance English test more than once."
},
"options": [
"Applicants could take the IELTS or TOEFL instead of the college entrance English test.",
"Colleges will be given the right to choose all o... | The National Outline for Medium and Long Term Education Reform and Development (2010 - 20) was released over the weekend. Here are some of the highlights:
Four - percent effort
The government says spending on education will be 4 percent of GDP by 2012. globally, average spending on education is about 4.5% of GDP. China spend 3,33% in 2008. according to Hu Angang, of Tsinghua University's Center for China Studies, even if China reaches that goal, it will only rank about 100 th out of 188 countries.
Administrative rank
Administrative rankings for school leaders are to be phased out to tackle the bureaucracy problem that limits educational development, according to Cheng Fangping, of the national Institute for Educational Research. Areas like teaching programs, scientific research, and technological development will be more independent.
Vocational Education
The system will be free of charge. According to Wu Yan, of Beijing Institute of Educational Sciences, this will be key to developing China's production capacity and will improve poor people's lives dramatically.
Entering college
Universities could eventually have the freedom to choose some of their own high school applicants. Normally, students are accepted based on the uniform national exam scores. Also, students who agree to go to a remote area could be admitted to university under special circumstances. The most likely change could come on the college entrance English test, which might be modeled on the IELTS or TOEFL. Students will be able to take it several times and pick their best score. | high16102.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the showerhead carries many bacteria causing illness"
},
"options": [
"it's easy to get a cold when taking a bath",
"the showerhead carries many bacteria causing illness",
"we don't get cleaned while showering",
"we don... | It is generally believed that we are getting cleaned when we step under a shower. We are, but we're also giving a home to lots of tiny little creatures we didn't even know about. A showerhead carries thousands of bacteria called Mycobacterium.These can cause problems like coughs and tiredness, and a general feeling of poorliness . When you turn on the water, the bacteria go from the showerhead onto and into your body.
This is a finding of Norman R. Pace and his team at the University of Colorado, in the US. The scientists investigated bacteria in all kinds of human environment, including showers.Pace's team looked at 45 showerheads in nine American cities. They discovered that 30 percent of them had large amounts of flying Mycobacterium.
But Pace said that they _ few threats to the health.Only those with a weak immune system might need to worry.He told the New York Times that the bacteria are not as unpleasant as might be thought.He said that having a shower is no more dangerous than anything else we do in the morning.
But for those who feel sick about the idea of all those microorganisms , he had some advice. Let the water run for 30 seconds before getting into the shower. Why? The number of bacteria is smaller than that when the water is just turned on. If that seems like a waste of water, he added that you could also change your showerhead every few months.
However, Pace had good news too. He has also been testing the air in US subways. Apart from iron particles , which are ground off the track by the wheels of trains, subway air is fresh. The reason is that a train's movement pumps fresh outdoor air into the tunnels.
Pace explained that he wanted to understand the natural microbial environments of public places. This kind of knowledge might help discover the microbes to be used in a bioterrorist attack. | high5983.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "different cultural values"
},
"options": [
"something superficial",
"what is understood at the surface",
"different cultural values",
"the root of different thoughts"
],
"question": "In the author's opinion, the... | What is politeness? This sounds like a simple question. In daily life, we often make judgments about what is polite and what is not polite. For example, to offer your seat to the elderly on a bus is considered polite behavior, and to interrupt when someone is talking is considered impolite; to greet someone the first time you meet him in the morning is polite and to stand up to reach for the dish you want at a dinner table is impolite. So politeness can first of all be regarded as a phenomenon, an observable social phenomenon.
What I would like to propose is that as an observable social phenomenon, politeness is something superficial, but to account for what is understood at the surface, we should dig into the depth where different cultural values are rooted.
When being complimented , an English-speaking person would readily accept the compliment by saying something like "Thank you" to show his appreciation of the praise, but a Chinese speaker would try to deny the truth of the compliment. They both think they are behaving properly. Yet neither of them would think the other is being polite. The English speaker is being polite to the extent that by accepting and showing appreciation of the compliment, and he avoids hurting the positive face of the person who makes it; the Chinese speaker is showing modesty by _ himself, ignoring the fact of the compliment paid to him. As has been mentioned, self-denigration has been at the core of the Chinese understanding of politeness for over two thousand years. The Chinese, in order to show modesty, will go to such lengths as to underrate what he himself has achieved and deny the truth of a complimentary remark. | high21976.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the feeling of being less than valued."
},
"options": [
"the tiredness after long hours in labs.",
"the fear of seeing something moving.",
"the feeling of being less than valued.",
"the loneliness of riding the bus home... | Raised in a motherless home, my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn't soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met me, even in severe weather. If I _ he'd say in his loudest father-voice, "That's what your legs are for!"
The walk didn't bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn't seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was cancelled one spring evening.
It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop, I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.
A row of hedge edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey, I always had a sense of relief to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening, the hedge had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedge, moving toward the house. Upon closer observation, I realized it was the top of my father's head. Then I knew, each time I'd come home, he had stood behind the hedge, watching, until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care, after all.
On later visits, that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home, I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. "So! My son, it's you!" he'd say, his face lengthening into pretended surprise.
I replied, "Yes, Dad, it's me. I'm home." | high10573.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "wet and warm"
},
"options": [
"wet and warm",
"rainy and windy",
"warm and dry",
"wet and cold"
],
"question": "We can infer from the text that Florida must be a place where it is",
"question_type": null
}... | Burmese pythons are some of the biggest snakes in the world and also one of the biggest problems in Florida's wetlands. So state officials have asked hunters to lend a hand.
The pythons are originally from Asia. Brought to the US as pets or zoo animals, some were released or broke free into the wild and found Florida's warm weather to be perfect for a new settlement. It is estimated that tens of thousands now live in the everglades and the state's marshy wetlands.
These supersize snakes are invasive species. "The problem is with animals," says Carli Segelson, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. " The pythons eat native birds, reptiles, and small mammals, many of which are threatened species. " Since the python moved in, several native species, such as bobcats and rabbits, have largely disappeared from Florida's wetlands:' So the Florida government has invited hunters to assist in solving this severe environmental problem. People will be allowed to hunt pythons around their breeding grounds for one month, starting on January 12.
Officials are even offering cash prizes to whoever kills the most pythons and to whoever kills the longest Burmese pythons. They are hoping the contest will significantly reduce the population of this dangerous invader.
"Our goal is to help get rid of the pythons from the wild, educate the public about the snakes' impact on the Florida ecosystem, and inform them of what impacts non-native pets can have if allowed into the wild, " Segelson said. Experts say it's unlikely the snakes will ever be removed from the wild in Florida. But they hope to bring the python problem under control and prevent the snakes from doing more harm. | high18649.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a report"
},
"options": [
"a novel",
"a report",
"a diary",
"an essay"
],
"question": "Where does this text probably come from?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | $? While the 2008 Olympics were the first to be broadcast entirely in HD, the 2012 Olympics are the first to broadcast in HD as well as 3D. Sean Taylor, a spokesperson for Panasonic - provider of some of the technologies - said it effectively, "Each Games, from a technology perspective, tries to have a first. London will be the first HD and 3D Games." The games were first televised in Berlin in 1936 and played on big screens about the city. Then came the first games to enter households (strictly in London that is) in 1948, followed by the first internationally televised games during the 1960 Olympics in Rome. And ever since, that feeling of physically standing in the crowd and watching these mighty contestants has only gotten clearer, more defined. Now, they more literally than ever actually compete in your living room.
SS A _ is presented as the London games celebrate both the Industrial Revolution (a.k.a. the birth of pollution) and a spirit of committed environmentalism; London will be the first to actively measure its own carbon footprint during these games, designing a stadium and accommodations that cut-back on negative emissions when at all possible. They are also shooting for a world record via the "Javelin," designed specifically to keep as many exhaust pipes at bay as humanly possible. | high2752.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He was a salesman."
},
"options": [
"He was a salesman.",
"He was a businessman.",
"He was a traveler.",
"He was a reporter."
],
"question": "What was Mr. White according to the passage?",
"question_type": n... | Mr. White sold kinds of machines to farmers, which he thought was not really a very exciting job, but he had always been interested in traveling on business.
He had a big car, and usually enjoyed driving it long distances, but he was also quite satisfied to go by train sometimes, especially when the weather was bad. He was a little frightened of driving in the rain or snow, and it was less tiring to sit comfortably in a train and look out of the windows without being worried about how to get to the next place.
One of Mr. White's problems was often where to stay when he reached some small places in the country. He did not expect timely and wonderful food, but he found it annoying when he was given a cold room, and when there was no hot water after a long and tiring journey.
Later one winter evening, Mr. White arrived at a small railway station. The journey by train that day had not been at all interesting, and Mr. White was cold and tired and hungry. He was looking forward to a simple but satisfying meal by a brightly burning fire, and then a hot bath and a comfortable bed.
While he was walking to the taxi stand, he said to a local man who was also walking there, "As this is my first visit to this part of the country and I was in too much of a hurry to find out the hotels before I left home, I would very much like to know how many hotels you have here."
The local man answered," We have two."
"And which of the two would you advise me to go to?" Mr. White asked then.
The local man scratched his head for a moment and then answered,"Well, it's like this, whichever one you go to, you'll be sorry you don't go to the other." | high18891.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "More than 6000 Americans have died since the 9/11 attacks."
},
"options": [
"The US government gives supports to Israel but not to Palestine or Iraq.",
"There are American troops stationed in Satidi Arabia.",
"The 9/11 event ... | The day began with clear sunlight and blue skies.It soon turned into years of war, economic breakdown and political division. Ten years after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11,2001, America has come out of the smoke a very different country.Nearly 3,000 people died on September 11.
Suddenly America had to wake up to the fact that not everyone loves the USS A.Members of al-Qaeda, the militant group that earned out the attacks, were angry about US support for the Israelis
against Palestinians in the Middle East, about US troops in Saudi Arabia, and about sanctions
against Iraq.
"September 11 and the years that followed were a shock to our national consciousness," said Nicholas Bums, American ambassador to NATO at the time.The terrorists struck not only the buildings, but also Americans- faith in their power.The fear that America had lost control of events as widespread.
In the name of fighting terrorism, the US launched wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.More than 6,000 Americans have died.Tens of thousands of ordinary people in those countries have also lost their lives.
But deaths are only part of the story.The world was shocked by photographs of Americans torturing Iraqis in Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.David Goldstein, a reporter with The Kansas City Star, questioned American behavior: "Has torturing so-called terrorists saved American lives or made the values we advocate around the world weaker? ..." Is that what we've become?"
However, a brief moment of national unity did occur straight after 9/11."Americans were coming together in an unusually powerful way ...in the ashes.We live in a bittersweet memory of that collective tragedy and collective possibility," said filmmaker Ken Burns.
September 11 was that kind of common moment.When it was over, the Harth still turned in its usual way and the stars in the sky shone as before.But the universe had shifted somehow.
Though the world felt the consequence of September 11, more is to come.Ten years on, it still might be too soon to tell. | high16664.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Only from those who have more knowledge than us can we learn."
},
"options": [
"Confucius thought we should learn from strengths of others.",
"Only from those who have more knowledge than us can we learn.",
"It is by reflecti... | Confucius said, "In a group of three people, there is always something I can learn. Choose to follow the strengths of others, and use their shortcomings to reflect upon ourselves."
As you can see from what Confucius said, everyone that we come across can teach us something useful. As long as we reflect on the lessons learnt from and by other people, we can continuously improve ourselves. But take note that when you reflect on these lessons, you apply some wisdom to each lesson because each situation is unique although they share some common principles.
We can learn a lot from everyone. We always tend to think that we can only learn from those who are higher in status or have more knowledge than us, but that is not really the case. We learn from those who are lower in status than us as well, because the experience and knowledge of each person is very different.
The best thing about _ learning, reflecting other people's strengths and shortcomings onto ourselves, is that we do not pay for the mistakes that are made. The only cost to us is the time that is needed to learn about and reflect on these lessons from other people's lives.
As we all know, some mistakes can be ones which people cannot afford to make, for instance, a broken friendship or a financial loss. Thus constantly using other people's strengths and shortcomings to reflect upon ourselves makes us realize the costs of these mistakes and reduces the possibility that we will make similar mistakes.
What can we do now to learn from others? By keeping our eyes and ears open. Be observant and able to realize what strengths and shortcomings other people have. A lot of people in this world like to complain about their lives. Listen to them and make you own assessment and from your own assessment, reflect upon your life and make improvements where necessary. | high4323.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Dogs can smell cancer"
},
"options": [
"Dogs have a good sense of smell",
"Dogs can help cure cancer",
"Dogs can smell cancer",
"Dogs help perform experiments"
],
"question": "What's the general idea of the text... | Dogs are known for their sense of smell.They can find missing people and things like bombs and illegal drugs.Now a study suggests that the animal known as man's best friend can even find
bladder cancer.
Cancer cells are thought to produce chemicals with unusual odors .Researchers think dogs have the ability to smell these odors, even in very small amounts, in urine .The sense of smell in dogs is thousands of times better than in humans.
The study follows reports of cases where, for example, a dog showed great interest in a growth on the leg of its owner.The man was later found to be skin cancer.
Carolyn Willis led a team of researchers at Amersham Hospital in England.They trained different kinds of dogs for the experiment.The study involved urine collected from bladder cancer patients, from people with other diseases and from healthy people.
Each dog was tested 8 times.In each test there were 7 samples for the dogs to smell.The dog should signal the one from a bladder cancer patient by lying down next to it.Two cocker dogs were correct 56 percent of the time.But the scientists reported an average success rate of 41 percent.
The British Medical Journal published the research.In all, 36 bladder cancer patients and 108 other people took part.During training, all the dogs reportedly even identified a cancer in a person who had tested healthy before the study.Doctors found a growth on the person's right kidney .
Carolyn Willis says dogs could help scientists identify the combined chemicals produced by bladder cancer.That information could then be used to develop machines to test for the chemicals.The team also plans to use dogs to help identify markers for other kinds of cancer. | high19557.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to show girls possibilities for work and careers"
},
"options": [
"to encourage girls to get top paying jobs ,",
"to let girls spend more time with their mothers",
"to show girls possibilities for work and careers",
"to... | April 22,2010 will be the 18th celebration of the annual Take Our Daugluers to Work Day (TOD), a project the National Ms.Foundation for Women of America (NFW) developed to expose girls to expanding opportunities for women in the workplace.
The program offers, millions of girls a first - hand view of the many career opportunities available in their futures.Now that women make up 46 peroent of the U.S.workforce, girls can find role models in every occupational field-from politics to molecular biology to professional athletics, to name just a few.TOD encourages girls to focus on their abilities and opportunities, not just their appearance.
The NFW developed the project more than a decade ago to address the self - esteem problems that many girls experience when they enter adolescence.At school, boys often receive more encouragement in the classroom, especially in math.science and computer science, the academic fields that tend to lead to the highest salaries.Women receive on average only 73 cents for every dollar that men are paid.and remain vastly underrepresented in top executive positions and technology fields.TOD aims to give girls the confidence and inspiration they need to develop successful careers, particularly in non-traditional fields.
Perhaps because the program had become so widespread and successful, TOD had been criticized for excluding boys.and it was expanded in 2003to include boys.The program's official website states that the program was changed in order to provide both boys and girls with opportunities to explore careers at an age when they are more flexible in tenns of gender stereotyped roles."We should also show boys that becoming a child care provider is as acceptable a choice as becoming a police officer or CEO," added Sara K.Gould.executive director of the NFW. | high8519.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "an organization to collect goods for those who need them"
},
"options": [
"a welfare agency",
"a place to store goods donated",
"an organization to collect goods for those who need them",
"an organization run by the gov... | Crossroads International
How does Crossroads work?
Crossroads is a resource network. We take goods Hong Kong doesn't want and give them to people who badly need them. We collect those goods and give them out in the welfare arena in Hong Kong, Mainland China, elsewhere in Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. So Crossroads is just that: a Crossroads between need and resource.
Who do we help?
The welfare agencies we help do not run on large budgets . They are grass-root groups who have seen a need and tried to meet it. They can't get the job done without back-up, though, so our task is to help them do their task. Our warehouse is full of goods, from computers to high chairs, clothing to books, stationery to medical provision, cupboards to dinning sets. They send us a list of their needs and we try to match it with the resource we have in stock.
How do we operate?
Crossroads itself also operates on a low budget. We do not buy the goods we send. They are donated. Similarly, rather than raising funds for freight ,we ask transport companies to donate their services. Nobody in our organization receives a salary. Even our full-time staff works on a voluntary basis.
Those that donate goods and services:
*Factories*Manufacturers *Hospitals *Hotels *Householders
*Offices *Other Charities *Transport Companies *Educational Institutions
One resource that we are always in need of is people. While we receive large quantities of goods and there is never a short supply of requests for them, we are always in need of hands to help sort and prepare them for shipping.
What can I do?
We are always in need of people. We have a lot of tasks. If you are volunteering regularly, we can offer work in some of the following categories, some of the time. You are welcome to number your top three choices and we will do our best to accommodate them.
*Clothing categorization *Sewing *Toy categorization *Furniture handling
*Driving *Book categorization *Household goods categorization *Office work
*Electrical goods categorization *Book keeping *Fund- raising
*Stationery categorization *Medical categorization
Where to find us?
All volunteer work is done at out warehouse:
Located in Basement Zone M of the Kai Tak Government Building
Our warehouse hours: Tues.-Sat. 10:00am-5:30pm
Postal address: 16 Man Tong, Silvermine Bay, Lantau Island, HK
Office details: Ph: 2984 9309, 2740 9657 | high12402.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A pair of glasses."
},
"options": [
"Tea.",
"Wooden combs.",
"Some bread.",
"A pair of glasses."
],
"question": "Which of the following don't you need to declare when returning to Australia?",
"question_type... | When you're returning to Australia, be careful that you don't bring in pests and diseases. Some items you might bring back from overseas can be pests and diseases that Australia doesn't have. When you return, declare all food, meat, fruits, plants, seeds, wooden souvenirs, animal or plant materials.
Australia has strict quarantine laws and tough on-the-spot fines. Every piece of luggage is now screened or X-rayed. If you fail to declare any quarantine items, or if you make a false declaration, you will get caught. In addition to on-the-spot fines, you could be accused and fined more than $60, 000 and you may risk 10 years in prison. All international mail is also screened.
Some products may require treatment to make them safe. Items that are restricted because of the risk of pests and diseases will be seized and destroyed by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service(AQIS).
In many cases, the goods you declare will be returned to you after inspection. However, any item that presents a quarantine risk will be withheld . You will be given a range of options for each item depending on the quarantine risk:
Treating the item to make it safe;
Holding the item until an import permit is presented*; *
Re-exporting the item;
Destroying the item.
Those treatments with the sign "*" are subject to fees.
Further information:
For more detailed information about bringing in food, animals, plants, animal or plant materials, call the AQIS at 1800-020-504. | high6534.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "introduce the topic"
},
"options": [
"introduce the topic",
"raise a question",
"present the survey",
"make a comparison"
],
"question": "The writer writes Para.1 to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | Ask anybody out there, what is the most important thing in his life - Fame, Fortune and Money, and there is a chance that he is going to say, money, because with that, fame and fortune comes quite easily. On the other hand, if you add "family" to these three choices given above, there is a chance that 99% of the people are going to put their family first, especially if they happen to be ladies!
The main reason is because nature has created a woman to be the cherisher and the nurturer of the family, while the man is the hunter and protector of his little family. That is the natural rule which has come down through thousands of years. Even if a person happens to be a comparatively worldly-wise person and has no idea of taking on the responsibility of a family, he has a picture of a tight little _ in his subconscious .
They tell a story about a successful millionaire businessman who died and the whole city came to pay its respects. One of his business competitors, met the son and said, "We are really going to miss your father. You see, I knew your father well." And the son replied, "You happen to be really lucky there, because I never did." So, you might be an extremely successful person in your own right upon Wall Street, but if your little child fails to come running out to welcome his daddy at the end of the day to be swung up in his father's arms and held there lovingly and protectively, you come in the "nothing" category in the business of life.
Many people are under the impression that taking on the responsibility of the family is quite tiresome, but they do not know what it takes to be a parent. It is very easy to be a biological father or a biological mother, but the real mother and the real father is that person who stays awake all night when the baby is teething, teaches him right from wrong, is there to hold him when he takes his first steps, and in every way shows that he is there to cherish and protect the little one from harm.
There was a man who did not believe in family, because of an unhappy childhood. But he found a faithful woman to love him unconditionally. The moment he picked up his little baby, he said, "Well son, welcome to the world! I am here to teach you what your mama has taught me, and we shall both protect you, when you need our help. I will teach you to be a good, just and fair man." | high9607.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "combine English learning with helping hungry people"
},
"options": [
"combine English learning with helping hungry people",
"make it popular in English-speaking countries",
"encourage people to produce more rice",
"prov... | FreeRice.comis a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP). It aims to provide education to everyone for free and help end world hunger. Join us and have fun with our vocabulary game. For each vocabulary word you get right, we donate free rice through UNWFP to those hungry people.
How do you play the vocabulary game?
Click on the answer that is closest in meaning to the word. If you get it right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word. For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice to UNWFP.
How does the vocabulary game help you?
This game may make you smarter. While learning new vocabulary, it can help you:
Present your ideas better
Write better papers, e-mails and business letters
Speak more accurately and influentially
Read faster because you understand better
Get better grades in high school and college
Perform better at job interviews
Be more effective and successful at your job
After you have done FreeRice for a couple of days, you may notice a phenomenon. Words that you have never consciously used before will begin to pop into your head while you are speaking or writing. You will feel yourself using and knowing more words.
How does the FreeRice vocabulary program work?
FreeRice has a database containing thousands of words at different levels of difficulty. There are words proper for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most learned professors. In between are thousands of words for students, business people, doctors, truck drivers... everyone!
FreeRice adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, designs a proper starting level for you. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. There are 60 levels in all, but it is rare for people to get above Level 50.
Sign up now and you will have fun as well as help end world hunger. | high903.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Most people are afraid that their children can't get access to male teachers."
},
"options": [
"Male teachers are more fair than female teachers.",
"Now most primary schools are in need of teachers.",
"Most people are afraid ... | Pupils work harder in lessons if they are taught by a man, a study has claimed. Male teachers are more likely to improve pupils' self-esteem and are judged by pupils to be more fair, according to a study published by the Department for Education.
But there is a significant shortage of male teachers, especially in primary schools, with reports last month indicating that almost one in three primaries has an all-female teaching staff. The latest figures heightened fears that schools are becoming dominated by women and children are being denied access to male role models in the classroom.
Researchers at the London School of Economics and Westminster University conducted an experiment in which each of 1,200 pupils in 29 schools was given PS2. They could use the money to "buy" up to 10 questions at a cost of 20p each, which they then had to answer. If they were right they were given an extra 20p, but if they were wrong they lost 20p. Boys and girls who had a male teacher chose on average almost half a question more than those taught by women, indicating that they had a more positive outlook on the rewards of effort, the the study said.
Researchers wrote: "One of the most significant results featured in this experiment is the positive effect of male teachers on effort. The experiment suggests that higher ability pupils either believed that the teacher would reward them more favorably or had a preference for working hard to please the teacher."
According to the Good Teacher Training Guide, 86 per cent of new teachers entering primary schools are female, along with 62 per cent of those entering secondary schools.
Professor Alan Smithers, of Buckingham University, said: "This is an interesting and somewhat surprising finding, but it does underline the importance of having a good mix of male and female teachers in classes." | high12416.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "lists some examples"
},
"options": [
"lists some examples",
"compares some facts",
"analyzes some numbers",
"raises some questions"
],
"question": "To explain human's favor for water, the author _ .",
"qu... | Maps of the world's population show that the majority of people today live near water. We live along coastlines, around bays, up the course of rivers and streams and on islands. We also vacation at the beach and find comfort fishing on a lake. Nothing makes small children happier than the chance of playing in water.
More surprisingly, this human favor for water makes evolutionary sense. Sure, we need drinking water to live, but we have also benefited from what's swimming under the waves.
Neuroscientist Crawford of the University of North London has proposed that our ancient ancestors attached to the sea, and that their devotion paid off by allowing the human species to develop large and complex brains.
Crawford claims that when humans separated from apes and appeared in the forests of Africa, they stuck close to rivers and beaches and started catching fish, clams and crabs. That seafood was packed with omega-3 fatty acids, essential fatty acids that promote brain cell growth.
It's no coincidence, Crawford claims, that human brain growth began to increase rapidly once we left the woods and headed for the beach.
Scientists have also discovered that people who eat fish regularly are less likely to suffer from depression than those who eat less seafood. Biochemist Hibbelin of the National Institutes of Health has shown that across cultures there is a direct link between amount of fish eaten each week and rates of depression. More interestingly, Hibbelin and researcher Laura have found that fish is commonly used as a symbol of happiness and good health in various religions and cultures.
We know that fish and the sea are good for us, and so we seek them out. We vacation on the coast and see the waves come and go, feeling happiness has taken over our brain. When we move inland, or go home from vacation, we lose touch with our sea roots and feel unhappy. | high23813.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Mrs. Black doubted her husband's memory"
},
"options": [
"Mrs. Black believed her husband would certainly do as he was told to",
"Mrs. Black believed husband's memory",
"Mrs. Black doubted her husband's memory",
"Mrs. B... | Mr. Black was very forgetful. Each time when Mrs. Black wanted her husband to do something, she had to tell him again and again not to forget it.
Once Mr. Black was asked to post a letter, " Do remember to put it into the letter box on your way to work." The wife said. " This time I won't forget." Mr. Black said to his wife. "I will hold the letter in my pocket." "Oh, my dear, you may go now. Please come back early." Mrs. Black said. As Mr. Black was shown out, he felt as if his wife touched him affectionately on the back.
Hand in his pocket, Mr. Black walked slowly down the street. Soon a man caught up with him from behind and smiled at him, "Don't forget to post the letter." Mr. Black was wondering how the man knew he had a letter to post. Then a girl passed him and turned to smile at him, too."Now be sure to post the letter," the girl said. Mr. Black was even more puzzled, "Why are they smiling at me? And how do they know I'm going to post a letter?" he thought to himself. | high13708.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "level and interest"
},
"options": [
"subjects and needs",
"level and interest",
"teachable moments",
"strong educational foundation"
],
"question": "Marion Godwin tells us that we should teach the children accor... | Many parents take on the role of being their children's preschool teacher and the responsibility of readying them for kindergarten. To achieve this goal, it is important for parents to introduce a variety of subjects in a positive and playful manner.
"Learning should not be forced,"says Marion Godwin, who has taught first grade in Moorestown, N. J. for more than 30 years." It should be taught according to what they know and do best--and that is' play'. When teaching them, play games and have fun with the subject. And parents should always be looking for'teachable moments'."
"You want a child to be a lifelong learner, so you want to show them learning is everywhere,"she says."If parents take the time to lay a strong educational foundation, their children will keep building on it."
Introduce children to science with hands-on activities that interest them, such as growing plants from seeds, discussing animals and how to care for pets, and observing the chemical changes that occur during cooking", she says.
"Sorting activities, simple patterns and counting games are a great way to teach children the basics of math, and taking them on field trips, singing songs and reciting rhymes also are ways to prepare them for the first day of school", she says.
"I think children are naturals when it comes to computers," she says."Let them play educational games on the computer and teach them how to type their first names using the keyboard. When they are more familiar with using the computer, let them find pictures of animals and places on the web. "
"Don't criticize the child," she says. "You can't force them to learn something. If they don't get something right, so what? Smile and be happy and make the experience joyful. Parents need to understand that if a child gets something wrong, they may think something is wrong with them. Keep working with them and when they get the right answer make sure you tell them how hard they worked to get the correct answer. " | high6520.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The whistle frequency."
},
"options": [
"The dolphin's identity.",
"The water temperature",
"The whistle frequency.",
"The dolphin's age."
],
"question": "Which of the following plays a part in whether dolphin w... | Dolphins call out the specific names of loved ones when they become separated, a study finds. Other than humans, they are the only animals known to do this, according to the study. The big difference with dolphins is that these communications consist of whistles , not words.
Earlier research found that dolphins have a "signature whistle" that would be somewhat like human shouting, "Hey everybody! I'm an adult healthy male named George, and I mean you no harm. "
The new finding is that dolphins also say the names of certain other dolphins. "Animals produced copies of the same sound when they were separated from a close partner. This supports our belief that dolphins copy another animal's signature whistle when they want to reunite with that animal," Stephanie King, who led the study, says.
King and her colleagues collected acoustic data from wild dolphins around Sarasota Bay, Florida, from 1984 to 2009. The researchers also studied four adult male dolphins _ at the Seas Aquarium, also in Florida.
Those males are adults that keepers named Calvin, Khyber, Malabar and Ranier, all of whom, as well as all of the wild ones, developed their own signature whistles that served as names in communication with other dolphins.
"A dolphin uses its signature whistle to broadcast its identity and announce its presence. The signature whistles allow animals to identify one another over long distances and allow animals to recognize one another and to join up with each other," King explains. "Dolphin whistles can be heard up to 20km away, depending on water depth and whistle frequency ."
The researchers said dolphins copy the signature whistles of loved ones, such as a mother, when the two are separated. These "names" are always used in positive situations, and are only directed toward loved ones.
While researchers are often unwilling to apply the word language to non-human communications, dolphins clearly have a very complex communication system. | high9613.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A Guide to Living the Good Life"
},
"options": [
"A Guide to Living the Good Life",
"Hormones and Qualities Llives",
"How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day",
"The Science Behind Your Smile"
],
"q... | Money and Happiness
A Guide to Living the Good Life
Author: Laura Rowley
Publisher: Wiley (March 1, 2016)
Laura Rowley helps us all understand the money-happiness connection in our own lives so that we spend our time and efforts wisely. She offers insights that every reader can use to make smarter decisions that will lead to living a rich life in every possible definition of the term.
Happiness
The Science Behind Your Smile
Author: Daniel Nettle
Publisher: Oxford University Press (July 1, 2016)
This is the first book to look thoroughly at what happiness is and how it works. Nettle examines whether people are basically happy or unhappy, whether success can make us happy, why some people are happier than others, and much more.
The Happiness Makeover
How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day
Author: M. J. Ryan
Publisher: Broadway (May 10, 2016)
Ryan's own desire to be happier first led her to study what is known about happiness from brain science, psychology, and the wisdom traditions of the world.The Happiness Makeover draws on this wide-ranging knowledge and presents a plan that will help you:
Clear away happiness problems like worry, fear, envy, and dislikes.
Learn to think confidently.
Find daily ways to truly enjoy, even relish, the moments of your life.
Health and Happiness
Hormones and Qualities Llives
Author: Steven F. Hotze
Publisher: Forrest Publishing (April, 2016)
Dr Steven Hotze is leading a wellness revolution that advances a new model of healthcare. Unlike the popular medical way of treating individual symptoms with the familiar "anti" drugs, Dr Hotze deals with the basic causes of poor health.
In Hormones, Health, and Happiness you are shown how to reach and keep the best body functioning.
Based on a process of biologically the same hormones and other natural treatments, it can help you enjoy a better quality of life. | high14067.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Many people are too busy."
},
"options": [
"They have no time.",
"Many people are too busy.",
"Many people don't like cooking",
"They don't like family meals."
],
"question": "Why do fewer people cook now?",
... | Most families love home cooking! The food tastes good and warm, and a family meal brings everyone together.In some families, meals are often the only times everyone sees one another the same time.
Another reason people enjoy home cooking is that it is often a way of showing love.A parent who makes some cookies is not just satisfying a child's sweet tooth. She or he is sending a message.The message says, "I care about you enough to spend an hour making cooking that you will eat up in 15 minutes if I let you."
There is also something about the smell of home cooking.The smell of home cooking pleases people of all ages.It makes most of us feel good and loved----- even if we are the ones doing the cooking! Next time you smell a cake making, stop for a moment and pay attention to your mood . | high5029.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "we don't have a good breakfast"
},
"options": [
"we need to have a cup of coffee",
"we don't have a good breakfast",
"our brains don't work any longer",
"we don't have enough sleep at night"
],
"question": "Acco... | Studies show that children who eat breakfast do better in school. It doesn't take much further thought to know that adults will feel better and do better at work as well. Whether you work at home, on the farm, at the office, at school, or on the road, it is not a good idea to have no breakfast.
If we have no breakfast, we are likely to become tired when our brains and bodies run low on fuel . By mid-morning, a lot of us grab a cup of coffee or eat a sugary candy bar to wake up again. This might work for a few minutes, but by lunch time we are hungry. Eating a good breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Having no breakfast is a popular way to lose weight, but not a smart one. Many people believe that they will lose weight if they have no meals, but that just isn't true; the body expects to be refueled a few times a day, starting with a healthy breakfast. Eating breakfast is good for losing weight. In fact, people who eat breakfast are more likely to keep a healthy weight.
A healthy breakfast should have some protein and some fiber . Protein can come from low fat meats, eggs, or beans. Fiber can be found in whole grains, vegetables and fruits. A good example of a healthy breakfast might be something simple like a hard boiled egg, an orange, and a bowl of whole grain cereal with low fat milk. Stay away from sugary foods and white bread because they are digested quickly and will leave you hungry and tired in several hours. Protein and fiber will keep you feeling full until lunch time. | high2746.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Dallas."
},
"options": [
"Roswell.",
"Dallas.",
"New Mexico.",
"Los Angeles."
],
"question": "What is the author's final destination?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,... | We were driving from Los Angeles to Dallas,running low on gas somewhere in New Mexico and figured we'd see a gas station soon enough to fill up.
But that didn't happen and we realized we wouldn't make it to the next town.So my daughter made up a sign that read"Low on gas.Can u help?" and held it outside her window in the hopes that a driver in the next lane would notice it and stop.
There weren't too many vehicles passing us either at the time.It was a lonely stretch of road and about 3:30 pm on a weekday.A suburban was driving along happily in the neighboring lane ahead of us.We caught up with it in the hopes the driver would notice the sign.After a brief expression of confusion on his face,he seemed to have noticed the sign and slowed down to pull over.We pulled over right behind him.
He was friendly and was eager to help us.At first he thought we didn't have enough money to buy gas,so he offered to buy us gas at the next town Roswell that was about 10 miles away![:ZXXK]
When we explained our _ of not having enough gas to get to Roswell,he said his farm was about 1 0 minutes away and they had a gas pump there,so if we could give him 20 minutes,he would head back there,get a can of gas and fill up our tank for us.
We could not believe our good fortune ! There not being any cell phone reception for either of us in the area, we had just hoped that whoever stopped to help would be kind enough to call AAA when they got to Roswell and we would just wait it out for them to help us.
We were filled with gratefulness for the kindness of strangers such as this person as we waited for him to return.Sure enough,he was back with the can and quickly filled our tank.He refused to take payment for the gas.Tears flowed,as did our endless appreciation. | high10201.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "they mistook \"pants\" in American for underpants"
},
"options": [
"they mistook \"pants\" in American for underpants",
"Katie's mother's underpants were dirty",
"Katie's mother got mud on her jeans",
"they didn't know ... | I came across quite a few language problems while on holiday with my family last summer. The most embarrassing was when my Mom apologized to the people we were staying with because her "pants were dirty". They looked at her in amazement, not knowing how to react. You see, Mom had fallen over and gotten mud on her jeans. But in Britain, "pants" means underpants, not trousers as it does back home.
Katie -- From America
When I asked for the "restroom" in a big department store, people kept directing me to a room with seats where I could sit and "rest". It took me years to get through to someone that I only wanted the toilet!
Tom -- From America
Last summer we went on a two-week family touring holiday, so Dad hired a car over the Internet. This was an old vehicle and there turned out to be lots of things wrong with it. When he phoned the hire company and tried to explain that the lock on the boot was broken, they thought he was talking about footwear! He had no idea their word for "boot" was "trunk". In the end we went to a _ and just solved the problem.
Mary -- From Britain
Last summer, I went to stay with a friend on the west coast. Her flat was on the first floor of a high-rise building so I got the lift up. Then I wandered round for ages looking for her flat but couldn't find it. Fed up and tired, I finally had to go out to find a phone box. She explained that her flat was on the first floor, which for me meant the ground floor.
David -- From Britain | high3458.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "An artist's animal work aims to stop animal slaughter."
},
"options": [
"An artist's animal work aims to stop animal slaughter.",
"The risk of extinction for wild animals in Jay's works.",
"A new way to stop illegal trade des... | Creative conservationist Asher Jay is a designer, artist, writer, and activist who is trying to save the world's most threatened wildlife with an unusual weapon: Art.
"Today we need everyone's involvement, not just core conservationists," says Jay. " People with no previous interest in conservation tune in to my messages because they engage with my work aesthetically. It starts as an interest in art for art's sake and ends with making lifestyle changes."
The New York-based artist has become a visual voice for a range of environmental causes. In Africa, screen savers glow with Jay's graphics of a Poached rhino horn dripping with blood. Jay's cartoons of elephants killed for their tusks have been shown in New York's Times Square, wild other works have spread worldwide on social media.
"The right image can overcome language and cultural barriers, connecting with people on a non-verbal, emotional level," she says. "It all starts with making an emotional impression on one person. Only then will someone change habits, speak out, or donate."
In recent years, much of Jay's best known work has focused on the illegal ivory trade.
In 2012, she created a silk screen print, showing a stark image of an elephant's head silhouetted in black, dripping with red blood, and accented by a tusk decorated with images of elephants' families. "Every tusk costs a life," said accompanying text. "Stop poaching."
"I wanted to visualize the scale and brutality of the crisis and use art to tell the blood ivory story," she says. "Every year, 35,000 elephants are slaughtered; that's one every 15 minutes."
"Two-thirds of Africa's elephants have been killed for tusks in the last 35 years. If this continues, experts predict elephants in the wild will be extinct in less than ten years."
Much of Jay's work around poaching aims simply to correct a widespread misunderstanding. "Many people think an elephant's tusk or a rhino's horn simply falls off, like losing a tooth. My goal," she says, "is to make them understand that elephants die painful deaths, because they are alive and conscious as poachers cut out their tusks." | high18885.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Patrick Wilson"
},
"options": [
"Sam Claflin",
"Jon M. Chu",
"Patrick Wilson",
"Travis Fimmel"
],
"question": "Which actor will show in a movie that scares you ?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | What's on ?
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
Certificate R 134 min--Horror
Viewer points: 8.2 / 10
Lorraine and Ed Warren travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house troubled by evil spirits .
Director : James Wan
Stars : Vera Farmiga , Patrick Wilson , Madison Wolfe , Frances O'Connor
Warcraft (2016)
Certificate PG-13 123 min--Action | Adventure | Fantasy
Viewer points : 7.7 / 10
The peaceful land of Azeroth stands on the edge of war as its civilization faces a fearsome race of invaders : orc warriors escaping their dying home to conquer another . As a tunnel opens to connect the two worlds , one army faces destruction and the other faces extinction . From opposing sides , two heroes are set on a collision course that will decide the fate of their family , their people , and their home .
Director : Duncan Jones
Stars : Travis Fimmel , Paula Patton , Ben Foster , Dominic Cooper
Now You See Me 2 (2016)
Certificate PG-13 129 min--Action | Comedy | Thriller
Viewer points : 7.1 / 10
The Four Horsemen resurface and are forcibly hired by a tech genius to pull off their most impossible magic show yet .
Director : Jon M. Chu
Stars : Jesse Eisenberg , Mark Ruffalo , Woody Harrelson , Dave Franco
Me Before You (2016)
Certificate PG-13 110 min--Drama | Romance
Viewer points : 7.9 /10
A girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-disabled man she's taking care of .
Director : Thea Sharrock
Stars : Emilia Clarke , Sam Claflin , Janet McTeer , Charles Dance | high19543.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "sensitive"
},
"options": [
"independent",
"intelligent",
"inconsiderate",
"sensitive"
],
"question": "According to the two girls, teenagers nowadays are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | One school night this month I walked quietly up to Alexander, my 15-year-old son, and touched his cheek gently in a manner I hoped would seem casual.A year ago he would have ignored this disturbance but now he reacted impatiently and leaned back to his computer screen.
I made a mistake: breaking into my teenager's personal space. "The average teenager has pretty strong feelings about his privacy," Lara Fox and her friend Hilary Frankel told me. Mr.Frankel and Mr.Fox, both 17, are the authors of Breaking the Code, a new book that seeks to bridge the generational divide between parents and adolescents.It is being promoted by its publisher as the first self-help guide by teenagers for their parents, a kind of "Kids Are From Mars, Parents Are From Venus" that explains the language and actions of teenagers.The girls dealt with issues including hanging out late, money, school pressures, smoking etc.
Personally, I welcome their opinions.The most common missteps in interacting with teenagers arise from the war between parents exercising their rights to know what goes on under their roof and teenagers firmly guarding their privacy.Teenagers can be quick to interpret their parents' remarks and respond with anger that masks their vulnerability . Ms Fox said, "What we want above all is your approval.Don't forget, no matter how much we act as if we don't care what you say, we believe the things you say about us."
Nancy, a New York child-raising expert said she didn't agree with everything the authors suggested but found their arguments reasonable."When your kids are saying, ' _ ' there are lots of ways to respond so that they will listen and that is what the writers point out."
" My parents helped me see that, " Mr.Fox told me, " even though they used to stay out late and ride their bicycles to school, times have changed and the way parents educate children is different.These days there is a major fear factor in bringing up kids.Parents worry about their child crossing the street." The writers said they hoped simply to throw light on teenage thinking. | high4337.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "until 1890"
},
"options": [
"after 1890",
"until 1890",
"in 1890",
"by 1850"
],
"question": "English people did not have lunch _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | It is surprising that eating three meals a day -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- has been a custom only since 1890. Before this time, they only had two meals a day -- breakfast and dinner.
In the 16th century, breakfast was only to break one's fast . But 200 years later it had became a large meal, not just for family, but for numbers guests as well. It was a social event. It began at 10 a.m. and lasted until 1 p.m. Then breakfast began to be less popular. It became, instead, a lighter meal and was taken at a much earlier hour. By 1850 it had been pushed back to 8 a. m. and became a family meal.
Dinner, however, went to the other way. In the 16th century it was eaten at 11p.m.Years later, it had moved to the early afternoon, then to 5 p. m. By 1850 dinner time had reached 7 p. m. Lunch is a recent idea. It first appeared as a snack to fill the gap between breakfast and dinner. | high19225.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Paper and Plastics Cause Pollution"
},
"options": [
"Paper Causes Less Pollution",
"Plastic Causes Less Pollution",
"Paper and Plastics Cause Pollution",
"Paper Bags Break Down More Quickly"
],
"question": "The ... | Every time you go to the supermarket, you come away with your purchases in plastic bags. But wouldn't it be kinder to the environment if you asked for paper bags instead?
The answer is not the easy as it might seem. Environmentalists say there are _ to using both plastic bags and paper bags.
According to the American Plastics Council 80 percent of groceries in the US are packed in plastic bags.
"The numbers are becoming huge," said Vincent Cobb, a businessman from Chicago who set up "reusable bags. com" on the Internet. He notes that consumers use between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags per year worldwide.
Some experts believe that all these bags harm the environment. Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down and, as it does so, poisonous materials are released into the water and soil.
Further damage is caused if plastic bags enter the sea. For example, endangered sea turtles cannot tell the bags from jellyfish , their main source of food, and often choke on them.
Floating plastic bags have been spotted as far north as the Arctic Ocean and as far south as the southern end of South America. One expert predicts that, within ten years, plastic bags will wash up in Antarctica!
However, this kind of bag does have its advantages.
"Plastic grocery bags are some of the most reused things around the house," explained Laurie Kusek of the American Plastics Council.
According to the Film and Bag Federation, a trade group in the US plastics industry, paper bags use more energy and create more waste than plastic bags. Plastic bags require 40 per cent less energy to produce and cause 70 per cent less air pollution, the group explained. They also release as much as 94 percent less waste into the water than paper ones.
But paper bags do break down more quickly than plastic bags. They don't endanger wildlife, either.
So what should we do? One possible solution would be to use biodegradable plastic bags. But until biodegradable technology improves, it might be easier to pack things you buy in reusable cloth bags. | high4451.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "education"
},
"options": [
"medicine",
"communication and transportation",
"education",
"space technology"
],
"question": "Scientific discoveries have improved man's life in several fields. Which of the followin... | Scientific discoveries have changed man's life a great deal during the past century. First of all, they have greatly improved material well-being in several areas of life. In the field of medicine, cures for life threatening diseases have enabled people to live longer. In communication, the telephone and e-mail have made it possible for us to communicate with anyone in the world without leaving our homes or offices. Advances in transportation allow businessmen to fly across the ocean in the morning and return home the same evening. Space technology has put men on the moon. More efficient ways of using available resources, such as coal and solar power, have been explored.
Scientific discoveries have also changed man's moral atmosphere. Ethical issues are raised by these discoveries. Should we keep a terminally ill person alive through drugs and machines or should we allow him to die in dignity? With advances in transportation had come the problem of pollution for nearly every major city in the world. If cities become uninhabitable, then such technical advances may come with too great a price to pay. Many people also question the wisdom of sending men to the moon when there are urgent problems that have not been solved on earth. During future years, increasing attention must be given to the moral as well as the practical applications of science. | high11679.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Jayne"
},
"options": [
"Jaime",
"Jayne",
"Miko",
"Paola."
],
"question": "Who would miss his or her family most?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Below is a discussion on http://www.TalkingPoints.com/.
Stuck on a desert island?
Started on 23rd April by Steve Posts 1 - 7 of 42
Post 1
Steve
USA Hi, everyone. What would you miss most and least if you were stuck on a desert island? For me, it would be the changing seasons in New England. I guess this will sound stupid but I'd probably miss the rain, too. I would not miss getting up at six every day to go to work, though! What about you?
Post 2
Tomas
Germany Good question. Steve, I think I'd miss different types of bread, and shopping at the supermarket. I'd miss the food most. What would I miss least? My mobile phone---I'd like to be completely quiet --- at least for a little while
Post 3
Paola
Italy I would miss the company of people because I know I'd like to have someone to share experiences with. I'd go mad on my own. And I sure would not miss junk mail--- I hate coming home every evening and a pile of junk mail in my post box.
Post 4
Miko
Japan Hi, I would miss Manga cartoon, the internet and Japanese food, like sushi. I'd also miss TV shows and shopping for clothes... In fact, I'd miss everything.
Post 5
Roger
UK I would miss my daily newspaper and listening to the news on TV and radio. I'd feel very cut off if I didn't know what was happening in the world. What I'd miss least would be traffic jams in the city, particularly my journey to work.
Past 6
Jayne Why hasn't anyone mentioned their family? I'd be lost without my husband and two kids. They're the most important for me. And I can't get started in the morning without a cup of black coffee. I wouldn't miss doing the housework!
Post 7
Jaime
Mexico It would have to be music. I couldn't live without my music. I wouldn't miss going to school at all or doing homework! | high2020.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "its only food supply is far from enough on Little Mangere"
},
"options": [
"people have been very careless about its survival",
"the appeal for money has come at the wrong time",
"the other birds on the island have destroyed ... | The black robin is one of the world's rarest birds. It is a small, wild bird, and it lives only on the island of Little Mangere, off the coast of New Zealand. In 1967 there were about fifty black robins; in 1977 there were fewer than ten. These are the only black robins left in the world. The island has many other birds, of different kinds, large and small; these seem to multiply very happily.
Energetic steps are being taken to preserve the black robin. Detailed studies are going on, and a public appeal for money has been made. The idea is to buy another island nearby as a special home, a "reserve", for threatened wild life, including black robins. The organizers say that Little Mangere should then be supplied with the robin's food--it eats only one kind of seed. Thousands of the required plants are at present being cultivated in New Zealand. The public appeal is aimed at the conscience of mankind, so that the wild black robin will not die out and disappear form the earth in our time at least.
Is all this concern a waste of human effort? Is it any business of ours whether the black robin survives or dies out? Are we losing our sense of what is reasonable and what is unreasonable?
In the earth's long, long past, hundreds of kinds of creatures have evolved, risen to a degree of success--and died out. In the long, long future, there will be many new and different forms of life. Those creatures that adapt themselves successfully to what the earth offers will survive for a long time. Those that fail to meet the challenges will disappear early. This is nature's proven method of operation.
The rule of selection--"the survival of the fittest"--is the one by which human beings have themselves arrived on the scene. We, being one of the most adaptable creatures the earth has yet produced, may last longer than most. You may take it as another rule that when, at last, human beings show signs of dying out, no other creature will extend a paw to put off our departure. On the contrary, we will be hurried out. For nature, tough fair, is a hard-hearted mistress. She has no favorites.
Life seems to have grown too tough for black robins. I leave you to judge whether we should try to do something about it. | high21962.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "cause you to become fatter"
},
"options": [
"help you lose weight fast",
"help you lose weight slowly",
"cause you to become fatter",
"make you burning food more quickly"
],
"question": "According to Carol Ann R... | Myth: Skipping meals helps you lose weight fast.
Truth: There's no truth in this advice. Not only will you lose weight by starving yourself, but according to Carol Ann Rinzler, this may actually cause you to gain weight. Rinzler reasons that missing a meal causes your metabolism to slow down so that you burn food more slowly. This only makes you feel hungrier and by the time you finally do reach the table you will probably eat more food. Strange as it may seem, studies show that eating several small meals and snacks throughout the day is a more healthy way to lose pounds.
Myth: If you swallow gum ,it will stay inside your stomach for seven years.
Truth: Actually, it takes just a few days for gum to make its exit---not seven years, says Nei Izenberg, M. D., editor of Kids Health Organization. But because gum is made of the same thing as rubber, it cannot be fully digested in your stomach--- so if you gum up the works on a regular basis, you might find yourself in a sticky situation.
Myth: The best way to stop a nosebleed is to lift your head back.
Truth: Now that's bad advice. Bloody noses are caused by broken blood vessels , so while lifting your head back might stop the fluid from rushing out of your nose, it won't stop the bleeding; you'll just end up swallowing lots of blood. Your best bet? "Rest quietly. Don't poke or pick, and the blood will naturally clot within a minute or two". Suggests Dr. Izenberg.
Myth: Cutting your hair will make it grow long faster.
Truth: That's not true. "Your hair isn't like a lawn or a rosebush, where cutting can stimulate fresh growth," says Phillip Kingsley. The length of your hair is genetically ( ) determined. When it reaches a certain length, it stops growing. When you clear up the dead split ends, this make your hair look healthier, but not necessarilylonger. | high10567.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "practice plays a key role in the development of ability"
},
"options": [
"common people have more chances to become skilled",
"practice plays a key role in the development of ability",
"a man's ability has little to do with o... | What shapes a man's ability and skill was always a question to psychologists until a few decades ago when findings show that they for the most part come from practice ---- repetitive and endless practice.
The psychologist K. Anders Ericsson of the University of Florida and his team, based on a survey of a violin class in a college of music, have found that the students whose levels are rated as "A" have spent on average over 10,000 hours on violin-practice, those with level B a bit less than 8,000 hours, and those with average or lower levels no more than 5,000 hours.
The result of the survey is widely preferred because it suggests that practice makes perfect, that is, the distinction between "excellent" and "good" lies more in hard work than in natural intelligence. Malcolm Gladwell points out in his latest book Outliers: The Story of Success: "Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good." Besides, he thinks IQ plays little part in the formation and development of ability. "When one has an IQ of 120," writes he, "what is beyond it does not make an evidential difference in real life."
However, scientists' experimental results are quite different from the psychologists'. Their findings show success in many areas depends on intelligence --- and not a little. David Lubinski and Camilla Benbow of Vanderbilt University, with their research group, carried out a milestone research. They selected from Youth Talented Search 2000 teenagers of or under 13 whose SAT results ranked top1%. After tracking the achievements the 2,000 "wonder children" made in academy and career, Lubinski and Benbow's group found that those ranking top 1% have more possibility (averagely by two to four times) to get a doctor's degree, a certificate, and publish academic theses and works than those ranking top 9%. As a conclusion, it's a great advantage in the real world to have a high IQ. | high17208.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "help kids avoid being bitten by dogs"
},
"options": [
"help kids avoid being bitten by dogs",
"show methods of feeding dogs",
"warn dog owners of danger",
"warn kids to keep away from dogs"
],
"question": "The p... | Maybe you love them and want to pet every one you see.Or maybe you're afraid of them and want to move to a dogfree neighborhood.Either way,dogs are a part of life.Millions of people have dogs as pets.You'll see them all over town,in the city,country,and even when you're on vacation.
Like many kinds of pets--no matter how small or cute they are--dogs need to be respected as animals that,under certain conditions,could hurt you.Nearly 5 million dog bites happen every year in the United States.No one wants a dog bite,but how do you prevent one?
One dog expert has come up with an easy way for kids to remember some tips to prevent dog bites.It spells "DOG SAFE".
Don't tease,please:Teasing a dog can make it angry enough to bite.For instance,if a dog has food or a toy,never try to take it away.You wouldn't like it if someone took your snack while you were eating it!
Only pet with permission:Never pet a dog without asking the owner if it's OK.Some dogs don't like to be touched by strangers.
Give space:Little kids especially might run right up to a lovely dog and try to pet it or give it a hug.But dogs need space.Crowding a dog can frighten or anger the dog.
Slow down:Some dogs like to chase and bite.Of course,you don't want to be chased or bitten!The way to avoid it is to go slow around dogs.Never run toward them or away from them.If a dog you don't know runs toward you,freeze.If you need to get away,back up slowly.
Always get help:You may want to bring home a dog that seems lost or injured.But animals who are lost or injured may be very frightened or in pain.Find a grownup instead who can decide how to care for the animal.
Fingers together:When feeding a dog a treat,put the treat in the palm of your hand and keep your fingers and thumb close together.Why?The dog is less likely to get confused about which is the treat--the doggie snack or your finger!
Even good dogs can bite:Some people are very surprised when their dog bites someone,but all dogs can bite.Avoid doing things that make dogs scared or angry,such as backing them into a corner or bothering them when they are sleeping. | high6246.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the author's jeep broke downon the road"
},
"options": [
"the Mexican man couldn't speak English",
"the author's jeep broke downon the road",
"the Mexican family came to Oregon for a visit",
"$20 was a small amount for ... | I still clearly remember that day. I was on the side of the road for about four hours with my big jeep. I put signs in the windows that said, "Need a jack ."
As I was about to give up,a truck stopped and a man got off. He looked at the situation, made a judgment and went back to take a jack. After about two hours, we finished the job with sweats. We were both dirty. His wife took a large bottle of water for us to wash our hands.
I tried to put $ 20 in the man's hand, but he wouldn't take it, so I went to give it to his wife as quietly as I could. I asked their little girl where they lived, thinking maybe Pd send them a gift. She said they lived in Mexico. They were in Oregon now,so Mommy and Daddy could pick cherries for the next few weeks. After that, they were going to pick peaches and then go back home.
After I said goodbye and started going back to my jeep, the girl ran to me and handed me a tamale for lunch. I thanked them again and walked back to my jeep. When I opened the tamale, what did I find inside? My $ 20! I ran to the truck and the guy rolled down his window. He started shaking his head, smiled, and with what looked like great concentration said in English, "Today you, tomorrow me. " Then he drove away, with his daughter waving to me from the back.
This family, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took a couple of hours to help a stranger while others passed by quietly.
Since then I've helped many people like the Mexican family. I didn't accept their money. Every time I was able to help,I felt as if I was putting something in the bank. | high14701.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "students in grades 6 to 8"
},
"options": [
"students aged 16 to 18",
"students aged 8 to 16",
"students in senior high school",
"students in grades 6 to 8"
],
"question": "The program of Big Brothers/Big Sisters... | Briana, a student at John Fenwick School in Salem County, US, has a lot of free time. The 13-year-old girl used to hang out on the streets after school. "I know it wasn't good, but I really had nothing else to do," Briana said.
Briana was not alone. Many kids in her city had too much free time and nothing to do. To solve this problem, four school districts in Salem began a program called Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The program helps students make good use of their after-school time. Big Brothers/Big Sisters invites _ to help students in grades 6 to 8 build healthy relationships and take part in productive activities.
The "Littles" and the "Bigs" are nicknames for students and mentors. Most mentors are teachers. The "Bigs" and "Littles" usually meet once a week. They play games, share stories and go on trips.
The program has already helped many Salem students.
Briana's mentor is the school principal , Syeda Woods. Woods took Briana ice-skating, to pizza parties and for a visit to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. "When I got out, I saw that Salem is a very small place," Briana said. "The program helps me experience the outside world and see many new things."
Kathy Jennings, 13, said she was very shy before, but now is much more open.
"In the program, I see my mentor as a big sister, not a teacher. I can tell her anything," Jennings said. "And she has taught me a lot about making good decisions. I think it will make a big difference in my life." | high1529.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "his action"
},
"options": [
"his words",
"his thought",
"his action",
"his looks"
],
"question": "According to the writer's opinion, a brave person can be judged by _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Are you a man or a mouse? When people ask this question they want to know if you think you are a brave person or a coward . But you will never really know the answer to that question until you are tested in real life. Some people think they are brave, but when they come face to face with real danger, they act like cowards. Other people think of themselves as cowardly, but when they meet danger, they act like heroes.
Lenny Sputnik had always thought of himself as a nervous person. He got worried before examinations. He worried about his job and his health. All he wanted in life was to be safe and healthy. Then, on 15th January 1982, a plane crashed into the Potomac River in Washington. Lenny went to the river to see what was happening. Then he saw a woman in the ice-cold water. Suddenly Lenny did not feel afraid. He kept very calm and did a very courageous thing. He jumped into the Potomac, swam to the woman, and kept her head above the water. Seventy-eight people died that day. Thanks to Lenny Sputnik, it was not seventy-nine.
When you are in a very dangerous situation and feel afraid, the body automatically produces a chemical in the blood. This chemical is called adrenalin. With adrenalin in the blood system, you actually feel stronger and are ready to fight or run away. However, when you are completely terrified, the body can produce too much adrenalin. When this happens, the muscles become very hard and you find that you cannot move at all. You are then disabled with fear. That is why, when we are very frightened, we sometimes say that we are 'petrified'. This word comes from the Greek word 'peters' which means 'stone'. We are so frightened we have become like stone. | high12370.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Like other famous artists, he was thoughtless."
},
"options": [
"As an extraordinary Dutch painter, he knew nothing about business.",
"He spent most of his time on art, leaving no time to care his business.",
"All his childre... | Rembrandt was an extraordinary Dutch painter. He was most well-known for his brushwork and the way in which he connected with the human soul. His life, however, was not happy.
He was born on July 15,1606 in Leiden, the Netherlands. His father wanted him to have a real, learned profession but Rembrandt left the University of Leiden after becoming bored. He began studying art under a local teacher but soon left and studied in Amsterdam where he mastered all his lessons in six months!
At the age of 22, he moved back to Leiden and began to get his own students. One of his students was the famous artist Gerrit Dou. In 1631 he returned to Amsterdam where he became the most popular portrait painter in Holland. Rembrandt met Saskia and married her in 1634. She was a cousin of a very successful art dealer and she helped him to meet wealhy people who commissioned many paintings from him. He used her as a model in many of his paintings.
Rembrandt's private life, however, was very unfortunate. He had four children with Saskia but only one, Titus, survived. Saskia died in 1642 at the age of only 30. In 1649, his housekeeper became his second wife and was also a model for many of his paintings. Even though Rembrandt was very successful as an artist, art dealer and teacher, he lived in a careless way and had to declare bankruptcy in 1656. He even had to sell his whole art collection and his house to pay off his debts.
His unfortunate life, however, didn't affect his art. He painted many great paintings during that time. His new love, Hendrickje, died in 1663 and his 27-year-old son, Titus, died in 1668. Eleven months later, on October 4, 1669, Rembrandt died in Amsterdam. He produced more than 600 paintings and over 2,000 drawings! | high7158.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A photographer."
},
"options": [
"A lawyer.",
"An environmentalist.",
"A sailor.",
"A photographer."
],
"question": "What was Rebecca Hosking?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | A small town in southwest Britain is banning plastic bags in an attempt to help the environment and cut waste--a step that environmentalists believe is a first for Europe.
Shopkeepers in Modbury population 1500,agreed to stop handing out _ plastic bags to customers on Saturday.They said paper sacks and cloth carrier bags would be offered instead.
Last month,San Franciso became the first U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags.Internationally,laws to discourage the use of plastic bags have been passed in parts of South Africa and Ireland,where governments either tax shoppers who use them or fine companies that hand them out.Bangladesh already bans them,and so do at least 30 remote Alaskan villages.
Modbury,about 225 miles southwest of London,has also declared a bag amnesty ,allowing local people to hand in plastic bags that have piled up at home.They will be sent for traveling.
The Modbury ban was the idea of Rebecca Hosking,who saw the effect of bags on marine life while working in the Pacific as a wildlife camerawoman.She said response in the town so far had been "really positive".
"Modbury is quite an old-fashioned town and a lot of people have wicker baskets to go out shopping anyway,"Hosking told Sky News Television.
The Worldwatch Institute,an environmental research agency,states that 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away each year in the United States alone.More than 500 billion are used yearly around the world. | high8280.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The advertiser is ignorant of the reading habit of the Arabs."
},
"options": [
"The advertisement is offensive to the Arabic religious belief.",
"The advertiser is ignorant of the reading habit of the Arabs.",
"The advertisem... | The increase in global trade means that international companies cannot afford to make costly advertising mistakes if they want to be competitive.Understanding the language and culture of target markets in foreign countries is one of the keys to successful international marketing.Too many companies,however,have jumped into foreign markets with embarrassing results.Translation mistakes are at the heart of many _ in international advertising.
General Motors,the US auto manufacturer, got a costly lesson when it introduced its Chevrolet Nova to the Puerto Rican market. "Nova"is Latin for "new (star)"and means "star" in many languages,but in spoken Spanish it can sound like "no va", meaning "it doesn't go".Few people wanted to buy a car with that cursed meaning. When GM changed the name to Caribe,sales picked up dramatically.
Marketing blunders have also been made by food and beverage companies. One American food company's friendly "Jolly Green Giant" (for advertising vegetables) became something quite different when it was translated into Arabic as "Intimidating Green ogre ".
When translated into German,Pepsi's popular slogan,"Come Alive with Pepsi" came out implying "Come Alive from the Grave".No wonder customers in prefix = st1 /Germanydidn't rush out to buy Pepsi.
Even a company with an excellent international track record like Kentucky Fried Chicken is not immune to the perils of faulty translation.Many sales were lost when the catch phrase "finger licking food" became "eat with your fingers off" in Chinese translation.
A manufacturer of one laundry detergent also made an expensive mistake in the Middle East. Its advertisements showed a picture of a pile of dirty clothes on the left, a box of the company's detergent in the middle, and clean clothes on the right.Unfortunately,the message was incorrectly interpreted because most people looked at it from right to left, the way Arabic is read.
Having awakened to the special nature of foreign advertising,companies are becoming much more conscientious in their translation and more sensitive to cultural distinctions.The best way to prevent errors is to hire professional translators who understand the target language and its idiomatic usage, or to use a technique called "back translation" to reduce the possibility of blunders. The process uses one person to translate a message into the target language and another to translate it back. Effective translators aim to capture the overall message of an advertisement because a word-for-word duplication of the original rarely conveys the intended meaning and often causes misunderstandings. | high22258.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A low quality of life because of bad health and limited money."
},
"options": [
"A high quality of life because of the development of technology.",
"A low quality of life because of bad health and limited money.",
"A high qua... | More than one in four children alive in Britain today will celebrate their 100thbirthday, official figures showed. The special figure shows a huge social change, with today's children likely to survive far longer than their parents or grandparents. Of the 12.4 million children aged 16 and under, 3.3 million(27%)will become someone who is a hundred years old or more. In a class of 30 children, eight can live to be 100. And the rest of the children are likely to get to an old age, even though they will not make it to three figures.
Experts warned that children may live to 100, but that they will not get their State pension until they are 70 or beyond. The State pension age is rising to 66 for both men and women by 2020, and the Government has warned it will continue to rise. Laith Khalaf, a pension expert, said, "Living to an old age is lucky if you can afford it, but a _ if you can't. Those without enough savings will be depending on the State pension which will be changed."
It also increases the possibility of millions of people surviving until their 100thbirthday with a poor quality of life because of poor health and little money. Millions of older people have no pensions, no savings and no plans about how they are going to pay for their retirement other than to carry on working. If the older population demands more resources ,then it has to come from their own wealth or the government.
Laith said, "Millions of people will be spending over a third of their lives in retirement. It is high time that we reformed the State pension system. We want to make it fair for future generation." | high23146.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the 3rd Sunday of June"
},
"options": [
"the same day every year",
"the 3rd Sunday of June",
"the last day of June",
"June 16thof each year"
],
"question": "Father's Day always falls on _ .",
"question_ty... | It's time to do something for your father - the man who for many people has been an encouragement and support since birth.
The third Sunday of June is Father's Day. The holiday honors not only fathers, but also all men who act as father figures, such as stepfathers, uncles and grandfathers.
The idea of Father's Day came from the love and appreciation of American lady called Sonore Smart Dodd in 1909.
Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. He raised six children by himself on a countryside farm in Washington State after his wife died during the birth of their sixth child.
When Dodd became an adult, she realized the selflessness her father has shown in raising his children as a single parent.
It was her father who did all for his children. In the eyes of his daughter, William Smart was a courageous, selfless and loving man.
Dodd's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Washington on June 19th, 1910.
In 1924, US President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally, in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared the third Sunday of June as Father's day.
So this is a perfect chance to let your father know what he means to you. To show your love and respect, you need not buy an expensive gift. You can send him a home - made card; You can call him every day; Even you can give him a sweet smile when he comes back from work. All these little things are easy for us to do, but they can show your care and love to your father. | high21989.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "everybody posses a sense of direction from birth"
},
"options": [
"some babies are born with a sense of direction",
"people learn a sense of direction as they grow older",
"people never lose their sense of direction",
"... | You either have it , or you don't -a sense of direction ,that is .But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map ,while others can lose themselves in the next street?
Scientists say we're all born with a sense of direction ,but it is not property understood how it works .One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out atprefix = st1 /LiverpoolUniversitysupports this idea and suggests that if we don't use it. we lose it .
"Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around." says Jim Martland .Research Director of the project . "However if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car ,they never develop the skills"
Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction .He makes the following suggestions.
*If you are using a map ,turn it so it relates to the way you are facing.
*If you leave your bike in a strange place ,put it near something like a big stone or a tree.
Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike .When you return ,go back
along the same route
*Simplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town,streams ,or walls in the countryside to guide you .Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are.
Now you need never get lost again! | high21751.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "couldn't keep the house clean"
},
"options": [
"would go out without permission",
"couldn't keep the house clean",
"made her look dirty and bad",
"were too lazy to hug or kiss her"
],
"question": "The writer was... | A friend and I were standing in line at the grocery store the other day, and I was telling her how lazy my children were.I had come in from work that morning, and like most times, my house was wrecked.
"I believe children nowadays are just out for what they can get.They can never help keep our house clean." I said, feeling unhappy.
"Do you know how happy you are?" a woman behind us asked."I would love to go home and find my house a mess.I wouldn't mind my floor being dirty.Nor would I mind the dirty clothes being piled high.I wouldn't even mind anyone talking about my dirty home.I would love it.I would love to kick my way through the house just to get to my kids and be able to hug them, kiss them and tell them how much I love them.You see, my two children were killed in an accident. My house stays clean; my clothes stay put up; the dishes are done."
"There are no fingerprints on my walls.There are no sounds of arguing, either.So you see, you are very lucky.I would give anything to be going through what you are now! How I'd love to be able to hold my kids, wipe away their tears and share their dreams! I wouldn't care how my house looked.I would be happy just to have them."
Now if you come into my house and see a big mess, you can think bad thoughts if you want, but I feel greatly blessed.(268 words) | high11692.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He needs to collect information for stories."
},
"options": [
"He relaxes after he finishes writing.",
"He enjoys moving around from place to place.",
"He likes to take his family on adventure trips.",
"He needs to coll... | As a newspaper reporter, Inez' s father traveled around the world. He wrote stories about the interesting people he met. On her fifteenth birthday, Inez could hardly believe it when her father announced that she was old enough to go with him on one of his trips! He said his next story would be about salt mining in Europe. Inez had never thought much about salt,she didn' t know what to expect,but she knew she would love being with her father.
Months later, when Inez and her father arrived at the salt mine ,they found themselves walking into the middle of a busy workday. Mrs. Walker, the owner, said she would not be available to talk until the workday was over. She suggested that Inez and her father should help out so Inez ' s father would have first-hand experience for his story. Before Inez realized what was happening, she was in the factory. This was not what she had imagined her trip would be like.
People rushed past her carrying hammers, nails, and wood to make boxes for the salt. Everyone seemed to be in such a hurry. As another newly constructed box was pushed at her, Inez spread a label with glue and stuck it on the side of the box. When she had agreed to go with her father on his newspaper assignment, she had pictured an adventure, not hard labor.
Inez looked at the salt covering her father' s once-blue pants and sighed. She could taste the salt in her mouth and smell it in the air. Inez had been using salt all her life, but she had never imagined that it existed in such quantities or that it was so hard to package.
Inez' s father rubbed his hands together and grinned at her. ''I know this probably isn't what you had in mind," he said, "but sometimes the best days are the ones that don' t go as planned.
Best? she wondered. She had learned two lessons today. One was to value every grain of salt to fall from a shaker. The other was to hear the details before agreeing to go on a job with her father! | high21037.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the teaching style needs much improvement"
},
"options": [
"his school is more student-centered",
"he wants to get more sleep",
"he wants to fool around on campus",
"the teaching style needs much improvement"
],
... | Skiping classes violates school rules and a poor attendance record will damage your final mark. But some college students still try every means to escape classes. The number of these rebels may be much bigger than you think. Three students from Anhui Normal University established Itaoke. Com in June. The website quickly attracted 2 000 registered members in three months. On the website, students share their experiences of skipping classes and even post ads to look for someone to stand in for them to attend courses. Its embarrassing for universities to see this shameful behavior discussed:
However,it's good for schools and teachers to know via the website the reasons why students skip classes,according to Professor Xiao Haitao from Shenzhen University: Xao pointed out that some`students skip classes because of laziness.Others play truant because the teaching is truly dissatisfactory,"Universities can seek improvements to give a cure to the class-skipping problem,"said Xiao.
Chen Yang,21,thinks that he is "forced" to skip some courses because of the poor teaching. the senior,majoring in English at Yangtze University, thinks that he's wasting time in the classroom when the teacher reads the textbook word for word or hands him outdated reading materials. He would rather skip classes to study in the library, watch online videos of Harvard or Yale lectures,or sit in on other courses he is interested in. Chen draws a clear line between himself and those who skip classes in order to get more sleep or fool around on campus. He emphasized:"I skip classes with a clear goal,which is to probe into areas I'm interested in and broaden my horizons."
Li Sicen,President of the National Taiwan University,seems to be on Chen's side. Li claimed that he supported those students who skip classes for good reasons.
However,Professor Xiao warns students that Li is not giving permission for students to skip classes. Xiao suggests that Li was just showing his understanding of truancy in a limited number of cases.
In Professor Pan Cuiqiong's opinion,students tend to jump to the conclusion that a certain course is boring and useless. "To clear students' misunderstanding,teachers should use materials closely related to students'lives and adapt interactive teaching methods,"said Pan.
Besides offering teachers more training,schools also need to give students different optional courses and ensure that they can attend the courses they are interested in,according to Professor Xiao. Many Chinese students have the experience of being kicked out of an optional course because its size is limited. They are then forced to choose courses they dislike and are likely to skip them. We may learn from Sydney University in Australia. There aren't any problems with numbers---if a course is popular then there will be more than one class per week. | high2975.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They are hard to be cleared out from nature."
},
"options": [
"They are transported by human beings around the globe.",
"They have been widely used in &c world since 1977.",
"They are hard to be cleared out from nature.",
... | Some fish may contain harmful chemicals, which can be the result of both natural causes and water pollution. Mercury is a poisonous chemical, which occurs naturally in oceans and the Earth's crust , but also comes from man-made sources, such as farm chemicals, burning garbage, oil, coal, etc.
Polyclilorinated bipheuyls (PCBs), a group of chemicals, can also be found in some fish. These man-made chemicals were used in many industries until 1977, when they were banned. PCBs were released or leaked into (lie tar and water and have bear transported around the globe.
How do mercury and PCBs end up in fish and the food supply? When they arc released into the air, they attach themselves to particles .These particles settle on the ground and in the water and are eventually eater by micro-organisms. Small fish cat the micro-organisms, and large fish eat the small fish and on up the food chain.
Because they can negatively affect your health, the U.S. Eavirotunental Protectioc Agency advises that kids younger than 15 years old avoid fish that cortain high levels of mercury and PCBs. These include shark, swordfish, king rrnackerel, and tilefish.
There are also many types of fish that are good for you, but arc in danger of being wiped out because of ovcrfishing. Sonic are being fished in the wild so much that they cannot reproduce enough to survive.Others re being farmed in ways that are not environmentally friendly. These fish include red snapper.Atlantic salmon, bluefnn tuna. and king crab.
Despite these problems, there are several fish that are both healthy and sustainable , such as Alaskan salmon, American catfish, Pacific cod, and several fans-raised fish and shellfish. | high17585.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The origins of some most.commonly used slang words or phrases."
},
"options": [
"The most commonly used slang words in the world.",
"The origins of some most.commonly used slang words or phrases.",
"The origins of English wor... | This is a list of the origins of some slang words or phrases that we all use regularly.These words are common in almost all English speaking nations.
Cool
Who hasn't used this word at least once in their life when speaking highly of something? This meaning of the word is ly new in English,but not as new as you might think.The earliest record found so far is from 1884 in the phrase"Dat's cool!"
Kick the Bucket
This means"to die".Many people consider the term to have come from a guilty man standing on an upturned bucket which was then kicked out from under his feet leaving him to hang,but there is no written evidence that this is the case.In fact,it is more likely from a different type of bucket entirely.In butchery ,when a pig was killed it would be hung from a pole.It is mostly likely that in his death throes ,the pig's feet would bang against the rail to which they were tied.Therefore,kicking the bucket was a term referring to the last actions of the pig before he finally died.
Bob's Your Uncle
Bob's your uncle generally means that something is simple or easy or a"job done".It is most likely that this phrase came about as a result of nepotism .In the late 1800s, Lord Salisbury(first name Robert)was prime-minister of Great Britain.After his third term he was _ by his nephew Arthur.Arthur had been made Chief Secretary of Ireland in 1886. Suspicions arose that Robert was favoring his nephew Arthur.The term"Bob's your uncle"could be used at the time as a reference to this charge of nepotism. | high16843.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Positive."
},
"options": [
"Opposed.",
"Indifferent .",
"Positive.",
"Neutral ."
],
"question": "What is the author's attitude toward modern gold-planning?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | Many people have heard stories of the California gold rush during the 19thcentury, when lots of people went there in search for gold. Panning for gold has a rich and interesting history. Nowadays some people continue to pan for gold in California. Although it cannot be regarded as a method for earning income, taking on gold-panning as a hobby can give you a feeling of being in the old west and get you out into nature.
The only tool that is required to pan for gold is a gold pan. You can use a regular old flat pan, but "officially" gold pans are quite cheap so you may as well buy one that is made for the task. Most sold pans come in either plastic or medal.
Once you have your pan you will want to start practicing your gold panning technique. Panning for gold works because gold is much heavier than most rocks. To pan for gold you add rock and dirt form the bottom of a stream to your pan and then gently let water flow through the pan. The lighter-weight rocks are slowly swept away while any gold will be left behind in the pan.
To start panning for gold, first you will need to find a good location. Try checking maps of your area and old history books to find location where there were gold mines in the past. Even though most of the gold have already been removed, there are likely to be small leftovers that you can find. Once you have found an area that looks promising, look for any small stream or river where you can try out panning for gold.
Panning for gold requires patience and it may be a long time before you hit anything of value. However, it is an enjoyable hobby and provides a great opportunity to get outdoors, so don't give up too quickly. | high730.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "her appearance looked much too mature"
},
"options": [
"her hairstyle was out of fashion",
"her appearance looked much too mature",
"her way of dressing was against the tradition",
"physical beauty wasn't thought to be ... | The Barbie doll first appeared at the toy fair in New York in 1959. Its creator was Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman. She and her husband Elliott along with Harold Matt Matson started the toy company Mattel. She based the design of the new doll on a German doll named Bild Lilli and named her after their daughter Barbara.
The first Barbie wore a black and white swimsuit and had her hair in a ponytail . She looked very grown-up. But any concerns that parents would not want to buy it for little girls were soon proved wrong.
Mattel sold 300,000 Barbie dolls in the first year at a price of three dollars. Today, a fifty-year-old Barbie in good condition might cost more than 27,000 dollars.
Barbie dolls have represented 50 different nationalities and are sold in 150 countries. Mattel says 90% of girls in the United States between the ages of three and ten own at least one Barbie doll. It says girls between the ages of three and six own an average of about 12.
Barbie also faced her share of critics. A well-known example was when women's education groups objected to a talking Barbie doll that declared, among other things, "Math class is tough!" Mattel agreed to change it. Saudi Arabia has banned Barbie dolls. And a lawmaker in the American state of West Virginia would like to do the same. Last month, he proposed banning sales of Barbie and other dolls that influence girls to put too much importance on physical beauty.
Some people say Barbie is an unhealthy role model for young girls. Robin Gerber disagrees. She wrote a book about Barbie. She points out dolls like scientist Barbie and race car driver Barbie. She says people who criticize Barbie should tell girls the story of the businesswoman who created her. She says Ruth Handler wanted the dolls to help girls think about what they wanted to do with their lives. | high23620.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he was one of the author's fans"
},
"options": [
"he was one of the author's fans",
"he wanted to get to the Olympics and win a medal",
"he was also good at weight lifting",
"he admired the author for his courage very m... | After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me. I was told it would mean a great deal to him, so I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy . When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, "Why me?" He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn't mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we had finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, "You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you."
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew's parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before: | high15392.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because customers were able to carry more items when shopping."
},
"options": [
"Because grocery stores without shopping carts made less money.",
"Because he lowered the prices of his goods.",
"Because customers liked the sho... | The modern world is full of useful objects that were invented by someone, from spoons and chopsticks in our kitchens to the Ipads in our handbags. Each invention is an example of the creative power of the human mind. Where do inventors get their inspirations ? The inspiration behind each of these inventions varies.
Take the shopping cart as an example. Sylvan Goldman was a grocery store owner. Like most businessmen, he wished that his customers would buy more so that he could make more money. He knew what if they could carry more goods easily as they were shopping, when his sales would go up. While thinking about the problem one night, he had an idea. Working with a local handyman named Fred Young, he designed the first shopping cart. Today, retailers who use shopping carts sell more goods and make more profits.
Nature has also inspired inventors throughout history. This is what happened to George de Mestral one day. While hunting with his dog in the Swiss Alps, he noticed how the burs of certain plants stuck to his clothing and to his dog' s fur. After examining them under a microscope,
he found they had tiny hooks that could easily stick to the fibers of clothing or animal hide. For the next ten years, George de Mestral searched for the hest way to produce his idea. The result of his original inspiration was Velcro, which is used in many modem objects, including sportswear, shoes, automobiles, and even space suits.
These examples show us that there are at least two possible inspirations for human creativity in the world of inventions -- profit and nature. No doubt, the future will continue to breathe new life into the economies of the world with fresh ideas and inventions. How many of their creations will be inspired by natural phenomena? The world's problems require creativity and we can expect best solutions from future generations. | high9820.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "earned more money"
},
"options": [
"planted less corn",
"planted morn crops",
"planted morn wheat",
"earned more money"
],
"question": "We know that compared to 2009,in 2010 American farmers----.",
"question... | 2010 was a good year for American farmers. They earned about eighty-two billion dollars. That is almost one-third more than that they earned last year. And it is twenty-six percent higher than the ten-year average. Values for grain and oilseed crops are up about three percent from last year. The value of animal production is up by almost seven percent.
In 2011, farm exports are expected to break the all-time high set in 2008.The Agriculture Department says exports in 2011 could top one hundred and twenty-six billion dollars. The largest buyer of agricultural products is expected to be Canada. But farm exports to China are predicted to come within five hundred million dollars of Canadian purchases. Secretary Vilsack says countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East are also buying more from American farmers.
Poor growing conditions overseas played an important part in higher prices for American crops in 2010.Charlotte Hebe brand is chief executive of the International Food and Agricultural Trade Policy Council in Washington. She said drought conditions had a big effect over the summer. She said,"There were horrible weather problems, not just in Russia but also in some of the other former Soviet Union countries."
Wheat prices rose after Russia stopped wheat exports,although Russia later eased the ban ."Wheat used to be America's top crop. What's interesting,though,is that wheat production has actually become less over the past few years because corn has become the most popular crop,"said economist Charlotte Hebebrand.
Corn is mostly fed to animals. But Miss Hebebrand said with the recent increase in wheat prices, American farmers might plant more wheat again. Corn and wheat are the two largest crops supported by the government. | high724.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "his family belonged to the low-income group"
},
"options": [
"the retaurant was short for hands",
"his family belonged to the low-income group",
"he wanted to earn some money",
"he was stronger than his two brothers"
... | I was six when I joined my father and two brothers at sunrise in the hayfields of Eufaula,Oklahoma.By the time I was eight I was helping Dad fix up low-income rent properties.He gave me a penny for every nail I pulled out of old boards.
I got my first real job,at JM's restaurant in town,when I was 12.My main responsibilities were cleaning tables and washing dishes,but sometimes I helped cook.
Every day after school I would head to JM's and work until ten.On Saturdays I worked from two until eleven.At that age it was unlucky going to work and watching my friends run off to swim or play.I didn't necessarily like work,but I love what working allowed me to have.Because of my job I was always the one buying when my friends and I went to the local bar Tastee Freez.This made me proud.
Word that I was honest and hard-working got around town.A local clothing store offered credit to me although I was only in the seventh grade.I immediately charged a $68 sports coat and a $22 pair of trousers.I was making only 65 cents an hour,and I was already $90 in debt!So I learned early the danger of easy credit.I paid it off as soon as I could.
My first job taught me discipline,responsibility and brought me a level of personal satisfaction few of my friends had experienced.As by father,who worked three jobs,once told me,"If you understand sacrifice and commitment,there are not many things in life you can't have."How right he was! | high7819.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "mother"
},
"options": [
"iron maiden",
"child",
"mother",
"sex object"
],
"question": "According to Deborah A. Macey, Fan Shengmei in Ode to Joy is the _ archetype.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}... | Ode to Joy(<<>> ),a 42-episodes TV series, is about five young women living on the 22nd floor of Shanghai's "Ode to Joy" high-rise community. They become friends while pursuing love and career advancement. Since its appearance on April 18, Ode to Joy has been praised for its realistic description of the hidden struggles of city life. "The audience can relate to the characters since their experiences can be traced back to real life too," commented the Dahe Daily. "Even better, female audiences can find themselves in one or two of the characters because the characters _ feminine archetypes found throughout the society."But the idea of following a group of women as they lead a city life is hardly a pioneering concept. In many ways, Ode to Joy resembles American TV series like Sex and the City (1998-2004) and Desperate Housewives (2004-2012). These two series were praised for their feminist themes, but they also employed well-known female archetypes to illustrate the range of dilemmas women face. Deborah A. Macey, a communications professor at Saint Louis University in the US, divides these archetypes up into four ways: the iron maiden, the sex object, the child,and the mother. "The iron maiden is portrayed as masculine and career-oriented. The sex object owns her sexuality and genuinely loves her body. The child archetype is naive, optimistic, and dim-witted. The mother archetype connects the characters in the series and serves as the dominant storyteller," Macey said on the online media forum "In Media Res".
Sounds familiar? Yes, these features can be seen in the characters of Ode toJoy. Andy (Liu Tao), for instance, partly embodies the iron maiden role. She's super smart, rational and direct. She moves from the US to Shanghai and takes the position of CFO at a top Chinese company. Fan Shengmei (Jiang Xin) can be seen as the "mother" in the series. Despite the fact that she s in charge of her own family issues,she takes her friends under her wing and stands up for them. Qu Xiaoxiao (Wang ziwen), the sexy and beautiful girl born with silver spoon, perfectly illustrates what is bitter-sweet relationship between friends and lovers. With that being said. Ode to Joy doesn't lack creativity. It assigns the "child" role to two characters-the straightforward, naive Qiu Yingying (Yang Zi), and the good-tempered, hard-working Guan Ju'er (Qiao Xin).
But this category of TV series has its risks. Having five main characters means the drama isn't story-driven but character-driven. "It's not something you often see in Chinese TV dramas," Yuan Zidan, Ode to Joy's screenwriter, told Changjiang Daily. "But we want to challenge the norms." | high14098.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Three."
},
"options": [
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many swimmers are attacked by the white sharks?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | A group of swimmers has described how a group of dolphins protected them from a group of white sharks off the coast of New Zealand. The lifeguards were on a training swim when they came across a group of great white sharks before the dolphins raced in to help.
The swimmers were surrounded by the dolphins for forty minutes before they were able to make them safety back to the beach. It was an uncomfortable experience as they were circled by a group of white sharks, which came within a couple of meters of them. Lifeguard Rob Howes was in the water with a colleague and his teenage daughter. He said around half a dozen dolphins suddenly appeared and forced them to gather together. The mammals swam in tight circles to create a protective wall between the white sharks and the lifeguards as the great white sharks were under the surface.
The swimmers said the dolphins were extremely upset and repeatedly slapped the water with their tails as if to try to prevent the white sharks from attacking them. It's a day they'll never forget, especially for one who was on her first day as _ They have no doubt that the dolphins acted on purpose to protect them. Researchers have said that they're not surprised. A marine biologist insisted that dolphins, which are considered to be one of the most intelligent mammals, "like to help the helpless." | high9834.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a strategy to avoid people"
},
"options": [
"a strategy to avoid people",
"a device newly produced",
"a service provided everywhere",
"a skill of communication"
],
"question": "According to the passage Fake Foni... | Nowadays, a cellphone service is available to everyone, everywhere. Probably thousands of people have already been using it, but I just discovered it, so I'm going to claim it and also name it: Fake Foning.
The technology has been working well for me at the office, but there are infinite applications. Virtually in any public space.
Say you work at a big university with lots of talky faculty members buzzing about. Now, say you need to use the restroom. The trip down the hall will take approximately one hour, because a person can't walk into those talky people without getting pulled aside for a question, a bit of gossip, a new read on a certain line of Paradise Lost.
So, a cellphone. Any cellphone. Just pick it up. Don't dial. Just hold that phone to your face and start talking. Walk confidently down the hall engaged in fake conversation, making sure to tailor both the topic and content to the person standing before you whom you are trying to avoid.
For standard colleague avoidance, I suggest fake chatting about fake business:
"Yes, I'm glad you called, because we really need to hammer out the details. What's that? Yes, I read Page 12, but if you look at the bottom of 4, I think you can see the problem begins right there."
Be engaged in your fake fone conversation. Make eye contact with the people passing, nod to them, gesture keen interest in talking to them at a later time, point to your phone, shrug and move on.
Shoppers should consider fake foning anytime they spot a talky neighbor in the produce department pinching unripe peaches. Without your phone at your face, you'd be in for a 20-minute speech on how terrible the world is.
One important caution about fake foning. The other day I was fake foning my way past a colleague, and he was actually following me to get my attention. I knew he wanted to ask about a project I had not yet finished. I was trying to buy myself some time, so I continued fake foning with my doctor. "So I don't need the operation? Oh, doctor, that is the best news."
And then: Brrrrrrng! Brrrrrmg! Brrrrrmg! My phone started ringing, right there while it was planted on my face. My colleague looked at me, and I at him, and naturally I gasped. "What is the matter with this thing?" I said, pulling the phone away to look at it, and then putting it back to my ear.
"Hello? Are you still there?" Oops. | high2961.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "their ancestors were Europeans"
},
"options": [
"they have strong stomachs",
"their ancestors were Europeans",
"that's where milk drinking started",
"farmers raise a lot of cows there"
],
"question": "Most peopl... | None of our early ancestors could digest milk as adults because their bodies never had to -milk drinking simply wasn't an option.As people began to extract milk from animals, though, some people developed the ability to keep drinking it throughout their lives.
Scientists mow know of a milk-related mutation in our genes--the chemical instructions for life that we carry in almost every cell in our bodies.People who have a mutated form of one particular gene can drink milk just fine.People without the mutation tend to get sick from milk.
To figure out where, and possibly why, milk drinking started, some scientists have been looking at who has the milk-digesting mutation to day Pattems are striking.
Most adults in Northern and Central Europe are able to digest milk--and they do.Cheese, butter and other dairy products are popular in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Germany and England.Because European settlers dominated North America, most people here can handle milk just fine, as well.That may explain why ice cream is such a popular dessert in the United States.
In much of Africa, Asia and South America, on the other hand, people tend to avoid dairy products because they lead to diarrhea and other stomach problems.(That's why you won't typically find cheese on the menu at a Chinese, Japanese or Ethiopian restaurant.) Native Americans are also unable to digest milk.
Based on these genetic patterns, scientists have long thought that milk drinking started in Northern Europe, where dairy is an institution and the milk-digesting mutation is everywhere.
A recent study painted a different picture.With a computer model, Thomas and colleagues looked at the spread of the milk-drinking mutation, farming and other related factors.Working backward, the scientists concluded that the first milk-drinkers lived in Central Europe around what's now Hungary about 7500 years ago.The practice didn't start farther north, as scientists had thought before. | high21023.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To make way for a bus."
},
"options": [
"To fill his pipe.",
"To examine his cart",
"To make way for a bus.",
"To watch Sir Henry water roses."
],
"question": "Why did the writer stop his cart outside Sir Henry'... | Observe a child; any one will do. You will see that not a day passes in which he does not find something or other to make him happy, though he may be in tears the next moment. Then look at a man; any one of us will do. You will notice that weeks and months can pass. Days are greeted with nothing more than resignation . A man can not smile like a child, for a child smiles with his eyes, whereas a man smiles with his lips alone. It is not a smile; but a grin ; something to do with humor, but little to do with happiness.
Sir Henry Stewart was a lawyer. He was certainly successful. It is twenty years ago since he came down to our village from London.
I remembered some ten years ago when he was made a King's Counsel , Amos and I, seeing him get off the London train, went to congratulate him. We grinned with pleasure; he merely looked as miserable as though he'd received a penal sentence. It was the same when he was knighted. He never smiled a bit. He took his success as a child does his medicine.
I asked him one day what it was like to achieve all one's ambitions. He looked down at his roses and went on watering them. Then he said "The only value in achieving one's ambition is that you then realize that they are not worth achieving."
I recall this incident, for yesterday, I was passing his house, and had drawn up my cart just outside his garden wall. I had pulled in from the road for no other reason than to let a bus pass me. As I sat there filling my pipe, I suddenly heard a shout of joy come from the other side of the wall.
I peered over. There stood Sir Henry doing nothing less than a tribal war dance of unashamed ecstasy . When he saw me staring over the wall, he shouted, "Come and see. Look! I have done it at last! I have done it at last!"
There he was, holding a small box of earth in his hand. I observed three tiny shoots out of it.
"And there were only three!" he said, his eyes laughing to heaven.
"Three what?" I asked.
"Peach stones", he replied. "I've always wanted to make peach stones grow, even since I was a child, when I used to take them home after a party, or as a man after a banquet. And I used to plant them, and then forgot where I planted them. But now at last I have done it, and, what's more, I had only three stones, and there you are, one, two, three shoots," he counted. And Sir Henry ran off, calling for his wife to come and see his achievement. | high17591.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "are able to receive kids' letters earlier"
},
"options": [
"are eager to receive more wishes",
"keep traveling around 80 countries",
"are able to receive kids' letters earlier",
"answer most of the letters from kids"
... | This message is to inform all the children that Santa's post office in Himmelpfort, Germany, is open to receive your holiday wishes. That means you can mail your letters to Santa about 6 weeks sooner than that last year. Santa knows you've been good and wants to make sure he and his helpers receive your wish list earlier.
Eight post offices are organized across Germany to answer all letters children send. This year they plan to receive over 250,000 letters. Though the letters fly from over 80 different countries, Santa and his helpers can understand and make sure to answer all the letters.
In 1984, two children from Berlin sent their wish lists to Himmelpfort after spending vacation there. Their letters were answered by postal employees and later Himmelpfort increased its helpers to meet the needs of increased mail traffic. Year after year, Santa and his crew use an eco-friendly powered vehicle to collect the thousands of letters he receives from young boys and girls. The great news for this year is that if you come to the beautiful town of Himmelpfort, you can drop off your letter and visit Santa in person, from Tuesdays to Thursdays until Christmas Eve.
Santa does not currently have an e-mail, Twitter or a Facebook account. He believes in old-fashioned communication. So get out your paper and write your wish list. Just make sure your letter is clear so you can receive an official response, send your letters to:
Santa
Christmas Post Office
Himmelpfort, Germany 16798 | high10598.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "fairy tale"
},
"options": [
"joke",
"humor",
"true story",
"fairy tale"
],
"question": "This story is a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"an... | Long long ago, a God called Ratu lived in the sky. Ratu liked to play games and make people angry. The game he liked best was to fly down into the sea and frighten all the fishes. The fishes became very tired of his game. They asked Hemi, the God of the sea, to help them.
So Hemi tried to catch Ratu the next time he flew into the sea, but he was too slow. Ratu laughed at Hemi as he flew past him. This made Hemi angry and he had an idea. He asked the fishes to bring him a lot of seaweed. Hemi tied it all together and made a large net from it. Soon Ratu flew down and Hemi threw the net over him. Ratu fought and fought but could not get free. He was caught.
Ratu promised never to frighten fishes again if Hemi would set him free. But Hemi did not believe him. Instead, he changed Ratu into a mountain in the sea. Ratu was so angry that when he opened his mouth to shout at Hemi, fire and smoke broke out. And that is why the Island of Ratu is a volcano . | high21745.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "attract the readers' attention"
},
"options": [
"introduce the topic of the paragraph",
"question the possibility of realizing the dream",
"attract the readers' attention",
"let the readers answer it"
],
"questi... | What would it be like to take a walk on the surface of Mars? If you could design the tallest building in the world, what would it look like? Do you dream of being the next J.K. Rowling? This summer, you can experience all of these things, and more. All you need is an Internet connection and your imagination.
A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that kids spend an average of 1 hour and 29 minutes online each day. Many kids like to use that time to chat with friends, play games or check emails. But the next time you get on the Web, try exploring the world instead. "With the Internet, you can go back 11,000 years in time, or go 11,000 kilometers across the planet." said Russell, Web search expert of Google. "The whole scope of history and the world is open to you."
There is a wealth of information to be found online. For example, if your family is going on vacation somewhere,do a quick online search on the area before you even get in the car. "What's the background of the place; what's the history?" says Russell. "I like to tell my kids, 'Whenever you have a question, whenever you have a doubt, search it out.'"
Ready to launch a virtual journey of your own? Here are a few starting points to get you thinking and to help you on your way. You can invite your parents along for the ride, too. Always ask for permission before downloading programs and software onto your computer. And check with a parent or an adult before visiting a new Web site.
Navigate the world in 3D with Google Earth. Begin in outer space and zoom into the streets of any city, from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Or visit ancient monuments, watch the changing rainforests over time, and dive underwater to explore tropical reef.
With the Moon in Google Earth tool, you can walk in Neil Armstrong's famous footsteps. Take a guided tour of the moon's surface with Armstrong's fellow shuttle mate astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
When you're exploring that part of the solar system, hop on over to the Red Planet with Google Mars. There, you can move very quickly around the surface and see images from the Mars Rovers. | high5968.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They are angry and ready to attack."
},
"options": [
"They are not telling the truth.",
"They are bored with the partner.",
"They are lacking in confidence",
"They are angry and ready to attack."
],
"question": ... | Researchers who study relationships have discovered that a big difference between those who make new friends easily, and those who don't, is that socially successful people tend to make eye contact with their conversation partners much more frequently than those who are less successful socially. In fact, you may be able to become much more socially successful by making this one simple change to your behavior.
Most Americans prefer to have a lot of eye contact when they are talking with someone. When a person doesn't make eye contact with them, they tend to think that the person is hiding something or the person doesn't believe in himself/herself.
When you are having a conversation and you want to leave a friendly impression, be sure to keep looking at that person frequently while you are talking. If it really bothers you to look directly into another person's eyes, you can gaze generally at, not above, the eyebrow area or the bridge of the nose; this is close enough to the eye region that you will appear to be looking at the person's eyes. But neither the hair or the shoulders have the same effect. Don't stare at other people too intensely, otherwise, you will look aggressive .
Keep the majority of your focus on the other person. If you glance around the room too much, or look too frequently at other people, your conversation partner may guess that you are looking around for someone else you would rather talk with.
You can lighten your nervousness by smiling more often, nodding, and by gazing at the entire face as well as the eyes. In addition, you can frequently look away for very short periods.
When people get the sense that you are really paying attention to them, they will be much more likely to want to have conversations with you! | high11686.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "spend eight hours on the course"
},
"options": [
"know a little about first aid",
"take the course at your workplace",
"have a first aid qualification",
"spend eight hours on the course"
],
"question": "If you w... | Everybody should have some level of first aid ability, because accidents and medical emergencies can happen anywhere at any time. St John First Aid courses give you the knowledge and confidence to provide effective first aid whenever it's needed.
First Aid Level 1
Ideal for anyone who wants to learn basic first aid or needs to renew their first aid qualification. Courses can be held at St John or your workplace.
Fee: $162(includes GST)
Duration : Eight hours
First Aid Level 2
Includes all course content from First Aid Level One, plus an additional half day. Ideal for special first aiders, health and safety managers and anyone who needs a first aid qualification.
Fee: $235(includes GST)
Duration: 12 hours
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care (PHEC)
Advanced training for first aiders who already hold unit standards 6400 and 6402. Ideal for people who require advanced first aid skills or a pre-hospital emergency care (PHEC) qualification for their work.
Fee: $635(includes GST)
Duration: Three days
Child First Aid
Ideal for parents, grandparents and other family caregivers. A recognized qualification for childcare workers.
Fee: $65(includes GST)
Duration: Four hours
Outdoor First Aid
First aid response for accidents and medical emergencies in the wilderness. For groups of eight or more.
Duration: One to two days depending on experience
Sports First Aid
First aid response for common sporting injuries and medical emergencies. Includes ACC injury prevention advice.
Duration: Eight hours. | high14926.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "There will be no books in its library."
},
"options": [
"It is built in rolling mountains.",
"Its buildings are covered with ivy.",
"There will be no books in its library.",
"There is a clock tower with a big bell."
... | There are rolling hills and ivy-covered brick buildings. There are small classrooms, high-tech labs, and green fields. There's even a clock tower with a massive bell that rings for special events.
Cushing Academy has all the characteristics of a New England school, with one exception. This year, after having had a collection of more than 20,000 books, officials have decided the 144-year-old school no longer needs a traditional library. They have decided to give away all their books. The future, they believe, is digital.
"When I look at books, I see an outdated technology," said James Tracy, headmaster of Cushing. "We're not discouraging students from reading. We see this as a natural way to shape emerging trends and use technology. Instead of a traditional library, we're building a virtual library where students will have access to millions of books on the computer. We see this as a model for the 21st-century school."
_ .
Liz Vezina, a librarian at Cushing for 17 years, said she never imagined working as the director of a library without any books. "It makes me mad," said Vezina, who has made a career of introducing students to books. "I'm going to miss them, and there's something lost when they are done on a computer. There's sensual side to them -- the smell, the feel, the physicality of a book is something really special."
Cushing is one of the first schools in the country to give up its books. William Powers, author of a book called the changes at Cushing "radical " and "a huge loss for students".
"There are modes of learning and thinking that at the moment are only available from actual books," he said. "There is a kind of deep-dive reading that's almost impossible to do on a screen. Without books, students are more likely to do the quick reading that screens enable, rather than be by themselves with the author's ideas." | high8294.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He was greatly puzzled."
},
"options": [
"He was all for it.",
"He was strongly against it.",
"He was greatly puzzled.",
"He was very angry."
],
"question": "What was his father's response when Nathan Winograd l... | When Nathan Winograd announced that he was leaving his job as a lawyer in California to run an animal shelter in Tompkins County, New York, his father looked at him for a long minute and then asked, "What do dogs and cats need a lawyer for?"
The move meant giving up eight weeks' vacation, an office with a view of the San Francisco Bay and a big house among the redwoods, and moving to a rural area know for its harsh winters. But Winograd's wife, Jennifer, also an animal lover, was all for it. So they packed everything they owned, and with two young children, plus two dogs, and a bunch of cats Winograd had rescued, drove cross--country.
On the second day, they had no room for six more puppies they received. They found an old horse trough, filled it with hay and nestled the animals inside. They placed it next to the front desk, and within a day or two, all six had homes, adopted by people who walked into the shelter and couldn't resist.
Blind dogs, cats with missing limbs--all find homes. "There is no dog or cat too old, too
ugly or too undesirable not to be adopted by someone," says Winograd.
Today, Tompkins County is considered the only no-kill county in the United States. Nine out of ten dogs cats that come through the shelter doors are saved. Only animals with incurable injuries or illnesses, and the truly evil, are put down. The national average is half of all dogs and 70 percent of cats, totaling more than four million animals last year alone.
Even though he drives an old car that leaks when it rains, and his family lives on a tight budget while his classmates from Stanford Law earn six-figure salaries, Winograd says he's doing what he'd always wanted to do when he grew up; run an animal shelter and save all the animals.
As a young district lawyer, he kept his goal in mind, starting when he raised his first animal cruelty case. A man was accused of intentionally setting his brown cat on fire. Winograd made his case, and the abusive owner was sentenced to prison.
It was the first of many such cases, and he raised each with vigor. But the senseless violence, neglect and ignorance never failed to shock him. He decided simply, "I need to get to the other side and start saving these animals."
Now, Winograd is helping to save thousands, even millions, "I'm convinced that a no kill nation is possible, I'm just here trying to shorten the time until it arrives." | high23152.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Pleasure."
},
"options": [
"Pleasure.",
"Ability.",
"Wealth.",
"Fame."
],
"question": "What does the writer's father think success should be measured in?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"... | My father often talks about his definition of success. He tells us that it isn't measured in money or material things, but in love and joy. While my brothers and I were all raised together under the same roof, I wonder how different we can be sometimes. Four kids, four different life paths, personalities and ambitions.
We must follow a different path to let our light shine, and that's what makes us so unpredictable and unique. In today's world, expecting every child's education to be the same, progress at the same rate and be measured against the narrow standards of performances is not just outdated, it's also harmful to young people.
I experienced this disconnect firsthand after graduating from college. I had many opportunities in front of me, but they didn't test my limits and my creativity to pursue my passions. At first, I took a job at a big consulting firm. However, I couldn't shake my passion for music. I had followed the somewhat predictable path of a college graduate, but I was crazy about how to become an artist. Now I am a nine-time Grammy Awards winner who has sold multiple Top 10 Albums.
Imagine what it would look like if our schools were set up to help people discover and pursue a personal passion instead of a predictable path? The good news is that a number of individuals and organizations are finding new ways to innovate in education. The goal is to create more student-centered environments that help young people not just do better in school but also discover what they love.
We can't live lives of joy if we can't discover what we love doing with our lives. So let each person discover the power and uniqueness of his or her own passion. | high13091.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They are unique."
},
"options": [
"They are cheap.",
"They are unique.",
"They are made by famous craftsmen.",
"They are designed for young artists."
],
"question": "What do we know about the crafts sold on etsy... | Rob Kalin learned the secret to success while he was still in his baby bed. At age one, the Boston-bom teacher's son dragged around a stuffed rabbit that had been lovingly sewn by one of his mother's students. True, one of the ears was sewn on backward, but that just added to its magic. "It was always special to me," Kalin remembers of his first handmade craft .
Kalin's appreciation for the simple and the simply eccentric inspired him to create etsy. com, an online craft fair, probably the largest market for handmade goods in the world. Last year, 350,000 woodworkers and other craftsmen sold their one-of-a-kind crafts on the four-year-old site.
They sell everything from hand-knit sleeves for Macbooks ($32) to myrtle-wood electric guitars ($3,200). And in an age of chain stores, it seems there's still a big market. More than three million consumers in 150 countries purchased about $87.5 million worth of crafts on Etsy last year.
Emily Worden, founder of Elemental Threads, a custom handbag and jewelry company, signed up with Etsy when she started her company two years ago. She pays Etsy a 20-cent standard fee for each item she lists on the site, plus a 3.5 percent commission on everything sold. Etsy allows her to track the number of times customers click on a particular item to view it. "We can see that our necklaces are a popularly viewed item and which color1s and sizes get the most views," she says. "That is a guide to evolving our product lines."
Today, Etsy's staff has ballooned to 70 employees, and the company reportedly earns more than $12 million a year.
Kalin's father was a carpenter and taught him early on how to use his hands. Indeed, in high school, he put his skills to work -- developing the photos of his classmates and handcrafting a graduate ID to attend design classes. Eventually, he was admitted to New York University, studying classics and working as a carpenter.
Kalin has also started sewing some of his own clothes. "I have to make something physical at least once a month," says Kalin, "or I go crazy." | high20473.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Human beings can get along well with animals"
},
"options": [
"Human beings can get along well with animals",
"Werner Freund and his famous Wolvespark",
"Werner Freund treats his wolves like friends",
"Exparatrooper sha... | The phenomenon is becoming more and more popular that human beings have developed a closely relationship with the most dangerous of animals-Kevin Richardson treats lions like kitty cats,Andre Hartman has a special bond with Great White Sharks and now there is 79year old Werner Freund who has spent the last 40 years of his life in the company of wolves.
While details about how and why the former paratrooper became attached to these beautiful wild animals are a little summary,he has been tending them in his 25acre Wolvespark located in the German province of Saarland,since 1972.While he currently has a group of 29,over the years he has raised almost 70 wolves belonging to all breeds ranging from Siberian to Arctic,Canadian,European and even,Mongolian.The wolves treat Werner as if he were one of their own.They nuzzle against him,play with him and are generally sheeplike when he is around,just like they would be around a head wolf!
This,however,is not accidental-It is a position that Werner works on establishing and maintaining with a simple act,every single day-Whenever it's feeding time,he calls his wolves to come for the raw meat by howling.As the hungry animals rush to get their food,they are always met with this scene-Werner sinking his teeth into the raw meat first.While this may sound a little rude,that is how the position of hierarchy is established in the animal world.It is always the leader male that gets the first meal and only when he signals,can the rest join in.Werner's wolves know this rule quite well and never challenge his authority.
While wolves,the largest member of the dog family,are believed to be dangerous,they rarely attack humans.Werner says that in reality,they are beautiful gentle souls,whose reputation has been tarnished,by fairy tales like Red Riding Hood! | high5798.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "People's personalities call be judged by their shoes."
},
"options": [
"Shoes Call hide people's real personalities.",
"Shoes convey false information about the wearer.",
"People's personalities call be judged by their shoes.... | Reseachers at the University of Kansas say that people can accurately juage 90 percent of a stranger's personality simply by looking at the person's shoes."Shoes convey useful information about their wearers,''the authors wrote in the new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality.
Lead researcher Omri Gillath said the judgments were based on the style,cost,color and condition of someone's shoes.In the study,63 University of Kansas researchers looked at pictures showing 208 different pairs of shoes worn by the study's participants.Volunteers in the study were photographed in their most commonly worn shoes,and then filled out a personality questionnaire.
Some of the results were expected:People with higher incomes most commonly wore expensive shoes,and flashier shoes were typically worn by outgoing people.However,some of the more specific results are strange enough.For example,"practical and functional'' shoes were generally worn by more "pleasant" people,while ankle boots were more linked with ''aggressive'' personalities.The strangest of all may be that those who wore' 'uncomfortable looking" shoes tend to have "calm" personalities.And if you have several pairs of new shoes or take extreme care of them,you may suffer from "attachment anxiety",spending lots of time worrying about what other people think of your appearance.There was even a political calculation in the mix with more liberal types wearing "shabbier and less expensive" shoes.
The researchers noted that some people will choose shoe styles to mask their actual personalities,but researchers noted that volunteers were also likely to be unaware that their footwear choices were showing the deep side of their personalities. | high5940.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Self-image of American Teenagers"
},
"options": [
"Looks And Imperfections of American Teenagers",
"Faiths And Depression of American teenagers",
"Looks And Self-respect of American Teenagers",
"Self-image of American T... | The Teens & Self-Image survey organized by USA WEEKEND attracted an unprecedented 272,400. The majority of teens say they feel good about themselves, but many express misgivings about who they are, especially about their appearance.
The results show that looks are key. Only 4 in 10 respondents consider themselves attractive. Half the girls want to lose weight. It is found that problems typically associated with girls are now becoming more visible in boys. Teen respondents believe good looks matter when it comes to personal achievement, specifically making friends, winning the respect of others, and succeeding in life.
Teens find lots of imperfections. Almost 85 percent cite ways they'd like to improve. After losing weight and toning up , the top three are their grades, doing better in sports, and having a better relationship with their parents. Only 15 percent like themselves "the way I am."
Faith is central in many students' everyday lives. When asked about the most important influence in their lives, survey respondents picked religion second only to their parents.
Depression is common. More than half say they occasionally are "really depressed"; 1 in 5 often feel despondent . And 1 in 3 have friends who have talked about or actually tried to commit suicide--the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-olds. Last year, about 2,000 teens committed suicide, and the rate of adolescent suicide has greatly increased in the past 10 years, studies show.
Teens show a healthy self-respect. Asked to choose from a list of qualities, 8 in 10 say they are kind, 3 in 4 say they are honest, and 7 in 10 say they have a good sense of humor. Slightly more than 6 in 10 say they are smart, self-confident or creative. Least admired of a dozen qualities they were asked to rank: being popular, rich or tough. | high22264.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Fathers taking their corn to market."
},
"options": [
"Mothers washing clothes.",
"Fathers taking their corn to market.",
"Fishing boats traveling on the sea.",
"Children playing on the sands."
],
"question": "W... | Shundagarh is a village on India's east-facing coast.It is a village of simple mud and grass houses built on the beach just above the waterline.The Khadra Hills rise immediately behind the village,to a height of one hundred and fifty meters.A simple,good-hearted old man,whose name was Jalpur,farmed two small fields on the very edge of these hills.From his fields he could see the fishing boats that travelled up and down the coast.He could see the children playing on the sands;their mothers washing clothes on the flat stones where the Shiva River flowed into the sea;and their fathers landing the latest catch or repairing nets and telling stories that had no end.
All Jalpur owned in the world were the clothes he wore day in and day out,the miserable hut that he slept in at night,a few tools and cooking pots--and his fields.The corn that he grew was all that made life possible.If the weather was kind and the harvest was good,Jalpur could live happily enough--not well,but happily.When the sun was fierce,and there was little or no rain,then he came close to the line between life and death.
Last year the weather had been so kind,and the harvest promised to be so good,that Jalpur had been wondering whether he could sell all that he had and live with his son farther up the coast.He had been thinking about doing this for some years.It was his dearest wish to spend his last days with his son and his wife.But he would go only if he could give;he would not go if it meant taking food out of the mouths of his grandchildren.He would rather die hungry than do this.
On the day when Jalpur decided that he would harvest his corn,sell it,and move up the coast,he looked out to sea and saw a huge wave,several kilometers out,advancing on the coast and on the village of Shundagarh.Within ten minutes everyone in Shundagarh would be drowned.Jalpur would have shouted,but the people were too far away to hear.He would have run down the hill,but he was too old to run.He was prepared to do anything to save the people of Shundagarh,so he did the only thing that he could do: he set fire to his corn.In a matter of seconds the flames were rising high and smoke was rising higher.Within a minute the people of Shundagarh were racing up the hill to see what had happened.There,in the middle of his blackened cornfield,they found Jalpur;and there they buried him.
On his grave,they wrote the words: Here lies Jalpur,a man who gave,living: a man who died,giving. | high7831.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "5 tips for apologies that work"
},
"options": [
"5 tips for apologies that work",
"5 ways of refusing apologies",
"the function of apology languages",
"the importance of apology languages"
],
"question": "The ... | How do apology languages work? Have you ever tried to apologize, only to be refused? It may be that you were offering a partial apology in a "language" , that was foreign to your listener. The five languages of apology include:
Apology Language 1: "I am sorry."
List the hurtful effects of your action. Not "I am sorry if ...", but "I am sorry that...". You might ask if they want to add any points that you have not recognized.
Apology Language 2:"I was wrong."
Name your mistake and accept fault. Note that it is easier to say "You are right" than " I am wrong", but the latter carries more weight.
Apology Language 3: " What can I do to make it right?"
How are you now? How shall I make amends to you? How can I restore your confidence that I love you-- even though I was so hurtful to you?
Apology Language 4: "I'll try not to do that again."
Engage in problem-solving. Don't make excuses for yourself such as, "Well, my day was just so..." Instead, offer what you will change to prevent yourself from putting them in the same bad situation again.
Apology Language 5: "Will you please forgive me?"
Be patient in seeking forgiveness. They may need some time or greater clarification of your input from Apology Languages 1-4.
Finally, your apology may not be accepted, but at least you know that you have been faithful in offering a sincere olive branch of peace. | high24173.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "parents"
},
"options": [
"children",
"parents",
"teachers",
"net bar owners."
],
"question": "The passage is written for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | Most children now chat daily either online or through their mobile phones. They are connecting to a huge number of other children all over the world. Some are shy "in real life" but are confident to communicate with others online; others find support from people of their own age on relationship issues, or problems at home.
Sometimes the online world, just like the real word, can introduce problems, such as bullying or arguments. Going online is great fun, but there are also a few people who use the Internet for offensive or illegal aims. Children must be made _ of both the good things and the danger.
To keep children safe your management must cover the family computer. Just as you decide which TV programs are suitable, you need to do the same for the websites and chat rooms your children visit. Remind your children that online friends are still strangers. Reminding them of the risks will keep them alert.
Computer studies are part of schoolwork now, so it's likely that your children may know more than you do. We get left behind when it comes to the latest gadgets and interactive areas of websites, like chat rooms and message boards, which are especially strange. The language of chat is strange to many parents, too. Chatters love to use abbreviations such as: atb-- all the best; bbfn-- bye by for now; cul8er --see you later; gr8--great; idk-- I don't know; imbl-- it must be love; kit --keep in touch; paw-- parents are watching; lol--laugh out loud; xlnt-- excellent! | high1298.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Optimistic."
},
"options": [
"Unconcerned.",
"Uncertain.",
"Optimistic.",
"Worried."
],
"question": "What's Phil Baty's attitude towards the future of Chinese universities?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | "It is obvious that China will climb up university rankings in the years to come."This statement from Phil Baty, editor of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, lines up with China's optimism that it will produce world-class universities. But there are still difficulties to overcome, experts say.
Universities from China's mainland slipped in the 2011-2012 Times' global rankings. Peking University dropped 12 places from last year to 49th, and Tsinghua University fell to 71st place. Among Asian universities, Peking is ranked No. 4 and Tsinghua No. 8.
A combination of factors determines rankings -- research output, study environment, reputation and international outlook.
Due to China's economic development, investment in education and research has increased, but the quality of education and research in Chinese academia seems not to have kept pace.
The gauge is the number of papers published in highly respected English-language journals, so while many papers are being produced in China, it appears not all are good enough to attract international attention.
Still, higher education in China is developing quickly, thanks in part to huge government investment. China spent an amount equal to 3.69 percent of GDP on education last year, according to Ministry of Finance data.
China has the largest and one of the fastest growing higher education systems in the world -- 2,723 schools for 31 million students. Enrollment has increased more than four times from 2001 to 2011. | high13907.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He made a study of many farms before buying."
},
"options": [
"He wanted to buy the oldest farm near where he lived.",
"He made a study of many farms before buying.",
"He made money by buying and selling farms.",
"He ha... | At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible site for a house.I have thus searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live.In imagination I have bought all the farms, one after another, and I knew their prices.
The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place.But before the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me additional dollars to return the farm to him.However, I let him.keep the additional dollars and sold him the farm for just what I gave for it.
The real attraction of' the Hollowell farm to me was its position, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded on one side by the river, and separated from highway by a wide field. The poor condition if the house and fences showed that it hadn't been used for some time.I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apple trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields.I wanted to buy it before he made any more of his improvements.But it turned out as I have said.
I was not really troubled by _ .I had always had a.garden, but I don't think I was ready for a large farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted .It makes but little difference you own a farm or not. | high22502.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "peeler"
},
"options": [
"pig",
"peeler",
"fuzz",
"bobby"
],
"question": "The nickname that is not used now is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | The English policeman has several nicknames but the most frequently used are "copper" and "bobby". The first name comes from the verb to "cop", meaning to "take" or "capture", and the second comes from the first name of Sir Robert Peel, the nineteenth-century politician, who was the founder of the police force as we know it today. An early nickname for the policeman was "peeler", but this one has died out.
Whatever we may call them, the general opinion about the police seems to be a good one except, of course, among the criminal part of the community where the police are given more bad nicknames which came from America, such as "fuzz" or "pig". Visitors to prefix = st1 /Englandseem, nearly always, to be very impressed by the English police. It has, in fact, become a standing joke that the visitor toBritain, when asked for his views of the country, will always say, "I think your policemen are wonderful."
Well, the British bobby may not always be wonderful but he is usually a very friendly and helpful sort of character. A music-hall song of some years ago was called, "If You Want To Know The Time, Ask A Policeman". Nowadays, most people own watches but they still seem to find plenty of other questions to ask the policemen. In London, the policemen spend so much of their time directing visitors about the city that one wonders how they ever find time to do anything else!
Two things are noticeable to the stranger, when he sees an English policeman for the first time. The first is that he does not carry a gun and the second is that he wears a very special type of helmet . His helmet, together with his height, enables an English policeman to be seen from a long distance, a fact that is not without its usefulness. From time to time it is suggested that the policeman should be given a gun and that his helmet should be taken from him, but both these suggestions are not accepted by the majority of the public and the police themselves. | high18852.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "when the new blood fits his body"
},
"options": [
"after he receives salt and plasma",
"before he feels uncomfortable",
"when the new blood fits his body",
"as soon as accident happens"
],
"question": "Usually p... | Do you know blood types?
Special care must be taken in selecting new blood for a badly injured person, who would be killed by the transfusion if the blood is too different from his own.
There are four basic types of blood A. B. A B. and O. Blood type, like hair and height, comes from parents. Basically, A and B can not be mixed. AB, sometimes called the universal recipient , may receive A or B,. O type, often called the universal donor , gives his blood to any other group. Patients usually receive nothing, but salt or plasma until their blood can be matched as exactly as possible in the blood bank of a hospital. There is a relationship between your blood type and your nationality . Among Europeans, about 42 % have type A while 45 % have type O. The fewest is the type B. | high2949.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Their sealing performance is poor."
},
"options": [
"Building them wastes much energy.",
"Their energy mainly goes to heating and cooling.",
"Their sealing performance is poor.",
"They have no insulation around at all."... | We may not be aware of it, but ordinary family homes in the U.S. and the rest of the world are not energy-efficient.
Most of their energy goes to heating and cooling, and a lot of it is wasted, as warm air and cool air escape through fireplace chimneys and thin or poorly fitting windows and doors. A passive house loses almost none."Imagine a thermos ,"said housing developer Brendan O'Neill."You have insulation everywhere, and it's basically completely sealed. And so the idea is to build a house like a thermos. So the windows are sealed. There's insulation completely surrounding the building. We make it as sealed as possible."
A 147-square-meter passive house, presented by O'Neill Development Corp. as a demonstration unit just outside Washington, was brought to the site in two boxes."Once it's set and put together, it takes about four weeks to complete the outside construction, to put down carpets,"O'Neill said."If everything is set in place, you put a house like this together in about four months."The total cost of building it was $325,000, or about 17 percent more than constructing an ordinary house. But its utility bill is only around $20 monthly, or one-tenth the amount for the average house of the same size.
While passive houses have been around for a long time, the idea has never taken root in the U.S. There was no driving force to push it.
However, David Peabody, an architect who designs passive houses said,"I think climate change is now becoming a larger issue. And I think building standards are catching on to that. So people are becoming more aware of energy."Peabody said the cost of building passive houses could come down."What really makes sense for truly affordable housing,"he said,"is to build multi-storey buildings." | high19594.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"three",
"four",
"five",
"six"
],
"question": "How many disasters are mentioned in the article?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | BEIJING - Astronomers have defended against rumors that the terrible earthquake and the following tsunami in Japan were closely related to or even caused by the "supermoon" that will appear in the sky on Saturday.
The word "supermoon" was introduced in a report by the British newspaper Daily Mail on March 9, which said amateur scientists were warning that such an astronomical phenomenon could disturb the Earth's climate patterns and may even cause earthquakes and volcanic activity. The moon will be 356,577 kilometers from the Earth on Saturday, the closest in 19 years, and the closest point in its oval orbit coincides with a full moon, the report said.
However, Saturday's moon is not actually the closest to Earth in 19 years, Tang Haiming, an astronomer with Shanghai Astronomical Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua News Agency. A shorter distance of 356,570 km between the two bodies was reached in January 2005, and a distance of 356,566 km was seen in December 2008.
Yet some people suggest that previous supermoons have occurred prior to extreme weather events. In 1974 the phenomenon was followed by Cyclone Tracy in Darwin, Australia, and in 2005 it occurred shortly before a deadly tsunami in Indonesia. Coincidentally, two fresh disasters happened in Asia right before Saturday's supermoon. The public's concern about their connection with the moon boomed after Japan's terrible earthquake and tsunami and an earthquake in Southwest China's Yunnan province that killed 25 people on March 10.
But astronomers are trying to _ people that such rumors are merely unreasonable.
"A supermoon could cause high tides but has no direct relation with natural disasters such as earthquakes," Liu Jie, a researcher with the China Earthquake Network Center, told China Daily on Tuesday. "We can't find any necessary connection between previous supermoons and earthquakes. And the quake in Japan occurred because the Earth's inner energy had accumulated to some extent, and it's not related to the moon. " he said.
James Garvin, chief scientist at the Goddard Space Flight Center under NASA, said in an article on NASA's website that "the effects on Earth from a supermoon are minor.""The combination of the moon being at its closest to Earth in its orbit, and being in its 'full moon' configuration ( to the Earth and sun), should not affect the inner energy balance of the Earth, since there are lunar tides every day. "
Zhu Jin, curator of the Beijing Planetarium, said"the moon moves around the earth in a certain path, so each orbit has a perigee - its closest approach, and an apogee - its furthest distance.""A lunar perigee occurs once a month and there are very small differences in distances between perigees,"he said."Those tiny differences are far from enough to cause earthquakes or eruption of a volcano,"he added. | high20315.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "giving information about the importance and practice of census"
},
"options": [
"persuading people to support census",
"giving information about the importance and practice of census",
"showing the government's determination ... | Every ten years there is a national census to count the number of people. The Census Office asks every household to answer questions on a census form.
The census counts...
* the number of people in each area
* the numbers of men and women and whether they are single, married, widowed or divorced
* how many children there are, how many teenagers, people in their twenties, thirties, forties... retired people and so on
The census counts people by...
* the kind of housing they live in
* the country in which they were born
* the kind of job they do and how they travel to work
Some uses of the census:
Housing: to work out present and future needs we must know how people are housed now, and the sizes and ages of their families.
Hospitals, schools and other local services: the size of annual grants made by the Government to these services depends largely on the numbers and needs of people in the area. Many of the figures come from the census.
Planning: the census shows how many people have moved from one area to another and how the local workforce is changing. This information is used when factories, offices, shops, public transport and places for leisure are being planned.
In strict confidence
The census is taken in order to provide figures about the nation as a whole; it does not give information about any named person, family or household.
Names and addresses are needed to take the census accurately, but they are not fed into the computer. After the census, the forms are locked away and will not be released to anyone outside the Census Office for 100 years.
The answers you give on your census form will be treated in strict confidence. NO one outside the Census Office will see your completed form. Everyone working on the census is sworn to secrecy and can be charged if he or she improperly reveals information. | high2791.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The Louvre."
},
"options": [
"The Louvre.",
"The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.",
"The Barnes Foundation.",
"The Uffizi Gallery."
],
"question": "Which of the following is the most popular?",
"question_type": nul... | Listed here are four of the thousands of impressive museums around the world.
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Bilbao, Spain
Built in 1997, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is one of the newest in the world. It has transformed the industrial city of Bilbao into a travelers' desired destination. The beautiful architecture of the museum has provided a dramatic background for movies and commercials.
The Louvre in Paris, France
Probably the most famous Louvre also holds the most famous painting in the world, the"Mona Lisa"by Leonardo da Vinci. Crowds can be found any day surrounding the small, but mysterious painting of the smiling woman. But, the Louvre is much more than a home to the"Mona Lisa". The Louvre is visited by more people each year than any other museum in the world.
The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, America
Just opened in its new downtown location in 2012, the Barnes Foundation is unique in that it is a completely reproduced display from one man's private collection. Dr. Albert C. Barnes started collecting art in the early 20th century and collected, among others, the largest number of original Renoir paintings in the world.
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy
Walking on the marbled floors feels like stepping back in time. The building itself is a beautiful palace-like structure with frescoes decorating the ceilings and walls. Viewers are bowled over by the works by Botticelli, such as"The Birth of Venus". Classic artworks from nearly 1,000 years ago describe religious events of the time. | high19580.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "learn English expressions with Kick"
},
"options": [
"know English has a long history",
"understand the development of English",
"enjoy the interest of English idioms",
"learn English expressions with Kick"
],
"... | From birth to death, the word kick has been given an important part in expressing human experience. The proud and happy mother feels the first signs of life kicking inside her body. And that same life------many years later------ comes to its end in a widely-used expression, to kick the bucket( ) . The expression to kick the bucket is almost 200 years old. One belief is that it started when an English stableman killed himself by hanging while standing on a bucket. He put a rope around his neck and tied it to a beam in the ceiling, and then kicked the bucket away from under him.
Another old expression that comes from England is to kick over the traces. Traces were the chains that held at horse or mule to a wagon or plow. Sometimes, an animal refused to obey and kicked over the traces.
Kick around is an expression that is heard often in American English. A person who is kicked around is someone who is treated badly. Usually he is not really being kicked by somebody's foot. He is just not being treated with the respect that all of us want. A person who has kicked around for most of his life is someone who has spent his life moving from place to place. In this case, kicking around means moving often from one place to another. Kick around has another meaning when you use it with the word idea. When you kick around an idea, you are giving that idea some thought.
There is no physical action when you kick a person upstairs, although the pain can be as strong .You kick a person upstairs by removing him from an important job and giving him a job that sounds more important, but really is not.
Still another meaning of the word kick is to free oneself of a bad habit, such as smoking cigarettes. Health campaigns urge smokers to kick the habit. | high2785.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Best learning takes place over time"
},
"options": [
"It's time to shorten the learning process",
"Best learning takes place over time",
"University education should be watered down",
"College education calls for reform... | When times get tough, we all look for ways to cut back. When we're hungry, we eat at home instead of going out. We take buses instead of taxis. And we wear our old designer jeans just a few months longer. With college expenses at all-time highs, high school students are eager to do anything to cut the cost of a university education.
One cost-cutting proposal is to allow college students to get a bachelor's degree in three years instead of four. Educational institutions have been actively exploring ways to make the learning process more efficient. But there's a question: Would the quality of undergraduate education suffer? Few US universities have formally approved a "three-year degree" model.
I doubt that mainstream North American colleges will carry out a three-year curriculum any time soon. For one thing, most universities already allow highly qualified students to graduate early by testing out of certain classes and obtaining a number of college credits. In addition, at famous universities, the committee who determine which courses are required and which courses are electives are unlikely to suddenly "throw out" one quarter of the required credits. Professors will resist "diluting " the quality of the education they offer.
In my opinion, a quality four-year education is always superior to a quality three-year education. A college education requires sufficient time for a student to become skilled in their major and do coursework in fields outside their major. It is not a good idea to water down education, any more than it's not a good idea to water down medicine. If we want to help students find their way through university, we should help them understand early on what knowledge and skills they need to have upon graduation. We should allow students to test out of as many courses as possible. We should give them a chance to earn money as interns in meaningful part-time jobs that relate to their university studies, such as the five-year co-op program at Northeastern University. ks5uks5u | high24167.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "physics and other natural sciences have parts in common"
},
"options": [
"physics and other natural sciences have parts in common",
"it is the scientific study of forces and qualities such as heat,light and sound",
"it studie... | There are no exact differences between physics and other natural sciences because all sciences overlap .In general,however,physics is the scientific study of forces and qualities such as heat,light,sound,pressure,gravity and electricity,and the ways they affect other objects.
One major branch of physics deals with the states of matter--solids,liquids and gases and with their motions.The pioneer achievements of Galileo,Kepler and Newton dealt with solid masses of matter in motion.Such studies deal with forces acting on moving objects.It is the subject of mechanics and belongs to the branch of mechanics called dynamics,the study of matter in motion.This large topic includes not only the motions of stars and ping-pong balls but also the motions of the water pumped by a fire engine and those of the air passing through the jet engine of an airplane.
A branch of mechanics is statics ,the study of matter at rest.The designs of buildings and bridges are examples of problems in statics.Other branches of physics are based on the different kinds of energy,which interact with matter.They deal with electricity and magnetism ,heat,light,and sound.From these branches of physics scientists find clues which have revealed the constructions of atoms and how the atoms react to various kinds of energy. _ is often called the basis of modern physics.Among the many subdivisions of modern physics are electronics and nuclear physics.Physics is closely related to engineering.A person who uses knowledge of physics in solving everyday problems is often called an engineer.For example,electricity is one of the branches of physics;and an electrical engineer is a man who uses the "natural laws" of electricity to help in designing and electric generator . | high7825.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "clothesline drying reduces home value"
},
"options": [
"clothes dryers are more efficient",
"clothesline drying reduces home value",
"clothes dryers are energy-saving",
"clothesline drying is not allowed in most U.S.sta... | A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.
On one side stand those who see clothes dryers as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment.As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the "what-I-can-do environmentalism."
On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at.They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) access the U.S.to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood.
This has led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people's right to use clotheslines.So far, only three states have laws to protect clothesline.Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be more.
Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants.His family also uses a clothesline.But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline.The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard."Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don't take matters into their own hands," says Reck.The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.
North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do.But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods.They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can't even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.
Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change.As they say, "The clothesline is beautiful.Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged.We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming." | high718.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Giving children allowances makes good lessons."
},
"options": [
"Giving children allowances makes good lessons.",
"Some different ways to give children allowance.",
"How to help children learn to handle their money.",
"... | Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance, The purpose is to let children learn from experience at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly ,The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs ,from family to family.
At first, young children may spend all of their allowance in no time ,Lf they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget ,which demands choices between spending and saving ,Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs ,like clothing or electronics.
But it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home ,These jobs are a normal part of family life , Paying children to do extra work around the house , however, can be useful .It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause .They can spend it by buying things they want., Or they can save and maybe even invest it , Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice; you have to cut costs and plan for the future.
Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers ,lean about personal finance .A savings account is an excellent way to lean about the power of compound interest.
Compounding works by paying interest on interest .So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year .The second year, the money will earn to percent of one dollar and two cents,, and so on ,That may not seem like a lot .But over time is adds ,up. | high23608.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because he didn't want to pay for it."
},
"options": [
"Because he just wanted to play a trick on the grocer.",
"Because he had nowhere to put the butter but in the hat.",
"Because he wanted to revenge himself on the grocer."... | One winter evening, a storekeeper was going to close up his shop. Suddenly he saw Seth, a lazy, good-for-nothing fellow grab a pound of fresh butter and concealed it in his hat. No sooner had the storekeeper seen the act than he hit upon exactly the right revenge. He would punish the thief, and satisfy his own appetite for fun.
Seth had his hat on his head, and the butter in his hat. He was anxious to leave. However, the rightful owner of the butter offered him a cup of hot drink, took him by the shoulders and planted him in a seat close to the stove. The grocer stuffed in the stove as many sticks of wood as he could possibly fit inside.
Seth already could feel the butter settling down closer to his hair, so he jumped up, declaring that he must go.
"Sit down; don' t be in such a hurry," replied the grocer, pushing him back into the chair again.
Streak after streak of the butter came pouring from under the poor man's hat. The fun-loving grocer kept on stuffing wood into the stove. Then, as if surprised, he remarked, "You seem to be perspiring as if you were warm! Let me put your hat away for you."
"No!" exclaimed poor Seth at last, unable to stand it a moment longer. "No, I must go; let me out."
A greasy waterfall of butter was now pouring down the poor man's face and neck, soaking into his clothes, and trickling down his body into his boots. He was bathed in oil from head to toe.
Just as his victim darted out the door, the grocer said, "I reckon the fun I've had out of you is worth the money, so I shan't charge you for that pound of butter in your hat." | high22516.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He knew he would get home quicker that way."
},
"options": [
"He usually discovered something suspicious along that path.",
"He had an appointment with a man at Digby Hall Road.",
"He knew he would get home quicker that way."... | Police Officer Tidwell left the station after 8 a.m. on Sunday. He was looking forward to his day of rest. By habit he took a short cut down the path behind prefix = st1 /Digby Hall Road. Suddenly he saw a man climbing down a drain-pipe from an open bedroom window of number 29. Quietly Tidwell walked into the garden. The man had just reached the ground when he felt his arm grasped.
"It seems an unlikely adventure. Would you mind explaining? " said the officer. The man was frightened, saying, "I know what's on your mind, officer, but it is a mistake. "
"It's part of my job to take an interest in unusual events. I think you've just left this house in a manner other than the customary one. " Tidwell took out his notebook and a pen. "Name, address and your job and then, please, tell me your story."
"Charlie Crane, Lorry Driver, from Nottingham, 51 Brecon Street. My story..."
"Yes, What were you doing, Mr. Crane?"
"Well, I had a breakdown yesterday and had to stay here until it was fixed. Bed and breakfast. The landlady is Mrs. Fern. She gave me breakfast at seven, and I was out here in the right way and down at the lorry park. It was only when I felt for a cigarette that I realised I'd left 80 pounds under the pillow. It's my habit to put my money under the pillow at night."
"I see. Have you paid Mrs. Fern?"
"I'd paid her last night. So I came back, but it's Sunday, and she'd gone back to bed. Could I wake her? I rang the bell and knocked on the door for ten minutes before I came here and found my bedroom window still open. Up I went, then, up this pipe. The money was still there. I hope you believe it because..."
"Mr. Crane, what are you doing here? I thought you'd gone an hour ago." It was Mrs. Fern, speaking from the kitchen window. | high22270.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Releasing Gaza hospitals' pressure of lack of professional doctors."
},
"options": [
"Helping poor Gaza people to regain health to make more money.",
"Releasing Gaza hospitals' pressure of lack of professional doctors.",
"Ass... | A team of British surgeons has carried out Gaza's first organ transplants for a long-term plan to train local medical staff to perform the operations.
Two patients underwent kidney transplants at the Shifa, Gaza's biggest public hospital. The operations were conducted a fortnight ago by a volunteer medical team from the Royal Liverpool hospital.
Ziad Matouk, 42, was born with one kidney and was diagnosed with renal failure several years ago. Matouk, whose wife donated one of her kidneys, hopes to return to his job within six months. The couple had sought a transplant in Cairo, but were rejected as unsuitable at a state hospital and could not afford the fee at a private hospital. "We were desperate," said Matouk.
The UK-Gaza link-up began about a year ago after Abdelkader Hammad, a doctor at the Royal Liverpool hospital, was contacted by an anaesthetist at the Shifa, who outlined the difficulties the Gaza hospital was facing with dialysis . The Shifa is forced to rely on generators because of power cuts; spare parts for its ageing dialysis machines have been difficult to import; and supplies of consumables are often scarce. After an exploratory trip last April, Hammad---whose family is Palestinian---and three colleagues from Liverpool arrived in Gaza via Egypt last month, bringing specialist equipment. Two patients were selected for surgery. The first, Mohammed Duhair, 42, received a kidney donated by his younger brother in a six-hour operation. Two days later, Matouk received a transplant after his wife, Nadia, 36, was found to be a good match. The surgeon was carried out by the British team, assisted by doctors and nurses from the Shifa. "We are very satisfied with the results," said Sobbi Skaik, head of surgery at the Gaza hospital.
Skaik hopes that Gaza medical teams will eventually carry out kidney transplants independently, and that other organ transplants may follow. The Shifa is working with the Gaza ministry of health on a plan to train its doctors, surgeons, nursing staff and laboratory technicians in transplant surgery at the Royal Liverpool. "Funding is a problem," said Hammad. "In the meantime we'll go back as volunteers to Gaza for the next couple of years to do more transplants." The Liverpool team's next visit is scheduled for May. | high6285.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "sleeping and reading newspapers"
},
"options": [
"sleeping and reading newspapers",
"arguing and playing games",
"enjoying the view and playing cards",
"carrying umbrellas and whispering politely"
],
"question":... | It's interesting to see how people make use of the time they spend on public transport in Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai.
In crowded buses and trains people manage to take a short nap and some even reach the snoring stage. Or they spread out a newspaper over multiple knees and arms to read about the latest sport results or political crisis.
Then there are the experienced travellers who have been playing cards with the same group over the last decade or so. They even have their specific seats so well-worn that you can make out the shape of their backsides.
There is no doubt about it. Travelling by public transport is being in the thick of the seasons of life -- a sweaty life in summer where people, blissfully unaware of the rivers of sweat running down their brows and inside their clothes. At the first smell of a perfumed man or woman boarding the stuffy bus or train, most people feel they are reborn.
During the rains you can't avoid getting wet or muddied. The windows, almost always, are not a perfect fit and if you're not drenched by a sudden, heavy rain shower then you are bound to catch a jet spray of muddy water caused by a fellow motorist driving fast through a puddle.
Rains are a perfect time for people to switch their old umbrellas for new ones. Since there are so many that look alike, it's impossible to tell whose is whose.
Winter is the time when it feels good -- or at least warm -- to be part of a crowd. It is amazing how much the collective breaths of a 100 or so people can raise the freezing temperature inside. Looking at the masses dressed in their bright red pullovers or green coats, it's fun to imagine what faces lie beneath their dark woolen hats.
The cold winter passes, making way for spring. It is impossible not to see every little flower by the wayside blooming proudly. And the warm sun manages to transmit some of their pleasantness to the inside of a bus or train.
Now, wouldn't it be perfect if we had a public transport worth the name in all our cities? | high20467.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He was limited to handsome roles."
},
"options": [
"He was limited to handsome roles.",
"He was unknown to the audience.",
"He played in romantic comedies.",
"He was handsome and emotional."
],
"question": "Why ... | Today we are going to talk about important transition words in English.We will focus on how to usetransition words to link ideas together.Some common transition words are and,furthermore,in addition to,not to mention,and in the same way.
We don't always get a second chance to achieve our dreams.But some people are lucky,like Matthew McConaughey.Once almost unknown,the actor has recently found himself back on the list of the best actors in HollywooD. His new movie Interstellar is just another sign that his career reinvention has been an incredible success."The film relies on McConaughey's performance to hold together the emotional story of a father and his daughter against the background of space travel and the end of the world,"Forbes commenteD.
But only years ago,the Texas native was often the butt of jokes about being too handsome.In 1993,after meeting with director Richard Linklater,McConaughey starred in Dazed and ConfuseD. And a Hollywood career was born,mostly in romantic comedies.For a long time,the whole world believed McConaughey was just a handsome guy with comic talent.
But McConaughey stopped starring in that type of movie,and began to use his looks differently.Slowly he built up his reputation as a serious actor.In 2013,McConaughey was offered to play an AIDS activist in Dallas Buyers CluB. The role saw the normally muscular actor losing 50 pounds in order to appear sick.His performance won him an Oscar for Best Actor.
The actor gave thanks to someone he has always looked up to as a hero during his Oscar acceptance speech.When he was 15,the actor said,he decided that his hero would be himself in 10 years.But 10 years later,he pushed the deadline ahead another decade.Then 10 years later,another decade."My hero's always 10 years away," he saiD. "I'm never going to attain that.That keeps me with somebody to keep on chasing."Or perhaps constantly chasing the chance to be his own hero has given him a second chance to follow his dreams. | high11862.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "felt they were not treated equally"
},
"options": [
"found another dog was given nothing",
"felt they were not treated equally",
"were aware they received less food",
"were given too much reward"
],
"question": ... | The Vienna-based researchers showed that dogs will stop doing a simple task when not rewarded if another dog, which continues to be rewarded, is present.
The experiment consisted of taking pairs of dogs and getting them to present a paw for a reward.On giving this "handshake" the dogs received a piece of food.One of the dogs was then asked to shake hands, but received no food.The other dog continued to get the food when it was asked to perform the task.
The dog without the reward quickly stopped doing the task, and showed signs of anger or stress when its partner was rewarded.
To make sure that the experiment was really showing the interaction between the dogs rather than just the frustration of not being rewarded, a similar experiment was conducted where the dogs performed the task without the partner.Here they continued to present the paw for much longer.
Dr Frederike Range from the University of Vienna says this shows that it was the presence of the rewarded partner that was the greater influence on their behaviour.
"The only difference is one gets food and the other doesn't, they are responding to being unequally rewarded." she said.
The researchers say this kind of behaviour, where one animal gets frustrated with what is happening with another, has only been observed in primates before.
Studies with various types of monkeys and chimpanzees show they react not only to seeing their partners receiving rewards when they are not, but also to the type of reward.
The dog study also looked at whether the type of reward made a difference.Dogs were given either bread or sausage, but seemed to react equally to either.Dr Range says this may be because they have been trained. | high21779.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Men and women view money in different ways."
},
"options": [
"Money is often a symbol of a person's status.",
"Money means a great deal to both men and women.",
"Men and women spend money on different things.",
"Men and... | It's an annual argument. Do we or do we not go on holiday? My wife says no because we have no savings to save us. I say you only live once and we work hard and what's the point if you can't go on holiday. The joy of a recession means no argument next year - we just won't go.
Since money is known to be one of the things most likely to bring a relationship to its knees, we should be grateful. For many families the recession means more than not booking a holiday A YouGov survey of 2, 000 people found 22% said they were arguing more with their partners because of concerns about money. A recent research shows arguments about money were especially damaging to couples.
Kim Stephenson, an occupational psychologist, believes money may be different things to men and women. "People can say the same things about money but have different ideas of what it's for." he explains. "They'll say it's to save, to spend, for security, for freedom, to show someone you love them." He says men are more likely to see money as a way of buying status and of showing their parents that they've achieved something.
"The biggest problem is that couples assume each other know what's going on with their finances, but they don't. There seems to be more of a taboo about talking about money than about death. But you both need to know what you're doing, who's paying what into the joint account and how much you keep separately. In a healthy relationship, you don't have to agree about money, but you have to talk about it." | high4492.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To detect disease at the earliest point."
},
"options": [
"To detect disease at the earliest point.",
"To help improve the memory.",
"To help people build a body.",
"To replace many electronic gadgets."
],
"ques... | Every electronic gadget needs good memory. A music player stores songs, albums and playlists. A computer holds schoolwork and programs and remembers how far a player has advanced in his or her favorite game. Mobile phones store names, numbers and hundreds of texts.
Now, scientists in California say they have come up with a way to turn a living cell into a memory device.
It can store only one tiny bit of information, but it's a start. In the future, a cell-based gadget might travel through the body and record measurements. The benefit to human health could be big: the right tool, for example, might record the earliest signs of disease.
Doctors, scientists and other curious people want to know what is happening inside the body, even at levels that can't be seen by the naked eye. So far, there is no device small enough to travel through the bloodstream.
If normal machines won't do the trick, perhaps biology will. Scientists who work in the field of synthetic biology are trying to find ways to turn living things into human tools. In the case of the new memory device, bioengineers from Stanford University used the genetic material inside living cells to record information.
This genetic material consists of DNA. Found in nearly every cell, DNA carries all of the information that keeps a living thing alive.
In the new experiment, the researchers turned DNA from bacteria into a switch. They "flip " a small section of DNA. Then, using the same procedure , the scientists flip the section again--returning it into its normal structure.
Using these DNA switches, "We can write and erase DNA in a living cell," bioengineer, Jerome Bonnet, explained to Science News.
It might take years before his team or others identity whether a DNA-based memory device might be practical. Right now, it takes one hour to complete a flip. That is far too long to be useful. Plus, a flipped section has a very small little memory--less than what a computer uses to remember a single letter.
"This was an important proof that it was doable," Bonnet told Science News. "Now we want to build a more complex system, something that other people can use." | high5613.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "has been a controversial question"
},
"options": [
"will make poor countries poorer",
"is well performed in the Maldives",
"has been a controversial question",
"means banning carbon dioxide emissions"
],
"questi... | Last month, the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, held an underwater meeting. The purpose of the ocean floor conference? To highlight the effects of global warming on his island nation.
The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, is the lowest-lying country on Earth. Melting glaciers and polar ice are causing sea levels to rise, putting the Maldives and other low-lying areas at risk of being swallowed by the sea within the next 100 years.
What can be done? Scientists and leaders from 190 nations will try to figure that out at the United Nations climate change conference next month. The main goal of the meeting is to come up with a new climate agreement for 2012 and beyond. That is when the existing plan, the Kyoto Protocol will expire. The agreement was created in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997. Since then, it has been ratified by 190 nations. The countries promised to limit the amount of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, that they produced each year.
The debate over who should cut greenhouse emissions has been going on for years. The US has been hesitant to reduce emissions unless fast-growing nations such as China and India also reduce their use of fossil fuels. In recent months, China has taken steps to be greener. But India has been unwilling to change. It argues that it is unfair for rich nations to ask poorer countries to cut down on emissions.
While world leaders work on a plan in Copenhagen, there are many things you can do to help the planet. You can save fuel by walking or biking instead of riding in a car. You can start a recycling program in your community. You can plant trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and give off oxygen. | high18067.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To spend his vacation."
},
"options": [
"To meet his girlfriend.",
"To visit his parents.",
"To work as an engineer.",
"To spend his vacation."
],
"question": "What is the probable reason why John was in Paris?"... | (PARIS) ----An English tourist who was highly praised for rescuing a three-year-old boy in Paris said he didn't think twice before diving into the freezing river.
Tuesday's news said 25-year-old John Smith from England was the man who left the spot quickly after the rescue last Saturday.
He lifted the little boy out of the water after he fell off the bank. He handed the child to his father, David Anderson, who had dived in after him.
"I didn't think at all," John told the News. "It happened very fast. I reacted very fast."
John, an engineer on vacation, was walking with his girlfriend along the pier when he saw something falling into the water. He thought it was a doll, but realized it was a child when he approached the river. Immediately, he took off his coat and jumped into the water. When he reached the child, he appeared lifeless, he said. Fortunately, when he was out of the water, he opened his eyes.
Anderson said his son slipped off the bank when he was adjusting his camera. An ambulance came later for him, said John, who was handed dry clothes from onlookers. John caught a taxi with his girlfriend shortly after.
The rescue happened on the day before he left for England. John said he didn't realize his story had greatly moved Paris until he was leaving the city the next morning.
"I don't really think I'm a hero," said John. "Anyone would do the same thing." | high17354.txt |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.