questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "get a pair of shoes"
},
"options": [
"get a pair of shoes",
"change his worn out shoes",
"pick out the shoes he liked best",
"look at the shoes that fitted him well"
],
"question": "Michael was anxious to _ ."... | The date was like any other day in his life. After school, Michael walked past the shop on the street corner. He stopped to look at the front row of shoes, and he felt sorry for himself. He really wanted to have them for his birthday.
He sadly walked away and thought of what to tell his mother. He knew she would give him anything he liked if she could. But he also knew very well she had little money. He decided not to go home immediately, as he looked worried and his mother would notice it. So he went to the park and there he sat on the grass. Then he saw a boy in a wheelchair. He noticed that the boy moved the wheels with his hands. Michael looked at him carefully and was surprised to see the boy had no feet. He looked down at his own feet. "It is much better to be without shoes than without feet," he thought. There was no reason for him to feel so sorry and sad. He went away and smiled, thinking he was luckier in life. | high18106.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he cared about his soldiers"
},
"options": [
"he was strict with the officers",
"he cared about his soldiers",
"he was friendly to everybody",
"he paid attention to the soldiers letters"
],
"question": "Mr. Park... | Mr Parker was born in a small village. His father was so poor that he couldn't send him to school. The boy had to help his parents to do some farming and learned English and maths by himself when he was free. Later on he was made to leave his home village and hoped to find a job in a city. And as soon as war broke out, he joined the army . He couldn't forget his terrible past and fought with the enemies bravely . So he became a general when he was fifty. He was honest and friendly to his soldiers and often punished those who tried to pocket a portion of the soldiers' pay . And his soldiers liked him very much.
Once Mr Parker heard from a soldier. In the letter the young man said the food in their military camp was very bad and he wished the general could go to find out the reasons. The old man went there at once without telling anybody. He went in the kitchen and examined everything carefully and found it was very dirty. Then he went in the soldiers' bedrooms and found there were a lot of fleas. He became angry and asked the soldiers, "What do you think of your food, young men?"
The soldiers saw their officer standing by the general and said nothing. Only a new soldier said, "Very bad, sir!"
"What did you have for lunch today?" asked Mr Parker.
"A fried chicken, some fish and pork, a cake, six eggs and I had three cups of wine ."
"Really?" Mr. Parker called out in surprise. "It's the King's lunch, I think!"
"So do I, General," said the young man. "But it's my birthday today. I paid three hundred dollars for them all in the restaurant!" | high5772.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Whether it's beneficial or harmful depends on what the video games are."
},
"options": [
"Whether it's beneficial or harmful depends on what the video games are.",
"It always improves kids' hand-eye coordination and problem-solving... | My son loves video games very much. He spends hours every day playing video games in his room. Is there anyredeeming educational value to video games? Some seem like they could help him learn strategy. But I worry others may be too violent ornumb his mind.
Cecilia
Some games may improve kids' hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. Games that require kids to actually move ormanipulate the game through their own physical movement can even get _ kids moving, though not as much as they could if they actually played outside or participated in sports or other outdoor acuities. Others, though, don't have such benefits, and violent video games have been shown that they might increase kid's aggressive behavior.
Like a lot of aspects of raising kids, when it comes to video games, the healthiest approach is actually self-control.
The American academy of Pediatrics(AAP) recommends that kids should spend no more than 2 hours each day on screen time, including watching TV or movies, or playing computer or video games. So consider setting limits at least that strict to keep game playing from affecting their schoolwork, household responsibilities, and the physical activity your son needs very day.
Make sure that he's playing games which are suitable for his age group. All video games are rated and labeled by the Entertainment Software Rating Board. Steer clear of any rated "M" for mature. Those are for ages 17 and older and can contain heavy-duty violence, strong language, and sexual content.
Try to keep the video gameconsole in a common area of the house, not your son's room. That way you can catch any inappropriate content in the games he's playing, and he'll be in a position to interact with others in the house while he's playing.
Make sure your son has appealing alternatives, too, such as sports, activities, opportunities to socialize with peers; and downtime to be creative. If you continue to have concerns about his video game activity, talk with your doctor.
Reviewed by:Mary L. Gavin, MD | high3303.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Americans introduce themselves at parties."
},
"options": [
"Britons enjoy talking about their feelings.",
"Americans introduce themselves at parties.",
"Americans dislike talking to strangers at parties.",
"Britons fee... | Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so right now, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble afterward. This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause any embarrassment. Margolis writes, "For instance, I'm much more comfortable just leaving that piece of raw chicken on my plate instead of complaining to restaurant staff. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you're dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this ashamed."
In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.
* Not making introductions
Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because "talking to strangers without being introduced gives them a stomachache". Americans rarely introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves.
* "Quite" good
Using "quite" to mean "very" happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in Britain, don't describe the meal as "quite good" if you want to express high praise. To Britons' ears, "quite" _ the "good": the meal was OK but could have been better.
* Money Talk
Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis, "Talking about how much we make is unthinkable -- even 1ess so than discussing our feelings."
* Over-politeness
"It's not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who's been paid to ask: 'How are you today?'" says Margolis. In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as "honey" or "sweetie". But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating. | high11644.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "American slang"
},
"options": [
"American proverb",
"British slang",
"American slang",
"British motto"
],
"question": "\"Got your feet wet\" is a (n) _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | I worked abroad one year ago Once I was sent to attend a conference. It was downpouring outside, Though I was holding an umbrella, my trouser legs as well as my shoes and socks still got wet. Entering the conference hall, I shook the umbrella, and at the same time, stamped my feet. Suddenly I caught sight of my chief boss strolling in.
At that time,I just got the job.Therefor,I hurriedly went to meet this superior in the highest rank and introduced myself to him as I was a new comer.He said,"Yes,I recognize you.Got your feet wet?"I lowered my head to look at my wet trouser legs and with a helpless tone,I said,"Yeah,It's raining cats and dogs,isn't it?"Gazing at me for a moment,the chief boss said nothing with a amile.
Later on, I mentioned the incident of meeting the chief boss to my colleague. Hence I learnt that I had made a big fool of myself. It turns out that "Get one's feet wet" is an American slang , with the meaning of reaching the state of affairs." However, I regarded myself as humorous and replied with a slang sentence, which is seldom used now, describing the rain falling heavily. This was completely off the point. I am lucky that the chief boss is really gentle and did not point it out at once. | high21787.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Family Vacations with Travel Agent's Help"
},
"options": [
"Family Vacations with Travel Agent's Help",
"How to make a family travel plan",
"Travel agents:your only choice",
"How to arrange a memorable trip"
],
... | The best family vacations are the ones where everyone is entertained and everyone gets along Not sure how to do that,especially if traveling with kids is involved? A travel agent is your answer.
A travel agent can recommend the best destinations,resorts and cruises for family-friendly vacations.For vacations with kids,simply share the interests of your children as well as what the adults going on the vacation enjoy doing, and your travel egent can put together the ideal trip for your family,with activities and kids' clubs for the children and entertainment for the adults. Travel agents can even arrange trustworthy childeare,so you can have a kids-free evening on your vacation.
Travel agents can also help plan memorable pleasure trips during your vacation.They can advise on the best water parks and get you front-of-the line tickets, or they can give tips on what time to visit certain natural wonders for the best views and fewer crowds. They can also recommend which restaurants are the most family-friendly and take care of the reservations for you.
Vacations for kids can be stressful enough (packing,keeping everyone entertained on the plane ride,finding kid--friendly foods, etc)without having the added worry of "what if something goes wrong?''A travel agent will take over if any accident occurs on your trip and will spend time calling companies and researching options until your problem is solved-whether that means you need to re-book a flight or find a trustworthy doctor for your child who has suddenly come down with an illness.
Finally, a travel agent will make it easier to bond with your family by recommending the perfect vacation for your family's interests and needs. By taking the planning stress and trip organization off you and giving it to a travel agent, you'll be able to simply enjoy spending time with your family. | high7165.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "On a website."
},
"options": [
"On a website.",
"In a newspaper.",
"In a magazine.",
"In a textbook."
],
"question": "Where can we most probably read the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer... | Here's this week's list of four open jobs throughout the local area. Whether you're unemployed and need a job or you are just _ of the one you have, Roswell Patch wants to help. We know new jobs can be hard to come by these days, which is why we'll try to post a selection of jobs we've found in the area on the site each week. Happy hunting!
Part-time Spanish Instructor-World Language Institute, Inc. - Roswell.
World Language Institute, Inc. in Roswell is currently hiring a part-time, native-speaking Spanish instructor. Applicants must be able to pass a background check and drive a 15-passenger bus to pick up students from several schools, from 2 p. m. - 6 p. m. Monday-Friday. The position pays $ 10 per hour. More information about the job is available online.
Experienced Servers - Chili's - Alpharetta
Chili's in Alpharetta is seeking experienced servers to add to its team. Qualifications will include being clean and neat and having great attitude and customer service skills. The pay is $ 2.13, plus tips. Stop by the store to fill out an application. More information about this position is available online.
Registered Nurse-North Fulton Regional Hospital-Roswell
North Fulton Regional Hospital is looking for a RN/Registered Nurse to fill a 12-hour night shift. Applicants must be registered and previous hospital experience is preferred. More information about the position is available online.
Software Engineer-ControlScan-Alpharetta
ControlScan in Alpharetta is hiring a software engineer. Applicants should have five or more years of relevant experience, as well as advanced knowledge of computer technology. Pay is commensurate with experience. More information about the position can be found online. | high8256.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the winds and tide were too strong"
},
"options": [
"Meekins paid enough attention to the horizon",
"there was too much spray on the windows",
"the winds and tide were too strong",
"there was no ship near the station"
... | Violent winds swept the ocean, and waves thundered to shore, shaking the lookout tower at Pea Island Rescue Station. Surfman Theodore Meekins was on watch that evening of 11 October 1896. A hurricane had struck the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and the tide was so strong that beach patrols had been canceled. Still, Meekins paid close attention to the horizon. This was the type of weather that could blow ships hundreds of miles off course.
Offshore, the ship E.S. Newman was caught in the storm. The captain, whose wife and child were on the ship, feared the Newman would soon break up. He made the decision to beach his ship, then fired a signal, praying that someone onshore would see it.
Meekins, whose eyes were trained to cut through rain and surf mists, thought he saw the signal, but so much spray covered the lookout windows that he could hardly make sure. Still, he took no chances. After summoning the station keeper, Captain Richard Etheridge, Meekins set off a coston signal, a signal made by using lamps of different colors. Together, the two men searched the darkness for a reply. A few moments later, they saw a flash of light to the south and knew a shop was in distress . Even before the return signal burned out, Etheridge had summoned his men and begun rescue operations.
For the lifesavers, the rescue of the Newman was nothing unusual. Over the years, so many ships had
off the Outer Banks that sailors called the region the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Noting the dangerous surf and wind conditions, Captain Etheridge quickly decided the surf boats would be impossible to control. Instead, he decided to use another way to help the survivors.
The crew set off on the long journey down the beach to the scene of the wreck . Captain Etheridge hoped to fire a line from a gun to the ship's mast . After the ship's crew dragged the line onboard, the surfmen would fire a second line and carry survivors safely to shore.
The surfmen crossed three miles of sand to reach the ship Newman. The water was freezing, and the men often sank up to their knees in sand. Captain Etheridge noted in his diary that "the voice of gladdened hearts greeted the arrival of the station crew," but that "it seemed impossible for them to do anything under such circumstances. The work was often stopped by the sweeping current."
Even when the rescue equipment proved useless, Etheridge refused to give up. Choosing two of his strongest surfmen, he tied rope lines around their waists and sent them into the water. The two men, holding a line from shore, walked with huge effort as far as they could before diving through the waves. Nearly worn out while swimming against the tide, they finally made it to the shore.
The first to be rescued were the captain's wife and child. With the two passengers tied to their backs, the surfmen fought their way back to shore. Taking turns, Etheridge and his crew made ten trips to the Newman, saving every person onboard. It was 1:00 a.m. when the crew and survivors finally made it back to the station.
That night, as the exhausted survivors lay sleeping and his lifesaving crew rested, Captain Etheridge picked up his pen, and in the light of an oil lantern, wrote with satisfaction that all the people onboard had been saved and were "sheltered in this station"--words he would remember for many years to come. | high15422.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He thinks it's great flying in empty space."
},
"options": [
"He can wear his own space suit then.",
"He can see the moon when doing that.",
"He can see the earth by doing so.",
"He thinks it's great flying in empty spa... | When we heard that our friend astronaut Gregory Chamitorff was going to be on board the last flight of the space shuttle Endeavour, we asked him if he would answer some questions from space. He said yes!
Here are our questions and Greg's answers from space.
What's the best thing about being in space?
Zero-gravity is by far the best thing about being in space. It does not really mean that there is no gravity. It means that we are moving around Earth in the same way the space station is moving around Earth. So we are floating inside the space station.
We travel around Earth once every 90 minutes. That's 16 sunrises and sunsets every day. Really fast!
Inside the station, we can fly around like superman. It's an amazing feeling, and I hope everyone gets a chance to fly in space someday to experience the wonder of zero-gravity.
What do you do for fun in the space shuttle?
There are so many things you can do in zero-gravity that are fun. Flying around is fun. Eating food that floats is fun.
I like to play like Superman and see how far I can fly without touching any walls. Another fun thing is to play with water. Most of all, the most exciting thing to do is to look out the window at our beautiful planet Earth below. You never get tired of seeing it like that, the way it really is and it can never be seen that way while standing on its surface.
What's the coolest thing about being on a spacewalk?
Wow! Doing a spacewalk is cool. There is nothing more wonderful than floating in space in your own space suit. It's amazing, and when you are doing a spacewalk, you are "out there" just floating in empty space, like the earth, like the moon, like the sun, like the space station. It's not science fiction. It's real. | high13053.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "ask for help"
},
"options": [
"ask for money",
"ask for help",
"offer advice",
"tell a story"
],
"question": "The author writes to Cary in order to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | Dear Cary,
I'm writing because I've understood you've struggled with alcoholism .I've been fighting mine ever since I went through 9-11.After that, _ .I've taken some medicine and it has helped somewhat.I can manage about a month without drinking, but after that I end up having a crazy stage where nothing matters except drinking.After a week or so of heavy drinking,! start having nightmares of people jumping.After that, it's a week of not being able to get out of bed.
I was supposed to travel to a conference but didn't make it because I got so drunk at the airport that I fell down on my face and spent the rest of the day in the emergency room.I have been hiding from my family since then.Fortunately they won't be expecting me to come back for a week or so.Otherwise, they would notice the bump on my forehead and two black eyes.
I don't really know what I'm asking you.Cary, I need a way out that doesn't involve causing pain to my family.I'm taking medicine, but' I still have these attacks every few months.If there's alcohol in the house, I can't stay away from it.It seems that this will never end.I'm afraid of what will happen if something bad happens, like a family member dying, or getting fired again.
Thanks for reading.
Yours T | high1514.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148."
},
"options": [
"http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148.",
"http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/365.",
"http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/812.",
"http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1099."
],
"que... | Here are some world-famous cultural sites that you may be interested in:
Old City of Jerusalem
The Old City was given a World Heritage Status in 1981 and placed on the "World Heritage in Danger List" the following year. The city has had a history of three different religions fighting over their holy sites and yet also living together in the same city. Jerusalem has always been of great symbolic importance.
Visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/148for more information.
Khami Ruins National Monument
The City of Khami, which developed after the capital of Great Zimbabwe had been given
up in the mid-16th century, is of great archaeological value. The discovery of
objects from Europe and China shows that Khami was a major centre for business over a
long period of time.
Visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/365for more information.
Ancient City of Pingyao
Pingyao is a typically well-kept example of an ancient Chinese city, founded in the 14th
century. It is most famous for its ancient buildings which were in connection with the ancient
Chinese banks --Qianzhuang or Piaohao. It provides a complete picture of cultural, social,
economic and political development during one of the most important periods of Chinese
history.
Visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/812for more information.
Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
Mapungubwe is set against the northern border of South Africa that joins Zimbabwe and
Botswana. Mapungubwe had developed into the largest kingdom in South Africa before it
was given up in the 14th century. What survive now are the almost _ remains of the palace sites and also the entire settlement area, as well as two earlier capital sites. It shows a perfect picture of the development of social and political structures over 400 years.
Visit http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1099for more information. | high23190.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He didn't like to play the piano."
},
"options": [
"His mother thought he played badly.",
"He liked playing other instruments.",
"He didn't like to play the piano.",
"He couldn't pass the examination."
],
"quest... | When I was six years old, my mother started making me take piano lessons. Every morning, she would make sure I sat in front of the piano and practiced for at least one hour. After two years, I still didn't like it. When the time for my Grade I examination, I couldn't go through with it. I cried because I didn't want to play the piano anymore. In the end, I was spared from going for any more lessons. That was the end of my music career.
When I look back at that time, I ask myself--why did I do that for two years? I didn't think abut it then but the answer seems obvious now--I didn't think I had a choice.
Then for twelve years, I felt that my life had no meaning. I felt that I really couldn't go on. I kept waiting for something outside of me to happen to make me happy. But the universe intervened and sent me help disguised in the form of a sales call.
One afternoon a lady called me about a Tony Robbins event called Unleash the Power Within. Part of me was curious; but when the time came, I still was considering if I should go in or go to the beach instead. I made a choice to give it a try. In that hall filled with 4,000 people, Tony gave me back something I never knew I had---the power of choice. I left there renewed and refreshed, excited about my new life, knowing from that point forward that in life there are no victims, only choices. To this day, I sometimes wonder how differently my life would have turned out if I had missed taking that sales call.
Sometimes in life, we are stuck in certain situations and it may seem that there is nothing we can do about it. Just remember that everything in life is about choice. You can make a choice to remove yourself from any situation that is not serving you right now. The question is---will you? | high9148.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Critical."
},
"options": [
"Approving.",
"Reserved .",
"Uncertain.",
"Critical."
],
"question": "What is the author's attitude towards Keynes' theory?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"... | We regularly hear how important consumer spending is for the economy. The story goes like this:the more consumers spend,the more money circulates in the economy, which contributes to healthy job growth and profits. Keynes, a British economist,went as far as to say that individuals saving their money may actually be hurting the economy. Sounds troubling, doesn't it?
Fear not. You aren't actually hurting anyone else by saving money. Strong economic growth only comes from one place:savings. Not consumption. In fact,economic activity should not be mistaken for economic growth. For example,somebody takes their money, walks into a store, and purchases goods. The store increases its _ .
But what happens to all of those goods and services that people have chosen not to consume by saving their money? Simple:Other people are allowed to consume them. Think of it this way:When you lend out your savings, you are actually saying,"Here, I am not going to consume right now, so why don't you?" Banks simply play the middleman:they collect lots of people's savings and then lend out lots of funds.
It takes an unbelievable amount of goods and services to construct a building. It takes food, shelter, and entertainment for all of the workers, as well. Without savings,it is quite impossible to finance such a construction. The coordination between savings and consumption is a necessary basis for sound economic growth. This coordination is also why consumer lending (say , to borrow a big sum of money to buy a car) is not productive,in a strict sense. It doesn't increase the net amount of wealth of an economy. Those savings could have been used to construct, say, factory equipment.
None of this means consumption and spending are "bad" things. They simply do not make us wealthier. After all, the final goal of production and savings is to consume. But to say that consumption is the engine of economic growth is to put the cart before the horse. Or, to rephrase: the consumption of wealth can never make you wealthier. Happier, perhaps. Wealthier, no. | high7171.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "prevent the spread of rumours on the Internet"
},
"options": [
"prevent the spread of rumours on the Internet",
"advance the development of microblog",
"limit the number of microblog",
"urge the government to react quic... | With only a click of the mouse, rumours can be forwarded between microblogs very quickly. As an example, recently, sensitive netizens discovered that some photos displayed on microblogs describing Beijing's June rainstorm had actually been
Sina.com is one of the major Internet portals in China with hundreds and thousands of users, and a majority of celebrities and famous citizens have their microblog accounts on this portal. As recently as six months ago, the website decided to establish a specialized team to prove rumours and provide accurate information for its users. Tan Chao is in charge of the team.
" Before I took the job, I usually couldn't identify what information was real and what was fake. But during the process of identification, we discovered that a lot of information was false, including fake photos, fake news stories and rumours that had been spread through microblogs."
It's not just website portals which are taking on fact-checking responsibilities, but also a number of civic-minded netizens, who recently set up a Rumour Identification Federation on Sina.com's microblog system to help netizens identify fake information online.
Dian Zizheng is the team leader of the federation. He says they've publicized more than 150 pieces which contradict rumours, which attracted more than 10 thousand visitors within two months.
"We live in an age of new media, so we can't use the old methods to prove rumours. We can't wait for the media to prove the facts with related administrative departments and then release a formal announcement. We can't allow rumours to run wild and then deal with it, we need to fight rumours while they're spreading. I think that this is the best way to deal with rumours nowadays."
Some experts say this displays the advantages of the internet compared to other traditional media. The open platform allows information to be examined and clarified by netizens. But experts like Ding Wengguo,President of the Journalism and Communication College at the China University of Political Science and Law says this self-correction function of the Internet is still quite limited.
"It's still quite different to tell which information is true in such an open environment by just reading a number of different opinions on the same issue. This is something which we need to pay attention to. If society is flooded with too much false information, and it's allowed to spread in such a fast manner, then people will be suspicious of all kinds of information including important information from authorities. It also worsens problems relating to social communications and mutual-understanding, which in turn harms society as a whole."
Experts suggest that the government should react more quickly in the Internet age. Once a rumour begins to spread, administrative departments should make announcements as early as possible to drive away rumours before they lead to bad outcomes. | high15436.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "What usually injures people during an earthquake are falling buildings."
},
"options": [
"Earthquakes usually last 10 to 30 seconds.",
"After a big earthquake, there are many more quakes.",
"Cracks in an earthquake are very d... | An earthquake is a trembling or shaking of the ground caused by the sudden release of energy stored in the rocks below the surface. Generally, earthquakes last only seconds. Strong ground shaking during a medium to large earthquake generally lasts about 10 to 30 seconds. Aftershocks can occur once in a while for weeks or even months.
Many people think that there is an "earthquake season" or a kind of " earthquake weather ".As a matter of fact, there isn't. Earthquakes can occur at any time of the year and at time of day or night. Earthquakes occur under all weather conditions-sunny, wet. or cold without any special weather tendency .
Also, you don't need to worry that the ground will open up and swallow people when earthquakes occur. Open ground cracks may form during an earthquake, for example, to land sliding or ground falling. However, such cracks tend to be open gaps (they don't " swallow") that a person could stand in afterwards.
The safest place in an earthquake is an open field because buildings and falling objects can injure or kill you. If you are indoors, when you feel the ground start to shake, take cover immediately under a table or strong piece of furniture, placing something between falling objects and yourself. Don't " attempt to use the stairs or an elevator to get out of the building.. | high8242.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He heard that everything was bigger and better in Texas."
},
"options": [
"It was the first time that he had travelled abroad.",
"People from Texas were very friendly than he expected.",
"He heard that everything was bigger a... | There was once a blind man, who did a lot of traveling alone. He was making his first trip to Texas and happened to be seated next to a Texan on the flight.
The Texan spent a lot of time telling him how everything was bigger and better in Texas. After the blind man reached his destination, a large resort hotel, he was very excited about being in Texas.
The long trip had worn him out a little so he decided to stop at the bar for a small soda and a light snack before going up to his room to sleep.
When the waitress set down his drink, it was in a huge cup. "Wow, I had heard everything in Texas is bigger," he told her.
"That's right," she replied. The blind man ate his snack and finished his drink. After drinking such a large amount, it was natural that his next stop was to be the restroom. He asked the waitress for directions. She told him to turn left at the corner, and then take the second door on the right.
He reached the first door and continued. A few steps later he stumbled slightly and missed the second door and ended up going through the third door instead. Not realizing he had entered the swimming area he walked forward and immediately fell into the swimming pool.
Remembering that everything was bigger in Texas, he had his head above water and started shouting "Don't flush ! Don't flush!" | high12359.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It is not mentioned in the passage."
},
"options": [
"It scared me to death.",
"It's your charm that matters.",
"Important things should be stressed three times.",
"It is not mentioned in the passage."
],
"quest... | If you haven't heard of the expression, you must have been living _ for the past year, because "the world is big, and I owe it a visit" was all over the Internet last year.
This expression was chosen as one of 2015's "popular cyber phrases" in China. When a year comes to an end, many institutions, including the National Language Resources Monitoring and Research Center, People's Daily Online and CCTV, put together their lists of the Internet's most used words and phrases.
Most of the selected words and phrases may seem funny and playful, but they can show lifestyle changes. The term "duoshoudang" meaning shopping addicts is a good example. The past year saw record-high online shopping sales in China, the world's largest e-commerce market. In fact, according to Xinhua, e-commerce is "a new engine" for China's economic development.
Meanwhile, although phrases like "xiasibaobaole" meaning "you scared the pants off me"may be a fun expression, they reflect the desire for attention now that social networking sites and apps such as weibo and WeChat have become part of people's lives. "People now have a need to express emotion in bite-size, 140-character bits," wrote The New York Times.
Here, Teens has picked some phrases from last year's popular "cyber words" lists. Did you use them often?
The world is big, and I owe it a visit.
Seeing more of the world has become a hot topic for Chinese people in recent years. But never before had someone used it as an excuse to quit a job until Gu Shaoqiang did. The 35-year-old middle school teacher in Henan province struck a chord with the nation by posting her 10-word resignation letter: "The world is big, and I owe it a visit."
The letter's simplicity, honesty and bravery are what made it one of 2015's top catchphrases , wrote Zhang Shixuan, a commentator for People's Daily.
A pretty face can feed you, yet you choose to make a living off your talent.
Comedian Jia Ling is well known for her funny performances as well as her plump figure. So it came as a great surprise when a photo of her surfaced online, showing how slim and pretty she was in her younger years. In response, true to her humorous nature, Jia wrote this on Sina Weibo: "My story shows that I could totally have lived on my pretty face, yet I chose to rely on my talent." Since then, the words have become popular when describing good-looking people who are still hardworking.
Other popular "cyber words" include "it's your charm that matters", "important things should be stressed three times", "makers" , "memeda", a phrase to show cuteness and affection and "xiaoxianrou" referring to young and pretty men. | high13047.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "You will feel crazy about the different cultures."
},
"options": [
"You will enter places where the average people go.",
"You will feel crazy about the different cultures.",
"You will be particular about the daily life of the... | This summer, experience the true meaning of awe . Feel the sudden excitement through your body. And blog it all in real time for your friends back home. On a Discovery Student Adventure you will have the chance to jump the tourist barriers and enter places few travelers go, the true sites where amazing cultures flourish beyond the tourist's stare.
Once there, you won't idly observe; you'll launch into the daily life of the locals, trying new customs, sharing laughs, and _ interesting meals. You'll even have the opportunity to give back, participating in local efforts to replant the rainforest; save the wombat's habitat; or researching the Great Barrier Reef-just to name a few. The crazy thing is that you'll be taking this all in, growing wiser to the world, and learning without even knowing it.Requirements and Expectations for Student Participants
How do you recognize a Discovery Student Adventure student? Our participants are:
*In 5ththrough 12thGrade
*Curious about the world
*Open-minded and excited to learn about new places and cultures
*Responsible students who maintain a good academic status
*Active participants, ready to challenge themselves and experience new adventures. Students should be reasonably fit before travel to take part in some of the more adventurous activities. These vary by itinerary , but may include:
*Hiking 3-5 miles a day over uneven terrain(, ) in various weather conditions
*Exciting overnight experiences, including camping, sleeping on ships, or even staying in a snow cave in New Zealand.
*Mountain biking.
*Rafting
*Swimming
*Snorkeling
To ensure students' health and well-being, we ask each participant to complete a confidential health form. | high23184.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To break it into stunner parts."
},
"options": [
"To store it in a computer.",
"To break it into stunner parts.",
"To discuss it with a friend.",
"To review it before you sleep."
],
"question": "What can help me... | The human brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms, but it can, hold much more information than most computers. However, there is another difference between humans and computers. Computers don't forget information they are given, but humans often do. No one remembers everything, and luckily we don't usually have to. But everyone can improve their memory if they want to. Here are some suggestions.
* Try to use new information immediately. For example, if you meet someone who says "Hi! I'm Carlos," don't just say "Hello." Repeat the person's name. Say" _ "
* Break a big number into smaller parts. For example, it's hard to memorize 109244153. But if you break it into three parts--109/244/153--it becomes easier.
*Write out what you need to remember over and over again. This will help you keep it in mind longer, especially for memorizing formulas or facts.
*Always review information. If you bring what you've learned back to your mind, they become easier to remember. For example, before you go to sleep, it's a good idea to review the new things you learned that clay.
* Discuss with a friend. It is always easier to remember things through discussions. You can have a discussion about what's right and what's wrong, and it will lead to the right answer.
*Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory. You can always do something to help improve your memory. And everyone's memory gets better if they use it often enough.
All of the suggestions are helpful. If you follow them, you are certain to improve your memory. | high17221.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "perhaps can't earn as much as those working in an office"
},
"options": [
"perhaps can't earn as much as those working in an office",
"needn't do anything at home and earns a lot",
"can't be mothers who have children to look ... | Stay-at home careers are the preferred way to earn a living for those who like to set their own hours and be their own boss, mothers of young children, and those who like to avoid office politics. There are plenty of opportunities to earn from home. Even if you earn little first, the quality of life should make up for the loss of income. Take a look at the following choices for home-birds:
Online tutoring--You can earn anything from Rs 8,000 to 30,000 a month if you are a qualified teacher with computer and communication skills. The subjects in demand these days are math, English, physics, chemistry and biology. You can either teach part-time (4 hours) or full-time (9 hours).
Freelance writers--You have a good writing skills but don't have time to work a nine-to-five job? You can still use your skills and earn a good amount of money. Many companies these days require good writers. One can earn up to Rs 8,000 to 50,000.
Online-traders--Earn a lot of money by share trading. Just clear the NCFM (Capital Market) exam and you can start trading. You can bring in Rs 10,000 to 1000,000 per month.
Designers--If you have the creative skills and a creative gift, try becoming a designer. Designers are required in different fields. One can earn nearly Rs 8,000 to 20,000 per month. | high5766.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the country is still disappointed at the situation"
},
"options": [
"he lives a happy life in peace",
"he is happy about his great achievements",
"the country is still disappointed at the situation",
"the country has ma... | As South Africa starts to celebrate 20 years of freedom in South Africa, the moment is ruined with disappointment for many of the nation's poorest, who feel change has been slow to come. Today thousands of people are expected to gather near Cape Town to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's release. The moment when Mr. Mandela, who was 71 and had spent 27 years in prison on Robben Island, walked free marked a change from apartheid to multi-racial democracy . He went on to become the country's first black president. His African National Congress (ANC) party has reduced poverty, built houses and delivered water, electricity and schools to blacks. Still, though, needs remain great.
With some observers comparing the event to South Africa's equal of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the occasion has sparked debate about unhappy promises and riots among the nation's very poorest, who feel short-changed. Agnes Ntali shares her two-roomed Department of Housing in Soweto with three grandchildren. The 55-year-old widow, who first came to Soweto with her husband in the days after Nelson Mandela's release has been waiting 10 years to be re-housed. "We have stayed here for a long time now but nothing has changed. Now we are free but we are not happy... we have no jobs and we are hungry," she told The Times newspaper. "Since Mandela left, there have been no changes, " she said.
Last week the "informal settlement" she shares with several hundred other very poor black South Africans, broke out into violence. Tired of unhappy promises to provide electricity and toilets, some people cut off the power to new council houses nearby. A riot started and the police responded with teargas and rubber bullets. Across the nation, black townships are exploding in violent protests about services they are still waiting for. It is a sign that the poor are prepared to wait no longer for the better life which was forecast 20 years ago, but has, for thousands, failed to appear. | high18112.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he was seriously ill"
},
"options": [
"he was seriously ill",
"the doctor could do nothing for him",
"the doctor didn't come",
"they couldn't find any doctor"
],
"question": "People in the village thought James ... | Jim was a farmer. He lived in a village far away from the town. One day he was very ill , and everyone thought he would die . But his family wouldn't give up. They decided to sent for a doctor in town . The doctor arrived the village two days later and looked over the man. The doctor wanted a pen and some paper , But there was no pen or paper in the village , because nobody could read or write .
The doctor looked around and picked up a piece of burnt wood. Using the wood, he wrote the name of the medicine on the door of the house." Get the medicine for him right away, " he said, "and he will soon get well.' family and friends did not know what to do . They could not read the writing . Then the village baker had an idea . He took off the door of the house and took the door to the nearest town . He bought the medicine, and Jim was saved. After that Jim would not let anyone wash the magic words off the door . | high11888.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the earth is divided into time zones"
},
"options": [
"no day really has 24 hours",
"the earth is divided into time zones",
"time zones are not all the same size",
"no one knows where time zones are"
],
"questio... | Time Zones
Strange things happen to time when you travel. Because the earth is divided into twenty-four zones one hour apart .You can have days with more or fewer than twenty-four hours, and weeks more or fewer than seven days.
If you make a five-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean ,your ship enters a different time zone every day. As you enter each zone, the time changes one hour. Travelling west ,you set your clock back; traveling east , you set it ahead. Each day of your trip has either twenty-five or twenty-three hours.
If you travel by ship across the Pacific , you cross the international date line. By agreement, this is the point where a new day begins, when you cross the line, you change your calendar one full time day, backward or forward. Travelling east, today becomes yesterday; traveling west, it is tomorrow. | high2009.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "visitors can learn about exhibits using pre-recorded voice introductions"
},
"options": [
"visitors have access to River Adventures",
"visitors can learn about exhibits using pre-recorded voice introductions",
"it has the che... | Taking a trip to Philadelphia can be rewarding experience or absolute disasters---it all depends on pre-trip homework. To make planning easier, Huffington Post Travel Series recommends attractions for those planning Philadelphia family vacations.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art
Located on 26thStreet and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the Philadelphia Museum of Art features more than 225, 000 pieces in its vast collection, dating back to the first century A.D. Guests can discover modern art exhibits, clothing collections gathered throughout time and classic posters. Audio tours are also available.
Price: adults, $ 16; children 12 to 17, $ 12; children 11 and under, free.
The Please Touch Museum
The Please Touch Museum on 4231 Avenue of the Republic offers kids the chance to explore, discover and learn in a fun environment. The museum features six interactive zones where kids and parents are encouraged to play and learn about science, the environment and more. Exhibits include Flight Fantasy, where kids learn about flying machines, and River Adventures, which teaches kids about science, nature and weather.
Price: adults, $15; children under the age of 1, free
The Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo sits on a 42-acre Victorian garden. The zoo features 1,300 animals, including a number of rare and endangered species. While visiting the zoo families can see big cats, zebras, giraffes, endangered turtle species and penguins. The zoo also includes rides for kids, such as a Rainforest Carousel and Camel Safari.
Price: Adults, $ 18; children 2 to 12, $15; children younger than 2, free.
The Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is Philadelphia's major science museum, and one of the oldest in the United States. The museum offers guests the chance to experience flight simulator and sky bikes. The first floor offers a large Kid Science exhibit, where children discover science through a fictional journey. The second floor features air shows.
Price: Adults, $ 12; children 4 to 11, $12. | high11650.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "gestures are limited to a certain type of primates."
},
"options": [
"the meaning of facial and oral expressions can vary with circumstances.",
"particular gestures occur only in particular circumstances.",
"facial and oral g... | In 1966,Allen and Beatrice Garden, two professors at the University of Nevada in Reno, had a bright idea.They were interested in the evolution of language and the language abilities of great apes . Previous attempts to teach chimpanzees to talk had ended in failure and the matter was considered by most people to be closed. But the Gardens realized that speech and the language are not the same thing. Many deaf people, for example, are unable to speak but are perfectly able to communicate by gestures that have all the features of spoken language. The Garders suspected that previous experiments had failed because chimpanzees are physically unable to speak.
They therefore decided to try teaching a chimpanzee to sign in the way that deaf people do. And their chosen _ , a female chimpanzee named Washoe after the country in which the university is, proved to be a skillful pupil. Though there is still debate about whether what Washoe
learned was really equal to human language, there is no doubt that she learned a lot of words. All of this, however, raises a second question. If Washoe can learn a complex vocabulary of gestures from people, do they have such vocabularies naturally ? To examine that possibility, Amy Pollick and Frans de Waal of Emory University have looked at gestures and expressions in chimpanzees,
Signaling by facial and oral expressions is common among primates . Signaling by gestures is limited to great apes. The researchers supposed that the meaning of expressions has been fixed by evolution while the meaning of gestures is learnt. If that were true, particular sorts of facial and oral expressions would occur only in particular circumstances, and this would be the same across groups and even species. The same gestures, on the contrary, would be used in different circumstances.
The researchers found exactly what they expected. Expressions almost always occurred in the same circumstances in different groups and different species. Gestures seemed to have completely different meanings. Moreover, even within a single group,the meaning of a gesture could vary with circumstances.
It's also worth remembering that gesture is still an essential part of human language, even for those with normal hearing. The old joke that the way to make an Italian speechless is to tie his hands together has much truth in it. Evolution does not come up with complex structures in a single leap. They are built up step by step. This study suggests that the step of speech may have been built on mental features that were acquired millions of years ago when the ancestors of apes and men began to wave meaningfully at each other. | high21793.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They think they can save lives only when growing up."
},
"options": [
"They are trained to have many special skills.",
"They also work with local firemen and policemen.",
"They turn to adults for help sometimes.",
"They... | You're finishing up your history homework when your cell phone rings. You've got 30 minutes to reach head-quarters, get your equipment packed and receive your task. There's a lost hiker in the mountains near the edge of town. Your task: find the missing person; provide emergency medical treatment, if necessary; and be prepared to operate 48 hours on your own with only the supplies you carry.
Sounds like some kind of film's plot? Not if you're a member of the Arapahoe teen rescue patrol in the suburbs of Denver. About 25 teen guys and girls are active members of this search, rescue and emergency organization, and they know firsthand that you don't have to be an adult to save lives.
These 9th-through-12th graders are the real deal when it comes to emergency services. In fact, they're the only teen-commanded patrol in the nation. Sure they have adult advisers to turn to if necessary, but in the field it's a teen patrol officer calling the shots -- sometimes even giving direction to adults.
Members are trained in rock-high-angle,swift-water and avalanche rescue , winter and alpine operation , wilderness life support and emergency care, among other skills. They also regularly ride along with the local fire and police departments, providing support such as security details and evidence searching.
When asked what qualities make a good patrol member, founder and president Stan Bush named good physical conditioning and an interest in helping people. "We put in lots and lots of hours helping people in trouble," he says. "So if a person is not really interested in doing that kind of thing, he won't last as a member." | high4478.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Caring"
},
"options": [
"Caring",
"Hard-working.",
"Brave.",
"Humorous."
],
"question": "Which of the following words can best describe Jack?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | Valentine's Day was coming. Helen felt hurt and lonely because this was her first Valentine's Day after the divorce .
Helen's twelve-year-old son, Jack, looked at his mother, knowing that this was a difficult time for both of them. In order to make his mother happy, he prepared a present, and handed it to her on Valentine's Day.
It was a beautiful gift package .Helen couldn't believe what was happening. She opened it and took out a lovely card and a small box.
"Now," he said, "read the card." It read as follows:
"I know that this isn't easy for you because it has been a hard year for both of us. I know that Valentine's Day is a special day for people in love. I want you to know that I love you. I know that Valentines are supposed to get chocolate. I went to the store today to buy some for you. Luckily, I got the last piece. I told the clerk it was just perfect."
Helen stood there for a moment and looked at her son. Her eyes sparkled in the light as tears formed in each corner. Jack knew he had done the right thing. Slowly she opened the small box, careful not to tear the paper. She would never forget the moment. She found a chocolate heart that was broken into pieces along with a note:
"I am so sorry that Dad left us, Mom. And all you were left with was a broken heart. But I just want you to know we still have each other.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Your son,
Jack" | high16659.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "has a granddaughter"
},
"options": [
"thought her life was boring",
"has a granddaughter",
"was a housewife",
"used to get up early"
],
"question": "The mother _ according to the text.",
"question_type":... | My darling daughter,
Recently I saw a diary of years. It was written when you were nine. I read your goals in the diary, and one little goal was really surprising for me. It was "to make Mom happy".
I was so moved, and I would have told you that you made me happy every day of my life. My first thoughts in the morning were of you. When I got home from work, I couldn't wait to see you. I liked talking to you very much and I wanted to know what your day was like. You kept my spirit alive, my mind challenged and my body active. You were, and still are, the light of my life. Without you, my life would have been boring. You made me happy and you continue to do so.
You are a mother now, with a child of your own. I know you love her, so I think you should tell her how happy she makes you. Sometimes we forget to say the words that are in our hearts. These words can be very important to a child. They can change their world completely. They can create a beautiful world for them.
You are my joy in life, my little one. You always have been, and you always will be. Never forget that, and tell that to your child. Tell her that she is the most important thing in the world for you, because she makes things joyful in your life! I love you, my dearest daughter.
Mom | high11136.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "explain why young people like podcasts"
},
"options": [
"tell how young people relax themselves",
"explain why young people like podcasts",
"introduce what programs podcasts are presenting",
"show how popular podcasts a... | Every day we are exposed to images, videos, music and news. In this age of visual and aural hyper-stimulation, the medium of radio is making a great comeback.
"We're at the beginning of a golden age of audio," said US-based podcaster Alex Blumberg in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald. In the last month alone, 15 percent of US adults listened to a radio podcast . These statistics, released by Edison Research, show the successful evolution of traditional radio broadcasts to the present day's digital podcast format. The term "podcast" was invented in 2004, but the trend only started gaining mainstream popularity in recent years. With the sharp increase in consumer demand for smartphones and tablets, podcast sales have jumped.
The appeal of the podcast partly lies in its multiplatform delivery and on-demand capabilities . You can listen during those extra minutes of the day when you're walking to the shops, waiting in a queue or riding the subway. Similar to television shows, podcasts are generally free to download and most offer new content every week.
Donna Jackson, 22, Sydney University media graduate, listens to podcasts two or three times a week, via iTune. "I listen while I'm wandering around the house doing something else. It makes completing a boring task much more enjoyable... And it's an easy way of keeping in touch with what's going on in the rest of the world," she said, "I mainly listen to BBC podcasts, but recently I've also been listening to This American Life and Serial. They have a special skill to really draw you in."
Unlike television and music, the audio format has the potential to create a deep impression on readers. Blumberg says this owes to the podcast's ability "to create close relationship and emotional connection." Sydney University undergraduate Hazel Proust, majoring in social work and arts, agrees. "When you're listening, it feels as if the voice of the podcast's storyteller is talking directly to you. It's comforting." said Proust.
It seems the age-old tradition of verbal storytelling is very much alive and well. | high10228.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "accumulate a sleep debt"
},
"options": [
"accumulate a sleep debt",
"have no time to sleep",
"work hard to achieve their goals",
"have to stay up all nights"
],
"question": "From Monday to Friday, many people ... | Ceaseless technology. A punishing workweek. That to -do list that keeps multiplying. It is no wonder many of us find it difficult to have a sufficient amount of sleep. But will sleeping more on the weekend make up for hours of lost snoozing ? One sleep expert, W. Christopher Winter raised the question.
Sleeping binge
Getting eight hours of shut-eye each night is generally recommended, but many people don't. As the week rolls from Monday to Friday, they accumulate a sleep debt. Spending a few extra hours in bed on a Saturday morning, people assume, will help them " catch up" on lost sleep. They're likely right, " Nobody knows how long the horizon is, probably a few nights, but studies show that recovery sleep in the short term does work," says Dr. Winter, a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Sleep banking
Recent data suggests that banking sleep in advance of a long night can actually offset upcoming sleep deprivation . If you knew you were going to have to stay up all night on a particular day, for example, you could sleep for 10 hours a day for multiple days before the event, and be fine, Dr. Winter says. Just plan ahead.
Routine naps
A scheduled nap is healthier than catching up on or banking sleep. " Because sleep extension can make you feel groggy , I always recommend a short nap [if a person feels they need it ], at the same time, every day," says Dr. Winter. He adds that 25 minutes is ideal. " When you schedule a short nap, your body anticipates it and slows down, without falling into a deep dream sleep," he says. That refreshing, scheduled break is better than an occasional weekend lie-in. " The body likes routine," he says, " When it's prepared, it works more efficiently." | high5000.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a skiing accident during his holiday"
},
"options": [
"crashing in an airlift accident",
"a Formula One Ford car crash",
"a skiing accident during his holiday",
"a bump onto a rock in a skiing race"
],
"question... | On 23rd December, 2013, Michael Schumacher -- the famous Formula-One race car driver -- received serious brain injuries after hitting his head on a rock while downhill skiing with his son. The accident happened during a family holiday in the French Alps. Although he was wearing a helmet, which broke apart on impact, the F1 celebrity was moving at speeds of up to 62 mph and skiing outside the off-piste safety demarcations . Doctors reported that he would have died on impact if he hadn't been wearing a helmet. He has been in a coma since arriving at a nearby hospital where he was airlifted to from the site of the accident.
Michael Schumacher grew up in frugal conditions and started what would become his remarkable professional career when his working class father -- a bricklayer -- built him a _ from where he started participating in competitions. He started his adult career racing for Formula Ford in 1988 and later raced for Formula One Ford, Ferrari, and Mercedes AMG. He holds numerous F1 world records including most race victories, fastest laps, and most races won in a single season. According to the Formula One website, he is "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen". Also notable are his contributions to charity, during the peak of his career he has given away more than 50 million Euros to a variety of charity organizations, most to help children around the world.
Millions of Europeans and other fans around the world are holding their breath and waiting for information about his hopeful recovery. We wish him and his family the best. | high6509.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She had more difficulty keeping foucesed"
},
"options": [
"She had learned enough about computer science",
"She had more difficulty keeping foucesed",
"She preferred taking online courses",
"She was too slow to learn"
... | Dear Alfred,
I want to tell you how important your help is to my life.
Growing up, I had people telling me I was too slow, though, with an IQ of 150 at 17, I'm anything but stupid. The fact was that I was found to have ADIID . Anxious all the time, I was unable to keep focused for more than an hour at a time.
However, when something did interest me, I could become absorbed. In high school, I became curious about the computer, and built my first website. Moreover, I completed the senior course of Computer Basics, plus five relevant pre-college courses.
While I was exploring my curiosity, my disease got worse. I wanted to go to college after high school, but couldn't . So, I was killing my time at home until June 2012 when I discovered the online computer courses of your training center.
Since then, I have taken courses like Data Science and Advanced Mathematics. Currently, I'm learning your Probability course. I have hundreds of printer paper, covered in self-written notes from your video. This has given me a purpose.
Last year, I spent all my time looking for a job where, without dealing with the public , I could work alone, but still have a team to talk to. Luckily, I discovered the job--Data Analyst--this month and have been going full steam ahead. I want to prove that I can teach myself a respectful profession, without going to college, and be just as good as, if not better than, my competitors.
Thank you. You've given me hope that I can follow my heart. For the first time, I feel good about myself because I'm doing something, not because someone told me I was doing good. I feel whole.
This is why you're saving my life.
Yours,
Tanis | high13721.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The experiments inside the Tiangong-1 would be extremely difficult to conduct on the Earth."
},
"options": [
"China has become the third country in the world to operate a permanent space station.",
"Tiangong-1 will orbit the Earth ... | BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Commander-in-chief of China's manned space program Chang Wanquan announced Thursday night that the launch of Tiangong-1 space lab module is successful.
China's first space lab module Tiangong-1 blasted off at 9:16 p.m. Beijing Time (1316 GMT) Thursday from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest desert area.
The unmanned module, carried by Long March-2FT1 rocket, will test space docking with a spacecraft later this year, _ the way for China to become the third country in the world to operate a permanent space station around 2020.
The Tiangong-1 will orbit the Earth for about one month to await Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft. Once the two vehicles successfully rendezvous , they will conduct the first space docking at a height of 340 kilometers above Earth surface.
After two docking tests, Tiangong-1 will await Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 in the next two years, according to a plan of China's manned space program.
The 8.5-tonne Tiangong-1, with a length of 10.4 meters and maximum diameter of 3.35 meters, provides a room of 15 cubic meters for two to three astronauts to live and work.
Zhang Shancong, deputy chief designer of the Tiangong-1, told Xinhua that the module carries special cameras which will take hyperspectral images of China's vast farmlands to detect heavy metal pollution and pesticide residue as well as plant disease.
Moreover, scientists on the ground will also conduct experiments on photonic crystal , a new material expected to revolutionize information technology, in the low-gravity environment inside the Tiangong-1 as these experiments would be extremely difficult to conduct on Earth's surface.
"China is clearly becoming a global power and its investments in areas like technology and space exploration reflect this," said Peter Singer, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution.
"It is a natural result of the growth in political and economic power and is to be expected," said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program, "China will turn its future space station into an international platform for space research and application. A space station could provide a low-gravity environment for research on geography, astronomy and bio-technology, which will bring unimaginably greater achievements than those conducted on Earth's surface. " "The Chinese nation has pursued peace since ancient times," Zhou also said, "China's ultimate intention with the space program is to explore space resources and make use of them for mankind's well-being." | high7617.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "exemplify the opinion that attitudes come from experience"
},
"options": [
"stress the importance of keeping child from the fire",
"exemplify the opinion that attitudes come from experience",
"illustrate the important role ... | Of all the areas of learning the most important is the development of attitudes. Emotional reactions as well as logical thought processes affect the behavior of most people.
"The burnt child fears the fire" is one instance; another is the rise of figures like Hitler. Both these examples point up the fact that attitudes come from experience. In the one case the experience was direct and impressive; in the other it was indirect and gradual.
The classroom teacher in the elementary school is in strategic position to influence attitudes. This is true partly because children acquire attitudes from those adults whose word they respect.
Another reason it is true is that pupils often search somewhat deeply into a subject in school that has only been touched upon at home or has possibly never occurred to them before. To a child who has previously acquire little knowledge of Mexico, his teacher's method of handling such a unit would greatly affect his attitude toward Mexicans.
The teacher can develop proper attitudes through social studies, science matters, the very atmosphere of the classroom, etc. However, when children come to school with undesirable attitudes, it is unwise to attempt to change their feelings by criticizing them. The teacher can achieve the proper effect by helping them obtain constructive experience.
To illustrate, first-grade pupils, afraid of policemen will probably change their attitudes after a classroom talk with the neighborhood officer in which he explains how he protects them. In the same way, a class of older children can develop attitudes through discussion, research, outside reading and all-day trips.
Finally, a teacher must constantly evaluate her own attitudes, because her influence can be harmful she has personal prejudices. This is especially true in respect to controversial issues and questions of which children should be encouraged to reach their own decisions as result of objective analysis of all the facts. | high15350.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "radio"
},
"options": [
"TV",
"Internet",
"radio",
"newspaper"
],
"question": "The series of report probably comes from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index"... | Today tell you a series of information about how students in other countries can attend colleges and universities in the United States.
Two years ago we broadcast our Foreign Student Series. Since then we have got more requests for information about how to attend American schools. So we will offer new reports in our series with the most current information.
Each week, we will discuss a part of the process of becoming an international student in the United States. Each report will also appear on the Internet at www. Tingroom.com. Currently you can find the programs from the last time our series aired.
Foreign students who want to study in the United States have many questions. How do I find out about American colleges? How do I choose the right one for me? What tests must I take? What kinds of documents will I need? How much will it cost? We will answer these and other questions in our reports.
We will discuss the American system of higher education. We will tell about financial aid and rules about working in jobs while a student. We will discuss required tests and explain English language requirements. And we will tell where to find help in other countries.
Our reports will also describe a few of the three thousand colleges and universities in the United States. We will discuss programs of study as well as living situations at American schools. For students without the ability to come to the United States, we will tell how to take classes by computer. We will also examine how the threat of terrorism has changed some of the rules for study in the United States.
In researching our series, we talked not only to officials in education and government, but also to some foreign students. Most students say planning ahead helped make their educational experience successful. That is the purpose of this series--to help you plan.
We would like to hear from anyone who has a question about studying in the United States. We will try to answer as many questions as possible as part of our series in the coming weeks. Send your questions to special @ voanews.com. | high8524.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they didn't know the custom of lining up for a bus"
},
"options": [
"they didn't know the English language",
"the bus conductor told them to jump the queue",
"they didn't know the custom of lining up for a bus",
"they t... | In England three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop. They studied the information on the post sign and decided which bus to take. About five minutes later the bus they wanted came along. They prepared to get on. Suddenly people rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way. Someone shouted _ remarks about the foreigners. The bus conductor came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about. The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed. No one had told them about the British custom of lining up for a bus so that the first person who arrived at a bus-stop is the first person to get on the bus.
Learning the language of a country isn't enough. If you want to ensure a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your hosts. You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own. A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table. The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself. Also in India, You might see a man apparently shaking his head at another and assume that he is disagreeing. But in many parts of India a rotating movement of the head is a gesture that express agreement or acceptance. _ In that country you shake your head to express "yes" -- a nod means "no".
In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when sitting, talking to someone, even at an important meeting. Doing this when meeting an important person in Thailand, however, could cause offence . It is considered too informal an attitude for such an occasion. Also when in Thailand avoid touching the head of an adult -- it's just not done. Attitudes to women vary considerably around the world. In Japan, for example, it is quite usual for men to plan evening entertainments for themselves and leave their wives at home.
Knowing about customs and attitudes is useful when you are travelling, but you also need to know the language used to express different degrees of formality . | high1931.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a character in a book"
},
"options": [
"a boy of Mark Twain's",
"a character in a book",
"an American writer",
"a river's name"
],
"question": "Huckleberry Finn is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Huckleberry Finn,the great character from the Mark Twain book,did not like school.He
preferred floating down the Mississippi River on a raft and looking for adventure.That's why
generations of schoolboys have loved reading Huckleberry Finn:they feel the same way about[
school as he did.
For many boys,being forced to sit all day in a school room is like being punished for a crime they did not commit.There are endless hours of boredom spent learning things they have no interest in.That's why many boys do poorly in school and many give up on education altogether.
Ironically ,the whole idea for schools was invented for boys.If a boy wanted to grow up to be a useful man,he had to be educated.By and by,people realized that educating girls was a good idea,too.And,ironically again,it was discovered that the school
system suits girls just fine;so fine that girls now do much better than boys in school.
No one really knows why that is.Some say that girls mature quicker than boys and adapt better to school life.Some also say that the school system and the curriculum have changed to encourage girls but _ .
Educators are now trying to find ways to get boys to be more successful in school.There are
suggestions to separate the sexes and teach boys separately.There are also suggestions to change[
the curriculum to make it more interesting for boys.
Whatever the changes are,boys still will be boys,and dreams of floating down the Mississippi River will always be an attractive choice to just sitting in a classroom. | high22073.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "What's real meaning of intelligence"
},
"options": [
"What's real meaning of intelligence",
"What's the \"bright\" children's behavior",
"What's a special outlook on life",
"How to live and behave in a new situation"
... | When we talk about intelligence, we do not mean the ability to get good scores in certain kinds of tests or even the ability to do well in school. By intelligence we mean a way of living and behaving, especially in a new or anxious situation. If we want to test intelligence, we need to find out how a person acts instead of how much he knows what to do.
For example, when in a new situation, an intelligent person thinks about the situation, not about himself or what might happen to him. He tries to find out all he can, and then he acts immediately and tries to do something about it. He probably isn't sure how it will all work out, but at least he tries. And, if he can't make things work out right, he doesn't feel ashamed that he fails; he just tries to learn from his mistakes. An intelligent person, even if he is very young, has a special outlook on life, special feeling about life, and knows how he fits into it.
If you look at children, you'll see great difference between what we call "bright" children and "not bright" children. They are actually two different kinds of people, not just the same kind with different amounts of intelligence. For example, the bright child really wants to find out more about life --- he tries to get in touch with everything around him. But the unintelligent child keeps more to himself and his own dream-world; he seems to have a wall between him and life in general. | high6086.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She wanted to keep her house in good order."
},
"options": [
"She enjoyed removing others' drinks.",
"She became more and more forgetful.",
"She preferred to do everything by herself.",
"She wanted to keep her house in ... | All her life, my mother wanted busy children. It was very important that her house should remain at all things clean and tidy.
You could turn your back for a moment in my mother's house, leave a half written letter on the dining room table, a magazine open on the chair, and turn around to find that my mother had "put it back where it belonged." as she explained.
My wife, on one of her first visits to my mother's house, placed a packet of biscuits on an end table and went to the kitchen to fetch a drink. When she returned, she found the packet had been removed. Confused , she set down her drink and went back to the kitchen for more biscuits, only to return to find that her drink had disappeared. Up to then she had guessed that everyone in my family held onto their drinks, so as not to make water rings on the end tables. Now she knows better.
These disappearances had a confusing effect on our family. We were all inclined to (......) forgetfulness, and it was common for one of us, upon returning from the bathroom, to find the every sign of his work in progress had disappeared suddenly. "Do you remember what I was doing?" was a question frequently asked, but rarely answered.
Now _ , and my brother does the cleaning in his house, perhaps to avoid having to be the one to lift his feet. I try not to think about it too much, but I have at this later time started to dust the furniture once a week. | high4691.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "9 %"
},
"options": [
"6.8%",
"8.8%",
"9 %",
"11.9 %"
],
"question": "Since 2001, the slowest rate in annual economic growth china has seen is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | BEIJING, prefix = st1 /China(CNN) ---China's economic growth dropped to 9 percent for 2008, according to numbers released by the government Thursday --- in line with expectations, but still the slowest rate the nation has seen in seven years.
Economists are concerned about what the slowdown means for investment in the future, whether new projects will be undertaken in manufacturing companies and in factories. If not, it will translate into more job losses and erase any optimism about a rebound in 2009.
Since 2001, Chinahas been used to double-digit growth as consumers buy Chinese goods. However, the export sector was hit hard in late 2008, with December exports down 2.8 percent.
Consumer spending has mostly held up in China, as people there do not carry as much debt as their American counterparts and can continue to spend.
Consumer confidence, however, is a problem, said Dong Tao, Asia chief economist for Credit Suisse. Infrastructure is the only thing driving the Chinese economy, Dong said.
Tens of thousands of Chinese factories have closed, millions of people are looking for jobs and an untold number of migrants who can't find work may be leaving cities for good because of the slowdown, which would have been unheard of six months ago.
Fourth quarter numbers showed growth at 6.8 percent. Goldman Sachs predicted 6.5 percent, down from 9 percent in the third quarter.
For all of 2008, Goldman Sachs had predicted 8.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent in 2007. | high17976.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Lee Se-del was defeated."
},
"options": [
"Lee Se-del won AlphaGo 4-1.",
"Lee Se-del was defeated.",
"Google program beat AlphaGo.",
"Neither side won the match."
],
"question": "What was the result of the match... | Who is smarter? A human being or artificial intelligence ?
The question swept the world last week when a Google-developed program called AlphaGo defeated the world top player, South Korean Lee Se-del, 4-1.
So, what comes next?
Some people have been arguing that artificial intelligence, or AI in short, will be a bad thing for humans. In an interview with the BBC in 2014, UK scientist Stephen Hawking warned that "the development of full artificial intelligence could mean the end of the human race."
So are we really about to live in the world shown in the Terminator movies?
"Not quite," answered The Economist. After all, it's not hard to get a computer program to remember and produce facts. What is hard is getting computers to use their knowledge in everyday situations.
"We think that, for the human being, things like sight and balance , are natural and ordinary in our life." Thomas Edison, founder of Motion Figures, a company that is bringing AI to boys, told the newspaper. "But for a robot, to walk up and down just like human beings requires various decisions to be made every second, and it's really difficult to do."
As The Economist put it, "We have a long way to go before AI can truly begin to be similar to the human brain, even though the technology can be great."
Meanwhile, John Markoff of The New York Times said that researchers should build artificial intelligence to make people more effective.
"Our fate is in our own hands," he wrote. "Since technology depends on the values of its creators, we can make human choices that use technology to improve the world.".Com] | high19783.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he was able to show his love to his mother with the flowers"
},
"options": [
"he knew he wouldn't have got the flowers without John's help",
"he was able to show his love to his mother with the flowers",
"the clerk was very k... | John had been on the road visiting clients for more than three weeks. He couldn't wait to get back to Ohio to see his wife and children. It was coming on Mother's Day, and he usually tried to make it "back home", but this year he was just too tired. He was in a small town just outside of Little Rock when he drove by a flower shop. He said to himself, "I know what I will do, I'll send Mom some roses."
He went into the small shop and saw a young man talking to the clerk. "How many roses can I get for six dollars, madam?" the boy asked. The clerk was trying to explain that roses were expensive. Maybe the young man would be happy with _ .
"No. I have to have roses." He said, "My mom was sick so much last year and I didn't get to spend much time with her. I want to get something special. It has to be red roses, because that's her favorite." He was firm.
The clerk looked up at John and was just shaking her head. Something inside of John was touched by the boy's voice. He wanted to get those roses so badly. John had been blessed in his business, and he looked at the clerk and silently mouthed he would pay for the boy's roses.
The clerk looked at the young man and said, "OK, I will give you a dozen red roses for six dollars." The young man almost jumped into the air. He took the flowers and ran from the store. It was worth the extra thirty-five dollars just to see that kind of excitement.
John ordered his own flowers and had the clerk be sure that delivery would include a note telling his mother how much he loved her. As he drove away from the shop, he was feeling very good. He caught a light about two blocks from the shop. As he waited at the light, he saw the young boy walking down the sidewalk. He watched him cross the street and enter a park through two huge gates. Suddenly he realized it wasn't a park. It was a cemetery . He could see the young man turn there by gate and walk along the fence.
The light changed, and John slowly crossed the crossing. He pulled over and on an impulse got out and began to follow the boy down the fence line. John was on the sidewalk, thirty or forty steps behind the boy, who walked inside the cemetery fence. The young man stopped by a small monument and went on his knees. He carefully laid the roses on the tomb and began to sob. John felt like an intruder but he couldn't leave. He stared at the little boy's trembling body and listened to his silent crying.
As he cried, he heard the young man speak, "Mommy, oh Mommy, why didn't I tell you how much I love you? Why didn't I tell you one more time? Jesus, please, find my mommy. Tell my Mommy I love her."
John turned, tears in his eyes, and walked back to his car. He drove quickly to the flower shop and told her he would take the flowers personally. He wanted to be sure and tell his mother one more time just how much he loved her. | high20102.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "46 countries"
},
"options": [
"No countries",
"18 countries",
"46 countries",
"28 countries"
],
"question": "_ are expected to have severe water problems by the year 2025",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | A new study gives us the warning that about thirty percent of the world's people may not have enough water by the year 2025.
A private American organization called Population Action International did the new study. It says more than three-hundred-thirty-five-million people lack enough water now. The people live in twenty-eight countries. Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East.
P-A-I researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025, about three-thousand-million people may lack water. At least 18 more countries are expected to have severe water problems. The demand for water keeps increasing. Yet the amount of water on Earth stays the same.
Mr. Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than in other parts of the world. He says population growth in these countries will continue to increase.
The report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking waters not safe. Mr. Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases, such as cholera, which are carried in water. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. This is true of Egypt, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. And the report says lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies. This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning.
The Population Action International study gives several solutions to the water problem. One way, it says, is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose. Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water. A third way is to use less water of agriculture.
The report also says long-term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth. It says countries cannot provide clean water unless they slow population growth by limiting the number of children people have. | high3840.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "meet more people and make friends"
},
"options": [
"get more books to read",
"meet more people and make friends",
"buy goods for their daily life",
"post their book recommendations"
],
"question": "People who go... | Many times when people hear the words social networking, their brains automatically go to sites such as Twitter or Facebook. However, there are sites for those into social networking and into reading. Sound crazy?, It's really not. If you've ever wanted a site where you can receive book recommendations,follow your favorite authors,and keep up with what your friends are reading, then look no further than Goodreads. com.
Goodreads provides useful services for those in the reading world. It is a site where you can win books by going to giveaways and simply entering your information. Some giveaways are even signed by the author. And the books aren't boring,old or torn copies ---- many of them are ARC's (Advanced Readers Copies),for which you can write a short review on the site. Anyone can post reviews of their favorite books or series so that others may _ to read them as well.
Another function of the site is offering book clubs and interest groups. You can have interactive discussions with groups of people reading the same things,sort of like a blog. You can also make friends with people and post statuses similar to Facebook. Your friends can send you book recommendations and you can add them to your shelf if you choose.
Shelves are by far one of the best features on the site. You can categorize your entire library and put books you want to read on your"to-read" shelf. These virtual shelves allow you to see what you've read and also let you keep track of the number of books you've read in a year.
You can even read original writing for free because many people post their own writing on the site to gain feedback and advice on how to improve. Anyone can join this site for free and fall in love with not just a book, but a book site as well. | high2586.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Adaptable and sensitive( )"
},
"options": [
"Careful and helpful",
"Creative and patient",
"Adaptable and sensitive( )",
"warm-hearted and easy-going"
],
"question": "Which of the following words can best desc... | Dear Kitty,
Daddy, Mummy and Margot can't get used to the sound of the Westertoren clock, which tells us the time every quarter of an hour. I can. I loved it from the start, and especially in the night it's a faithful friend. I expect you will be interested to "disappear". Well,all I can say is that I don't know myself yet. I don't think I shall ever feel really at home in this house, but that does not mean that I hate it here. It is more like being on vacation in a very strange boarding house. Rather a mad idea, perhaps, but that is how it strikes me. The "Secret Annexe" is a good hiding place. Although it is not dry , you'd never find such a comfortable hiding place anywhere in the whole of Holland. Out little room looked very empty at first with nothing on the walls; but thanks to Daddy who had brought my film-star collection and picture postcard on beforehand, and with the help of paste pot( ) and brush, I have changed the walls into one big picture.
Margot and mummy are a little bit better now. mummy felt well enough to cook some soup for the first time yesterday, but then forgot all about it, while she was downstairs talking .So the peas _ and refused to leave the pan. I went to the private office yesterday evening and turned on the radio. I was so frightened that someone might hear it that I simply begged Daddy to come upstairs with me. Mummy understood how I felt and come too. We are very nervous in other ways, too , that the neighbors might hear us or see something going on. We made curtains straight away on the first day.
Someone is calling me.
Yours,
Anna | high22715.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The life of Dave Thomas."
},
"options": [
"The life of Dave Thomas.",
"The dream of Dave Thomas .",
"The schooling of Dave Thomas.",
"The growth of Dave Thomas's business"
],
"question": "What is the article mai... | Since 1989, Dave Thomas, who died at the age of 69, was one of the most recognizable faces on TV. He appeared in more than 800 commercials for the hamburger chain named for his daughter. "As long as it works", he said in 1991, "I'll continue to do those commercials."
Even though he was successful, Thomas remained troubled by his childhood. "He still won't let anyone see his feet, which are out of shape because he never had proper fitting shoes," Wendy said in 1993. Born to a single mother, he was adopted as a baby by Rex and Auleva Thomas of Kalamazoo in Michigan. After Auleva died when he was 5, Thomas spent years on the road as Rex traveled around seeking construction work. "He fed me," Thomas said, "and if I got out of line, he'd beat me."
Moving out on his own at 15, Thomas worked, first as a waiter, in many restaurants. But he had something much better in mind. "I thought if I owned a restaurant," he said, "I could eat for free." A 1956 meeting with Harland Sanders led Thomas to a career as the manager of a Kentucky Chicken restaurant that made him a millionaire in 1968.
In 1969, after breaking with Sanders, Thomas started the first Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers, in Columbus, Ohio, which set itself apart by serving made-to-order burgers. With 6,000 restaurants worldwide, the chain now makes $ 6 billion a year in sales.
Although troubled by his own experience with adoption, Thomas, married since 1954 to Lorraine, 66, and with four grown kids besides Wendy, felt it could offer a future for other children. He started the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption in 1992.
In 1993, Thomas, who had left school at 15, graduated from Coconut Creek High School in Florida. He even took Lorraine to the graduation dance party. The kids voted him Most Likely to Succeed.
"The Dave you saw on TV was the real Dave," says friend Pat Williams. "He wasn't a great actor or a great speaker . _ ." | high6938.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the beginnings of birthdays"
},
"options": [
"the ways of making cakes",
"the customs of lighting candles",
"the beginnings of birthdays",
"the history of the birthday song"
],
"question": "The text mainly talks... | Many centuries ago, birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits were able to harm you. It was believed that you should have your friends and family around you so that their good wishes and present-giving would keep the bad spirits away. People also believed that, by lighting candles, they were sending a signal or wishes to the gods.
Later on, candles started to be used on birthday cakes. One story about the beginnings of the birthday cake is that it started with the Greeks, who made round cakes standing for the full moon for their moon goddess . They also placed candles on the cake to make it light, again like the moon.
However, the Germans are said to have first used cakes and candles. They used a sweet cake and they put a large candle in the centre of the cake to mean "the light of life".
The "Happy Birthday" song is more than a hundred years old. The music was written in 1893 by two sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill, who were schoolteachers in Louisville, Kentucky. The music was first used as a morning greeting to their students with the title, "Good Morning To All". In 1935, the words legally belonged to the Hill sisters, and the copyright has been bought and sold for millions of dollars ever since. The present copyright is owned by Warner Communications. They bought it in 1989 for more than $22 million. | high8901.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "there was no ice for them to land on"
},
"options": [
"they were too hungry to swim",
"they were not as strong as others",
"there was no ice for them to land on",
"they were seriously hurt when hunting"
],
"ques... | Global warming has a great influence on species all over the world. Polar bears are particularly at risk because their habitat is increasingly threatened by global warming. Lots of scientific research has shown that polar bear numbers are on the decline, and that if action is not taken quickly, polar bears may die out from the Earth.
Pack ice is decreasing globally. In the wild, polar bears spend much of their lives wandering pack ice in search of food. In 2009, several polar bear deaths by drowning were recorded, which had never been heard of before. The polar bears had been trapped on isolated areas of floating ice, and had tried to swim for land. Due to the shrinkage of the ice, the polar bears tired and drowned before reaching the shore, though they are rapid and aggressive swimmers. This problem will only grow as the pack ice shrinks.
The shrinkage of the ice has other consequences for polar bears. They are losing their natural prey , who are also affected by the shrinkage in habitat. Land animals also do not provide the high-fat diet that polar bears need, which will lead to starvation. Starving mothers will not be able to provide their babies with the nutrition they need, which will further contribute to the decline in polar bear numbers.
While searching for food and habitat, polar bears have also fought with humans. With the disappearance of the sea ice, polar bears have begun to show up around inhabited areas looking for food and shelter. But they often end up being killed by hunters because they present a threat to human communities.
The combination a deadly factors brought about by global warming put polar bears at a very high rate of risk. A global effort is needed to act against global warming before it is too late for polar bears, as well as many other species that call Earth home. | high22701.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It draws tasteful responses from others and increases learning speed."
},
"options": [
"It draws tasteful responses from others and increases learning speed.",
"It promotes second language learning and quickens thinking.",
"I... | Frederic Mishkin, who's been a professor at Columbia Business School for almost 30 years, is good at solving problems and expressing ideas. Whether he's standing in front of a lecture hall or engaged in a casual conversation, his hands are always waving and pointing. When he was in graduate school, one of his professors was so annoyed by this constant gesturing that he made the young economist sit on his hands whenever he visited the professor's office.
It turns out, however, that Mishkin's professor had it exactly wrong. Gesture doesn't prevent but promotes clear thought and speech. Research demonstrates that the movements we make with our hands when we talk form a kind of second language, adding information that's absent from our words. It's learning's secret code: Gesture reveals what we know. It reveals what we don't know. What's more, the agreement (or lack of agreement) between what our voices say and how our hands move offers a clue to our readiness to learn.
Many of the studies establishing the importance of gesture to learning have been conducted by Susan Goldin-Meadow, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago. "We change our minds by moving our hands," writes Goldin-Meadow in a review of this work. Particularly significant are what she calls "mismatches" between oral expression and physical gestures. A student might say that a heavier ball falls faster than a light one, for example, but make a gesture indicating that they fall at the same rate, which is correct. Such differences indicate that we're moving from one level of understanding to another. The thoughts expressed by hand motions are often our newest and most advanced ideas about the problem we're working on; we can't yet absorb these concepts into language, but we can capture them in movement.
Goldin-Meadow's more recent work strews not only that gesture shows our readiness to learn, but that it actually helps to bring learning about. It does so in two ways. First, it elicits helpful behavior from others around us. Goldin-Meadow has found that adults respond to children's speech-gesture mismatches by adjusting their way of instruction. Parents and teachers apparently receive the signal that children are ready to learn, and they act on it by offering a greater variety of problem-solving techniques. The act of gesturing itself also seems to quicken learning, bringing new knowledge into consciousness and aiding the understanding of new concepts. A 2007 study by Susan Wagner Cook, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Iowa, reported that third-graders who were asked to gesture while learning algebra were nearly three times more likely to remember what they'd learned than classmates who did not gesture. | high21208.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "afford school education"
},
"options": [
"support his poor family",
"become a famous doctor",
"thank the woman for her kindness",
"afford school education"
],
"question": "The boy sent newspapers door to door in... | One day,a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by sending news-papers door to door,was so hungry that he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.
However, he lost his courage when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly,and then asked, "how much should I pay you?"
"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart." With these words,the boy left that house.
Years later the woman became badly ill and was finally sent to the hospital in a big city. Dr. Howard Kelly,now famous,was called in. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.Dressed in his doctor's clothes,Dr.Kelly went into her room and recognized her at once. From that day on, he gave special attention to her,and de-cided to do his best to save her life.
At last the woman was saved. Dr. Kelly asked the business office to pass the final bill to him. He looked at it and then wrote something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was afraid to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked,and the note on the side of the bill caught her attention. She read these words:
"Paid in full with a glass of milk, Dr. Howard Kelly."
Tears of joy flooded her eyes. | high19797.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To introduce Brighton to the readers."
},
"options": [
"To introduce Brighton to the readers.",
"To attract foreign students to study in Brighton.",
"To show his admiration for the city of Brighton.",
"To list entertain... | Brighton is in the county of East Sussex, on the South coast of England. Situated between the English Channel and the South Downs, Brighton is 90 km from London. Brighton's nearby neighbor, Hove, is seen by some as a more desirable location than Brighton and it is often referred to by locals as "Hove, actually".
Brighton is a small city but there's probably as much going on here as anywhere in the country except London. Brighton has numerous entertainment facilities, which additionally serve a considerable business conference industry. There's a huge range of entertainment venues, including comedy at the Brighton Komedia, world music, opera and ballet at the Brighton Dome, jazz at the Joogleberry, top stars at the Brighton Centre and pre-West End shows at the Theatre Royal. The live music scene is also alive and well with several bands originating from the Brighton area going on to have commercial success in recent years.
Every year in May, Brighton hosts the "Brighton Festival" ------ the largest arts festival in England. Brighton's theatres, concert halls, streets and some of the city's most extraordinary venues host an array of art, entertainment and extravaganza . The earliest feature of the festival, "Open Houses" ------ homes of artists and crafts people, opened up to the public as galleries and usually sell the works of the inhabitants and their friends.
Students at the two universities in the area give the city a youthful vitality , and in the summer, thousands of young students from all over Europe gather in the city to attend language courses. In addition to the usual coastal attractions, vacationers are drawn to the city's Georgian architecture, trendy shops, and fine restaurants. Points of interest also include the Edwardian Preston Manor, the ornate Royal Pavilion, the engaging Sea Life Center, and a variety of museums and art galleries. | high3854.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "online services"
},
"options": [
"online services",
"the mobile phone",
"technology advances",
"the screen size"
],
"question": "Nowadays the majority of films made for mobiles are short in length because of _ ... | *Putting Movies on Mobile
Movies in the theater get their recognition at awards ceremonies such as the Oscars.But how about movies for phones? They are getting their turn at MoFilm --the first mobile film festival.
The first MoFilm competition, received 250 entries from more than 100 countries.Entries were restricted to films that were five minutes or less in length-ideal for viewing and sharing on mobile phones.An independent jury then selected a shortlist of five film-makers.The winner was chosen from the shortlist by an audience voting using their phones.
*New Platforms
The awards highlight the increasing impact that mobile phones are making in the entertainment industry.Many grassroots filmmakers start out with short films.They are _ by the lack of opportunities to screen their work.Therefore, mobile phones are increasingly being seen as a new platform for these short works.
It is a good place for anyone who wants to express themselves and find a way to have that expression seen by a wide audience.Just think about how many people have mobile phones in the world!
*New Technology Advances
MoFilm is pioneering content for mobile and online services that is a world away from Hollywood.The majority of films made for mobiles are now short in length, taking into account the screen size.However this could be overcome as technology advances.
In the near future, longer films will likely be seen on the mobile phone.And there are mobile companies creating phones where users can watch movies at higher quality.
Wherever you see movies, one thing is certain: the qualify of work, the simple ability at story telling, and the thing that inspires someone to tell a story can really come from anywhere. | high20116.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "11"
},
"options": [
"18",
"12",
"13",
"11"
],
"question": "How old were they when they didn't speak to each other?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Elizabeth and I are 18 now, and about to graduate. I think about our elementary-school friendship, but some memories have blurred .What happened that day in the fifth grade when Beth suddenly stopped speaking to me? Does she know that I've been thinking about her for seven years? If only we could go back, discover what ended our relationship.
I have to speak with Beth. I see her sometimes, and find out school is "fine". It's not the same. It never will be. Someone says that she's Liz now. What happened to Beth?
I can't call her. Should I write? What if she doesn't answer me? How will I know what she's thinking? Yes, I'll write her a letter. These things are easier to express in writing. " Dear Be,"no, "Dear Li," no, "Dear Elizabeth," I begin. The words flow freely, as seven-year old memories are reborn. I ask her all the questions that have been left unanswered in my mind, and pray she will answer. I seal my thoughts in the perfect white envelope, and imagine Beth looking into her mailbox. Will she know why I'm writing? Maybe she once thought of writing the same letter.
As the mailman takes my envelope from me forever, I wonder if I've made the right decision. Do I have the right to force myself into Beth's life again? Am I simply part of the past? I have taken the first step. Beth has control of the situation now.
One day has passed. Are my words lying on the bottom of the post office floor?
Two days are gone. I'm lost in thought and don't even hear the phone ring.
"Hello? It's Elizabeth." | high18489.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "using its search engine"
},
"options": [
"using their computers",
"installing the Internet",
"using its search engine",
"connecting their computer to another one"
],
"question": "According to the passage, Google... | When people search online, they leave a trail that remains stored on the central computers of firms such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. Analyzing what we're looking for on the Web can offer a remarkable understanding of our anxieties and enthusiasms.
UK writer John Battelle wrote on his blog, "This can tell us extraordinary things about who we are and what we want as a culture."
Google's experimental service Google Trends, for example, compares the numbers of people searching for different words and phrases from 2004 to the present.
According to these graphs, sometimes people's interests are driven obviously by the latest news: when the Spice Girls, a pop group, announce a reunion, there's an immediate rush to find out more about them. Other results are strikingly seasonal: people go shopping online for coats in winter and sandals in summer.
The most fascinating possibility is that search data might help predict behavior. Perhaps we search for a political candidate's name when we are thinking about voting for him or her. This information could clearly be useful to a marketer - it's already how Google decides which ads to show on its search results pages - or to a political campaign manager.
Marissa Mayer, a Google vice-president, argues that Google Trends correctly "predicted" George Bush's victory over John Kerry in the 2004 election. The graph clearly shows that Bush continued his lead over Kerry, in terms of search volumes, even when polls suggested _ . However, that's not always the case. For instance, the same approach predicted Hillary Clinton would beat Barack Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 turned out to be wrong in the end. | high20670.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Sagrada Familia"
},
"options": [
"Sagrada Familia",
"La Pedrera",
"Barcelona FC Museum",
"Picasso Museum"
],
"question": "Which of the following attractions is the most popular with people?",
"question_type"... | Sagrada Familia ( 2,056,448 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00--18:00 (October--March); 09:00--20:00 (April--September)
Admission: $ 11, or $ 10 with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled Access: Yes.
The temple have been under construction since 1882 and they've still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it will be finished. The project's vast scale and its special design have made it one of Barcelona's top tourist attractions for many years.
La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year)
Opening hours: November--February: 09:00--18:30; March--October: 09:00--20:00
Admission: $ 9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled Access: No.
This building used to be called Casa Mila but nowadays it's more commonly known as La Pedrera. It is a unique modernist building in Barcelona and was made of bricks and had colorful tiles . It was built between 1906 and 1912 by famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852--1926) and in 1984 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site with other Gaudi buildings in Barcelona. Visitors to La Pedrera can see the amazing 800 square meters attic with 270 brick arches that give you a feeling that you are walking inside the skeleton of a whale. The roof is equally impressive and is preserved exactly the way that it was built in 1912 with six staircases and seven chimneys each made in a unique style.
Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year)
Opening hours: 6thApril--4thOctober: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00--20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00--18:30
Admission: $ 8.50 for entry to the museum and $ 17 for a guided tour.
Disabled Access: Yes.
When you buy your ticket you have two options. You can buy a ticket for the museum to see the football stadium or you can buy a dual ticket for $ 15 where you get to see the museum and the scenes at the club.
Miro Museum (518,869 visits/year)
Opening hours: Check the web site for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.
Admission: $ 8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled Access: Yes.
This museum has a wide range of Miro's work dating back as far as 1914. This artwork collection not only includes his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures .
L'Aquarium de Barcelona (1,375,271 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00--19:00 (October--March); 09:00--20:00 (April--September)
Admission: $ 7. Save 10 % on the entrance fee to the aquarium with the Barcelona Card.
Barcelona Aquarium is a popular Barcelona attraction to take the kids and young ones. I have to admit I love the aquarium.
Picasso Museum (887,958 visits/year)
Opening hours: Check the website for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.
Admission: $ 9 for main exhibition--extra for special showings. Save 50% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled Access: Yes. The museum has arranged Picasso's paintings in chronological order from his early days to his final works. Arranging the paintings in this way gives you a fascinating insight into the development of Picasso thinking over time and shows how he developed the distinctive designs that he is famous for today. Very popular art gallery. | high4685.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the 200m at the 1960 US Championships"
},
"options": [
"the 4x100m relay at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics",
"the semifinals of the 100m at the Rome Olympics",
"the 200m at the 1960 US Championships",
"the final of the 100... | Wilma was born on June 23, 1940 in St Bethlehem, Tennesse. By the time she was 6, Wilma Rudolph was given metal braces to aid her in walking. She started receiving treatment with help from her family. A few years later, she walked without any assistance into the church.
When she was in junior high, she joined the basketball team. She finally made an appeal to compete in games again and when her wish was finally permitted, she amazed everyone by leading the team to an undefeated season and the state championships. Though they lost the championship title in the end, Wilma Rudolph earned the attention of the women's track coach,Ed Template at Tennessee State University and was invited to join the "Tigerbelles".Her efforts paid off as she turned out to be so good that the Tigerbelles invited her to join them in the national Olympic team trails. Not only did she make it into the team, but she won a bronze medal in the 4x100 m relay at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Four years later, Rudolph set a world 200 m record (22.9 seconds) at the 1960 US Championships. At the Rome Olympics in 1960, she competed in the 100 m, 200 m and 4x100 m relay, and equaled the world record of 11.3 seconds in the semifinals of the 100 m. She won the final by three metres in 11.0 seconds, but it was not accepted as a world record.
Wilma Rudolph's extraordinary achievements in Rome made her a darling of the European press who gave her the nickname "The Black Gazelle " and "The Black Pearl". She also became the first woman in American history to win 3 gold medals in the Olympics and was crowned "the Fastest Woman in the World", Wilma Rudolph's spirit inspired people such as Jackie Joyner Kersee and Florence Griffith Joyner who became the next woman to win 3 gold medals. | high1925.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He based his theory on his studies there."
},
"options": [
"He based his theory on his studies there.",
"He built the Charles Darwin research center there.",
"He advocated the balance between ecology and people there.",
... | Spanish explorers called them Las Encantadas, the Enchanted Isles, and Charles Darwin used his studies of the islands as the foundation for his theory of natural selection. The Galapagos are among the world's most important scientific treasures, a group of volcanic islands surrounded by deserted beaches and inhabited by unique varieties of giant tortoise, lizards, and birds.
Yet life on this United Nations world heritage site has turned sour. Battles have broken out between fishermen and conservationists. Ecuador, which owns the islands, has sent a naval patrol to put down disturbances.
The controversial director of the Galapagos National Park--which controls 97 percent of Galapagos land and the reserve extending to 40 miles offshore--has been fired, while an air of uneasy tension hangs over the islands, as the islanders prepare for election when they pick their representatives in Ecuador's national assembly.
"It's a very tense situation," said Leonor Stjepic, director of the London-based Galapagos Conservation Trust, which raises money to help projects on the islands. "We are watching it with concern."
The violence has been triggered by an alarming growth in the islands' population. Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz island, housed just 45 inhabitants in the 50s. Today there are more than 10,000, while the islands' total population is more than 19,000 and growing by 6 percent a year, despite recently introduced a law to limit waves of immigrants fleeing the poor areas of Ecuador for a life "in paradise ". On top of _ , more than 100,000 tourists visit the islands every year.
Such numbers have put the islands, special ecology under intense pressure. Conservationists backed by the Ecuador government, have replied by exercising strict controls to protect the islands* iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and giant tortoises.
These moves have angered many local people, however. They want to exploit the islands' waters and catch its protected species of sharks, lobsters and sea cucumbers, which can fetch high prices in Japan and South Korea.
Angry fishermen surrounded the Charles Darwin research station on Santa Cruz last February, threatened to kill Lonesome George--the last surviving member of the Pinta Island species of the Galapagos giant tortoise.
The situation got improved after the Ecuador government made concessions by increasing fishing quotas , which angered conservationists. "It is tragic, the short-term gain of a few fishermen versus the long-term survival of the Galapagos," said John McCosker of the California Academy of Sciences. "They are killing the golden goose."
Then, the Ecuador government appointed Fausto Cepeda as the national park's new director, a post that has become a political football for the mainland government. There have been nine directors in the past 18 months.
This appointment was particularly controversial, however. Cepeda was known to have close ties with the fishing industry, and the rangers ,who run the national park and reserve, rebelled.
More than 300 staged a sit-in at the park's headquarters and prevented Cepeda from taking up his post. A battle broke out, and at least two people suffered serious injuries. Eventually, Cepeda--with the fishermen's help- entered the park. "I am in office, i am in control. And I am trying to lower the tension," he announced.
The Ecuador government _ , and sent a patrol boat to maintain the peace. A few days later, Ecuador Environment Minister Fabian Valdivicso met representatives of rangers. After discussions, he told newspapers that he had decided to remove Cepeda from the post.
However, as the population continues to rise, the long-term pressures on the islands are serious and will not disappear that easily.
"We have to balance its special environment with the needs of local people. In that sense, it is a microcosm for all the other threatened parts of the world. So getting it right here is going to be a very, very important trick to pull off," said Stjepic. | high6092.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "quite reasonable"
},
"options": [
"unbelievable",
"quite reasonable",
"silly",
"unrelated to his bad driving"
],
"question": "Alan's mother's worries were _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | Alan Tong was the worst driver in town. He had an accident of some kind almost every week.
Alan lived with his mother. His mother was always worried about him. Every day she worried that police would turn up to arrest him. This wasn't a foolish worry because they usually called on the Tong household about once a week to deliver a speeding ticket or to serve him notice to appear in court.
Most of his accidents were caused by his carelessness. He drove through red lights. He turned right without signaling. He drove at night without proper lights. He overtook other cars on hills and sharp curve. In short there wasn't a traffic regulation Alan had not broken, and he had had so many accidents that it was a miracle he was still alive. But luckily for Alan, he had never hurt anyone in his accidents or even gone to the hospital.
Although Alan wasn't popular with the police, he was very popular with his lawyer. Alan's lawyer, Mr.Tsui, had earned a lot of money from Alan's cases and always rubbed his hands expectantly when he saw Alan coming into his office.
One day Alan was working in the garage spraying painting his car when his mother walked in. "What are you doing?" his mother asked.
"Painting my car," Alan replied.
"I can see that," his mother said, "but why are you painting one side of the car red and the other side blue?" "Because every time I have to go to court for a traffic offense, there are always two witnesses . "What color1 was the car?" the prosecutor always asks, and the two witnesses always give the same answer. Well, in the future, one witness will say it was blue. Mr. Tsui will then say to the judge, "Your honor, the witnesses cannot even agree on the color1 of the car involved in the accident." And the judge will have to dismiss the case against me. | high23379.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She plays basketball again about 50 years later."
},
"options": [
"She thinks playing basketball isn't ladylike.",
"She is now 62 years old and feels discouraged.",
"She plays basketball again about 50 years later.",
"S... | Playing basketball isn't ladylike. That's what Jewell Chapman's high school headmaster told her in 1961 when he was against the girls' basketball program.
"We were very discouraged, " said Chapman, a forward for her high school team of Des Moines.
Nearly 50 years later, Chapman is back on the playground. She's 62 and plays for "Hot Pink Grannies", joining about 10 other women on a team whose uniforms are black trousers and hot pink socks. They play in the Iowa Granny Basketball League.
It's one of dozens of basketball leagues for women over 50 that have arisen across the country. For some, it's a chance to exercise and meet people; for others, _
"You see more and more elderly women's teams taking part in state and national competitions," said Michael Rogers, a professor in sports studies at Wichita State University. "In the future it will be something common to have leagues like this."
Yearly surveys by the National Sporting Goods Association show the number of women aged 55 and older who play basketball at least 50 times a year has grown from 16,000 in 1995 to nearly 131,000 ten years later.
The women on the Hot Pink Grannies are good - natured but competitive when game time comes.
"I think I'm tough" says Colleen Pulliam, 69, showing off her strong arms at her challengers in a game against "Strutters", known for their bright yellow socks.
Granny Basketball Leagues and similar groups spread quickly through much of the country, including California, Louisiana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. | high4875.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Richness of one's mind."
},
"options": [
"Richness of one's mind.",
"Looks.",
"Following the fashion.",
"Wealth."
],
"question": "Which is more important to a woman in the author's opinion?",
"question_type"... | It seems that beauty and women are twins.You are joking? No,I do not.Observe for yourself Ads on fashion TV screens,radio programs,magazines,newspapers,and the streets.Whether they have realized it or not, women are surrounded by a sea of fashion.They are taught to think that without beautiful clothes they will grow old and lose their charm.So who dares to neglect dressing up at the cost of their appearance and youth?
But I do not agree with the opinion that women have to show their beauty through their looks.The richness of their minds proves to be more beautiful and attractive than their looks.A woman who has experienced many troubles and may be called "aunt" or "granny" can still keep up her beauty if she has such excellent qualities as knowledge,ability,a kind heart,great courage,concern for others,etc.
In addition,old and young,beautiful and ugly are concept.People who keep a young mind will never feel old.Interested in new things and eager to learn more,they keep up with the tide.Plainly dressed women may have a type of beauty that is pure and real.Reading and learning is the best way to keep one youthful.Good books ale rich soil which can feed the flower of one's heart and looks. | high20658.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "you can go there on the afternoon of Friday"
},
"options": [
"you must be a student from Delta College",
"you can go there on the afternoon of Friday",
"you should live near the Pacific Avenue",
"you must give a perform... | Delta College starts Street Fair
San Joaquin Delta College will introduce its new Summer Street Fair, which runs from noon to 8 p. m every Friday stating this week through Aug. 9 in Delta's L-l parking lot near Pacific Avenue and March Lane. The fair goes with Delta's weekend flea market.
This week's featured performers are guitarist Travis Matsumoto from noon to 3 p.m., and Julio and his Jazz Trio from 3 to 6 p.m.
Lode Farmers Market opens
The Angels Camp Certified Farmers Market begins its yearly run from 5 p.m. to dusk this Friday in Utica Park in downtown Angels Camp. Opening night will feature wine tasting from award-winning Four Winds Cellars, and live music by guitarist Nicholas Leffler. Visitors will find fresh, locally grown produce and specialty foods. There will also be barbecue and California-
Mexican fusion cuisine.
Join River Rafting for a good cause
Whitewater enthusiasts can participate in Mokelumne Rive, Rafting Adventures on June 16 in Mokelumne Hill. Local outfitter O.A.R.S. is donating its services to help with the event. Departures are at 8 a.m., noon, or 4 p.m. The trip should last about three hours.
The trip is appropriate for those 7 and older, and the ability to swim is not required. The cost is $ 70 per person.
Films center on paddling water
The festival is an annual contest that awards winning films that focus on paddling in rivers, lakes and oceans in a variety of locales. Tickets to the film festival are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, and are also available online at
ticketriver.com/event/7002-reel-paddling-film-festival.
The evening also includes a drawing. Prizes include whitewater trips on the South Fork of the American River. | high10943.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to indicate the relation between swearing and pain tolerance."
},
"options": [
"to encourage people to swear when they feel pain.",
"to explain the benefits of swearing.",
"to indicate the relation between swearing and pain t... | Swearing can provide effective relief from pain - but not if you swear all the time, researchers have found.
A study found releasing the strange expletive (=swearing) helped people cope with discomfort in the short-term but the frequency of swearing played an important role.
Researchers at Keele University's School of Psychology employed 71 undergraduates who were asked to carry out a cold-water challenge while either repeating a swear word or a non-swear word.
The students put their hand in room temperature water for three minutes to act as a control before diving it into cold 5degC water for as long as they could while repeating their word.
The level of sensed pain together with a change in heart rate were compared while people swore or said their non-swear word.
The group was also asked about how much they swore in daily life and this was analyzed together with their level of pain tolerance.
Writing in the Journal of Pain, the authors concluded: "Swearing increased pain tolerance and heart rate compared with not swearing."
"Moreover, the higher the daily swearing frequency, the less was the benefit for pain tolerance when swearing, compared with when not swearing."
Dr Richard Stephens, a senior lecturer in psychology at Keele, said: "Swearing is a very emotive form of language and our findings suggest that using swear words moderation (, ) can be an effective and readily available short-term pain reliever."
"However, if you're used to swearing all the time, our research suggests you won't get the same effect." | high21546.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "natural"
},
"options": [
"valuable",
"natural",
"unusual",
"bearable"
],
"question": "According to the passage,Miss Advice thinks David's self-doubt is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Dear David,
I'm glad you would like to share your feelings with me.It's hardly surprising that your feelings of not being "grown up" have come on strongly at this point in your life,just before you're about to become a father.You are asking:will I make a good father?How will I cope?
Should I have brought another little person into the world? Can l provide for it? Help! I think nearly every sensitive about-to-be-parent must have these occasional feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy before the birth and it would be most unusual if you didn't share them.It's difficult,honestly,to feel grown-up unless you have something less grown-up to relate to.
The boss with a hen-pecking wife may feel like a seven-year-old when he's at home.But as he walks through the office door,and knows he's going to be surrounded by staff looking to him for Advice,he grows into a fully mature man.And I think it's a mistake to imagine that we all feel,as we age,a kind of progression of states,from the baby to the adult.Most people feel,on Tuesday,about three years old,and on a Wednesday,around 80.
There's a common remark that "all men are little boys",but it's not true.It's more true that men often behave like little boys.But nearly all people,at some moments in their lives,are capable of groat maturity.
Once your baby arrives,you'll soon feel less childlike,or rather,less often.When your child tries to put its fingers into the electric plug,the adult in you will rise up to prevent it.You'll see
you have very little in common with a needy child,particularly if it's looking to you for comfort and support.
Comfort yourself,David,with two truths.One is that your friends laugh when they talk about this subject because they,like you,feel frightened.And remember that people who haven't grown up don't go around talking about the fact that they don't feel grown-up.
Hope my advice will be helpful and good luck to you and your little one.
Yours sincerely
Miss Advice | high11485.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "curious"
},
"options": [
"curious",
"confused",
"upset",
"indifferent"
],
"question": "The author was _ , when he first caught sight of the old couple in the restaurant.",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | It had been a very disheartening day. The doctors had given us the worst of news. Our daughter, who had just completed her first brain surgery to remove a tumor and was going through radiation treatment, was now officially given a two percent chance of survival as this type of cancer had no cure.
My wife and I decided to take our daughter to lunch before continuing our afternoon conversation. We went to a local restaurant where we sat in silence waiting for the waitress. I noticed a very elderly couple sitting a few booths away, who were also in silence and did not speak a word. I couldn't help but wonder what challenges they had faced in their life and if they ever faced such terrible news about a child of theirs.
We eventually ordered our lunch and still sitting in silence we ate what we could. At some point I became intrigued by the old couple. I thought to myself that they hadn't yet spoken to each other and I wondered if it was the peace they were enjoying or the food or maybe both. However, at some point I lost interest and put my focus back on my lunch.
Molly was still talking away and enjoying her meal. Her mom and I both listened and tried to be happy in her presence but it wasn't going very well. All of a sudden I saw a hand come out of nowhere. It was huge and I could tell that it had been afflicted with arthritis . I couldn't take my eyes off that hand. It landed on my daughter's tiny six-year-old hand and as it did I looked up; it was the old woman who had been sitting with the old man in silence eating their lunch.
I looked into her eyes and she spoke, but not to me. She looked at my daughter and simply whispered, "If I could do more for you I would..." and then she smiled and moved away to join her husband, who had moved towards the door.
"Look, a whole dollar," Molly spoke with excitement as she discovered a crumpled one dollar bill left behind by the old lady. I looked up to thank her, but she was gone. I sat stunned, not sure what had just happened and then I looked over at my wife. In almost unison, we broke out into a smile. The sadness of the day had been wiped out by the crippled hand and generous touch of the old lady. The dollar, although exciting to Molly, was not what made us smile; it was the offer from the old lady, who felt our suffering. The crippled hand symbolized a healing touch and made us realize that we did not have to fight this battle alone. | high20880.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "think the drawings will not disappear"
},
"options": [
"do not believe the drawings are old.",
"believe they are allowed to paint there",
"think the drawings should be left alone",
"think the drawings will not disappear... | Tens of thousands of ancient pictures carved into the rocks at one of France's most important tourist sites are being gradually destroyed. Scientists and researchers fear that the 36,000 drawings on rocks in Mont Bego in the French Alps are being damaged so rapidly that they will not survive for future generations.
The mountain, believed to have once been a site for prayer, is scattered with 4,000-year-old drawings cut into bare rock. They include pictures of cows with horns, cultivated fields and various gods and goddesses. But as the popularity of the site increases, the pictures are being ruined by thoughtless graffiti .
Jean Clottes is the chairman of the International Committee on Rock Art. He says, "People think that because the pictures have been there so long they will always continue to be there. But if the damage continues at this rate there will be nothing left in 50 years."
He describes seeing tourists stamping on the drawings, wearing away the rock and definition of the artwork as they do so. Some visitors, he says, even cut off parts to take home as souvenirs. "When people think they can't take a good enough photograph, they rub the drawings to get a clearer picture," he said. "The drawings are polished by the weather, and if the sun is shining and the visitors can't see them properly they simply rub them to make them look fresher." Other researchers describe how people arrive carrying long sticks with sharp ends to scratch their own drawings, or even their names, in the rocks.
But experts are divided over the best way to preserve the drawings. Henry de Lumley, director of the Museum of Natural History in Paris, believes that the only way to save the site is to turn the whole mountain into a "no-go" area, preventing the public from going there except on guided tours. Otherwise, he says, not only will the site be completely destroyed but important research work will be reduced.
Clottes disagrees, "The measure suggested by Henry de Lumley is the most severe, and while it is the most effective, it is also certain to bring about protests from people who live there," he said. "The site was classified as a historic monument years ago by the Ministry of Culture, and we must do as much as possible to save what is there."
David Lavergne, the regional architect, also wants to avoid closing the site. "Henry de Lumley's idea isn't ideal," he said. "Our department feels that the best solution is to let people look at the site, but because the area is very big it is difficult to prevent visitors from damaging it. I would prefer that everyone was able to look at it, but the main problem is money. We do not have the funds to employ the necessary number of guards. We may have to consider charging a fee. It doesn't seem to be possible to get the government support."
In Nice, Annie Echassoux, who also worked on researching the site, is alarmed that as the mountain becomes easier to reach -- tourists can now avoid the three-and-a-half-hour walk by hiring vehicles -- the damage will increase rapidly. She thinks that the only solution is to rope off the area and provide guides. "You can't say the plan can't go ahead because there is no money," she said. "That is not good enough. Money must be provided because the Ministry of Culture has classified this area as a historic site. If we don't take steps, we will be responsible for losing the drawings for the next generation." | high8097.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "its influence on the developed world whose workforce is ageing"
},
"options": [
"a decrease in the number of 20 to 29 year-olds",
"a loss of knowledge and experience to many companies",
"a continuous increase in the number of... | Last month the first baby-boomers turned 60. The enormous generation born between 1946 and 1964 is heading towards retirement. The coming "demographic cliff" will see vast numbers of skilled workers disappear from the labor force.
The workforce is ageing across the rich world. Within the EU the number of workers aged between 50 and 64 will increase by 25% over the next two decades, while those aged 20 -29 will decrease by 20%.
Given that most societies have a tendency to retirement at around 65, companies have a problem of knowledge management, of making sure that the boomers do not leave before they have handed over their expertise along with the office keys and their e-mail address.
If you look hard enough, you can find companies that have begun to adapt the workplace to older workers. The tools they use to achieve are flexible working, telecommuting, and so forth. Some companies spend "a lot of time" on the ergonomics its factories, making jobs there less tiring.
Likewise, for more than a decade, prefix = st1 /Toyota, has been unusually keen to employ older workers. IBM uses its alumni network to recruit retired people for particular projects. But such examples are unusual. A survey in America last month by Ernst & Young found that "although America foresees a significant workforce shortage as boomers retire, it is not dealing with the issue . "
Why are firms not working harder to keep old employees? Mostly they are not hanging on to older workers the only way to cope with a falling supply of labor. The participation of developing countries in the world economy has increased the overall supply--whatever the local effect of demographics in the rich countries. | high23351.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he had to have a medical check-up."
},
"options": [
"he wanted to consult about his illness.",
"he had to have a medical check-up.",
"he did not want to join the army.",
"he did not feel well."
],
"question": "T... | A young man was going to join the army and had to take a medical examination. The doctor was sitting at a desk when he went in. He said to the man. "Take your coat and shirt off, and sit on the chair." The young man did so. The doctor looked at him for a moment without getting up from his chair and then said, "All right. Put on your clothes again." "But you haven't examined me at all!" the young man said in surprise. "There is no need to do so," the doctor said with a smile. "When I told you to take your coat and shirt off, you heard me all right, so there is nothing wrong with your ears. You saw the chair, so your eyes are good. You could take your clothes off and sit on the chair, so you must be in good health. And you understand what I told you to do and did it without a mistake, so you must be clever enough for the army." | high9389.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to introduce a research about the anxious test-takers"
},
"options": [
"to build the confidence of the highly anxious test-takers",
"to introduce a research about the anxious test-takers",
"to improve the performance of the t... | Some students get so nervous before a test, they do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock, a psychology professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois, has studied these highly anxious test-takers.
Sian Beilock says: "They start worrying about the consequences. They might even start worrying about whether this exam is going to prevent them from getting into the college they want. And when they worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources. I talk about _ as their cognitive horsepower that they could otherwise be using to focus on the exam."
Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test. The researchers tested the idea on a group of 20 anxious college students. They gave them two short math tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test. The researchers added to the pressure. They told the students that those who did well on the second test would get money. They also told them that their performance would affect other students as part of a team effort.
Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored an average of 12 percent worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved their performance by an average of five percent.
Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated to the test.
Professor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B-for those who did not.
The research shows that for students who are highly test-anxious, who'd done the writing intervention , all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and performance. Those students most likely to worry were performing just as well as their classmates who don't normally get nervous in these testing situations.
But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam or presentation? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance. | high241.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "knew little about sales skills"
},
"options": [
"was good at sales techniques",
"was too young to do it",
"was believed in by his boss",
"knew little about sales skills"
],
"question": "When Terry was offered th... | Allow me to introduce you to Terry, a window salesman from England. If I could take you back about 20 years, you'd know Terry as a complete green hand, who was wet behind the ears in just about everything he attempted. _ You know, the kind who could sell snow to Eskimos.
Terry's boss decided to send him out on a practical field trip on his first day. So off he went, but he was extremely nervous. With his hands and his knees shaking, he approached the front door and knocked at is. And old woman appeared. After dozens of cups of tea and pieces of biscuits, the woman signed a contract and purchased over $7,000 worth of windows.
The woman had already talked with 6 excellent salesmen that week, all of whom offered her cheaper ones! That's right---Terry's price was the most expensive and he was also the most inexperienced salesman there ever was.
So, what happened then? Here comes the secret. The woman said she liked the young lad more than the others. That's all there was to it. She didn't care about the extra expense. Even the other salesmen couldn't persuade her to pay less than this young lad was asking for.
The truth is that the young lad left on the woman the first impression that shone brighter than any of the salesman's talk. First impressions count, not the sales techniques, not the low prices. The actual "personality" the kid honestly gave was all that was required. If you market your own products and services, consider what impression you are giving to others. If you appeal to them, then you've already done half of the work. If this means redesigning your presentation, then so be it. If this means going out of your way to be polite, helpful and giving the best possible shopping experience to your customers, the so be it. | high13292.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To provide information about the artist's life and work."
},
"options": [
"To collect the artworks of Van Gogh.",
"To recall people's memory of Van Gogh.",
"To collect experts' opinions on Van Gogh.",
"To provide inform... | Welcome to the Van Gogh Gallery for information about the life and work of Vincent van Gogh. As a post impressionist painter and one of the most famous artists of all time, Vincent van Gogh has become a model. From growing up in Holland and working as a pastor , moving to France and creating an unbelievable collection of artwork, this site takes an in-depth look at Van Gogh's life , his work and the influence he has had on our culture.
Van Gogh had many influences on his life including his family and friends, other artists such as Edgar Degas, and his health. To see how each of these affected his life please visit the Important Figures, Artistic Influences and Health sections. For information about how Van Gogh's art has influenced our society today, view the Impact on Art, Cultural References, or News section.
If you are interested in adding more Van Gogh to your life, the Van Gogh Gallery has plenty to offer. Download Van Gogh images of some of his most famous paintings as wallpaper for your computer, shop for Van Gogh posters or prints, or check out some of the additional resources available including links to Van Gogh museums and shows. There are even lesson plans from multidiscipline areas for those interested in educating others about Van Gogh's art and life.
Van Gogh has influenced generations of young artists worldwide since his time. Today we can see his influence in painting, in poetry and in video. We are happy to display new examples of art that were influenced by Van Gogh in our Van Gogh Community Art section.
Tragically, Van Gogh died not knowing the praise his art would receive. He will be forever known as one of the greatest artists of the modern era. Through this website, the Van Gogh Gallery aims to share his life and heritage with the world. | high8929.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the noise reminds the author of the coming of weekend"
},
"options": [
"the noise lasts too long",
"the noise is not too loud",
"the noise reminds the author of the coming of weekend",
"the author often ignores it when ... | Every Friday we have a fire alarm test at nine o'clock sharp, and even though the sound is very noisy, I am so happy because when I heard that it reminded me today is Friday and tomorrow is weekend, it is the last working day of the week and I have two days off, it's so excited!Sometimes we have a fire drill, when you hear the fire alarm, everybody have to run out through the fire exit.
One Monday at nine o'clock, the alarm was sounded and I was working behind the fish house and didn't hear it. The department manager and staff were looking for me thoroughly, finally they found me and asked me to stop my job and follow them went out.
"I am busy, No problem! You leave, I work." I said.
"No, this is the law, everybody has to leave." The manager said.
I understood that if I insisted not to leave, they must carry me out. I went out with them together finally, no choice.
One afternoon, when I was working outside, the fire alarm cropped up sounding wildly, nobody knew what's happening, some were standing and looking around, some were asking questions, some were running, I knew this wasn't a test or drill, must be a real one. At that moment, one lady called me from a distance:"Jinglebell: leave your job, go out quickly."I joined the crowded flow of customers and staff going out. I asked somebody what's happened? And they told me this is a real one as there was some smoke on the shop floor.Finally I found out, actually there was no problem, that it was an electrician who used the equipment for the carpet and made a little smoke.
After that I asked somebody how to deal with the customer's food in the restaurant in that case, because they went out to leave because of the fire, but hadn't finished their food. They told me that the customers who had bought food or drinks there could get a new one.
I don't understand, if in China, under that situation, everybody must carry a bucket or some other water containers to the fire spot, to fight the flames.
I agree with the English emphasis the human right, but maybe a very small problem could become a big problem while everybody had withdrawn from the shop, because the fire fighters could not come at once.
I was just thinking. | high527.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it's important to dry our hands properly after washing"
},
"options": [
"why washing our hands is important",
"what pose we should hold when washing our hands",
"it's important to dry our hands properly after washing",
... | Not drying your hands thoroughly after washing them could increase the spread of bacteria, and rubbing your hands while using a traditional hand dryer could be a contributing factor, according to new research.
The research looked at different methods of hand drying, and their effects on transfer of bacteria from the hands to other surfaces. The different methods included paper towels, traditional hand dryer, and a new model of hand dryer, which rapidly blows water from the hands.
Our bodies naturally have bacteria all over them. However, bacteria from other sources, such as raw meat, can also survive on hands. They can be easily transferred to other surfaces, increasing the risk of cross-contamination . When the hands are washed, the number of the bacteria on the surface of the skin decreases, but they are not necessarily _ . If the hands are still damp then these bacteria are more readily transferred to other surfaces.
The researchers quantified the effects of hand drying by measuring the number of bacteria on the hands before and after different drying methods. Volunteers were asked to wash their hands and palce them onto contact plates, which were then incubated to measure bacteria growth.
The volunteers were then asked to dry their hands using either hand towels or one of the two hand dryers, with or without rubbing their hands together, and levels of bacteria were re-measured.
The researchers found that rubbing the hands together while using traditional hand dryers could cancel out the reduction in bacteria numbers following hand washing. When hands are rubbed together during drying, bacteria that live within the skin can be brought to the surface and transferred to other surfaces, along with surface bacteria that were not removed by hand washing.
A resaecher says, "Good hand hygiene should include drying your hands thoroughly and not just washing . The best method of drying your hands id using paper towels or using a hand dryer which doesn't require you to rub your hands together." | high22729.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "How animals communicate with each other."
},
"options": [
"What messages animals can convey.",
"Why life is easier for human beings.",
"Why man is the most intelligent animal.",
"How animals communicate with each other.... | Man is the most intelligent animal created by God because God has given him language which other animals do not have. Communication makes life extremely convenient and easy. Language plays a very important role in life as any emotion can be easily and effectively conveyed through language to anyone. But all this is applicable and beneficial only to human beings. What about animals? How do they communicate with each other?
We all know that animals do not have the ability to use language as a medium for communication. But they do have other means of conveying messages to other animals, of which use of body language is the most important one. The messages can be of many types like conveying food location, danger alarms, appreciation of good deeds like helping other animals in dangerous situations, etc. There are two main types of communication in animals: verbal communication and non-verbal communication.
Sound is one of the most common types of verbal communication in animals, and majority of the species use it as the medium to convey messages. Bats have to rely on sound waves to communicate. They mostly rest in the morning and become active at night to search for food and do other tasks. All the birds communicate through their chirping. Mammals generally make use of sounds to give calls to other members of their community. Whales are the perfect examples, which use sound waves for communication. They have a whale song, which they repeat after regular intervals.
Facial Expressions
This kind of communication is mostly found in dogs. When they are angry, they show their teeth and raise their ears. On the other hand, when they are frightened, they pull their ears behind and open their mouth. Also, in birds, when the parent bird brings food for the offspring, the begging expression can be observed on the offspring's face.
Gestures and Body Movements
This type of communication is common not only in animals, but in human beings too. All human beings, although they use language for communication, tend to use gestures and body movements as well while communicating. Honey bees are the most enthusiastic creatures on earth because they dance to communicate. Some bees dance in the hive so that other bees get signals of the location of the honey comb. A deer waves its tail to warn others of coming danger. | high6904.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In a newspaper ad. column."
},
"options": [
"On an online-shopping website.",
"In a newspaper ad. column.",
"In an education magazine.",
"In a bookstore window."
],
"question": "Where would we most probably see ... | We are an established company located in Morrisville in eastern NC. The job offers excellent pay and benefits. Free medical insurance after 1 year and two weeks of paid vacation. Most of the work is in the afternoon but must be flexible . No weekends, 401K competitive salary.
You are required to possess all the paperwork necessary to work legally in the US. You must also have a current Drivers License . Looking for people with a good work ethic that are responsible and punctual. Fax: 9194620935. Tel: 9193880930
DOCTORS AND MEDICAL OFFICERS WANTED
Foreign doctors and medical officers are encouraged to apply as there is a very big gap to fill in the medical sector. Successful candidates will receive a two-year government contract including accommodation and other benefits. We offer a professional working environment and a competitive salary. Your salary will depend on your qualifications and experience.
Full time work guaranteed. Must speak English and at least one local African language. Competency with minor surgical procedures, HIV/AIDS and clinical trials an added advantage. Fax your resume to Branch Manager 718-599-7365. Tel: 0173545947
ACCOUNT MANAGER DESIRED
Requirements--Some experience in Paid Search Management, including Google Adwords--Strong writing and communication skills--Customer service orientation --Able to work systematically and to do routine work
Ongoing training and sales support provided. Very realistic $50-100K first year. Fax your resume to 281-807-5074. Tel: 281-807-5073
BOOK KEEPER NEEDED
Position available working two days per week at our San Jose Ca. office.
Position description: shipping paperwork, ordering supplies and filing. $15.00 per hour. 10 hours per day (Tuesday, Friday) Knowledgeable college students welcome. Personal Skills--Energetic and enthusiastic--Hard-working--Honest and reliable
Must have working knowledge of QuickBooks. I look forward to hearing from you. E-mail your resume or fax it to 631-249-8877. Tel: 408-279-2312 | high17792.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "there may be a biological difference"
},
"options": [
"baby boys are much more active",
"baby girls like bright color1s more",
"parents have an effect on their views",
"there may be a biological difference"
],
"... | Baby girls make their way to dolls as soon as they can crawl,while boys will head for the toy cars,a study has shown.The findings,the first to show consistent differences in very young babies,suggest there is a biological basis to their preferences.
Psychologists Dr Brenda Todd from City University London carried out an experiment involving 90babies aged nine months to 36months.They were allowed to choose from seven toys.Some were boys'toys-a car,a digger,a ball and a blue teddy.The rest were girls'toys:a pink teddy,a doll and a cooking set.They were placed a meter away from the toys,and could pick whichever toy they liked.Their choice and the amount of time they spent playing with each toy were recorded.
Of the youngest children (nine to 14months),girls spent much longer playing with the doll than boys,and boys spent much more time with the car and ball than the girls did.Among the two-and three-year-olds,girls spent 50percent of the time playing with the doll while only two boys briefly touched it.The boys spent almost 90percent of their time playing with cars,which the girls barely touched.There was no link between the parents'view on which toys were more appropriate for boys or girls,and the children's choice.
Dr Brenda Todd said:"Children of this age are already exposed to much socialization.Boys may be given'toys that go'while girls get toys they can care for,which may help shape their preference.But these findings agree with the former idea that children show natural interests in particular kinds of toys.There could be a biological basis for their choices.Males through evolution have been adapted to prefer moving objects,probably through hunting instincts ,while girls prefer warmer color1s such as pink,the color1 of a newborn baby." | high19967.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "how much work experience you have"
},
"options": [
"how much work experience you have",
"how interested you are in the job",
"how long you can work a day",
"how old you are at the basketball season"
],
"question... | Youth Basketball Scorekeeper/Referee
If you are interested in working as a referee/scorekeeper during the Jr.Warriors basketball season, please submit an application. Applications are available on the City website www.ci.dublin.ca.usor by calling 556-4500 or emailing damian.sandhoIm@ci.dublin.ca.us. The minimum age is 15 and the pay range is $8.75 to $19.95 per hour, based on experience.
Personal Vacation Consultants! Cruise Industry!!
Company:ICE(International Cruise&Excursions)
Location:Phoenix,AZ
CONTACT Information Name:Melody Nelson
Job Description
Are you looking for an exciting career where you can earn top dollar and enjoy excellent benefits, including free&discounted travel?
Then International Cruise&Excursions,Inc.(ICE) would like to speak with you!
If you are interested in joining our Inbound Call Center Sales Team,here's what you need to do first:
Then join us on Tuesday, November 24th for our Career Fair!!
Where:10030 N.25th Ave.Off 25th Ave.between Peoria and Dunlap
Time:Between l0 am and 3 pm
Remember, take the assessment first and then we'll see you on the 24thfor an on--the--spot interview!!
Take part in our pre-employment assessment by clicking on the link below.
Pizza Hut Team Members and Delivery Drivers
Working at Pizza Hut is about making hungry people happy.It's about being independent and having fun,making new friends and earning extra cash That's right,we'll pay you to cruise a round in your mobile office-your car-listening to your own tunes and delivering great pizza--and pasta.What more could you want? Independence,good music mad great food--with tips! Sound good? Besides your smile,energy and reliable set of wheels,you should be a fun and friendly person who values customers and take pride in everything you do. | high21234.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Bright lighting in the bedroom can light your mood."
},
"options": [
"A partner may come with a tall burning floor light in the south-west corner of your room.",
"Good energy can be promoted if there is a lot of light in the living... | Your living room
Feng shui is all about balance. Try to arrange sofas and chairs in a square around a circular table. Avoid an L-shaped arrangement as this leaves a missing corner. The centre of the living room should be left clear. Make sure there is a lot of light, which will promote good energy.
Put plants in the corners of the room, as they attract good energy and will energize your health, but not ones with sharp leaves such as yuccas or cactus. Fresh flowers also bring good energy, but throw them away as soon as they begin to die, and don't have dried flowers.
Mirrors are vital because they reflect energy. Round or oval ones are best, but they should not be opposite each other, nor should they reflect a door, otherwise your good fortune will go out of it.
To promote harmony between the members of your family, have photos of them around the room, preferably smiling. If you want to find a partner, energize the south-west corner of your living room or bedroom by placing a floor light at least 1.75m high there, and turn it on every evening. Surround yourself with decorations and objects in pairs, such as ducks or birds.
To avoid blocking the positive energy in the room, keep everything tidy. Don't accumulate too many unnecessary things. Take a look at every object, and ask yourself, "Do I really need it? Do I really like it?" If the answer is no, get rid of it.
Your bedroom
You should have the head of your bed placed against a wall, as this gives you a sense of security. Avoid having a bed under a window, as you are exposed to danger and bad energy from outside. If this is impossible, use blinds or heavy curtains to cover the window. Never sleep in a place where you can't see the door--you should always be able to see someone who's coming in.
Avoid hanging pictures or lights above your bed, as this leads to a subconscious feeling of threat. Don't put mirrors opposite the bed either, as they "break up" the image, and therefore the relationship reflected in them.
Keep lighting low and soft, and decorate preferably with dark colors. Do not hang paintings of fierce animals, abstract subjects, or water in the bedroom. Water is very good elsewhere, but in the bedroom it suggests financial loss. Make sure you never put plants in the bedroom, and don't have a TV facing the bed, or at least cover it when it is not in use.
Your study
Don't use the same room for your bedroom and your study, as the different energies will be in conflict. If you have to do this, try to separate the areas either symbolically with plants, or with a screen. Put away piles of files or unfinished work--don't leave them on your desk. Being tidy promotes positive energy. Wherever you study make sure your desk is in the north-east corner, especially if you are preparing for exams, as this area symbolizes education.
A bookcase is bad feng shui, as its sharp corners generate negative "arrows", and if you have one you ought to put a climbing plant on it to avoid this effect. Cupboards are better than open shelves. | high3868.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he was so heavy a sleeper"
},
"options": [
"he was so busy",
"he was very tired",
"he was a writer",
"he was so heavy a sleeper"
],
"question": "Mark Twain couldn't wake up himself because _ .",
"question... | Mark Twain, the famous American writer, was traveling inprefix = st1 /France. Once he was very tired and wanted to sleep. He therefore asked the conductor to wake him up when they came toDijon. But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. "I'll strongly protest when you try to wake me up," he said to the conductor. "But do not take any notice, just put me off the train anyway."
Then Mark Twain went to sleep. Later, when he woke up it was night time and the train was inParisalready. He realized at once that the conductor had forgotten to wake him up atDijon. He ran up to the conductor and began to shout at him." I have never been so angry in all my life," Mark Twain said.
The conductor looked at him calmly. "You are not half so angry as the American whom I put off the train atDijon," he said loudly. | high19973.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the Spring Festival"
},
"options": [
"Christmas Day",
"National Day",
"the Spring Festival",
"the mid-autumn Festival"
],
"question": "More than 2 billion people have a hard time returning home during _ .",
... | What might the future be like? Here are some predictions: things to come, things to go.
The Spring Festival, the most important Chinese holiday when everyone returns home, has caused headaches for millions of Chinese. More than 2 billion people travel at the same time, making getting travel tickets and the journey difficult. But in 28 years, Spring Festival travel may not be a problem at all. China plans to build more than 120,000 kilometers of railway and a fast transportation network that will serve 90% of the population by 2020. And because most of China will be cities, people will not have to go to other places to find a job, so it will no longer be a problem.
Newspaper will come to an end in 2043. In the future, digital newspapers will be sent to personal web tools through Internet. Readers can discuss topics with journalists and editors. Information will move faster.
Oil is running out faster than expected. But scientists have found something else for oil as fuel. Coal, natural gas, solar power, nuclear power and even water can take the place of oil as sources of energy.
Schools will go electronic. Computers will be important and popular among the students. Everything will be in the computer and students will not need to bring books to school. They will find information on the Internet. A computer will be the students' library, schoolbag and connection to the outside world. There will be robot teachers. They will check homework on computers and communicate with the students' parents through e-mail. And school buses will be like spaceships, comfortable and safe. | high23423.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Message in a bottle."
},
"options": [
"Message in a bottle.",
"A beautiful beer bottle.",
"Travelling on a ship.",
"Meeting an old friend."
],
"question": "What is this passage mainly about?",
"question_type... | Nearly a quarter century after a German boy threw a message in a bottle off a ship in the Baltic Sea, he's received an answer.
A 13yearold Russian, Daniil Korotkikh, was walking with his parents on a beach when he saw something lying in the sand.
"I saw that bottle and it looked interesting, " Korotkikh told The Associated Press on Tuesday."It looked like a German beer bottle and there was a message inside."
It said, "My name is Frank, and I'm five years old.My dad and I are travelling on a ship to Denmark.If you find this letter, please write back to me, and I will write back to you." The letter, dated 1987, included an address in the town of Coesfeld.
The boy in the letter, Frank Uesbeck, is now 29.His parents still live at the letter's address.
The Russian boy and the German man met each other earlier this month through an Internet video link.The Russian boy said he did not believe that the bottle actually spent 24 years in the sea.He believed it had been hidden under the sand where he found it for a long time.
Uesbeck was especially happy that he was able to have a positive effect on a life of a young person far away from Germany."It's really a wonderful story, " he said."And who knows? Perhaps one day we will actually be able to arrange a meeting in person." | high12826.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he hadn't studied any foreign languages"
},
"options": [
"he was an English student",
"he had never been abroad",
"he couldn't learn by himself",
"he hadn't studied any foreign languages"
],
"question": "Mr. Jac... | Mr. Jackson lived in the center of London but he had a hotel near the airport. There a lot of foreigners stayed for night. He didn't know any other language but English and he found it difficult for him to understand the foreign visitors. Sometimes he had to use the gesture to talk with them, and tried his best to make himself understood. But he was often misunderstood and it brought him a lot of trouble. A friend of his who taught a few foreign languages in a university would teach him. He was happy and studied hard. At first he learned some, but soon he found it wasn't very easy to remember the words and expressions. His friend advised him to write down the useful expressions in his notebook so that he could use them when necessary. He did as he was told. He found it helpful for him to do so.
One evening there were plenty of people in the dining-room. They were all busy eating something except a Japanese. He was wandering there and waiting for his wife who was dressing herself up upstairs. Mr. Jackson thought to himself, " The man wants to eat something but he doesn't know any English. Let me help him."
As he knew only a little Japanese, he had to bring out his notebook and showed it to the man, pointing to the sentence "I'm hungry."
The Japanese had a look at it and gave him two pounds and left. | high15191.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Associated Content contributes to making one become a writer."
},
"options": [
"people can read a lot of novels on Associated Content",
"Associated Content helps readers study writing regularly",
"Associated Content contribut... | It has been two years since I published my first article on Yahoo!Contributor Network.I was very excited when I saw that what I had written was published on the Internet.
I recognized that the content sites such as Associated Content can provide a fertile ground for learning how to become a writer.I was thrifty --I could see that this was an open door for systematically learning some basic writing skills without paying college tuition for classes,all to be finished at my own speed and without leaving the comfort of my own home.
During these past few years I gained enough experience and understanding of using Associated Content to try writing.I found writing for that site was not my cup of tea.However,my experience there was positive as I was rewarded with even more learning opportunities just by giving it a try.Through Associated Content I was introduced to the world of bolgs .I decided to learn how to set up a blog myself.Now I'm interested in blogs and continue to work as a writer.
Writing for the content site Yahoo!Contributor Network gives me a chance of trying creative writing--news,reviews and numerous lifestyle issues.And all of these topics are my own choices.Then there is an opportunity to meet other writers.Yahoo!Contributor Network has a wonderful in-house messaging system that allows its writers to communicate easily with one another.Not all your tries are satisfactory and easy when you write for a content site,but the benefits are many if you try it.
My teacher once said,"If you don't quit,you will win."I have no desire to quit writing as I really enjoy it.My thanks go out to Associated content and yahoo!Contributor Network for all my progress in writing!And to my fellow writers--thank you so much for your support and friendship.May we continue in our efforts of inspiration for many years to come! | high1919.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Ginger can destroy diseased cells in two different ways."
},
"options": [
"Ginger can destroy diseased cells in two different ways.",
"Ginger is commonly considered as a kind of pain killer.",
"Ginger warms people's bodies an... | When you were young, ginger ale may have been a popular choice for reducing the unpleasant feelings caused by your upset stomach on the road to get to school. For years, ginger has been used to reduce the effects of nausea . But do you know it's now also being looked at to fight cancer?
Scientists have discovered that ginger can kill cancerous cells in two different ways. On the one hand, ginger causes the cancer cells to "commit suicide" by destroying themselves while leaving the surrounding healthy cells untouched. Ginger can prevent the growth of diseased cells by destroying the environment they grow in. On the other hand, ginger tricks the diseased cells and causes them to fight among themselves. Researchers are now looking into one of the toughest cancers to fight. However, scientists find repeated treatment of disease by drugs can actually lose its effectiveness over time as the cancer builds up resistance to the same treatment. This raises researchers' confidence that ginger would help stop resistance from the cancer.
In a study, the cancer clearly stopped growing in the body of the mice that had been given ginger. The bad news is that such encouraging research has only been conducted on mice. The good news, however, is that it seems humans might be able to get the same benefit just by eating products with ginger and ginger root in them.
Cancer prevention and fighting abilities aren't the only potential benefits you may get from adding a bit more ginger to your diet.
Drinking ginger ale when your stomach was upset as a child wasn't just a placebo .Numerous studies and research, including the Mayo Clinic's strict grading system, agree that ginger has some sort of anti-nausea characteristics.
Some believe that ginger works well against nausea after operations, while others use it to reduce motion sickness such as seasickness and car sickness. The Mayo Clinic, however, advises the use of ginger only to reduce nausea during pregnancy. While more research needs to be done, early studies are very promising, especially in that small amounts of ginger don't seem to do any harm to the mother or baby.
Other health benefits from ginger exist as well. Since ginger is often considered to be useful in warming bodies, it can improve the condition of people's joints including knees and ankle joints. Some suggest that ginger can help cure a cough associated with the common cold. Another benefit of ginger is that it seems to have no real side effects, which is one of the main reasons it appears to be safe during pregnancy.
But for safety, you should always consult a doctor for instructions on daily use before starting, even with something like ginger that seems to have little to no side effects. | high8083.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because Sharapova was expected to appear there."
},
"options": [
"Because the good-looking Kournikova would break on to the scene.",
"Because the fans wanted to take a picture of Sharapova.",
"Because Sharapova was expected t... | It was 1:30 a.m. Monday at London's Savoy Hotel and, with autograph books and cameras, a group of brighteyed tennis fans of all ages were waiting for just a glimpse of Maria Sharapova .
The 17-year-old girl defeated champion Serena Williams 6-1 6-4 in the Wimbledon final on Saturday in London to become the first Russian to win a single title at the championships.
A silver lining to a depressing, rain-hit Wimbledon, she has raised heated passion.
Nobody was complaining, though, for the 1.83-metre Sharapova has created a welcome wave of interest in tennis, something missing in recent years.
Not even Anna Kournikova evoked such passion when she broke on to the scene. To look good on court is one thing, but Sharapova can actually play the game too. Extremely well.
She proved it over 13 days at the world's most prestigious tournament. Playing tennis of the highest quality throughout, the Russian's triumph not only lifted the tournament from fits of rain-induced depression but also salvaged(;) the season for the woman's tour.
Sharapova was given no easy ride in the tournament, having to beat 1999 champion Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals and twice-champion Serena Williams for the title. Neither caused her much concern.
"I don't remember too much about the final," Sharapova giggled. "I was in my own place."
She will find it increasingly hard to find any place to call her own from now on after advertisers identified her as the most marketable woman in sport.
In Russia she is sensational news. She headlined the news bulletins and was telephoned by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin after her triumph.
Sharapova will return to her adoptive Florida home knowing life will never be the same again.
But the girl who arrived in the US aged seven with her father and just US$700 is determined not to let fame and riches detract from her number one love, tennis.
"I know things will start coming up and that many more things will want to get involved, but I want to keep my head cool and play tennis," she said. | high23345.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Her GPS device didn't tell her about the crossing."
},
"options": [
"She was not familiar with the road.",
"It was dark and raining heavily then.",
"The railway workers failed to give the signal.",
"Her GPS device didn'... | One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales. She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path. That's when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train. Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line. Seconds later, she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely's near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS . She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily. Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing. "I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train." she told the BBC.
Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely's story in his book When Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it's not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it's not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor signalling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn't say.
It's a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it's also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors.
The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex. It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in. Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines. After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years. They have probably been fooling us for just as long. | high255.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "\"Turn right at the hospital and go past a school.\""
},
"options": [
"\"Go south two miles.Turn west and then go another mile.\"",
"\"Turn right at the hospital and go past a school.\"",
"\"The post office is about five minu... | Traveling without a map in different countries,I find out about different"styles"of directions every time I ask "How can I get to the post office?"
Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don't have name signs:in Japan,people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names.For example,the Japanese will say to travelers,"Go straight down to the corner.Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market.The post office is across from the bus stop."
People in Los Angeles,the US,have no idea of distance on the map:they measure distance by time,not miles."How far away is the post office?"you ask."Oh," they answer,"it's about five minutes from here." You don't understand completely,"Yes,but how many miles away is it,please?"To this question you won't get an answer,because most probably they don't know it themselves.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because tourists seldom understand the Greek language.Instead,a Greek will often say," Follow me."Then he'll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
Sometimes a person doesn't know the answer to your question.What happens in the situation? A New Yorker might say,"Sorry, I have no idea."But in Yucatan,Mexico,no one answers "I don't know." People there believe that "I don't" is impolite.They usually give an answer,but often a wrong one.So a tourist can get lost very easily in Yucatan!
However,one thing will help you everywhere in the world.It's body language. | high13286.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "confident"
},
"options": [
"upset",
"confident",
"pessimistic",
"hesitant"
],
"question": "When reaching the desert at first, the little stream was _ to cross it.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}... | A little stream flowed down from a high mountain far, far away through many villages and forests, until it reached a desert. The stream then thought, "I've been through countless obstacles. I should have no problem crossing this desert!" But when she decided to start her journey, she found herself gradually disappearing into the mud and sand. After numerous tries, she found it was all in vain and was very upset. "Maybe it's my destiny ! I'm not destined to reach the vast ocean in the legend, " she murmured sadly to herself.
At this time, a deep voice came, saying, "If a breeze can cross the desert, so can a river."
It was the voice of the desert. Unconvinced, the little stream replied, "That's because a breeze can fly, but I can't."
"That's because you stick to what you are. If you're willing to give it up, and let yourself evaporate into the breeze, it can take you across, and you can reach your destination," said the desert in its deep voice.
The little stream had never heard of such a thing. "Give up what I am now and disappear into the breeze? No! No!" She could not accept this idea. After all, she had never experienced anything like it before. Wouldn't it be self-destruction to give up what she was now?
"How do I know if this is true?" asked the little stream.
"The breeze can carry the vapor across the desert and release it as rain at an appropriate site. The rain will form a river again to continue its course," answered the desert very patiently.
"Will I still be what I am now?" asked the little stream.
"Yes, and no. Whether you're a river or invisible vapor, your inner nature never changes. You stick to the fact that you're a river because you don't know your inner nature," answered the desert.
Deep down, the stream vaguely remembered that before she became a river, it was perhaps also the breeze that carried her halfway up a high mountain, where she turned into rain and fell onto the ground and became what she was now. Finally the little stream gathered her courage and rushed into the open arms of the breeze, which carried her to the next stage of her life.
Perhaps you can try asking yourself these questions: What is my inner nature? What is it that I cling to? And what is it that I really want? | high4861.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "protect the environment without harming locals' interests"
},
"options": [
"forbid locals from taking firewood from the mountainside",
"encourage local people to feed their animals just with straw",
"spend large amounts of mo... | Restoring the quake-hit ecosystems is a question of balancing the interests of the local people and the environment.Rural methane projects can reduce the number of locals taking fire-wood from the mountainsides.The use of straw as food for animals will ensure that vegetation can grow.In Sihai township and Dazhuangke village, in Beijing, they now have a forestry coverage of 85% or more, compared to the 30% they had 15 years ago.Back then, land was used very inefficiently: one person would use 20 mu of forest just for firewood.With those pressures on the ecosystem, no amount of spending on reforestation will succeed.Then the government relocated the population and paid those who remained to tend the forest and provide coal.This reduced the pressures on the ecosystem and it was able to recover naturally.
When an ecosystem has not been pushed past certain limits, it is able to recover on its own.Human involvement should only play a minor role, including after an earthquake.This is particularly the case for sandy grasslands, grasslands deserts, the mountains of the south and the northern sides of mountains in the north.In these areas soil remains and the water, light, heat and nutrients needed are available.Less human involvement is even more appropriate in areas with a small population, where it can avoid money being wasted on ineffective efforts, such as creating forests in dry areas.
The creation of nature reserves should be a model to allow damaged ecosystems to recover.Funding can start at the national level; centrally-funded nature reserves can enforce environmental protection laws and help to promote the local economy.This will solve the problems of reserves being run to make money.When national reserves are funded, local governments will be able to adopt the same model and provide the funds for nature reserves from their own budgets.The first project should be established in nature reserves hit by the quake; these can then become models for other areas. | high21552.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Streams of Water Spotted on Mars"
},
"options": [
"Streams of Water Spotted on Mars",
"Astronauts will Land on Mars",
"NASA's Mars Exploration Program",
"A Breakthrough in the Exploration of Mars"
],
"question":... | Mars appears to be flowing with small streams of salty water,at least in the summer,scientists reported Monday."It suggests that.it would be possible for there to be life today on Mars,"NASA's science mission chief,John Grunsfeld,said at a news conference on September 28,2015.
The streams are about 12 to 15 feet wide and 300 feet or more long,scientists said."What we're dealing with is wet soil.thin layers of wet soil,not standing water,"said Aifred McEwen of the University of Arizona at Tueson!the principal scientist for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's high-resolution imaging experiment.
Because liquid water is essential to life,the findings could have major implications for the possibility of Martian life.The researchers said further exploration is needed to determine whether microscopic life exists on the planet.
The presence of liquid water could also make life easier for astronauts visiting or living on Mars.Water could be used for drinking and for creating oxygen and rocket fuel.NASA's goal is to send humans there in the 2030s.
The evidence of flowing water consists largely of dark,narrow streaks on the surface that tend to appear and grow during the warmest Martian months and fade the rest of the year.
Mars is extremely cold even in summer,and the streaks are in places where the temperature is as low as minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit.But salt can lower the freezing point of water and melt ice.
The source of the water is a mystery.Scientists noted it could be melting ice.It could be an underground aquifer,which is rock or sand that can hold water.It is possibly water vapor from the thin Martian atmosphere,Or it may be a combination Michael Meyer,lead scientist for NASA's Mars exploration program,said the only definitive way for now to determine whether there's life on Mars is to collect rocks and soil for analysis on Earth - something a U.S.lander set for lift-off in 2020 will do. | high11491.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A favourite restaurant."
},
"options": [
"A super market.",
"A beautiful park.",
"A favourite restaurant.",
"A proposal party."
],
"question": "Which is the most popular place for people to celebrate Valentine's... | Consumers will be digging deeper into their pockets to buy flowers, gift cards and choco lates on Valentine's Day with average spending expected to rise eight percent over last year to nearly $200.
And along with their expanding wallets,4 million Americans are expected to propose marriage or receive a proposal on Feb 14.
"We've seen a consistent trend of consumers saying they will spend more,from holiday shopping to 2012 travel plans,and spending plans for Feb 14 are no exception,"said Sonali Chakravorti,vice president at American Express.
In its latest spending and savings tracker,American Express questioned 2,000 adults across the United States to gauge(,)how much and on what consumers will be spending their money on Cupid's big day.
Nearly half of people said they intend to celebrate at a favori te restaurant, seven percent more than last year.Flowers are still the most popular gift for a Valentine,followed hy gift cards,jewelry and electronics.
Among couples getting betrothed ,30 percent said they wou]d propose during a weekend getaway or vacation.To seal the deal,48 percent of people think an engagement ring costing between $1,000 to $5,000 would be appropriatc but 22 percent said up to $2,000 for jewelry would be more realistic,while five percent thought nothing of spending$10,000 or more on a ring.
Although nearly 40 percent of women think whoever asked for the date should pay for it,14 Dercent said the bill should be split,but most unmarried men said they would cover the cost of the date.
Finances can be a delieate subject,so half of people don't talk about money until they have been together six months and 20 percent of married coupies did not refer to the subject until after they have tied the knot.
After marriage money matters can be a cause of disagreements,although the poll showed arguments over household budgets,spending on the children and everyday purchases have declined since last year. | high20894.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "giving examples"
},
"options": [
"offering analyses",
"providing explanations",
"making comparisons",
"giving examples"
],
"question": "The main method the author uses to support his understanding of his profess... | Anyone who is afraid of failure and afraid to face challenges will never taste success, so said our professor in marketing. I laughed it off at that time, but got frightened when it actually happened in my life.
I landed in a small city in the Middle East to set up a firm, a world-class car rental firm. Having decided on the project, I earnestly settled in preparation. With a positive mind, I told myself nothing should stop me now, and was more than keen to make it a success.
However, the least expected thing happened. Iraq invaded Kuwait. Tension ran high in the region. Eventually the war broke out, and many people fled the country, leaving my firm in deep trouble.
As usual, "things become difficult, and every effort seems to bring disappointment, it can be tempting to lower your expectations or even water down your goals and ambitions."I was no exception. I thought of running away. I remembered the words of Thomas Edison, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to succeed when they gave up."
I decided to hang on, telling myself, "I am not afraid of challenges and obstacles." I stayed on through months of uncertainty and insecurity. Finances ran low, and banks could not wait to get their dues. To add to all this, the banks even threatened to take all my vehicles. I felt I made a wrong decision to move there. I was now ready to face failure.
I was living against all hopes, believing that something good would happen. After 2 months the war ended. My persistence paid off: people started flooding back and the car bookings picked up, five times over.
Success comes to the one who dares, even after failure, to think positively and look forward confidently. After all, it is only the experience that makes a man tough. Failure does not mean you will never make it. It means that it will take a little longer. It provides us with a learning experience. | high19026.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Working Christmas Day"
},
"options": [
"Working Christmas Day",
"Christmas Day is Coming",
"A Happy Family",
"A Pale Woman and Four Small Children"
],
"question": "Which of the following would be the best title ... | It was unusually quiet in the emergency room on December 25.
I was nurse on duty that day. I didn't think there would be any patients, sighing about having to work on Christmas. Just then five bodies showed up at my desk, a pale woman and four small children.
"Are you all sick?" I asked suspiciously.
"Yes," she said weakly and lowered her head.
But when it came to descriptions of their presenting problems, things got a little vague. Two of the children had headaches, but the headaches weren't accompanied by the normal body language of holding the head or trying to keep it still. Two children had earaches, but only one could tell me which ear was affected. The mother complained of a cough but seemed to work to produce it.
Something was wrong, but I didn't say anything but explained that it might be a little while before a doctor saw her. She responded, "Take your time; it's warm here."
On a hunch , I checked the chart after the admitting clerk had finished registering the family. No address---they were homeless. The waiting room was warm.
I looked out at the family huddled by the Christmas tree. The little one was pointing at the television and exclaiming something to her mother. The oldest one was looking at an ornament on the Christmas tree.
I went back to the nurses' station and mentioned we had a homeless family in the waiting room. The nurses, grumbling about working Christmas, turned to compassion for a family just trying to get warm on Christmas. The team went into action, much as we do when there's a medical emergency. But this one was a Christmas emergency.
We were all offered a free meal in the hospital cafeteria on Christmas Day, so we claimed that meal and prepared a banquet for our Christmas guests. We needed presents. We put together oranges and apples in a basket. We collected from different departments candies, crayons and other things available that could be presents. As seriously as we met the physical needs of the patients that came to us that day, our team worked to meet the needs, and exceed the expectations, of a family who just wanted to be warm on Christmas Day.
Later, as the family walked to the door to leave, the four year old came running back, gave me a hug and whispered, "Thanks for being our angels today." | high2223.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Negative."
},
"options": [
"Positive.",
"Negative.",
"Neutral.",
"Supportive."
],
"question": "What's the commander's attitude towards the soldier's saving his friend?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"a... | Horror seized the heart of the World War I soldier as he saw his life-long friend fall in the battle. Caught in a trench with continuous gunfire whizzing over his head, the soldier asked his commander if he might go out into the "No Man's Land" between the trenches to bring his fallen comrade back.
"You can go," said the commander, "but I don't think it will be worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your own life away." The commander's words didn't matter, and the soldier went anyway.
To one's surprise, he managed to reach his friend, raised him onto his shoulder, and brought him back to their company's trench. As the two of them fell in together to the bottom of the trench, the officer checked the wounded soldier, and then looked kindly at his friend. "I told you it wouldn't be worth it," he said. "Your friend is dead, and your wound is deadly." "It was worth it, though, sir." the soldier said. "How do you mean 'worth it'?" responded the commander. "Your friend is dead!" "Yes sir." the soldier answered. "But it was worth it because when I got to him, he was still alive, and I had the satisfaction of hearing him say, 'Jim, I knew you'd come.'"
Many a time in life, whether a thing is worth doing or not really depends on how you look at it. Take up all your courage and do something your heart tells you to do so that you may not regret not doing it later in life. | high10764.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "You should encourage yourself."
},
"options": [
"You should speak words of encouragement to your discouraged child.",
"You shouldn't put a loved one down.",
"You should encourage yourself.",
"You should change the subje... | You've heard the saying: if you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there. Thousands of successful people attribute (......) most of their success to goal setting. Knowing this, why don't the majority of people set goals?
Goal setting starts within you. You have to believe it's possible to do a thing before you have a strong desire to write it down on paper and take steps to make it happen.
How do you possibly bring yourself to believe in your own success? After all, so many of you have been at this success thing for a while and it still hasn't happened to you. Companies that you believed in and worked hard for have failed, your family and friends are waiting for you to "be realistic", and life just keeps giving you one blow after another. But there is a small fire burning inside you. You keep at it because all you know is you can't continue to get up every morning, go to work for someone else and allow them to determine how much you're worth each week which is far below your true value.
So where do you go from here? Where do you start today? The road to inner belief in your success begins with you telling yourself every day, throughout the day, that you can do what you set out to do, you can have what you set out to get, and you can be that successful person you know that lives inside you. Yes, obstacles will come, doubters will be around, but don't you be one of them.
Treat yourself like the person you love and care about most. If you had children who had a paper route and they wanted to accomplish a goal but they kept running into obstacles, what would happen? They would soon become discouraged with so many people telling them no. I'm not interested in what you have to offer. What would you say to your child? I'm sure it won't be the same thing you've been saying to yourself. Turn your words around. Speak those same words of encouragement you would speak to your discouraged child, to yourself. If you would never put a loved one down, especially when they are feeling discouraged, why would you do that to yourself? You have the power within to stop it right now and turn it around.
Be committed from this point forward to speaking words of encouragement to yourself. The mind is an amazing thing. You can convince yourself of anything over time. If you repeatedly tell yourself every day, throughout the day, how successful you are, how capable you are, you will not only start to believe it, you will start to live it. | high18338.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "children are taken care of"
},
"options": [
"future nurses are trained",
"the elderly live",
"children are taken care of",
"the old join in activities"
],
"question": "A nursery school is a place where _ .",
... | I was interested to read a newspaper article about a new concept in old people's homes in France. The idea is simple, but revolutionary----combining a residential home for the elderly with a nursery school in the same building. The children and the residents eat lunch together and share activities. In the afternoons, the residents enjoy reading or telling stories to the children, and if a child is feeling sad or tired, there is always a kind lap to sit on and a cuddle . There are trips out and birthday parties too.
The advantages are enormous for everyone concerned. The children are happy because they get a lot more individual attention, and respond well because someone has time for them. They see illness and death and learn to accept them. The residents are happy because they feel useful and needed. They are more active and more interested in life when the children are around and they take more interest in their appearance too.
Nowadays there is less and less contact between the old and the young. There are many reasons for this, including the breakdown of the extended family, working parents with no time to care for aging relations, families that have moved away, and smaller flats with no room for grandparents. But the result is the same----increasing numbers of children without grandparents and old people who have no contact with children. And more old people who are lonely and feel useless, along with more and more families with young children who desperately need more support. It's a major problem in many societies.
That's why intergenerational programmes, designed to bring the old and the young together, are growing in popularity all over the world. There are examples of successful attempts all over the world. Using young people to teach IT skills to older people is one obvious example. Using old people as volunteer assistants in schools is another, perhaps reading with children who need extra attention. | high6045.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a dog"
},
"options": [
"a small child",
"an interesting toy",
"a dog",
"a bicycle"
],
"question": "We can guess \"the Alsatian\" in the twin brothers' home is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},... | I have had all kinds of interesting neighbors since the early days of my life. When I was a baby I would stand in my wooden crib and watch the world go by through the window. Some neighbors watched me watching the world go by with by big, wondering eyes and found me very interesting. They used to call me "the beauty at the window".
The early neighbors I could remember were from the second house I lived in. Peter and Paul were twins. We went to play school together although they were a year older than me. I well remember the Alsatian they had which ran into me when I was invited to their fifth birthday party. Needless to say, I was well-known for my loud screams after the party. But they said the pet was scared of my screams and didn't appear until the party was over.
Peter and Paul were the first boys who encouraged me to climb the gate. I could never tell the difference between boy and girl behaviors--I just did what I thought was fun. Not only did I have a great time performing that first climb, I also got my skirts dirty, and was criticized by my mother.
The Japanese neighbors I had living in this same house were my favorite, as they introduced me to sea-salt baked shrimps which were so crisp that you could eat the shrimp totally. They gave me some seaweed for my birthday. Thankfully, no other member in my family enjoyed the seaweed as I did. Perhaps what my mother used to joke to me was true, that I was picked up out of the dustbin that belonged to a Japanese home.
Maybe sometimes it is difficult to find good neighbors in this society. But all it takes is a spark to get a fire going. I have decided to be that spark wherever I live and pass love on to my neighbors. | high14502.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Everybody has a time in life to be lucky."
},
"options": [
"Everybody in the world is lucky.",
"Each person lives his own way of life.",
"If one works hard, he's sure to succeed.",
"Everybody has a time in life to be lu... | As we know, there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let's look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese about the dog, for example, "a homeless dog", "a mad dog", "a running dog" and "a dog catching a mouse", have negative meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of humans. In English, people use the dog to describe positive actions. For example, "you are a lucky dog" means you are a lucky person. And "every dog has its day" means each person has good luck sometimes. To describe a person's serious illness, they say "sick as a dog". The word "dog-tired" means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, "cat" is often used to describe a woman who is cruel. There are many other examples of how "cat" is used differently as well.
The rose is regarded as a symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose stands for love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.
The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used. | high9376.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the rich usually got their wealth in dishonest ways"
},
"options": [
"his father was making and mending pots and kettles",
"Bunyan had poor and mean early surroundings",
"the rich usually got their wealth in dishonest ways",
... | British writer John Bunyan was born at Elstow, Bedfordshire, England, in November, 1628. His father was a maker and mender of pots and kettles, and the son followed the same trade. Though he is usually called a tinker, Bunyan had a settled home and place of business. He had little schooling, and he describes his early surroundings as poor and mean. He became much interested in religions, but it was only after a tremendous spiritual conflict, lasting three or four years, that he found peace. His struggles are related with extraordinary vividness and intensity in his "Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners." His writing began with a controversy against the Quakers , and shows from the first the command of a homely but vigorous style.
Like most working men at the time, Bunyan had a deep hatred for the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth "by hook and by crook." As a stout Puritan , he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation through spiritual struggle.
Bunyan's style was modeled after that of the English Bible. With his concrete and living language and carefully observed and vividly presented details, he made it possible for the reader of the least education to share the pleasure of reading his novel and to relive the experience of his characters.
Bunyan's works include Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War (1682) and The Pilgrim's Progress (1684).
The Pilgrim's Progress is the most successful religious allegory in the English language. Its purpose is to urge people to observe Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggle with their own weaknesses and all kinds of social evils. It is not only about something spiritual but also bears much relevance to the time. Its predominant metaphor -- life as a journey -- is simple and familiar. The objects that Christian meets are homely and commonplace, and the scenes presented are typical English ones, but throughout the allegory a spiritual significance is added to the commonplace details. Here the strange is combined with the familiar and the trivial joined to the divine, and, a rich imagination and a natural talent for storytelling also contribute to the success of the work which is at once entertaining and morally instructive.
"The Vanity Fair," is an excerpt from The Pilgrim's Progress. The story starts with a dream in which the author sees Christian the Pilgrim, with a heavy burden on his back, reading the Bible. When he learns from the book that the city in which he and his family live shall be burnt down in a fire, Christian tries to convince his family and his neighbors of the oncoming disaster and asks them to go with him in search of salvation, but most of them simply ignore him. So he starts off with a friend, Pliable. Pliable turns back after they stumble into a pit, the Slough of Despond. Christian struggles on by himself. Then he is misled by Mr. Wordly Wiseman and is brought back onto the right road by Mr. Evangelist. There he joins Faithful, a neighbor who has set out later but has made better progress. The two go on together through many adventures, including the great struggle with Apollyon, who claims them to be his subjects and refuse to accept their allegiance to God. After many other adventures they come to the Vanity Fair where both are arrested as alien agitators. They are tried and Faithful is condemned to death. Christian, however manages to escape and goes on his way, assisted by a new friend, Hopeful. Tired of the hard journey, they are tempted to take pleasant path and are then captured by Giant Despair. Finally they get away and reach the Celestial City, where they enjoy eternal life in the fellowship of the blessed. | high8068.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Holes"
},
"options": [
"Holes",
"Size",
"Material",
"Shape"
],
"question": "What does the difference between the three toys lie in?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | A student is given three toys by his teacher and is asked to find out the differences. All the three toys seem to be the same in shape, size and material. After careful observation, the student finds out holes in the toys. The first toy has holes in the ears. The second toy has holes in one ear and the mouth. And the third toy has only one hole in one ear.
Then the student puts a needle in the ear hole of the first toy. The needle comes out from the other ear. When the needle is put in the second toy's ear it comes out of the mouth. And when the needle is put in the third toy's ear, it does not come out.
The first toy means those people around you who make you think that they are listening to you and caring for you. But they just pretend to do so. After listening, as the needle comes out from the other ear, the things you said to them are gone. So be careful while you are speaking to this type of person around you, who does not care for you. The second toy means those people who listen to you and make you think that they care for you. But as the needle comes out from its mouth, these people will use your things and the words you tell them against you by telling them to others for their own purpose.
For the third toy, the needle does not come out from it. These kinds of people will keep the trust you have in them. They are the ones you can depend on. | high12615.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "selfrespect"
},
"options": [
"selfrespect",
"financial rewards",
"advertising ability",
"friendly relationship"
],
"question": "According to the passage,the positive action in the example contributes to our _ ... | Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness,happiness,goodness,and selfrespect?The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized (......) as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.
Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item.If we keep silent,and profit from the clerk's mistake,we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement.Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune.On the other hand,if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item,the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty.We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then,what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case,where we don't tell the clerk,a couple of things would happen.Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief.In the process,we would lose some peace of mind and selfrespect.We would also demonstrate that we cannot be trusted,since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends.We damage our own reputations by telling others.In contrast, _ causes different things to happen.Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable.Upon leaving the store,we feel honorable and our selfrespect is increased.Whenever we take honorable actions we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions.Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions.Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence.And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy.While the positive cycle can be difficult to start,once it's started,it's easy to continue.Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind,which is important for our happiness. | high6723.txt |
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