questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "nervous"
},
"options": [
"proud",
"nervous",
"excited",
"happy"
],
"question": "When new students come to school on the first day they usually feel _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | You may not know a lot of people when you start high school. Even if you know some new students, you still feel nervous that you don't know any upperclassmen and teachers. How are you going to make friends among this sea of unknown faces?
Most high schools welcome new students before school actually starts. These are helpful not only because you learn your way around the buildings and get to meet some of your teachers, but also because you get to meet new students. That way, when you show up on your first day of school, you may already recognize a few familiar faces.
When you talk to people, you'll probably find that a lot of them are feeling just like you. They're all new to the school and don't know what to expect. Talking about a common concern with your classmates can help you develop friendships.
The work in high school is something freshmen are probably worried about. The work in high school builds on what you learned in middle school, giving you a more advanced knowledge of many subjects. So you may find you have more work to do or that it's a bit more challenging . If you ever find your work too difficult, teachers can give you extra help.
High school also has more activities after class than middle school, such as clubs, music and theater groups and sports teams. This is a good time to explore your interests and try new things.
Middle school taught you the basics of academics, time management, and social skills while providing you with a little extra support and guidance. High school gives you the chance to learn how to be more independent and responsible . | high14264.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "his wish to express his own feelings"
},
"options": [
"his admiration for Lewis Carroll",
"his dream of becoming a famous artist",
"his wish to express his own feelings",
"his eagerness to cure his wife's illness"
]... | Charles Blackman: Alice in Wonderland
An Exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), Australia
10 June--12 August 2013
Venue The lan Potter Centre
Admission Free entry
Charles Blackman is famous for his beautiful painting of dreams. In 1956, he heard for the first time Lewis Carroll's extraordinary tale of Alice in Wonderland--the story of a Victorian girl who falls down a rabbit hole, meets a lot of funny characters and experience all kinds of things. At that time, Blackman's wife was suffering from progressive blindness. The story of Alice moving through the strange situations, often disheartened by various events, was similar to his wife's experiences. It also reflected so much of his own life. All this contributed to the completion of the Alice in Wonderland paintings.
Illustrator Workshop
Go straight to the experts for an introductory course in book illustration . The course includes an introduction to the process of illustration and its techniques, workshop exercises and group projects.
Dates Sunday 17June & Sunday 5 Aug. 10 am--1 pm
Venue Gas Works Arts Park
Wonderful World
Celebrate the exhibition and Children's Book Week with special activities just for the day, including a special visit from Alice and the White Rabbit.
Date Sunday 24 June, 11 am--4 pm
Venue Exhibition Space. Level 3
Topsy-Turvy
Visit the exhibition or discover wonderful curiosities in artworks in the NGV Collection and make a magic world in a box. Alice and the White Rabbit will be with you. Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland will be screened.
Dates Sunday 8,15,22,29 July, and Tuesday 24--Friday 27 July, 12 noon--3 pm
Venue Theatre, NGV Australia
Drawing Workshop
Distortions of Scale can make artworks strange but interesting. Find out how Charles Blackman distorted scale in his paintings to create a curious world, then experiment with scale in your own drawings. More information upon booking.
Date Friday 27 July, 10:30 am--3 pm
Venue Foyer, Level 3 | high3883.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Paper textbooks."
},
"options": [
"Paper textbooks.",
"The Internet.",
"Computers.",
"Electronic textbooks."
],
"question": "Which of the following is /are NOT used when students have social studies classes?",
... | Electronic books have changed the way many people read for pleasure. Now online textbooks are changing the way some students learn and some teachers teach.
More than one hundred seventy-five thousand students attend the public schools in Fairfax County, Virginia, outside Washington. Last year, the school system used digital books in fifteen schools. This school year, middle schools and high schools changed from printed to electronic textbooks in their social studies classes.
Luke Rosa is a history teacher at Falls Church High School. His students work on laptop computers at school. He explains the idea to them this way. "I mean, it's just like a regular textbook, except it's got it all online."
Peter Noonan, an assistant superintendent of schools, said, "The world's changing. And the online textbooks can change right along with the events that are happening." Digital books also cost less than printed textbooks, he said.
A student named Melanie Reuter said, "I don't have to carry a textbook around, so that's nice."
But another student said, "I don't like it because the Internet sometimes doesn't work."
Students also need access to the Internet when they are not at school. About ten percent of students in Fairfax Country do not have a computer or online access at home. Public libraries in the country have free Internet. There are also after-school computer labs as well as computer clubhouse supported by the country. Middle school student Slieman Hakim is happy about that. He said, "My family only has one computer; my sister and I both do our homework on it. So I come here to do my homework. It's good."
Other school systems in the area are also considering online textbooks. | high2545.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Seeks after truth and wisdom"
},
"options": [
"does not like Jesus Christ",
"teaches people something about God",
"Seeks after truth and wisdom",
"is more clever than most of other people"
],
"question": "A phil... | Confucius was born five hundred and fifty years before Christ. Unlike Jesus Christ, he did not bring words of God to the people. He was a clever teacher and a philosopher, looking for truth and wisdom. Most of his teaching was about life in this world.
Confucius was very keen to give people good rulers. Someone asked him, "What does a country need?" Confucius answered, "Enough food, a good army, and a good leader." The people then asked, "Which one is the most important?" Confucius answered, "An army is not very important. All men must die, so food is not the most important. But if the leader of the country is not good, then everything will be bad," | high19998.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It helps the country to protect the people"
},
"options": [
"It helps the country to protect the people",
"It helps the traveler to know where he will go",
"He needs to have his picture taken more often",
"He needs some... | Americans can travel almost anywhere they choose. But to protect its people, the government lists a few dangerous places where Americans cannot go. These places are unfriendly countries or countries at war. There, the travelers might not be safe. These countries are listed in a small book called a passport .
This passport is a government request for the safety of its traveling people. It is also a government's pledge that the people will obey the rules of the host country. To receive a passport from the government, a traveler must prove that he is an American citizen. An American cannot go abroad without a passport. Only certain close countries such as Canada and Mexico do not ask for passports
Stuck inside the passport is the traveler's picture. Children traveling with their parents are included in one parent's book.
Thousands of people from the United States visit other countries every year. An American traveler might carry plane tickets, money, clothing and many other things. But the most important thing that he carries in another country is his passport. | high16473.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Three"
},
"options": [
"Two",
"Three",
"Four",
"Five"
],
"question": "How many henges are mentioned in this passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_te... | LONDON--Archaeologists have discovered a smaller prehistoric site near Britain's famous circle of standing stones at Stonehenge.
Researchers have named the site "Bluehenge" after the color of the 27 Welsh stones that were laid to make up a path. The stones have disappeared, but the path of holes remains.
The new circle, unearthed over the summer by researchers from Sheffield University, represents an important find, researchers said Saturday. The site is about a mile away from Stonehenge.
Bluehenge, about 80 miles southwest of London, is believed to date back to about the time Stonehenge was built, about 5,000 years ago.
Mike Parker Pearson of Sheffield University said he believed the path and stonehenge itself were linked to rituals of life and death.
Mike Parker suggested that the ancient funerary rituals began at a different circle site known as "Wood-henge", which represented the world of the living. The bodies of the dead were then brought down the River Avon to Bluehenge, which represented death, and were finally carried along a ceremonial route known as the Avenue to Stonehenge.
Bournemouth University Professor Tim Darvill, an expert on Stonehenge, told Britain's Dail Mail that Bluehenge "adds to the richness" of the ancient site's story.
"This henge is very important because it forms part of the picture of ceremonial monuments in the area and puts Stonehenge into context," Darvill was quoted as saying. "It's no longer Stonehenge standing alone, but it has to be seen in context with the landscape." | high4134.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "$122 billion."
},
"options": [
"$54 billion.",
"$96 billion.",
"$122 billion.",
"$143 billion."
],
"question": "How much more is spent on mental disorders_in 2013 compared with 1996?",
"question_type": "cloz... | If you're still of the belief thaJ mental health conditions aren,t as serious as physical ones,a new report will open your eyes.
The United States spent about $201 billion on mental illness in 2013, according to the new analysis published in the journal Health Affairs. That makes it the costliest medical condition in the country. Heart conditions were the second costliest condition, falling far behind menial disorders at $147 billion. Trauma and injury was third at $143 billion.
"One key finding of this study is the degree to which spending on mental health disorders in 2013 topped those on all other medical conditions, including heart conditions, trauma, and cancer. Researcher Charles Roehrig wrote in the study's conclusion.
Just a decade ago, heart conditions outweighed mentd disorders. Health care costs on heart Problems were about $105 Million in 1996, with mental disordere coming in second at $79 billion.
The findings are just another example of how important it is to recognize mental illness as a widespread public health issue. Nearly one in four people will experience a mental health condition at some point in his or her life. Despite this fact, though, there's still a lack of sensitivity and understanding in society--and even the medical community--when it comes to mental disorders.
Research shows discrimination involved in mental health. Negative thoughts surrounding mental illness often prevent people from seeking treatment, which can have serious consequences.
Data also suggests that not paying attention to mental illness can affeci a company 's bottom line. Serious mental illnesses result in about $193 billion in lost earnings per year.
Lastly, the cost of mental health issues extends beyond a dollar sign, but perhaps the shocking figure in the report will finally serve as a wakeup call for those who believe psychological conditions aren't real issues. In other words, can we please take mental illness seriously now? | high19740.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "conservative"
},
"options": [
"positive",
"progressive",
"conservative",
"negative"
],
"question": "The author's attitude towards Western/Eastern cooperation can be described as _ .",
"question_type": "cl... | Western airliner manufacturers seem to be tripping over themselves in their eagerness to sign cooperative agreements with Asian partners as a low-cost route to developing new airliners. Their potential Asian partners seem to be tripping over themselves to sign such agreements, as a low-cost route to acquiring new airliner technology. If they are not careful the two sides will end up tripping over each other the one by selling its birth-right for short-term gain, the other by trying to break into a market which isn't big enough to sustain it.
Technology transfer works in a growing market, where the aspirations of the new entrant receiving that technology can be met through expansion. The airliner market is not such a device.
Even the most optimistic projections of airliner sales for the next 20 years show that airliner manufacture can only be profitable if a small number of aircraft builders share the available sales. It follows that if new manufacturers come into the market and take sales, their sales must come from substitution, not expansion.
Given the complexity of today's airliners, it is unlikely that any new entrant will have both the financial and technical resources to come into the market without the involvement of an established manufacturer. In the short term, such involvement may not be to the exclusive benefit of the new entrant most of the established manufacturers are searching for ways to reduce costs of manufacture.
In the short term, it can be of benefit to an established Western manufacturer to have either components of complete air-frames made or assembled in lower-wage economics such as China, Taiwan or Korea, while retaining the design, development and marketing of aircraft for itself. It would be a very unwise Western manufacturer which did not notice the fact that these developing economies are acquiring skills (like computing) at least as quickly as they are acquiring skills in metal bashing .
The danger comes when the new entrant no longer needs the established Western partner because it has acquired the technical and intellectual ability to design and build its own aircraft. An Asian partner may well find itself in the happy position of having the low-cost labour base, the high-cost technology base and the vital financial base to build a new airliner. | high17779.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "tried to stop others making fun of her"
},
"options": [
"took no notice of her",
"laughed at her",
"said hello to her",
"tried to stop others making fun of her"
],
"question": "When the very fat girl appeared, A... | I was eleven years old, waiting for my exam at Saraswati Vidyalaya, my school in Nagpur. "No. 12, please come forward." Kirti, a very fat girl from my class, stepped ahead. I heard my classmates laughing and so I tried to stop them with my eyes. But my good intentions were mistaken. The next morning, my teacher, Mrs. Kamble, told me, "Ashwini, I've received a complaint about you." I was shocked. The girl I was protecting thought I'd been laughing at her.
I tried to explain but the teacher refused to hear me out. She punished me by making me stand by the door. I knew I was right. Such punishment to a class topper was simply unheard of. But, slowly, my pride disappeared. Instead of being angry, I understood the other students who have been punished at times. For the first time, I felt humbled .
Three years later, I was in the math class. Mr. Prabhuraman, wrote an equation -- one he'd taught us the day before -- on the blackboard. "Anyone who doesn't know how to solve this," he said, "please leave the class at once." I knew I could solve only the first two steps. But my pride made me stay there. Unfortunately, the one who was asked to solve it was me. I just stood there, chalk in hand, trying not to look foolish. I prepared myself for a good talking-to , but Mr. Prabhuraman told me kindly, "Go back to your seat."
Today, two decades later, those incidents have made me think. One teacher punished me for something I didn't do; the other forgave me for something I did wrong. Both experiences had an effect on me. They remind me that no matter what you accomplish , you must always be humble. | high3897.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The father lit a match in order to check the time."
},
"options": [
"The boy and his father discussed what to do with the big fish.",
"The boy threw the bass back into the water willingly.",
"The father lit a match in order t... | Once there was an 11-year-old boy who went fishing with his father in the middle of a New Hampshire lake. On the day before bass season opened, they were fishing early in the evening, catching other fish with worms. Then the boy tied on a small silver lure and put it into the lake. Suddenly he felt that something very big pulling on the lure. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully brought the fish beside the bank. Finally he lifted the tired fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass.
The boy and his father looked at the big fish. The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 p.m.--two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy. "You'll have to put it back, son," he said.
"Dad!" cried the boy. "There will be other fish," said his father. "Not as big as this one," cried the boy. He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were in sight in the moonlight. He looked again at his father.
Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he had caught the fish, the boy could tell from his father's voice that the decision couldn't be changed. He threw the huge bass into the black water. The big fish disappeared. The boy thought that he would never again see such a big fish.
That was 34 years ago. Today the boy is a successful architect in New York City. He often takes his own son and daughters to fish at the same place.
And he was right. He has never again caught such a large fish as the one he got that night long ago. But he does see that same fish ... again and again ... every time he has an ethical decision to make. For, as his father had taught him, ethics are simple matters of right and wrong. It is only the practice of ethics that is difficult. | high2551.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "so that you can let some warm air in"
},
"options": [
"because the light in the room is dim",
"so that you can breathe the fresh air",
"so that you can let some warm air in",
"so that you can have a good view from it"
... | Kuala Lumpur is an exciting capital city in Malaysia. Here are the top 4 budget hotels there:
The Chinatown Inn (About $30 per night)
Just a block from the railway station, located in Chinatown's open market. It has clean beds, central air conditioning, hot water for coffee and tea, and a hall with a big screen TV. Wi-Fi is good on the first 4 floors, but a little weak on Floor 5. Many guests like the Chinatown Inn. Their complaint is that the air condition is too cold, so make sure you get a room with a window. You can open it to let some warmth in.
Ancasa Express (About $45 per night).
The hotel is above the sky-train station. That makes it convenient to get to other parts of the city. From the station, take the elevator to the 5th floor to reach the hotel lobby . The rooms are clean and nice. There is a flat screen TV, the strongest Wi-Fi, and a very hot rainfall shower. The guests' complaint is that the cafe is only open for breakfast and dinner, and not 24 hours.
Central Hotel (About $35 per night)
This hotel is just two blocks from the Central Station, which is the heart of all transportation in the city--buses, trains and sky-trains all meet here. Central is where the airport-link trains will take you to the airport. From Central you can walk 2 blocks to the beautiful Central Hotel, in which rooms are small but nice and clean, and have common Wi-Fi.
Ocean 77 (About $25 per night)
On Petaling Street in Chinatown, this brand new hotel is most spotlessly clean. There is a flat screen TV and good Wi-Fi in each room. The location is good, in the heart of the Petaling Street market. No cafe in the hotel, but many nearby on the street. | high10016.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Cage was not accepted by his future mother-in-law."
},
"options": [
"Wild at Heart is funny rather than frightening",
"Cage was not accepted by his future mother-in-law.",
"A famous detective happened to help Cage and Dean.",... | H.T.B. Arts Center
FILM Tickets PS2.50 / PS 1.50. Performances at 8 pm unless started otherwise.
WILD AT HEART 127mins.
Wen 6-Fri8 February
Director: David Lynch
Starring: Nicholas Cage, Laura Dern, Willam Dafoe. A first-class film. Cage and his girlfriend Dean are on the run through the dangerous Deep South. They are hiding from gunmen who have been hired to kill Cage by Dean's mother. Victims, yes--but they also have fun. It's wild at heart, strange on top. Funny, frightening and brilliant.
DICK TRACY 113mins
Mon 11-Sat16 February 6pm
Tickets on sale 5-6 pm
Director: Warren Beatty
Starring: Warren Beatty , Madonna The famous detective tries to stop Big Boy and the Blank from taking over the city. A colorful and exciting film. Some parts are frightening, so think twice about taking children.
BATMAN 126mins
Mon11-Sat16 February 8.30pm
Tickets on sale 7.30-8.30pm
PIZZA PLUS offer 6-7pm
Director: Tim Burton
Starring: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson. A few essential questions must be asked...Is Batman a mad hero? Why does Bruce Wayne spend millions dressing up as a bat? Has Nicholson's Joker stolen the whole movie? Great action and excellent acting, especially by Nicholson. | high11308.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "introduce other trainings for students"
},
"options": [
"cut students' heavy study tasks",
"introduce other trainings for students",
"encourage students to work out",
"shorten the time of military training"
],
"... | September is a difficult month for all students as they return to continue their education, but for high school and university green hands, it is not just the heavy study tasks they need to follow. They will also go through military training, which aims to help students improve their health and help them adapt to college life. The Ministry of Education requires that universities should carry out at least 14 days' military training for freshmen.
Hou Zhengfang, an education expert, questioned the benefits of military training. "It does little to improve students' physical health over only two weeks' time," she said. "Maybe some disaster prevention training, such as earthquake survival or escaping from fires, would be of greater benefit."
A freshman who fainted during training said that many students, especially girls, are unwilling to train in direct sunshine. "For me, military training is physically challenging and even damages my health," said the 19-year-old.
Although Chu Jinjing, a Tsinghua University freshman, did feel some discomfort while training in the heat, the 18-year-old did recognize the benefits of military training. "By going through this tough training, I've become more independent and determined," said Chu. "I have also managed to make a lot of friends."
Wang Hui from Xi'an Jiaotong University sees the advantages of military training besides character building. "From senior high school to college, we join military training to start a new journey," said Wang. "I would feel a bit incomplete without it." | high19754.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "she never knew when he was coming"
},
"options": [
"he was a man difficult to please",
"she never knew when he was coming",
"she was too busy looking after her children",
"he never stayed long enough for a meal"
],
... | Maggie was very glad that James was not a frequent visitor to the house. So far as the children were concerned, they had a mystery about him that stirred their imagination. He stirred Maggie's anger, however, so that she often said to her husband, "It's mercy that brother of yours doesn't come oftener."
In fact James came once a year, unexpectedly, around eight o'clock in the evening, and he stayed for six hours of close discussion with his brother. His arrival was a signal to the children that their bedtime would be delayed. Not that he ever spoke to them or played with them. He took no notice of them, as if he was unable to see children, at least until the time came for him to go. Instead, after his first greeting and a careless kiss, James took no notice of Maggie either, except to add, "You'll be getting on with the supper, Maggie." Such was his regard for her.
Maggie paid him back in her own way. She kept the children up, the four of them, to keep her company, she said, but of course they sang and made a noise and broke the endless sound of James's voice. Very late, they dropped off to sleep in their chairs. Then, when James was about to go, Maggie woke them up and so more or less forced him to part with four shillings before he left. That gave her some satisfaction, for James, though rich, was mean. He always went home by the last train, just after two o'clock.
Maggie's children secretly stared at their uncle. They could not forget that he had, in their mother's words, "lost two wives and taken a third, " They wondered about those two unfortunate lost ladies. They asked each other what their fate had been, and if neither could ever be found again. James never brought his third wife with him nor ever mentioned her. The children decided that he must be so frightened of losing her that he never allowed her outside the door. | high4120.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He always makes foolish mistakes on social occasions."
},
"options": [
"He's the Secretary of the Interior.",
"He has more friends than other people.",
"He always makes foolish mistakes on social occasions.",
"He likes ... | Mr. Smith is well known in Washington because of his many social blunders. He always likes to attend the various social functions because he wants to expand his circle of friends. Whenever he is invited, he goes, unless he is ill.
Recently he received an invitation to a fashionable banquet. Although he did not know the hostess, he accepted the invitation. He was secretly very pleased, because he felt that his reputation as a desirable guest was growing.
When he arrived at the banquet hall, he found that about one hundred people had been invited. He began to move a-round the hall. He spoke to other guests whether he knew them or not. He soon realized that he had never met any of the other people present, although they seemed to know each other.
At dinner he was seated beside a very dignified woman. The woman tried to be friendly even though she had never met Mr. Smith before. She spoke politely whenever he spoke to her. Between the first and the second course of the meal, she, turned to Mr. Smith and said, "Do you see that gray-haired man at the end of the table? The one with glasses."
"Ah, yes. Who is he?"
"He's the Secretary of the Interior!" she replied.
Mr. Smith said, "So that's the secretary of the Interior! I' m afraid that I find very little to admire about him, although he is the Secretary."
The woman stiffened and did not reply. Mr. Smith continued in spite of her coldness. "I really can't see how he received his appointment unless he is perhaps a relative of the President."
"It hardly matters whether you like the Secretary or not," she said. "He was chosen because the President thought he was the man for the job. If he does the job well, you should have no complaint."
"That's just it," persisted Mr. Smith. "No one does the things he does, unless he is a complete fool!"
"Sir!" said the woman in all her dignity. "Do you know who I am?" "No," replied Mr. Smith.
"I am the Secretary's wife," she said coldly. Mr. Smith was shocked, but he went on in spite of his embarrassment. "Madam, do you know who I am?"
"No, I don't," the woman replied.
"Thank goodness!" exclaimed Mr. Smith, as he quickly left the table. | high7429.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Chris' lyrics showed his true love for Juliana."
},
"options": [
"Chris touched the Americans mainly for his singing.",
"Chris has always been Juliana's idol.",
"Chris was an American idol because of his love for his fiancee.... | Chris Medina was an outstanding star on a Monday night's audition of American Idol (,). He made the Americans moved for more than just his singing. Chris performed the famous band The Script's song "Breakeven" and he brought along his beloved fiancee , Juliana Ramos, who is limited to a wheelchair following a terrible car accident. There is a very touching emotional story behind them.
Chris, an amazing singer, said he fell in love with Juliana the first moment he saw her and they became engaged soon afterwards. They had planned to get married two years after getting engaged. But shortly before they could hold each other's hands into the marriage hall, Juliana, suffered from a brain injury in a tragic car accident. On the exact day they were supposed to get married, Chris shared a song he wrote for his fiancee. "I'm giving all I've got to give/ To pull you through/ In your darkest hour, I will be your light," were some of his _ lyrics.
Juliana's idol is Oprah Winfrey and Idol judge Steven could see that she remains a fan of Chris' music, accompanying him to the audition. Chris received a ticket to Hollywood, which Juliana proudly waved. While he is heading to Hollywood to pursue his dream of singing, Chris continues to take care of Juliana, alongside her mother.
Chris' love story touched more than the Americans. It reached Irish rockers The Script, who spoke highly of the young man and his songs at the audition. "Chris Medina: not only are you a major talent, but you are one in a billion! Stay strong and never give up. This world needs more men like you." the band's guitarist, Mark Sheehan, said. | high12601.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They play an important role in the London 2012 Olympics."
},
"options": [
"They'll decide whether the London 2012 Olympics are a success.",
"They play an important role in the London 2012 Olympics.",
"The London 2012 Olympics... | Like every other Olympics, the London 2012 Olympics will depend upon thousands of volunteers to help with the smooth running of the event. To show the importance of the role, London 2012 volunteers are to be called 'Game Makers'. Lord Coe has said recently: "London 2012 is relying on brilliant Game Makers to help us create a great Olympic and Paralympic Games. "
London 2012 Olympics volunteers will provide the face of London 2012, working behind the scenes and making sure the games are as well organized, efficient and, most importantly, as enjoyable as possible.
Despite the hard-work and often unsociable hours required of volunteers, applications to be considered as a Game Maker were unprecedented with all the 70, 000 available positions applied within days. But, for those still interested in helping out during 2012 and being in the middle of the action, there are still a lot of opportunities available.
If you were one of those who missed out on the chance of becoming London 2012 volunteers, you can now apply to be one of the 8, 000 London Ambassadors . This important role involves greeting fans from all over the world, welcoming them to the fantastic capital city of London and providing a friendly face as well as help, advice and a good old traditional warm British welcome. The view of London most visitors take away with them after the 2012 Olympics will mostly _ the volunteers and ambassadors, so these roles play a very important part in the process of making the UK a great place to travel to.
Becoming a London Ambassador is a brilliant way to be involved with the London 2012 volunteers scheme and become a part of what should be an historic summer. | high1058.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Are only children different?"
},
"options": [
"Are only children lonely?",
"Are only children common?",
"Are only children dangerous?",
"Are only children different?"
],
"question": "Which of the following could... | "Oh,you must have been a spoiled kid.You must be really bossy.I wonder what you're going to be like to deal with?" That's often the response Angela Hult gets when people find out she's an only child,she told ABC News.Despite such negative remarks,Hult has decided to have only one child herself.And she's not alone.
According to the US' Office for National Statistics,women approaching the end of their childbearing years had an average of 1.9 children in 2004,compared with 3.1 for their counterparts in 1976.The percentage of onechild families in Britain had risen from 18 percent in 1972 to 26 percent in 2007.
But even though only children are becoming increasingly common,the traditional view that they're selfish,spoiled and lack social skills holds strong.Even parents of only children,like Hult,are made to feel guilty about having only one child.Worried that they're being selfish and endangering their child's future,they flock to online discussion forums seeking advice.Soon,however,they ask themselves:is this social prejudice really reasonable?
"There have been hundreds and hundreds of research studies that show that only children are no different from their peers ," Susan Newman,a social psychologist at Rutgers University in the US,told ABC News.
This raises another question:why are only children still viewed with such suspicion?
"There is a belief that's been around probably since humans first existed that to have just one child is somehow dangerous,both for you and for the continuation of your race," Toni Falbo,a professor of educational psychology,told the Guardian."In the past a lot of children died.You'd have had to be crazy to only have one."
Times,of course,have changed and infant mortality has largely reduced.So what do only children themselves say?
Kayley Kravitz,a blogger for The Huffington Post,grew up as an only child and highly recommends the experience."Being an only child taught me the most valuable skill of all:the ability to be alone," she said. | high6737.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It tastes quite delicious."
},
"options": [
"It is popular among the neighbors.",
"It contains honey and vegetables.",
"It looks very wonderful.",
"It tastes quite delicious."
],
"question": "What can we infer a... | Nothing could stop Dad. After he was put on disability for a bad back, he bought a small farm in the country, just enough to grow food for the family. He planted vegetables, fruit trees and even kept bees for honey.
And every week he cleaned Old Man McColgin's chicken house in exchange for manure. The smell really burned the inside of your nose. When we complained about the terrible smell, Dad said the stronger the manure, the healthier the crops, and he was right. For example, just one of his cantaloupes filled the entire house with its sweet smell, and the taste was even sweeter.
As the vegetables started coming in, Dad threw himself into cooking. One day, armed with a basket of vegetables, he announced he was going to make stew. Dad pulled out a pressure cooker and filled it up with cabbages, eggplants, potatoes, corns, onions and carrots. For about half an hour, the pressure built and the vegetables cooked. Finally, Dad turned off the stove, the pot began to cool and the pressure relief valve sprayed out a cloud of steam. If we thought Dad's pile of chicken manure was bad, this was 10 times worse. When Dad took off the lid, the smell nearly knocked us out.
Dad carried the pot out and we opened doors and windows to air out the house. Just how bad was it? The neighbors came out of their houses to see if we had a gas leak!
Determined, Dad filled our plates with steaming stew and passed them around it didn't look that bad, and after the first wave had shut down my ability to smell, it didn't _ the nose so much, edible, and we drank up every last drop of soup! | high14270.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "teachers"
},
"options": [
"nurses",
"managers",
"trainees",
"teachers"
],
"question": "From the ad above, it seems that the company wants _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Company: KinderCare
Location: US-TX-College Station
Base Pay: 600$ ,.
Employee Type: Full-Time Employee
Industry: Education-Teaching-Management
Job Type: Education
Required Education: 2 Years Degree
Required Experience: At Least 1 Year
Jobs So Desirable, We Hate To Call It Work... Looking for a great opportunity and the chance to make a difference? KinderCare Learning Centers is the leading for-profit provider of early childhood educational services and care in the country with nearly 120,000 children enrolled. KinderCare's training is the key to providing high quality education and care for children 6 weeks to 12 years old. We are looking for devoted, responsible, and creative people for full-time and part-time positions at our centers located in College Station and Bryan, TX. REQUIREMENTS
Successful applicants will possess a High School diploma or GED, and at least 1 year of childcare experience. You must also have 12 credits in Early Childhood Education or be now enrolled in ECE classes and possess 6 credits in ECE.
We offer a wonderful work environment! If you have previous education and/or experience in childcare and a love for children, we want to hear from you! Salary goes with experience and position.
KinderCare offers a comprehensive benefits package, a competitive salary, and childcare discount. KinderCare is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
To apply, please contact us at:
Kinder Care Learning Centers
1711 Village Drive
College Station, TX 77840
Fax: (979) 696-6616
Email: [ Click here for email ] www. kindercare. corn | high6051.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he wasn't sure whether Bruce was right and was anxious to go home"
},
"options": [
"he was sure there would be nothing to happen",
"he wasn't sure whether Bruce was right and was anxious to go home",
"he didn't hear his frien... | One bitterly cold day, a snowstorm blew into our area. Needing firewood, I quickly set out with my best friend, Bruce, to look for a tree to cut down. I was glad to have Bruce along. Cutting down a tree in a snowstorm can be dangerous. So it was important to have a friend who could warn me of dangers.
When I chose a big 23-meter-tall tree and prepared to cut it down, my best friend suddenly warned me, "Don't cut down that tree! It's too close to the power line!" I wasn't sure about it. So I decided to _ his warning. I wanted to finish the job quickly and go home. So I began cutting down the tree. When the tree fell, there was no longer any doubt that my friend was right.
The tree caught the power line, bringing it to the ground. I considered cutting the tree off the line. After all, electricity can't travel through wood, so I could safely remove the tree. As I reached out my finger to touch the tree, pain ran up my arm and through my head. I had been shocked!
After I returned home and told my mother what had happened, she quickly called the power company. Workers from the power company soon arrived on the scene. One of them asked if I had touched the tree, and when I told him I had, his face turned pale.
"You should have been killed," he said.
So why am I still alive? It was my boots that saved my life.
Within two hours, the workers removed the tree. Soon the snowstorm calmed down--but not my mother.
Even though she was glad I wasn't hurt, my mother was well serious with me. After all, I shouldn't have brushed off my friend's warning.
Through this experience, I learned that it's important to listen to people who offer a different perspective . Taking the time to listen might actually save a lot of time and trouble. It certainly would have kept me from getting the "shock of my life". | high9362.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A windbreak is a wall of trees to hold soil in place."
},
"options": [
"A windbreak is a concrete wall to prevent the strong winds.",
"A windbreak is a wood with different kinds of trees.",
"A windbreak is a wall of trees to ... | Different kinds of soil conservation methods are used by farmers to protect their land from damage by farming and the forces of nature. One important form of soil conservation is the use of windbreaks.
Windbreaks are barriers formed by trees and other plants with many leaves. Farmers plant them in lines around their fields. Windbreaks stop the wind from blowing soil away. They also keep the wind from destroying or damaging crops. They are very important for growing grains, such as wheat.
There have been studies done on windbreaks in parts of West Africa, for example. They found that grain harvests can be twenty percent higher in fields protected by windbreaks compared to fields without such protection.
However, windbreaks seem to work best when they allow a little wind to pass through. If the wall of trees and plants stops wind completely, then violent air motions will take place close to the ground. These motions will lift soil into the air where it will be blown away. For this reason, a windbreak is best if it has only sixty to eighty percent of the trees and plants needed to make a solid line.
There should be at least two lines in each windbreak. One line should be large trees. The second line, right next to it, can be shorter trees and other plants with leaves. Locally grown trees and plants are best for windbreaks. | high14516.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Loose dogs pose a great danger to wildlife."
},
"options": [
"Many species are endangered because they are killed by loose dogs.",
"Wild dogs are immune to many diseases.",
"Wolves are still the greatest enemy of livestock.",... | In the eyes of dog lovers, the dog is man's best friend. But for much wildlife, loose dogs may be a dangerous enemy, according to a study by a biologist from Utah State University in the US.
Based on much existing research and their own case studies, Julie Young of Utah State University and four other scientists conclude that loose dogs may represent a huge danger to wildlife, especially endangered species, by hunting down or worrying them and by spreading diseases. They also found that dogs, their worldwide numbers around 500 million, can cause more damage to wildlife and livestock than wolves and other enemies of these animals.
Young gave examples from the US state of Idaho, where research showed the presence of dogs reducing some deer populations. On the Navajo American Indians' reservation in northeastern Arizona, packs of loose dogs are chasing livestock. They have killed populations of small animals such as rabbits and act as a disease carrier for rabies among people and other animals, she said. Loose dogs also were to blame for distemper outbreak leading to a die-off of endangered black-footed ferrets in northwestern Wyoming in the 1980s.
The phenomenon is not just limited to US; it's a global problen. Julie Young once studied three endangered species in central Asia: wild sheep, gazelles and antelope. The rate of injury and death to these animals by loose dogs was very high. In another case, Young found that dogs, not wolves, as originally suspected, were responsible for a large number of livestock killings in the mountainous Basque country between Spain and France.
Authors of the new study said the problem is likely to worsen as communities expand. Then how to deal with it?
Indeed, in many countries, leash laws permit punishment of dog owners whose pets chase wildlife. But lawbreakers are rarely punished because the police lack both people and money.
Young has low-cost solutions to the problem for dog lovers, though. They include public dog-training programs and vaccinating dogs against rabies and other illnesses. | high12167.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "write your own stories in the book"
},
"options": [
"ask the author questions",
"write your own stories in the book",
"have a chance to see beautiful photos",
"read many interesting stories about the author"
],
... | Diary of a Do - It - Yourself Book
This book based on Greg Hefley's own "diary" lets kids express themselves in an exciting way. In the book, kids will be asked: What was the best dream you have ever had? The worst thing you have ever eaten? The best secret you have ever heard? This Do - It - Yourself Book is unique and special because it has blank pages for readers to write their own stories and keep their own diaries.
Author: Jeff Kinney
List Price: $10.95
Price: $6.57 Buy it on Amazon.com.
You save: $4.38(40%)
Train to Somewhere
Marianne, heading west with fourteen other children on a train, is sure her mother will show up at one of the stations along the way. Stop after stop goes by, and there is no sign of her mother in the crowds that come to look over the children. No one shows any interest in adopting shy Marianne, either. But that is all right. She has to be free for her mother to claim her. Then the train stopped at its final stop, a town called Somewhere...
Author: Eve Bunting
List Price: $6.95
Price: $6.95 Buy it on Amazon.com.
You save: $0.00(0%)
Chinese Children's Favorite Stories
This volume of beloved Chinese stories contains a delightful selection from the rich store of Chinese legend. Discover many delightful animal characters as well as Chang'e and Guan Yin. Retold for an international audience, the stories with beautiful pictures will give children aged six to ten in other countries a chance to learn about both the tradition and culture of China.
Author: Mingmei Yip
List Price: $18.95
Price: $12.89 Buy it on Amazon.com.
You save: $6.06(32%)
The Way Science Works
The perfect introduction to show how science explains the world around us! Eye-opening experiments and extraordinary photography bring science to life. Discover science in action from the principles that explain everyday facts to the theories behind the technology in today's fast-moving world. Full of facts about famous scientists, technology news and more.
Author: Robin Kerrod
List Price: $24.99
Price: $16.49 Buy it on Amazon.com.
You save: $8.50(34%) | high16301.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "their homes can't hold many people"
},
"options": [
"they need to share the bill equally",
"it is a traditional custom in Japan",
"dishes in restaurants are delicious",
"their homes can't hold many people"
],
"q... | In Japan, people will often go out to restaurants to treat guests. The reason for this is that Japanese homes are small. If you go out to eat with your workmates, it is a custom to share the bill equally, no matter how much you eat or drink yourself.
Japanese people use chopsticks to eat. But if you eat out, you can ask for a fork or a knife. These words have been adopted from the English language into Japanese. So if you say "fork" or "knife" to a waiter, he will probably understand you. If you eat in an expensive restaurant, waiters will usually place a hot towel on your table at the end of your meal. You can wipe your face and hands with this towel.
In Japan, you can see some people slurp their noodles. It is considered rude in Western restaurants, but is acceptable in Japan. Western people usually blow on hot noodles first and then eat them, while Japanese do the cooling down gesture when they actually eat. Many feel noodles do not taste good if they are cooled with the air. It is also normal to lift the noodle or soup bowl to mouth so that food doesn't spill.
Eating with chopsticks requires proper manners. Never leave your chopsticks standing upright, especially not on rice. It is a symbol of death, and people will find this impolite if you are not at a funeral . Never wave your chopsticks around, nor use them to move dishes around. If you are eating from a common bowl, use the back end of the chopsticks that you have not put in your mouth to dish the food out. | high3129.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "treasure their lifetime to fulfill their own business"
},
"options": [
"be brave when facing a cancer",
"treasure their lifetime to fulfill their own business",
"know a sorrowful experience of his won",
"know how he tre... | About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas . I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which was doctor's code for preparing to die. It meant to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It meant to make sure everything was buttoned up so that it would be as easy as possible for your family. It meant to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy . I was calm, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This is the closest I've been to facing death. No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by the principle -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. _ somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. | high2237.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he wanted to use the information to create a website"
},
"options": [
"he didn't want to become a writer",
"the book was not about rainforest protection",
"he wanted to use the information to create a website",
"making ... | Twelve years ago,a young traveler named Rhett Butler from San Francisco,California, visited the Sabah rainforest on Malaysian Borneo. In one area of the rainforest,he watched a bird flying through the trees. The beautiful sight lett quite an impression on him. But weeks later,back home, Rhett Butler got the news that trees had been cut down in the area hevisi1ed.
That experience led Rhett Butler to begin writing a book about rainforests and threats to their existence. But he did not publish the book. Instead, in 1999, he used his research for the book to create a website,Mongabay. com. His purpose was to inform the public about tropical rainforests. But the subject quickly developed. As a former businessman,he became a respected writer of science and environmental stories.
The popularity of Mongabay. com attracted advertisers. Small ads on the site pay for its operations. Mongabay. com has grown and led to other sites. For example,there is a site for children which is called Kids. Mongabay. com. Another one,WildMadangascar. o rg, is allabout the island nation that Rhett Butler calls his favorite place.
To keep his website going, he travels around the world on several major trips each year. His working tools are a laptop computer,cameras and sometimes diving equipment. He often calls on experts for information. For example,he interviewed Alison Jolly,a top expert on lemurs . He interviewed Rodney Jackson,a biologist who established the Snow Leopard Conservancy.
Stories like these have made Mongabay a favorite place on the Internet for researchers, students and teachers. In April, Time, com named it one of the fifteen top climate and environment websites in the world. | high10770.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "maybe you will buy some"
},
"options": [
"maybe you will buy some",
"you will not look at it",
"you will buy diary products",
"maybe it is on sale"
],
"question": "When you walk by the expensive meat, _ .",
... | People in cities all over the world shop in supermarkets. When you enter the supermarket, you see shelves full of food. You walk in the aisles, pushing your shopping cart. You probably hear soft, slow music in the supermarket. This kind of music is playing to relax you and make you walk slowly. Thus, you will probably stay longer and buy more food.
Where do you go in the supermarket when you first arrive? Many people go to the meat section first. This area of the store has many different kinds of meat. Some kinds are expensive and others are not. Usually, some kinds of meat are on sale. So it has a special low price. The manager of the store knows where the customers usually enter the meat section. The meat on sale is usually at the other end of the section, away from where the customers enter. If you want to buy this specially priced meat, you have to walk by the more expensive meat first. Maybe you will see something that you want to buy before you reach the cheaper, inexpensive meat. Then you will spend more money in the meat section.
The diary section sells milk that is low in fat. Some supermarkets sell three different containers of low-fat milk. Each container looks different, but each contains the same product. One says "1% fat", one says "99% fat free" and one says "low-fat" in big letters and "1%"in very small letters. If you look carefully you can see that all the milk has the same amount of fat, and each container is the same size. The prices of all these three should be the same. However, in many stores these three containers of milk would each have a different price. The store will make more money if a customer chooses the milk that costs the most.
Most of the food in supermarkets is very attractive. People often stop to look at the products in attractive containers. But remember, many products will say, "Buy me!". Stop and think which ones are the best value for your money. | high5558.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "that welcomes people from all over the world"
},
"options": [
"that welcomes people from all over the world",
"where citizens take more pride in their original culture",
"that is mostly settled by Europeans and Africans",
... | The United States of America is the most culturally diverse country in the world in terms of culture religion, ethnicity and sexual orientation. As a combination of various races and cultures, America is home to all. The culture here is so unique that citizens can be just as proud of their original cultural heritage as they are to be American.
What is now the US was initially inhabited by native people until the land was settled by various European groups and African slaves. Since the 20th century, the country has become a heaven for people from all over the globe .
The arrival of immigrants has shifted populations from rural areas into cities because immigrants tend to settle in urban areas. At present, 81 percent of the inhabitants in the US live in cities.
Cultural and ethnic diversity adds a unique flavor to cities that is expressed through distinct neighborhoods, restaurants, places of worship, museums, nightlife and multicultural learning environments.
Unique musical forms, such as jazz, rock and roll, Chicano music, and the blues, grow in the US by mixing a variety of culturally distinct musical traditions to create a new form.
At the executive level, the country is headed by a mixedrace president; two posts on the Supreme Court are held by members of the country's two largest minorities.There is also diversity in state and local governments.
Without its rich mixture of races and cultures, America would not be the nation that it is today. Founded upon the basis of equality and freedom, America acts as a stage where different cultures not only coexist peacefully, but develop well. | high23392.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because sunlight is highly focused in the desert."
},
"options": [
"Because the temperature is extremely high in the desert.",
"Because there is no life in the desert.",
"Because there is much salt in the desert.",
"Bec... | The world's largest solar thermal plant is set to begin producing power in the United States by the end of the year. Wind and energy from the sun are generally considered clean, unlike energy from coal-burning power stations. However, environmentalists now worry that too much solar power development could harm the local environment.
A California company -- BrightSource Energy is building a huge solar power plant in the Mojave desert, about 60 kilometers southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The plant is known as the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. Joe Desmond works for the company. "This is actually one of the highest concentrations of sunlight in the world, out here in Ivanpah." explained Desmond. BrightSource Energy will deploy 170,000 specially designed mirrors to direct solar energy towards boilers on top of three power towers. The steam produced in the boilers will drive turbine to make electricity. Joe Desmond says the steam can reach temperatures of more than 260 degrees Celsius. "We can store the sun's thermal energy in the form of molten salt, so we can produce electricity even when the sun goes down. There is a lot of interest in concentrating solar power around the globe in environmnents where you have lots of sun, such as China, South Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, explained Desmond.
Environmentalists generally support the idea of solar power, however, many are concerned about the effect of power plants on sensitive environment. Lisa Belenky is a lawyer with the Center for Biological Diversity, a private group. She says environmentalists are specifically worried about the effect of the Ivanpah Solar Project on the sensitive plant and animal life in that part of Mojave desert. "Even though the desert seems big, when you start cutting it up, it can really affect how the species and the animals and the plants are able to survive in the long run,"said Lisa Belenky. BrightSource Energy has already spent more than $ 50 million to move endangered desert tortoises away from the power plant. but Lisa Belenky says this is not the answer. "We should be reusing areas that have a1ready been disturbed, like old mining sites, for example...either on homes, on businesses, parking lots." said Belenky.
There have also been reports of birds dying at the Ivanpah Plant and others like it.
Some birds die after colliding with solar equipment which the animals mistake for water. Other birds were killed or suffered burns after flying through the intense heat at the solar thermal plant. As solar projects increase, environmentalists and developers are considering what to do to reduce bird death. | high6079.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "of her own will"
},
"options": [
"of her own will",
"to play a joke on him",
"at the request of charley",
"to teach Charley a lesson"
],
"question": "Wanda turned Charley from a frog into a prince _",
"ques... | One morning, Charley, a little green frog, was sitting in a pond by the side of the road.
Wanda, the neighborhood witch , was walking along the road. She was a good witch and dreamt to become a fairy godmother who can save people from trouble with magic powers. Wanda had been learning fairy godmother magic for 103 years. That morning, she decided to try the magic she had learned and bring happiness to others.
Seeing Wanda, Charley cried, "Hi, Wanda."
"Hi, Charley," replied Wanda, "I have a surprise for you."
Then, Wanda waved her wand , said a magic word, and Charley turned into a prince!
When Charley-turned-prince looked at himself in the water, he cried, "Hey! You turned me into a prince! It's a surprise all right, but I don't want to be a prince! Change me back right now!"
"Oh, dear," Wanda said. "you shouted so loud that I forgot the way to change you back. But who wouldn't rather be a prince?"
"I wouldn't!" cried Charley. "I want to be a frog!" He stuck out his tongue, missing a bug flying by the end of his nose. "Look at that, Wanda! I was a good fly catcher. But now, this tongue is too short! Please change me back!"
"I can't, Charley. But you'll learn to be happy as a prince." She waved her wand, and suddenly a castle appeared. Out of the castle dozens of musicians were playing various instruments. "Charley! You'll have servants, eat delicious foods, and you can sing and dance and snap fingers ."
"No!" Charley interrupted. "I don't want all these! I want bugs!" Charley cried. "I don't want to sing and dance! And why would I do something as silly as snapping my fingers?"
"Snapping fingers!" cried out Wanda. "That's what I forgot!" She snapped her fingers, cried "Upsi-doodle!" and the castle and musicians disappeared and the prince became a little green frog."
Charley looked at himself in the water. " _ , Wanda. Oh, happy day! I'm a frog."
"I must apologize, Charley," Wanda said, "you are a happy frog. I should know this a moment ago." | high1716.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "World Slow Day"
},
"options": [
"Slow Life Supporters",
"Lifestyle of Italy",
"World Slow Day",
"Living Well"
],
"question": "What's the best title of the text?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer":... | Italians were reminded to slow down and relax on World Slow Day, an annual event celebrating life's simple pleasures.
"Let's take this day to stop and think about all the things we miss while we're rushing through our lives," said Bruno Contigiani, the President of the Art of Living Slowly Association. Contigiani, 62, a one-time high-powered manager, is now an ambassador for the slow life movement around the world. He started the first World Slow Day in 2007 to encourage the values of living and working at a more natural pace, and to make people rethink their daily lifestyle.
Contigiani's association suggests "14 commandments " for living better, such as waking up five minutes earlier to enjoy breakfast without rushing. Others include walking whenever possible, and reading in the evenings instead of watching television.
This year, Contigiani left Italy where the event has spread around the country for Shanghai, one of the fastest moving cities in the world. The slow-living supporter said he wandered around the busiest streets of the commercial center for an entire afternoon, inviting people to "slow down". "Among the '14 commandments', the one about waking up five minutes earlier was the most popular by far, " Contigiani said.
Back in Italy, the now well-known event hosts a lot of activities, such as reminding people to stop and smell the roses. In central Milan you would probably be fined if you walk too fast. In parks and public spaces, free yoga and Tai Chi lessons are important parts of the events.
Italian farmers' union noted that Italians spent less and less time preparing meals, a habit connected to rising levels of obesity . Therefore, the group said World Slow Day was a good opportunity to remind Italians to take extra time at meals in particular.
World Slow Day is by now an international event. A total of 90 "Slow Cities" in 11 countries inspired by the "live well" philosophy are supporting the day. | high8054.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To keep the cultural variety of the city."
},
"options": [
"To provide different forms of amusement.",
"To keep the cultural variety of the city.",
"To inspire its immigrant community.",
"To satisfy its immigrant mercha... | Fidenzio Salvatori is determined that the city of Toronto will have an outdoor marketplace for merchants from its immigrant community, complete with dancing and other forms of amusement form their native countries. "Toronto is truly multicultural ," he said in a newspaper interview. "It's a city from many places, and multicultural marketplace will help Torontonians to understand and appreciate the rich variety of cultural groups in our city."
Salvatori, aged 23, will soon complete his studies at the University of Toronto. He was eleven years old when he came to Canada from Italy with his parents. "Most of Toronto's immigrants are from lands where the marketplace has always been part of daily life," he said.
Salvatori has been interested in getting an open-air market for Toronto for the last three years. This year, with the help of two fellow students, he prepared a proposal on the subject and presented it to the city's Executive committee, asking for their support. The proposal pointed out Toronto's rich variety of national groups, "whose customs include market shopping."
Under a Canadian government program for multiculturalism, the three students have received two thousand dollars with which they will do a study to find out whether Toronto's immigrant businessmen would support an open-air market. They hope the merchants will support the plan strongly. "A study done earlier this year showed that 90 percent of shoppers would be in favor of it," Salvatori said. "At first it would be an experiment. But we think it will prove to be good business for the merchants, as well as tourist attraction." | high7367.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to help people choose activities and events they're interested in"
},
"options": [
"to tell people how to spend their holidays at home",
"to design some activities for event organizers",
"to help people choose activities and ... | Finding something to do during the school holidays isn't always easy, but one mum has set up a new website to help families find activities and events in Norfolk.
Fiona Anthony of Bawburgh, near Norwich, was persuaded by her friends to set up the website, Info4Families, when they noticed she always knew what events were happening in the county .
"I am always looking for things to keep my children _ and Norfolk has such a lot going on," she said.
Detail from Info4Families
"But I found it quite difficult to get information about events and activities for children and families, as there was no central information point and it would often involve collecting leaflets and checking notice boards at different places.
"So I decided to set up a website which would allow people to find things to do, without leaving home," she added.
Fiona was also concerned that some events she had booked had to be cancelled because not enough people wanted to go.
"It is a real shame that some parents can't find the events and some event organisers don't get the numbers they need. I want to help bring the two together," said Fiona.
The website gives details on regular, one-off and free events, and includes activities which children can do on their own or with the family.
Parents can look for activities by category and by age so that they can find events suitable for their children's interests and needs. The site also links to local places of interest, such as libraries, museums and cinemas. | high10980.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the video of them singing \"In the Spring\" was posted on the Internet."
},
"options": [
"they sang the song \"In the Spring\" with a star composer Wang Feng.",
"the video of them singing \"In the Spring\" was posted on the Interne... | Two Chinese farmers who became an overnight hit when their heart-rending version of a famous pop song appeared on the Internet took to the stage in front of thousands of fans in Shanghai last Saturday.
Wang Xu, 44,and Liu Gang, 29, sang "In the Spring" alongside the song's star composer Wang Feng, in front of about 80,000 people at the Shanghai Stadium. The audience buzzed with excitement and let out deafening cheers, the moment as they were introduced on the stage and then when Liu started the first sentence of their parts of the song.
The two migrant workers became stars after singing the tearjerker song during an evening drinking session in a 6-square-meter rented room in a late August evening. A friend recorded the performance on a cell phone and posted it on the Internet.
"If someday I am dead, please bury me in the spring," they sing. Wang's penetrating chorus, delivered with his eyes closed, has moved thousands to tears.
Wang and Liu consider the song a true portrait of lower-class groups like themselves. "With no credit card, no girlfriend, or a home with hot water, but only a guitar, I am singing happily, on streets, under bridges or in wild country, though nobody pays attention to the music," they sing.
To support his wife and two sons, Wang came to Beijing in 2000 from the countryside and has worked as a boiler man, and street peddler, before becoming a medical warehouse keeper, with a monthly pay of around 1,500 yuan. Little is left after he pays 600 yuan for rent and buys food.
Liu came to Beijing in 2002. "I wanted to try my luck in the big city, " he said. He had worked as a guard, roadside peddler, and porter, but never had a stable job. Street performing was his main income, even after he married and became a father three years ago.
Wang and Liu are still uncertain where their fame will lead. Wang has started learning to use a computer. They even have a micro blog account to communicate with fans. | high21585.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "His mother offered him nice food."
},
"options": [
"lie lived in a nest in the tree.",
"He was always cold and hungry.",
"He lived very happily with friends.",
"His mother offered him nice food."
],
"question": ... | Once there was a baby eagle living in a nest on a cliff .The baby eagle loved his nest.It was warm, soft and comfortable.And even better, he had all the food and love that his mother could give.Whenever the baby eagle was hungry, his mother would always come just in time with the delicious food he liked.
He was growing happily day after day.But suddenly his world eagle changed.His mother stopped coming to the nest, he was full of sadness and fear.He thought he would die soon.He cried, but nobody heard him.
Two days later mother appeared with some nice food.The baby eagle was wild with joy.But his mother put the food at the top of the mountain and then looked down at her baby.
The baby eagle cried out, "Mum, why did you do this to me? I'm hungry.Don't you know I will die if I have nothing to eat?"
"Here is the Last meal I give you.Come and get it by yourself." his mother said.Then she flew down and pushed the baby eagle out of the nest.
The baby eagle fell down, faster and faster.He looked up at his mum." Why do you abandon me?" He looked down at the earth.The ground was much closer.Then something strange happened.The air caught behind his arms and he began to fly! He wasn't moving to the ground any more.Instead, his eyes were pointed up at the sun.
You are flying! You can make it!" His mother smiled. | high11446.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "3."
},
"options": [
"3.",
"4.",
"5.",
"6."
],
"question": "According to the passage, how many kids does the family have at least?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | I was thirteen when my father got hurt.Looking back over the years, I sometimes wonder what I could have done differently that day.Spit twice over my shoulder when I saw the single magpie , maybe.But that's the thing about superstitions .You don't know how much power they have until you break them.
We lived in a dark shabby house in Bucks.Wood blocks laid over dirt on the floor.That part of England was full of cherry trees.Chalky soil.
The rice had caught in the bottom of the pot that morning at breakfast and all I could smell was burned rice.Even now when I think of that day I have the taste of burned rice in my mouth.
"I'm going to cut down the old cherry tree," my father announced.
"You've been saying that for years," said my mother lightly touching the end of her nose.Her nose ran all year long.Her arms rested on the table, a cup of tea placed between her hands, steam rising into the air."You'll never get round to it."
My stomach, balled into a tight little knot relaxed itself.
"Millie's going to cry if you cut it down," said my younger brother, Simon, his eyes bright as a fox."Silly Millie, silly Millie."
"Hold your noise," said my father patting Simon on the head."And put back that butter.That's a week's ration you've got on your plate."
"The war's over," said Simon in a low voice."We haven't had rationing for ages." Simon was right.Even sugar had come off points.However, we still occasionally received food parcels from distant cousins in Canada.
My father glared at him and then went on.
"Pigs.Burt says he'll come and help me take the tree down if he can have some of the wood."
"No," I said springing to my feet."You can't do it.That's my tree.Always has been.Always will be.I won't let you."
Tom, took a piece of toast, watching my reaction.My older brother, he knew what the tree meant to me.
"Now then, Millie," said my father softening his face."That tree's wild.It's in the way." | high20843.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "see its colour"
},
"options": [
"see its colour",
"see its heat",
"not see its colour",
"see nothing"
],
"question": "When something reflects light, we can _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | What is colour? Why do some of the things around us look red, some green, others blue?
Colours are really made by reflected light. We see colour because most of the things reflect light. Something is red, for it reflects most of the red light. In the same way, if something is green, it reflects most of the green light. If something reflects all light, it is white. If it doesn't reflect any light, it is black.
Some of the light is reflected and some is taken in and turned into heat .The darker the colour is, the less light is reflected, the more light is taken in. So dark-coloured clothes are warmer in the sun than light-coloured clothes. | high3101.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "has little moisture and no lakes or rivers."
},
"options": [
"is sandy.",
"has the same temperature as a desert.",
"has little moisture and no lakes or rivers.",
"there are no people there."
],
"question": "Anta... | The Antarctica is actually a desert. It is the only continent on the earth without a river or a lake.
The Antarctica is all ice all year round. The warmest temperature ever recorded there is zero, at the South Pole. Explorers used to think that a place so cold would have a heavy snowfall. But less than ten inches of snow falls each year. That is less than half an inch of water. Ten times that much moisture falls in parts of the Sahara.
The little snow that falls in Antarctica never melts. It continues to pile up deeper and deeper year after year and century after century. When the snow gets to be about eighty feet deep it is turned to ice by the weight of snow above it . | high10758.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "feel it harder to experience happiness"
},
"options": [
"will take fewer risks in pursuing happiness",
"feel it harder to experience happiness",
"combine their happiness less with others",
"tend to believe responsibilit... | When asked about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, an delight, which seems to get rarer the older we get.
For kids, happiness has a magical quality. Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved .
In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes. Suddenly it's conditional on such things as excitement, love and popularity. I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party.
In adulthood the things that bring deep joy----love, marriage, birth----also bring responsibility and the risk of loss. For adults, happiness is complicated
My definition for happiness is "the capacity for enjoyment". The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are. It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends, the freedom to live where we pleased, and even good health.
I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday. First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunch-box and had the house to myself. Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which I love. When the kids and my husband came home, I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.
Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work. I don't think that my grandmother, who raised 14 children, had much of either. She did have a network of close friends and family, and maybe this is what satisfied her.
We, however, with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area, have turned happiness into one more thing we've got to have. We've so self-conscious about our "right" to it that it's making us miserable. So we pursue it and equal it with wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren't necessarily happier
Happiness isn't about what happens to us----it's about how we see what happens to us. It's the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative. It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do own. | high18304.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "damaging the structure of their leaves"
},
"options": [
"exposing them to strong sunlight",
"damaging the structure of their leaves",
"adding more pores to the roots",
"making the land unfit for the plants to grow"
... | As people in Beijing and northern China struggle with severe air pollution this winter,the toxic air is also making life hard for plants and even food crops of China.
"in the last 50 years there has been a 1 6-fold increase in ozone pollution"in the Beijing area,said Hanqin Tian of Auburn University in Alabama,who studies the effects of China's pollution and climate change on plants.
Ozone is particularly harmful to plants because it damages the pores on leaves,called stomata,which plants use to regulate how much water evaporates from the leaves.That,in turn,affectS how much water a plant must take up through its roots.Changes in water uptake by plants have been documented in other parts of the world,including the United States,as having major impacts on regional groundwater and surface water supplies.
In studies of the long-term productivity of plants,Hanqin Tian and some of his colleagues show that ozone pollution,along with climate change,has been lowering plant productivity in China,which reduces the amount of carbon and other pollutants that the plants Can absorb to fight all the emissions from the burning offossil fuels.
The worst effects on plants are likely to be in areas where the growing pollution problem is just fairly new, said Arthur Chappelka, also a plant researcher at Auburn University.Some plants are more resistant to pollutants than others,he said,and the plants that are living today in long-polluted urban areas are likely to be only those that are very pollution tolerant.
Away from the cities, however, where crops are necded to feed China's yast population, the effeets of the growing pollution on crops is a significant concern.
"In some ways it affects the crop production and food securiy of China,"said Hanqin Tian."Air quality is really important for human health, plants and ecosystem and sustainability."
The problem is bound to get worse as China continues to develop economically, he said, and so he and other researchers continue to urge the Chinese government to take action to reduce emissions from cars and industries. | high5570.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Louis Braille developed a reading method for blind people."
},
"options": [
"Louis Braille developed a reading method for blind people.",
"Louis Braille became blind as he was a child.",
"Blind people can read any books they ... | Louis Braille, Alphabet Maker
Blind people can read. They do so by running their fingers along a line of raised points or dots on paper. Of course, they first have to learn the code. Here are some examples of it. One dot stands for the letter "A." Two dots side by side mean "C." Four dots arranged to look like a box (: :) stand for the letter "G." By placing the dots in special patterns, all the letters of the alphabet can be formed.
This code was made up by a Frenchman called Louis Braille. Though he could see at birth, he became sightless when he was only three. Braille was cutting leather in his father's shop. His knife slipped and cut his eye. Infection spread to both eyes, and he became blind.
At 10, he was placed in a home for the blind. But young Louis had great talent. He became a skilled musician and soon got a job as a church organist in Paris.
Because he had talent and was quick, he became a teacher at a school for the blind. While there, he heard that an army captain had sent messages to his gun crews so they could read them at night without light. His messages were in the simple form of raised dots and dashes. This was the clue Louis needed. At the age of 15, he worked out his own six-dot code. Each group of dots is called a cell. The cells are three dots high and two dots wide. For the rest of his life, Braille taught his young flock to read both written and musical works using his code.
For the last 17 years of his life, Braille was ill with tuberculosis . He died at the age of 43. France honored him by placing his remains in the famous Pantheon in Paris. | high18462.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because weightless pieces of food might make trouble when they travel around."
},
"options": [
"Because small pieces of food would fall down to the floor.",
"Because weightless pieces of food might make trouble when they travel aro... | Another thing an astronaut has to learn about is eating in space.Food is weightless, just as men are.
Food for space has to be packed in special ways.Some of it goes into tubes that a man can squeeze into his mouth.Bite-sized cookies are packed in plastic.
There is a good reason for covering each bite.The plastic keeps pieces of food from traveling in the spaceship.On the earth very small pieces of food would simply fall to the floor.But gravity doesn't pull them to the floor when they are out of the plastic in a spaceship.They move here and there and can get into a man's eyes or into the spaceship's instruments. If any of the instruments is blocked, the astronauts may have trouble getting safely home.
As astronauts travel on longer space trips, they must take time to sleep. An astronaut can fit himself to his seat with a kind of seat belt. Or, if he wants to, he can sleep in a sleeping bag which is fixed in place under his seat.But be careful he must put his hands under the belt when he goes to sleep.This is because he is really afraid that he might touch one of controls that isn't supposed to be touched until later. | high5216.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "encourage people to visit Newcastle"
},
"options": [
"advertise the local soccer team",
"encourage people to visit Newcastle",
"introduce the lifestyle in Newcastle",
"describe the long history of Newcastle"
],
... | Newcastle, one of the fastest developing cities in the United Kingdom, is beginning to draw tourists from all corners of Europe. It's said most visitors come here to see the famous soccer team play. The mood of the locals is often changed by the success or failures of the local team.
Newcastle's most popular place is the Gate, which is in the center of the city and has many attractions including bars, restaurants, sports bars, pubs and so on. During a home game it becomes a real home to happiness.
Culture and local history lovers can make their dreams come true by taking one of the local city tour buses. _ come and leave every few minutes and stop at all the important historical sites in the city. Also the seats and the environment on the buses are comfortable. It's the best way to see the city without tiring yourself out or getting cold. Places such as the Hancock Museum and Millennium Bridge are must-see attractions. But be careful if you're short of time. Newcastle is a big place, so you should be prepared to kill a few hours on one of these buses.
If you want to watch the local team play soccer in the St. James Park, remember to book a ticket as early as possible. The locals are crazy soccer fans, and you'll find it hard to get a ticket if you don't wait in the queue early.
As you can see, Newcastle is a fantastic city with so much to be offered and so many things to see. You're sure to have a wonderful time here! | high2579.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Innova Junior College"
},
"options": [
"the National University of Singapore",
"Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao",
"the Saint Andrew's Junior College",
"Innova Junior College"
],
"question": "The competition was ... | Only three local students won Chinese Blog Competition. And 15 of the 18 awards went to students from China.
170 students' task: to get a fully-designed blog up and running, complete with many postings based on a theme of choice--all written in Chinese.
Themes ranged from local opinions-such as the usage of Singlish, education and whether Singapore can be a cultural centre-to food blogs.
The entries were judged on Language proficiency and the quality of writing, as well as the design and level of exchanging ideas with readers.
Academics from the National University of Singapore and the SIM University IT experts, and a journalist from Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore made up the judges.
In the end, only three Singaporean students made it to the award list--the rest of the awards were swept up by students from China.
"No surprise, " said Mr. Chow Yaw Long, 37, teachers in charge from Innova Junior College, which organized the event. "Although the topics were local subjects, the foreign students were generally better in terms of the content of the posts and their grasp of the Chinese language. "
One of the three local students winning the first prize in the Best Language Award was blogger Christina Gao 19, from the Saint Andrew's Junior College, who spared no effort in researching for and writing her blog. Each entry took her between five and seven days to produce, complete with pictures and even podcasts
Her advice for bloggers is: Be responsible
"Some bloggers out there only seek to blame the authorities and other bloggers." Said Miss Gao. "I think they lack responsibilities and there is no value to their posts." | high3667.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "feels bored of the paper work"
},
"options": [
"doesn't know how to reply",
"feels bored of the paper work",
"doesn't want to attend college",
"has been too busy to open them"
],
"question": "Envelopes are pilin... | A Mountain of Green Beans
Another envelope in the mail. There's my name, Alexander Spencer, typed on the front. I throw it under the bed. The piles of envelopes are growing.
The envelopes were applications to all the colleges I was supposed to attend. I did open the first envelope. Then I saw the application, all those blank spaces I was supposed to fill with my own writing, spaces for my name and birth date and grade average and ... statement of purpose. I looked at them for a long time. I could write for hours and not fill all those spaces. So I put the application back in the envelope. I would fill it out the next day, when I had time. But another envelope arrived. And then the pile began.
The pile scares me -- it is really like a monster. All the while, I feel the weight of a million envelopes raining down on my head until my grandmother calls me and wants to know how I am.
"I am overcome by too many tasks," I say.
"Honey, you just take it bit by bit," she says, and she reminds me about the green beans.
When I was a little kid I hated green beans. But my mom said I couldn't leave the table until I ate ten green beans. All alone at the table, I stared at the green beans for what seemed like hours. It was a mountain of green beans. I couldn't do it.
My grandma came to me and asked if I could eat one green bean.
"But Grandma, I have to eat ten!"
She said all I had to do was to eat one green bean. One tiny little green bean. So I ate one. It was bad, but not as bad as I'd thought it would be. Then she asked me again if I could eat one. So I ate one green bean nine more times.
My grandma doesn't know about the envelopes, but she tells me anyone can do one thing every day.
Back in my room, I lay down on the bed. Just like I used to do when I was a little kid, I hang my head down to look at the pile of envelopes. There it is. But instead of a monster, I see a pile of green beans. Who's afraid of green beans? | high17989.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "politeness"
},
"options": [
"his machine",
"money",
"language",
"politeness"
],
"question": "What the crook hated most was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | Once upon a time there was a crook who only thought about how to get money. What he hated most was when people were polite to each other, saying things like "please", "thank you", and "don't mention it".
The crook thought all those kinds of words were a waste, so he spent a lot of time inventing a machine which could steal words. With this machine, he planned to steal "please", "thank you", "don't mention it", and similar words people used to be polite. After he stole these words, he intended to take them apart and sell the letters to book publishers. After he started up his machine, people would open their mouths, intending to say kind and polite things, but nothing came out. All those words ended up inside the big machine.
The crook was happy with his success, but he didn't count on a couple of very special little girls. Those girls were deaf, and had to communicate with sign language. Because the machine couldn't steal gestures, these girls continued being kind and polite. Soon they realized what had been happening to everyone else, and they found out about the crook and his plan. The girls followed him and found the machine busy separating all the words into letters. They approached the machine and started being polite to each other.
Try as it might, the machine couldn't steal those words, and it started to suffer a power overload . Finally, it exploded, sending all the letters it had gathered flying into the sky. These letters started coming down, like rain, and most ended up in the sea. After that, everyone could be polite again.
Seeing all those letters fall into the sea, those little girls had an idea. A little while later they opened a factory, making alphabetic spaghetti soup! | high4108.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to influence higher education in its own way"
},
"options": [
"to attract the public's attention",
"to influence higher education in its own way",
"to save money spent in attracting students",
"to allow its competitors ... | When Harvard was founded in 1636, there were no other colleges in the American colonies, and it would become the model for many of those that followed. When it began requiring applicants to take a test known as the SAT in 1935, Harvard started another trend. Two years ago, after it announced an aggressive new financial-aid policy, it helped push social class to the center of the national debate over higher education and forced two of its main competitors, Stanford and Yale, to follow its lead.
Last week. Harvard began to make another effort to affect higher education in its image, its president, Derek Bok, announced that the college would abandon its early admissions program, which for decades has allowed high school seniors to apply in October and get an answer yes, no or maybe - in December, shortly before the regular deadline for applications.
Harvard officials argue that the program is beneficial to rich students who don't need to compare financial-aid offers from various colleges. After the announcement, many people within education urged other colleges to take a similar step.
"We're thrilled," said Laurie Kobick, a college counselor at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va. "I think it's going to make admissions better in so many different ways. It will indeed go a small way toward leveling the field among applicants. Of course, it will also have an effect on colleges, and the biggest winner will almost certainly be Harvard. a fact that may prevent many other colleges - perhaps all of them - from following Hazard this time. Because any college that does so will risk losing some of its best applicants." | high15146.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "sending prints by pigeon"
},
"options": [
"Felton, California",
"the scientists",
"how to work with computers",
"sending prints by pigeon"
],
"question": "The passage is mainly about _ .",
"question_type"... | The scientist from the Lockheed Space Company work in Felton, California, with the help of a computer. But the computer is placed in Sunnyside, about 80 kilometers away. What scientists input is sent by telephone lines to the computer, and after a time, copies of the designs are needed back in Felton as quickly as possible Lockheed people have tried several ways of sending the prints, but the most effective seems to be by pigeon. Are pigeons really used to carry messages in these days? They are, and they send the prints faster and cheaper than any other way.
Human messengers are much more expensive and slower than the pigeons. The road to Felton goes through the mountains, and the driving is not easy. An electronic printout system could do the work in Felton, but at a cost of 10 dollars a print. Pigeons carry the designs for about 1 dollar each.
Now Lockheed people have ten pigeon messengers. The pigeons do the work, and they have made Lockheed more famous. You can often read the news about pigeons in the newspapers around the world. | high12629.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "hide the truth of campus crime"
},
"options": [
"receive too many visitors",
"mirror the rest of the nation",
"hide the truth of campus crime",
"have too many watchdog groups"
],
"question": "It is often difficu... | Last August, Joe and Mary Mahoney began looking at colleges for their 17-year-old daughter, Maureen. With a checklist of criteria in hand, the Dallas family looked around the country visiting half a dozen schools. They sought a university that offered the teenager's intended major, one located near a large city, and a campus where their daughter would be safe.
"The safety issue is a big one," says Joe Mahoney, who quickly discovered he wasn't alone in his worries. On campus tours other parents voiced similar concerns, and the same question was always asked: what about crime? But when college officials always gave the same answer -----"That's not a problem here,"-----Mahoney began to feel uneasy.
"No crime whatever?" comments Mahoney today. "I just don't _ it." Nor should he: in 1999 the U.S. Department of education had reports of nearly 400,000 serious crimes on or around our campuses. "Parents need to understand that times have changed since they went to college," says David Nichols, author ofCreating a Safe Campus. "Campus crime mirrors the rest of the nation."
But getting accurate information isn't easy. Colleges must report crime statistics by law, but some hold back for fear of bad publicity , leaving the honest ones looking dangerous. "The truth may not always be serious," warns S. Daniel Carter of Security on Campus, Inc., the nation's leading campus safety watchdog group.
To help concerned parents, Carter promised to visit campuses and talk to experts around the country to find out major crime issues and effective solutions. | high1070.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It will take a long time before the autonomous car is put into the market."
},
"options": [
"Only seven autonomous cars have been created so far.",
"Nobody in the car took control during the 140,000miles trip.",
"It will take... | Anyone driving the twists of Highway 1 between San Francisco and Los Angeles recently may have glimpsed a Toyota Prius car with a curious-looking thing on the roof. Harder to notice was that the person at the wheel was not actually driving. The car is a project of Google, which has been working in secret but in plain view( anyhow, no one can keep such a thing from the public) on vehicles that can drive themselves, using artificial-intelligence software that can sense anything near the car and imitate the decisions made by a human driver.
With someone behind the wheel to take control if something goes wrong and a technician in the passenger seat to monitor the navigation system , seven test cars have driven 1,000 miles without human intervention and more than 140,000 miles with only occasional human control. One even drove itself down Lombard Street in San Francisco, one of the steepest and curviest streets in the nation. The only accident, engineers said, was that one Google car was rear-ended when it stopped at a traffic light.
Autonomous cars are years from mass production, but technologists who have long dreamed of them believe that they can transform society as profoundly as the Internet has.
Robot drivers react faster than humans, have 360-degree perception and do not get distracted or sleepy, the engineers argue. They speak in terms of lives that could be saved and injuries that could be avoided--- more than 37,000 people died in car accidents in the United States in 2008. The engineers say the technology could double the capacity of roads by allowing cars to drive more safely while closer together. Because the robot cars would eventually be less likely to crash, they could be built lighter, reducing fuel consumption. But of course, to be truly safer, the cars must be far more reliable than, say, today's personal computers, which crash on occasion and are frequently infected.
The Google research program using artificial intelligence to revolutionize the automobile is proof that the company's ambitions reach beyond the search engine business. The program is also a departure from the mainstream of innovation in Silicon Valley, which has turned toward social networks and Hollywood-style digital media. However, the Google researchers said the company did not yet have a clear plan to create a business from the experiments. | high22932.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Online gaming"
},
"options": [
"QQ",
"WeChat",
"Online gaming",
"Advertisments"
],
"question": "What is the main driving force of the Tencent's income growth?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {... | We Chat, the Chinese social media smartphone app, saw an increase in user numbers of 41 per cent year on year to 500m at the end of 2014, in a sign that parent company Tencent is extending its reach for the mobile internet. Revenue grew 24 per cent to Rmb20.98billion, slightly higher than forecasts, driven mainly by online gaming revenues.
It is unclear how much WeChat contributed to Tencent's revenues but the app's growth is a strong indicator of the company's long-term health as it tries to adjust its business to be more suitable for mobile devices.
"We extended our leadership in games and online media, and made breakthroughs in emerging platforms such as online security . . . and mobile payments," Ma Huateng, Tencent chairman, said in a statement.
WeChat is the second highest ranked app in China, behind QQ, Tencent's other chatting app, which claimed to have 815m registered monthly users at the end of 2014. However, that figure is more than the total number of internet users in China, which the government puts at 640million.
Tencent has been unwilling to earn money through WeChat by flooding it with advertising, which could reduce efforts to increase the user base. But this is expected to change. Some analysts predicted that advertising would be introduced on later this year. Early attempts to test ads on the service have not always gone smoothly. After a BMW ad was introduced on some users' feeds in January, many users complained of "discrimination" by Tencent's data mining algorithm. They said it unfairly considered them as not wealthy or successful enough to view the sought-after BMW ad. | high13537.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "never give up and you may achieve success"
},
"options": [
"success comes out of nothing",
"never give up and you may achieve success",
"everything is easy to deal with",
"impossible things do not exist"
],
"que... | Impossible cases are not forever. While it is impossible for one person, it is possible for another. In a word, everything is possible.
Someone says, "Success belongs to those who can look at the complex challenges offered by the world as inspiration." So your challenges are golden opportunities for success. How can there be miracles if there are no obstacles? How will you chase the storm if there is no storm? You need challenges to reveal your ability. Success doesn't come out' of nothing; success comes from the problems you face. Those who refuse to give in
come out smiling.
Robert X. Perez says, "The seeds of success spring from failure's ashes. "Failure is not defeat; it is the pointer to do better than what you just did. You have to know that you are in a constant study of life. What you face is for your training. Samuel Aidoo says, "Each failure is simply another chapter in the story of our lives. To fail is to understand what not to do. Remember it and don't give up until your goal is achieved."
What do you do when you face difficulty? Yeah, life is difficult, but you do not give up.
Have a positive and calm outlook on your circumstances and make the best of them. You may learn something new. You can develop mental toughness. Mental toughness means to be able to see the long-term gains rather than be put off by short-term pains. Once you have this toughness, you have the winning edge .
The only things in life you ever really regret are the chances you didn't take. You will regret when you see the consequences of not seizing the opportunities when they arose. Take chances every day! | high15152.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Have a sense of humor failure about your mother"
},
"options": [
"Remember your mother's age and past",
"Share your roots and your childhood with your mother",
"Have a sense of humor failure about your mother",
"Managin... | TLike most big projects, learning to manage your mother well is what you should do. Here are what I believe the best steps towards a better relationship with her. They are not necessarily surprising or revolutionary, but they have worked for many people. Try them.
Remember your mother's age. As children, we often do not think of our mother as having an age. Even when we become conscious of her as an individual, age does not change our view; she is still our mother. Knowing our mother's age, not just in numbers of years but in terms of her psychological and physical state, often helps us to understand her better.
Listen to your mother. I have found that sometimes the things my mother told me long ago are remarkably useful. If your mother knows that you respect her point of view, even if you do not share it, it will help her feel close to you.
Remember that your mother has a past. A key step in managing our relationship with our mother is to find out about her early life. Niclle's mother suffered much during the Second War World War. "My parents are both Jewish-Turkish. They met in France and married young for love. They were in their twenties when war broke out and because they were Jews, they had to go into hiding. She does speak to me about the war, and I think it is important to know what she went through. It is a part of her life that must have affected her deeply. " Sometimes, in learning about our mother's past, we know that it can encourage us to think about her whole life.
Ask your mother about your childhood history. My grandparents died when I was young. If you are fortunate enough to have living family, think of your life as _ and ask as many questions as you can to put the picture together. Understanding your roots and your childhood can help you now more clearly who you are, as part of a family which you share with your mother.
Keep a sense of humor about your mother. When we hear about someone else's misfortunes with their mothers and are amused by them, our laughter is one of recognition. I have often listened to stories of difficult mothers and I have also listened to the following piece of advice they have found most helpful is: "Don't have a sense of humor failure about your mother. "
Remember that managing your mother is really about managing yourself. Taking any measure to managing our mother is the issue of how we manage ourselves. No matter how difficult we find her, it is important to remember that is not her behavior it self that is causing us discomfort, but the way we feel about her behavior. We should follow the way of her life. At the heart of managing your mother is being able to accept your flawed self. Only then are you able to accept your mother---with all her failings. | high7415.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he was interested in writing"
},
"options": [
"his heart was not in medicine.",
"he found it easier to make a living by writing",
"he liked taking risks",
"he was interested in writing"
],
"question": "The autho... | I entered St Thoma's Hospital as a medical student at the age of 18 and spent five years there . I was an unsatisfactory student , for my heart , as you might have guessed , was not in it . I wanted , I had always wanted to be a writer , and in the evening , after my high tea , I wrote and read . Before long , I wrote a novel , called " Liza of Lambeth", which I sent to a publisher and was accepted . It appeared during my last year at the hospital and had something of a success . It was of course an accident , but naturally I did not know that . I felt I could afford to give up medicine and make writing my profession ; so, three days after I graduated from the school of medicine , I set out forprefix = st1 /Spainto write another book. Looking back now , and knowing as I do the terrible difficulties of making a living by writing , I realize I was taking a fearful risk . It never even occurred to me .
The next ten years were very hard , and I earned an average of PS100 a year . Then I had a bit of luck . The manager of the Court Theatre put on a play that failed ; the next play he arranged to put on was not ready , and he was at his wits' end.He read a play of mine and , though he did not much like it , he thought it might just run for the six weeks till the play he had in mind to follow it with could be produced . It ran for fifteen months . Within a short while I had four plays running in Londonat the same time . Nothing of the kind had ever happened before . I was the talk of the town . One of the students atSt Thomas's Hospital asked the eminent surgeon with whom I had worked whether he remembered me . " Yes, I remember him quite well , " he said . " One of our failures , I'm afraid ." | high22926.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Where there are no written records.there is no history."
},
"options": [
"\"Remembered history\",compared with written history,is less reliable",
"Written records of the past play the most important role in our learning of the huma... | If we were asked exactly what we were doing a year ago,we should probably have to say that we could not remember. But if we had kept a book and had written in it an account of what we did each day,we should be able to give an answer to the question.
It is the same in history .Many things have been forgotten because we do not have any written account of them .Sometimes men did keep a record of the most important happenings in their country,but often it was destroyed by fire or in a war.Sometimes there was never any written record at all because the people of that time and place did not know how to write.For example,we know a good deal about the people who lived in China 4,000 years ago, because they could write and leave written records for those who lived after them.But we know almost nothing about the people who lived even 200 years ago in central Africa, because they had not learned to write.
Sometimes, of course,even if the people cannot write,they may know something of the past.They have heard about it from older people,and often songs and dances and stories have been made about the most important happenings,and these have been sung and acted and told for many generations, for most people are proud to tell what their fathers did in the past.This we may call "remembered history".Some of it has now been written down. It is not so exact or so valuable to us as written history is,because words are much more easily changed when used again and again in speech than when copied in writing.But where there are no written records,such spoken stories are often very helpful. | high1064.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Its excessive use of air-conditioning."
},
"options": [
"Its advanced computerized civilization.",
"Its excessive use of air-conditioning.",
"Its public's retreating into self-pursuit.",
"Its greatest contribution to hu... | The greatest contribution to civilization in the century may well be the air-conditioning- and American leads just as amazing is the speed with which this situation came to be. Air-conditioning began to spread in industries as a production aid during World War II. Today most Americans need to take air-conditioning for granted to homes, offices, factories, theatres, shops, studios, schools, hotels, and restaurants, and we can see it almost everywhere in today's America.
But not everybody is aware that high cost and easy comfort are merely two of the effects of the vast cooling of American. In fact, air conditioning has substantially altered the country's character and customs.
Many of the byproducts are so conspicuous that they are scarcely noticed. To begin with, air-conditioning transformed the face of America by making possible those glassy, boxy, sealed-in skyscrapers. It has been indispensable, no less, to the functioning of sensitive advanced computers, whose high operating temperatures require that they be constantly cooled. . .
It has, at will, forced families into going back into families with closed doors and shut windows to improve the effects of the air-conditioning, reducing the interactions of neighborhood life. I think there is no need explaining the seriousness of this consequence . It is really surprising that the public's often noted withdrawal into self-pursuit and privacy has kept in pace with the historic spread of air-conditioning. Though science has little studied how habitual air-conditioning affects mind and body, some medical experts suggest that, like other technical avoidance of natural changes in climate, air-conditioning may damage the human capacity to adapt to stress. If so, air-conditioning is only like many other greatly useful technical developments that liberate man from nature by increasing his productivity and power in some way - while indirectly weakening him in others. | high13523.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "No one knew how the two accidents had happened."
},
"options": [
"The first driver came from New York City.",
"Both of the two car accidents killed a person.",
"The second car accident didn't happen in the same city as the fi... | People enjoy talking about "firsts". They like to remember their first love or their first car. But not all firsts are happy ones.
One of history's bad but important firsts was the first car accident. Cars were still young when it happened. The accident took place in New York City in May 1896. A man from Massachusetts was visiting the city in his new car. At that time, bicycle riders were still trying to get used to the new set of wheels on the road. No one was sure who was to blame for it. Anyway, the bike and the car hit each other hard. The man on the bike was injured. The driver of the car had to stay in jail and wait for the hospital report on the bicycle rider. Luckily, the rider was not killed.
Three years later, another car accident took place. It was again in New York City. A man named Henry Bliss stepped off a streetcar . He was hit by a passing car. Once again, no one was sure just how it happened or whose fault it was. The driver of the car was put in prison. Poor Mr. Bliss became the first person to die in a car accident. | high9438.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "persuade teens to join a teen travel program"
},
"options": [
"persuade teens to join a teen travel program",
"show the fun of traveling in European countries",
"compare different cultures of European countries",
"give ... | Teen Travel with Global Teen
Ever thought about traveling in Italy? Or a teen travel program in Spain? Our summer travel program for teens is one adventure you cannot pass up. Experience Europe and tour Spain, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, or other European countries.
Come to enjoy our summer travel program for teens that will have you touring and experiencing cultures unlike anything you have done before. For example, Teen Travel Italy gives you wonderful tours of splendid cathedrals, adventures in Italian history, and the experience of your young life that you don't want to miss! Teen travel programs through Global Teen give you the best courses and activities on the web.
The travel programs are offered in varying lengths. Teen Travel Italy is a minimum of two weeks, but for the teenager or high school student, it can last for the whole summer break. The summer travel program for teens is a great way to experience the culture of another country and provides more than the usual summer camp experience. Most teenage students who take advantage of our travel opportunities are in high school. They do a teen travel program in the summer at a language camp either in Europe or Latin America to experience another culture.
Travel with Global Teen this summer! Have an adventure at one of our language camps, experience the culture of a foreign country and have the time of your life this summer! | high18476.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because temperature changes at daybreak."
},
"options": [
"Because daybreak is the coldest time of the day in the mountain.",
"Because it often snows heavily in the mountains at daybreak.",
"Because temperature changes at day... | Avalanches are one of those natural disasters that can cause great damage and only Mother Nature knows when and where they are going to occur. Even with modern technology it is still impossible to know exactly when or where one is going to occur. Mountain climbers are wise to be careful, as avalanches kill many of them each year.
The physics of how and why an avalanche occurs is complex. There are times of higher probability. During the year, the transition( from winter to spring will cause some snow and ice to melt, which may trigger avalanches. Also at daybreak there is a higher probability due to the temperature change .
While climbers hike up slopes, some distance between the climbers should be kept. If an avalanche occurs, then there will be fewer lives lost and a higher probability that someone will be able to seek help. Since an accident is more likely to happen when a top layer of snow is loose, avoid areas where heavy snow or rain has recently occurred.
Try to choose areas that you are familiar with and stay in areas with rocks, bushes and trees. Trees and bushes allow snow to pile up and keep the layers stable. If an avalanche occurs, trees will take the impact of the snow, so there is a better chance of being safe.
Climbers must pay attention to the degree of the slope. Avalanches won't occur on level ground and there is little snowfall on very steep areas. The greatest danger is in areas where the slope is between 25 and 40 degrees.
Remember that, if you get stuck in an avalanche, there is no car hire available to take you to the nearest airport. | high17745.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he could no longer afford to live without one"
},
"options": [
"he wanted to work in the centre of London",
"he could no longer afford to live without one",
"he was not interested in any other available job",
"he had re... | The next day I sat down,with almost a hundred other candidates,for the intelligence test.I must have done all right because after about half an hour's wait I was sent into another room for a psychological test.This time there were only about fifty candidates.The interviewer sat at a desk.Candidates were signaled forward to occupy the seat opposite him when the previous occupant had been dismissed,after a greater or shorter time.Obviously the long interviews were the more successful ones.Some of the interviews were as short as five minutes.Mine was the only one that lasted a minute and a half.
I can remember the questions now:"Why did you leave your last job?""Why did you leave your job before that?""And the one before that?"I can't recall my answers,except that they were short at first and grew progressively shorter.His closing statement,I thought,evealed a lack of sensitivity which helped to explain why as a psychologist,he had risen no higher than the underground railway."You've failed the psychological test and we are unable to offer you a position."
Failing to get that job was my low point.Or so I thought,believing that the work was easy.Actually,such jobs--being a postman is another one I still desire--demand exactly the sort of elementary yet responsible awareness that the habitual dreamer is least qualified to give.But I was still far short of full self-understanding.I was also short of cash. | high11334.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he was leaving for Australia on business"
},
"options": [
"he was an Australian businessman",
"he was leaving for Australia on business",
"his wife wanted him to",
"he wanted\" to see his wife"
],
"question": "W... | Mrs Smith's husband went off on a business trip to Australia. He wanted to catch the 3:30 plane to Darwin. She was very surprised when he telephoned her at 5 o'clock and said that he was still at the airport.
"What happened?" asked Mrs Smith.
"Well," said Mr Smith, "everything was going fine. I got my ticket, checked my luggage and waited in line at the gate. I walked across the runway to the airplane and I saw my friend Jack Scott. Jack was an airplane engineer. I shouted to him and a policeman caught me."
"Why did he catch you?"
"I don't know," said Mr Smith," All I said was 'Hi, Jack! '"
The word "hijack" means "to take control of a plane by force". | high3673.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The cupping marks on his back."
},
"options": [
"His great leadership.",
"His scars on his back.",
"The cupping marks on his back.",
"His achievements he made in the men's 200rn butterfly."
],
"question": "What ... | The Spotlightin Rio
Phelps puts spotlight on cupping
Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps fed American swimmers t0 8 gofd medal in the4xiOO-meter relay, but .what grabbed media attention and led to stories and photos around the globe were the purple and red circles on his back
Michael Phelps of the USA is seen with red cupping marks on h/s shoulder as he competes
during the 2016 Rio Olympics men's 200m butterfly in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , Aug 8,2016Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui goes viralChain's women's swimmer Fu Yuanhui has created a sensation online not just by winning thebronze medal in the 1OOm backstroke competition, but also by her facial expressions during thepost semi-final interview with China Central Television (CCTV) on MondayWhen asked whether she held back for the final, Fu replied, "No, I utilized my 'prehistorical power'." What she meant was that she had spared no efforts in the semi-final. Since then. eso-called "prehistorical power" has gone viral and become a new Internet meme
Britain wins first Olympic diving gold in men's synchronized 3m springboard(3)
Britain's Jack Laugher and Chris Mears ended China's gold medal monopoly over
diving events at the R/o Olympics by winning the men's synchronized 3m springboard final On
Wednesday, the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal in divingLaugher and Mears finished with a six-round total of 454.32 points, just 4.11 points ahead ofsilver medallists Mike Hixon and Sam Dorman of the USA at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center.China's Cao Yuan and Qin Kai took the bronze with 443.70 points | high19768.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "continue his schooling"
},
"options": [
"thank the woman for her kindness",
"become a famous doctor",
"continue his schooling",
"support his poor family"
],
"question": "The boy sent newspapers door to door in o... | One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by sending newspapers door to door, was so hungry that he decided to beg for a meal at the next house.
However, he lost his nerve 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 do I owe you?"
"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart." With these words, Howard Kelly 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 decided 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 the woman's room. She was afraid to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay for 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."
Tear of joy flooded her eyes. | high21591.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She made an emergency call."
},
"options": [
"She ran out of the apartment.",
"She called the TV company.",
"She made an emergency call.",
"She took the snake off Teddy's arm."
],
"question": "What did the babys... | ,. Three-year-old Teddy Lasry was sleeping in his cowboy outfit yesterday at his family's Fifth Ave.apartment when he shot up in bed screaming.A 3-foot-long black-and-white snake twisted around his left arm and had just bitten his little finger.
"The babysitter (a person taking care of children while their parents are away for a short time) was frightened to death," said Teddy's father, David Lasry, who, along with his wife, Evelyn, was at work when the snake appeared about 4:00 pm.
The horrified babysitter called 911 and the building's doorman.The doorman and two cable TV workers helped take the snake off the boy's arm and put it in a garbage bag.Police rushed Teddy to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he spent two hours attached to a heart monitor as a precaution in case the snake was poisonous.It wasn't.Experts at the snakebite treatment center at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where policemen took the snake, found out it was a non-poisonous California king snake.
But how did it end up in Teddy's bed?
A little detective work determined that the snake had escaped two weeks ago from its cage in the apartment of a doctor whose family lives four floors below the Lasrys.The apologetic owner said his son's pet snake likely traveled up the water pipes and into his neighbor's apartment."It's a very gentle, very harmless snake," he said."It's handled by our family all the time."
David Lasry believed the pet was simply hungry after two weeks of wandering.Evelyn said her son seems to have overcome his fright by thinking of himself as a hero cowboy as he rode in the back of the police car to the hospital.
"I told Teddy he's a pretty snake, a nice pet snake who got out of his cage," Evelyn said."But he asked, 'Why did he bite my finger, Mamma?' And I said, 'Because he saw that you are a big boy, Teddy, in your cowboy outfit and he got scared.'" | high11452.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The new outbreak of the H7N9 bird flu"
},
"options": [
"How many people died of H7N9 bird flu",
"How the development of the H7N9 bird flu vaccine is going on",
"What measures the government has taken to stop the spreading o... | Authorities in Shanghai said Thursday night that another person has died from H7N9 bird flu, bringing the death toll to five around the country. The city has reported six infections to date, and four have died, said the Shanghai Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission. Of the rest two, there was a four-year-old, the agency said. The baby was recovering from mild illness, it added. The person died at Huashan Hospital on Wednesday and was _ infected with the H7N9 bird flu on Thursday.
Also on Thursday, the commission reported the city's third death from the H7N9 bird flu. The case involved a 48-year-old man surnamed Chu, a poultry transporter from Rugao in neighboring Jiangsu Province. He developed symptoms of cough on March 28. After having a fever on Monday, he went to a private clinic for treatment. The man then sought help in the Tongji Hospital in Shanghai in the early hours of Wednesday after his condition worsened. Chu died three hours after being admitted to the hospital. He was confirmed infected with the H7N9 virus on Thursday. Eight people who had close contact with him have shown no abnormal symptoms.
So far, China has confirmed 14 H7N9 cases -- six in Shanghai, four in Jiangsu, three in Zhejiang and one in Anhui, in the first known human infections of the lesser-known type of bird flu. Of all, four died in Shanghai and one died in Zhejiang. China's Ministry of Agriculture said Thursday the H7N9 avian flu virus has been detected from pigeon samples collected at a marketplace in Songjiang District of Shanghai.
After gene sequence analysis, the national avian flu reference laboratory concluded that the H7N9 virus found on pigeons was highly congenetic with those found on persons infected with H7N9 virus. China's health authorities have promised transparency and cooperation to the World Health Organization in regards to human infections of the new type of bird flu. The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that no human-to-human transmission of H7N9 has been discovered. | high3115.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A number of English expressions using numbers."
},
"options": [
"How to solve the difficult problems.",
"Differences between English number expressions.",
"A number of English expressions using numbers.",
"When and wher... | Some problems are difficult to solve! But there are a lot of number expressions that can help.For example,if we put two and two together,we might come up with the right answer.We know that two heads are better than one. It is always better to work with another person to solve a problem.
Sometimes we can kill two birds with one stone.That is, we can complete two goals with only one effort or action.But we must remember that two wrongs don't make a right.If someone does something bad to you,you should not do the same to him.
If you are going out with your girlfriend,or boyfriend,you do not want another friend to go along on your date.You can just say to your friend:twos company, three's a crowd.
A young child in school has to learn the three Rs.These important skills are reading, writing and arithmetic. These three words do not all start with the 1etter R,but they have the sound of R. Teachers will give three cheers when their pupils do a good job.
Some of my friends were confused and did not understand their schoolwork.They were at sixes and sevens.In fact,they did not care whether they could finish high school. They saw 1ittle difference between the two choices.But they were really happy when they completed their studies and graduated from high school. They were in seventh heaven.They were on cloud nine.
Last year,one of my friends applied for a better job at her office.I did not think she would get it.I thought she had a hundred to one shot at the job.Other people at her office thought her chances were a million to one. One reason was that she had been caught catching forty winks at the office.She slept at her desk for short periods during the day.But her supervisor appointed her to the new job at the eleventh hour--at the very last minute.I guess her lucky number came up. | high20857.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it was a very important food in the diet of Buddhist priests"
},
"options": [
"Buddhist priests ate tofu rather than vegetables",
"it was a very important food in the diet of Buddhist priests",
"the religion came to Japan tog... | About l,500 years ago the Japanese imported many aspects of Chinese culture :the writing system, political institutions, and perhaps the most important, Buddhism. Buddhist priests were expected to eat only vegetables, and tofu, made from the soybean, was a very important food in their diet.When Buddhism was introduced from China, tofu was also brought to Japan.
Tofu developed in different ways in China and Japan.While the Chinese often changed the
taste of tofu by mixing it with strongly - flavored vegetables or meat, the Japanese preferred to eat it using only a simple sauce. Even now, traditional Japanese cooking preserves the original delicacy of tofu, though the way it is served may change from season to season. In summer, for example, it is simply served cold, while in winter it is often eaten as part of a hot dish.
The soybean was introduced to the West in the 18th century, but little interest was taken in it. Only scientists recognized its high food value.During the Second World War, when meat was in short supply, the US government encouraged the American people to eat soybean products.However, they never became very popular and, after the war, interest in them dropped off as the supply of meat became plentiful again.
In recent years, people in the West have become increasingly aware of the dangers of eating too much animal fat, and as a result, they have turned more and more to soybean products. This is mainly because the soybean provides almost the same food value as meat, and in addition it is a lot more healthful. Much of the margarine ,salad oil and cooking oil in daily use is now produced from soybean oil.Tofu, a representative soybean product and originally one of the main foods in the diet of Chinese priests, is considered to be one of the healthiest foods available to man. | high18310.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a popular newspaper"
},
"options": [
"a serious newspaper",
"foreign newspaper",
"any independent paper",
"a popular newspaper"
],
"question": "If you want to get pleasure, please buy yourself_.",
"question_... | Newspapers in Great Britain vary greatly in their ways of carrying the news. There are serious papers for those who want to know about important happenings everywhere, both at home and abroad. There are popular newspapers for those who prefer entertainment to information.
The London newspaper that is best known outside Great Britain is probably the Times. It began in 1785, and is well accepted for believable news and serious opinions on the news. It calls itself an independent paper, which means that it does not give its support to a particular political party. Its leading articles give the opinions of the editors, not those of the owners of the paper.
Letters to the editor are printed in the newspaper. These parts of the Times are always interesting. Most of the letters are serious subjects. But from time to time there will be long letters on the subject which is not at all serious, perhaps on a new fashion of dress, or the bad manners of the young people, compared with manners of thirty years ago. ks5u | high17023.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "foolish"
},
"options": [
"brave",
"impolite",
"foolish",
"warm-hearted"
],
"question": "The older boys laughed at the boy because he was thought to be _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Have you ever been sad because of failure? Please remember, for often, achieving what you set out to do is not the most important thing.
A boy decided to dig a deep hole behind his house. As he was working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch. "What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors. "I want to dig a hole all the way through the earth!" the boy answered excitedly. The older boys began to laugh, telling him that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a while, the boy picked up a jar. He showed it to the visitors. It was full of all kinds of stones and insects. Then he said calmly and confidently, "Maybe I can't finish digging all the way through the earth, but look at what I've found during this period!"
The boy's goal was far too difficult, but it did cause him to go on. And that is what a goal is for -- to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen, in other words, to cause us to keep working!
Not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end up with a success. Not every dream will come true. But when you fall short of your aim, maybe you can say, "Yes, but look what I've found along the way! There are so many wonderful things having come into my life because I tried to do something!" It is in the digging that life is lived. It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really makes sense. | high296.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "she was the oldest sportswoman there"
},
"options": [
"she was the oldest sportswoman there",
"she competed in several events",
"she set a new world record",
"she won a gold there"
],
"question": "Olga Kotelko w... | At the age of 95, Olga Kotelko attracted great attention at the World Masters Athletics Championships. This 5ft-tall Canadian became the oldest recorded woman indoor runner, high jumper and long jumper at the competition.
Olga now has more than 30 world records to her name and has won more than 750 gold medals. But she sees herself as nothing special, describing herself as just a plain Jane. As one of 11 children brought up on a farm, she has always been active, milking cows and doing other housework.
She has now outlived all her brothers and sisters and most of her friends but when asked what her secret is, she says there isn't one. "I think your age is just a number. It's not your birthday; it's how you age that makes the difference. It's your attitude to all the things that happen in your life that plays the biggest part."
So can we all turn ourselves into nonagenarian superheroes? Research from Newcastle University suggests that as every 24 hours pass, we add an extra five hours to our lives -- that's over 2 months each year--partly because of improving living conditions and medical development. And in the UK the number of people who are living into their 100th year has nearly increased by four times since the 1980s. So ageing is not a terrible thing.
While Olga's genes might help her, we're not all prisoners to our own. After all, 75% of our later lives could be down to the lifestyle we choose to lead. A good diet and regular exercise are key. Besides, developing friendships in mid-life also works. Dr Holland, director of Aston University's research centre for healthy ageing, says: "The more friends you have when you're 50-60 years old, the less likely you're to be lonely in later life; the less lonely you are, the less likely you're to be ill as the years go by." | high13245.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They offered low quality food."
},
"options": [
"They refused to have volunteers.",
"They offered low quality food.",
"They provided customers with a good environment.",
"They closed down because of poor management."
... | Inside the pleasingly fragrant cafe, So All May Eat(SAME) in downtown Denver ,the spirit ofgenerosityis instantly noticeable :donation box stands in place of a cash register. Customers here pay only what they can afford, no questions asked.A risky business plan, perhaps, but SAME Cafe has done one unchangeable thing in the Mile High City for six years: Open only at midday, the restaurant allows poor local customers who cannot pay to work as volunteers instead. They can act as waiters and waitresses, and dishwashers, or look after the buildings and equipment for the cafe.
It's based on trust, and it's working all right", says co-owner Brad Birky, who started the cafe in 2006. Previously volunteering at soup kitchens, the Birkys were dissatisfied with the often unhealthy meals they served there. "We wanted to offer quality food in a restaurant where everyone felt comfortable, regardless of their circumstances," Birky says. SAME's special lunch menu changes
daily and most food materials are natural and grown by local farmers. The cafe now averages 65 to 70 customers (and eight volunteers) a day. And the spirit of generosity behind the project appears to be spreading. In early 2007,one volunteer who had cleared snow for his meals during t he long
winter said goodbye to the Birkys, He said he was going to New Orleans to help with the hurricane clearing up," says Birky. | high15634.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Wealth and social status depend on family background."
},
"options": [
"How the middle class comes about in the U.S.",
"It's hard to realize the American dream for the poor.",
"Wealth and social status depend on family backgr... | Abby Subark is a mother of two from Boston. "For my kids, I'm nervous. I don't know if they'll be able to achieve their American dream." She may be right. More than hard work or education, the best way to get rich in America is to be born rich.
It is the case that somebody who is in the upper third of income, poor scores, in the bottom on tests when they are in eighth grade, is more likely to go to college and finish college than a poor kid with the top scores. That's what the working persons' children are up against.
The Economic Policy Institute finds it would take a poor couple with 2 children 9 or 10 generations to achieve middle class status. That's about 200 years. The hallmark of American opportunity has always been the ability to do better than your parents. But compared with similar developed countries, the United States ranks fifth out of six for so-called intergenerational mobility .
If you look at the mechanisms for upward mobility that were so readily available 50 years ago, they are becoming out of reach, like plentiful factory jobs with good wages and affordable education and health care.
White families are twice as likely as blacks to be upwardly mobile. For most people in America today, _
If you started in the middle-income class, about 40 to 45 percent of what you are making right now is due to the fact that your parents were in the middle-income class. The rest is up to you.
But for the millions of people who find themselves below the poverty line and the millions more who are the working poor, their starting point for the American dream leaves them painfully far away from the middle class. | high8040.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He hated having to work so hard."
},
"options": [
"He felt proud of supporting his family.",
"He hated having to work so hard.",
"It offered him the money to go to school.",
"It made him independent."
],
"questi... | I grew up in Lakeland, Louisiana, one of 7 children. We all lived on my parents' farm. At 12, I got a part-time job--milking cows to help support the family. I milked cows at five in the morning and again at two in the afternoon, seven days a week. In the kitchen one Saturday before daytime, I remember complaining to my father and grandfather about having to go milk those cows. My father said, "You know, boy, to work is a blessing ."
Going to college was rare for a kid from Lakeland, Louisiana. "Pick something that you like doing to study, and you will always look forward to your work," my father told me. But he also added, "Even having a job you hate is better than not having a job at all." I wanted to be a farmer, but I joined the ROTC program to help pay for college. And what started out as an obligation to the army became a way of life that I was devoted to for 37 years.
In the late 1980s, during a visit to Bangladesh, I saw a woman with a baby on her back, breaking bricks with a hammer. I asked a Bangladesh military officer why they weren't using a machine. He told me a machine would make that lady unemployed . Breaking those bricks meant she could earn enough money to feed herself and her baby that day. He told me bad as that woman's job was, it was enough to keep a small family alive, which reminded me of my father's words.
I'm retired from the army, but I'm still working to help people be prepared for disaster. I'm not going to stop. I believe in my father's words. I believe in the blessing of work. | high22098.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The origins of theater."
},
"options": [
"The origins of theater.",
"The role of ritual in modern dance.",
"The importance of storytelling.",
"The variety of early religious activities."
],
"question": "What doe... | There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama came from ritual . The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning, human beings viewed the natural forces of the world, even the seasonal changes, as unpredictable, and they sought through various means, to control these unknown and feared powers. Those measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then kept and repeated until they hardened into fixed rituals. Eventually stories arose which explained the mysteries of the rites. As time passed some rituals were abandoned, but the stories, later called myths , coutinued to exist and provided material for art and drama.
Those who believe that drama came from ritual also argue that those rites contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost always used. Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances and when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made between the "acting area" and the "watching area." In addition, there were performers, and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in performing, religious leaders usually undertook that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they often imitated other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and used gestures about the desired effect, success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival of the Sun. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.
Another theory traces the theater's origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this view, tales about the hunt, war, or other feats are gradually added in detail, at first through imitation, action, and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely-related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds. | high7373.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Children can learn more first for a learner."
},
"options": [
"Observation comes first for a learner.",
"Children can learn more first for a learner.",
"pictures can learn more by explaining.",
"Teachers should be patie... | Children are quick to ask "why" and "how'' when it comes to new things, but research suggests that they learn more when teachers turn the questions back on them. "When children explain events, they learn more than when just getting the results,'' said Cristine H. Legare, a professor at the University of Texas.
Ms. Legare brought in 96 children aged 3 to 5 and set before them a complex toy made up of colorful, interlocking gears . With the first group, the researchers asked, "Can you explain this to me?" With the second one, they said, "Look, isn't this interesting?''
The two groups of children focused on different things, researchers found. Children who were asked to observe noticed the colors of the toy, while those asked to explain focused on the chain of gears working on each other.
Children who had explained the toy were better at re-creating it and not being disturbed by decorative gears, and they were better able to use what they had learned who had observed the toy outperformed the children in the explanation group on a memory task focused on the toy's colors.
Dedre Gentner, the director of the cognitive science program at Northwestern University, said that teachers introducing a concept can improve students' understanding by giving examples of close comparisons, and then asking children to explain how concepts are related.
In a series of experiments with 3-to 7-year-olds, she focus children can be con be confused by comparisons that focus on a relationship rather than a direct-object match.
For example, a 3-year-old shown a picture of two rabbits facing each other and told "this is a toma '' and then asked to find another "tome" will choose a picture of a rabbit over one of two cats facing each other 98 percent of the time. A 7-year-old is more likely to recognize the more abstract comparison of a relationship.
However, Ms. Gentner found that 3-year-olds can think more like 7-yesr-olds if they are given more examples. When shown a "toma" with rabbits and another with cats, and then asked, "Can you say why both of these are tomas?" most of the children can give a good explanation. | high10774.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they become weak and won't become strong until you use them again"
},
"options": [
"you can't use them any more",
"they will become stronger",
"they become weak but they slowly become strong again",
"they become weak an... | If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they become weak; when you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way.
When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.
If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame, and few of us know that it is just his own fault.
Have you ever found that some people can't read or write but they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write and they have to remember things; they cannot write them down in a little notebook. They have to remember days, names, songs and stories; so their memory is the whole time being exercised.
So if you want to have a good memory, learn from the people: practise remembering. | high2233.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "British people cannot understand him"
},
"options": [
"British people cannot understand him",
"American people cannot understand him",
"the grammar is too hard for him",
"the spelling is too hard for him"
],
"qu... | A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders : Can I communicate with Americans? Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the differences between British and American English? How important are these differences?
Certainly! there are some differences between British and American English. 'There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say "in hospital" and "Have you a pen?" Americans say "in the hospital!" and "Do you have a pen?". Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound theirs in words like "bird" and "hurt". Speakers of British English do not sound theirs in these words. There are differences between British and American English in spelling and vocabulary. For example, "colour" and "honour" are British, "color" and honor" are American.
These differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary are not important, however. For the most part, British and American English are the same language. | high4642.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "tell the author to find the goodness in life"
},
"options": [
"tell the author he experienced something sad",
"prove the funeral director was a good person",
"tell the author to find the goodness in life",
"help those w... | At times Marty made it sound too easy. On a visit to his home I heard him say, "People need to decide to be happy."
I pressed him. "What do you mean by that?" His face took on an skeptical look. "You have to ask me?" At that moment I felt a little foolish. Complex human problems, at least to me, often prevent people from being happy. To Marty it was a matter of common sense. I wondered, what was I missing? That night Marty told me a story that was very personal for him. I knew Marty and Mickey had four children. I didn't know there had been a fifth. She was their second child. She died shortly after birth.
"The funeral director was a super guy," Marty said. "He knew we didn't have any money, but he told us he would take care of our little girl. He went out and built a wood casket for her."
Marty's voice started to break. "He only charged us five dollars. It's stuff like that. You can look for the good in people and you'll find the good. You can look for the bad in people and you'll find the bad."
I didn't know what it was like to grow up poor. Marty's life was filled with minimum-wage jobs, borrowing on insurance policies, and working overtime to make a little more money.
In my lifetime I had seen people in similar circumstances grow angry. Bitterness took hold of their lives and choked them.
"I never had much money, and I don't think I ever will." Marty said. "People think they need to have a lot of things to make them happy. They ought to look around and see what's really important." When Marty looked around, he saw the most beautiful girl in the world as his wife, four children who loved him, a home he took pride in, and a job that made him feel alive. He was happy because, in his mind, he had it all. | high19036.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "prevent the car thief from restarting it once it stops"
},
"options": [
"prevent car theft by sending a radio signal to the car owner",
"help the police make a surprise attack on the car thief",
"prevent the car thief from re... | Speeding off in a stolen car, the thief thinks he has got a great catch.But he is in for an unwelcome surprise.The car is fitted with a remote immobilizer, and a radio signal from a control centre miles away will ensure that once the thief switches the engine off, he will not be able to start it again.
The idea goes like this.A control box fitted to the car contains a mini-cellphone, a micro-processor and memory, and a GPS satellite positioning receiver.If the car is stolen, a coded cellphone signal will tell the control centre to block the vehicle's engine management system and prevent the engine being restarted.
In the UK, a set of technical fixes is already making life harder for car thieves."
," says Martyn Randall, a security expert.He says it would only take him a few minutes to teach a person how to steal a car, using a bare minimum of tools.But only if the car is more than 10 years old.
Modern cars are far tougher to steal, as their engine management computer won't allow them to start unless they receive a unique ID code sent out by the ignition key.In the UK, technologies like this have helped achieve a 31% drop in vehicle-related crime since 1997.
But determined criminals are still managing to find other ways to steal cars, often by getting hold of the owner's keys.And key theft is responsible for 40% of the thefts of vehicles fitted with a tracking system.
If the car travels 100 metres without the driver confirming their ID, the system will send a signal to an operations centre that it has been stolen.The hundred metres minimum avoids false alarms due to inaccuracies in the GPS signal.
Staff at the centre will then contact the owner to confirm that the car really is missing, and keep police informed of the vehicle's movements via the car's GPS unit. | high16305.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he couldn't get out of mental pressure"
},
"options": [
"he couldn't earn enough money to support his family",
"he was suffering from sleeplessness disease",
"he couldn't get out of mental pressure",
"he felt tired of a... | I shall never forget the night,a few years ago,when Marion J.Douglas was a student in one of my adulteducation classes. He told us how tragedy had struck at his home,not once,but twice. The first time he had lost his fiveyearold daughter. He and his wife thought they couldn't bear that first loss;but,as he said,"Ten months later,God gave us another little girl and she died in five days."
This double bereavement was almost too much to bear. "I couldn't take it," this father told us,"I couldn't sleep,eat,rest or relax. My nerves were entirely shaken and my confidence gone. "At last he went to doctors;one recommended sleeping pills and another recommended a trip,but neither helped. He said,"My body felt as if it was surrounded in a vice ,and the jaws of the vice were being drawn tighter and tighter." The tension of grief --if you have ever been paralyzed by sorrow,you know what he meant.
"But thank God,I had one child left--a fouryearold son. He gave me the solution to my problem. One afternoon as I sat around feeling sorry for myself,he asked,'Daddy,will you build a boat for me?' I was in no mood to build a boat;in fact,I was in no mood to do anything. But my son is a persistent little fellow!I had to give in. Building that toy boat took me about three hours. By the time it was finished,I realized that those three hours spent building that boat were first hours of mental relaxation and peace that I had had in months!I realized that it is difficult to worry while you are busy doing something that requires planning and thinking. In my case,building the boat had knocked worry out of the ring. So I determined to keep busy."
"The following night,I made a list of jobs that ought to be done. Scores of items needed to be repaired. Amazingly,I had made a list of 242 items that needed attention. During the last two years I have completed most of them. I am busy so that I have no time for worry."
No time for worry!That is exactly what Winston Church ill said when he was working eighteen hours a day at the height of the war. When he was asked if he worried about his huge responsibilities,he said,"I am too busy. I have no time for worry." | high12163.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "water shortage"
},
"options": [
"water shortage",
"water pollution",
"government policy",
"species protection"
],
"question": "The farmers in California grow fewer crops due to _ .",
"question_type": "cloz... | In the Central Valley of California, famers are reducing crop size because they do not have enough water. Last year, California had the least amount of rain since officials began keeping records. And it may be just as bad this year.
Reservoirs are areas where water is stored. In California, some reservoirs are empty. The amount of snow in the Sierra Mountains is 75 percent below normal. This mountain snow melts in the spring and fills rivers. The water is used by farmers. But now, farmers are warning of the possibility of another "Dust Bowl", like the one of 1930s. Severe droughts and dust storms covered American farmlands and few crops grew.
Dan Errotabere is a third generation California farmer. He grows tomatoes, walnuts, garlic and other crops in Fresno County. He says the federal agency that controls the amount of water released from dams and rivers has stopped giving him water. He and other farmers say officials are not correctly administering the water system. "The last couple of years-dry years, along with severe environmental restrictions--has now presented us with a zero allocation year", said he.
Farmer may not be able to plant crops on more than 200,000 hectares of farmland in the Central Valley this spring. Mr. Errotabere will plant crops on just 80 percent of this farmland. He has enough work for only 15 of his 25 workers.
Federal and state officials sometimes reduce the amount of water to farmers even in years with normal rainfall levels. The officials must supply water to the Sacramento River Delta which is home to several endangered species.
Long-term solutions include conservation, recycling waste water and, building "desalinization enters". These center remove salt from seawater so _ can be used on farms. Farmers say better administration of the state's water system could also help solve the crisis. | high8078.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "improving his character"
},
"options": [
"taking a bath in a short time",
"improving his character",
"taking unreasonable criticism",
"having his meal with his eyes closed"
],
"question": "Song Siyu got some ach... | "Beating is a sign of affection,cursing is a sign of love."
Many may not expect to hear the words of the old Chinese saying in these modern times--with parents wealthier and better educated than they have ever been--but experts say they still ring true.
Today,it seems,Chinese parents are more likely to send their children to precollege military academies in the United States in the hope that some tough love will pave the way to success.
"Good education doesn't mean letting your children enjoy privileges,especially our boys." said Song Wenming,an entrepreneur in Jinhua,East China's Zhejiang province. "They should be raised in tough conditions to know what to fight for in the future."
In August,Song sent his 17yearold son to Valley Forge Military Academy (VFMA) in Pennsylvania. And _ ,even though it takes a lot of money--around $48,000 per year--to send a child to a strict military school.
Statistics show that an increasing number of Chinese students have been registering with such academies.
A few years ago,there were no Chinese students at Valley Forge. Today,there are 28. "All of the Chinese students at Valley Forge came from wealthy families;some of them were spoiled." said Jennifer Myers,director of marketing and communications at the school.
Song's only son,Song Siyu,had a rocky start during his first six weeks at the school. The teenager said he went to the school voluntarily but did not expect it to be as difficult.
Now,three months later,he has perfected the art of taking a bath in 35 seconds,finishing a meal without looking at his food,and making his bed with precision. He can even take criticism,no matter how unreasonable.
"The training is hard but I know it is good for selfdevelopment of individuals." said Song Siyu. "The endless training and scolding are just ways to build up our character;they are not personal."
But his enthusiasm is not universal. Ten of the 13 Chinese students who joined the academy this year have transferred to other schools.
But for those who stick with it,there is a reward for all the hard work. | high14512.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he was afraid that some boys would suddenly rush out"
},
"options": [
"he was afraid that some boys would suddenly rush out",
"he saw a boy rush out from between parked cars",
"he saw a boy throw a brick to his car",
"h... | A young and handsome executive was driving down a neighborhood street. He thought he saw something. Then he slowed down, watching out for children rushing out from between parked cars. As his car passed, no kids appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into his door! He slammed on the brakes (make his car stop). The angry driver then jumped out of his car, caught the nearest child and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "Who are you and what was that all about?"
The little boy was full of apology, "Please,Mister... Please, I'm sorry...I didn't know what else I could do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop."
With tears dripping down his face, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother," he said. "He fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Now weeping, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me to get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Touched beyond words, the executive tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed (a light touch) at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you." The grateful child told the stranger.
Shaken up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.
God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, he has to throw a brick at us. Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention! | high9366.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "is something we talk about to start with a conversation"
},
"options": [
"is a kind of conversation with short words",
"is a greeting when people meet each other",
"is to let people disagree about something",
"is someth... | In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by "small talk". Small talk means the little things we talk about at start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather: "Nice day, isn't it?" But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safer topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: "Great game, isn't it?" At bus stops, people may comment about the transport system: "The bus service is terrible, isn't it?"
Greetings and small talk are important parts of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it. | high6055.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He visited the Badaling section of the Great Wall."
},
"options": [
"He visited the Badaling section of the Great Wall.",
"He discussed the program with others.",
"He wrote a letter to Chinese people.",
"He called his f... | US President Barack Obama visited the Badaling section of the Great Wall in Beijing on Nov. 18th, 2009. The Great Wall was the second sightseeing program for Obama during his visit to China.
Built originally as the biggest defense work in ancient China, the Great Wall today has become one of the _ places for visiting foreign leaders to the country in the past sixty years.
" I'm inspired by the majesty of the Great Wall and gratefu1 for the warmth of the Chinese people," Obama said after his half-hour tour.
"It's magical," Obama said when walking along the Great Wall, "it reminds you of the sweep of history and our time here on earth is not that long. We better make the best of it."
"I brought back the admiration for the Chinese civilization , I bring here the greetings of American people." Obama said when climbing a watchtower to enjoy a distant view at the Badaling section of the Great Wall.
Obama is the fifth US president to visit the Great Wall. Richard Nixon visited the Great Wall in 1972, Ronald Reagan in 1984 and Bill Clinton in 1998, In 2002, former US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura toured the same sections Obama did. | high14274.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "gets an opportunity for a musical theatre program."
},
"options": [
"gets permission to attend Wexford Collegiate.",
"is praised by her music teacher for her talent.",
"gets an opportunity for a musical theatre program.",
... | It takes Te'Anne Collins more than an hour to get to school by bus. But for her, it is worth it. Te'Anne is one of many talented students who will attend an interview for a musical theatre program at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts. "She is someone with unbelievable talent, " says her music teacher, Ann Merriam . "Te'Anne works two jobs, so she can support her studies and living expense."
Te'Anne has come a long way since she first came to Wexford collegiate in 9thgrade. She was new to the school and started going out with the wrong crowd. Her negative lifestyle and attitude caused her scores to decline steadily. It was Ann Merriam who pulled her aside. "She told me that she didn't even know who I was and that she often heard bad things about me, " says Te'Anne. "When I think about it now, I deserved it." Now in Grade 12, Te'Anne has fought her way to the front of the stage and has earned her place as an important member of Wexford Gleeks -- a club that Ann Merriam has been running for over 20 years.
Ann Merriam is the founder of the famous musical theatre program, which has been attracting audiences for years. A bit of a maverick ,she quietly started the program in the 80's on a shoestring budget, despite an important leader's disagreement at the beginning. Wexford Gleeks is now one of the top competitors at the 2013 Show Choir Canada competition. Te'Anne's story began to spread and soon telephone calls came flooding in the school board from kids' parents, because they knew Ann Merriam never gave up on any student. | high9400.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "By recording the test-takers' behaviors."
},
"options": [
"By equipping teachers with cameras.",
"By asking test-takers to sign in.",
"By providing different tests at a time.",
"By recording the test-takers' behaviors."... | Since American students have been introduced into the era of the Massive Open Online Course, the opportunity for cheating appears greater than ever. The all-knowing Google search engine is within easy reach. So how can a teacher handle such a large number of examinees so far away, let alone searching out cheaters taking tests across the Internet?
Using technology, of course. While special services via webcam and cheating detecting software have been developed now, Mettl, an online company, has developed advanced techniques for netting cheaters, which the company claims are even more reliable and easier to use. Whatever small attempt to cheat, he or she will be found out.
Mettl has adopted a mass of technologies on its test-taking platform, creating a mini monitoring state in an exam. Here's how it works: A test-taker signs on to Mettl and selects his/her exam from the site's library of pre-loaded tests. Facial and keystroke recognition technology confirm the person that has signed in is the very person, and the system records both the test-taker (through the webcam) and the test-taker's screen throughout the test.
Mettl's technology uses the test-taker's webcam to detect how many people are using the computer. Soon, it will track eye movement well enough to sense whether the test-taker is looking away from the screen, perhaps to consult a smart phone or a friend in secret. Mettl also monitors the test-taker's screen and can detect when the test-taker has changed a computer or moved from the test. The system will soon be able to record sound, detecting whether the test-taker is talking or being talked to.
If any wrongdoings are detected, the system flags the incident and reports it back to the test's administrator. This can bring any number of things, depending on the test-giver's wishes: a complete shutdown of the exam, a warning message that appears on the test-taker's screen, even human instructions from the control center.
Mettl is hoping its technology will help it break into the country's big MOOC markets. | high12605.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "We feel hard to accept the way things happen themselves."
},
"options": [
"We are never satisfied with ourselves and the environment around us.",
"When we see something that makes us unhappy, we don't know what to do.",
"We f... | In my experience, one of the greatest reasons of unhappiness is the difficulty we have in accepting things as they are.When we see something we don't like, we wish it could be different-we cry out for something better.That may be human nature, or perhaps it's something that has been grown in our culture.
The root of the unhappiness isn't that we want things to be different, however, it's that we decided we didn't like it in the first place.We've judged it as bad, rather than saying, "It's not bad or good, but it just is."
Here is an example.I have written a paper, A Beautiful Method to Find Peace of Mind.Quite a few people think it bad after reading it because I think people should expect things to go differently than you planned, and that you should accept that, instead of encouraging people to change themselves or the environment as much as possible.You could accept it as the way the world works-as the way things actually are.And try to understand why that is, and follow it, as it is.
This can be useful to whatever you do: whether it be how other people act at work, how politics works and how depressing the news media can be.Accept these things as they are, and try to understand why they're that way.
It'll save you a lot of sadness because you'll no longer say, "Oh, I wish things didn't go bad!"
If you really understand what I mean, you can try a different way to live in this world:accept, and understand.It might lead to some interesting results. | high4124.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Kids."
},
"options": [
"Kids.",
"Parents.",
"Adults.",
"Daughters."
],
"question": "Whom is the text mainly intended for?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answ... | According to the National Retail Federation, we spend a record of $18.6 billion on Mother's Day gifts every year that works out to about $152 per mom. If you're looking to step up your gift-giving game, here are a few fun ideas. Of course, your mom will love you no matter what, but a nice gift wouldn't hurt!
J. Crew's Poppy King Lipstick, $18.00
Bright color1s are the trend for summer. But if your mom isn't ready for a head-to-toe Technicolor1 look, she can still be on trend with J. Crew's Poppy King lipstick. Called as the "perfect shade" for all skin types, the bright coral is sure to bring a smile to her lips.
Standard Phone Case, $ 30. 00
A color1ful case for mom's phone is in fashion and practical. Boutiqueme. net offers a variety of styles and color1s including several ones which can be "mom-o-grammed" with her initials .
NOOK Simple Touch With GlowLight, $139.00
In recognition of all the bedtime stories she read to you, why not give mom the perfect e-reader for reading in bed? The NOOK Simple Touch With GlowLight is the first and only e-reader designed specifically for reading in bed.
Then Again, by Diane Keaton, published by Random House, $ 26. 00 hardcover/$16. 00 paperback
Then Again, a memoir from actress Diane Keaton, is her version of I Remember Mama.
One reviewer says that it is a "far-reaching, heartbreaking, ly easily understandable book about mothers, daughters, childhood, aging, joyfulness, love, work.., and show business, too." | high19750.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "heart diseases, strokes and blindness"
},
"options": [
"heart diseases, strokes and blindness",
"strokes, heart failure and diabetes",
"heart attacks, blindness and diabetes",
"heart troubles,strokes and cancers"
],... | World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected for World Health Day that highlights a priority area of public health concern in the world.
The theme for 2013 is high blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes . If left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can also cause blindness, irregularities of the heartbeat and heart failure. The risk of developing these complications is higher in the presence of other risk factors such as diabetes . One in three adults worldwide has high blood pressure and this increases with age, from 1 in 10 people in their 20s and 30s to 5 in 10 people in their 50s. High blood pressure is most common in some low-income countries in Africa, with over 40% of adults in many African countries thought to be affected.
However, high blood pressure is both preventable and treatable. In some developed countries, prevention and treatment of it has brought about a reduction in deaths from heart disease. The risk of developing high blood pressure can be reduced by: reducing salt intake; eating a balanced diet; avoiding harmful use of alcohol; taking regular physical activity; keeping a healthy body weight; and avoiding tobacco use.
The final and most important goal of World Health Day 2013 is to reduce heart attacks and strokes, which includes as follows:
1.to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of high blood pressure;
2.to provide information on how to prevent high blood pressure
3.to encourage adults to check their blood pressure and to follow the advice of health-care professionals. | high3893.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Gorilla Grill."
},
"options": [
"Safari Cafe.",
"Gorilla Grill.",
"La Casita.",
"Silverback's Cafe."
],
"question": "Which of the following provides kids' meals?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer"... | The Los Angeles Zoo has many public programs that aim to teach the public about animals and natural protection.
Safari shuttle
While you're here, take the Safari shuttle for a quick trip from one end of the Zoo to the other.
All day long, seven days a week (from 10 am to 5 pm), the Safari Shuttle picks up passengers, circles the Zoo, and returns to the main flamingo exhibit near the front entrance. You can get on and off the shuttle as often as you like.
Food
Safari Cafe (at the Zoo entrance) offers Starbucks coffee, fresh-baked cookies, and ice cream. Gorilla Grill is the spot for toasted food, kids' meals, snacks, and ice cream. La Casita serves a variety of Mexican food and refreshments . Silverback's Cafe offers sandwiches, salads, bread bowls, cold beer, and refreshments.
Hour
The Zoo is open from 10 am to 5 pm every day of the year except Christmas Day. Special summer long hours are until 6 pm. from July 1 to September 7. Please remember, the Zoo starts putting animals in for the night at 4 pm during regular hours, and at 5 pm. during summer hours.
Admission Prices
Adults (aged 13 and above): $ 9
Seniors (aged 62 and above): $ 6
Children (aged 2 to 12): $ 4
Children (under 2): free
Items Not Allowed on Zoo Grounds
Alcohol, Glass bottles, Pets, Bicycles, Skateboards, and In-line skate.
If you are planning a picnic while visiting the Zoo, please do not bring any glass items or other things that are easy to break. Also for the safety of the animals, no plastic bags are allowed within the Zoo. | high10012.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "provide information on a coming eclipse of the sun in Nigeria"
},
"options": [
"predict a eclipse of the sun in Nigeria",
"compare a eclipse of the sun with a eclipse of the moon",
"provide information on a coming eclipse of ... | About five states in Nigeria will experience a total eclipse of the sun on March 29, 2006, according to a forecast by the Ministry of Science and Technology this week.
An eclipse occurs in one of two ways: when the moon passes between the earth and the sun so that all or part of the sun cannot be seen for a time, or when the earth passes between the moon and the sun so that you cannot see all or part of the moon for a time. The first case is a solar eclipse or eclipse of the sun, which occurs as the earth enters the shadow of the moon. The second describes a lunar eclipse or eclipse of the moon, which happens when the moon enters the shadow of the earth.
More than 60 percent of Nigerians are uneducated, and eclipses in some parts of the country in the past have caused commotions in which people have been killed and property destroyed. Some Nigerians believe an eclipse is punishment from the gods for evil doing.
The March 29th eclipse would be the fifth in prefix = st1 /Nigeria's history, and it is expected to last for 30 minutes -- 9:15AM to 9:45AM, according to the official prediction.Nigeriawitnessed eclipses in 1898, 1947, 1959, and 2001.
The shadows in an eclipse have a central dark part called umbra, and a less dark external section called penumbra. In the umbra, all the sun's light is cut off, and this is called total eclipse; while in the penumbra, only a part of the light from the sun is cut off from the moon, and it is called partial eclipse.
Five Nigerian states -- Oyo, Kwara,Niger, Zamfara, and Katsina -- are expected to have total eclipse, while other parts of the country will experience partial eclipse. | high19988.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Call for help if caught in a dangerous wave"
},
"options": [
"Go off the water without a lifeguard on duty",
"Go on swimming in a heavy rain",
"Go off the water before checking the water conditions",
"Call for help if c... | Lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer fun and cool relaxation from hot weather. But water also can be dangerous for kids if you don't take great care. Nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning.
Here are some tips to keep your kids safe in the water:
At the Lake or Pond
*Don't let little kids swim alone without adult supervision-- lakes or ponds may be shallow near the bank and are suddenly deep sharply further out from shore.
*Ponds and lakes may hide jagged rocks, broken glass, or rubbish.
*Make sure kids wear foot protection; even in the water, they should wear socks or water shoes.
*Watch out for weeds and grass in the water that could trap a leg or arm.
*Most boating accidents, particularly among teenagers, are related to alcohol . Be sure teens know about the dangers of alcohol, on and off the water.
At the Beach
*Teach kids to always swim when and where a lifeguard is on duty. Unlike the calm waters of a swimming pool, the beach has special dangers like currents and tides . Check with the lifeguard when you arrive to find out about the water conditions.
*Tell kids never to stand with their back to the water because a sudden wave can easily knock a child over.
*Teach kids that if they're caught in a dangerous wave, they should swim parallel to the shore or should tread water and call for a lifeguard's help.
Whether at the lake or at the beach, teach your child to get out of the water during bad weather, especially lightning. | high2555.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Show the child how angry they are and tell him why."
},
"options": [
"Ask the child not to do it again any time.",
"Show the child how angry they are and tell him why.",
"Teach the child why and how to say sorry to others.",
... | There's a time to get angry, and it's best for your child if you do. Let's say your child hits a playmate with a toy hard enough to make the other child cry. How can you teach your child to feel sorry so he or she won't do it again? Researchers say the best way for parents to react is to show their anger and to let the child know exactly why they are mad.
Many parents believe that it is best to control their feelings and to wait until they're calm before scolding their children. But the mother or father who explains reasonably to a child , "Peter was crying because you hit him," is not likely to attract much attention. Young children need to be scolded immediately, and strongly, before they'll take criticism to heart.
When your young child does something wrong, scold him or her seriously at once. At the same time be sure to tell the child clearly what he or she has done wrong. An angry reaction without an immediate explanation does little good. Forbidding a child to play outside or not allowing him to watch TV as a punishment works well-but only when taken together with an explanation. Make sure your child understands that although his or her wrongdoing has made you angry, you still love him or her. Use simple, direct words such as, "You hurt peter. How would you feel if he hit you? You must never, never hurt people." If your voice expresses strong feeling clearly, your message will carry enough weight. | high11318.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "relied on others' sympathy before"
},
"options": [
"relied on others' sympathy before",
"was joyful in his life",
"hated working hard",
"was a naughty boy"
],
"question": "According to the passage, Teary Joe... | Teary Joe was a boy with a special ability: he could make himself cry in less than a second. If he disliked something, or things became difficult, Teary Joe would not hesitate to put on a pitiful face and set great big tears running down his cheeks. In this way he managed to get practically everything he wanted, because no one could resist the pity inspired by his tearful little face.
But one day, Teary Joe met Pipo. Pipo was asking people in the street for some change, in return for him helping them in any way he could. Pipo was very poor; he had no home and no family, so he made a living however he could. Even so, Pipo always had the biggest smiles on his face.
Joe took to Pipo, so he decided to help him out in making some money. He went over next to Pipo, took off his hat, put it face-up on the ground, and started crying with the most pitiful of expressions. Ina few minutes, Joe's hat was full of coins and sweets, but when Joe offered all this to Pipo, Pipo declined. "I prefer deserving what I receive," answered Pipo with his usual smile, "It's much more fun making an effort to get things. Maybe I haven't gotten everything I've wanted, but I've done a load of interesting things." Teary Joe didn't answer; he just walked sadly away. Joe had got everything he wanted, but he'd done practically nothing of interest the whole day.
That evening, having returned home, Joe requested a delicious cake for his supper. When his mother said no, Joe tried to cry but, remembering Pipo and how joyful he was, he tried to get the cake in some other way. Joe spent the whole evening helping his mother to water the plants and organize the library books.
In the end there was no cake. But that wasn't so bad, because Joe discovered it had been much more fun doing all those things that evening rather than just sitting crying to get a piece of cake that, in the end, wouldn't have been worth it. | high19744.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they can find little value of it"
},
"options": [
"they show too much concern about the cost",
"they can find little value of it",
"they do most YouTube-watching at work",
"the Internet doesn't reach their homes"
],... | A little under one-third of U.S. families have no Internet access and do not plan to get it, with most of the holdouts seeing little use for it in their lives, according to a survey released on Friday.
Park Associates, a Dallas-based technology market research firm, said 29 percent of U.S. families, or 31 million homes, do not have Internet access and do not intend to subscribe to an Internet service over the next 12 months. The second annual National Technology Scan conducted by Park found that the main reason why potential customers say they do not subscribe to the Internet is because of the low value to their daily lives rather than concerns over cost.
Forty-four percent of these families say they are not interested in anything on the Internet, versus just 22 percent who say they cannot afford a computer or the cost of Internet service, the survey showed. The answer "I'm not sure how to use the Internet" came from 17 percent of participants who do not subscribe. The response "I do all my e-commerce shopping and YouTube-watching at work" was cited by 14 percent of Internet-access refuseniks. Three percent said the Internet doesn't reach their homes.
The study found U.S. broadband adoption grew to 52 percent over 2006, up from 42 percent in 2005. Roughly half of new subscribers converted from slower-speed, dial-up Internet access while the other half of families had no prior access.
"The industry continues to chip away at the core of non-subscribers, but has a long way to go," said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates. "Entertainment applications will be the key. If anything will pull in the holdouts, it's going to be applications that make the Internet more similar to pay-TV," he predicted. | high4130.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It was her dream to receive college education."
},
"options": [
"She wanted to marry a rich husband.",
"It was her dream to receive college education.",
"She wanted to change her present situation.",
"She wanted to get ... | On the first day of college our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know.
I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, "Hi, handsome! My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?" I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you can!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.
"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked. She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel."
"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age. "I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We instantly became friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk non-stop.
I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went.
At the year end, Rose finished the degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral to pay their respects to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possible be. | high16477.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Chinese children prefer foreign cartoon films to domestic ones."
},
"options": [
"Chinese children prefer foreign cartoon films to domestic ones.",
"Chinese children never watch domestic cartoon films.",
"Chinese children pre... | From Sept. 1, Chinese children will be able to watch domestic cartoon programs during 5 p.m. every day, according to a regulation by prefix = st1 /China's TV watchdog.
The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has decided to ban all foreign cartoons during the "Golden hours", reported the Beijing News. No foreign cartoons or programs of introducing foreign cartoons can be shown during the period on all domestic cartoon channels, the regulation says. Only after 8 p.m. can foreign cartoons appear on TV, it requires.
The regulation has been issued to local TV stations but the administration has not made it public, according to the newspaper. Cartoon programs co-produce by domestic and foreign producers will have to get approval from SARFT to show during 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. from Sept.1.
The first foreign cartoon introduced to Chinawas a Japanese cartoon called "Astro Boy" series in 1981. Since then, a large quantity of foreign cartoons _ China. Incomplete surveys show about 80 percent of interviewed Chinese children like foreign cartoons according to the Southern Metropolis News.
With the effects of regulations and establishment of 15 film and cartoon production bases in recent years, domestic cartoon industry attracted huge civil investment, resulting in a sharp rise of cartoon programs in 2005. However, due to the poor popularity among children, domestic cartoons found it hard to show during "golden hours", and even had troubles to get back the production costs.
Moreover, it was the content of domestic cartoons that lost the audience, said the editorial, therefore improving the creation environment of cartoon makers is much wiser than such market-protecting measures.
Finally it said it was reasonable and necessary to introduce system into the cartoon competition to protect the domestic industry, the complete prohibition of foreign cartoons and compulsory screening of domestic ones during popular hours was rather unreasonable. "This is a worrying, short-sighted policy and would not solve the fundamental problems in China's cartoon industry," it concluded. | high17769.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures and Rio"
},
"options": [
"The Silent House and Rio",
"Submarine and Passenger Side",
"A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures and Rio",
"Killing Bono and Country Strong"
],
"quest... | Check out all the new releases in the next four weeks.
Wednesday 16 march
Chalet Girl (12A )Watch the Trailer
A British comedy about a girl who decides to give up her job at a fried chicken fast food place to try out being a chalet girl in the Alps. Starring Bill Nighy and Ed Westwick.
Friday 18 March
Submarine (15)
A comedy following a teenager who wants to lose his virginity and stop his father from leaving his mother. Directed by Richard Ayoade.
Friday 25 March
Country Strong (12A) Watch the Trailer
Rising country music songwriter (Garrett Hedlund) falls in love with a fallen star (Gwyneth Paltrow), and together they plan his rising and her comeback.
A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures (3D) (U)
A sea turtle who was hatched in 1959 spends the next 50 years travelling the world as it changes through global warming.
Friday 1 April
Killing Bono (15) Watch the Trailer
Two brothers attempt to become global rock stars but can only look on as old school friends U2 become the biggest hand in the world.
Passenger Side (D)
Two brothers spend the day driving around Los Angeles county looking for the meaning of their lives, or cheap street drugs, depending on whom you believe.
Friday 8 April
The Silent House
A horror movie based on a true story about a small house in a village in Uruguay which holds some dark secrets
Rio (3D) Watch the trailer
An animated film about a domesticated macaw from Minnesota who sets off on an adventure. | high3887.txt |
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