questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "From Paragraph to Essay"
},
"options": [
"From Paragraph to Essay",
"Tense about Tenses",
"Source Material",
"Media Use"
],
"question": "If a student takes the course The Short Story, he can't take _ .",
... | STUDY CENTER COURSES | high16098.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the hard life of black people"
},
"options": [
"the funny life of singers",
"the happy life of black musicians",
"the lonely life of black people",
"the hard life of black people"
],
"question": "The blues songs... | The blues was born on the Mississippi River Delta in the early 1900s. After the Civil War, the slaves were free but life was still not easy. They had to find new work. In the south, work camps were formed. Black people from these camps worked on farms and built up the Mississippi River banks. During the week, the people worked long and hard. They often lived alone, without their families, far from home. On the weekends, the workers got together at picnics or drinking places. Traveling black musicians with guitars entertained them. The musicians sang songs about the difficult life of the workers. These songs were called the blues.
If you have the blues, it means you feel very sad. But blues songs were not always sad. Some of them were happy and many of them were funny.
Early blues singers often had very interesting names like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Howlin Wolf. Sometimes, the blues singers had song contests. Each singer sang new words or a new style of the blues song. They made up the music as they played. In this way they created new music. This is called improvisation. Later, improvisation became a very important part of Jazz music.
The blues began in the country in the south. As blacks moved into the big cities to work, the blues went with them. There, they sang about life in the cities. W. C.
Handy, a black band leader from Memphis made the blues popular all over America. In 1914 he wrote the most famous song of all "The St. Louis blues." | high21634.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The 13th."
},
"options": [
"The 13th.",
"The 17th.",
"The 18th.",
"The 20th."
],
"question": "In which century's collection can you see religious paintings?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | The National Gallery
Description:
The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London.It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13thcentury religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh.The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance
Layout:
The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13thto 15thcentury paintings,and artists include Duccio,Uccello,Van Eyck,Lippi,Mantegna,Botticelli and Memling.
The main West Wing houses 16thcentury paintings,and artists include Leonardo da Vinci,Cranach,Michelangelo,Raphael,Bruegel,Bronzino,Titian and Veronese.
The North Wing houses 17thcentury paintings,and artists include Caravaggio,Rubens,Poussin,Van Dyck,Velaazquez,Claude and Vermeer.
The East Wing houses 18thto early 20thcentury paintings,and artists include Canaletto,Goya,Turner,Constable,Renoir and Van Gogh.
Opening Hours:
The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10am to 9pm) and is free,but charges apply to some special exhibitions.
Getting There:
Nearest underground stations:Charing Cross (2minute walk),Leicester Square (3minute walk),Embankment (7minute walk),and Piccadilly Circus (8minute walk). | high5819.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Jack Russell terrier is a kind of dog."
},
"options": [
"Graham was very wise to save the dog first.",
"Graham was not experienced in rescue work.",
"Jack Russell terrier is a kind of dog.",
"Graham loves his dog better... | When you hear about a man saving his dog from a sinking ship, it's hard not to be moved by the tale of an animal lover's bravery.But the story becomes slightly less heroic when you learn that the man saved his dog before his own wife.
But that's apparently what happened when Graham Annie and his wife, Cheryl, found their Yacht sinking after it hit a rock, while on a voyage from East London to Madagascar.
National Sea Rescue Institute North London station commander Geoff McGregor said all three were wearing life jackets.The 9-year-old Jack Russell terrier named Rosie was wearing a tailored life jacket equipped with a light.
"As the incident happened Graham sent a radio distress call for help and activated the EPIRB (a GPS beacon) but they were immediately forced to abandon ship," McGregor said in an interview, "He first swam Rosie to the shore safely before returning for his wife, whose safety line had caught on the steering gear McGregor added.
The couple and their dog all made it out free of injury.Graham, a long-time volunteer with the National Sea Rescue Institute, said, "it was humbling to have the shoe on the other foot and need to be rescued."
Some details have yet to come out.So, it's likely that Cheryl was in a position of safety and Rosie might have been in a more dangerous position had she been left on the boat. The couple did not want to speak with the media about their rescue.So, for now, it's left to readers to find out Graham's priorities during their troubled time. | high17386.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he thought he only got a Bible"
},
"options": [
"his father couldn't afford a car",
"he had to stay in his study",
"he thought he only got a Bible",
"his father spent all the money"
],
"question": "The young man... | A young man was getting ready to finish school. For a long time he had looked forward to getting a beautiful sports car. He knew his father could well afford it, so he told him _ was all he wanted.
Then on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful gift box. Surprised, the young man opened the box and found a lovely Bible with his name on it. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" He then rushed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family, but realizing his father was very old, he thought perhaps he should go to see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a phone telling him his father had passed away. He had to come home immediately and take care of the things that his father left him.
When he began to search through his father's important papers, he saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. He opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he was reading , a car key with a tag dropped from the back of the Bible. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words..."PAID IN FULL". Sadness and regret filled his heart. | high23023.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "William Bartram was the first person to visit Paynes prairie"
},
"options": [
"the Florida Park Service manages Paynes Prairie",
"you can have fun in the Paynes Prairie Reserve State Park",
"there used to be a big cattle farm... | Have you ever heard of Paynes Prairie ? It is one of the most important natural and historical areas in Florida. Paynes Prairie is located near Gainesville. It is large, 21,000 acres. This protected land is called a reserve, which is managed by the Florida Park Service.
The Paynes Prairie basin was formed when limestone broke down and the ground settled. It is covered by wet prairie plants. There are areas of open water. During brief periods it was flooded enough to be considered a lake. Except for that, the basin has changed little through time.
Man has lived on Paynes Prairie a very long time. He lived there as far back as 10,000 B.C.. At one time, the Seminoles lived there. The prairie is thought to have been named after King Payne, a Seminole chief. During the late 1600s, the largest farm where cattle are fed in Florida was on Paynes.
William Bartram who lived 200 years ago visited Paynes Praire in 1774. Bartram was the first person who described nature through personal experiences as well as scientific observations. At that time he called Paynes Prairie the "great Alachua Savannah". Most of the animal life, which Bartram described, is still here. A large number of animals live here in winter. The variety of animals is increased by the presence of pine flat woods, wetlands and ponds.
The Paynes Prairie Reserve State Park is open all year round. The Florida Park Service works hard so that the park will appear as it did in the past. It offers many opportunities for entertainment. In the park you can camp and picnic. You can hike and bike. You can boat and fish. You can ride on horses. And you can see Florida as it was in the early days. | high133.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "had great fun playing a game with him"
},
"options": [
"was sad because he couldn't see things clearly",
"immediately introduced him to the family dog",
"worried that he might steal her mother's love from her",
"had gre... | When my brother Joey was 6 months old, my mother brought him home from the hospital and told me to watch him while she fixed supper. We started playing a game I called "dogs", rolling on the floor like pups . Then I looked up and saw my mother watching us. She was crying.
"He's blind," she said. "The doctor told me today."
I looked at Joey. He was laughing. "He can't be blind," I said. "He smiles at my face."
"He smiles at your voice," she said. "He'll never see your face."
That was that. Joey was blind. Mama went back to cooking. I went back to playing a dog. From the age of 8, Joey boarded at a school for the deaf and the blind, learning to read Braille . When he was 16, the school said he'd learned enough and sent him home with a Braille typewriter. At 21, Joey moved out to live on his own, he said, "like a man," in an apartment 30 miles (48 km) away. He learned to cook, clean, do his own laundry, and do almost anything else he needed.
Then he met the love of his life. She, too, was blind. When Joey called to tell me, he said: "Even a blind man can fall in love at first sight."
They shared 10 good years before he lost her to cancer. Painfully soon after, he also lost our mother, who was his champion, and our stepfather, who was Joey's best friend.
What is left when you lose the loves of your life? My brother clung with an iron fist to three gifts: Faith, hope and love.
His faith grew stronger. He always had hope. And his love for his family has never gotten weaker, despite death or disappointment. Loved ones leave, but love remains.
The years ahead may prove to be his hardest. His legs are growing weaker, threatening to take away the independence he's fought so hard to keep.
My sister and I often wonder what will happen if Joey can't live on his own. It's not up to us. We'll do what we can, but it's his life. He won't have it any other way.
You don't find strength to do something until it's time to do it. Joey has found _ whenever he has needed it. I believe he will again. | high14857.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "daydreaming may increase creativity"
},
"options": [
"boring tasks make people creative",
"daydreaming may increase creativity",
"plastic cups can be used very creatively",
"copying numbers might be very interesting"
... | Being bored can encourage people's creativity-partly to escape the horrible, frustrated. And meaningless feeling of boredom-recent studies find. It could even be true at work.
Psychologists at the University of Central Lancashire had participants copy numbers out of the telephone book for 15 minutes,while others went straight into a standard creativity task.
Both groups were asked to come up with as many different uses as they could for a plastic cup. The group that felt more bored came up with more uses.
Dr. Sandi Mann, one of the study's authors said. " Boredom at work has always been seen as
something to he removed. hut perhaps we should be welcoming it in order to encourage our creativity. What we want LO do next is to see what the practical implications of this finding are. Do people who are bored at work become more creative in other areas of their work-or do they go homeand write novels?"
In a later study, Dr. Sandi Mann found that creativity was reduced when people were still bored but didn't have the chance to daydream.
While we tend to think of boredom as something; that certainly leads to trouble-drinking, gambling. and antisocial behavior, this research suggests differer possibilities.
More than anything, the feeling of boredom is a 8trong signal that we are stuck in some kind of rut and we need to seek out new goals. In the study above, this research led participants to new ideas.
Usually people will do anything to avoid being bored. as it's such an _ experience. But creative people, like writers, sometimes talk ahout seeking out boredom.
Here is the comedy writer Graham Linehan talking about boredom Lo The Cuardian. "I have to use all these programs that cut off the Internet,force me to be bored, because being bored is an essential part of writing, and the Internet has made it very hard to be bored. The creative process requires a period of boredom ,of being stuck. That's actually a very uncomfortable period that a lot of people mistake for writer's block, but it's actually just part of a long process. "
So, when you start to feel bored , instead of g7ancing at your smartphone.,try being bored for a bit. Who knows what creative thought might come of it? | high8483.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "discovered correlation between sitting and physical health in men and in women"
},
"options": [
"found men reporting shorter sitting time than women",
"surveyed more men than women on their daily sitting time",
"identified fe... | If your job requires a lot of sitting, you could be putting your health at danger.
The American Journal of Epidemiology did a study in 2010 on the correlation between sitting and an individual's physical health. In the study, 53,440 working men and 69,776 working women were surveyed on their time spent sitting. The subjects were all disease free when employed. The researchers identified 11,307 deaths in men and 7,923 deaths in women during the 14-year follow-up.
The findings: Women who reported sitting for more than six hours per day had an approximately 40 higher all-cause death rate than those who reported less than three hours a day, and men had an approximately 20 higher death rate.
Well, now's a fine time to get this information. But why didn't they tell me this years ago? I would have planned on taking a more active job instead of the sedentary job of an editor.
So what can you do if you have to work for a living at a job that requires a lot of sitting? Here are some ideas:
Take frequent breaks. It is recommended that workers vary activities, change their position, and take short breaks every 20 minutes to rest muscles and increase blood circulation. Get a standing desk. Some studies have shown that working from an upright position may be better for health. The serious fitness people can even purchase a treadmill desk. It only goes about one mile per hour. Have a walking meeting. If your group is kind of small, going for a walk while discussing topics is a good alternative. | high9945.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he looked very strange"
},
"options": [
"the police called her",
"he looked very strange",
"he came to the hotel with little luggage",
"he came to the hotel the day before New Year's Eve"
],
"question": "Vicki b... | One of Britain's bravest women told yesterday how she helped to catch suspected police killer David Bieber--and was thanked with flowers by the police. It was also said that she could _ a share of up to $30,000 reward money.
Vicki Brown, 30, played a very important role in ending the nationwide manhunt. Vicki, who has worked at the Royal Hotel for four years, told of her terrible experience when she had to steal into Bieber's bedroom and to watch him secretly. Then she waited alone for three hours while armed police prepared to storm the building.
She said, "I was very nervous. But when I opened the hotel door and saw 20 armed policemen lined up in the car park, I was so glad they were there."
The alarm had been raised because Vicki became suspicious of the guest who checked in at 3 p.m. the day before New Year's Eve with little luggage and wearing sunglasses and a hat pulled down over his face. She said, "He didn't seem to want to talk too much or make any eye contact." Vicki, the only employee on duty, called her bosses Margaret, 64, and her husband Stall McKale, 65, who phoned the police at 11 p.m.
Officers from Northumbria Police called Vicki at the hotel in Dunston, Gateshead, at about 11:30 p.m. to make sure that this was the wanted man. Then they kept in touch by phoning Vicki every 15 minutes.
"It was about ten past two in the morning when the phone went again and a policeman said 'Would you go and make yourself known to the armed officers outside?' My heart missed a beat."
Vicki quietly showed eight armed officers through passages and staircases to the top floor room and handed over the key.
"I realized that my bedroom window overlooks that pair of the hotel, so I went to watch. I could not see into the man's room, but I could see the passage . The police kept shouting at the man to come out with his hands showing. Then suddenly he must have come out because they shouted for him to lie down while he was handcuffed ." | high12598.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "People are used to eating out in restaurants."
},
"options": [
"People are used to eating out in restaurants.",
"People do not have free access to the Internet.",
"The price of gasoline is going up steadily.",
"The numb... | In 2030, 42 percent of American adults will be obese, and about one-quarter of that group will be severely obese, a condition that shortens life and wastes large medical expenses, a new study predicts.
Obesity related _ -- diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure -- consume at least 9 percent of health-care spending the United States. Some researchers believe the cost may be twice that estimate. Total health spending is about $2.6 trillion a year.
In 2030, 42 percent of people are projected to be obese, and 11 percent severely obese. Obesity is a body mass index , which suggests 85 kg for someone 1.67 meters tall. Severe obesity is 112 kg for someone that height.
Obesity is rising in higher-income men. Severe obesity is increasing in both sexes. It was 6.2 percent in women in 1999 and 8.1 percent in 2010. For men, it was 3.1 percent in 1999 and 4.4 percent in 2010.
It is believed that the obesity rate is closely related to the following factors: the price of gasoline, which discourages walking when it is low; access to the Internet (and other technologies), which encourages long periods of sitting still; and restaurants per 10,000 people, which increases eating out and weight gain when the number goes up.
Urgent measures must be taken to inspire people to exercise more and educate people about better eating habits before too many people will be suffering from being . obese. | high655.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "has more than one chance to bid"
},
"options": [
"has more than one chance to bid",
"should make payment immediately",
"can only buy one item",
"must give the credit card to the seller"
],
"question": "The passa... | Everyone's at it, even my neighbors. I thought I might be the only person left in the world who hadn't done an eBay deal. So I decided to try my hand at online auction.
Buying for beginners: Sign up on www.eBay.co.uk. Most items (e.g. tables, computers, and books) ready for auction will come with a picture and a short description; others may be marked with "Buy It Now" and have a fixed price. You can buy these right away.
If the item is being auctioned, you offer the highest price you are prepared to pay and eBay bids for you.The bid will be increased little by little until it goes beyond your highest bid, then you are emailed and asked if you would like to bid again. Auctions last up to 10 days, and when they finish you get an email telling you whether you have won the item.
How to pay: Sellers decide how they would like to be paid and you need to check this before placing a bid as you might not want to post a cheque or postal orders. The easiest way is through PayPal, an online payment system that takes the money away from your credit card.
Selling made simple: If you plan to sell on eBay, it helps to include a picture of the item.I followed my friends' advice and put up the items I wanted to sell for a 10-day auction, starting on a Thursday.This way buyers had two weekends to bid.
The big things in life: It's easy to post a small item, but furniture is a big part of eBay and this has to be collected or sent by delivery men.Check the ways of delivery before you bid. | high7968.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "One."
},
"options": [
"One.",
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four."
],
"question": "How many of the magazines mentioned in the text can be read on the Internet?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
}
] | There are many Spanish gossip magazines being published around the world. If your Spanish is good enough, these magazines will offer a lively look into the private moments of the beautiful, rich and famous, and provide entertainment and at the same time, help you practice your Spanish.
DiezMinutos: The magazine is a classic Spanish gossip feast with daily news based on many stories of love, separation, divorce and death. The two main parts are headlined "love"and "partners".They also have an online version of the magazine for serious gossip addicts.
Hola: It is Spain's top weekly magazine and the leader of the gossip world. It contains many pictures and a round-up of well-known and less well-known nobles and people in show business. Apart from edited highlights from the present and past issues, there is a report of the week and photo of the week. There is also a French version calledOhLa!
RevistaCUORE: As the third best-selling gossip magazine in Spain, it is mainly aimed at younger teenage readers who look not only for current celebrity gossip, but also for fashion and TV news. It uses a lot of oralterms.
RevistaSEMANA: It is a Spanish magazine covering the latest news on the famous in Spain and Hollywood. It also offers its readers information on fashion, beauty, cooking and travel.
RevistaLECTURAS: Practical, friendly and informal, this magazine is one of the most widely-read gossip magazines on the Spanish market today.
Marujeo.com: It is a blog serving up a daily diet of national gossip news on Spanish and international celebrities and the celebrity world from a particular point of view.
RevistaCARAS: It is a magazine published in various countries of Latin America. It is also exported to certain parts of the United States, bringing together strange and wonderful news from around the world and the famous Latin community. | high13686.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "expectation"
},
"options": [
"expectation",
"confidence",
"doubt",
"curiosity"
],
"question": "Before going to San Diego the author was full of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answe... | San Diego Summer
The summer after my second year in high school, I finally had the opportunity to live with my super-cool sister in San Diego for three weeks. It was going to be great! I would lie on the beach in the sun. Perhaps I would surf a little or ride my bike around Coronado Island.
Meanwhile, I would spend every morning, Monday through Friday, teaching YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) kids how to play tennis...for FREE. Since college wasn't too far off, and since I had practically zero hours of community service, my volunteering at the YMCA was smart. I like tennis and I even kind of like little kids. Anyway, life was going to be amazing for those three weeks.
On my first day at the YMCA, I was shocked by the smallness of the children. The kids could barely grasp a racket , let alone swing one. This is when it occurred to me how potentially terrible the situation was--a group of thirty small children with rackets in hand and only four coaches. The odds were definitely against us. Luckily, the kids did not have blood on their minds, and they were ly obedient and cooperative.
It soon became painfully obvious that I was the only "coach" actually coaching. Rather ironic when one considered that I was the only one of the four NOT being paid. I must admit, however, that despite all of my efforts these children were not getting much. I had to keep telling myself that while I couldn't enjoy the fruits of my labor at the moment, I would be reveling in the benefits once college application time came. Thus, I soldiered on.
As I returned home the day before the opening of school, I had complete peace of mind. Although I did not spend every day at the beach as I had initially hoped to do, I did accomplish several things and I felt as if I were a better person because of my three weeks in San Diego. | high23745.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Cool jobs in space other than being an astronaut."
},
"options": [
"Cool jobs in space other than being an astronaut.",
"How science function becomes reality.",
"Career opportunities that you shouldn't miss.",
"The poss... | Make your office space
MANY of us spent our childhoods dreaming of becoming astronauts. However, the hard reality is that only a select few will make it. But does that mean you'll never get the chance to work in space? Not necessarily.
Space X, a private space company based in California, US, published a list of job vacancies last month. These "open positions" are not only for astronauts, and they all sound just as cool.
One of the most interesting space jobs that you may have never heard of is "chief sniffer" . NASA has already hired a chief sniffer named George Aldrich, whose job is to smell materials and components before they are used in spacecrafts.
Using your nose at work might sound a little strange, but the job is actually crucial. A spacecraft is of limited size and ly high temperature, which makes smells stronger inside of it. And once a spacecraft is launched, astronauts "have no way of escaping" unpleasant smells, Aldrich told The Telegraph.
More importantly, smelling objects can help identify dangerous chemicals that could threaten astronauts' health.
Another job vacancy, the "space tour guide", may seem a little ahead of its time --after all, what's the point of hiring a tour guide when there aren't any tourists there? But in fact, many private companies are now providing space trips, and wealthy space enthusiasts such as Justin Bieber and Sarah Brightman have already signed up for tours. It may not be long before space becomes one of the top travel destinations for Earthlings.
Being a space tour guide requires rich knowledge of astronomy , astrophysics geography and history to help passengers get the most out of their journey. Tour guides also need to be excellent storytellers so that passengers can experience the true awe of space travel.
Astronauts often spend weeks or even months in a small capsule with the same group of people, which is why a "space psychologist" is also needed to help astronauts overcome mental challenges like feeling bored and lonely.
"We're crossing the boundaries between science fiction and reality," said Rohit Talwar, chief executive of US company Fast Future Research. "Things we've seen in the past in movies are now becoming genuine career opportunities. " | high16926.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Blue."
},
"options": [
"Blue.",
"Brown.",
"White.",
"Transparent."
],
"question": "What color of the cup can best reduce coffee's bitterness without adding sugar?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | More than 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed across the globe each day, and it's likely that many taste bitter.
Now, a new study suggests that coffee fans can make their drink taste sweeter by simply changing the colour of their cups.
Scientists claim that blue and glass mugs, which are popular in some coffee shops, can reduce coffee's bitterness, without any need for sugar, and that coffee drunk from white cups tastes the bitterest.
To prove their claims, the researchers invited 36 volunteers and used three different colored cups -- blue, white and transparent glass -- to do an experiment.
In the experiment, coffee consumed from the white cup was found to taste less sweet when compared to the other two colored cups, while the blue cup made the coffee taste the sweetest.
The scientists believe that the colour brown may be associated with coffee's bitterness because coffee in a white cup appears the brownest and tastes the bitterest.
"Our study clearly shows that the colour of a coffee cup does influence the perceived taste and flavor of coffee," said Dr George Doorn of Federation University Australia, "but the potential effects may be different between a one-time purchase and a return customer."
"Anyhow, the effect of the colour of the cup on the flavor of the coffee suggests that cafe owners, baristas , as well as coffee cup manufacturers should carefully consider the colour of their cups, " he added.
However, the idea that colour can alter the taste of food and drink is not new.
A study published last year revealed that red, strawberry-flavored mousse served on a white plate was rated as 10 percent sweeter and 15 percent more flavorous than the same food presented on a black plate. | high11091.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it is one of the most filmed cities in North America"
},
"options": [
"the number of films it makes is second to Hollywood",
"it is one of the most filmed cities in North America",
"it looks much like Hollywood",
"it li... | One of Vancouver's nicknames is Hollywood North. This name comes from the fact that Vancouver is
the third most filmed city in North America behind Los Angeles and New York City.
Vancouver became known as a filming destination because it is a perfect stand-in for other
cities. Shot from the right angles, the downtown core could look like New York, Seattle, Boston or a
variety of other places. Also, the architectural smorgasbord that is Vancouver, the low Canadian
dollar, and generous tax subsidies attracted film production companies to the city.
Many would accuse Vancouver of simply being a stand-in city, and not really being of any
significance to the overall culture of film production. However, this has proven not to be the case. The
creative establishment in the film sector has realized that Vancouver is more than just a stand-in; it is a
city that is filled with talent.
Earlier this year Pixar Studios opened an animation studio in Vancouver. The animators made famous
by such hits as Toy Story, Monsters Inc, and Wall-E, demonstrated that Vancouver is now a major player
in the film industry by opening up shops in the city.
Amir Nasrabadi, the General Manager for Pixar Canada said the company decided to open an office in
the city because of the "very mature , high-quality talent pool, driven primary by the strength of
the industry and great local universities and schools"
For now the studio will work as a satellite branch of Pixar's California studios, but future plans
include the Vancouver studio taking on its own feature films. The British Columbia Film Commissioner,
Susan Croome, told CTV News in an interview that "Pixar's announcement is ly fantastic". When
asked if this expansion of Vancouver's film industry was the result of favorable exchange rates, she
responded that it wasn't, and the company was making plans for the long term. | high21152.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "already had a business brain"
},
"options": [
"already made a lot of money",
"already had a business brain",
"was already a managing director of a company",
"already set up his own business"
],
"question": "When... | At five he was collecting old newspapers to make money.And when he was fifteen he signed his schoolmates up to start a baby-sitting circle .
Now 20,third- year Cambridge University student,Peter Blackburn is the managing director of company with a 30,000 pounds plan.And he thinks he will make more than $15,000 by next summer.
He set up Peter Blackburn Company last year to bring out a new color term-planner that now students all over the UK are using.
"I felt that most of the planners going around were pretty unimaginative,"he says."I believed that I could do a better job and decided to have a go."
Blackburn agrees that he is putting far more effort into business than his computer studies course at university.While fellow students are out with their friends,he keeps in touch with his business office in Lancashire by mobile phone.Before he set up the company he spent one holiday preparing a plan that would persuade the bank to lend him money.
"Most students work hard for a good degree because they believe that will help them get a job to support themselves,"he says."I work hard at my company,because that is what will support me next year,after I leave college."
Friends believe that Blackburn will make one million pounds within five years.
He is not quite so sure,however."There is a lot to be done yet,"he says. | high2810.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It can lead the enemy in a wrong direction to avoid losing resources."
},
"options": [
"It can reduce the use of firepower to confront the enemy.",
"It can fool the enemy into believing it is more dangerous.",
"It can lead th... | Deception is something that people do all the time ,and it plays an important role in military strategy. Now some researchers are trying to figure out how to get robots to do it, by looking at the behavior of squirrels and birds.
At Georgia Tech, a team led by Ronald Arkin , a professor at the School of interactive Computing, studied the literature on squirrels hiding their acorns .Squirrels will hide their food m a certain place, but when they see other squirrels trying to steal from them, they attempt to fool the thieves by running to a fake location.
Ronald Arkin and his Ph. D. student Jaeeun Shim used that as a model for robot behavior. They programmed the robot into tricking a "predator " machine by doing what ei squirrel does: showing the enemy a false location for an important resource.
The team also looked at how other animals in this case,a species of bird called Arabian babbler~ drive off predators. A babbler will make an alarm call when they see a predator and other babblers will join the bird and make more calls. They then surround the predator, all the while flapping wings and making noises. The babblers don't ever actually fight the animal they want to drive off; they just make enough noises and flaps around enough so that it seems that attacking a babbler isn't worth it
They found that the deception works when the group reaches a certain size--essentially, when enough birds arrive to convince the enemy that it's best to back off . Davis modeled that behavior in software using a military scene and found that it worked even if the group didn't have the firepower to confront the enemy directly.
The military is interested in this because a robot that can fool an opponent is a valuable tool. It could lead an enemy down a fake trail or make itself look more dangerous than it actually is. | high3059.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Hans Sloane's collections"
},
"options": [
"the Rosetta Stone",
"the Elgin Marbles",
"Hans Sloane's collections",
"Egyptian mummies"
],
"question": "When the British Museum opened originally, it mainly included ... | The British Museum first opened in the 18th Century largely based on the collections of the scientist Sir Hans Sloane.
The current neoclassical building was founded nearly a century later and is quadrangular with four wings and a great classical appearance. Inside is a courtyard, the Great Court, covered with a special modern addition--a spiraling glass and steel roof which was designed by Norman Foster and completed in 2000. The courtyard surrounds the round Reading Room with a copper domed ceiling the same size as the dome of St Peter's in Rome.
The museum, one of the oldest in the world, is Britain's largest museum, and widely considered to be one of the world's greatest museums of human history and culture. The permanent collection is made up of over 8 million objects spanning the history of the world's cultures from the stone tools of early man to twentieth-century prints. The collection includes controversial items including the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Greece, Egyptian mummies and the Rosetta Stone.
The expansion of the museum over the years has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions including the Natural History Museum in South Kensington. The British Library previously occupied the Reading Room but in 1997 moved to a new site next to St Pancras Station on Euston Road. There are frequent special exhibitions of international significance.
Opening Times: The museum is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. On Fridays it stays open until 8:30 pm. Entry to the museum is free, although a charge may be made for entry to temporary exhibitions.
Address: Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG.
Nearest Underground Station: Tottenham Court Road (5-minute walk), Russell Square (6-minute walk) and Holborn (7-minute walk).Website: http://www. britishmuseum. org/. | high19142.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "have to go through something far less pleasant"
},
"options": [
"plan to go to a concert",
"get one's clue to do something",
"have to go through something far less pleasant",
"disobey what one's father says"
],
... | When someone says, "Well, I guess I'll have to go to face the music," it doesn't mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you did not do this or that. Terrible music, indeed, but it has to be faced. At some time or another, every one of us has had to "face the music", especially as children. We can remember father's angry voice: "I want to talk to you!" And only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!
The phrase "face the music" is known to every American, old and young. It is at least one hundred years old. Where did the expression come from?
The first explanation came from the American novelist James Fenimore Cooper. He said, in 1851, that expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage. After they got their clue to go on , they often said, "It's time to go to face the music." And that is exactly what they did face the orchestra which was just below the stage. An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be friendly, or perhaps unfriendly, especially if he forgot his
. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So "face the music" came to mean: having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice. | high16271.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "highlight the contributions of other staff at school besides teachers."
},
"options": [
"emphasize the role teachers play in a school",
"highlight the contributions of other staff at school besides teachers.",
"tell us who ma... | There are various aspects that go into making a successful school, and success can be measured in various ways. Often, the teachers are praised for a school's success and blamed for its failure. Yet, in order for a school to be effective, it must be a place where teaching and learning can easily take place, and that requires the hard work of more than just educators. Students must take learning into their own hands and feel as if what they are doing is as important as it actually is. This can only be done with the cooperation of every adult that is involved in the students' life. Some of these individuals often go unnoticed, yet the role they play in the students' lives is immeasurable.
In the school, administrative assistants greet students at the start of the day and answer a large quantity of questions. When an assistant remembers a student's name or even something special about that student, it communicates to him that he is cared for. The assistant can also give that extra encouragement for a student to make better choices, especially when they are visiting the principal's office.
Meanwhile, though cafeteria workers have a short space of time to interact with students, they can make a big difference as well. Beyond meeting nutritional needs, cafeteria workers may also on occasion meet the emotional needs of the students they serve. Students benefit from positive interaction with adults, and cafeteria workers may give that extra bit of encouragement that a child needs.
Custodians are usually underappreciated for what they offer to schools. They have to be knowledgeable about everything from cleaning to fixing the most intricate tools. They get to school early in the morning before teachers arrive and lock up late at night after the last student has left from the after-school event. They also make sure teachers are equipped with the necessary items and prepare the rooms so that they are ready for learning. A great custodian also gives that kind word or extra smile to that student who needs it most. | high5428.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She never puts her ideas into practice."
},
"options": [
"She has too many great ideas.",
"She never puts her ideas into practice.",
"She suffers from a strange illness.",
"She knows little about making money online."
... | A very close friend phoned me this weekend and asked a specific question about earning a few extra dollars each month online. For the benefit of keeping her name and details secret, I will call her Annie in this article. You see Annie suffers from a severe form of inaction syndrome ; she is full of great ideas that never materialize into cash and she is having a problem finding the link that will achieve this.
Somebody once said that knowledge is power, yet we constantly find from readers of our website that they have knowledge to burn and still do not have power. Just look at the academics in universities all around the world; they have so much knowledge that they should control the wealth of the world. In truth they work for peanuts and very few of them ever achieve the power of independence. So knowledge certainly isn't power. Therefore, we should change that "wise" statement to: "Power is the ability to use knowledge to your own benefit."
That paragraph was inserted because Annie is a typical academic--strong on talk and plans but a little weaker on actions. In the period of a twenty-minute conversation, she expounded a whole list of plans and ideas to make the extra few hundred dollars each month she was seeking. Any one of her many ideas was a potential money maker, but she had taken action on none of them. At one time she said, "I'm lost as to what to do next."
That was my cue to get involved. "Take action," I advised.
All that is wrong is that Annie was inactive without knowing it. In five minutes we drew up a plan of action and agreed to talk again in a month to review progress. When we finished the conversation, she sounded much happier and more motivated than when we started. Annie just needs a little _ into beneficial action. | high10600.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "We need plants not only for food and oxygen but also for their beauty."
},
"options": [
"If there are no flowers, there will be no sweet smells.",
"Without plants, we can't hear the wind.",
"We plant trees to watch the branch... | Without plant, people could not live. We eat plants. We breathe the oxygen that plants produce. And we need plants for another reason: we need them for their beauty.
Imagine a world with no plants. Imagine no flowers with their sweet smells, their beautiful colors and their lovely shapes. Imagine when the wind blows, not being able to hear the leaves in the trees or watch the branches sway from side to side.
Everywhere people need the beauty of plants. That is why we have parks full of trees and flowers. That is why people always try to design houses with room for some grass and a garden.
Do you talk to your plants? Do you give them love and attention?
Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, writers of a book called THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, tell of an experiment in which two seeds were planted in different places. While the plants were growing, one plant was given love and hopeful ideas. The other plant was given only hopeless ideas. After six months, the loved plant was bigger. Under the earth it had more and longer roots; above the earth, it had a thicker stem and more leaves. | high2347.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "is careful about his dress"
},
"options": [
"likes telling jokes",
"behaves strangely",
"always wears the same clothes",
"is careful about his dress"
],
"question": "From Para. 1 we can learn that when Jim is on... | My friend Jim was a well-known radio host, who worked at a radio station all his life. All his colleagues knew him about one characteristic: If he's on-air, he is always wearing a suit and a tie. They laughed at him, saying, "No one ever sees you. Why do you dress like that?" But he always turned that into a joke.
One day Jim was invited to appear on the TV. There was a show for the oldest radio employees. For the first time his fans, who only knew Jim by his voice, would see him. Before the recording of the show, the director came to Jim and asked, "Usually you arrive on time, but today you are 10 minutes late. It's not terrible, but I still want to know why."
"You see," Jim answered, "at the last moment when I was already dressed up, I noticed that I didn't have new socks. For the first time I was invited to the television, and I thought that simply wearing clean socks was not enough. So I needed to go to the store for new socks."
The director was surprised. He asked, "Why do you need new socks? You could have come without the socks because we will be filming you only over the waist."
" You see, to be perfect, I need to feel myself perfect in everything, starting with the shirt and finishing with the pen in my pocket," Jim said. "And if my socks have holes in them or my shoes are dirty, I'm not spotless anymore. And it may make me less confident." | high13309.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She had some of her fur burnt."
},
"options": [
"She was seriously hurt that night.",
"She broke the candles on the menorah.",
"She had some of her fur burnt.",
"She got a surprising present from the family."
],
... | Hanukkah is an eight-day winter holiday, which celebrates the successful struggle of the Jews against King Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria. There are many traditions to celebrate the day, such as lighting the menorah ,frying potato pancakes and spinning the dreidel .
One night in the 1990s, we tidied up wrapping paper and toys while the lighted menorah stood on the kitchen table. When we were not there, as the many-colored candles broke, our long-haired black-and-white cat, Ladybug, jumped onto the kitchen table and brushed past them.
"Do you smell something?" asked my husband, Donny. "Is something burning?" asked Molly, our oldest, age ten.
It was Ladybug! The fur on her left side had been burnt. She wasn't hurt, but she wore an upset expression all evening, and for the rest of the week she hid whenever we began chanting the Hebrew blessings over the candles. " _ .
The following year, for fifth-grade homework about family traditions, Molly wrote about Ladybug's story with the Hanukkah candles. The teacher, Lynn Fink, a sporty and funny woman, enjoyed Molly's story and gave it an A.
Three years later, Seth got Ms. Fink for fifth grade. He also worked the burnt cat fur into a writing assignment, and he, too, got an A.
Our son Lee, three years later: the same teacher, the same story, the same A. We had no idea these retellings were piling up.
The year Lily got Ms. Fink for fifth grade, she also felt inspired to write down what happened that night. By now, we were very fond of Ms. Fink. We invited her to join us for a night of Hanukkah. It was her first time to experience the Jewish holiday. Happily, she ate her potato pancakes. Gamely, she spun the dreidel. Delightedly, she opened the small gift of home-made cookies the children had prepared for her. As the evening seemed to be winding down, she clapped her hands, rubbed them together as if before a big dinner, and said excitedly," So! When do we torch the cat?" | high9212.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "3rd September."
},
"options": [
"5th November.",
"1st October.",
"3rd September.",
"3rd December."
],
"question": "When is the talk on the waterways' protection?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | Illustrated Talks at London Canal Museum
Illustrated talks are held at 7:30 pm, on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission to talks and museum is charged at the usual museum admission charges.
3rd September:
Protecting our Waterway Heritage by Nigel Crowe. Nigel is the Conservation Adviser to the Canal and River Trust . He undertook a comprehensive survey of the heritage of the waterways when first appointed, and now advises the CRT on its protection.
1st October:
The Canal and River Trust by John Dodwell. Founding trustee and long standing waterways enthusiast John Dodwell will detail the Trust's progress to date. He will explain the issues they face and the limits under which they work.
5th November:
The work of the Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust by Gavin Redknap. Gavin was one of the founders of the Trust that is working to save and restore some of the few surviving craft built at the Thames Ironworks Yard at the mouth of Bow Creek. The Trust plans to use the fleet of restored one-hundred-year-old lifeboats for community projects on the Lower Lee.
3rd December:
The River Thames Society and the River Thames by Peter Finch. Peter, who is Chairman of the River Thames Society, will explain the role and function of the society and then go on to talk about London's river and some of the issues it faces. | high14466.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Our fingers are more sensitive than our eyes."
},
"options": [
"Our eyes are more sensitive than our fingers.",
"Our fingers are more sensitive than our eyes.",
"Our eyes are more sensitive than our ears.",
"Our noses a... | Imagine you're in a dark room, running your fingers over a smooth surface in search of a single dot the size of this period, How high do you think the dot must be for your finger to feel it?
Scientists have determined that the human finger is so sensitive it can detect a surface bump just one micron(l0-6m)"high. The human eye, by contrast, can't tell anything much smaller than100 microns.No wonder we rely on touch rather than eyesight when faced with a new roll of toilet paper.
Biologically, touch is the mother of all sensory systems.It is an ancient sense in evolution: even the simplest single-celled living things can feel when something brushes up against them and will respond by moving closer or pulling away. It is the first sense aroused during a baby's development and the last to weaken at life's peak. Patients in a deep coma who seem otherwise lost to the world will show skin reaction when touched by a nurse.
"Touch ,is so central to what we are that we almost cannot imagine ourselves without it," said Chris Dijkerman."It's 'not like eyesight, where you close your eyes and you don't see anything. _ .It's always there."
Long ignored in favor of the sensory heavyweights of eyesight and hearing, the study of touch lately:: has been gaining new concern among scientists.They're exploring the effects of recently reported false touch impressions, of people being made to feel as though they had three arms, for example, with the hope of gaining the true understanding of how the mind works.
Others are turning to touch for more practical purposes: to build better touch screen instruments and robot hands, a more well-rounded virtual life.. "There's a fair amount of research into new ways of offloading information onto our sense of touch," said Lynette Jones. "To have your cell phone buzzing (making a low sound) as opposed to ringing turned out to have a lot of advantages in.some situations."
Touch is our most active sense, our means of seizing the world and experiencing it 'first hand. Dr.Susan Lederman pointed out that while we can become aware of something by seeing or hear,ing7;-.from a distance and without really trying, if we want to learn about something by means of touch, we must make a move.We must rub the cloth, or pet the cat. Touching is a two-way street, and that's not true for seeing or hearing. If you have a soft object and you squeeze it, you change its shape. The physical world reacts back."
Our hands are smart and can do many tasks automatically - button a shirt, fit a key in a lock, play the; piano for others.Dr.Lederman and her colleagues have shown that blindfolded subjects can easily recognize a wide range of common -objects placed.in their hands.But on some feeling tasks, touch is all thumbs (very clumsy). When people are given a raised line drawing of a common object, they're puzzled."If all we've got is outline information;" Dr.Lederman said,."no weight, no texture, no temperature information, well, we're very, very bad with that."
Touch also turns out to be easy to fool, Among the sensory tricks now being investigated is something called the Pinocchio illusion. Researchers have found that if they shake the band of the biceps , many people report feeling that their forearm is getting 'longer, their hand floating ever further from their elbow . And if they are told to touch the forefinger of the shaken arm to the tip of their nose, they feel as though their nose was lengthening, too. | high6121.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Light topics."
},
"options": [
"Light topics.",
"Personal topics.",
"Meaningless things.",
"Controversial affairs."
],
"question": "What do people usually talk about in small talk?",
"question_type": null
... | Small talk is meaningless conversation in terms of content,but is often seen as socially important in certain situations,or context.In many English-speaking countries,it can be viewed as rude or unfriendly not to make small talk.
Discussing the weather with people who you don't really know is an example of small talk that many of us are very familiar with on a daily basis.We may chat about the weather with the cashier at the supermarket or with the attendant at the gas station.Small talk may also be related to the situation such as waiting in line.People in the line may comment to others about how slow it is in the post office or bank that day,for instance.We also engage in small talk with people we may see every day but don't really know such as those we share the elevator with in our office building.
Small talk is common at parties when guests may know the host but not each other.It is considered rude not to mingle and speak with other guests at social functions,so small talk can break the ice and get guests chatting.Compliments may be a type of small talk such as one woman at party complimenting another on her dress.
Some people like small talk because they find silence uncomfortable and/or they enjoy communicating verbally.Others enjoy meeting new people and use small talk to start conversations. When making small talk,especially with strangers or those you don't know very well,it's important to observe certain socially acceptable conventions.First,small talk should be general and not personal or about controversial topics. Second,while compliments are acceptable,they shouldn't refer to the person's body or sound like a pick-up line. | high1896.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he loves his family members truly, whether they are in good conditions or not"
},
"options": [
"he loves her because he believes that she is sure to receive a raise",
"he has a great way to promote his wife's love towards him",
... | Freda Bright says, "Only in opera do people die of love." It's true. You really can't love somebody to death. I've known people to die from no love, but I've never known anyone to be loved to death. We just can't love one another enough.
A hear-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer. To her delight, the boss agreed to the raise.
The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festival meal. She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off, or --- did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?
She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read: "Congratulations, darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you."
Someone has said that the measure of love for his wife is love without measure. What this man feels for his wife is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails. His love celebrates her victories and soothes her wounds. He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction.
Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said, "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family. And love your friends. Love them without measure." | high12017.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "is not an easy sport"
},
"options": [
"is not an easy sport",
"can be done by anyone",
"should be done by everyone",
"does not require courage"
],
"question": "The author believes that surfing _ .",
"ques... | Surfing--the art of riding a wave on a pointed board--is the wildest, fastest natural water sport known to man. In recent years, it has developed into a major sport around the world, from Australia to South Africa. Australians brave men--eating sharks to ride the green waves Down Under, Hawaiian experts risk(...) their lives on huge, thirty foot swells against the wind of Oahu; Californians of all ages go out the year-round. In the winter, surf-riders put on life-suits to ride grave waves so cold that their flesh turns blue.
Surfing is no sport for weak persons. Swimming a quarter of a mile or more, and pushing a surfboard out to where the swells are just right for riding, can be real work. Then, at exactly the right moment, you climb up the wave and go fast across the face of a powerful swell with the white water jumping at your feet. The huge wave bites at your shoulder, threatening at any moment to smash your flat. In the next several seconds, a cool head and lightning--quick action back to the pressure of the attacking wave will bring your board under control for that great ride down the back of the great, green mountain of water. Once on the beach, you know why surfing is growing in popularity as an international sport, and you're glad to be a member of this new water world. | high7559.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "ensuring the British benefit claimed legally by migrants ."
},
"options": [
"promoting the English skills of migrants.",
"making efforts to help migrants find work.",
"protecting the rights of migrants.",
"ensuring the ... | Migrants to the UK are to be quizzed about their English skills before being able to claim income-related benefits, the government has announced.
In a move to "protect the integrity of the benefits system", people will also be asked what efforts they have made to find work before coming to Britain. Work and Pensions Secretary Duncan Smith said people should not be able to "take advantage" of British benefits. Job centres in England, Scotland and Wales will use the "more mighty" test. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said the test would ensure "only migrants who have a legal right to be in Britain and plan to contribute to this country can make a claim for benefits".
"For the first time, migrants will be quizzed about what efforts they have made to find work before coming to the UK and whether their English language skills will be a barrier to them finding employment," the DWP said in a statement.
Income-related benefits include council tax benefit, housing benefit, income-based jobseeker's allowance and pension credit.
Mr. Duncan Smith said British people were "rightly concerned" that migrants should contribute to the economy and should not be "drawn here by the attractiveness of our benefits system".
"It is vitally important that we have strict rules in place to protect the integrity of our benefits system," he said. He said the new test would help create a fair system which provided for "genuine" workers and jobseekers but "does not allow people to come to our country and take advantage".
To claim the benefits, migrants will have to pass a "habitual residence test" including more than 100 extra questions compared to now. This will be overseen by an "intelligent IT system" which will ensure questions are "tailored to each individual _ ".
Migrants will be allowed to claim benefits if they can prove they are legally allowed to be in Britain and are "habitually resident" of the country. As part of this they might be questioned about what measures they have taken to "establish" themselves in Britain and what ties they still have abroad.
"They will also have to provide more evidence that they are doing everything they can to find a job," the DWP said. | high9574.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "gossip-makers can regret what they do"
},
"options": [
"ugly girls like to spread gossip online",
"ugly girls easily become victims of online gossip",
"gossip-makers can regret what they do",
"online gossip is mainly so... | High school students have always spread gossip in the halls, on the walls and on the phone. Now it's on the Internet, too. On various message boards, kids write about whom they hate, whom they think have fallen in love with each other and record other often hurtful things that may or may not be true.
Sixteen-year-old Jessica remembers once when some kids at her school wrote cruel things about her on the web. "They were just making fun of me," she says. They said she's really ugly, she's this, she's that, blah-blah-blah.
Jessica's 11-year-old sister, Emma, admits she's used the web to write bad things about another girl, though she regrets it now. "After a while, you may feel like, how could I have been so mean? Or, why did I do that?" she says.
Experts say gossip on the Internet can be more harmful than the old fashioned kind. It lasts longer and is taken more seriously. And, unlike ugly words on the bathroom wall, there's no way to get rid of it.
If your kids are victims of online gossip, Dr. Commanday suggests putting the gossip in to perspective . "Point out to them how what's being said on the screen differs from what everyone knows about you as a person," Dr. Commanday says.
You can also try what worked from Emma: keep your kids off the offensive website! "When she was using it all the time, her name was there all the time. People were writing things about her," explains Patti Thrift, Emma's mother, "Since she has no longer had access to that, she's no longer a topic of conversation." | high14300.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Symbian>Android>Windows Mobile>iOS"
},
"options": [
"Windows Mobile>iOS>Symbian>Android",
"Android>Windows Mobile>iOS>Symbian",
"iOS>Android>Symbian>Windows Mobile",
"Symbian>Android>Windows Mobile>iOS"
],
"ques... | Google has been collecting tons of data about smartphone usage around the world. Here are some of the most surprising and interesting facts:
Android is most popular in Japan, with 55% of respondents using it, compared with 39% for iOS.Android is also number one in a few other countries, including New Zealand (41%), the US(40%), and China (38%).
iOS is farthest ahead in Switzerland, with 52% usage vs 23% for Android.Other countries where iOS is far ahead include Australia (49% vs 25% Android), Canada (45% vs 23% Android and 23% Blackberry), and France (43% vs 25% Android).
In Egypt, Windows Mobile is far more popular than iOS.13% of survey respondents use the Microsoft smartphone platform, behind Symbian (19%) and Android (14%). iOS is very far down at 4%.
Mobile social networking is biggest in Mexico and Argentina, where 74% and 73% of users visit a social network daily.But mobilesocial is weak in Japan where 34% of users never visit a social network on their phone, and this figure rises to 41% in Brazil.
Watching video is most popular in Saudi Arabia, with 59% of respondents doing it daily.Number two is Egypt, with 41%.
Chinese users shop from their phones.59% of Chinese users do this, compared with only 41% in secondplace Egypt.Chinese users also love to write reviews.41% of them write a review of a local business after looking it up on their smartphone.Number two, Japan, is far behind, with only 24% of respondents doing this.
. | high6647.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Weak and tired."
},
"options": [
"Strong and happy.",
"Fierce and cruel.",
"Kind and friendly.",
"Weak and tired."
],
"question": "How was the lion when the jackal first met him?",
"question_type": "factiod_... | One day, a brave jackal came to the river to drink some water. He saw a lion looking weak and tired, and asked, "What is the matter, King of the Jungle?"
The lion told the jackal his story. The jackal felt sorry for the lion. He pulled and pulled at the lion's tail until the lion became free. The lion was very happy and said, "Thank you so much for helping me. I thought I would die! You are my friend for life! I would like you to come and live with me. From now on, I will hunt and share my food with you."
The jackal moved in with the lion's family and had a wonderful time.
Soon, the lion had children of his own and so did the jackal. The lioness was not happy about the friendship. She complained to her children. Her children complained to the jackal's children; the jackal's children complained to their mother and their mother complained to the jackal.
The jackal was upset and told the lion, "You told me to live with you. If you don't like it any more, you should have said so yourself." The lion was shocked and said, "This is not true. I've never complained about you. I still want you to continue staying with me."
The jackal said, "We understand each other. But our families don't. Perhaps it is better for us to live apart, but continue meeting each other when we are free. We can even hunt together!"
The two families parted, but the lion and the jackal met often and remained friends for the rest of their lives.
From the above paragraphs, we can conclude that in order to keep our good friendship, we have to give something up or give in in some particular cases. However, we can never give up or destroy our families. What do you think of it? | high10166.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "head of department"
},
"options": [
"software programmer",
"a chief scientist",
"quality controller",
"head of department"
],
"question": "Cameron was a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Cameron thought of himself as merely organized. He certainly did not consider that he took great pains over anything, he did just enough to get it right. Exactly right, of course, for as he was fond of telling his staff, "if it's not exactly right, it's wrong". Occasionally a worker might be sad on hearing these words, because it meant another hour or so of going over the same bit of work, correcting the mistakes which Cameron had patiently pointed out. And doing the corrections exactly right of course.
Strangely enough, his department had the reputation for performing the highest quality work in the company, and it was seen, and not only by those who worked in the department, as a sort of elite unit. Those programmes that had to work first time, straight out of the box, Cameron's men got those. "It's mission critical--give it to Cameron" was almost a catch-phrase with his team.
It helped that Cameron was not merely particular about things. He wanted things done just so, not because of a personal taste, but because he had discovered through patient experimentation that this was the best way for it to be done.
In Cameron's dictionary, "Take as long as you want" meant that you could work on your task not just in office hours, but that evening, and late into the early hours of the following morning if you so desired. But the project had to be in by its completion date, and yes, done exactly right. Or you did it again.
But he would always be regarded, and not least by himself, as someone who had failed to meet requirements, one of those _ . You had to face it, if you were not working for Cameron, you were second best. So when word got out that Cameron had messed up, big time, the news was greeted with a mixture of sympathy, and entire relief that this perfection too was human. | high2421.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he thought he wasn't wise enough"
},
"options": [
"he knew he was very clever",
"he wanted to show his good luck",
"he hoped to meet his son",
"he thought he wasn't wise enough"
],
"question": "Anansi went aroun... | Once upon a time, there was a spider with the name Anansi. He knew that he was very clever but he also knew he wasn't wise. He didn't like this, but he did not know what to do. One day he had an idea. He went around the village with a basket and asked each person to give him some of their wisdom. The people laughed at Anansi because they knew that he needed wisdom the most. So each person put a bit in his basket and wished him good luck.
Soon his basket was full, but Anansi was worried that his neighbors might be jealous( ) of his wisdom and take it from him. He decided to hide it at the top of a tall tree. When he had tied the basket to the front part of his body, he tried to climb the tree, but it was too difficult. He tried again and again with out success.
Then his youngest son walked by. "What are you doing, father?" he asked and Anansi told him." Why don't you carry the basket on your back instead?" his son said.
Anansi put the basket on his back and climbed the tree easily, but he wasn't happy. "I walked all over the village and collected so much wisdom that I am the wisest person ever, but my baby son is still wiser than me. Take back your wisdom!" he said. And he threw the basket of wisdom into the air and went home. And that's how wisdom went all over the world. | high17609.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Living there was a great disadvantage."
},
"options": [
"People there cared little about others.",
"People there liked to accept new things.",
"Living there was a great disadvantage.",
"There were many chances of career... | I used to think that life in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, was filled with never-changing routines. I hated that everyone seemed to know everything about everyone else. Everyone seemed to enjoy talking about other people and their lives. I also didn't like the fact that people seemed very close-minded. I felt trapped. I felt like I was missing out on opportunities. It seemed to me that city life would be the opposite.
Then I took my first trip to New York City. I couldn't wait to experience the city. However, when I arrived in the Big Apple, it wasn't at all what I had imagined. I knew it was home to thousands of people, but I hadn't had the least expectation to see so many people on the street at one time. All the streets were filled with people. I also felt a little surprised to see that everyone was in a hurry and everything moved at such a fast pace. When I took the subway for the first time, I said hello to the middle-aged woman next to me. She looked at me with dislike and didn't say a word.
After just one day, I realized how important my small town is to me. Now I appreciate the familiar faces I see every day. I like the feeling of security and belonging my town offers. Jim Thorpe gives me a sense of community and togetherness that the city doesn't provide. I realize just how much a simple hello does for a stranger -- it really can make your day a little better.
My big trip showed me that my small town really has instilled morals and values in me that I didn't even know I had. I never would have known what a big place my town holds in my heart if I had not taken that trip to New York City. | high19624.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "discuss music piracy on the Internet"
},
"options": [
"discuss music piracy on the Internet",
"introduce the popularity of online music",
"persuade music fans to give up downloading music",
"protect copyrighted music fr... | Exchanging music over the Internet is fun and easy. Better yet, it's free, which means you don't have to pay for any more expensive music CDs. Several online file-sharing services make it easy for music lovers to exchange their favorite tunes with one another.
However, this
sharing of music -- a form of music piracy -- is doing harm to the music industry. Industry experts estimate that US$4.3 billion in worldwide sales was lost to music piracy last year. These lost profits could force record companies to stop producing the music of many popular artists. That would hurt both musicians and music fans alike.
Music producers are puzzled about how to fight music piracy. Their efforts to fight piracy using the law have had only limited success. The music industry did win a legal victory against Napster, a famous music website. The courts ordered Napster to stop giving away copyrighted music from their site. But a number of other music-sharing networks have sprung up in its place.
These new networks are made up of thousands, or even millions, of individuals. Unlike Napster, there's no one company controlling the distribution of music over each network. So it's nearly impossible to stop the illegal activities.
Now people in the music industry have decided that " if you can't beat them, join them." They've begun to offer legal alternatives to online music piracy. Major music producers have given companies like Apple Computer permission to sell their music online. Apple's iTune Music Store allows computer users to legally download any song for 99 cents.
Will these new measures save the music industry from piracy? That depends on whether music fans are willing to pay 99 cents fro a song that they can download illegally for free. Unfortunately, many people believe music should be free. The music industry, however, hopes to persuade these music fans to change their tune. | high16517.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "ensure whether you're good at driving"
},
"options": [
"tell our bodies and brains what to do",
"make our eyes blue or brown",
"decide how well you work without sleep",
"ensure whether you're good at driving"
],
... | How do you feel after you've stayed up late to finish schoolwork? Or the day after a slumber party? Scientists now say that your answers to these questions may depend on your genes.
Genes are stretches of DNA that work like an instruction manual for our cells. Genes tell our bodies and brains what to do. People have about 40,000 genes, and each gene can have different forms. So, for example, certain forms of some genes make your eyes blue. Other versions of those genes make your eyes brown.
In a similar way, new research suggests that a gene calledperiod3affects how well you function without sleep. The discovery adds to older evidence thatperiod3helps determine whether you like to stay up late or get up early.
Theperiod3gene comes in two forms: short and long. Everyone has two copies of the gene. So, you may have two longs, two shorts, or one of each. Your particular combination depends on what your parents passed on to you.
Scientists from the University of Surrey in England studied 24 people who had either two short or two long copies ofperiod3. Study participants had to stay awake for 40 hours straight. Then, they took tests that measured how quickly they pushed a button when numbers flashed on a screen and how well they could remember lists of numbers.
Results showed that the people with the short form ofperiod3performed much better on these tests than the people with the long form did. In both groups, people performed worst in the early morning. That's the time when truck drivers and other night-shift workers say they have the most trouble concentrating.
After the first round of experiments, participants were finally allowed to sleep. People in the group that performed well on the tests took about 18 minutes to nod off.
People with the longperiod3gene, by contrast, fell asleep in just 8 minutes. They also spent more time in deep sleep. That suggests that people with the long form of the gene need more and deeper sleep to keep their brains working at top form. | high11278.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "unreasonable"
},
"options": [
"unreasonable",
"necessary",
"difficult",
"reasonable"
],
"question": "The writer thinks it _ to pull down Big Ben to make way for a car park.",
"question_type": "cloze_ques... | What would you think if someone suggested knocking down St Paul's Cathedral to widen the road? Or pulling down Big Ben to make way for a car park? It would be ridiculous, right? But when it comes to devastation of the natural world, we aren't so easily shocked. But we should be...or we'll be in a lot of trouble.
_ . Ancient forests are destroyed. Wetlands are becoming dry. Woodland is disappearing, and all in the name of progress. This is bad in itself, but it's devastating for biodiversity.
Biodiversity refers to the variety of plants, animals and other living things that are all interconnected. The ecological services provided by biodiversity are vital to everyday life. The air we breathe is a product of photosynthesis by green plants. Insects, worms and bacteria break down waste and make soils rich. And tiny organisms clean the water in rivers and sea. In fact, all life on the earth exists thanks to the benefits of biodiversity. More than 90 percent of the calories consumed by people worldwide are produced from 80 plant species. And 30 percent of medicines are developed from plants and animals. Maintaining a wide diversity of species in each ecosystem is necessary to preserve all living things.
The loss of biodiversity could be devastating. "It is wrong to think that biodiversity can be reduced indefinitely without threatening humans," said Harvard University biologist Edward O. Wilson, known as the "father of biodiversity". He warned, "We are about to reach a critical point beyond which biodiversity loss will become irreversible ."
But what can we do? The present problem is that the concept of biodiversity is so vague . People might care about giant pandas, but it is much harder to excite them about the fate of tiny sea creatures which are being boiled to death in the cooling systems of power stations along coastlines. TheGuardiannewspaper is trying to help. _ has launched the Biodiversity 100 campaign to try to convince governments around the world to take action to deal with the widespread concerns about biodiversity. This includes persuading the UK government to create a series of marine reserves to reserve the decrease in the sea-life caused by industrial fishing, stopping fishing sharks by the Japanese fishermen and banning the killing of dingoes (wild dogs) in Australia, among many other things.
There is a lot to do. And we'd better act quickly if we don't want to end up with a planet that can't sustain life! | high2435.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Navigators"
},
"options": [
"Latitudes",
"Longitudes",
"Navigators",
"Sailors"
],
"question": "_ make it possible for people to find an exact place on Earth.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Where on Earth are you? Navigators use lines of latitude and lines of longitude to locate places. Lines of latitude run east and west around Earth. On a map or globe, these lines appear as running sideways or horizontally. Lines of longitude run north and south around Earth. These lines go up and down or vertically on a map or globe. These lines create an imaginary graph paper on the Earth. They make it possible to find an absolute, or exact, location on Earth. They even allow us to give an absolute location to a place out in the middle of the ocean.
Lines of latitude tell us how far north or south of the Equator we are. Sailors have used primitive navigation tools, like astrolabes, since ancient times. The astrolabe uses the sun and stars to find an approximate location. Using such tools, they have been able to approximate their distance from the equator. Although their instruments may not have been the high quality we have now, they were incredibly accurate for their time.
Lines of longitude tell us how far east or west of the prime meridian we are. Sailors constantly looked for new ways to increase their navigation skills. Still, it wasn't until the 18th century that they were able to measure degrees of longitude. They would have been very envious of the technology available to us today.
When we use lines of latitude and longitude together, we can get a very precise location. If we want to identify the absolute location of a point, we look where the latitude and longitude lines cross nearest to that point. We use the coordinates for that point as its address. Many maps today include degrees of latitude and longitude. | high4044.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "people usually are unhappy when they are reminded of ageing"
},
"options": [
"people usually are unhappy when they are reminded of ageing",
"children reach their full intelligence at the age of twelve years",
"people are usua... | The Process of Ageing
At the age of twelve years, the human body is at its most vigorous. It has yet to reach its full size and strength, and its owner his or her full intelligence; but at this age the possibility of death is least. Earlier, we were infants and young children, and consequently more vulnerable ; later, we shall undergo a progressive loss of our vigour and resistance which, though vague at first, will finally become so steep that we can live no longer, however well we look after ourselves, and however well society, and our doctors, look after us.
This decline in vigour with the passing of time is called ageing. It is one of the most unpleasant discoveries which we all make that we must decline in this way, that if we escape wars, accidents and disease we shall eventually "die of old age", and that this happens at a rate which differs little from person to person, so that there are heavy odds in favor of our dying between the ages of sixty-five and eighty. Some of us will die sooner, a few will live longer -- on into a ninth or tenth decade. But the chances are against it, and there is a virtual limit on how long we can hope to remain alive, however lucky and physically strong we are.
Normal people tend to forget this process unless and until they are reminded of it. We are so familiar with the fact that man ages, that people have for years assumed that the process of losing vigour with time, of becoming more likely to die the older we get, was something self-evident, like the cooling of a hot kettle or the wearing-out of a pair of shoes. They have also assumed that all animals, and probably other organisms such as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things "wear out".
Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do, if given the chance to live long enough; and mechanical systems like a wound watch, or the sun, do in fact ran out of energy in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics . But these are not similar or equivalent to what happens when man ages. A run-down watch is still a watch and can be rewound. An old watch, by contrast, becomes so worn and unreliable that it eventually is not worth mending. But a watch could never repair itself -- it does not consist of living parts, only of metal, which wears away by friction . We could, at one time, repair ourselves -- well enough, at least, to overcome all but the most instantly fatal illnesses and accidents. Between twelve and eighty years we gradually lose this power, an illness which at twelve would knock us over, at eighty can knock us out, and into our grave. If we could stay as vigorous as we are at twelve, it would take about 700 years for half of us to die, and another 700 for the survivors to be reduced by half again. | high19630.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "replace it with a new one"
},
"options": [
"replace it with a new one",
"pay you up to $30 in insurance",
"pay you nothing for it is old",
"replace it with a used one"
],
"question": "If you lose an old video pl... | Students' Insurance
What Is Covered under Contents?
Under the "Contents" section your possessions---which you do not have to be listed---will be protected on "new for old" basis where items will be replaced as new---regardless of their age or condition.
"Contents" include books, radios, audio and video players, TVs, jewellery, home computers, furniture, household goods, other electrical equipment and sports equipment. They will be insured as follows:
Theft
Fire, Lighting, Explosion
Malicious Damage
Storm, Flood and other natural disasters
But new-for-old cover does not include clothing and linen.
Where Does Cover Apply?
Anywhere in Australia whether in:
Your Living Place While at College
Your Parents' Home or Any Temporary Residence ---where you are staying when away from College
Your College or Students' Union Building
College Storage during Vacations
Plus The Following Benefits Included Free
Loss or Damage to:
Gas, water and electricity meters and telephones---up to$300
TVs and videos rented in your name
Library books---up to $300
Daily things bought---up to $500 as to cover described under "Contents"
College or Landlord's Possessions in your rooms by Fire or Theft (if you are legally responsible---up to $2,000)
Personal Money: from your room---up to $60
PLUS fraudulent use of your Credit Card---up to $1,000 | high12765.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They are easily able to be transferred when in digital form."
},
"options": [
"They are very expensive.",
"They are impossible to copy.",
"It is easy to make CDs, books, and movies.",
"They are easily able to be transfe... | There have always been laws against copying other people's ideas. However, when copying was only limited to copying something by hand, problems were solved easily. The solution was always the destruction or removal of the copy. Nowadays, the rise of the Internet has made the issue of intellectual property more complicated.
Almost every bit of information can be cut and pasted with a few clicks of a mouse. Many art forms such as writings, films, and music need new protection to ensure that people do not simply transfer them for free. Online illegal copying has been blamed for a huge reduction in the sales of many records because it is hard to convince people to buy something that they can get for free. Even the ideas behind traditional games, such as Scrabble, have been used without the owners' permission.
Old laws have been struggling to keep up. While music companies have been successful in persuading courts that action should be taken against people who illegally download music, the law is difficult to carry out. Furthermore, intellectual property rights vary widely from country to country, so it's up for debate which laws apply. Finally, there is the fact that many people simply do not see the act as theft , since once the work has been digitized there is no clear physical object to steal in the first place.
All of these issues mean that companies involved with intellectual property -- ideas or easily digitized information -- are fighting desperately to get people to pay for the information they use, rather than paying for an object like a CD that they use. While the companies have sometimes been successful, the practical barriers to full protection seem _ .
Finally, all that concerned parties can do is hope that their few successes scare off others and try to find new ways of making money. | high14314.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a single mother who attends college in New York"
},
"options": [
"a homeless mother with a three-year-old kid",
"a single mother who attends college in New York",
"a teacher who teaches the \"Urban Community\" course",
... | I am a single working mother and going to college for a better life for my three-year-old child and myself. I am taking a nurse course called "Urban Community ". We were asked to do a major project on problems in urban communities. I chose the topic "Homeless".
Each day I would walk down the streets of the homeless and offer them something to drink and to eat. I know it's tough to survive on the streets. Last night I ran into a group of 30 kids who were living on the streets in New York. _ and I just wanted to cry. But I had to be strong.
I asked about their families and if they contacted them to let them know they were alive. Most of them said, "NO!" They all looked like a happy family and they took care of one another. I tried to persuade them to get help and to contact their families but they did not want to. I did not want to make them to do it as they had their own reasons.
All these kids were very respectful. None of them was high on drugs nor were they drinking. Some of them enjoyed reading and writing. Some of them enjoyed skateboarding, dancing and playing music.
One girl asked me if I could give her a hug and I did so. She started to cry and said, "Thank you for not treating us as freaks like everyone else does. People don't realize that we all have our own problems and some are worse than others." She told me that her stepfather was extremely mean to her and her mother did not believe her. She ran away. Her street name was Little Mary.
They were good kids just trying to make ends meet. I told them that I didn't have much to offer because I was a single mother just making ends meet. I had offered them sandwiches and drinks. They were so happy to have something to eat and told me that I couldn't change the world but at least there was someone who really cared. | high9560.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It is very important to understand each other."
},
"options": [
"It is no use learning what a true friend is.",
"It is very important to understand each other.",
"It is a duty for you to meet your friends' need all the time."... | Friendship and friends continue to be the centre of our life. The relationship that we share with our friends is grounded in mutual care as our friends help us in _ our personalities as well. Even in this age of online social networking and e-cards, the need of keeping the network of friends, whether online or offline remains a primary concern for people. We may not completely understand what makes a friend but we all want to have a good number of friends around us.
The first step to make friends with someone is to make them like you. If they don't like you in the first place, it is unlikely that they'll be eager to become your friends. To let someone know that you are specially interested in them, simple gestures like a little smile and calling them by their names can lay the basic foundation. To make the other person feel important to you, you need to be a good listener and encourage the other person to talk. Give your honest and sincere opinion but do not directly criticize or make fun of him or her.
The second step of making someone your friend is to develop a mutual understanding. You need to share his or her experiences and it is necessary for you to develop a habit to see things from the other person's point of view.
The third or final step towards friendship is to show your unconditional support and encouragement towards your friend. Moreover, you also need to be very clear about your expectations from your friend. If what you expect from the person you want to make friends with matches with what that person can give, the developing friendship between you and your friend is sure to be successful. | high6653.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Bao Jingjing didn't really expect her success overnight"
},
"options": [
"Bao Jingjing's parents didn't want her to be a writer",
"Bao Jingjing didn't really expect her success overnight",
"Bao Jingjing didn't finish her firs... | Writers used to approach publishers to have their work read by the public. Now they can simply post them and find millions of instant audience.
After breaking up with her boyfriend, Bao Jingjing started "making up" a love story simply to distract her attention. Her story of a girl suffering the pain like hers progressed quickly, attracting many readers.
When Bao stopped writing as she reunited with her boyfriend, she was urged to continue, as readers wanted to know what happened next. Bao finished it soon. It became so popular that it was turned into a best-seller. _ , Bao's novel was later adapted into a successful movie.
Bao's story is only one of many Internet novels that have landed deals for physical books, TV shows and films. Unlike traditional writers who buried themselves in their books for years, some young writers like Bao have got readers rapidly online and find overnight success.
Bao admits her success was unexpected. She still remembers how surprised her parents were when she proudly gave them her copyright earnings. Online literature forums are platforms for grassroots writers to succeed.
In recent years, Zhang Wei, known as "Tangjiasanshao", has earned 177 million yuan by his fingers though working as an author was beyond his dreams. He topped the list of wealthiest Chinese Internet novelists twice and was the only online writer to be listed on the 2014 Forbes "Chinese Celebrity List".
He admits that he is one of the few writers at the top of the pyramid while most online writers remain unknown. However, he urged that his success can be achieved by others, as long as "they write hard enough". | high14472.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Have meals and meet with friends."
},
"options": [
"Do homework and watch TV.",
"Buy drinks and enjoy concerts.",
"Have meals and meet with friends.",
"Add money to your ID and play chess."
],
"question": "What ... | A Guide to the University
Food
The TWU Cafeteria is open 7a.m. to 8p.m.. It serves snacks, drinks, ice cream bars and meals. You can pay with cash or your ID cards. You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk. Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study.
If you are on campus in the evening or late at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Cafe located in the bottom level of the Douglas Centre. This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching.
Relaxation
The Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying, cooking, and eating. Monthly activities are held here for all international students. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., closed on Sundays.
Health
Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall, the Wellness Centre is committed to physical, emotional and social health. A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice. The cost of this is included in your medical insurance. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:30 p.m..
Academic Support
All students have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall. Here, qualified volunteers will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary, and other academic skills. You can sign up for an appointment on the sign-up sheet outside the door: two 30 -minute appointments per week maximum. This service is free. | high9206.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To describe the author's life in Madrid."
},
"options": [
"To attract people to tour around Madrid.",
"To show how to enjoy Spanish culture.",
"To give advice on how to study Spanish.",
"To describe the author's life in... | I chose to study in Madrid because I had a desire to learn Spanish. My first impressions of Madrid were incredible. It was before the New Year that I arrived in Madrid for the first time. While traveling to my Spanish friend's house in a taxi, I appreciated the buildings along the road which were different from those of my own country.
There are an incredible number of restaurants and bars from all over the world. If you are really into sightseeing, I hope you have rechargeable batteries for your digital camera, because one week really isn't enough time to see everything here including a number of art, science, and historical museums as well as parks, buildings, and amazing landscapes.
What I liked best about life in Madrid was the fact that if you were frustrated with schoolwork and wanted to have some fun, you can easily go out. The nightlife never seems to stop and the people are all very friendly. You can meet people and practice Spanish while having fun at the same time.
What I liked least was the fact that many people smoked in the streets. Also, coming from the US, I was used to having a big breakfast every morning, but while living with an actual Spanish family, I wasn't really satisfied with the food in the morning.
I think I have definitely become more independent since I came back from Spain. Living in a big city like Madrid ,I found that it is necessary to plan ahead and to make a schedule for future. There is so much to see, not just in the Spanish World, but in the European World as well. | high6135.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He has the wrong idea."
},
"options": [
"He is strict",
"He is unkind",
"He has the wrong idea.",
"He sets a timetable for mothers"
],
"question": "What does the author think about Dr King?",
"question_type"... | I have been consistently opposed to feeding a baby regularly. As a doctor, mother and scientist in child development, I believe there is nothing to recommend it, from the baby's point of view.
Mothers, doctors and nurse alike have no idea of where a baby's blood sugar level lies. All we know is that a low level is harmful to brain development and makes a baby easily annoyed. In this state, the baby is difficult to calm down and sleep is impossible. The baby asks for attention by crying and searching for food with its mouth.
It is not just unkind but also dangerous to say a four-hourly feeding schedule will make a baby satisfied. The first of the experts to advocate a strict clock-watching schedule was Dr Frederic Truby King who was against feeding in the night. I've never heard anything so ridiculous. Baby feeding shouldn't follow a timetable set by the mum. What is important is feeding a baby in the best way, though it may cause some inconvenience in the first few weeks.
Well, at last we have _ research that supports demand feeding and points out the weaknesses of strictly timed feeding. The research finds out that babies who are fed on demand do better at school at age 5, 7, 11 and 14, than babies fed according to the clock. By the age of 8, their IQ scores are four to five percent higher than babies fed by a rigid timetable. This research comes from Oxford and Essex University using a sample of 10,419 children born in the early 1990s, taking account of parental education, family income, a child's sex and age, the mother's health and feeding style. These results don't surprise me. Feeding according to schedule runs the risk of harming the rapidly growing brain by taking no account of sinking blood sugar levels.
I hope this research will put an end to advocating strictly timed baby feeding practices. | high1882.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They care a lot about children."
},
"options": [
"They care a lot about children.",
"They need looking after in their old age.",
"They want to enrich their life experience.",
"They want children to keep them company."
... | When couples get married, they usually plan to have children. Sometimes, however, a couple can not have a child of their own. In this case, they may decide to adopt a child. In fact, adoption is very common today. There are about 60 thousand adoptions each year in the United States alone. Some people prefer to adopt _ , others adopt older children, some couples adopt children from their own countries, and others adopt children from foreign countries. In any case, they all adopt children for the same reason ---- they care about children and want to give their adopted child a happy life.
Most adopted children know that they are adopted. Psychologists and child-care experts generally think this is a good idea. However, many adopted children or adoptees have very little information about their biological parents. As a matter of fact, it is often very difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents because the birth records of most adoptees are usually sealed. The information is secret so no one can see it. Naturally, adopted children have different feelings about their birth parents. Many adoptees want to search for them, but others do not. The decision to search for birth parents is a difficult one to make. Most adoptees have mixed feelings about finding their biological parents. Even though adoptees do not know about their natural parents, they do know that their adopted parents want them, love them and will care for them. | high8118.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "treating an age-related disease successfully."
},
"options": [
"proving the possibility to live longer.",
"showing the importance of scientific research.",
"publishing the study in Nature Medicine.",
"treating an age-re... | Researchers in the US say they might have discovered how to fight against and even _ some processes of ageing, at least in mice. Injecting the blood of young mice into the older ones improved their brainpower, a study found. Scientists at Stanford University plan to carry out trials in people in the hope that new treatments for dementia can be developed.
"There are factors present in blood from young mice that can recharge an old mouse's brain so that it functions more like a younger one,"says Dr. Tony from Stanford University School of medicine. In the study published in Nature Medicine, mice aged 18 months were given injections of the blood taken from mice aged 3 months. The injected mice performed better on memory tests than mice of the same age that had not been given the blood. Dr. Tony said it was not known whether the same was true of humans, but a trial was planned.
A research center in UK said the treatment restored certain aspects of learning and memory in mice, but was of unknown importance to humans. The research, while very interesting, did not test the type of brain damage that was seen in dementia, which is not a necessary consequence of ageing.
Meanwhile, two similar studies by a separate team have thrown more light on how young blood may benefit the old, in mice at least. A substance in the blood of mice previously shown to have an anti-ageing effect on heart muscle also improved brain cells, according to a Harvard team. The research, published in Science, found the blood factors encouraged the growth of brain cells in old mice, and restored their sense of smell. The same chemical also improved muscle power of aged mice, the researchers found. | high12003.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "finding places to stay inEngland"
},
"options": [
"learning English",
"finding places to stay inEngland",
"driving their car on English roads",
"going toEnglandby car"
],
"question": "My Spanish friends wanted a... | When I lived in Spain, some Spanish friends of mine decided to visit England by car. Before they left, they asked me for advice about how to find accommodation . I suggested that they should stay at "bed and breakfast" houses, because this kind of accommodation gives a foreign visitor a good chance to speak English with the family. My friends listened to my advice, but they came back with some funny stories.
"We didn't stay at bed and breakfast houses," they said, "because we found that most families were away on holiday."
I thought this was strange. Finally I understood what had happened. My friends spoke little English, and they thought "VACANCIES" meant "holidays", because the Spanish word for 'holidays" is "vacaciones". So they did not go to house where the sign outside said 'VACANCLES', which in English means there are free rooms. Then my friends went to house where the sign said 'NO VACANCLES', because they thought this meant the people who owned the house were not away on holiday. But they found that these houses were all full. As a result, they stayed at hotels!
We laughed about this and about mistakes my friends made in reading other signs. In Spanish, the word 'DIVERSION' means fun. In English, it means that workmen are repairing the road, and that you must take a different road. When my friends saw the word 'DIVERSION' on a road sign, they thought they were going to have fun. Instead, the road ended in a large hole .
English people have problems too when they learn foreign languages. Once in Paris when someone offered me some more coffee, I said 'Thank you' in French. I meant that I would like some more. However, to my surprise, the coffee pot was taken away! Later I found out that 'Thank you' in French means 'No, thank you.' | high4722.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "burn dry leaves"
},
"options": [
"fire any leaves",
"burn dry leaves",
"burn anything",
"keep fire burning"
],
"question": "From the text we know that a spark can _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Long, long ago people made fires from lightening . But they had to keep the fire burning, for they couldn''t start it again if there was no lightening. Later, they found out hitting two pieces of stone together could make a spark . The spark could fire dry leaves. In this way they could make the fire again if it went out. Then people also learned to make a fire by rubbing . They made a hole in a piece of wood and put a smaller stick into the hole. They turned the stick again and again. After a few minutes they got a fire.
Years went by, and people learned other ways to make a fire. Sometimes they used the heat from the sun. They held a piece of glasses in the right way and made a piece of paper on fire.
About two centuries ago, people began to make matches. Matches brought people a quick and easy way to make fires. Today matches are still being used, but people have more new ways to make fire. One of them is to use an electric fire starter. Of course an electric fire starter is much more expensive than a box of matches. But it is very useful. | high19156.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Office workers."
},
"options": [
"Job hunters.",
"Office workers.",
"Kid's parents",
"Employment researchers."
],
"question": "Who might be most interested in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | Are you reading this while sitting in an office cubicle ? If so, please take a moment and glance around you. Are there photos of your last vacation hung on the wall? One of your kid's drawings? A yellowed print of a favorite cartoon?
If so, you are doing something good for both yourself and your organization. Newly published research suggests working in an environment that offers little privacy can lead to emotional exhaustion and burnout . But personalizing one's workplace is an effective protection against such unwanted outcomes.
"Individuals may take comfort from the items with which they surround themselves at work, and these items may help employees to keep emotional energy high in the face of stresses that come from their work," writes a research team led by Gregory Laurence of the University of Michigan-Flint, Michigan, in north central U.S.
In the Journal of Environmental Psychology, Laurence and his colleagues describe a study featuring 87 white-collar employees at a large, urban university in the Midwestern United States.
Research assistants noted whether they worked in a private office (with a door that can be closed) or a cubicle. They also counted the number of items each worker had brought from home to decorate his or her workspace - a list that included photographs, posters, artworks.
Not surprisingly, Laurence and his colleagues found a connection between the amount of privacy an employee enjoys and his or her rate of burnout. "High privacy conditions tend to serve as strong protectors against unwelcome interferences and distractions ," they noted, "contributing to a work environment supporting reduced emotional exhaustion."
But this link disappeared when those employees had personalized their cubicles. Employees who had turned their workspaces into areas that reflect their interests and personalities reported the same (relatively low) level of emotional exhaustion, no matter whether they worked in an office or a cubicle.
The research confirms "the calming effect" of having your own stuff around you. So if you're feeling exhausted at work, relief could be as simple as hanging a few of your kindergartener's colorful creations on your cubicle wall. | high16265.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Bridging Course"
},
"options": [
"Speaking Club.",
"any course",
"Preparation for UKStudy",
"Bridging Course"
],
"question": "Wang Lin, who will go to Englandto attend junior school, will be interested in _ .... | Speaking Club
HK $1,950 (18hours)
This course aims to help develop vocabulary. Each student will also have a reader, which provides a topic for discussion. Students are level tested and then placed in different classes according to their level of English and their age. It is only for students whose level test shows them to be at intermediate level of above. The fee includes a course folder and _ .
Bridging Course
Available in July and August
HK $1,950 (18hours)
Our Bridging Course is aimed at students from Chinese primary schools who are about to enter an English secondary school in September. The course is a fun way to develop students' confidence in using English through topic-based speaking, listening, reading and writing activities. Students also widen their vocabulary by participating in a variety of language games. The fee includes a course folder and a field trip to a local museum.
Preparation for prefix = st1 /UKStudy
HK $1,950 (18hours)
This course is for students who are leaving Hong Kong to study at boarding senior school in the UK. It focuses on functional English language to increase students' confidence in their ability to use appropriate language in the appropriate situations by communicating with natives. We also provide students with information on British culture and traditions and aim to increase students' interest in the country in which they are about to live. The fee includes a course folder and a reader called British Life. | high18248.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He got angry at being delayed."
},
"options": [
"He showed great pity for the couple.",
"He didn't mind at all.",
"He got angry at being delayed.",
"He waited patiently."
],
"question": "What was the author's fi... | They crossed in front of me as I was driving out of the store parking lot .I would be delayed for a whole ten seconds. However,I realized that it was an elderly couple who were briefly delaying my departure .No more anger.
The man leaned on his wife who walked in front of him. He not only used her for support but it was obvious that he was blind. She was his eyes as well. The two of them worked as one--each needing the other to function in this fastchanging world.
That little example of true strength that day changed my whole personal perception of life. Suddenly I wasn't so mad about having to work a few extra hours on Saturday. I had my strength,and I was still relatively young.
That picture of those two elderly people walking with dignity and strength stayed with me the entire week. My life wasn't so bad after all. I had my health and a good job. My wife always gave me good advice whenever I needed it. I started to think--not only was I lucky to have it all,but so was that wonderful old couple,who,despite the trials and hardships of a long life,still had the love and support of each other to carry them through this world.
There are so many people out there just like that couple. My wife and I sometimes picture ourselves in our old age,walking arminarm into the sunset. That image always gives us a warm feeling of comfort. Just remember,none of us would be here if it weren't for our elders. We should spend an extra minute to listen and learn when it comes to helping our elder friends. They need it. | high10614.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "inform the readers of the importance of fighting farmland pollution"
},
"options": [
"1et the readers examine their mistakes",
"present the readers a new idea",
"come up with a solution to ending farmland pollution",
"i... | At least 10 million hectares of cultivated land in China are polluted, which makes a _ threat to the country's food safety, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday.
The polluted land,which is mostly in economically developed areas,accounts for one-tenth of the country's total arable land,according to an incomplete survey by the State Environmental Protection Administration,China's top environment watchdog.
Pollution on cultivated land threatens the environment,food safety and the sustainable development of agriculture,the administration said.
Because of continual,too much use of chemical fertilizer, pesticide and agricultural plastic sheeting, as well as irrigation using polluted water, a large amount of contaminants remain in the cultivated land.
The contaminants affect the soil's ecological structure and function,leading to decreased soil productivity, lower crop yield ,and lower quality of agricultural products-
It also leads to worse water quality in rural areas.
Less than 9 per cent of drinkable water passed checks for bacteria in243 rural water supply stations across the county.
Another survey, which took samples of drinking water and groundwater an 69 small towns. in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei Province of North,China, showed that more than half of the water contains too much nitrate ,which may cause diabetes and damage the kidney.
The administration estimated at least 1 90 million farmers are drinking water that contains harmful substances.
Many villagers drink unfiltered water taken from shallow water wells or water cellars, which are reported to have poor sanitary conditions* | high2353.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because the writer looked exhausted."
},
"options": [
"Because she thought the writer looked very old.",
"Because the writer looked very friendly.",
"Because the writer looked humorous.",
"Because the writer looked exha... | It was a bad time for me . I was low emotionally and tired physically. Probably because of this I hadn't shaved for a few days. Also, because I had been doing some repairs at my daughter's house, I was dressed quite scruffily. Boarding the bus to go home I saw it was almost full so I found a rail to lean against.
That was when a young woman, sitting with her child, stood up and offered me her seat. "Wow !" I thought. Out loud I said, "Do I look that old and tired?" She replied," You look like you've had a tough day." I thanked her sincerely and stayed standing.
A moment later a man rose from his seat at the back of the bus and made his way towards me, squeezing past several people on the way. Then he told me about his addiction problems, asked for my advice, and just chatted about life for a few minutes. Then he went back to his seat. Very random!
Watching him go, I also looked at the bus-load of people between me and his seat. He hadn't chosen to talk to those strangers. He chose to talk to _ for whatever it meant to him and whatever comfort it brought him. Why?
That's when it occurred to me. I must have looked like I had been where he was. I probably looked like a man who would understand a difficult life. I was humbled and uplifted at the same time by the realization that even when we are at our lowest we can still help others--if we look like we might be able to meet them where they live or walk a while in their world. | high13335.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "losing money or credit cards"
},
"options": [
"being lost on vacation",
"losing money or credit cards",
"living in a bad hotel.",
"losing contact with family"
],
"question": "According to passage, _ can destr... | Nothing can destroy a vacation quicker than losing your money or credit cards. A few simple steps before you head out of the door can help protect your cash, card and personal information while you're traveling.
Paul Stephens, a policy analyst San Diego, notes that people spend a lot of time planning their trips, from buying guidebooks to finding just the right beach outfits ."But their eyes glaze over when the subject of keeping money safe comes up," he said.
"Why not take a few minutes to do something that could probably save your vacation?" Stephens asked."In most cases, they can go on your to-do list with' buy travel bags' and everything else," he added.
The top recommendation is to clean your wallet. Remove unnecessary credit cards and any other unneeded documents that could compromise(...)your identity if lost or stolen while you're on vocation.
Then make a photocopy of the cards you've decided to take along and keep it in a secure location with you(not in your wallet)or leave it with a trusted relative or friend back home. Then you will know who you need to contact and how to reach it if your wallet is missing.
"Travelers should never leave their wallets or any identifying documents in their hotel room when they're not there," he said." Choose a hotel with a safe to keep your valuable things in. Or keep your wallet and documents with you at all times. " | high1672.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Planning is of great importance to tourism."
},
"options": [
"It is extremely important to develop tourism.",
"Building roads and hotels is important.",
"Support facilities are highly necessary.",
"Planning is of great ... | Without proper planning,tourism can cause problems.For example,too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of the country.If tourists create too much traffic,the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy.They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely.They forget how much tourism can help the country's economy.It is important to think about the people of a destination country and how tourism affects them.Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists.Tourism should also advance the wealth and happiness of local
.
Too much tourism can be a problem.If tourism grows too quickly,people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry.This means that other parts of the country's economy can suffer.
On the other hand,if there is not enough tourism,people can lose jobs.Businesses can also lose money.It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels.Airports,first-class roads,and other support facilities needed by tourist attractions.For example,a major international class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build.If this room is not used most of the time,the owners of the hotel will lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning.There must be many other support facilities as well,including roads to get to the hotel,electricity,sewers to handle waste,and water.All of these support facilities cost money.If they are not used because there are not enough tourists,jobs and money are lost. | high15744.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "draw the readers' attention to the topic"
},
"options": [
"test the readers' attitude about life",
"draw the readers' attention to the topic",
"invite the readers to answer them",
"tell readers how to make a living"
... | What kind of life do you want? And what would you do if you were born with an illness like Cystic Fibrosis ?Charley was such a man.He was born with Cystic Fibrosis, a serious disease of the muscles.Without properly functioning muscles, eventually you're unable to breathe.However, Charley was fortunate to have many care- givers, including his wife who helped him a lot.He became an engineer and helped plan structures that would allow streets and buildings to give better access to the disabled.Charley couldn't live without a wheelchair, and could only use one hand to move it.His speech was also difficult to understand.However, Charley had a sharp mind.He could see, hear, use a few fingers and think, and that was enough to allow him to make an important contribution to his city.He made those around him more aware of their physical health.
In the movie JackandJillvs.theWorld, Jill is a 25-year-old girl who has just arrived in New York City.She has Cystic Fibrosis, but she doesn't let it control her life.She's happy, in fact! She meets a young man, Jack, and changes his life forever.One day she has to tell him about her illness.He's angry and disappointed, but later he realizes that it's their relationship that matters.They decide to be together, and live as happily as possible.
Charley's story is true.Jack and Jill's story is made up.How do you want to live your life? Use your imagination, and enjoy your life and all its wonders.Create your picture of a happy life. | high8130.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "America will face serious shortage of STEM talents"
},
"options": [
"STEM jobs will be easily available in the future",
"boys have more advantages over girls in STEM",
"the number of STEM students is rapidly declining",
... | In the next five years, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) jobs are projected to grow twice as quickly as jobs in all other fields according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics. While all jobs are expected to grow by 10.4 percent, STEM jobs are expected to increase by 21.4 percent.
By this measure, future STEM jobs represent a huge opportunity to today's students. But, in fact, of the 3.8 million ninth graders in the U.S., only 233,000 end up choosing a STEM degree in college, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This means only 6 percent of ninth graders will become STEM graduates. And of these graduates, women will be even more underrepresented in most STEM fields.
These are alarming statistics. How do we get more young boys and girls to be interested in STEM-related fields? It isn't an easy task. Schools do not always adequately prepare students for these severe subjects, and college programs are designed to get rid of those who are less persistent. Nationally, only 41 percent of initial STEM majors who begin a degree in STEM-related fields complete their degree in less than six years.
In addition, social pressures continue to cast a shadow over girls who might otherwise consider the STEM fields. A couple of years ago, I met amazing parents, both of whom had a background in engineering and hoped their 10-year-old daughter would follow in their footsteps. They encouraged her to take an after-school science / robotics program. When she got there, she found she was outnumbered 6:1 by boys in the class. As the only girl, she came home crying much of the time because she was teased and told that geeky girls are not welcome in the boys' club. Ironically, by the time young boys are entering college programs in STEM fields, many complain about the lack of girls.
Starting at an early age, even as young as kindergarten, we need to encourage and help the next generation leaders to consider taking up science, computing, math and technology. We also need to realize that for young girls to be inspired to take and stick with this educational path and later career field, they will benefit from the support of the people that surround them: parents, teachers, friends and family members. | high20927.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "safety belt"
},
"options": [
"car seat",
"car for children",
"safety belt",
"game on islandbreeze.com"
],
"question": "From the text we can infer the FreedomRide is a _ .",
"question_type": "summarization... | If you have a little child, who hates sitting in a car seat, then the FreedomRide is the answer to your problem.
Would you want to be stuck in an unchangeable position every time you're in the car? No. You wouldn't.
When an adult sits in a car for any length of time, we stretch, we change the position, we move our legs again and again. We do this without thinking. But kids in a traditional car seat can't do this. They are stuck in one position, and they can't move. We move because the circulation of blood needs to be recovered in our legs as we sit in the same position for any longer.
In a traditional car seat, the child can't move to reduce the pain, so it puts them in anger.
The FreedomRide lets them have a little freedom, and still be safe. The 5-Point Harness gives them additional safety over a traditional child car seat.
I am the Webmaster for islandbreeze.com, and when JoeySafe asked us to redo their website, I was attracted by this system. That is because I have two small children, both girls, aged 3 and 4 and we obviously use car seats. I lived in Southern California, and every couple of months, my wife, the girls and I, go to see grandma who lives in Nevada. It's a 5-hour drive, so the FreedomRide works well. Our trips are so much better now, especially since there is more room in the car without the car seats.
The FreedomRide really did make it easier to go on trips. The only thing you need when you use the JoeySafe instead of your old child car seat is a pillow. Besides, my kids want to take a pillow anyway! As a dad, I feel safe driving with the kids in the FreedomRide. I am a very safety-oriented person. | high11522.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "have the heart advantage"
},
"options": [
"have the heart advantage",
"be the healthiest",
"suffer a heart attack",
"enjoy a happy life"
],
"question": "Children whose parents lived up to 80 or above seem to_.",... | Children whose parents live well into their 80s seem to have healthier hearts in middle age compared with children whose parents did not live this long. Moreover, the heart advantage continues over time, which should help them follow in their parents' footsteps.
The findings come from the Framingham Heart Study, a study relating to several generations on risk factors for heart disease and other diseases among residents of prefix = st1 /Framingham,Massachusetts.
The worst Framingham Risk Scores - a measure of heart disease risk that uses age, smoking, and blood pressure to estimate a person's possibility of suffering a heart attack - were found in children whose parents had both died before age 85. The best risk scores were found among children whose parents had both lived to age 85 or older.
"A greater understanding of the genetics of risk of heart or blood disease factors and long life may lead to advances in the prevention and treatment of heart and blood diseases in the future," Dr. terry commented to Reuters Health.
Dr. Clyde B. Schechter adds in an editorial: "We are only beginning to learn about the factors of exceptional long life. Several fruitful areas are already the subject of active research, but much more remains to be done."
"Progress in this area is not just of natural interest," Schechter from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York writes, "it also has the great possibility to promote discoveries that will improve the prevention and treatment of some age - related diseases such as heart or blood diseases." | high17153.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Their demands can always be satisfied."
},
"options": [
"They can be supported by their parents.",
"They can play whenever they want.",
"They need not behave themselves.",
"Their demands can always be satisfied."
],... | I find some of the ways in which Chinese parents show love for their children rather surprising. Obviously there are some pretty big differences between our behaviors and theirs in this respect. Most Chinese children seem to get whatever they want, from ice creams, sweets and toys to endless attention from the adults around them. Is this a sort of spoiling or love? I wonder.
Most westerners would think it is a sort of spoiling rather than love. We think love means educating your children and bringing them up to lead an independent life. That includes learning to accept the fact that he can't get everything he wants. As an adult, he will not always get the quite expensive car he hunts for; she will not always manage to acquire the beautiful dress she longs for. So we try to teach our children early to cope with the disappointment of not getting what they want.
I find too much such kind of love for the children can actually spoil them. To my surprise, it seems that the life of a Chinese child is rather hard. Without doubt, the child is the very center of a whole circle of adults, but on the other hand he or she is also expected to start studying according to adults' wishes. Many children of my son's age take piano lessons, painting classes and even English lessons. It looks as if Chinese adults think that just playing without learning anything is a waste of time. So in this respect our children appear spoiled, just because they are allowed to play. But without this sort of play how can western children develop such free and rich imaginations? In fact the connection between this imagination and the creativity is so important in the children's future life. | high5414.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To promote studies of the Poles."
},
"options": [
"To attract more people to the Poles.",
"To promote studies of the Poles.",
"To educate the public about the Poles.",
"To help protect the Poles."
],
"question":... | Iee Lok Sze was the first woman in Hong Kong to reach both the North and South Poles.In 1992 and1993,she went to Mount Everest and the Taldamkhan Desert in Xin- jiang."I wanted to be an adventurer when l was small.I have loved reading adventure books since I was a child."Since 1970,Miss Lee has always been on trips,travelling to different parts of the world with a backpack and a sleeping bag.
She said that these journeys changed her values."After visiting these places,I started to treasure my life much more than before.During this time,I came to realize how small I am in the universe,but nothing in this world is unsolvable.
Miss Lee said she had a lot of unforgettable experiences on her journeys.There was one terrible storm at sea when she was returning from the South Pole.The whole team was happy to be returning home after a one-year stay at the South Pole.During the storm, waves reached heights of up to 30 meters.as high as a 10-story building.She stayed calm at the time and took steps to protect their research findings.She hoped the rescuers would find them even if they lost their lives.Part of the ship was destroyed and a lot of water came in.Luckily they all survived,but she came away from the experience with a realiza- tion about the power of nature.
Miss Lee is also the founder of the China Polar Museum Foundation.Building a polar museum has always been her dream.According to Miss Lee,the museum will use advanced technology to help develop scientists work in polar areas.Also,it will provide Places for scientists to do research. | high17635.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "windy and bright"
},
"options": [
"calm and sunny",
"windy and grey",
"rainy and cloudy",
"windy and bright"
],
"question": "What was the weather like in the story?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
}... | "Ten pence for a view over the bay,"said the old man with the telescope. "Lovely clear morning, have a look at the old lighthouse and the remains of the great shipwreck of 1935."
Ten pence was robbery, but the view was certainly magnificent. Cliffs stretched into the distance, shining waves beaten severely by the wind were unrolling on to the beach, and a few yachts , with creamy-white sails, were turning sharply and making a sudden movement gracefully on the sea. Just below, a flock of seagulls screaming at one another as they twisted and flew smoothly over the water. A mile out to sea, the old lighthouse stood on a stone platform on the rocks, which were being greedily licked by the waves. In no way indeed did I _ my money. As I directed the telescope towards the lighthouse, the man beside me tapped my wrist.
"Have you heard about the terrible tragedy that occurred there in that lighthouse?" he asked in a whisper.
"I imagine there may be plenty of legends attached to such a dramatic-looking place," I suggested.
"It's no legend ," declared the old man." My father knew the two men involved. It took place fifty years ago. Let me tell you."
His voice seemed to grow deeper and more dramatic.
"For a whole week that lighthouse had been cut off by storms," he began, "with terrifying seas surging and crashing over the rocks. People on the shore were anxious about the two men working there. They'd been on the best terms until two or three weeks before, when they had a quarrel over cards in the village inn. Martin had accused Blake of cheating. Blake had swore to punish Martin for what he had said. But thanks to the wise advice of a man they both respected, they apologized to each other, and soon seemed to have got over their disagreement. But some slight resentment and bitterness remained, and it was feared that the stress of continued separation and rough weather might affect their nerves, though, needless to say, their friends had no idea how serious the consequence would be."
......
The old man paused and I turned to go.
"By the way," he added, "Have you any free time this afternoon? If so, why don't you have tea in the lighthouse? We are putting on a special boat trip today. We are charging a pound. ..... " | high20099.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The nicotine in cigarettes."
},
"options": [
"The pressure from life.",
"The feeling of being relaxed.",
"The good smell of cigarettes.",
"The nicotine in cigarettes."
],
"question": "What makes people addicted ... | According to a recent study performed by the Office of Applied Science, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, every day about 3,900 children and teens under the age of 18 try their first cigarette . Among the teens who continue to smoke into their adult years, about one out of three will die as a result of the habit.
Because of the nicotine content in tobacco products, smoking not only becomes a habit for teens, but an addiction . The nicotine in the tobacco is addictive. Once a teen develops the habit of smoking, it is difficult for them to quit without help. The American Lung Association reports smokers who start early in life find it more difficult to quit because of the addiction.
Teens that smoke often do as a way of dealing with social situations or as a result of pressure from people of their age. The results of a Duke University study show teens with brothers and sisters who smoke are more likely to engage in smoking and other risky actions. The components of tobacco products have documented effects on behavior. Nicotine is known to increase fights in teens and adults.
The center for Young Women's Health at the Children's Hospital of Boston states that tobacco products contain about 4,000 chemicals, some of which are poisonous. Breathing these poisons into the lungs quickly affects a teen's entire body. Outward changes include dry, wrinkled skin, yellow teeth and nails, and bad breath. Teen smokers are three times more likely to have bad teeth than non-smokers of their age, the Center further reports. External effects are often present soon after smoking becomes a habit. | high18506.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "incenses in the shop and ancient books give off lots of scent"
},
"options": [
"the shops give off a smell",
"incenses in the shop and ancient books give off lots of scent",
"there are many sandalwood trees there",
"the... | Tranquility, relaxation and the scent of incense , this is Guozijian Street, a street combining Beijing's past and present. Housing the Confucian Temple in the east and the Imperial College in the west, the street gradually took shape some 700 years ago.
Guozijian Street connects to the Lama Temple in the east. There are many sandalwood incense shops at the street entrance. The air is full of scent. Yet gradually, the scent of ancient books takes advantage as one explores further down the street and towards the Confucian Temple and Imperial College. The Confucian Temple is where the worships to Confucius were attended during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties (1271-1911). Gnarled cypress trees outside the gate create thick shade from the sun. On each side of the gate stands a huge stone pole written in Mandarin and Mongolian ordering all horse riders, even the emperor, to get off their horses. The glazed yellow tiles on the roof show the temple's past dignity. Beside the Confucian Temple is the Imperial College, the highest educational institution during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, which was once the dream destination for ancient scholars. The neighboring Guanshuyuan Hutong is no different than other Beijing hutongs, except for its unique color1s. The royal red of the Imperial College wall is a stark contrast with the typical grey of common people's residences.
Serenity is very common over Guozijian Street. The occasional noise aroused by visitors is quickly absorbed by the quiet atmosphere. Even time slows down on this ancient street.
The leafy and green cypress trees along the street protect it from the bother of the busy city. These tall and silent plants add to the dignity and elegance of the street. Living houses still preserve the ancient and attractive style of old Beijing, which is hardly seen elsewhere nowadays. Looking through the red gate where the paint has already started to come off, one may find some older people sitting leisurely in the sun in the courtyards. It seems that living next door to the sage has brought them the wisdom to dismiss all kinds of worries. | high21387.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "make themselves grow better"
},
"options": [
"get more sticky hairs",
"make themselves grow better",
"make their roots stronger",
"avoid falling down to the ground"
],
"question": "Tomatoes and potatoes kill ins... | For the first time, researchers have discovered that some plants can kill insects in order to get additional nutrients. New research shows that they catch and kill small insects with their own sticky hairs near the roots and then absorb nutrients through their roots when the insects are killed and fall to the ground.
Professor Mark Chase, of Kew and Queen Mary, University of London, said: "The cultivated tomatoes and potatoes still have the hairs. Tomatoes in particular are covered with these sticky hairs. They do trap small insects on a regular basis. They do kill insects."
The number of these carnivorous plants is thought to have came up to 50 percent and many of them have until now been wrongly regarded as among the most harmless plants. Among them are species of petunia , some special tobacco plants and cabbages, some varieties of potatoes and tomatoes, etc. Researchers at Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, which carried out the study, now believe there are hundreds more killer plants than previously realized.
It is thought that the technique was developed in the wild to get necessary nutrients in poor quality soil - and even various plants grown in your vegetable garden still have the ability.
The researchers, publishing their finding in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, said: "We may be surrounded by many more murderous plants than we think." "We are accustomed to thinking of plants as being immobile and harmless, and there is something deeply frightening about the thought of meat-eating plants," they added. | high11244.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "During the Civil War, he was an officer of a cavalry troop, a chemist and a doctor."
},
"options": [
"He was highly respected by Atlantans because of his great contribution.",
"Medicines like Triplex Liver Pills and Globe of Flower... | The man who invented Coca-Cola was not a native Atlanta, but on the day of his funeral every drugstore in town shut up the shop in honor of him. He was John Styth Pemberton, born in 1833 in Knoxville, Georgia, eighty miles away. Pemberton was a chemist, sometimes known as Doctor, who, during the Civil War, became an officer and led a cavalry troop. He settled in Atlanta in 1869, and soon began making such patent medicines as Triplex Liver Pills and Globe of Flower Cough Syrup.
In 1885, he registered a trademark for something called French Wine Coca-Ideal Nerve and Tonic Stimulant. A few months later, he formed the Pemberton Chemical Company, and hired an accountant named Frank M. Robinson, who had not only a good head for figures, but, attached to it, so unique a nose that he could judge the ingredients of a batch of syrup merely by sniffing it.
In 1886 --- a year in which, as contemporary Coca-Cola officials like to point out, the English writer Conan Doyle made Sherlock Holmes known publicly and France found the truth about the Statue of Liberty --- Pemberton invented a syrup that he called Coca-Cola. It was a change of his French Wine Coca. He had taken out the wine and added a bit of caffeine, and, when the end product tasted awful, had thrown in some cola nut oil and a few other oils, mixing the mixture in a three-legged iron pot in his back yard and swishing it around with an oar.
He distributed it to soda fountains in used beer bottles, and Robinson, with his elegant account's script, instantly designed a label, on which "Coca-Cola" was written in the style which is still employed. Pemberton looked upon his mixture less as a drink than as a headache cure.
One morning in 1886, a man suffering from a headache dragged himself into an Atlanta drugstore and asked for a bottle of Coca-Cola. According to usual practice, druggists should pour a teaspoonful of syrup into a glass of water, but at that time, the man on duty was too lazy to walk to the fresh-water tap. Instead, he mixed the syrup with some soda water, which was closer at hand. After drinking it, the suffering customer cheered up almost at once, and word quickly spread that the best Coca-Cola was a fizzy one. | high7565.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "no Americans knew of the existence of the Rocky Mountains"
},
"options": [
"The Rocky Mountains were wholly covered with snow",
"there were no people living in the western part of America",
"no Americans knew of the existence... | Grey clouds move as low as smoke over the treetops at Lolo Pass. The ground is white. The day is June 10.It has been snowing for the past four days in the Bitterroot Mountains.Wayne Fairchild is getting worried about our trek over the Lolo Trail-95 miles from Lolo Montana to Weippe in Idaho, across the roughest country in the West. Lewis and Clark were nearly defeated 200 years ago by snowstorms on the Lolo.Today Fairchild is nervously checking the weather reports.He has agreed to take me across the toughest,middle section of the trail.
When Lewis climbed on top of Lemhi Pass,140 miles south of Missoula,on Aug.12,1805,he was astonished by what was in front of him;"high mountain chains still to the West of us with their tops partially covered with snow."Nobody in what was then the US knew the Rocky Mountains existed,with peaks twice as high as anything in the Appalachians back East.
Today their pathway through those mountains holds more attraction than any other ground over which they traveled,for its raw wilderness is an evidence to the character of two cultures:the explorers who braved its hardships and the Native Americans who prize and conserve the path as a sacred gift. It remains today the same condition as when Lewis and Clark walked it.
The Lolo is passable only from July to mid-September.Our luck is holding with the weather,although the snow keeps getting deeper.As we climb to Indian Post Office,the highest point on the trail at 7,033 ft,we have covered 13 miles in soft snow,and we hardly have enough energy to make dinner.After a meal of chicken,I sit on a rock on top of the ridge .There is no light visible in any direction,not even another campfire.For four days we do not see another human being.We are occupied with the things that mix fear with joy.In our imagination we have finally caught up with Lewis and Clark. | high15022.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Technology"
},
"options": [
"Environment",
"Technology",
"Military",
"Travelling"
],
"question": "In which section is this article most likely to be found in a newspaper?",
"question_type": "factiod_question... | China will soon put its first domestically developed electric aircraft into mass production, and designers expect a huge market at home and abroad.
"The RX1E is scheduled to receive its airworthiness(,,)certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China before the end of this year, with production expected to start next year," Yang Fengtian, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Engineering told China Daily on Thursday.
"This will be the first electric aircraft to be certified by our civil aviation authority. The success of the plane means China has become a technology leader in this filed," he added.
An electric aircraft runs on electric motors, with electricity coming from fuel cells, solar cells, ultracapacitors, power beaming or batteries.
Most of today's electric aircraft are experimental demonstration models. The first manned, electrically powered flight was made in 1973.
"We plan to reach an annual production of 100 such aircraft within three years, and the construction of a manufacturing plant that can make 100 RX1Es each year has begun in Shenyang," Yang said, adding that the plane, together with a set of batteries, will sell for nearly 1 million yuan ($163,000).
The convenience of use, easy maintenance, low operating costs, high safety levels and eco-friendliness will bring the RX1E many buyers to serve a wide range of purposes, such as police patrols, flight training, entertainment and mapping surveys, he added.
Yang said he expects that the Chinese market will need at least 1,000 RX1Es to meet the demand from general aviation businesses.
With a maximum takeoff weight of 480 kg and a cruise speed of up to 160 kilometers per hour, the RX1E can fly 90 minutes based on a full charging of its batteries.
It is able to carry loads for 230 km and fly at an altitude of nearly 3,000 meters.
Yang said, "In addition to the domestic market, _ ." | high8656.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "lost all of his friends after his mother's death"
},
"options": [
"wore neat clothes all the time",
"was taller than any other one in his class",
"lost all of his friends after his mother's death",
"could always have hi... | It had been three months since Ms Miller had started teaching. She was gradually being able to understand all her students,except one,Bob. Bob was the only boy who came to school dressed untidily and sat in the class completely lost in his own world. His performance had been _ steadily with every single day.
Ms Miller searched through the progress reports of Bob and was shocked to see Bob used to be the topper in his class. Bob's performance began to slowly decline when his mother fell ill.He was doing badly in each and every subject when his mother died leaving him alone with his father,who was a businessman and had to travel always. Apart from his performance worsening gradually,Bob's nature too began to change. He had forgotten to laugh and showed no interest in any activity. All his friends had abandoned him.
One day,Bob was asked to stay back. Ms Miller asked him if he had any problem understanding his lessons. Gradually she began to give him a comfort zone so that he could talk and share. After three weeks,she found Bob gradually improving. He was being able to answer the questions he previously failed, Every day after all the students went away,Ms Miller gave personal attention to Bob and began to spend time with him. Bob improved a lot over the next semester,showing definite signs of progress in his performance.
On a Friday,Bob came up to Ms Miller,handed her a box and requested her to open the box on Sunday. Sunday moming,curious,she opened it and saw a bottle of perfume,half filled. Together with it was a small letter,saying that this bottle of perfume used to be his mother's and he wished Ms Miller to wear it so that every time she was around,he could feel his Mom near him. He thanked her for everything. Ms Miller took the bottle of perfume in her hand and saw a new tag attached to it; it said "Happy Mother's Day" !
Ms Miller suddenly realized that it was not she who had made a difference to Bob's life but it was Bob who made her realize what true humanity is ! | high23590.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "have made the public suffer a lot"
},
"options": [
"have made the public suffer a lot",
"have lasted for two months",
"are supported by common people",
"have caused no loss for the citizens"
],
"question": "It c... | The Occupy protests in Hong Kong are approaching an end. Traffic on Mong Kok's Argyle Street _ in the late afternoon after the clearance of the barriers and tents by protesters, who remained largely calm, only resisting the clearance at several points.
Some 3,000 police officers were deployed in the operation, a much higher number than were used to assist in the clearance of a protest site in Admiralty District on November 18.
The operation in Mong Kok comes a week after the partial clearance of another protest site next to the local government headquarters in Admiralty, bringing an end to the months-long protest movement.
Some 3,000 police officers also stood guard at the former protest site in Admiralty on Tuesday.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying expressed on Tuesday his hope that business could resume for shops in the area. He also restated that the protest was an unlawful gathering, and called for the protesters to respect and obey the law.
"The common call of Hong Kong people has finally been answered. Now the protest is coming to an end which is necessary and unavoidable. The public has suffered enough," Leticia Lee See-yin told the Global Times.
"Many people are living in Mong Kok or operating their businesses in the area. They are all angry at the protest for affecting their business. Two shop owners even shut down their stores because they can no longer afford losses caused by the protest," said Lee.
It is believed that the successful clearance of the Mong Kok site has proven that the protests are decreasing as they approach an end.
"The authorities met with much less resistance compared to a month ago when protesters reacted violently when police tried to remove barriers in the same area in Mong Kok. Now the public has expressed a stronger desire than ever for the protest to end," Tang Ka-piu, a lawmaker, told the Global Times. | high9548.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "she was well-mannered"
},
"options": [
"she was pretty",
"he met all her demands",
"he was humorous",
"she was well-mannered"
],
"question": "She accepted his invitation after the party because _ .",
"que... | He met her at a party. She was outstanding while he was so normal. After the party, he invited her for coffee. She was surprised but being polite, she agreed.
As they sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she felt uncomfortable. Suddenly, he asked the waiter, "Could you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee. " Everyone stared at him. He turned red, but when the salt came, he put it in his coffee and drank. Curious, she asked, "Why salt with coffee? " He explained, " When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing on the sea. I could feel the taste of sea, just like this salty coffee. "
That was a really nice talk, also a good beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who met all her demands. Then the story was just like every beautiful love story: they got married and lived a happy life.
After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said: My dearest, please forgive my life-long lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous that I asked for salt instead of sugar. It was hard for me to ask for a change, so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our conversation. I tried to tell you the truth, but I was afraid that it would ruin everything. I don't like the salty coffee. But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life just because I love you!
Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, "What's the taste of salty coffee?" She replied, "It's sweet." | high13453.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "introduce the issue about bunnies"
},
"options": [
"show the importance of Easter Day",
"introduce the issue about bunnies",
"remind people of Easter traditions",
"discuss the relationship between Easter and bunnies"
... | Easter is still a great day for worship, randy in baskets and running around the yard finding eggs, but every year it gets quite a bit worse for bunnies.
And no, not because the kids like to pull their ears. The _ is climate change, and some researchers found that rising temperatures arc having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbit in the US.
Take the Lower Keys March rabbit, for instance. An endangered species that lives in the Lower Florida Keys, this species of cottontail is a great swimmer -- it lives on the islands! -- but it is already severely affected by development and now by rising levels. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, an ocean level rise of only 0. 6 meters will send these guys jumping to higher ground and a 0.9-meter rise would wipe out their habitat completely.
The snowshoe hare, on the other hand, has a color issue. Most of these rabbits change their fur color from white in the wintertime to brown in the summer, each designed to give them better cover from predators . As the number of days with snow decreases all across the country, however, more and more bunnies arc being left in white fur during brown dirt days of both fall and spring, making them an easier mark for predators. Researchers know that the color change is controlled by the number of hours of sunlight, but whether the rabbit will be able to adapt quick enough to survive is a big question. The National Wildlife Federation has reported that hunters have noticed their numbers are already markedly down.
American pikas or rock rabbits, a relative of rabbits and hares, might be the firs' of these species to go extinct due to climate change. About 7-8 inches long, pikas live high in the cool, damp mountains west of the Rocky Mountains. As global temperatures rise, they would naturally migrate to higher ground -- but they already occupy the mountaintops. They can't go any higher. The National Wildlife Federation reports that they might not be able to stand the new temperatures as their habitat beats up.
The volcano rabbit has the same problem. These rabbits live on the slopes of volcanoes in Mexico, and recent studies have shown that the lower range of their habitat has already shifted upward about 700 meters, but there are not suitable plants for them to move higher, so they are stuck in the middle. Scientists are concerned about their populations.
Native to the US, pygmy rabbits weigh less than 1 pound and live in the American West. They are believed to be the smallest rabbits in the world. Their habitats have been destroyed by development. Several populations, such as the Columbia Basin pygmy, almost went extinct and were saved by zoo breeding programs. Pygmy rabbits also rely on winter cover by digging tunnels through the snow to escape predators, but lesser snowfall is leaving them exposed.
All of this gives new meaning to dressing up in a giant bunny costume this Easter. | high480.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Wuhan"
},
"options": [
"Guiyang",
"Nanchang",
"Wuhan",
"Harbin"
],
"question": "Which city is not included in the six cities?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | The Chinese mainland and Taiwan today extended the number of regular cross-Straits direct passenger flights from 108 to 270 a week.
Six cities, which are Hefei, Harbin, Nanchang, Guiyang, Ningbo and Jinan, are joining another 21 mainland cities in operating direct passenger flights to Taiwan, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said.
The 108 direct passenger flights previously operated were all classed as chartered flights. The new services will contain both regular chartered and scheduled flights.
Among the 27 designated mainland terminals , 25 will launch scheduled direct passenger flights from Monday to Saturday, to Taipei's Taoyuan or Kaohsiung airports.
Scheduled direct _ flights will belaunched between Shanghai, Guangzhou on the mainland and Taoyuan, Kaohsiung, which will bring the total number of weekly chartered and scheduled cargo flights to 28, according to the CAAC.
The mainland and Taiwan began direct air and sea transport links and postal services on Dec 15 last year. Previously, air and sea connections, including mail, were routed through a third location, usually Hong Kong.
On Nov 4 last year, the mainland and Taiwan agreed to regular direct passenger charter flights across the Straits. Before that, flights were only offered on weekends and during the country's four major traditional festivals - the Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. (Xinhua Agency) | high22856.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "London Eye is called the EDF Energy London Eye from 2011 because the company bought it."
},
"options": [
"It is so popular that every year, more than 3.5 million people visit the London Eye.",
"London Eye is called the EDF Energy L... | The London Eye is a giant 135---meter tall Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames in the British capital. Since 20 January 2011, it has been officially known as the EDF Energy London Eye following a three---year deal with the company. It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people every year. The London Eye is located at the western end of Jubilee Gardens, on the South Bank of the River Thames In the London Borough of Lambeth in England, between Westminster Bridge( which has longer history than the famous Severn Bridge to the west of London) and Hungerford Bridge. When erected in 1999, it was the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, until surpassed first by the 160 m Star of Nanchang in 2006, and the 165m Singapore Flyer in 2008. A breathtaking feat of design and engineering, passengers in the London Eye's capsules can see up to 40 kilometers in all directions. The London Eye is the vision of David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20thcentury, and time turning into the new millennium . Back in 2000, the London Eye was known as the Millennium wheel. In 2009, a 4D Film Experience was added as a free extra to enjoy before your ride on the Eye. Once you get high enough and start coming down the other side, you will see people reach for their cameras. Here's where the good stuff is right at your fingertips(or seems so). Parliament and Big Ben are beneath you, as are so many other historical things . If you are interested in other attractions in London, you can refer to the homepage. | high1114.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "His everyday life with disability."
},
"options": [
"His love for travelling.",
"His attitude toward life.",
"His suffering from a disease.",
"His everyday life with disability."
],
"question": "What has Sibley ... | A broad smile spreads across the faces of Martyn Sibley and Srin Madipalli when asked where they were when they decided to launch an online lifestyle magazine for disabled people."On the beach."they reply."We've both travelled a lot but we wanted a real adventure,"Sibley says of the California road trip during which Disability Horizons was conceived .
Sibley,whose professional background is in marketing,has been writing his own blog since 2009"about what I got up to,everyday stuff about living with disability",he says.He describes how while"wandering on the beach together"Madipalli suggested branching out beyond a oneperson blog.
Why did they want to create a"lifestyle"magazine for the disabled people?The pair,both in their 20s,say they wanted to produce something"positive and inspiring"that would tell about the lives of disabled people as they actually were.They were especially eager to produce something that showed young disabled people"what it was possible to do with their lives",says Sibley.
In less than a year,Disability Horizons has had more than 50 regular contributors and attracted a reader base of more than 20,000 people,more than a third of whom are in the US.
Sibley and Madipalli have a genetic disease that causes progressive muscle wasting and loss of movement.They are wheelchair users and have been good friends since growing up in London and Cambridge.Listening to them joke,it makes perfect sense that their shared optimistic outlook has spilled over into the magazine.The site covers topics ranging from books and travel to clubbing and photography."It's definitely a mix."Madipalli says. | high8642.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Culture."
},
"options": [
"Travel.",
"Business.",
"Lifestyle.",
"Culture."
],
"question": "In which column of the newspaper may this article appear?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answe... | A guide to Beijing museums during Spring Festival
The Capital Museum
The Beijing Capital Museum is presenting a special monkey-themed exhibition that decodes the cultural roots of the monkey in traditional Chinese culture. The exhibit shows more than 40 antique collections, including paintings, calligraphy, stamps, and 12 classic Monkey King pictures based on the great Chinese novel,Journey to the West. The museum also prepared a series of cultural activities for children, such as making paper-cuts for window decoration and painting monkeys.
The National Museum of China
Pasting Spring Festival couplets to doors is a traditional custom in Chinese culture. An exhibition Calligraphy Art of Couplets for the Year of the Money is ongoing, with more than 30 calligraphers' couplet pieces on display. A major exhibition, Treasures of Romania, showcasing Romania's history from the pre-historical period to the end of the 18thcentury, is still underway.
National Art Museum of China
The 2016 New Year show, National Art Exhibition of the Great Unity of China is a visual feast that will last until March 7. The works reflect the reality that people of all nationalities in China unite as one and jointly construct a moderately prosperous society. The works also highlight their positive mental attitude and present their picturesque and colorful national customs.
Zhoukoudian Relies Museum
A Spring Festival folk custom culture exhibition will introduce traditional Spring Festival customs in detail. Visitors can enjoy nearly 100 precious exhibits from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and Minguo Era(1912-1949), including New Year paintings and musical instruments. Children can also take part in the treasure hunt games organized by the museum, watch 4D movies and experience the primitive way of hunting fishing and chipping stone tools in the science experience pavilion. | high15036.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Warm-hearted."
},
"options": [
"Warm-hearted.",
"Responsible.",
"Encouraging.",
"Strong-minded."
],
"question": "What do you think of the author in the passage?",
"question_type": null
}
] | The Christmas season is often considered the season of giving. Many of us spend a lot of effort and money in an attempt to give our friends and loved ones the best possible gift. But what is the best gift you could possibly give?
Imagine that your bank gave you an account with $86,400 every morning of every day. You could use this amount of money for anything you want. But at the end of every day, the bank tells you that money in the account can only be used within that day. How would you choose to spend this money?
This is the attitude we should take towards the time. Time can never get back. It is the only resource that no one can get more than another person.
Around the holiday season, we find ourselves very busy. It is a point in the year where how you spend your time is crucial. Spending this valuable time to help another human being in need is one of the greatest gifts we can give. We never know when even giving a short amount of time to help or listen to a stranger, could make the rest of their day much more pleasant.
However, the saying that money is time is one of the truest statements ever made. By the act of donating money to a non profit organization which helps -- for example, you are allowing that single mother to spend more time looking after her children, instead of being forced to spend time looking for a temporary second job. By donating some money, you have helped someone else use their time for a better cause.
One organization I personally would encourage you to consider spending your time and/or money would be Eva Initiatives, an organization created for the homeless. I have volunteered there twice. It was a very positive experience, and being able to learn more about who lived there really gave me a perspective on the real struggles of the people around us. | high12981.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To give adults a chance to return to childhood."
},
"options": [
"To give adults a chance to return to childhood.",
"To help parents understand their children better.",
"To provide practical training courses for teachers.",
... | It is good to get in touch with your inner child from time to time,and obviously some people are willing to pay big money for the chance to do so in a proper environment.A Brooklyn-based adult preschool is charging customers between $333 and $999 for the chance to act like a kid again.
At Preschool Mastermind in New York adults get to participate in show--and--tell,arts--and--crafts such as finger paint,games like musical chairs and even take naps.The month-long course also has class picture day where the adults are expected to have a field trip and a parent day.
30-year-old Michelle Joni Lapidos,the brain behind the adult preschool,studied childhood education and has always wanted to be a preschool teacher.She's always on the lookout for new ways to get people in touch with the freedom of childhood.A friend encouraged her to start the mastermind course instead.
According to Candice,her blogger friend,Preschool Mastermind gives adults a chance to relearn and master the things that they failed to understand as children."I realized all the significances of what we learn in preschool,"said founder Michelle Joni,"People come here and get in touch with their inner child.It's magical.We are bringing ourselves back to another place,another time with ourselves when we are more believing in ourselves,more confident and ready to take on the world."
"One person's here because they want to learn not to be so serious."Michelle said."Another's here to learn to be more confident."She explained that most of the classes were planned.However,Joni added that while the planned activities were fun,it was often the spontaneous moments that attracted students."It's the things you don't plan for,the sharing between friends and learning from each other.'' | high14328.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "like his friend, he also thought life was unfair"
},
"options": [
"he also wanted to know who held such an opinion",
"like his friend, he also thought life was unfair",
"it made him regret something during his childhood",
... | A friend of mine, in response to a conversation we were having about the injustices of life, asked me the question: "Who said life was going to be fair, or that it was even meant to be fair?" Her question was a good one. It reminded me of something I was taught as a youngster-life isn't fair. One of the mistakes many of us make is that we feel sorry for ourselves or for others, thinking that life should be fair or that someday it will be. It's not and it won't.
One of the nice things about accepting the fact that life isn't fair is that it keeps us from feeling sorry for ourselves by encouraging us to do the very best we can with what we have. Accepting this fact also keeps us from feeling sorry for others because we are reminded that everyone is dealt a different hand; everyone has unique strengths and problems in the process of growing up, facing the reality and making decisions, and everyone has those times that they feel wounded or unfairly treated.
The fact that life isn't fair doesn't mean we shouldn't do everything in our power to improve our own lives or the world as a whole. On the contrary, it suggests that we should. When we don't recognize or admit life isn't fair, we tend to feel pity for others and for ourselves, a self-defeating emotion that does nothing except make everyone feel worse. When we do recognize life isn't fair, however, we feel sympathy for others and for ourselves. And sympathy is a heartfelt emotion that delivers loving kindness to everyone it touches. The next time you find yourself thinking about the injustices of the world, try reminding yourself of _ . You may be surprised that it can push you out of self-pity and into helpful action. | high23584.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They cannot put their hands away from the grab bar."
},
"options": [
"They cannot put their hands away from the grab bar.",
"They are forbidden to put their knees or feet out.",
"They should ask adults' permission first to ge... | Almost all theme park accidents can be prevented.Here, based on coverage of theme park safety, are some tips to help you and your family stay safe on your next visit.
If you are visiting with a child, take a moment to explain the ride to them, and tell them what they should do.They are depending upon you to keep them safe.Set a good example for them by following the rules of the park, and make sure that they know you expect them to follow those rules, too.
Tell them to stay seated, to hold the grab bar or put their hands in the laps, and not to stick their knees and feet outside a ride vehicle.Make them look to you for the okay to get on or off a ride, too.And never put a crying child on a ride.If your child starts to cry, let others pass you in line until your child is calmed.Or, gently _ the queue and find something more relaxing to do.
Young kids can't keep an adult's pace in a theme park.Let them take plenty of breaks.
"Kids get tired," said TPI reader Matt Johnson, a father of four."Tired kids make parents even more tired.And tired kids and parents may get hurt -- physically and emotionally." He advises that parents plan a mid-day break, perhaps a swim back at the hotel, to avoid mid-day heat and crowds."You will see cranky families having a miserable time while you are refreshed and having a great evening." | high1100.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Sony Ericsson's W800i and Sumsung's SPH-V5400"
},
"options": [
"Sumsung's SPH-V5400 and Nokia's 6620",
"Sony Ericsson's W800i and Sumsung's SPH-V5400",
"Sony Ericsson's W800i and NEC's N940",
"Sanyo's MM7400 and NEC's N... | These days, if you still think the cellphone is just for talking, you will get laughed at. Yes, it's true, voice-only handsets have become out of date. Today's do-it-all mobiles have a lot in common with the computer. The only difference may be that they fit in your pocket and you pay by the minutes to use them. Some of the things a cellphone can do for you will be available this year:
Surf at speed
Cellpones that let you use the Web have been around for years. So, what's new? Well, faster third-generation(3G) net works let you surf at anywhere. This then allows a carrier to send video, music, and games to your phone. Possible choices are from LG Electronic VX 8000 and Motorola V 1150.
Listen as you go
The problem with most cellphone MP3 players is that they hold only a handful of songs. But, that's about to change. Sony Ericsson's new W800i can hold around 150 songs in its 500 MB memory. And Sumsung's SPH-V5400 even comes with a 1.5 GB hard drive. Mobile phones may eventually replace mini-MP3 players, especially for teens.
Say cheese
Camera cellphones are not new either. But, most of them have limitations: around 1-megapixel . But new technology has made 2-megapixel units more common and 3-megapixel units are showing up soon. Some 2-megapixel models, like Sony Ericsson's K750i, offer limited zoom and focus controls. Others, like LG's recent MMA7110, can even capture 30 minutes of full- motion video.
Portable TV
You say you like "watching TV"? That's what Sumsung MM-A700 wants to give you. The new model lets users watch popular TV programs--for a fee. Other choices are Nokia's 6620, Sanyo's MM 7400 and NEC's N940.The NEC model lets you watch public TV--no fee.
The above are just a handful of what you will see in the coming months. Further down the road, your mobile phone may play a host of other roles, such as mobile credit card, position locator... So what is there that a cellphone can't do? | high22842.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Wind directions."
},
"options": [
"Sailors' strength.",
"Wave levels.",
"Wind directions.",
"Size of sails."
],
"question": "What should you consider first while sailing?",
"question_type": "factiod_question... | You may think that sailing is a difficult sport, but it is really not hard to learn it. You do not need to be strong. But you need to be quick. And you need to understand a few basic rules about the wind.
First, you must ask yourself, "Where is the wind coming from? Is it coming from ahead or behind or from the side?" You must think about this all the time on the boat. The wind direction tells you what to do with the sail.
Let's start with the wind blowing from the behind. This means the wind and the boat are going in the same direction. Then you must always keep the sail outside the boat. It should be at a 90deg angle to the boat. Then it will catch the wind best.
If the wind is blowing from the side, it is blowing across the boat. In this case, you must keep the sail half way outside the boat. It should be at a 45deg angle to the boat. _ needs to be out far enough to catch the wind, but it shouldn't flap . It shouldn't look like on a flagpole. If it is flapping, it is probably out too far, and the boat will slow down.
Sailing into the wind is not possible. If you try, the sail will flap and the boat will stop. You may want to go in that direction. It is possible, but you can't go in a straight line. You must go first in one direction and then in another. This is called tacking. When you are tacking, you must always keep the sail inside the boat. | high494.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Key points on being happy."
},
"options": [
"The research on happiness.",
"Key points on being happy.",
"What makes people feel unhappy.",
"Being rich makes people happy."
],
"question": "What's the main idea of... | Does being rich make you happy? Many studies on happiness give negative answers. Here are some points in being happy.
Basic Human Needs Must Be Met
People whose basic needs for shelter, clothing and food are not met will find it very difficult to feel happy. Of course, there are exceptions, but for most of us, we can only be happy once our basic needs are met.
The Joneses Cannot Be Escaped
People's happiness is not determined by how much they have, but by how much people around them have. So, we tend to feel happy once our basic needs are met and we have more than the people surrounding us.
This means that while keeping up with _ could be destructive if we let it go too far. It is also part of humana nature to want to feel at least on the same level, financially, as those surrounding us.
You Should Escape The Rat Race
We should know the importance of staying out of the rat race. So yes, you need to work hard, get the education you need to land a good job and work long enough and hard enough to get to a place where you can easily meet your basic needs. What are basic needs? For most middle or upper middle class Americans, basic needs are not very basic anymore.
For most of us, once our basic needs have been met, happiness is achieved when we engage in activities we like, spend time with friends and family and stay active. Making money for the sake of making money does not make people happy.
Ideally, these questions should be answered when you're still young and just starting out. Don't wait until your midlife crisis to realize that half your life has passed you by and you're still unhappy. | high2409.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the problems a diver faces in the deep sea"
},
"options": [
"special mixture of gases in the deep sea",
"the problems a diver faces in the deep sea",
"air pressure under the surface of sea water",
"a kind of illness tha... | We are always attracted by the sea. From it we can get food, minerals and treasures. For thousands of years, we just sailed on it but couldn't go far under its surface.
We want to explore deep into the sea. However, we are not fish. We must breathe, so we can't stay underwater for long. To explore deep water, we face even more dangers and problems.
A diver trying to stay underwater for a long time must breathe air or a special mixture of gases. He can wear a diving suit and have air pumped to him from above. He can carry a tank of air on his back and breathe through a special pipe. Water weighs 800 times as much as air. Tons of water pushes against a diver deep in the sea, so his body is under great pressure.
When a diver is under great pressure, his blood takes in some of the gases he breathes. As he rises to the surface, the water pressure becomes less. If the diver rises too quickly, the gases in his blood form bubbles . The diver is then suffering from a kind of illness. This kind of illness can cause a diver great pains and even kill him. | high17621.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "she hates being in high places"
},
"options": [
"she hates being in high places",
"she was unable to get down",
"her equipment suddenly broke",
"she slipped and fell to the ground"
],
"question": "Charlotte foun... | Dr charlotte Uhlenbroek recently returned to London after filming her second series, Jungle. It was difficult, 19-week trip, during which she explored the rainforests of Borneo, the Amazon and Congo, travelling around using variety of means of transport, including hot-air balloons and canoes. "I'm interested in the way animals communicate with each other. It was sometimes dangerous making the program ---I even went swimming with piranha fish. But the worst thing was insects. On one occasion I had 70 sand-fly bites on my arm. Luckily I didn't get sick. I prefer not to take tablets every day, but if I get a fever, take some medicine immediately."
Filming the series was exciting, but also frightening at times. Her most challenging experience was climbing a 100-meter tree in Borneo, as she has a great fear of heights. "I had to keep pulling myself further and further upwards. All I wanted to do was get down again. Suddenly the safety equipment didn't look very strong and I thought that my ropes would break and I would crash to the ground."
What did she enjoy most about returning to London? "When I've been away in hot uncomfortable conditions for a long time I dream about an ice-cold drink and my bed at home! But the thing I look forward to the most is nice long showers. There wasn't much water in some of the places we visited and I worried that I was using it all up and not leaving any for my colleagues on the camera team! " | high18512.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To draw public attention."
},
"options": [
"To show off his driving skills.",
"To draw public attention.",
"To learn about new technology.",
"To raise money for his new company."
],
"question": "Why did Henry Fo... | Many people believe Henry Ford invented the automobile . But Henry Ford did not start to build his first car until 1896. That was eleven years after two Germans developed the world's first automobile. Many people believe Henry Ford invented the production line that moved a car's parts to the worker, instead of making the worker move to the parts. That is not true, either. Many factory owners used methods of this kind before Ford. What Henry Ford did was to use other people's ideas and make them better. And he made the whole factory a moving production line.
In the early days of the automobile, almost every car maker raced his cars. It was the best way of gaining public notice. Henry Ford decided to build a racing car. Ford's most famous race was his first one. It was also the last race in which he drove the car himself.
The race was in 1901, at a field near Detroit. All of the most famous cars had entered, but only two were left: the Winton and Ford's. The Winton was famous for its speed. Most people thought the race was over before it began.
The Winton took an early lead. But halfway through the race, it began to lose power. Ford started to gain. And near the end of the race, he took the lead. Ford won the race and defeated the Winton. His name appeared in newspapers and he became wellknown all over the United States.Within weeks of the race, Henry Ford formed a new automobile company. In 1903, a doctor in Detroit bought the first car from the company. _ was the beginning of Henry Ford's dream. Ford said: "I will build a motor car for a great number of people. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for one person to operate and care for. It will be built of the best materials. It will be built by the best men to be employed. And it will be built with the simplest plans that modern engineering can produce. It will be so low in price that no man making good money will be unable to own one."
The Model T was a car of that kind. It only cost $850. It was a simple machine that drivers could depend on. Doctors bought the Model T. So did farmers. Even criminals. They considered it the fastest and surest form of transportation. Americans loved the Model T. They wrote stories and songs about it. Thousands of Model T's were built in the first few years. | high5366.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The brain could wrk for many hours without fatigue."
},
"options": [
"Fatigue toxinscould hardly be found in a labour's blood.",
"Albert Eistein didn't feel worn out after a day's work.",
"The brain could wrk for many hours w... | Here is an astonishing and signficant fact:Mental work alone can't make us tired. It sounds absurd. But a few years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue . To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered thett blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day labourer, we could find it full of fatigue toxins and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxing at the end of the day.
So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours f efforts as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired.
Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue come from our mental and emotional attitudes. One of England's most outstanding scientists. J. A. Hadfield,says,"The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin. In fact,fatigue of purely physical origin is rare." Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares,"One hundred percent of the fatigue of a sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems."
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired?Joy?Satifaction?No!A feeling of being bored,anger,anxiety,tenseness,worry,a feeling of nt being appreciated---those are emotions that tire sitting workers.Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue.We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body. | high4078.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they exist widely in the world"
},
"options": [
"they will not develop into phobias",
"their influence is psychological",
"they exist widely in the world",
"they will disappear gradually"
],
"question": "Childre... | Almost every child is scared of something, from monsters in the cupboard to dogs in the park. But the fact that such fears are common and normal doesn't mean they can be taken lightly. Kids experience fears and phobias much more strongly than adults. And the influence of the fear can be physical as well as psychological . It can build up so they almost seem scared of everything--a kind of childhood anxiety. Dr. Creswell says: "Your child may always seem to expect the worst to happen and lack confidence in his or her ability to deal with any challenge." So don't make the same old mistake of treating them as if they're silly for being a"scaredy cat". Handling the fears is essential.
Children can be born nervous and, if you have such a baby, you'll tend to prevent them from getting worried. So if they fear dogs, you'll keep them away from dogs, but in fact that can just confirm to the child that dogs are scary. What is worse, keeping your child away from what they fear can turn that feeling into a phobia. Instead, you should encourage them to get in touch with the thing they fear, in a safe and supportive environment. Dr. Andy Field, a researcher of childhood fears, says: "You shouldn't force, for example, a dog anxious child to go up to a dog. But you can approach it yourself, show them there is nothing to be afraid of, stroke( ) it, and talk about the dog being friendly. Once your child dares to stroke a dog-one that's good with children, of course---then you should encourage them to carry on until they feel calmer, and reward them for'being brave'." | high3717.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Daniel Craig."
},
"options": [
"Albert Finney.",
"Sean Connery.",
"Daniel Craig.",
"Sam Mendes."
],
"question": "According to the text, who will play Bond in film Skyfall?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | Details of the latest James Bond film Skyfallhave been shown to the public. It comes 50 years to the day after actor Sean Connery first played Bond -- the superspy inDr No.
The new film, known at the moment only as Bond 23, will be the third to star Daniel Craig as the secretagent . Other names in the cast include Albert Finney, Javier Bardem and Ralph Fiennes.
British film-maker Sam Mendes, who won an Oscar for American Beauty, will direct the latest adventure.
Ajay Chowdhury, from the James Bond International Fan Club, said, "Daniel Craig's third time as 007 has been looked forward to by Bond fans around the world. The fans have been made to wait extra long for this film since the global economiccrisis delayed the film for some time."
"Mendes has an unusual way of directing, and with the acting gift and the precedent set by the previous two films in which Craig played Bond, _
It is reported that the film will send 007 to South Africa and India to hunt for a criminal organization. Other reported locations for filming include Duntrune Castle, near Lochgilphead in Argyll, Scotland, which is believed to be the spy's home.
The film is set to be released in the UK this October.
Craig' s performance as Bond gave new life to the film series, leading to the highest ever 007 box office takings of PS367 million for his role in Casino Royalein 2006.Quantum of Solace, the most recent film in the series released in 2008, madePS353 million. | high20933.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a teacher"
},
"options": [
"a doctor",
"a model",
"a teacher",
"a reporter"
],
"question": "We can know from the passage that the author works as _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without "outside help". "What kind of help is that?" I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
"Surgery ", one replied. I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job. One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. "They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows, you can get at least 5cm taller!"
At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can't deny that, but I don't think I would put myself through months of agony just to be a few centimeters taller. I don't even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I'm not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting "perfection", and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that "perfection" is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career. | high3071.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They are helpful to us."
},
"options": [
"They affect reasonable thought.",
"They get us into trouble.",
"They are helpful to us.",
"They are reasonable."
],
"question": "What's Keith Oatley's opinion about emot... | Many of us still tend to think that emotions can affect reasonable thought,and sometimes land us in trouble. But in recent years psychologists have taken quite a different view. Keith Oatley,Professor of Psychology at Glasgow University,is involved in the research which shows the fundamental importance of emotions.
He believes _ we think of our emotions as being unreasonable,but we also consider them as essential to being human. For example,Mr. Spock,a character in the television series Star Trek,is superintelligent and he has no emotions at all. However,he is never made captain of the spaceship. Maybe,this is because Mr Spock is not the kind of person you can share your feelings with--a person who shows his emotions.
As Professor Oatley points out,our emotions have very important functions,for example,fear. If we cross the road and a car approaches,we usually stop moving or step back. We stop what we are doing,check what we have done and pay very careful attention to the environment. The emotion of fear makes us take this small series of actions which,on average, help protect our safety.
On the other hand,if things are going well and small problems come up,we find we can solve them with the resources we have to hand. As a consequence, we tend to feel happy and usually continue doing the job.
Anger is an emotion that tends to occur when someone is preventing us from doing something. Then this small "kit" of reactions enables us to prepare ourselves to be quite aggressive to that person,or to try harder,and so on.
Professor Oatley believes emotions generally occur at these important moments in actions. With fear and anger our emotions make us decide to start doing something else, while with happiness they "suggest" we continue what we are already doing. | high11536.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he had had a few accidents"
},
"options": [
"he was unusually brave",
"he was quite rich",
"he had many good ideas about aeroplane design",
"he had had a few accidents"
],
"question": "Bleriot was well known as ... | In 1909 an English newspaper offered PS 1,000 to the first man to fly across the English Channel in an aeroplane. Today, modern jets cross it in minutes. But at that time it still seemed a good distance. The race to win the money soon became a race between two men. Both were very colourful.
One was Louis Bleriot. He owned a factory in France that made motor car lamps. He was already well known as a pilot because he had had accidents several times. Some people laughed at him. One man said, "He may not be the first to fly across the Channel but he will certainly be the first to die in an accident!" But Bleriot was really a good and brave pilot. He also had many good ideas about aeroplane design.
The other man was Hubert Latham. He was half French and half English. He took up flying when his doctors told him he had only a year to live. "Oh, well," he said, "if I' m going to die soon, I think I shall have a dangerous and interesting life now." Latham was the first to try the flight across the Channel. Ten kilometres from the French coast, his plane had some trouble. It fell down into the water and began to sink under the water. A boat reached Latham just in time. He was sitting calmly on the wing and was coolly lighting a cigarette. Bleriot took off six days later. He flew into some very bad weather and very low cloud. He somehow got to the English side and landed in a farmer's field. When he did so, a customs officer rushed up to his plane. Planes have changed since then, but customs officers have not. "Have you anything to declare ?" The officer demanded. | high16259.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he had a whole-day flight and wanted to sleep."
},
"options": [
"he saw the statue of the Happy Prince.",
"he flew into a lovely golden bedroom.",
"he had a whole-day flight and wanted to sleep.",
"it was night and a ra... | All day long he flew, and at night-time he arrived at the city. "Where shall I put up?" he said; "I hope the town has made preparations."
Then he saw the statue on the tall column.
"I will put up there," he cried; "it is a fine position, with plenty of fresh air." So he flew down and settled just between the feet of the Happy Prince.
"I have a golden bedroom," he said softly to himself as he looked round, and he prepared to go to sleep; but just as he was putting his head under his wing a large drop of water fell on him. "What a curious thing!" he cried; "there is not a single cloud in the sky, the stars are quite clear and bright, and yet it is raining. The climate in the north of Europe is really dreadful."
Then another drop fell.
"What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?" he said; "I must look for a good chimney-pot," and he determined to fly away.
But before he had opened his wings, a third drop fell, and he looked up, and saw--Ah! What did he see?
The eyes of the Happy Prince were filled with tears, and tears were running down his golden cheeks. His face was so beautiful in the moonlight that the little Swallow was filled with pity.
"Who are you?" he said.
"I am the Happy Prince."
"Why are you weeping then?" asked the Swallow, "you have quite wetted me."
"When I was alive and had a human heart," answered the statue, "I did not know what tears were, for I lived in theprefix = st1 /PalaceofSans-Souci, where sorrow is not allowed to enter. In the daytime I played with my companions in the garden, and in the evening I led the dance in the Great Hall. Round the garden ran a very high wall, but I never cared to ask what lay beyond it, everything about me was so beautiful. People called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was, if pleasure be happiness. So I lived, and so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose but weep."
"What is he not solid gold?" said the Swallow to himself. He was too polite to make any personal remarks out loud. | high17147.txt |
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