questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because he invented the sandless sandbag."
},
"options": [
"Because he is interested in scientific invention.",
"Because he has the gift of Thomas Edison.",
"Because he solved many maths problems.",
"Because he invented... | Peyton,an 11-year-old boy from Florida,has the enthusiasm of scientific invention and the-gift of Thomas Edison.
The sixth-grader put his math and science skills as well as some real-life experience to use and created something that could benefit our world a lot ---- the sandless sandbag.Today he was named the winner of the Young Scientist Challenge for his sandbag.
"I had a really terrifying experience with a hurricane," said Peyton."When I was 4,I experienced Hurricane Wilma.When it hit Florida in October 2005,my family and I crowded in a closet and watched the storm bring damage and death to our area,feeling terrible and hopeless."
Saltwater flooding caused great damage,which made him think about how people can prepare for floods.Peyton,who has been solving math problems since he was 3,eventually came up with the sandless sandbag.
"Instead of filling it with sand,I filled it with just the right amount of chemicals and salt,"he said."What's amazing is that when you pick these bags up and they're not wet,they only weigh a pound or two."
Unlike regular sandbags,Peyton's is light and easy to carry.They only expand when doused with water.The bags are portable when dry and will not float away when wet.
Experts praised his invention and said that the sandless sandbag could someday save a lot of lives and possessions."He understands the big picture.He thinks in terms of the influence on society and safety for the people around this area,"said Dr.Antonio,the engineering chairman at the University of Miami."We'd love to have him at our university."
Peyton has to get through middle school and high school first,but until then,the young scientist will continue thinking and inventing. | high18274.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The surface of the skin is made of a living layer."
},
"options": [
"Our hair and nails are dead like the surface of the skin.",
"There is skin all over our body.",
"The skin of our bodies will be completely different in thre... | The whole body is covered with skin.The surface of the skin is dead(like the hair and the nails),but it is made from a living layer just under the surface.The outside dead layers wear off all the time,with new ones replacing them,and the body forms a totally new skin every three weeks.
The skin protects the body from the outside world and it passes information from the outside.It helps to keep water in the body and to keep the body at the same temperature.Becteria can't get in through the skin unless it is damaged.
If the weather is cold,the blood vessels in the skin squeeze down,or contract ,so that as little blood as possible comes near the surface.This means that less warmth is lost to the outside.This makes the skin look pale,or even "blue".At the same time,the hairs on the skin are pulled upright by tiny muscles.
When it is hot,the blood vessels expand ,or get wider again,to allow plenty of blood to run near the surface of the skin.This helps the body to lose heat,and the skin may look red.At the same time,the sweat glands produce more sweat,which cools the skin.
If your skin has ever been numb ,you will realize how important the feeling from the skin is.Nerves in the skin are sensitive to heat and cold,sharpness,hardness and softness,wetness and dryness and pain.If one is not able to feel these things,which can act as warnings,he is likely to be burned,cut or hurt in other ways.
The colour of the skin depends on special colour cells .These are just below the top layers of the skin.They are needed as protection from some harmful ray of the sun.The stronger the sun is,the more important it is to have a dark skin.People with pale skins may "tan" in the sun.This happens when the body produces extra colour cells in the skin for protection.In the sun,the skin produces a vitamin(vitamin D)which is needed for strong bones. | high10628.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "fanboy"
},
"options": [
"fanboy",
"phubber",
"bromeo",
"photographer"
],
"question": "Tom is a _ , crazy about selfies.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | The top ten hottest English words in 2015
Selfie is "taking a photo by yourself", Now "taking a selfie" is generally a way of self-expression.
Budgetwife is the opposite of budget husband . By name, you can see that the economy strength of budget male is not strong as the "diamond man" , but he is both economically and emotionally reliable.
Phubbing refers to impolite behavior that in social situations people don't pay attention to the people around, but just look at their mobile phones, we can call it "down". People are called phubber "down" .
Bromeo are male girlfriends. He is one of your most loyal friends, will support you in every situation.
"Fangirl" or "fanboy" refers to those who are crazy about something or a star, even to the point of sanity.
Gayriage refers to two people of equal gender form of marriage. Two men to get married, the marriage is called gayriage.
Mompetition, it is the competition between mothers, comparing whose child is more beautiful, more smarter, more fashionable. It can be compared two or more mothers, and the children being compared can be adult.
Social bubble , which means that some people seem to know many people, but only few people could be friends. After "financial bubble", "housing bubble", personal bubbles begin to hit career people. | high13321.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "by mentioning some studies."
},
"options": [
"by raising his own examples.",
"based on his own experience.",
"by mentioning some studies.",
"by mentioning some typical patients."
],
"question": "The author of th... | Forgiving someone who has hurt you or let you down is never an easy thing. Several new studies, however, say that it could have a lot of health benefits. When you think of forgiveness, you probably don't think of it as being a health or medical problem. Studies from Stanford University, on the other hand, show that something like anger can change your well-being.
When cartoon book characters like the incredible Hulk get angry, they change colours and often gain special power. In the real world, anger is less obvious and may be more dangerous. That's why Professor Fred Luskin, founder of the Stanford Forgiveness Project and author of Forgive for Good, says holding on to anger and hatred can harm your physical and mental health. Two new studies seem to show the same idea.
The studies find that people who are able to forgive feel less stress, less back pain, and less depression . They also have fewer headaches, lower blood pressure, and fewer problems on sleeping.
So it doesn't matter if your anger is caused by the traffic or other things. Learning to let it go is important. Techniques such as deep breath or thought can help. Or just ask yourself if it's worth hurting yourself by staying angry with someone else.
Forgiveness does not mean that you simply accept what happened and say it's OK. Instead, it's a way of making peace with yourself about what happened in the past. | high1666.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It is a nation of tiny coral islands."
},
"options": [
"It has a population of 100,000.",
"It has a floating golf course.",
"It is a nation of tiny coral islands.",
"It is located in the Pacific Ocean."
],
"ques... | The Maldives faces the threat of extinction from rising sea levels, but the government said it was looking to the future with plans to build homes and a golf course that float.
An increase in sea levels of just 18 to 59 centimeters would make the Maldives-a nation of tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean-virtually
by 2100, the UN's climate change panel has warned.
President Mohamed Nasheed has vowed a fight for survival, and he signed a deal with a Dutch company to study proposals for a floating structure that could support a convention center, homes and an 18-hole golf course.
The company , Dutch Docklands, is currently building floating developments in the Netherlands and Dubai.
The Maldives began work on an artificial island known as the Hulhumale near the crowded capital island of Male in 1997 and more than 30,000 people have been settled there to ease congestion.
The city, which has a population of 100,000, is already protected from rising sea levels by a 30-million-dollar sea wall, and the government is considering increasingly imaginative ways to combat climate change.
Nasheed has even spoken of buying land elsewhere in the world to enable Maldivians to relocate if their homes are submerged. He has also pledged to turn his nation into a model for the rest of the world by becoming "carbon neutral " by 2020.
His plan involves ending fossil fuel use and powering all vehicles and buildings from "green" sources such as burning coconut husks. | high15988.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "attract guitar players to attend music classes"
},
"options": [
"build a bridge between guitar players",
"look for teachers for several music schools",
"attract guitar players to attend music classes",
"help guitar begi... | Guitar Lessons for Guitar Players
Playing the same things over and over again when you pick up the guitar? Teaching yourself for years but you hit a wall? Don't know what to do next? Whether you're a total beginner, or an old guitar player, we'll get you working on something you can benefit from. I'm a professional teacher, over 30 students at my studio in downtown Berkeley and several music schools in San Francisco, Alameda, and Mountain View.
No matter what style you're into, I guarantee there are songs by your favorite bands that you could learn. Call at 510-333-9091 or e-mail at blueschoo147@gmail.comDance Classes for Students 2.5 Through Adults Motion Dance Center in Martinez is now accepting registration for all fall dance classes. There are classes offered in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Contemporary and Cheerleading. Classes run like the school year Sept. through June. Prices are very reasonable at only $45 a month. That's for a one-hour class once a week for a month. This studio is known for their younger child program. We are always looking for talented instructors too. If you want more information call Deena at 925-229-5678 Qi Gong with Angie
Qi Gong is the perfect activity for anyone, at any age. It combines gentle movement and meditation , breathing regulation and relaxation. The exercises are designed to reduce stress and anxiety and improve blood and energy circulation throughout the body, therefore increasing immune function, improving energy levels and sleep.
Thousands of Qi Gong lovers around the world have experienced the extraordinary benefits of this gentle, ancient Chinese exercise form and are healthier and happier for it. Join us to experience the benefits for yourself!
WHEN: Tuesdays from noon -- l p.m.
WHERE: Halanda Studio 1062 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose, CA 95125 COST: $12 per class drop-in or $45 for a pre-paid set of 4 classes CONTACT: Angie at angie@lokahiacupuncture.com, 408-887-6000 | high7217.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "helps students find appropriate universities."
},
"options": [
"decides which university a student should go.",
"offers varieties of practical information to all.",
"helps students find appropriate universities.",
"prov... | Why Advertise on EASYUNI?
Easyuni.com is an online destination for finding your dream university or college. We help people search and compare universities, find information, and connect with the university counselors.
Choosing a University or College is Difficult and Time-Consuming!
If you are considering studying at a University or College, how do you decide which to choose? Maybe it's your brother who graduated from that University. Maybe it's your uncle. However, most likely you search online or you google, going from one University website to another, reading about the university and taking note of important stuff like application and tuition fees, entry requirements, duration of the course, etc. You attend education fairs and speak to many different university representatives. The bottom line is that it is difficult and time-consuming.
We Want to Change That
We want to give you an online destination where you can:
* search for universities, colleges and courses.
* compare them in easy- to- understand format.
* shortlist courses for your reference.
* connect with university counselors and seek advice.
All of these in the comfort of your home, office, or nearby Starbucks. For free.
Reach local and international students
With more than 1,5million page views a year and growing and huge database of students, you'll get exposed to a large number of daily visitors internationally.
Get immediate access to quality leads
We'll deliver the leads directly to you while it's still warm and you'll be given access to contact and prospect those leads for the successful into your institution. All leads comes with name, contact details, courses interested and question(s) from student.
Inexpensive investment
EASYUNI provides marketing service that satisfies the need of online marketing for universities and colleges. With our experience we really know the strategy to reach your potential students. Therefore, advertising on EASYUNI will definitely increase your branding and your ROI as well.
More effective ads performance
Our promoted Premier Listing customers generate between 10-20 times more leads compared to non-premier listing customers. EASYUNI is the correct internet marketing tool for universities and colleges. | high8124.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "upset."
},
"options": [
"Scared.",
"Confused.",
"upset.",
"Curious."
],
"question": "How did the writer feel when he saw the fence and bulldozers?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | My family and I lived across the street from Southway Park since I was four years old. Then just last year the city put a chain link fence around the park and started bulldozing the trees and grass to make way for a new apartment complex. When I saw the fence and bulldozers, I asked myself,"Why don't they just leave it alone?"
Looking back, I think what sentenced the park to oblivion was the drought we had about four years ago. Up until then, Southway Park was a nice green park with plenty of trees and a public swimming pool. My friends and I rollerskated on the sidewalks, climbed the trees, and swam in the pool all the years I was growing up. The park was almost like my own yard. Then the summer I was fifteen the drought came and things changed.
There had been almost no rain at all that year. The city stopped watering the park grass. Within a few weeks I found myself living across the street from a huge brown desert. Leaves fell off the park trees, and pretty soon the trees started dying, too. Next, the park swimming pool was closed. The city cut down on the work force that kept the park, and pretty soon it just got too ugly and dirty to enjoy anymore.
As the drought lasted into the fall, the park got worse every month. The rubbish piled up or blew across the brown grass. Soon the only people in the park were beggars and other people down on their luck. People said drugs were being sold or traded there now. The park had gotten scary, and my mother told us kids not to go there anymore.
The drought finally ended and things seemed to get back to normal, that is, everything but the park. It had gotten into such bad shape that the city just let it stay that way. Then about six months ago I heard that the city was going to"redevelop"certain wornout areas of the city. It turned out that the city had planned to get rid of the park, sell the land and let someone build rows of apartment buildings on it.
The chainlink fencing and the bulldozers did their work. Now we live across the street from six rows of apartment buildings. Each of them is three units high and stretches a block in each direction. The neighborhood has changed without the park. The streets I used to play in are jammed with cars now. Things will never be the same again.
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
_ | high15750.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "because she didn't speak English"
},
"options": [
"to make her study harder",
"because she wasn't clever",
"because she stayed at home",
"because she didn't speak English"
],
"question": "Guadalupe was called as... | In elementary school, Guadalupe Quintanilla was often referred to as a "slow learner" by her teachers. But she really wasn't slow at all. She just didn't understand the language used in the classroom. Her problem was that she didn't speak English. So she left school after the fourth grade.
When Guadalupe grew up, married, and had children of her own, she knew that her children were clever. But some of their teachers didn't think so. The children were having trouble in school because they didn't speak English. Mrs Quintanilla was angry. She didn't want people to think that her children were slow learners. So she decided to learn English herself as a way of helping them. She practiced English. She looked up words in the dictionary. She asked the school headmaster to let her sit in on classes. It wasn't easy, but she passed all her exams. She said that many of the other students helped her.
Mrs Quintanilla has helped her children with their lessons. Her two sons have won success. One is a teacher, and the other is a doctor. Her youngest child, a daughter, is studying in a university. | high1855.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Taking genetic doping."
},
"options": [
"Eating mushrooms.",
"Taking drug THG.",
"Taking genetic doping.",
"Eating plant seeds."
],
"question": "Which of the following is not the way that some athletes cheat to ... | The Olympic Games are seen as the greatest test of an athlete's ability and are supposed to celebrate the spirit of fair play. But in fact, sportsmen have been using drugs to cheat their way to victory since the Games first began.
In the early years, athletes ate mushrooms and plant seeds to improve their performance. Nowadays, this kind of cheating has a name doping .
Just last month, Britain's top sprinter Dwain Chambers and several American athletes tested positive for the drug THG. Until a coach secretly gave a sample of THG to scientists, no one knew how ho test for it.
"We're like cops chasing criminals--athletes are always adapting and looking for areas we haven't investigated," said Jacquew de Ceaurriz, a French anti-doping expert.
Since the first drugs test was carried out at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, many cheats have been caught out. The most famous case in history is that of Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson.
He broke the 100 meters world record in winning gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. But days later, he tested positive for drug use, lost his gold medal and was banned from the sport. Five years later, he returned to action--only to be found positive again and banned forever.
China has also had problems with drug cheats. At the 1994 Asian Games, 11 Chinese athletes--seven of them swimmers--tested positive for banned drugs. Sports organizations promised that cheating on this scale would not happen again.
Experts are also worried that doping can damage a person's health. It is believed to increase the risk of liver and kidney diseases, and women may experience reproductive problems. As long as they can stay ahead of the scientists, it is unlikely the cheats will stop. But experts say there is a limit to what can be achieved and that athletes will not be able to change their bodies using gene technology.
"For the moment, genetic doping does not exist," said de Ceaurriz. "Even in 10 or 15 years it will not be done easily--the scientific community will not let it happen." | high15963.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "can seat 4,000 people"
},
"options": [
"is a five-story building",
"can seat 4,000 people",
"has no microphone in it",
"can project the singer's voice"
],
"question": "According to the passage, the Metropolitan ... | Think of some of your favorite singers. When you listen, they can make you happy or sad, peaceful or angry. They can make you relax or want to get up and dance. Gifted singers have the power to affect us in many ways -- emotionally, physically and mentally.
But becoming a great singer isn't as easy as listening to one. It takes practice, devotion and strong lungs! Just ask the well-known American opera star Carol Vaness.
At the Metropolitan Opera in prefix = st1 /New York Citywhere she often sings, Carol's voice must be loud enough to be heard by four thousand people. It must reach every person in the theater, without a microphone, even when she's singing softly. The reason Carol can project her voice that far is the way she breathes.
"When you breathe, it's like a swimmer taking a deep breath before going underwater," Carol explains. "You have to take a lot of air into your lungs."
According to Carol, the main difference between pop singing and opera is "how you breathe, how much air you take in, and how you control it coming out. Regular singing is more like speaking, and it's a lot softer. When I sing for children, they're often surprised by how the vibrations strike their ears -- like waves on a beach, " Carol says. "In opera, the air doesn't just go out of your mouth -- it vibrates in your chest, the way a guitar vibrates when it's played. "
Ever since she started piano lessons at the age of ten, Carol has loved music. As she got older, she decided to become a music teacher. When she went to college, she took singing lessons as part of her studies. Her voice teacher discovered that nineteen-year-old Carol had an exceptionally beautiful soprano voice - the highest singing voice for women.
Carol decided to make opera her goal, not only because she loved to sing but also because she loved the drama. Opera is a play in which the characters sing the words instead of speaking them. The stories of opera can be tragic or comical. They can be personal stories about two people falling in love or grand stories about kings and queens who lived long ago. As the characters in an opera sing, the emotions expressed by words and music come to life.
Today, Carol performs throughout the United Statesand Europe and she has song for almost twenty years. But she has never forgotten where she started singing in the first palace.
"Put your heart into your singing and enjoy it," says Carol, "because singing is a great joy. That's why I sing. In fact, that's why everybody sings. " | high23209.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It's usually 25,000,000 miles away from the earth."
},
"options": [
"It's the nearest neighboring planet of the earth.",
"It used to be called Phosphorus and Hesperus.",
"It's usually 25,000,000 miles away from the earth.",
... | Venus is known as the Earth' "twin" because the planets are so like each other in size. The diameter of Venus is about 7,520 miles (12,100km), about 400 miles (644km) smaller than that of the earth. No other planet comes closer to the earth than Venus. At its nearest approach it is about 25,000,000 miles (402,000,000km) away.
As seen from the earth, Venus is the first planet or star that can be seen in the western sky in the evening. At other times, it is the last planet or star that can be seen in the eastern sky in the morning. When Venus is near its brightest point, it can be seen in the daylight. Early astronomers called the object that appeared in the evening Hesperus, and Phosphorus in the morning. Later they realized these two objects were the same planet. They named it Venus in honor of the Roman goddess of love and beauty. | high20700.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "There should be a distance even between friends."
},
"options": [
"Friends should open their hearts to each other.",
"Friends should always be faithful to each other.",
"There should be a distance even between friends.",
... | Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the website you've visited or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping calling habits
In fact, it's likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it's important to reveal yourself partly to friends, family and lovers at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to know who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is: Does that matter?
For many Americans, the answer apparently is "no".
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. 60 percent of respondents say they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me".
But people say one thing and do another. Only a small number of Americans change any behavior in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. Privacy economist Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will give up personal information like social security numbers just to get their hands on a 50-cents-off coupon. But privacy does matter-at least sometimes. It's like health: when you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it. | high2384.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They took a later flight."
},
"options": [
"They took a later flight.",
"They had early bookings.",
"Their flight had been delayed.",
"Their flight had been cancelled."
],
"question": "Why did Delta give the aut... | Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family's last vacation. It was my six-year-old son's winter break form school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meeting in New York,So I had to get back . But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouragedokay, ordered-them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made living looking for the best deals and exposing the worst tricks . I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in. I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money's worth. I'm also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts. | high4093.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The amount of coffee consumption has an effect on our health."
},
"options": [
"Socio-economic status determines how healthy we are.",
"Cholesterol plays an important role in keeping us alive.",
"The amount of coffee consumpt... | It is often assumed that people with parents who lived to be very old are more likely to live to a grand old age themselves.
"But that's just not true - our study shows that hereditary factors don't play a major role and that lifestyle has the biggest impact." says professor Lars Wilhelmsen, referring to the 1913 Men Study that formed the basis of the current research.
Those who did not smoke, consumed mild amounts of coffee and had a good socio-economic status at the age of 50 (measured in terms of housing costs), as well as good physical working ability at the age of 54 and low cholesterol at 50 had the greatest chance of celebrating their 90th birthday.
"We're breaking new ground here." says Wilhelmsen. "Many of these factors have previously been identified as playing a role in cardiovascular( )disease, but here we are showing for the first time that they are important for survival in general,"
He believes that it is significant that the research illustrates so clearly that it is the sum of our own habits that has the biggest impact.
"The study clearly shows that we can influence several of the factors that decide how old we get," says Wilhelmsen. "This is positive not only for the individual, but also for society as it doesn't need any major drug costs,"
The study has been published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
The 1913 Men study started up in 1963. A third of all male 50-year-olds in Gothenburg were called for a check-up that focused on cardiovascular health. Every ten years since, a new group of 50-year-olds has been called in and those who were already taking part in the study have been given another check-up. This has enabled researchers to follow the development of illnesses in a specific age group, and to compare the health of 50-year-olds in 2003 with that of 50-year-olds in 1963, for example. Women have also been included in the study since 2003. Data have been studied over the years. including BMI , smoking habits, cholesterol, exercise habits and blood pressure,
The men born in l913 were examined when they were 50, 54,60, 67, 75 and 80. Of the 855 men who took part in the study from the start, lll (13%) were still alive at the age of 90.
Over the years the material has brought out many research articles. An interesting result came in 2008 when researchers were able to show that the drop in the number of smokers, combined with lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure, between 1963 and 2003 could offer an explanation for the marked downturn in the number of heart attacks during this 40-year period. | high21378.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Singapore also has problems with security"
},
"options": [
"Singapore isn't rich in natural resources",
"Singapore was involved in catching those who launched the September 11th attack",
"Singapore also has problems with secu... | Today I find myself in one of the safest cities in the world, Singapore. But the truth is, even here in Singapore, security cannot be taken for granted. It is a small nation that has no natural resources to speak of, even something as basic as water is constantly threatened to be cut off by Malaysia. Months after the September 11thattacks on US oil, a plot to bomb American soldiers near their military base in Singapore was uncovered by the local authorities.
The United Nations has tried for more than half a century to architect peace for the world. But it has clearly failed. The grand horrors of the World Wars may have stopped but only in the forms they had existed before. When the enemy is unseen and there are no front lines, have we in fact created a more peaceful and secure place?
Where have we gone wrong? Perhaps it is because the international body has never understood that peace was, is, and will never be something it can manage. Not recognizing this truth, the methods it provides are often short-lived and some even dangerous. Solutions for threatening situations tend to require the countries to carry out economic and political reforms so that they will become idealized democratic society like America or Britain. The UN fails to consider that hundreds of years of evolution gave rise to these strong democracies. So the result is further chaos and corruption, worse for all.
Actually, an international organization or a government cannot possess peace to give away, but there are those who do possess it. Those who own peace are us, as individuals who cherish life, not our own but all others'. The act of achieving peace lies in us when we choose to respect social and cultural differences and appreciate that all our lives are fragile. | high17812.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "frightened"
},
"options": [
"excited",
"frightened",
"worried",
"embarrassed"
],
"question": "When a little boy came to call her \"Mum\", Naomi Jacobs was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | A 34-year-old mother has spoken of how she woke up thinking she was 15 years old and living in 1992.
Naomi Jacobs, from Manchester, was convinced she was still a teenager. In her mind, John Major was Prime Minister and George Bush Sr. was running the White House. She also showed how she screamed when a boy appeared and called her "Mum". Mobile phones and e-mails were puzzling and Google, Facebook and YouTube sounded like made-up words, she said.
Ms. Jacobs, who had no memory of the years, was told by doctors that she had Transient Global Amnesia (TGA). She has now written a book about the experience which happened in 2008.
"I fell asleep in 1992 as a brave, very confident know-it-all-15-year-old, and woke up as a 32-year-old single mum living in a rented house," Ms. Jacobs said. "The last thing I remember was falling asleep in my bed, dreaming about a boy in my class. When I woke up, I looked in the mirror and had the fright of my life when I saw an old woman with wrinkles staring back at me. Then a little boy appeared and started calling me Mum. That's when I started to scream. I didn't know who he was. I didn't think he was much younger than I was, and I certainly didn't remember giving birth to him. I began sobbing uncontrollably. I just wanted my mum. I couldn't get my head around going to bed one night and waking up in a different century."
TGA is a rare type of amnesia which can occur suddenly, affecting around three people per 100,000 each year. Fortunately, permanent memory loss is rare. Ms. Jacobs' memory started to return after eight weeks.
Some people who often suffer from migraines also appear to be more likely to have TGA. The cause of TGA is unknown. Some think that it may be caused by a temporary cut of blood flow to parts of the brain involved in memory. | high3924.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Taino Indians."
},
"options": [
"American people.",
"Taino Indians.",
"Spanish explorers.",
"English settlers."
],
"question": "Who invented the barbecues first in history?",
"question_type": "factiod_questi... | Many years before the United States was founded, Americans had already invented barbecues. But the first barbecues, in fact ,were the invention of the Taino Indians of Haiti, who dried their meat on raised frames of sticks over fires. Spanish explorers spelled the Taino word as barbacoa, and as time passed, English settlers along the Atlantic coat had their own barbecues.
One summer day in 1773, Benjamin Lynde, a citizen of Massachusetts, wrote in his diary, "Fair and hot ; Browne; hack overset." That is , on a bright and hot day he went to the Brownes to attend a barbecue, and his carriage fell over. It shows that the barbecue had its social occasion by that time. Large animals would be roasted whole on frames over hot fires, and neighbours would be invited to dinner.
In later centuries, as settlers moved to the west, the barbecue went along with it, reaching an especially large size in Texas, where a pit for fuels such as tree branches might be over ten feet deep. Today, the barbecue grills which are fueled by charcoal or electricity are likely to be small and easy to move , and can cook only parts of an animal at a time, but people still have barbecues out of doors and always invite their neighbours or friends over. | high24200.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Harkin made a mistake."
},
"options": [
"He was short of money.",
"He wasn't well received.",
"He didn't book early.",
"Harkin made a mistake."
],
"question": "Why did the writer have to look for another hotel?"... | Late that afternoon I took the train back to Sydney. There I found another surprise waiting for me. My room at the hotel had been given to somebody else and they had no room for me. Harkin had known my travel plans and had planned everything. How could he have booked the room only for three days? There was nothing to be done but to find another hotel. The waiters were happy to find me a new hotel, and when I said that I was happy to stay at the airport, thinking it might be cheaper than staying in the city, they suggested the Holiday Inn at the airport. There was one small matter: the room rate was 300$ per night. The best hotel in Katoomba had wanted only 145$. I asked if there was anything cheaper they might suggest but they warned that most hotels would already be full by this time.
The hotel was far from the train station, so I had to take a taxi, as 25$. On the way to the Holiday Inn, we passed a hotel just two blocks from the Holiday Inn that advertised a room rate of 104$. At the desk I asked if their room rate could go down a lot. "No, this is a 4star hotel," the waiter told me. "In that case," I replied, "I'll just walk the two blocks to the cheap hotel." But she warned me that they were probably full and that if I didn't take the room, it might not be available when I came back. Finally, I decided to take the room.
The room itself was big, but the air conditioning couldn't keep up with the Australian heat. I couldn't get to sleep until about 1:00 am. | high22671.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Five."
},
"options": [
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five.",
"Six."
],
"question": "How many tips does the writer give in this passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Interviews can be quite frightening but our tips can help you. Don't worry--relax! Remember these things and you'll be fine.
Be on time. Find out exactly where the interview is and how to get there. Remember that buses and trains can often be late so allow plenty of time. It's better to be early than late.
Be prepared. Think about what the interviewer will ask you. He or she will probably ask about your qualifications and your experience but they'll also ask you why you want the job. Think of some possible questions and prepare your answers before you go.
Wear comfortable clothes. If you wear something new it will make you feel uncomfortable. It's best to wear something smart but something you like and feel happy in.
Make eye contact . In the interview, don't sit looking at your feet. Make sure you sit up and look the interviewer in the eye. This makes you look honest and more confident .
Ask a question. It's a good idea to ask questions at the interview. Ask about the company or the job. Prepare some questions before the interview. It makes you look more interested if you do this. | high6690.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Suggestions on How to Build a More Meaningful Career"
},
"options": [
"Suggestions on How to Build a More Meaningful Career",
"Steps on How to Live Happily and Comfortably",
"Do not Hate Your Job Any Longer",
"Find Out ... | Many people go to work each day to a job they hate.The harmful feelings influence their entire life,putting a negative cloud over the home, their friends and many of their other activities.There is a better way to live your 1ife.Meaningful purpose is a driving force that adds enthusiasm to your days.Here are a few steps to get the new career rolling:
Do some self-analysis.Ask yourself--What really matters to me? What problem or wrong would I like to fix? What do I enjoy? Where are my interests and hobbies? What are my priorities? What is my secret passion? What do I want to do with the rest of my life? Reviewing these questions can give you new insight to where you want to go.
Use your unique genius and talents.Every person is born with a unique set of natural abilities.Talents,such as managing,creating,researching,training others,drawing,can all seem like easy work because you have a natural ability for them.True happiness comes from combining your natural talents,developing and excelling in them,and working in a field,job,industry that you have a passionate interest in.
Make a decision.Only action can change your life.Read a book.Take vocational tests.Use a good career--management professional.Do some career exploration and gather all the information you need.Then make a decision and go forward.Outline the action steps to reach your career goal.Finding meaning,passion and purpose every day you go to work is the wonderful reward, so don't wait any longer.Begin right now and set in motion to live a happier,more satisfying life. | high24214.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A spotted deer called."
},
"options": [
"The elephant stopped.",
"A spotted deer called.",
"The elephant seized a branch.",
"The forest was silent for a while."
],
"question": "Which of the following was a clear... | One moment it was quiet and calm in the forest, the next, the air was charged with tension. The elephant had heard the distant alarm calls of animals and her mood suddenly changed. I urged the elephant deeper into the forest. We sounded like a forest fire --- cracking, snapping, trailblazing. But through all the noise came a sharp warning cry. The elephant stopped and we heard it again --- the tell-tale call of a spotted deer.
I looked quickly around the shadows of the forest. Rays of sunlight shone through tree branches, beneath which the patchwork of green plants and shadows-within-shadows would make tiger stripes look more attractive. Apart from an occasional noise from the elephant's stomach, the forest was silent.
Gradually, the tension slipped from our bodies. The elephant seized a nearby branch and put it into its mouth. I reached forward and gently moved my hand over the elephant's neck; there was a soft part, free of wrinkles and hairs, behind her ear.
This was my fourth time _ of the forest in Corbett, although I saw no tigers in the end. Located at the foot of the Himalayan mountains, Corbett is home to about 135 Bengal tigers, but the forest seemed to be guarding their whereabouts , a silent reminder of their secrecy and rarity. Still, I was happy enough touching the elephant behind the ear. If I had so desperately wanted to see a tiger, I could have gone to a zoo. After all, spotting tigers merely confirms their beauty; tracking them can make you aware of something more. | high6848.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "there would be Easter baskets for children."
},
"options": [
"he would have an Easter basket and a food basket",
"there would be Easter baskets for children.",
"there would be children's toys in the food basktet.",
"he ... | "Excuse me," said a young man , standing shyly at the open church door. " I'm here to pick up an Easter basket for my daughter. Am I in the right place ?" " Well, we have baskets, but they're not Easter baskets for kids; they're food baskets,"I explained.
That morning I arrived at St. Michael's Church in Carmichael, California, to help give out the baskets to needy families for Easter. To make sure every family would receive one, we had handed out numbers to them that matched the baskets they were supposed to receive . Each one contained a whole ham, potatoes, bread,vegetables, and a pie--enough food to help feed a family for a week.
"Why don't you come in ?" I said to the man. He looked disappointed. He shook his head and said," I can't ...My daughter is waiting for me over there.I'm grateful for the food,but when I heard you were giving away baskets for Easter...well, I thought they would be Easter baskets for children." He continued, "I promised my daughter one ,and I wanted to surprise her."
I felt bad, but there was nothing I could do.The man hadned me his number, and I walked over to the baskets. A bulge in one of the baskets caught my eye. " What is that ?" I wondered. Leaning over and looking more closely, I could see, unmistakably, an Easter basket filled with candy, chocolate, and Easter eggs.One of the volunteers must have added it by mistake! I thought. Then I looked at the man's number in my hand.Well, he'll be.....
"Happy Easter," I said to the man , handing him the only food basket with an Easter basket inside -the very same basket with his number on it. " Someone knew just what you needed." | high22665.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "always energetic"
},
"options": [
"always energetic",
"lacking in liveliness",
"shaped like a square",
"favored by ancient poets"
],
"question": "Unlike real inland seas, the Atlantic Ocean is _ .",
"quest... | Not all bodies of water are so evidently alive as the Atlantic Ocean, an S-shaped body of water covering 33 million square miles. The Atlantic has, in a sense, replaced the Mediterranean as the inland sea of Western civilization. Unlike real inland seas, which seem strangely still, the Atlantic is rich in oceanic liveliness. It is perhaps not surprising that its vitality has been much written about by ancient poets.
"Storm at Sea", a short poem written around 700, is generally regarded as one of mankind's earliest artistic representations of the Atlantic.
When the wind is from the west
All the waves that cannot rest
To the east must thunder on
Where the bright tree of the sun
Is rooted in the ocean's breast.
As the poem suggests, the Atlantic is never dead and dull. It is an ocean that moves, impressively and endlessly. It makes all kinds of noise--it is forever thundering, boiling, crashing, and whistling.
It is easy to imagine the Atlantic trying to draw breath--perhaps not so noticeably out in mid-ocean, but where it meets land, its waters bathing up and down a sandy beach. It mimics nearly perfectly the steady breathing of a living creature. It is filled with _ existences, too: unimaginable quantities of creatures, little and large alike, mix within its depths in a kind of oceanic harmony, giving to the waters a feeling of heartbeat, a kind of sub-ocean vitality. And it has a psychology. It has personalities: sometimes peaceful and pleasant, on rare occasions rough and wild; always it is strong and striking. | high4087.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Global English Centre and The International House of English."
},
"options": [
"Global English Centre and Modern Language School.",
"Global English Centre and The International House of English.",
"Modern English Centre Schoo... | Suppose you work in a big firm and find English very important for your job because you often deal with foreign businessmen. Now you are looking for a place where you can improve your English, especially your spoken English. Here are some advertisements about English language training from newspapers. You may find the information you need.
Global English Centre
l General English in all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
l 3-month (700 yuan), 6-month (1,200 yuan) and one-year (2,000 yuan) courses.
l Choice of morning or evening classes, 3 hours per day. Mon.~Fri.
l Experienced college English teachers.
l Close to city centre and bus stops.
Tel: 67605272
Add: 105 Zhongshan Road, 100082
Modern Language School
l Special courses in English for business, travel, banking, hotel management and office skills.
l Small classes (12~16 students) on Sat. & Sun. from 2:00~5:00 p.m.
l Native English teachers from Canada and USA.
l Language lab and computers supplied.
l 3-month course: 1,050 yuan; 6-month course: 1,850 yuan.
Write or phone: Modern Language School, 675 Park Road, 100056
Tel: 67353019
The 21st Century English Training Centre
l We specialize in effective teaching at all levels.
l We offer morning or afternoon classes, both of which last three months and a half at a cost of 800 yuan.
l We also have a six-week TOEFL preparation class during winter and summer holidays.
l Entrance exams: June 1 and Dec. 1.
l Only 15-minute walk from city centre.
l Call 67801642 for more information.
The International House of English
l Three/Six-month English courses for students of all levels at a very low cost: 60 yuan for 12 hours per week, convenient class hours:
9:00~12:00 a.m. and 2:00~5:00 p.m.
l A four-month evening programme for developing speaking skills (same cost as day classes).
l Well-trained Chinese and foreign teachers with experience in teaching English as a second foreign language.
l Free sightseeing and social activities.
l Very close to the Central Park.
For further information call 674322308. | high17806.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "people's happiness is an important target for the development of a country"
},
"options": [
"people's happiness is determined by great people",
"people's happiness is an important target for the development of a country",
"pe... | Last year, CCTV journalists approached pedestrians with their cameras, held a microphone to their mouth and asked a simple question, "Are you happy?"
The question has caught many interviewees off guard. Even Mo Yan, who just won a Nobel Prize, responded by saying, "I don't know".
While the question has become a buzz phrase and the Internet plays host to heated discussions, we ask: What exactly is happiness? And how do you measure it?
In the 1776 US Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson set in writing the people's unalienable right to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". 235 years on, Wen Jiabao told the nation, "Everything we do is aimed at letting people live more happily." At National People's Congress, officials agreed that increasing happiness would be a top target for the 12th five-year plan.
US psychologist Ed Diener, author of Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth, describes happiness as " a combination of life satisfaction and having more positive than negative emotions", according to US broadcasting network PBS. This may sound straightforward enough, but it still doesn't explain what determines people's happiness.
Many argue that happiness is _ and that there is no single source. It also means different things to different people. For some, happiness can be as simple as having enough cash.
Researchers believe happiness can be separated into two types: daily experiences of hedonic well-being; and evaluative well-being, the way people think about their lives as a whole. The former refers to the quality of living, whereas the latter is about overall happiness, including life goals and achievements. Happiness can cross both dimensions.
Li Jun, a psychologist and mental therapy practitioner at a Beijing clinic, says, "Happiness can mean both the most basic human satisfaction or the highest level of spiritual pursuit. It's a simple yet profound topic."
Chen Shangyuan, 21, a junior English major at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, said his idea of happiness always evolves. "At present it relates to how productive I am in a day," he said. "It might be linked to job security or leisure time after I graduate."
Then there is the question of measuring happiness. Does it depend on how many friends we have, or whether we own the latest smart phone? Is it even quantifiable?
Economists are trying to measure happiness in people's lives. Since 1972, Bhutan's GDP measurement has been replaced by a Gross National Happiness index. It is calculated according to the peoples' sense of being well-governed, their relationship with the environment, their satisfaction with economic development, and their sense of national belonging.
In 2009, US economist Joseph Stiglitz proposed "to shift emphasis from measuring economic production to measuring people's well-being". But is well-being more easily measured? | high5399.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "can't avoid making mistakes"
},
"options": [
"never makes mistakes",
"often makes mistakes",
"can't avoid making mistakes",
"always makes mistakes"
],
"question": "Generally, when American or an Englishman speak... | What is language for ? Some people seem to think it's for practicing grammar rules and learning lists of words --the longer the list, the better, That's wrong. Language is for the exchange of ideas and information. It's meaningless knowing all about a language if you can't use it freely.Many students I have met know hundreds of grammar rules,but they can't speak correctly or fluently .They are afraid of making mistakes.One shouldn't be afraid of making mistakes when speaking a foreign language.Native speakers make mistakes and break rules,too.Bernard Saw once wrote, " _ ." But the mistakes that native speakers make are different from those that Chinese students make.They're English mistakes in the English language.And if enough native speakers break a rule,it is no longer a rule.What used to be wrong becomes right.People not only make history,they make language.But a people can only make its own language.It can't make another people's language.So Chinese students of English should pay attention to grammar,but they shouldn't overdo it. They should put communication first. | high20072.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Islands of Adventure"
},
"options": [
"Islands of Adventure",
"PI-O",
"Legoland Windsor",
"Wonder La"
],
"question": "If Jim is free this Sunday, he can choose to visit the following parks EXCEPT _ .",
"qu... | Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando in Florida
People say that it is the home of the "Harry Potter Theme Park". The Wizarding World is the most popular part of the park. Other popular rides include the Adventures of Spider-Man, Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges and the Jurassic Park River Adventure.
It is open from Monday to Saturday. $15.95 for children, 3 to 13 years old; $29.95 for ages 14 and over.
PI-O Indoor Theme Park in Longueuil
The PI-O Indoor Theme Park features(......) 16 rides, a small sea train, a kid-sized bowling alley , a mirror maze , theme rooms which include the Christmas room on-the-sea, and a private reception room.
"I wanted to create a safe environment for kids aged 1 to 10," explains owner Jocelyne Pinard. She noted how many competing amusement parks have sections that can be unsafe for young kids -- such as the "ball rooms" full of loose plastic balls. So this is how it is different from other amusement parks.
Open seven days a week. The admission fees are $16.99 for individuals and $64 for families.
Legoland Windsor Theme Park in London
Legoland Windsor is the best choice for young families. The park is designed for children from 3 to 12. There are over 50 rides as well as live shows, workshops, and other attractions aimed at younger children, and especially those who are already fond of building-block toys.
The park is open every single day. Adults: $35; Ages 3-15 and 60+: $26. Buy online and save $3 per person.
Wonder La Theme Park in India
Wonder La is a world-class amusement park. It's modern, clean and green, and has all kinds of attractions. There are over 50 rides, 12 of which are water based and 9 especially for small children. If you love getting wet, don't miss the Rain Disco -- an indoor dance floor with a rain system that provides showers of warm water to the music.
Monday to Friday 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, Holiday and Festival seasons 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Single adult / child -- $13.50; Family ticket (for any four people) -- $50.00; Children 3 and under -- Free. | high3930.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "men were employed in industry"
},
"options": [
"women took care of children",
"women took jobs as servants",
"men were employed in industry",
"men seldom worked in shops"
],
"question": "Domestic service became ... | Important changes took place in the lives of women in the 19th century. When men went out from their farms to cities to seek jobs in industry, peasant women had to take over the sowing, growing, and harvesting of the fields as well as caring for cattle and raising their children. When women also moved to the cities in search of work, they found that it was increasingly separated by sex and that employment opportunities for women were limited to the lower-paid jobs. Later in the century, women in industry gathered mainly in cloth-making factories, though some worked in mining or took similarly difficult and tiring jobs.
In the 1800s, service work also absorbed a great number of women who arrived in the cities from the country. Young women especially took jobs as servants in middle-class and upper-class homes; and as more and more men were drawn into industry, domestic service became increasingly a female job. In the second half of the century, however, chances of other service work also opened up to women, from sales jobs in shops to teaching and nursing. These jobs came to be done mainly by women.
For thousands of years, when almost all work was done on the family farm or in the family firm, home and workplace had been the same. In these cases, women could do farm work or hand work, and perform home duties such as child care and preparation of meals at the same time. Along with the development of industry, the central workplace, however, such as the factory and the department store, separated home from work. Faced with the necessity for women to choose between home and workplace, Western society began to give particular attention to the role of women as homemakers with more energy than ever before. | high20714.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Spain and France"
},
"options": [
"Britian and Ireland",
"Spain and France",
"Ireland and Poland",
"Britian and Italy"
],
"question": "In Europe,to enjoy the best quality of life,you'd better live in _ .",
... | Long working hours,the fewest holidays and the high cost of living mean the big salaries on offer in the UK do not go as far as those earned in other countries,making Britain and Ireland the worst places to live in Europe.
France and Spain are the two countries topping the European Quality of Life Index out today,according to the place comparison website Switch.com.
The French enjoy longer lives,better healthcare,more holidays and cheaper prices.In contrast Britons work three years longer and die two years younger after paying above the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes.The amount we spend on healthcare and education is below the European average.
Only Ireland and Poland spend less,but Ireland has more doctors and hospital beds and Poland has more beds than the UK.People in Germany,Spain,France,Italy,the Netherlands and Sweden all enjoy longer life expectancy than Britons.And while we may be giving up work earlier,the average age at which we retire is still the fourth highest in Europe----and the UK state retirement age is set to rise.
Ann Robinson,of Switch.com,said:"There's more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Britons are giving up on (......)the UK and heading to France and Spain.We earn substantially more than our European neighbors,but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads,food on the table and our homes warm" . "It's giving us a _ standard of living,but it's not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy.For too long the focus in the UK had been on standard of living rather than quality of life." | high4939.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "different people have different attitudes"
},
"options": [
"musicians' living conditions are not good",
"people in that town have poor taste in music",
"different people have different attitudes",
"young people are more... | The other day I heard a few local musicians talking: "I hate all the pianos in this town and I hate that rubbish they play on the radio. They cannot even understand rhythm .""Nobody wants to pay musicians anything. I'm sick of all the people who want you to play without paying you."...
One younger musician said, "There are a couple of clubs who want me to play for a few nights a month, and I'm trying to find other places to play. I'm also planning to join in several summer festivals this year."
I really liked what the younger musician said so I made friends with him. Attitudes are important. Whether they're positive or negative , they're all rubbing off on you. If you're around people who are always complaining or blaming others, it is possible that you will start doing the same as well. If you spend lots of time with people who don't support your dreams, it is time to take a look at the people you call "friends".
There is an easy exercise you can try. Make a list of the people who you often stay with, and simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Set a new standard for yourself and don't become friends with people who fall below that standard. The choice is always yours to make. Of course, this exercise is entirely different from making friends only for the good of oneself. We really should try to help and spend time with those who are working towards a goal or dream. | high1841.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "info@mvplanzarote.com"
},
"options": [
"info@mvplanzarote.com",
"penny@tostofrance.co.uk",
"kerry@movistar.net",
"janet@the-tdgroup.com"
],
"question": "Alice, a 17-year-old schoolgirl, should email _ for a j... | Cleaner Wanted
Here is a job in Lanzarote for anyone suitable. Mrs. Smith is looking for a person to clean her home three times a week. If you want this job, you can email her at kerry@movistar.ner.
Salesperson Wanted
A position has opened for a part-time shop assistant. The assistant is needed to work for about three hours every morning, six days a week in a fashion jewellery shop. You need to be able to speak at least one language (English or German) and Spanish. Please email janer@the-tdgroup.com.
Chef Wanted
The Cutty Sark is seeking a new chef. The applicant must have experience and be able to start working immediately. A full-time chef is required to work about 37.6-45 hours per week.
If you are interested , please come to see Mark or Rebecca at the Cutty Sark pub or call 650316301.
A School Student Needed
Montana Villas and Polls in Playa Blanca is seeking a school student to show rooms to their customers in summer. Any applicant must be fluent in both English and Spanish. The minimum age of the student is sixteen, and the work days are from Monday to Saturday. This is to run through July and August, and the first couple of weeks in September. To apply for this position, email info@mvplanzarote.com.
Part-time Person Needed
Tots To Travel is looking for a part-time salesperson. The applicant needs to be confident in sales and more importantly, he or she must have the ability to work with computers. Please contact us via email at penny@totstofrance.co.uk. | high22103.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "18-year-old Juliet living with her single father."
},
"options": [
"16-year-old Tom from a happy big family",
"17-year-old Kate supervised by her single mother.",
"18-year-old Juliet living with her single father.",
"19... | A caring mother is the single most important factor in preventing teenagers from abusing drugs and alcohol,researchers said on Friday.An international study showed that teenagers living with both parents are less likely to suffer from alcohol and drug problems,and a strong
is the most effective way to fight against them.
"These findings suggest that living with both parents may prevent drug use."said Dr.McArdle,of Newcastle University in northern England, who led the study."They also suggest that attachment ,particularly to mothers,is a more effective factor and that this is truly across cultures and substances."The report, which is published in the journal Addiction, involved nearly 4,000 teenagers in England,Ireland,Italy,Germany and the Netherlands.They were questioned about their use of several kinds of drugs and alcohol.The teenagers also filled in questionnaires about their relationship with their parents and grandparents, how well they were supervised after school and whether they were allowed to meet friends at home.
"Both the quality of family relationships and the structure of families have significant influences on youth drug use," McArdle said in a statement.But he added that a strong
offered the greatest protection against developing drug habits.The rate of drug abuse among teenagers living with both parents and who had a good relationship with their mother was 16.6 percent.If either factor was missing, the drug abuse rate rose to 32 percent.More than 42 percent of teenagers living in one parent families who did not have a strong bond with their mother used drugs.
Drug prevention campaigns in British schools and on television warn teenagers about the danger of drugs and alcohol but McArdle said no one is dealing with the problem of their parents' responsibility | high15977.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "has changed people's understanding of age"
},
"options": [
"has made people feel younger",
"has changed people's social position",
"has changed people's understanding of age",
"has slowed down the country's social devel... | America is growing older. Fifty - eight years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. To day, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect American society in many ways--education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society-- _ in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior is suitable at various , ages.
A person s age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There's no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn't as strong as it used to be. It doesn't surprise us to hear of a 29 - year - old university president or a 35 - year -old grandmother, or a 70 year - old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.
Many people say, "I am much younger than my mother-- or my father-- was at my age. "No one says"Act your age" any more. We've stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways. | high1699.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Keep Up with the Latest Weblish"
},
"options": [
"Keep Up with the Latest Weblish",
"Keep Up with the Latest Development in English",
"Newly Invented English Words",
"Technology and English"
],
"question": "The ... | The English language is changing fast, thanks to the rapid progress of technology. We all have a rapid choice: we can either bury our heads in the sand and spend the rest of our lives wishing Shakespeare were alive and well. Or we can embrace the new English, and enter into the spirit of the Internet age called Weblish.
"You can't avoid it, for the simple reason that whenever a new variety of language comes along, it inevitably impacts on the language as a whole ." Says Dr. David Crystal, honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Wales in Bangor, whose book "Language and the Internet" has just been published.
The trouble with keeping up with the new English is not so much that there are so many new words but that the old words no longer mean what we thought they did. In the past, if someone said they did not have Windows, you would have to suppose they lived in a cave. These days, it is probably because they use a Mac(which is a computer, not a rain coat). Spam is as disliked as it ever was, but whereas it once meant an unappetizing canned meat. It now stands for unwanted "junk" email. Spellings are changing, too. Not only is text-messaging playing "hvc wth vrbs" (havoc with verbs), but the conventions of email communication place little emphasis on "perfect speaking".
Weblish loves to see nouns happily become verbs ("please bookmark this site"), and verbs become nouns ("Send me the download"). Verbs and prepositions are regularly thrown together to become new nouns or adjectives (dial-up, Logon, Print-on, Pull-down, upload), while others are created from simply pairing nouns: Cyberspace, Etl, emit Internet, hyperlink, metatag, netspeak. | high17190.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because he wanted to kill himself."
},
"options": [
"Because it was Friday.",
"Because he was a nerd.",
"Because he wanted to kill himself.",
"Because he liked doing things for his mother."
],
"question": "Why d... | One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw Kyle from my class walking home from school. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd (a foolish person)." I had quite a weekend planned, so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running towards him. They knocked all his books out of his arms and tripped him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw _ land in the glass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should go to hell." He looked at me and said, "Hey, thanks!" There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real thankfulness. I asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. I am here to tell you a story."
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile. "Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize its depth. | high4911.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A dinner and dance gala."
},
"options": [
"Tournament of Rose Parade.",
"A farewell celebration dinner.",
"Post parade viewing area.",
"A dinner and dance gala."
],
"question": "What activity can visitors enjoy ... | TOURNAMENT OF ROSES ----5 Days Los Angeles
Day 1 Los Angeles.( Sun.Dec.30)
Welcome to Los Angeles! This evening mixes with your traveling friends at the welcome reception.
Day 2 Los Angeles.( Mon.Dec.31)
Head to Pasadena for the always colorful ROSE BOWL FAMILY FESTIVAL and watch the floats decorated with tens of thousands of flowers.This afternoon, you can take the included visit to the GETTY MUSEUM.This evening, join your travelling friends at a special New Year's Eve DINNER AND DANCE GALA , complete with hats, party favors and live music.You'll toast the New Year a little early tonight to consider an early morning departure to the Rose Parade.
Day 3 Los Angeles.Tournament of Roses Parade ( Tue.Jan.1)
Happy New Year! Get ready for one of the world's most popular parades, and you'll see it live! Globus has booked the GRANDSTAND SEATS at the beginning of the parade route for a good view.See the wonderful colorful floats, marching bands from around the world, and the famous people.
Day 4 Los Angeles.( Wed.Jan.2)
This morning view the individual floats in the POST PARADE VIEWING AREA.For many this is the most exciting part of the entire event.Be sure to bring your camera and plenty of film! Another special dinner tonight--a special GLOBUS FAREWELL CELEBRATION DINNER.
Day 5 Los Angeles.( Thu.Jan.3)
The tour ends today, with tour guests departing on individual schedules. | high10827.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Protecting our home -- the earth."
},
"options": [
"Making full use of water resources.",
"Turning rooftops into green gardens.",
"Protecting our home -- the earth.",
"Costing no money to build"
],
"question": "... | Imagine an eco-conscious city where rooftops have been transformed into fertile, green gardens. It's a place where every home is equipped with a system that recycles valuable water resources. In this town, protecting the planet is a way of life. That's how Abby Sharp, 14, Wyatt Peery, 13, and Tom Krajnak, 14, saw their city of tomorrow. The vision won the eighth-graders from Bexley, Ohio, first prize at the 2009 National Engineers Week Future City Competition.
The annual design competition challenges middle school students to use engineering to deal with issues that affect the earth. This year the competition focused on water conservation. Participants had to come up with ways to improve water use in the home. Kids from 38 middle schools across the country competed in the finals. The event took place from February 17-18 in Washington, D.C. More than 30,000 students entered the competition.
Abby, Wyatt and Tom call their winning city Novo Mondum. The name means "new world" in Latin. Novo Mondum sits on the coast of Iceland. The group chose the spot for its wealth of clean energy resources, such as geothermal energy and hydropower. Both sources use the power of nature to generate electricity. Geothermal energy draws heat from deep inside the Earth. Hydropower gets energy from flowing water. "Our city is very globally aware," Abby told TFK.
Students team up with a teacher and a volunteer engineer mentor to develop their cities. Each group creates a fictional city on SimCity 4 Deluxe, a computer game that allows players to build virtual towns. Then they construct tabletop models of the cities and write essays describing their project. The models must be made using recycled materials and cost no more than $100 to build. | high1869.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Nano-technology could be widely used to produce or invent objects."
},
"options": [
"Nano-technology could only be used to invent new objects.",
"Nano-technology could be widely used to produce or invent objects.",
"Nano-tech... | Simply by analyzing a drop of blood, a doctor will be able to diagnose a birth defect or even cancer when it is in the early stage; using new technology, a material lighter but much stronger than steel can be produced.
These may sound like dreams at present. But the dreams may soon come true as research findings in laboratories are being turned into products more rapidly in the new century, according to experts participating in the fourth Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Technomart, a technology exhibition and trade fair in Suzhou.
"Most people think nano-technology is too far-fetched to be real. But in fact nano-technology has been applied in a wide range of fields, such as medicine. It is coming into our daily life," said Cheng Jiachong from a Hong Kong-based nano-technology firm.
Nano-technology based on the nanometer, the unit of which is a billionth of a meter, enables scientists to have new concepts of disease diagnosis and treatment on a molecular and atomic scale, Cheng said.
By using nanometer particles, a doctor can separate the fetus cells from the blood of a pregnant woman to see if the development of the fetus is normal. This method is also being used in the early diagnosis of cancer and heart disease, he said.
One of the most significant impacts of nano-technology is at the bio-inorganic materials interface, according to Greg Tegart, executive advisor of the APEC Center for Technology Foresight.
"By combining enzymes and silicon chips we can produce biosensors. These could be implanted in humans or animals to monitor health and to deliver corrective doses of drugs," he told the participants a technology forum during the exhibition.
"Nano-technology could affect the production of nearly every man-made object, from automobiles, tires and computer circuits , to advanced medicines and tissue replacement, and lead to the invention of objects yet to be imagined," said David Minns, a special advisor to the National Research Council of Canada.
It has been shown that carbon nano-tubes are ten times as strong as steel, with one sixth of the weight, and nano-scale systems have the potential to make supersonic transport cost- effective and to increase computer efficiency by millions of times, he said.
The experts agreed that the APEC technology exhibition and trade fair provided many chances for exchanges of innovative ideas and products. | high15787.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Yes; No"
},
"options": [
"Yes; No",
"No; Yes",
"Yes; Yes",
"No; No"
],
"question": "Generally speaking, nodding the head means _ , and shaking the head means _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Even a child knows that nodding the head means "Yes". But some people will probably be puzzled when they first come to India. When they talk to an Indian, he often shakes his head. They might think that the Indian does not like what he said, but _ he is expressing agreement.
The Indians have a habit of shaking their heads slightly when they talk to somebody. It doesn't mean "No", but "Yes".
If a person doesn't know this, it might cause misunderstanding.
At one time a foreigner in Indian told his driver who was an Indian to take him to his office. The driver shook his head. The foreigner repeated his request and the driver shook his head again. At last, the foreigner shouted angrily, "Drive me to my office at once!" The driver said in a low voice, "Yes, sir," smiling and shaking his head again at the same time. | high325.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Cooking and eating."
},
"options": [
"Cooking and eating.",
"How to be a good cook.",
"Exercising and sleeping.",
"Where to buy healthy food."
],
"question": "What are Jamie Oliver's secrets about?",
"questi... | Jamie Oliver, a lively Britain guy, loves to share his secrets. In his first television show,The Naked Chef, Oliver taught everyone to make simple but delicious food. In Jamie's Kitchen, he taught young people how to prepare meals. His next show,Jamie's School Dinners, is about changing the food that students eat.
Oliver saw that some schools in Britain were serving junk food--food that is easy to eat but unhealthy. Although it can be delicious, junk food is not very good for children. It is sometimes bad for their health, because it doesn't give them the energy they need at school. They sometimes can't think well or feel down, and they sometimes put on weight.
Some of the junk food that Oliver wants to change is canned spaghetti, chicken nuggets, French fries, soda, and muffins. He encourages schools to serve fresh and health meats, vegetables and fruits. He helps the school cooks to make healthy dinners without junk food.
People liked Oliver's idea of bringing quality food to schools. Thousands enjoyed his television show. But Oliver wanted them to do more than just watch. At hisFeed Me Betterwebsites, he collected over 270,000 signatures from people. Oliver sent these signatures to British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Then Blair promised to help change the school kitchens, teach school cooks to make healthy food, and spend more on school dinners. Thanks to Jamie Oliver, my children will be able to enjoy more healthy meals at school. | high14499.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "onto public transportation"
},
"options": [
"to concerts and festivals",
"into their company offices",
"to large recreational areas",
"onto public transportation"
],
"question": "According to this passage, worke... | The popularity of bicycling continues to rise, and it is no surprise. It's fun, healthy and eco-friendly. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no fuel cost!
Hop on a bicycle and ride around your neighborhood. You may discover something new in your community. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. In many communities, you can bike to work and benefit from exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way. Folding bikes work well for workers who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. Have you ever thought about bicycling across a foreign country? It's a great way to experience another culture, see beautiful scenery and meet friendly people. Bicycle enthusiast Goran Kropp bicycled across not just one country but several. He rode a remarkable 11,000 km from his home in Sweden to Nepal and then climbed Mount Everest! And now, bicycling across a country to raise money for a charity or to advertise a cause is also popular.
To encourage people to bike, many cities in Europe have established bike-share programs. In Paris, for example, thousands of bikes are parked at bike stations around the city. Users can rent bikes at any station. The first half-hour of use is free. After that, users pay a small fee. When they've finished riding, they simply park their bikes at any station. For people who don't want to drive, the bikes are an excellent alternative to buses and taxis, which burn fuel and cause pollution.
As a result of the success of bike plans in Europe, they're spreading to the US., Australia and other countries as well. Look for one in your city soon. | high12956.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the ways they take to deal with the typical climatic condition in desert"
},
"options": [
"the ways they take to deal with the typical climatic condition in desert",
"their shape",
"how they use water",
"when they produ... | Desert plants fall into two sorts according to the way they deal with the problem of surviving drought. There are the drought--avoiders--those which persist only as seeds, ready to spring up when it rains, to flower quickly and produce another crop of seeds, and to die again. There are also the drought--resisters--those which have evolved various methods for strong water, locating underground water, or reducing their need for water by such devices as shedding their leaves. The drought--resisters are perennials ,they manage to live from one rainy season to another, slowly growing bigger and bigger. Of these, the succulents is a small but interesting fraction . They may store water in their leaves, in their stems, or in underground containers.
In the American deserts the best--known succulents are the cacti . They come in a wide range of sizes, from 50--foot tall giant saguaros to tiny round cacti about the size of a thumb--nail. They take thick, cylindrical or even spherical forms, thereby exposing a minimum of evaporating surface to the air and light. They are leafless, except in youth, and then the leaves are small. Typically their surfaces are spiny, discouraging thirsty animals, and channeled like an accordion , so the fleshy stem may expand quickly when the plant drinks and contract slowly as it uses up the water. The root system is widespread and shallow, with good reason; only about 3 per cent of the rain that falls on the desert penetrates to any significant depth into soil. | high23553.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "was continuing her study"
},
"options": [
"was serving in the army",
"was continuing her study",
"was a salesgirl at the JCPenney store",
"was working in a small company"
],
"question": "When the author was 17, ... | Anne is six years older than me. Growing up, we were very poor, and my mother worked evenings at a factory in a small town. Not seeing my mother much, Anne looked after me and my younger sister. During those hard years, Anne was always there for me, not only as a big sister, but as a mother and my best friend.
When I was seventeen and had no money, I thought my only chance of going to college was if I could win a scholarship. I had an important interview for such an award. Anne at that time was struggling, surviving on a part-time job as she put herself through the local community college after serving in the army. I told her of my interview. I asked her advice on what to wear and showed her my best outfit and how I planned to be careful, how I sat so that the hole in the bottom of my shoes would not be seen, but I wasn't sure what I would do if it rained.
Anne suggested that we go shopping, and we took the bus to the JCPenney store. We found a beautiful pair of leather shoes on sale. She told me to try them on, but I thought it was just for fun as neither of us had ever owned anything that expensive before. But Anne handed me the boxed shoes and said, "Here, I'll buy these for you."
"But . . ." was all I could say.
"You deserve them," she replied. "This interview is important. I want to see you get that scholarship."
I was speechless as I knew this was a lot of money for her, and she would probably have to eat nothing but noodles for at least a month.
I went to the interview and crossed my legs so that my beautiful new shoes shone with pride. I won the scholarship and became an engineer. Although they were nice leather everyday shoes, I didn't wear them much because they were so special. Now, after 20 years have passed, I still have that pair of shoes with me, and I just wear them on those occasions when I need to feel special. | high13490.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "many people think highly of themselves"
},
"options": [
"many people are good at driving",
"not everyone can be a good driver",
"many people can be good at sending non-annoying e-mails",
"many people think highly of the... | There is an old saying: No one thinks he's a bad driver. Here's an updated 21stcentury version: No one thinks he sends annoying e-mails.
But, plenty of us do.
Aprefix = st1 /PrincetonUniversityresearch found that 22 percent of Americans say e-mail has added to their work pressures and caused misunderstandings. Here's a guide on e-mail etiquette to help you avoid being annoying.
Experts say there are three types of e-mails with different rules--close friends, office and public e-mails.The close friends e- mail
You can send your lover, your closest friends and your siblings(brothers and sisters)anything from jokes to"you gotta see this!".But bear in mind that not everyone shares your sense of humour and you may expose them to viruses.The office e-mail
Don't add to people's workload. Keep e-mails short and to the point.
*Make the subject line factual and brief.
*Write in clear, concise sentences.
*Provide your name and phone number at the end.The Public e-mail
Occasionally we have to send an e-mail to a group of people. If possible, write your public e-mails with a who, what, when, where structure. For example:
Who:All members of the soccer team
What:Team photo
When:Saturday, March 25, at noon
Where:Playing field 2.
Finally, before you hit"Send", check the following.
*Is the e-mail a"flame"? Never send an e-mail in anger. It could stay around forever and haunt your professional and personal life.
*Check the "To"field. Is this really who you want to send the message to?
*Spell-check the message. Does it have an error that can affect you badly? | high22895.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In communication, we should write more letters than send messages."
},
"options": [
"She has been separated from all his classmates many years.",
"No doctors write prescriptions by hand because of computers.",
"In communicati... | People who put a smiley face at the end of a message, in an attempt to show feeling, show no feeling. I wish there was a symbol for two fingers in the air.
I had some bad news this week. My manager informed me of this news via email. It was like hearing about the death of a loved one via pigeon. Bad news should only ever be delivered face to face or voice to voice.
We seem to celebrate our numerous methods of communication, but really there is no communication at all. I talk to my plants more than I talk to my neighbors, I get text messages that take me three hours to read because they're written like this: "Hi, I ope you av a gr8 day. Call me La8tr." I had an email from someone this week that read, "Da ut ov 2day are really annoying me!" Ut? I had to say this 20 times before I understood it. Youth has now become ut. Haven't we taken enough from them--now we have to take their letters?
I had an email recently from a girl who used to live over the road from me as a child. She wrote, "Hi Shazia, howz u? Im sure u used 2 live across the road from me. We sumtimes played tennis 2 gever at the park and you was in your eliment. I am married now wif 3 daughters." Then, to my horror, she ended the email with: "Im now teachin in Leeds. Luv Clare."
Teaching? With English like this. It's like saying you're a train driver when you've never seen a train. It was like reading modern Morse code.
Getting bad news via email makes it seem so much worse than it actually is. Just a few lines, no emotion, no comfort, not really an explanation. Just a few cold hard words. It's an excuse. Just write a few words and the problem of delivering it is no longer yours. A close friend recently told me she was very happy to announce she was getting married--and made the announcement by email. I don't know how she didn't fall off her chair with excitement while writing it. If you are really happy or really sad to announce something important, wouldn't you like a human reaction? Some euphoria, elation, tears, a punch in the face?
I receive long text messages every day with information and explanations that I don't bother reading. They're boring, and annoy me. In the time it took someone to write me three laborious texts, they could have called, spoken to me, made some tea. People who put a smiley face at the end of a sentence, in an attempt to show feeling, show no feeling. I wish there was a symbol for two fingers in the air, because that's the one I'd send back.
The telegram has been responsible for reporting world-shattering events when there were very few other options . Now we have options, and people opt for the least humane one. My mum, in an attempt to get down with the ut of today, asked me to teach her to text. Now she constantly texts me in block capitals, so it looks as if she is still angry and annoyed with me after all these years.
People don't even write by hand any more. My doctor prints out prescriptions from his computer; even my mechanic prints out a receipt. I get typed Christmas cards and my friends send me emails. I get very excited when hand-written letters come through my door, only because they rarely do.
When I was at school, the girls used to write letters to each other, even though we sat side by side and spoke to one another all day. I think it was a way of expressing private things we were afraid to say when we were 14 and too shy. We used to write things like, "You are my best friend, can't wait to sit next to you in math."
I miss the personal method of communication. Once the pen was mightier than the sword, now it seems the keyboard is mightier than the pen. | high443.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Hand washing: so important----it gets a day of its own."
},
"options": [
"Say no to washing hands in the wrong way.",
"Find out why washing hands carefully is so important.",
"Hand washing: so important----it gets a day of it... | October 15this the Global Handwashing Day. Activities are planned in more than 20 countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap. For example, donors will give 150,000 bars of soap to schools in Ethiopia.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands every day, but very few use soap at so-called important moments. These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
Global Handwashing Day is the idea of the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap. Partners include the United Nations Children's Fund, American government agencies, the World Bank and soap makers Unlever and Procter and Gamble. The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germ . They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub it into all areas, including under the fingernails . Rub for at least twenty seconds. Then _ well under running water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth or wave them in the air.
The Partnership for Handwashing says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend in washing hands. Soap also helps to break up the dirt that holds most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell. The Partnership for Handwashing also says washing with soap before eating or after using the toilet could save more lives than any vaccine or medicine. Hand washing could also prevent the spread of other diseases. When people get germs on their hands, they can infect themselves by touching their eyes, noses or mouths. Then they can infect others. | high6860.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "18"
},
"options": [
"10",
"16",
"18",
"34"
],
"question": "The treasures stayed in Nanjing for about _ years.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | If you have a chance to go to Taiwan, there's one place you should not miss-- the Taipei Palace Museum. The museum has around 650,000 pieces of ancient Chinese treasures. These treasures were originally in the Palace Museum in Beijing. But how did they get to Taiwan?
In 1931, the Japanese invaded the northeast part of China. To protect the national treasures from the Japanese, the government of the Republic of China decided to move some important pieces to Nanjing.
However, they did not stay long in Nanjing. In 1949, the people's Liberation Army won in the Liberation War. The Guomindang government went from Nanjing to Taiwan. Along with them they took the art pieces. The Taipei Palace Museum was set up in 1965 to hold the national treasures.
Taiwan people are very proud of the Taipei Palace Museum. Some of the collections are world famous. One of the most visited art pieces in the museum is the "Jade Cabbage". It is made from a single piece of jade . If you take a close look, you can see two grasshoppers on the leaves, a large one and a small one, which were the symbol of many children in a family.
If you are interested in the treasures, you could take a look at a TV programme called Taipei Palace Museum. It gives a picture of the treasures of the Taipei Palace Museum. There are also interviews with over a hundred experts about the stories behind some of the pieces. | high8695.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Famous Irish stereotype and the truth."
},
"options": [
"The Irish festival--- St Patrick's Day.",
"How the Irish earned their reputation.",
"Jokes about the Irish people.",
"Famous Irish stereotype and the truth."
... | On March 17 there will be an explosion of green colour across the world in celebration of St Patrick's Day. The Irish traditionally wear something coloured green on this day as the colour is connected with Ireland. Another St Patrick's Day tradition is for the non-Irish to make jokes about the Irish. Usually these jokes will be about Irish stupidity or their famous thirst for alcohol, or their reputation for telling tall(untrue) stories. These characteristics are all part of the famous Irish stereotype that Irishman are hot-tempered drinkers, who love to fight and will do anything to avoid a day's work.
The real joke, however, is that this negative Irish stereotype still exists. The stereotype might have had some truth back in the 19th century when Irish was poverty-stricken and starving. Many Irish moved to the United States to escape famine , but there they had to compete, occasionally with their fists, for jobs and housing with other immigrant groups. It was on America's streets that the Irish earned their reputation for street fighting. However, it was far from truth today, with the exception of the drinking perhaps.
Today, the Irish are admired for their story telling gifts and musical talents. It is no accident that several of the greatest writers of the 20th century were Irish. Or that many of today's most popular music groups such as singer Enya and rock band U2, are Irish born and growing. Lonely Planet readers even ranked Ireland as the friendliest country in the world.
However, one bit of the Irish stereotype is true, their love for drink. Drinking in Ireland is a job, but it's not necessarily something to criticize. It was the Irish after all who created one of the world's best-loved beers, Guinness. | high21344.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "By showing digital pictures of women's happy or angry faces."
},
"options": [
"By leaving dogs to women who are either happy or angry.",
"By mixing the selected dogs together.",
"By rewarding only half of the dogs touching th... | While every dog owner knows their dogs can read their moods perfectly, scientists have always been a piffle doubtful.Now thanks to some researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria; we finally have some convincing evidence.
For their study, biologist Corson Miller and his team exposes eleven selected dogs to digital images of women that were either angry or happy.Half the dogs were rewired for touching the screen when shove a happy face, while the other half gilt their treat for selecting those that appeared angry.
Interestingly, the dogs were not provided with the entire face.Some dogs were show Ti only upper halves while the others observed lower halves.That's because the scientists believe humans show their eruptions on their equities face.
After some training ill.e how to recognize small differences like the wrinkles between the eyes or the changes in their shape that accompany the happy or angry expressions, the dogs were mostly able to identify the correct expression not only on a familiar face but on a strange face, the researchers concluded the dogs were smart-enough to read human emotions.
They also found those being trained to read angry expressions took a longer time to learn.They guess it may be because dogs find angry faces disgusting, causing them to withdraw quickly.However, once the smart dogs realized they were getting rewired, the trepidation seem end to disappear.In fact, the dogs had such a good time playing the computer "game" That scientists had a hard time keeping them away from the touch screens after the study was completed.
The researchers also noticed only dogs with a male owner had a harder time understanding the expressions correctly.Since the touches careen models were all females, this confirmed what has been observed in previous studies-dogs are more efficient at reading facial expressions of people that are the serene gender as their owner. | high11287.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "By arranging in time order."
},
"options": [
"By giving examples.",
"By offering analyses.",
"By making comparisons.",
"By arranging in time order."
],
"question": "How is the whole text developed?",
"questi... | Fabien Cousteau is a French ocean explorer and documentary filmmaker.who spent his early years aboard his grandfather's ships.Today, Fabien continues to protect the planet's endangered ocean life and tries to strike a balance between environmental problems and market economies.
Fabien is well known for his study of sharks.During 2000--2002,he created a TV program aiming to change public ideas about sharks called"Attack of the Mystery Shark" based on the shark attacks that occurred along the New Jersey shoreline in the summer of 1916.Then during 2003--2006,with the help of a large crew,Fabien created a lifelike shark submarine ,providing people with a rare view of the mysterious and often misunderstood creatures.
For the next four years(2006--2010),Fabien was part of a series called"Ocean Adventures",which provided viewers with a chance to look into some of the most fantastic ocean species and environments on the planet.
In 2010,Fabien started Plant A Fish,a nonprofit project for children to help rebuild local water ecosystems through the healthy"replanting"of key ocean species.Its final goal is to plant l billion"fish"worldwide in 10 years.
In June 2014,Fabien and his team _ Mission Mission 31,the longest underwater science research,the world's only underwater laboratory located nine miles off the coast ot the Florida Keys,and 63 feet beneath the sea.Fabien's Mission 31 broke new ground in ocean exploration,while broadcasting each moment live exposing the world to the adventure and mystique of what lies beneath.
Fabien is currently working on a feature documentary film about the adventures of Mission 31,as well as building all Ocean Learning Center to afford children around the world the opportunity to learn about oceans and connect with ocean explorers directly through social media. | high10199.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "introduce ecological economists and ecologist economics"
},
"options": [
"point out how ignorant of nature the cowboys are",
"blame human beings for their exploitation of nature",
"ask people to take seriously the environment... | Cowboy or spaceman? A dilemma for a children's party, perhaps. But also a question for economists, argued Kenneth Boulding, a British economist, in an essay published in 1966. We have run our economies, he warned, like cowboys on the open grassland: taking and using the world's resources, confident that more lies over the horizon. But the Earth is less a grassland than a spaceship--a closed system, alone in space, carrying limited supplies. We need, said Boulding, an economics that takes seriously the idea of environmental limits. In the half century since his essay, a new movement has responded to his challenge. "Ecological economists", as they call themselves, want to revolutionise its aims and assumptions. What do they say--and will their ideas achieve lift-off?
To its advocators, ecological economics is neither ecology nor economics, but a mix of both. Their starting point is to recognise that the human economy is part of the natural world. Our environment, they note, is both a source of resources and a sink for wastes. But it is ignored in conventional textbooks, where neat diagrams trace the flows between firms, households and the government as though nature did not exist. That is a mistake, say ecological economists.
There are two ways our economies can grow, ecological economists point out: through technological change, or through more intensive use of resources. Only the former, they say, is worth having. They are suspicious of GDP, a crude measure which does not take account of resource exhaustion, unpaid work, and countless other factors. In its place they advocate moreholistic approaches, such as the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), a composite index that includes things like the cost of pollution, deforestation and car accidents. While GDP has kept growing, global GPI per person peaked in 1978: by destroying our environment we are making ourselves poorer, not richer. The solution, says Herman Daly, a former World Bank economist and eco-guru, is a "steady-state" economy, where the use of materials and energy is held constant.
Mainstream economists are unimpressed. The GPI, they point out, is a subjective measure. And talk of limits to growth has had a bad press since the days of Thomas Malthus, a gloomy 18th century cleric who predicted, wrongly, that overpopulation would lead to famine. Human beings find solutions to some of the most annoying problems. But ecological economists warn against self-satisfaction. In 2009 a paper in Nature, a scientific journal, argued that human activity is already overstepping safe planetary boundaries on issues such as biodiversity and climate change. That suggests that ecological economists are at least asking some important questions, even if their answers turn out to be wrong. | high19803.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "she had some unexpected findings"
},
"options": [
"she was not making progress",
"her teacher told her so",
"she couldn't get enough data",
"she had some unexpected findings"
],
"question": "The student thought ... | Several years ago, a student working on a research project in my laboratory approached me with concern."I'm doing something wrong,"she exclaimed. I had seen her research results and knew she was making good progress, so I was surprised to hear that she was having a problem. Over the next several days we went through her experiment; yet I could not find a problem. Finally, I asked her,"Why do you think you're doing something wrong?" "Because I'm not getting what you said I should get,"she replied with some confusion.
Her response shocked me. I had not told her what she"should get", but we had discussed some published hypotheses several weeks earlier. On seeing the research data that did not fit these predictions, I recognized that she had a new finding and came to change my hypotheses. But she was interpreting her results as a mistake. With almost four years of a college science major behind her, this student still had the common misunderstanding that science is a boring exercise in proving something we already know to be true.
But how can this happen? Throughout school, science is often described in textbooks as a series of"known"facts and figures; for example, DNA is a double helix; earthquakes occur at plate boundaries, etc. Unfortunately, the process by which these discoveries were made and how they fit into scientific progress are often ignored in the classroom. These details help show the nature of scientific discoveries and the tails help show the nature of scientific discoveries and the skepticism that goes with new discoveries before they are accepted.
Understanding science is more than memorizing that DNA is a double helix. It is to have the ability to take in new information on diet, exercise, or disease and apply it to our own lives. Understanding the process of science and scientific problem-solving can help us make better decisions every day. | high3918.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "by air"
},
"options": [
"by ship",
"by truck",
"by air",
"by train"
],
"question": "The two new whale sharks were carried away from Taiwan _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | Two new whale sharks arrived at the world's largest aquarium on Friday.
Both whale sharks, the world's largest fish, arrived at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta after 6 a.m. The pair had been flown 8,000 miles from Taipei, Taiwan. They will join the aquarium's three whale sharks--the only ones on display outside of Asia.
" We re the only people in the world that can claim three times, " aquarium director Jeff Swanagan said, " Each time we learn more and more."
The two young males were given Asian names. One is Taroko, named after Taroko Gorge, a national park in Taiwan. The other is Yushan, which means "Jade Mountain", and is named after a mountain in Taiwan.
The sharks were flown from Taiwan on a plane in 20-foot-long tanks with oxygen machines and other equipment to keep the water suitable for them.
They arrived at about 3:30 a.m. in Atlanta, where their tanks were moved to two trucks and driven to the aquarium surrounded by some of Atlanta police cars with their blue lights flashing. They were lowered into their new home--as Norton and two females, Alice and Trixie, circled nearby, seemingly curious about the new arrivals.
It is difficult to tell the age of the whale sharks, but at least one of the new arrivals is believed to be the smallest the aquarium has got. They are believed to be the aquarium's youngest whale sharks yet. | high21350.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because he was shy."
},
"options": [
"Because he had no friends and relatives there.",
"Because he didn't know the school well.",
"Because he was not good at English.",
"Because he was shy."
],
"question": "Why ... | Today is my first day at Merchiston Castle School,and I was really nervous about it, because I have never visited the school before and didn't take any summer course. Despite my anxiety,I soon relaxed once I arrived; the staff were so nice that I felt my spoken English was better than it actually was! As soon as I walked into the dayroom of my boarding house,I was absolutely amazed by the friendly atmosphere; everyone was so friendly that a boy as shy as I had no difficulty in setting in,and I made many new friends on my very first day,although I was struggling to remember all the names.
Also I realized there were other international students in the house from all over the world,such as South Korea,Japan and Russia.Although their English was not so fluent,it didn't take long for us to understand each other at all.In some ways,it was even better to practice Enlgish by speaking to the international students,because we were both learning.
As a boarder,the quality of food is something I consider very important,and Merchiston has not let me down.The school kitchens are run by a professional catering company,and the quality of food is excellent,also they take the issue of a healthy diet really seriously.I remember once I was asked to take more salad for my meal by a member of the kitchen staff for I did not have enough vegetables.This brings to another point of being a boarder:you need to learn how to look after yourself and be responsible for yourself.One of the huge advantages of being a _ is that we can have breakfast in the school,which means we don't have to pull ourselves out of the bed as early as the daypupils! | high11293.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "When you are in a state of subhealth, you should find out the reasons and relax yourself."
},
"options": [
"When you are in a state of subhealth, you should be sent to a hospital.",
"When you are in a state of subhealth, you should... | Feeling tired lately? Has a doctor said he can't find anything wrong with you? Perhaps he sent you to a hospital, but all the advanced equipment there shows that there is nothing wrong with you.
Then, consider this: you might be in a state of subhealth.
Subhealth, also called the third state or gray state, is explained as a borderline state between health and disease. According to the study by the National Health Organization, over 45 percent of subhealthy people are middle-aged or elderly. The percentage is even higher among people who work in management position as well as students around exam time.
Symptoms include a lack of energy, depression, slow reactions, sleeplessness, anxiety, and poor memory. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, sweating and aching in the waist and legs.
The key to preventing and recovering from subhealth, according to some medical experts, is to form good living habits, alternately work with rest, exercise regularly, and take part in open air activities.
As for meals, people are advised to eat less salt and sugar. They should eat more fresh vegetables, fruits and fish because they are rich in nutritional elements-vitamins and trace elements that are important to the body.
Nutrition experts point out that it is not good to eat too much at one meal because it may cause unhealthy changes in the digestive tract . They also say that a balanced diet is very helpful in avoiding subhealth. | high19817.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a village site near Stonehenge"
},
"options": [
"researchers working at Stonehenge",
"a village site near Stonehenge",
"the wooden version of Stonehenge",
"builders of Stonehenge and the houses"
],
"question": "... | Researchers have found a village that may have been home to the builders of Stonehenge. The village of small houses dates back to about 2600 BC. That's about the same time Stonehenge was built. "Clearly, this is a place that was of great importance," said researcher Mike Parker Pearson.
The ancient houses are at a site known as Durrington Walls. It is about 3.2 kilometers from Stonehenge. Researchers believe Stonehenge was a memorial site or cemetery for the villagers. The village also had a wooden version of the stone circle. It may have been used by people attending festivals at Stonehenge.
Eight of the houses have been dug up. Researchers say there may be as many as 25 of them. The wooden houses were square and about 5 meters along each side. There are signs that there were beds along the walls. There are also signs of a storage unit. The houses also had fireplaces.
Two of the houses were separate from the others. They may have been the homes of community leaders. Researchers say those didn't have the household rubbish that was found in the other homes.
Stone tools, animal bones, arrowheads and other things were found throughout the village site.
Stonehenge is a popular tourist spot in England. It is a huge circle made out of stones, which were placed in a grass field in southern England. The stone arches were made with two stones at the bottom and one across the top. All of the stones weigh a lot more than a big car. Scientists have long wondered not only how people built Stonehenge, but also why. | high23547.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "you start reading one of the books"
},
"options": [
"the dust jackets are very attractive",
"you start reading one of the books",
"it is raining outside",
"you have to make sure you won't buy a dull book as a present"
... | Time spent in a bookshop can be most enjoyable, whether you are a booklover or merely go there to buy a book as a present. You may even have entered the shop just to find shelter from a sudden shower.
Whatever the reason, you can soon become totally unaware of your surroundings. The desire to pick up a book with an attractive _ is irresistible, although this method of selection ought not to be followed, as you might end up with a rather dull book. You soon become absorbed in some book or other, and usually it is only much later that you realize you have spent far too much time there and must dash off to keep some forgotten appointment--without buying a book, of course.
This opportunity to escape the realities of everyday life is, I think, the main attraction of a bookshop. There are not many places where it is possible to do this. A music shop is very much like a bookshop. You can wander round such places to your heart's content. If it is a good shop, no assistant will approach you with the unavoidable greeting: "Can I help you, sir?" You needn't buy anything you don't want. In a bookshop an assistant should remain in the background until you have finished browsing. Then, and only then, are his services necessary. Of course, you may want to find out where a particular section is, but when he has led you there, the assistant should retire considerately and look as if he is not interested in selling a single book.
You have to be careful not to be attracted by the variety of books in a bookshop. It is very easy to enter the shop looking for a book on, say ancient coins and to come out carrying a copy of the latest bestselling novel and perhaps a book about brass-rubbing--something which had only slightly interested you up till then. This volume on the subject, however, happened to be so well illustrated and the part of the text you read proved so interesting that you just had to buy it. This sort of thing can be very dangerous. Apart from running up a huge account, you can waste a great deal of time wandering from section to section. | high13484.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Joan's friends visit her more often than she can accept"
},
"options": [
"Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy",
"Joan's friends visit her more often than she can accept",
"Joan doesn't like the parties ... | A letter to Edward, a columnist
Dear Mr Edward:
I grew up in an unhappy and abusive home. I always promised myself that I'd get out as soon as possible. Now, at age 20, I have a good job and a nice house, and I'm really proud of the independence I've achieved.
Here's the problem: several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine -- so much so that they make mine theirs.
It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, talk on the phone and sometimes stay up late at night.
I enjoy having my friends here sometimes -- it makes the place feel comfortable and warm -- but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can't I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy ?
Joan
Mr Edward's reply to Joan
Dear Joan:
If your family didn't pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.
And if you've gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere , you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with -- or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it's okay to put your own needs first from time to time.
Be clear about the message you want to send to your friends. For example, "I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call me before you come over." | high24228.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "there is too much information to get"
},
"options": [
"they do not wish to talk to other people",
"everyone else is expressionless",
"the environment is already familiar to them",
"there is too much information to get"
... | When we walk through the city, we all experience a kind of information overload but we pay attention only to those that are important to us. We don't stop, we keep our faces expressionless and eyes straight ahead, and in doing so, we are not just protecting ourselves but are avoiding overloading other people as well.
We make use of stereotypes as convenient ways to make quick judgments about situations and people around us. They may not always be accurate, and they can often be dangerously wrong, but they are used regularly.
The problem with the stereotypes is that they restrict experience. By using limited clues to provide us with a rapid opinion of other people or places we may choose to limit our communication. We may decide not to go to certain places because we believe they will not offer something we enjoy.
In the city, styles of dress are particularly important with regard to self-presentation. Different groups often use clearly identifiable styles of clothes so that they can be easily recognized. It is becoming increasingly common for brand names to be placed on the outside of clothes, and this labeling makes it easy to send out information about fashion and price instantly, and lets other tell at a distance whether an individual has similar tastes and is a suitable person to associate with.
In England, where social grouping or class continues to make social distinctions, clothes, hairstyles, people's pronunciation and the manner of speaking are all clues to our social group. Class distinctions tend to be relatively fixed, although in the city where greater variety is permitted, they are more likely to be secondary determining factors of friendship and association. | high457.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to enjoy listening to music"
},
"options": [
"to enjoy listening to music",
"to work as running water",
"to work as a washing machine",
"to send children to school"
],
"question": "You can use a cellphone _ ."... | Have you felt annoyed when a cellphone rings during the class? Something must be done to stop this.Now in New York City, USA,a rule is carried out in schools.Students can't even bring cellphones to schoo1.Is it a good thing or not?
Anxious parents say that cellphones are an important tool in holding New York city's families together.
"I worry about it," said Elizabeth Lorris Ritter, a mother of a middle school kid. It's necessary in our everyday life.We have a washing machine. We have running water, and We have cellphones."
Many American parents think cellphones connect them to their children on buses,getting out from subways, walking through unknown places.
"I have her call me when she gets out of school,"said Lindsay Walt, a schoolgirl's mother. "No one in New York is going to let their child go to school without a cellphone"
What about the cellphone owners, the students? Most of the students said cellphones were _ and the cellphone was like all extra hand or foot for them.
"I feel so empty,"said May Chom,1 4.There is also no way to listen to music on the way to school without my phone.It will be a really, really boring trip." | high22881.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "money"
},
"options": [
"the officers",
"money",
"the activity called \"making money\"",
"the money they made last weekend"
],
"question": ". In Taiyuan No.55 Middle School, what the students talk more about is ... | What is the hottest topic at your school recently? In Taiyuan No.55 Middle School, it's money.
The school held an activity called "making money" last weekend. About 200 Junior 1 and Junior 2 students were divided into 30 teams. They went out to make money by selling things.
What did they choose to sell? Some sold newspapers; some chose bottled water; some sold environmentally friendly shopping bags and bamboo baskets.
Hu Qing's team decided to sell some useful books in front of the Children Activity Center. They thought parents would like to buy the books for their children. But unfortunately, they met urban management officers . The officers asked them to leave. "We played hide-and-seek with the officers for the whole morning" said Hu. "Finally we had to give up."
Wang Bing and her team sold ice cream in a square. They didn't meet any officers. But few people were interested in what they were selling. The team then put up a board saying "For Country Kids". It worked. More people came to their stall . A foreigner even gave them 100 yuan. "He didn't want any change. He said he wanted to help the children," said Wang. "We were touched." Later that day they gave the 100 yuan and more to the "Project Hope" office.
Meng Zhaoxiang and his team were luckier. They sold all their cakes in four hours, spending 39.5 yuan and getting back 80 yuan. They made 40.5 yuan. "It was not easy to make the money," said Meng. "Some people just looked. Others just tasted but didn't buy. Now I know how hard it is for our parents to make the money we need to lead happy lives." | high6874.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "make paper cutting well-known"
},
"options": [
"earn more money",
"do her job for the United Nations",
"celebrate an art festival",
"make paper cutting well-known"
],
"question": "Ms Woo held a paper cutting sho... | The Chinese art of paper cutting has a long history. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has recognized the art, called Jianzhi, on its Intangible Cultural Heritage List . But Jianzhi is at risk of disappearing. Voyo Woo, a Chinese immigrant to the US, hopes to bring the art back to life.
Voyo Woo loves paper cutting. And she works hard to celebrate the ancient art form. On a recent Saturday, Ms. Woo held a paper cutting show at a shopping center near Washington. She demonstrated the art for hours to crowds at the center.
Voyo Woo began to study the art of Jianzhi as a 14-year-old in her hometown in southeastern China. She says all the students at school had to learn the art. But she says she discovered a special love for it. So, her teacher gave her extra training after class. Later, she won second prize in a national painting and calligraphy competition. Ms. Woo came to the U.S. after she finished college in 2008. Soon after, she became involved in an event to support and expand understanding of Chinese paper cutting. She has been invited to demonstrate the art at a wide collection of events. She also has shown her skill at famous museums like the Smithsonian Institution's Freer and Sackler art galleries in Washington. Ms. Woo says paper cutting represents Chinese cultural values, history and stories of people's lives. She uses the art as a tool to present Chinese culture to people who know little about it.
Ms. Woo placed examples of her art around her as she demonstrated paper cutting at the shopping center. Some shoppers, like Ann Russ, took part in a workshop. Ms. Russ was struck by the finely detailed nature of the work. She said it put her at ease. Voyo Woo says Chinese art is for all people. "It is amazing how Chinese art can resonate, can echo with people from other cultural backgrounds." | high8681.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "getting used to a new culture"
},
"options": [
"culture and foreign language learning",
"adventures in a foreign land",
"getting used to a new culture",
"the interaction of different cultures"
],
"question": "Th... | Psychologists tell us that there are four basic stages that human beings pass through when they enter and live in a new culture.This process begins with the "honeymoon stage".This is the period of time when we first arrive in which everything about the new culture is strange and exciting.We may be suffering from "jet lag" but we are thrilled to be in the new environment, seeing new sights, hearing new sounds and language, eating new kinds of food.This stage can last for quite a long time because we feel we are involved in some kind of great adventure.
Unfortunately, the second stage can be more difficult.After we have settled down into our new life, we can become very tired and begin to miss our homeland and our family, friends, pets.All the little problems in life seem to be much bigger and more disturbing when you face them in a foreign culture.This period of cultural adjustment can be very difficult and lead to rejecting or pulling away from the new culture.
The third stage is called the "adjustment stage".This is when you begin to realize that things are not so bad in the host culture.Your sense of humour usually becomes stronger and you realize that you are becoming stronger by learning to take care of yourself in the new place.Things are still difficult, but you are now a survivor!
The fourth stage can be called "at ease at last".Now you feel quite comfortable in your new surroundings.You can cope(deal) with most problems that occur.You may still have problems with the language, but you know you are strong enough to deal with them. | high15793.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "work over five hours a day"
},
"options": [
"work after 7:00 a.m.",
"work over five hours a day",
"have had 12 months' service",
"are paid $5.00"
],
"question": "Casual employees must be given a free meal or a m... | A casual employee is one who is engaged and paid as such by agreement between the employer and employee. There is a three-hour minimum payment for each period of engagement and a four-hour minimum engagement on a Public Holiday. No notice of termination is required. For night work between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Monday to Friday a penalty of $1.28 per hour (or part of hour) shall be paid with a minimum of $4.37 for any one day on which such hours are worked.
Meals: Casual employees whose engagement extends for five hours or more shall be provided with a meal free of charge, or shall be paid in lieu of $5.00 ($6.00 from 1 May 1996)
Casual employment over eight hours: Paid at the overtime rate of full time employees.
Payment of wages: By mutual consent either weekly or on termination of engagement.
Annual leave: Pro-rata Annual Leave entitlement for casuals is on the basis of 1/12thof earnings. Many employers pay this inclusive with the hourly rate. If this is not done, it should be paid on termination of services or at the end of 12 months' service.
Special clothing: A casual employee is required to provide and wear a black and white uniform or an equivalent standard specified by the club (e.g. blue and white, cook's clothing, etc.) this includes how tie and cummerbund if required by the employer. The employer may launder all uniforms, or pay the employee and allowance of $1.00 per engagement ($1.20 from 1 May 1996) for general staff. Cooks shall be paid $1.50 per engagement ($1.70 from 1 May 1996). | high331.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The benefits of quitting smoking."
},
"options": [
"The ways of quitting smoking.",
"The harm of smoking to people.",
"The benefits of quitting smoking.",
"The relationships between smoking and diseases."
],
"qu... | Smoking is the single worst thing you can do for your health. Fortunately, it's never too late to get the benefits of quitting. If you've tried to quit before and failed, it's time to make up your mind and try again.
Smoking is responsible for one of every five deaths. That includes 29% of all cancer deaths, 87% of all lung cancer deaths, and nearly 20% of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. But long before smoking kills you, it ages you. You can see for yourself that smoking accelerates the drying and wrinkling of the skin. But there are less obvious effects as well. Indeed, smoking takes years away from your life. Nearly half of all chronic smokers die an average of 20 to 25 years before their time.
Besides an early death from cancer or heart disease, smoking can cause lung disorders. People who smoke over a pack a day have almost three times the risk of contracting pneumonia than that of nonsmokers. By lowering levels of estrogen in men and women, smoking speeds bone less. If a woman smokes a pack of cigarettes every day, she will enter menopause with 5 to 10% less bone mass than a nonsmoker.
The good news is that no matter what your age is or how long you've smoked, you'll live longer if you quit today. The Coronary Artery Surgery Study examined nearly 2,000 long-term smokers over age 54. Those who quit had significantly lower death rates six years later than those who didn't. Even the oldest ex-smokers had a higher survival rate.
Not only will live longer if you quit, you'll feel better, breathe easier, and find that you have more energy. You'll have fewer respiratory infections,headaches, and stomachaches. What's more, you'll save money. Your clothes and breath won't smell unpleasant any longer. And your habit won't annoy--or threaten the health of --the people who live and work with you. | high23221.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "whether children suffer from parents' divorce"
},
"options": [
"whether parents should divorce",
"whether children suffer from parents' divorce",
"whether children should stay with divorced parents",
"whether parents sh... | In the United States, the number of children affected by divorce grows by about one million each year. As the number increases, experts continue to debate the effects of divorce on children.
Some experts say divorce is harmful to children. Some studies show that children of divorce have more problems. For example, some children of divorce are more often aggressive toward parents and teachers. They have a greater risk of leaving school before completing their studies. They have more health and learning problems. However, experts note that these problems are not necessarily caused by divorce alone.
During the 1970's, many Americans believed that divorce was the best solution for married people who were not happy. People did not think divorce would harm children. They thought children would go through a period of change when their parents ended their marriage. Then the children would be all right.
These beliefs have changed in recent years. Researcher Judith Wallerstein studied more than one hundred children of divorce over a twenty-five-year period. She says some children never recover from divorce. She says they often have problems with their own adult relationships as a result of their parents' divorce.
Ms. Wallerstein says her study proves that parents should stay together for their children, even if they are unhappy. However, some people say that children suffer more in a situation where there is much conflict. They say it is better for children to live with one divorced parent than to live with two parents who are angry and unhappy.
Other experts note that many children of divorce do not have serious problems. This is because their parents are able to deal with the situation in a responsible way.
Experts say that some people who get divorced are able to put the needs of their children first. They say that they are able to show the children that their love and support will continue after the divorce. | high17184.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Premier Wen promised to guarantee school bus safety."
},
"options": [
"Premier Wen promised to guarantee school bus safety.",
"School bus safety can not be guaranteed in some rural places.",
"Some experts offer some suggestio... | BEIJING Nov. 28 (Xinhuanet) - Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday pledged central and local government funds to provide and improve school bus services in the wake of the traffic accident that killed 19 preschool children and sparked national outrage .
He urged relevant departments of the State Council to "rapidly" formulate safety regulations for school coaches, and said China will accelerate the setting up of standards on design and production. Central and local governments will share the costs on providing more school buses that meet safety requirements, the premier said.
However, Wen said a lot of local governments have failed to meet the rapidly increased demand for safe school buses or established sound management systems. Officials will face investigations into their responsibility if tragedies such as the one in Gansu occur again, he warned.
Yuan Guilin, an education professor at Beijing Normal University who is known for his research into rural education, has proposed that all school buses should be equipped with black boxes, adding that it is achievable and affordable. The government should also improve the wages and benefits for drivers to prevent them from taking extra jobs and often driving while tired, he said. Given that some authorities complain that they are short of money, Yuan suggested they be allowed to sell advertising space on school buses.
Gan Yuanchun, who participated in a campaign to promote school bus safety, said the central government should encourage the use of smaller school buses in rural areas, as roads in remote countryside areas are not as wide as in cities. Students' parents should also be able to get involved in deciding how school buses are managed, he added.
In rural areas, especially in western parts, many children are struggling to receive quality preschool education because public kindergartens are scarce and most private ones often do not have qualified teachers or hardware. | high20728.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "win a silver cup for growing a rose of a new color"
},
"options": [
"build glass-houses in his free time",
"grow the Rose of the Year in a silver cup",
"win a silver cup for growing a rose of a new color",
"grow a rose ... | There was once a man called Mr. Flowers, and flowers were his only joy in life. He spent all his free time in one of his four glass-houses and grew flowers of every color, with long and difficult names, for competitions. He tried to grow a rose of a new color to win the silver cup for the Rose of the Year.
Mr. Flowers' glass-houses were very near to a middle school. Boys of around thirteen of age were often tempted to throw a stone or two at one of Mr. Flowers' glass-houses. So Mr. Flowers did his best to be in or near his glass-houses at the beginning and end of the school day.
But it was not always possible to be on watch at those times. Mr. Flowers had tried in many ways to protect his glass, but nothing that he had done had been useful. He had been to school to report to the headmaster; but this had not done any good. He had tried to drive away the boys that threw stones into his garden; but the boys could run faster than he could, and they laughed at him from far away. He had even picked up all the stones that he could find around his garden, so that the boys would have nothing to throw; but they soon found others.
At last Mr. Flowers had a good idea. He put up a large notice made of good, strong wood, some meters away from the glass-houses. On it he had written the words: DO NOT THROW STONES AT THIS NOTICE. After this, Mr. Flowers had no further trouble; the boys were much more tempted to throw stones at the notice than at the glass-houses. | high4905.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "cars for rent"
},
"options": [
"cars in the making",
"car rental firms",
"cars for rent",
"car makers"
],
"question": "The words \"deluxe sedans, \" \"minivans\" and \"station wagons\" used in the text refer to ... | Shanghai: Car rentals are becoming more and more popular as an inexpensive way of taking to roads. Business people, foreign and families alike are making good use of the growing industry.
The first car rental firm opened in Shanghai in 1992 an dnow 12 car rental players are in the game, with more than 11,500 cars in their books.
The largest player-Shangha Bashi Tourism Car Rental Center offers a wide variety of choices-deluxe sedans, minivans, station wagons, coaches. Santana sedans are the big favorite.
Firms can attract enough customers for 70 percent of their cars every month. This fighure shoots up during holiday seasons like National Day, Labor Day and New Year's Day, with some recording 100 percent rental.
The major market force rests in the growing population of white-collar employees , who can afford the new service, said Zhuang Yu, marketing manager of Shanghai Angel Car Rental Co. | high10833.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Chad became famous for The Art of Fielding"
},
"options": [
"Chad had mental problems in his childhood",
"Chad became famous for The Art of Fielding",
"more and more readers like Chad's book",
"The Art of Fielding is on... | Hundreds of great books are published in America every year. And every year, editors, critics and other readers try to choose a list of favorites.
A few books showed up on list after list of the best fiction from this year. One of them was Ann Patchett's State of Wonder. Publishers Weekly described the novel as one " _ ." The story centers on a drug researcher from Minnesota named Maria Singh. She travels to Brazil to investigate the death of a co-worker. Her search takes her deep into the Amazon area and danger. But she also goes deep into her own soul for a close look at who she is, what she has lost in her life and how she wants the future to look. Ann Patchett lives in Tennesee. She told Publishers Weekly magazine that the state is dense and leafy, like the Amazon jungle. She visited that area while doing research for the novel.
Chad Harbach's name was also all over the critics' best lists this year for his first book, The Art of Fielding. The New Yorker magazine praised the novel for the easy way it joins a love of baseball with a love of literature. The book is about a college baseball star. He suffers a mental crisis and begins to fail on the playing field as a result. But the book is about much more than the sport of baseball. It also is a story of love, loss, friendship and growing up. Chad Harbach says his own upbringing influenced the book.
The Marriage Plot also got a lot of attention this year. It is the third book from Pulitzer Prize winner Jeffrey Eugenides. He spent almost ten years writing it. The Marriage Plot is also a story about becoming an adult. It follows the lives of three students in their final year of college and beyond. Leonard struggles with manic depression, Mitchell, with religious belief and Madeleine struggles with her feelings for both men. | high8680.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she didn't have any translated books."
},
"options": [
"she could do nothing but read books",
"she had never been to Indian and Australian",
"she didn't have any translated books.",
"she could only read simple English s... | I used to think of myself as a person learned in books, but my bookshelves told a different story. Apart from a few Indian novels and an Australian book, my literature collection only consisted of British and American titles. Worse still, I couldn't ever found anything in translation. My reading was limited to stories by English-speaking authors.
So, at the start of 2012, I set myself the challenge of trying to read a book from every country in a year to find out what I was missing.
With no idea where to get those books, I was unlikely to find publications from nearly 200 nations on the shelves of my local bookshop, so I decided to ask the readers all over the world for help. I created a blog called A Year of Reading the World and put out an appeal for suggestions of titles that I could read in English.
The response was amazing. People all over the world were getting in touch with me, offering ideas and book lists. Some posted me books from their home countries. In addition, several writers, like Turkmenistan's Ak Welsapar and Panama's Juan David Morgan, sent me unpublished translations of their novels, giving me a rare opportunity to read works unavailable in Britain. Even with such an extraordinary team of bibliophiles behind me, however, sourcing books was no easy task. With translations making up only around 4.5 per cent of literary works published in the UK, getting English versions of stories was tricky.
One by one, the books from the countries on the list filled my heart with laughter, love, anger, hope and fear. Lands that had once seemed exotic and remote became close and familiar to me. At its best, I learned, reading makes the world real. | high6875.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "contributed to the cancer research"
},
"options": [
"gave a TED Talk recently",
"is captain of her swim team",
"has a large circle of friends",
"contributed to the cancer research"
],
"question": "President Obam... | Shree Bose is one of the most impressive kids graduating from Fort Worth Country Day High School this year. Bose has a large circle of friends, and there's one who you may have heard of: President Obama. He has twice publicly recognized her achievements in cancer research and spoken with her in the Oval Office.
If that isn't enough, Bose recently gave a TED Talk about her work with the cancer drug Cisplatin, which also won her first prize at the Google Science Fair and recognition as one of Glamour magazine's Young Amazing Women of the Year.
After watching her grandfather struggle with liver cancer, Bose was determined to help out in any way she could. As a high school student though, her scientific choices were limited. She reached out to various hospitals and research centers, but doctors turned down her requests because they felt she was too inexperienced medically.
Only the North Texas Science Health Center respected her determination and chose to guide her. The results were amazing.
Bose chose to study a protein and its reaction with the cancer drug Cisplatin. She noticed that when she prevented this protein from growing, Cisplatin was allowed to begin destroying cancer cells once again.
"My project not only contributes to the understanding of the relationship between the protein and Cisplatin, but also suggests a newer, more effective treatment for patients who resist Cisplatin," Bose said.
Bose's achievements aren't limited to the lab, though. She was also captain of her swim team and editor-in-chief of her school paper.
Bose is currently getting practical experience at the National Institute of Health and she'll be attending Harvard in the fall. She plans to study molecular biology and go to medical school. Eventually, she would like to be a doctor. | high8858.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "1974"
},
"options": [
"1954",
"1974",
"1994",
"2004"
],
"question": "It was very difficult for Victor to find a special French stamp of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Victor's hobby was collecting stamps. He had stamps from many countries, like England, Canada and China. On his birthday, can you guess what people gave him? That's right---stamps.
Victor's favourite stamps came from France. He had almost every stamp from 1954 to 2004. He only needed one. That was a 1974 special edition*. It was very hard to find.
He looked for it everywhere. He asked his friends and s to help him. But nobody could find the stamp. It made Victor very sad.
"Don't worry. Never give up," his father said to him. "If you have enough _ , you'll find it one day."
"I hope so," Victor said.
Victor also liked writing. He had a penfriend in France. They wrote to each other every month. Victor's penfriend, Phillip, usually used new stamps to send letters. Sometimes, his mother gave him stamps to use. Once Phillip's mother gave him a big, green stamp. It looked old. When Victor received the letter, he was very surprised. On the envelope, he looked carefully at the stamp. It was the 1974 special edition stamp. Victor was so happy. He told his sister, his mother and his father.
" You see," his father said. " You did find your stamp. So, it's good to have two things in life."
"What are they?" Victor asked.
" Friends and patience." He answered. | high22880.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "one in ten deaths in the world was caused by smallpox"
},
"options": [
"its death rate was up to ten percent",
"those who caught it were certain to die",
"one in ten people in the world died of smallpox",
"one in ten de... | For well over a thousand years, smallpox was a disease that everyone feared. The disease killed much of the native population in South America when the Spanish arrived there in the early sixteenth century. By the end of the eighteenth century, smallpox was responsible for about one in ten deaths around the world. Those who survived the disease were left with ugly scars on their skin.
It had long been well known among farmers that people who worked with cows seldom caught smallpox; instead, they often caught a similar but much milder disease called cowpox . A British doctor called Jenner was extremely interested in this, and so he studied cowpox. He believed that, by vaccinating people with the disease, he could protect them against the much worse disease smallpox. In 1796, he vaccinated a boy with cowpox and, two months later, with smallpox. The boy did not get smallpox. In the next two years, Jenner vaccinated several children in the same way, and none of them got the disease.
News of the success of Jenner's work soon spread. Vaccination soon became a common method to protect people against other diseases caused by virus, such as rabies , and vaccines were sent across the world to the United States and India.
It took nearly two centuries to achieve Jenner's dream of getting free of smallpox from the whole world. In 1967, the world Health Organization (WHO) started a great vaccination program, and the last known case of smallpox was recorded in Somalia in 1977. The story of vaccinations does not end there, however. There are many other diseases that kill more and more people every year. Besides, many new diseases are being discovered. The challenge for medical researchers will, therefore, probably continue for several more centuries | high456.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "bring up the topic of the text"
},
"options": [
"make the topic easier to understand",
"bring up the topic of the text",
"supply a scientific evidence for the topic",
"show the richness of the English languages"
],
... | "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is one of the most common sayings in the English languages. This is because apples were one of the first foods that medical professionals recognized as healthy---their benefits became obvious when, quite simply, doctors found that people who ate apples were sick less often than those who did not. Today we have a more specific understanding of why apples are so beneficial to overall health.
Apples can help keep your levels of bad cholesterol down. The pectin in apples helps you to maintain cardiovascular health and reduce LDL cholesterol(which is the "bad" kind). Apples themselves do not add cholesterol to your diet and are full of water and fiber to help weaken the cholesterol in other foods you might digest. According to Health Diaries, people who eat two apples per day may lower their cholesterol by as much as 16 percent.
Apples are naturally low in calories and high in water content. Eating an apple can satisfy your hunger and keep you from reaching for high-sugar, high-calories snacks. By eating apples, you will be more able to maintain a healthy weight because they fill you up, potentially stopping you from eating food that encourages a waistline increase.
Apples contain considerable levels of boron , which helps build healthy bones, and can also prevent diseases like arthritis. Apples are rich in vitamin C, which is known to help build immunity.
Studies have shown that apples can decrease the risk of breast cancer and liver cancer. One theory is that the apple skins are responsible for this, so be sure not to take apple skins off before you eat them, as you could remove some of the health benefits. | high24229.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "she was afraid of being found out"
},
"options": [
"she was afraid of being found out",
"the reading class was terrible",
"she had to do what others were doing",
"mother told her to do so"
],
"question": "The wr... | When I was in 7th grade, I had a lot of trouble reading. My mother used to sit by my side, and explain each paragraph of each school reading assignment to me because I didn't understand what I was reading. She would have to read each paragraph to me, and then after each paragraph, she summarized what we just read.
In class, I tried to hide the fact that I couldn't read. My teachers gave us the last 10 minutes of class to start our reading homework, and I would sit there for the last ten minutes of class staring at the page, pretending I was reading it -I remember a terrible feeling of not wanting to get in trouble for not being able to comprehend .I had to wait until I got home so my mother could explain it to me. How did I never get into Cornell University? By eighth grade I started understanding a little on my own, but I was reading at an _ slow speed. In eighth grade, I got hold of all the speed reading books I could get my hands on. I read them all very slowly at the time. I even went out and took a course on speed reading. Then I developed my own system which was easier and produced quicker results. I started practicing these techniques every day, and as I started to read faster, my understanding increased. I found that I stopped daydreaming and thinking about other things while I was reading, and started getting the larger meaning. I was reading faster and comprehending better.
I found that when you read slowly, word by word, you get lost in the words, lose the bigger picture, and your comprehension drops. When you read faster, your concentration actually increases and your comprehension goes up because instead of getting lost in the words, you see the overall picture. | high23546.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the importance of language"
},
"options": [
"a strong mother",
"the importance of language",
"a family disaster",
"the significance of teaching language"
],
"question": "This passage is mainly about _ .",
... | I remember my' mother as a strong woman. She came to America when she was 12-old enough to remember her language, she achieved scores and grades high enough to be admitted to Duke University. With a degree in computer science, she finally became the manager of a company in New York. My mother could give fluent speeches, say "wolves" correctly.
It was my mother who always stressed the importance of language. From the time l was born,1 was read to. 1 would fall asleep to the sounds of my parents' voices, whether it was my dad's softly accented, or my mother's clear English. The flow of language was unbroken, and whether in Chinese or English , the stream of communication flowed through our house.
One October morning in sixth grade, after my mother had left to catch the train to the city ,I left the house for the bus stop. 1 was surprised when I saw our car, the door hanging open. As I drew closer ,I saw my mother lying on the ground.
In the hospital, it was hard to believe that the lady who lay before me was my mom. My mother could not remember my name. As the leaves changed colors, it became clear that the stroke had created a wall between my mother's mind and mouth: her mind was not any less clear, but the words she spoke were not what she meant.
The battle my mother faced taught me the importance of language. Without it, identity does not exist; relationships cannot be formed; stories cannot be told; directions cannot be given, and knowing any-thing about anyone is impossible. Without language, communication cannot take place. Without language, one cannot express the beauty of a sunset or the kindness of a stranger. The world would pass us by in silence. | high12943.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "avoid physical contact"
},
"options": [
"avoid eye contact",
"brush the others' arms",
"avoid physical contact",
"apologize for their mistakes"
],
"question": "In Britain, when people are talking, they usually_.... | "When studying foreign speech, don't forget about body language," Anne Merritt said.
Something as simple as a smile can show friendliness in one culture, embarrassment in another, impatience in a third. Even silence means different things in different places. If you want to avoid making some mistakes when traveling abroad, you should pay attention to the following.
Touch
Britain, along with much of Northern Europe and the Far East, has a "non-contact" culture. In those countries, there is very little physical contact in people's daily talks. Even brushing someone's arm by accident is the reason for an apology. However, in the high-contact cultures of the Middle East, Latin America, and southern Europe, physical touch is a big part of daily life.
What's more, there are different standards for who touches whom and where. In much of the Arab world, men hold hands and kiss each other in greeting, but would never do the same with a woman. In Thailand and Laos, it is taboo to touch anyone's head, even children's. In South Korea, elders can touch younger people with force when trying to get through a crowd, but younger people can't do the same.
Eye contact
In most Western countries, frequent eye contact is a sign of confidence and attentiveness . We may think that a conversation partner who looks away is either not listening to us or lying. Of course, this is not the standard around the world.
In many Asian, African, and Latin American countries, the unbroken eye contact would be considered impolite and rude. These cultures consider avoiding eye contact a sign of respect for bosses and elders. In these parts of the world, children won't look at an adult who is speaking to them, and nor will employees look at their bosses. | high19816.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "math, grammar, reading and writing"
},
"options": [
"math, English, reading and handwriting",
"math, grammar, reading and writing",
"math, foreign language and writing",
"math, English and handwriting"
],
"quest... | Every year in America, high-school students who want to go to college take a national examination called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT in a shortened way. Their score is an important factor in determining which colleges will admit them or whether any will be admitted at all. The Scholastic Aptitude Test measures one's mathematical ability and use of the English language. Traditionally, the English portion involved grammatical questions and paragraphs that test reading comprehension.
But the SAT folks have added a single question, to be answered in an essay, hand-written on the spot. That's an interesting way to test writing ability, put content aside, have you ever seen young people's handwriting lately? Or anyone's for that matter, in this age of computer keyboards? Students write numbers and sign their names on bank checks. They _ class notes in what can generously be described as the written word. And they hand-write, or more often print, a word or two of identification on luggage and lunch bags. Otherwise penmanship -- once taught so morally and easefully by second-grade teachers, has gone the way of the dodo bird which has died out.
Yet today's kids are asked to write, thoughtfully and legibly , for several minutes on this SAT Test. Good luck to the text scorers who must work out difficultly the scrawl of young people who've been typing on computers since the age of three! Teachers insist that good handwriting can not only help one's score on the SAT, but also, later on in life, impress potential employers and earn bigger tax refunds because the tax inspectors can actually read the computations . And don't forget, we all have to turn to handwriting from time to time, as computers go down when power goes out. | high11292.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Six."
},
"options": [
"Three.",
"Five.",
"Six.",
"Eight."
],
"question": "How many times has Big Ben gone wrong up to now?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index"... | Big Ben, one of London's best-known landmarks, which is famous for its accuracy and chimes ,stopped ticking for 90 minutes, an engineer said Saturday.
Officials do not know why the 147-year-old clock on the banks of the River Thames stopped at 10:07 p.m. Friday. It continued keeping time, but stopped again at 10:20 p.m. and remained still for about 90 minutes before starting up again, a spokeswoman for the House of Commons said.
A recent period of hot weather may have been to blame. Temperatures in London reached 90 Saturday, and forecasters called it England's hottest day in May in the past fifty three years, since 1953.
Big Ben, which is operated by the Palace of Westminster, survived attack by German Luftwaffe bombers during World WarII,continued to mark the time within11/2 seconds of Greenwich Mean Time.
However, the clock has experienced occasional problems. In 1962, snow caused the clock to ring in the New Year 10 minutes late. In 1976, the clock stopped when a piece of its machinery broke. Big Ben also stopped on April 30, 1997, and once more three weeks later.
Big Ben is actually the clock's 13-ton bell, which was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the British commissioner of works at the time the clock was built. The official name for the Gothic tower holding Big Ben is St. Stephen's Tower. Standing 315 feet tall, it was completed in 1859 after an 1834 fire destroyed most of the Palace of Westminster. | high21351.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "go to bed early"
},
"options": [
"eat a lot",
"go to bed early",
"get up late",
"go to bed late"
],
"question": "From the passage we know that it is good for our health to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_q... | If you want to keep healthy, you should have good habits. What is a habit? It is something we do very often. We don't even think when we do it. It has become a part of our lives.
"Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." This is an old English saying. Do you know what it means? It means that we must go to bed early at night and get up early in the morning. If we do, we shall be healthy, rich and clever.
Is this true? Perhaps it is. We know the body must have enough sleep. Boys and girls need eight or nine hours' sleep every day.
Some people go to bed late at night and get up late in the morning. This is a very bad habit. Then you will not think or do your work well. Of course, you can't be healthy, wealthy or wise.
When we get up early in the morning, we can go out and do morning exercises. Exercise means doing things with the body. Walking, running jumping, swimming, and playing ball games are all exercise. If we don't exercise, our body will become weak.
Exercise helps the blood to move around inside our body. Blood takes food to all parts of our body.
Our body also needs air to breathe. Without air, we will die. We must have lots of clean fresh air if we want to be healthy. That is why many people like to go out to do morning exercise. | high10832.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Many of them are not employed or in steady jobs that they want."
},
"options": [
"There are fewer jobs than they expected.",
"Many of them are not employed or in steady jobs that they want.",
"They are not as confident as the... | It is understandable that many of today's college graduates view themselves as the generation that opportunity forgot.
This fall, I interviewed 85 recent graduates of various colleges to discuss their success in finding a job. Of those I interviewed ----many from famous schools ---- only five are in the career fields they prepared for; the rest are unemployed or in jobs that are temporary. Graduates with once-marketable degrees in accounting and computer science, for example, now compete with applicants who have five years of experience and will accept the same entry-level salary.
Mainly because there too many applicants for too few jobs, employees are ignoring resumes that once commanded interviews. But in my work as a management consultant, I find that many executives also feel that recent graduates have contributed to a problem: that young people have been so pampered by their parents and are so untested academically that they bring little value to today's demanding workplace.
Some of the least judgmental, most supportive managers I know are criticizing recent graduates for poor quality in their written and oral reports, and for difficulty in drawing essential facts from masses of data. Earlier generations faced this criticism as well, but employees flooded with resumes have now become far more selective than their predecessors .
Among all the cruel talks about unemployment, little is said about the impact on the nation's future of a generation convinced that the workplace has little use for it. This generation must regain its confidence if they are to remain the birthplace of ideas, products and services that shape world.
The quickest way to rebuild that confidence is to form partnerships between recent graduates and the companies that will employ them.
Corporations, in turn, should consider investing in training and developing a generation they will eventually need. High-potential graduates for whom there isn't an immediate opening could be hired, not as unpaid interns but as salaried trainees given three to six months to prove their value in a series of assignments. Those who don't seize the opportunity can quickly be dismissed. Trainees should be given guidance to help them avoid the small missteps that can damage a career before it starts. | high21437.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It was struggling to get out of its cocoon."
},
"options": [
"It was trying to make a cocoon for itself.",
"It was struggling to get out of its cocoon.",
"It was flying among the trees in the forest.",
"It was crawling ... | One day a man found a cocoon of a butterfly in the forest. He sat there for several hours and watched the butterfly. Suddenly a small opening appeared, and the butterfly made its great effort to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that the butterfly could come out easily. But to his surprise, the butterfly got a heavy body and very small wings when it came out of the cocoon.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that the body would grow smaller at any moment and the wings would become larger and be able to fly. But neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a heavy body and small wings. It was never able to fly.
The man was in his kindness, but he did not understand the nature rules. Before the butterfly came out of the cocoon, fluid from its body must be forced into its wings, and then it would be ready for flying. It must have a hard struggle to get through the small opening to get its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any difficulties, it would make us fail. We would not be as strong as we could have been; we could never fly. | high4904.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "How John Milton studied Latin."
},
"options": [
"How John Milton wrote \"Paradise Lost\".",
"How John Milton studied Latin.",
"How John Milton became famous.",
"How John Milton became a poet."
],
"question": "Wh... | When John Milton , writer of "Paradise Lost" ,entered Cambridge University, in 1625, he was already skilled in Latin after seven years of studying it as his second language at St. Paul's School,prefix = st1 /London. Like all English boys who prepared for college in grammar schools ,he had learned not only to read Latin but also to speak and writer it smoothly and correctly .His pronunciation of Latin was English ,however ,and seemed to have sounded strange to his friends when he later visited Italy.
Schoolboys gained their skill in Latin in a bitter way. They kept in mind the rules to make learning by heart easier. They first made a word-for-word translation and then an idiomatic translation into English .As they increased their skill ,they translated their English back into Latin without referring to the book and then compared their translation with the original .The schoolmaster was always at hand to encourage them. All schoolmasters believed Latin _ .
After several years of study ,the boys began to write compositions in imitation of the Latin writers they read. And as they began to read Latin poems ,they began to write poems in Latin .Because Milton was already a poet at ten ,his poems were much better than those painfully put together by the other boys. During the seven yearsMiltonspent at university ,he made regular use of his command of Latin. He wrote some excellent Latin poems ,which he published among his works in 1645. | high17185.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Main idea-Comparison-Supporting examples- Conclusion"
},
"options": [
"Main idea-Comparison-Supporting examples- Conclusion",
"Topic- Supporting examples- Conclusion",
"Opinion-Discussion- Description- Conclusion",
"Top... | Haagen-Dazs from Europe started in 1989 and is 5-10 times more expensive than regular ice cream. There is no real advantage. However, it adopted a unique marketing strategy, and quickly occupied the market as a top ice cream brand.
Haagen-Dazs did not set up shops in ordinary supermarkets or grocery stores. Haggen-Dazs leisure fashion shops are located in busy sections of malls. The layout is carefully planned to create an elegant atmosphere, and sometimes, a flagship store will cost several million dollars.
Compared to other ice cream brands, Haagen-Dazs consumers are tightly grouped. It is understood that Haagen-Dazs seldom does television advertising. The majority of advertisements are high impact visually in print advertisements. In particular many advertisements target the wealthy consumers. Moreover, if the consumer spends 500 Yuan they can become a member. These members will be regularly sent advertisements by direct mail. Praise of customers is a powerful weapon.
There is always much creative ingenuity in Haagen-Dazs advertising, so it is remembered by the people:
initial advertisements such as: "Delicious Haagen-Dazs, like 24K gold, Kobe beef from Japan, original palm oil, mushroom truffles and Chinese ceramics...what 'ice cream'was waiting for."
"love her, let her eat Haagen-Dazs" This classic advertisement attracted numerous Haagen-Dazs lovers who became regulars.
Today, Haggen-Dazs has about 700 stores in 55 countries with annual sales of more than 1 billion US dollars. Haagen-Dazs has become the world's most popular ice cream brand. In the United States, its market share is 6.1%, 1%in France, 4.6% in Japan, 4% in Singapore, and 5% in Hong Kong.
Determined to win the majority of wealthy customers they combined positioning in the marketplace with dedicated brand goals. This is the real secret of success. | high23220.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Libraries Going Digital"
},
"options": [
"Three Benefits of Libraries",
"Libraries Going Digital",
"Space-saving E-learning",
"Security of Electronic Reading"
],
"question": "The best title for this passage woul... | All over the world, libraries have begun the Herculean task of making faithful digital copies of the books, images and recordings that preserve the intellectual effort of humankind. For armchair scholars, the work promises to bring such a wealth of information to the desktop that the present Internet may seem amateurish in retrospect. ...
Librarians see three clear benefits to going digital. First, it helps them preserve rare and fragile objects without denying access to those who wish to study them. The British Library, for example, holds the only medieval manuscript ofBeowulfin London. Only qualified scholars were allowed to see it until Kevin S. Kiernan of the University of Kentucky scanned the manuscript with three different light sources (revealing detail not normally apparent to the naked eye) and put the images up on the Internet for anyone to peruse . Tokyo's National Diet Library is similarly creating highly detailed digital photographs of 1,236 woodblock prints, scrolls and other materials it considers national treasures so that researchers can scrutinize them without handling the originals.
A second benefit is convenience. Once books are converted to digital form, patrons can retrieve them in seconds rather than minutes. Several people can simultaneously read the same book or view the same picture. Clerks are spared the chore of reshelving. And libraries could conceivably use the Internet to land their virtual collections to those who are unable to visit in person.
The third advantage of electronic copies is that they occupy millimeters of space on a magnetic disk rather than meters on a shelf. Expanding library buildings is increasingly costly. The University of California at Berkeley recently spent $46 million on an underground addition to house 1.5 million books - an average cost of $30 per volume. The price of disk storage, in contrast, has fallen to about $2 per 300-page publication and continues to drop. | high330.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "why travel is so exciting"
},
"options": [
"how to have a comfortable life",
"how to prepare for a trip",
"why travel is so exciting",
"why some people are tired of travelling"
],
"question": "The passage is mai... | I'm a travel lover. I think it is very exciting to go to new places, experience different situations and see new things. Here's what I have come up with about why my travel is so interesting.
To start with, whether we know it or not, every day is filled with anxiety about things that we don't need to worry about in the first place. Going to new places is a good chance to escape from our everyday worries. For example, after a whole day at work, I'm often physically and mentally tired and start to worry about things. However, the moment I get on the train or bus to my next destination I forget all my tiredness and worries.
Next is one of the most important things in travel: movement. I always take along books to read on my train trips, but in the end, only about five pages or so ever get read, because I just look at things out of the window. Just the ability to move is very enjoyable. Movement also means that we are going to new places and seeing new things. But why is that important? Because experiencing new situations, people and ideas can help us to learn about new things and grow. I have never gone on a trip and come back as the same person; I have always changed and grown through travel.
So take every type of trip you can, at every chance you get, and you will not only experience more of the world, but will become a happier person with rich experiences. | high14498.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "breaking records brings him much joy and challenge"
},
"options": [
"breaking records brings him much joy and challenge",
"he followed his guru's advice, hoping to change his life",
"he wants to exercise different parts of hi... | Ashrita Furman loves breaking records. In fact, over the last 30 years, he's broken almost 400 Guinness World Records. And he recently broke the Guinness World Record for "the most records held at the same time by an individual".
Ashrita broke his first record in 1979, doing 27,000 star jumps in one go. But since then, he's set all sorts of records: clapping non-stop for 50 hours, balance a lawn mower on his chin for almost two minutes... the list is endless. The 57-year-old New Yorker runs a health food shop but spends his free time training to break new records.
How does he decide which records to attempt? Simple! Ashrita studies the Guinness Book of Records online database. "I used to stay up two or three hours in the morning, _ the 40,000 records and chose the ones I was interested in." he explained. But these days, to make sure he has overall fitness, he chooses records that work different parts of his body.
In his attempts to break records, Ashrita often travels abroad. In 2005, he set the record for the "fastest mile on a space hopper" while jumping along the Great Wall of China. In 2003, he set the record for the "longest time balancing on a Swiss ball" at Stonehenge, England. And he likes to make his record attempts as challenging as possible.
As a teenager, he met a guru and began studying meditation . "It changed my life... And I soon realized that limits are all in the mind." One day, his guru told him to go and "break records". So he did and he hasn't stopped since. He recently said, "The point is joy. The point is the challenge. It's something silly, but you are the best in the world at it." | high23234.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Her friendship with Sharon."
},
"options": [
"How she was adopted.",
"Why she switched schools.",
"Her family life.",
"Her friendship with Sharon."
],
"question": "What is the author mainly worried about?",
... | December 2
Sharon called about four times today. At least it shows she's trying to explain something to me. I feel a little better.
December 3
This morning Sharon said she had only told one person and didn't know why everyone seemed to know. Yes, I am an adopted daughter. But she had promised to keep it a secret for ever!
December 5
I wish I had a friend I could really trust all of the time. I thought I found that friend, but I haven't and it's making me miserable ! It's wrong to tell her all about it. She gains my trust, and then loses it.
December 7
I have a nice room, beautiful house and everything I've ever wanted. My adoptive parents will give me all the things I've ever dreamed of. Yet all the money in the world can't buy what I want now. I want for Sharon to be my best friend again.
December 10
Sharon just called. She said she thought it might help if we spent more time together. She worried that I would switch schools . She is the best friend I've ever had. When I'm with Sharon, I can be myself. I need Sharon's friendship. I need it more than I've ever known.
December 16
I just had the most _ two days of my life! This was the best time I've had for a long, long while. Yesterday, we walked five times around the park and today we walked along the river for twenty minutes. We talked so much. Sharon, Sharon, no brick wall between us now. | high324.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He was a prisoner."
},
"options": [
"He was a sea captain.",
"He was a runaway from his wife,",
"He was an old soldier going home.",
"He was a prisoner."
],
"question": "Which is right about Vingo?",
"questi... | Three boys and three girls were going to Fort Lauderdale and when they boarded the bus,they were carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags,dreaming of golden beaches as the gray cold of New York vanished behind them.
As the bus passed through New Jersey,they began to notice Vingo, He sat in front of them,dressed in a plain,ill-fitting suit,never moving,his dusty face masking his age. He kept chewing the inside of his lip a lot,frozen into some personal cocoon of silence.
Deep into the night,outside Washington,the bus pulled into Howard Johnson's,and everybody got off except Vingo. He sat rooted in his seat,and the young people began to wonder about him,trying to imagine his life:perhaps he was a sea captain,a runaway from his wife,an old soldier going home. When they went back to the bus,one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself.
"We're going to Florida," she said brightly, "I hear it's really beautiful."
"It is,"he said quietly,as if remembering something he had tried to forget.
"Want some wine?" she said. He smiled and took a swig. He thanked her and once again returned to his silence. After a while,she went back to the others,and Vingo nodded in his sleep.
In the morning,they awoke outside another Howard Johnson's.And this time Vingo went in. The girl insisted that he join them. He seemed very shy, and ordered black coffee and smoked nervously as the young people chattered about sleeping on beaches. When they returned to the bus,the girl sat with Vingo again,and after a while, slowly and painfully,he told his story. He had been in jail in New York for the past four years,and now he was going home.
"Are you married?"
"I don't know.
"You don't know?" she said.
"Well,when I was in jail I wrote to my wife,"he said. "I told her that I was going to be away a long time,and that if she couldn't stand it.if the kids kept asking questions,if it hurt too much,well she could just forget me, I'd understand. Get a new guy,I said she's a wonderful woman,really something and forget about me. I told her she didn't have to write me for nothing. And she didn't. Not for three and a half years."
"And you're going home now,not knowing?"
"Yeah,"he said shyly. "Well,last week,when I was sure the parole was coming through, I wrote her again. We used to live in Brunswick,just before Jacksonville,and there's a big oak tree just as you came into town. I told her that if she'd take me back,she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree,and I'd get off and come home, If she didn't want me, forget it, no handkerchief,and I'd go on through."
"Vow," the girl _ . "Wow."
She told the others,and noon all of them were in it, caught up in the approach of Brunswick,looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children. The woman was handsome in a plain way,the children still unformed in the much-handled snapshots.
Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took over window seat on the right side,waiting for the approach of the great oak tree. The bus acquired a dark,hushed mood,full of the silence of absence and lost years. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face into the ex-con's mask, as if fortifying himself against still another disappointment.
Then Brunswick was ten miles, and then five. Then,suddenly,all of the young people were up out of their seats,screaming and shouting and crying,doing small dances of joy. All except Vingo.
Vingo sat there stunned,looking at the oak tree. It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs,20 of them,30 of them,maybe hundreds,a tree that stood like a banner of welcome billowing in the wind. As the young people shouted,the old rose and made his way to the front of the bus to go home. | high1868.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To advertise for recruiting some good employees."
},
"options": [
"To describe the positions of the China Daily newspper group.",
"To deseribe the working conditions of the China Daily newspaper group.",
"To tell you how to b... | The China Daily newspaper group is hunting for English-language senior business editors, senior copy editors, copy editors and graphic designers to strengthen its international team. We offer a competitive salary package, free accommodation with utilities paid for, 90 per cent medical reimbursement, a seven-day paid leave, eleven day public holidays and a return ticket to the country of residence.
Senior Business Editor
You must:
Assist the Business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them;
Be an excellent team person who can generate ideas and think creatively and be able to rewrite totally if needed and mentor junior staff;
Ideally have been working or have worked in a position of responsibility and understand what leadership entails;
Have had at least five year's editing experience working on editing the Business Desk and be familiar with industry software.
Senior Copy Editor
You must:
Work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print;
Edit or rewrite copy and give snappy headlines and captions;
Have had at least two years' editing experience working on editing desks and be familiar with industry software.
CopyEditor
You must:
Be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing snappy headlines and captions;
Be able to work on shifts for different pages, and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print;
Have two years of editing experience working on copy desks, and be familiar with industry software.
Graphic Designer
You must:
Have excellent skills in information graphics;
Be good at illustrations and freehand drawings;
Be experienced in newspaper or magazine layouts;
Have a good sense of typography;
Have good news judgment;
Be wellversed with Macintosh software, including in Design, Illustrator and Photoshop;
Be fluent in English.
For enquiries or to apply, write tojob@chinadaily.com.cn. | high15786.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "was very intelligent"
},
"options": [
"was very intelligent",
"went to middle school at 10",
"played rugby very well",
"became the youngest student at Edinburgh University"
],
"question": "Gordon Brown was succe... | Gordon Brown was born in Scotland in 1951.His childhood was a brilliant success because of his intellectual strength.He was accepted into middle school at 10.At 16 he became the youngest student at Edinburgh University.
"At that time, he was a lucky boy, good at almost everything," said his old friend Murray Elder.However, setbacks fell on the brilliant boy.After a rugby injury, he became blind in his left eye.Before long, similar symptoms developed in his right eye."I lay in the hospital bed in total darkness, uncertain about my future," said Brown.
Looking back into the past, Brown didn't complain about his bad luck.He even said: "One door closes; you can't play rugby any more, so you focus on other things."
Brown was interested in student politics in university, which helped a lot in his political career later in life.
In 1997, Brown was made Chancellor of the Exchequer .He has succeeded in giving the country a high rate of employment and the longest period of economic growth in its history.
Compared with his successful career, Brown's family life is full of downs.He lost his first daughter ten days after her birth.His one-year-old youngest son has a deadly disease."These accidents make me appreciate my life more," he said. | high10826.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Architecture."
},
"options": [
"Philosophy.",
"Music.",
"Architecture.",
"Theology."
],
"question": "What field did Albert SchweitzerNOT contribute his efforts to?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},... | The son of a Lutheran pastor, Albert Schweitzer was born in a small village in Alsace, then part of Germany.By age 29, Schweitzer had already authored three books and made landmark scholarly contributions in the fields of music, religion, and philosophy.He was an acclaimed organist, a world authority on Bach, a church pastor, a head of a theological seminary , and a university professor with two doctoral degrees.
At the age of 30, aware of the desperate medical needs of Africans, he decided to become a doctor and devote the rest of his life to direct service in Africa. In 1913, at the age of 38, Dr.Schweitzer and his wife, Helene, opened a hospital in Lambarene, Gabon- then a province of French Equatorial Africa.Not even serious setbacks of World War I, part of which he and Helene spent as prisoners of war in France, _ him from continuing commitment to his job.
In 1915,troubled daily by the vast numbers of suffering patients coming to his hospital for help, he experienced as a revelation the idea of "Reverence for Life" as the elementary and universal principle of ethics that he had been seeking for so long. By stressing the interdependence and unity of all life, he was a forerunner of the environmental and animal welfare movements - Rachel Carson dedicated Silent Spring to him.
In 1952, at the age of 77, Schweitzer was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. During the last twelve years of his life, his speeches and writings emphasized the dangers of atmospheric nuclear test explosions and the suicidal nuclear arms race between the superpowers.
After retiring as a practicing doctor, Albert Schweitzer continued to oversee the hospital until his death at the age of 90. To the end, his one frustration was that he had not succeeded in convincing the world to abolish nuclear weapons. He and his wife are buried on the Hospital grounds in Lambarene. | high21423.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a museum"
},
"options": [
"a museum",
"a cinema",
"a park",
"a cafe"
],
"question": "The information you read above is probably about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Hours & Admission
Open Daily 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. except major holidays (see below)
July and August only - Thursdays until 7:00 p.m.
Please Note: all MIT Museum sites are wheelchair accessible.
Admission beginning July l, 2013
Adults: $10.00; youth under 18, students, seniors: $5:00; children under age 5: free
Admission is free the last Sunday of each month, all day, from September 2013 -June 2014
Evening programs are free with Museum Admission
Visit our Partner Organizations pages for more information about discounts .
Closed, 2013:
January l: New Year's Day
May 27: Memorial Day
July 4: Independence Day
September 2: Labor Day
November 28: Thanksgiving Day
December 24 & 25: Christmas Eve & Christmas Day
December 31: Early Closing for New Year's Day | high4910.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a city of middle size"
},
"options": [
"Tokyo",
"a small town",
"a city of middle size",
"a big city"
],
"question": "From the passage we know in Japan the writer likes to live in _ .",
"question_type": "... | Getting paid to talk about the World Cup is a great job. I'm not a football commentator , though-just an English teacher in Japan.
I come to Japan two years ago, and didn't think I would stay, but Japan has that effect on you. _ . I think it's best to teach in a bigger city where there are other foreigners to mix with, rather than a small town where English teachers often complain of feeling like a goldfish in a bowl. Many people choose to live in Tokyo, of course, which is good for the nightlife factor. But I'd say that for general quality of living, cities of neither too large nor too small, like Sapporo where I live, are better choices.
I teach English privately, which means I'm my own boss. If you want to devote yourself to private teaching, it's well worth doing a TEFL course first, because your lessons will be much better for it. The problem with private teaching is finding students; it took me a year to build up a full schedule of private lessons, so I started out teaching in schools part-time.
Most of my foreign friends here work full-time for big English conversation schools. The salary is fine to live on, but whether you can save money depends on how much going out and traveling you do here.
The schools are unwilling to take time off -even teachers with tickets for the England-Argentina game had trouble getting the day off. | high3919.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "how to make a $10 donation by text message"
},
"options": [
"how to keep our wireless bill safe when making donation",
"how to make a $10 donation by text message",
"when to become an authorized account holder",
"how to... | Do you want to help others--but don't know where to start? Do you feel that the challenges facing us are too big for one person? One advantage of supporting the American Red Cross is that each of our individual contributions is magnified when we all join together.Another advantage is that it's easy to start helping.You can start this every minute,by using your mobile to send a text message to make a $10 donation to one of our ongoing campaigns.
Donate to Help Victims of Natural Disasters
Text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief, which helps people affected by disasters such as floods,earthquakes.wildfires and hurricanes.
Please consider making a donation today to help the thousands of people who have been affected by these disasters.
Donate to Help Reduce Deaths from Measles
Text PREVENT to 90999 to give $ 10 to the Red Cross and help us vaccinate children against measles.
Started in 2001.the Measles & Rubella Initiative--led by the American Red Cross, provides technical and financial support to governments and communities for mass vaccination campaigns around the world.The Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 1 billion children helping to reduce measles deaths by 78%globally(compared to 2000).
Please consider making a donation today to help us continue _ .To learn more,visit www.Measlesrubellainitiative.org.
Important Information for Text Donors
You can make a $ 10 donation to the American Red Cross.Charges will appear on your wireless bill.All purchases must be authorized by account holder.You must be over 18 years old or have parental permission to participate.Text STOP to 90999 to STOP.Text HELP to 90999 for HELP. | high10198.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "enabling them to know to handle life's ups and downs"
},
"options": [
"enabling them to know to handle life's ups and downs",
"allowing them to succeed in the complex world of adult life",
"Ending their feeling about the worl... | There is a cry of rage, and a tennis racket crashes to the ground. Jake,age 7,has just lost another match and is now in tears beside the court. His sister Sally, just one year older, looks at her mother and rolls her eyes: it is hard to enjoy winning when this keeps happening. It is not an unusual situation, and it is one reason why many people argue that competition is bad for children. However,the truth is that competitive games are a valuable preparation for adult life.
Games with winners and losers give children the chance to experience life's ups and downs .Take Jake, for example.Even though he is unhappy now, he will probably be smiling and laughing with his sister in a few minutes, just like the last time this happened . Gradually, he will learn that the world does not end when you lose a game. Eventually, he may even be able to lose with a smile on his face. This is an important lesson. Not everything in life goes the way you would like, and it is important to know how to handle disappointment t when it occurs.
Children who participate in competitive games develop qualities that allow them to succeed in the complex world of adult life. For example, one of the missions of the Youth Olympic Games is to inspire young people to adopt the Olympic values, which include striving,
Determination and optimism. Competition creates a desire to do better. Children have to learn to succeed in a competitive atmosphere in order to take advantage of opportunities in the future .Although it is possible to win by chance occasionally, people who win and keep winning work very hard to achieve their success.
On the negative side,there are those who will say that competition actually encourages some values , which does happen . It is common to see sports competition in which the desire to win has replaced the desire to have fun. You may even see very young children playing violently----like the superstars they see on TV. While the bad behavior of young athletes is troubling, the problem is not the competition itself. In reality, the blame lies with the professional players who are bad role models for these children. In fact, a recent study of young athletes by the school of Physical Health Education at the University of Wyoming showed an improvement in mood after exercise, athletes were less depressed or tense.
Of course, there are parents who argue that children of Jake's age are too young to handle the pain of losing. But whether we like it or not, adult life is very competitive , and keeping children away from competition does them more harm than good. If children do not learn how to compete, they will be defeated by people who can. It is an unfortunate fact of life: whether ten or a hundred people want the same job, there can be only one winner .Wouldn't you want your child to be that person? | high19802.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Her consciousness of environmental protection and trained eyes."
},
"options": [
"Her poor living conditions at college.",
"The education from her parents not to waste anything useful.",
"Her roommates' advice of using garbag... | Most artists have a favorite material they like to work with.For 28-year-old Kristen Alice, it happens to be garbage.The eco-friendly designer uses her incredible talent to transform garbage like empty drink bottles and candy wrappers into charming dresses that sell for thousands of dollars.
Kristen says the idea came to her after she saw how much vaster she and her three college roommates generated on a daily basis.The Fine Arts student began to dream about transforming the deserted bags and packages into beautiful garments.
Her first dress' made from plastic bags and rolled magazines was strange, fun and even charming.However, she only made it to test her creativity.
The young designer did not consider starting a commercial venture until she spent a week working at Couture Fashion Week in New York City.There she observed the excitement generated by new and vintage looks and decided to see if her unusual idea would result in as much enthusiasm.She began by creating a line of 12 garbage-inspired dresses.They were a huge success.
Today her company that has offices in Palm Beach, Florida and New York City, produces a wide variety of dresses ranging from cocktail dresses to ball gowns .Kristen, of course, doesn't search garbage cans for her material anymore.Instead, she seeks it from companies that have produced more than they need and are planning to throw away the extras.
However, if you think the garbage-inspired dresses come cheap, think again.The price for ready-made creations retails from $500 to $1,500.Though that may appear expensive, the designer says she has no shortage of customers.In fact she now even has garbage-inspired clothing for men that includes jackets, ties, trousers and even board shorts! While most of the clothes are strong enough to resist multiple wears, whether they can be cleaned is a little unclear: | high11286.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The old man had great wisdom."
},
"options": [
"The old man was poor.",
"The old man had a qurrel with his wife.",
"The old man had great wisdom.",
"The old man didn't like reading books."
],
"question": "Which ... | Isn't it amazing how one person, sharing one idea, at the right time and place can change the course of your life's history? This is certainly what happened in my life.
When I was 14, I was hitchhiking from Houston, Texas, through El Paso on my way to California. I was following my dream, journeying with the sun. I was a high school dropout with learning disabilities and was set on surfing the biggest waves in the world, first in California and then in Hawaii, where I would later live.
Upon reaching downtown El Paso, I met an old man, a bum , on the street corner. He saw me walking, stopped me and questioned me as I passed by. He asked me if I was running away from home, I suppose because I looked so young. I told him, "Not exactly, sir," since my father had given me a ride to the freeway in Houston and given me his blessings while saying, "It is important to follow your dream and what is in your heart. Son. "
The bum then asked me if he could buy me a cup of coffee. I told him, "No, sir, but a soda would be great." We walked to a corner shop and sat down on a couple of swiveling stools while we enjoyed our drinks.
After talking for a few minutes, the friendly bum told me to follow him. He told me that he had something grand to show me and share with me. We walked a couple of blocks until we came upon the downtown El Paso Public Library.
We walked up its front steps and stopped at a small information stand. Here the bum spoke to a smiling old lady, and asked her if she would be kind enough to watch my things for a moment while he and I entered the library. I left my belongings with this grandmotherly figure and entered this wonderful hall of learning.
The bum first led me to a table and asked me to sit down and wait for a moment while he looked for something special amongst the shelves. A few moments later, he returned with a couple of old books under his arms and set them on the table. He then sat down beside me and spoke. He started with a few statements that were very special and that changed my life. He said, "There are two things that I want to teach you, young man, and they are these:
"Number one is to never judge a book by its cover, for a cover can fool you." He followed with, "I' ll bet you think I'm a bum, don't you, young man?"
I said, "Well, uh, yes, I guess so, sir. "
"Well, young man, I've got a little surprise for you. I am one of the wealthiest men in the world. I have probably everything any man could ever want. I originally come from the Northeast and have all the things that money can buy. But a year ago, my wife passed away, bless her soul, and since then I have been deeply thinking about life. I realized there were certain things I had not yet experienced in life, one of which was what it would be like to live like a bum on the streets. I made a promise to myself to do exactly that for one year. For the past year. I have been going from city to city doing just that. So, you see, don t ever judge a book by its cover, for a cover can fool you.
"Number two is to learn how to read, my boy. For there is only one thing that people can't take away from you, and that is your wisdom." At that moment, he reached forward, grabbed my right hand in his and put them upon the books he'd pulled from the shelves. They were the writings of Plato and Aristotle--forever classics from ancient times.
The bum then led me back past the smiling old woman near the entrance, down the steps and back on the streets near where we first met. His parting request was for me to never forget what he taught me. | high21345.txt |
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