questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "strange flying objects"
},
"options": [
"flying high up in the sky",
"strange flying objects",
"difficult to believe",
"very interested"
],
"question": "The UFOs are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | It is sometimes reported that strange flying objects have been seen high up in the sky. People call these strange objects Unidentified Flying Objects(UFOs). These UFOs caused a lot of interest. Some of the reports about them are difficult to believe.Some have been explained in scientific ways. Others have never been explained.
Here is an account of UFOs from a report.
Dennis Bardens,who wrote an article,tells us that he once saw a UFO himself.He was having dinner one night with a friend near Tripoli ,Libya ,and after dinner the two men walked across a yard to his room to look at some papers.Bardens noticed that the moon looked strange that night.
"It wasn't the moon,"was the reply.
They watched the light and saw that it was moving.It seemed to be an object rather like a big plate.In some ways it looked like smoke with a light on it,but it wasn't smoke because it didn't change its shape.It was moving in a regular way.That is to say,it didn't go suddenly faster or more slowly,and it didn't go higher or lower.So the two men decided that there must be men in it.
When it came nearer to Libya,Bardens said that he felt eyes looking at him.He was being watched in the darkness.
When it was nearer,they noticed that the bottom parts were brighter than the top.The bottom was yellow and the top was red.Then the object suddenly turned away and left Libya,moving very fast.
On a later day Bardens talked to other people about it,and he found some who had seen it.They all described it in the same way.Could they all the mistaken? | high7766.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "property developers and local governments"
},
"options": [
"property developers and ordinary people",
"property developers and local governments",
"ordinary people and the Chinese government",
"property developers and t... | Housing Price in China has always aroused heated discussion among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8, 000 yuan per square metre, while in China, it is even higher than that in the United States. "This shows that there are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market," the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after changed to RMB, is about 8, 000 yuan per square metre, the houses in the US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If the US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8, 000 yuan per square metre. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses cannot be compared with houses in the US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people's average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in the US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. Meanwhile, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered and Chinese public can really benefit from the economic achievement. | high8455.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "doing some writing for the prisoner"
},
"options": [
"encouraging the prisoners",
"visiting the prison houses",
"spending time in listening to the prisoners",
"doing some writing for the prisoner"
],
"question":... | Perhaps you have never heard of Katherine Lawes.Katherine was the wife of Lewis Lawes, warden at Sing Sing Prison from 1920 to 1941.In these 21 years he made many reforms --- and an important part of his success was due to his wife Katherine.
Katherine took seriously the idea that the prisoners are human beings ,worthy of attention and respect .She regularly visited inside the walls of Sing Sing.She encouraged the prisoners, took things to them and spent time listening to them.Most importantly, she cared about them.And as a result, they cared deeply about her.
Then one night in October of 1937, news was "telegraphed" between the prison cells that Katherine had been killed in an accident.The prisoners asked the warden to allow them to attend her funeral.He agreed to their strange request and a few days later the south gate of Sing Sing swung slowly open.Hundreds of men who had committed almost every crime imaginable marched slowly out of the prison, later gathered again at the gate and returned to their cells.There were so many that they proceeded unguarded.But no one tried to escape.If he had, the others might have killed him immediately.So devoted were they to Katherine Lawes, the woman who daily walked into Hell to show the men a piece of Heaven.
Katherine' s strength was to see the men less as prisoners and more as individuals.Thomas Moore once said, "We can only treat badly those things or people whose souls we show no respect for." | high15221.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "homes are more likely to be broken into nowadays"
},
"options": [
"more burglars are being caught than ever before",
"people have more possessions to worry about nowadays",
"burglars are more at risk than they used to be",
... | Are you worried by the rising crime rate? If you are, you probably know that your house, possessions and person are increasingly in danger of suffering from great rise in the cases of burglary(;) and attack.
Figures show an ever-increasing crime rate, but it is only too easy to imagine "It will never happen to me". Unfortunately, statistics show that it really can happen to you and, if you live in a large city, you run twice the risk of being a victim.
Fortunately, there is something definite which you can do. Protect Alarms can help to protect your house with a burglar alarm system which is effective, simple to operate and easily affordable.
You must remember that owning a burglar alarm is no indication that your house is packed with valuable possessions. It quite simply indicates to unwelcome visitors that yours is one house they will not break into easily, so they carry on to an unprotected house where their job is made a lot easier.
Send now for our free leaflet telling you how we can Protect Alarm your house quickly, easily and cheaply. Complete and tear off the slip below and post it to us. Postage is free. Also, telephone us on 327 6721 where we have a round-the-clock answering service. It costs nothing to find out about Protect Alarm. | high1317.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Much smoking smell in the air."
},
"options": [
"No live shows there.",
"No smoking areas in the park.",
"Much smoking smell in the air.",
"Having to line up for a long time."
],
"question": "What are most visit... | Disneyland calls itself the happiest place in the world. In order to keep visitors happy in its locations across the globe, every theme park in the world is changed slightly to satisfy local cultures and tastes.
Opened in 1983 and larger than the original California Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland is the third most visited of any theme park in the world after the two Disney parks in the US. Like Walt Disney World in Florida, Cinderella's Castle is located at the centre of the park.
But like karaoke, which originated in Japan and is a country-wide obsession , Disneyland gives the often-reserved Japanese people a place to show their noisy side. In Tokyo Disneyland, even adult visitors will sing, clap and dance along to the internationally themed live shows, which is a rare sight in the US.
After excitedly entering Disneyland Paris, which opened in 1992, visitors can see an arcade that features a small copy of the Statue of Liberty - a gift from France to American in 1886, making it a perfect introduction to this Europe's only Disneyland theme park.
Unfortunately, the French stereotype of a smoking wine drinker is supported in Disneyland Paris. Many visitors complain that although the theme park is equipped with special smoking areas, most smokers seem to puff away in all the open areas, including in queues for rides. _ | high13136.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Japanese"
},
"options": [
"Chinese",
"Japanese",
"the English",
"American"
],
"question": "The writer of the passage is probably _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | "In my country, men usually go to restaurants on their own. They always take their shoes off before they go in. Then they usually sit on the floor around a small, low table. In the evening they often sing songs."
"You usually take chocolates or flowers. But you always take an odd number of flowers, and you remove the paper before you give them to the hostess. You can also send flowers before you arrive. you don't usually take wine except when you visit very close friends."
"We always offer our guests something to drink when they arrive, tea, coffee or perhaps water or soft drinks. We think it is polite to accept a drink even if you're not thirsty. If you visit someone you always stay for a few drinks. When you have had enough to drink, you tap your cup or put your hand over it. If you say no, your host will insist that you have more to drink."
"People's private lives are very important so they never ask you personal questions about your family or where you live or your job. They never talk about religion or matters of finance, education or politics, but usually stay with safe subjects like the weather, films, plays, books and restaurants."
"It's difficult to know when to leave, but an evening meal usually lasts about three or four hours. When the host serves coffee, this is sometimes a sign that the evening is nearly over, but you can have as much coffee as you want."
"If the invitation says eight o'clock then we arrive exactly at eight. With friends we know well, we sometimes arrive about fifteen minutes before."
"Obviously it depends on the occasion, but most dinner parties are informal. The men don't usually wear a suit, but they may wear a jacket and tie. Women are usually smart but casual." | high1471.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "develop health problems."
},
"options": [
"develop health problems.",
"1ive to a ripe old age.",
"are not afraid of predators.",
"have difficulty eating food."
],
"question": "The text tells us that zoo elephant... | Most people regard zoos as safe places for animals, where struggles such as difficulty finding food and avoiding predators don't exist. Without such problems, animals in zoos should live to a ripe old age. But that may not be true for the largest land animals on Earth. Scientists have known that elephants in zoos often develop diseases, joint problems and behavior changes. Sometimes, they even become unable to have babies.
To learn more about how captivity affects elephants, a team of international scientists led by Mason, a biologist, compared the life spans of female elephants born in zoos with female elephants living outdoors in the wild. Zoos keep detailed records of all the animals in their care, documenting factors such as birth dates, illnesses, weight and death. These records made it possible for the researchers to analyze 40 years of data on 800 elephants in zoos.
The team found that female elephants born in zoos lived an average of 16.9 years. Their wild counterparts who died of natural causes lived an average of 56 years----more than three times as long.
Scientists don't yet know for sure why wild elephants seem to live so much better than their zoo-raised counterparts. Mason thinks stress and obesity may be to blame. Zoo elephants don't get the same kind of exercise as they do in the wild, and most are very fat. Elephant social lives are also much different in zoos than in the wild, where they live in large groups.
Another finding from the study showed that elephants born in zoos were more likely to die earlier than elephants captured in the wild and brought to zoos. Mason suggests stress in the mothers in zoos might cause them to have babies that are less likely to survive.
The study raises some questions about acquiring more elephants to keep in zoos. While some threatened and endangered species living in zoos reproduce successfully and keep healthy populations, that doesn't appear to be the case with elephants. | high15547.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They have a greater chance of having severe disease."
},
"options": [
"most of them were forced to move away.",
"They earn a lot of fortune from the factory or the profit it brought about.",
"employees from local area all got... | Emergency rooms (ER) are supposed to cure people but Dr. John Stemgold wonders if working in an ER in Willits made him sick. The ER was downwind of the Remco chrome plant. "I used to sit facing that window and kind of daydream out the window, looking at Remco, looking at the fog coming out of there. Then I would cough and cough." Stemgold said.
What Dr.Stemgold didn't know was that Remco was flowing out Chromium VI into the air--- a chemical known to cause cancer and breathing problems in humans. A recent state health department study found that people who were in Willits when Remco was in operation from 1964 to 1995 are at higher risk for cancer because of Chromium VI exposure.
Today Dr.Stemgold has lots of time to play his guitar. It turns out he has a form of breathing difficulty. Hospital chemicals cause coughing so violently that he's broken bones and it's cost him his career. Others in this town believe the Chromium has made them sick, too, and their families. Actually, Chromium VI was classified as a carcinogen , a cancer-causing substance, thirty years ago, Twenty years ago, a group of state scientific specialists found no exposure level below which carcinogen effects would not have some probability of occurring. Still, Remco was allowed to flow out Chromium VI into the air.
In the battle to balance public health and a healthy economy, laws often favor business, Alan Ramo is a professor of law at Golden Gate University. "There is a real drive to make money, to have employment. When there's a real job that's available and a theoretical risk of a chemical, jobs win out, business wins out."
And chemicals are allowed to flood the marketplace and the government requires strict testing before any drugs can be sold. But the vast majority of industrial chemicals are put into use little testing of any kind Chemicals that people like us, you and me might be exposed to. Marilyn Underwood is with California state health department. " You need to have the convincing evidence that something is bad to then start regulating it." However, in most cases, chemicals are not tested until someone reports the abnormal, unnatural condition of the environment in general.
"I think that if people really knew what really goes on with environmental protection I think they would be shocked and they should be." Says Professor Ramo. "It might be valuable for other people to know what has happened to me, not for me but for them." He said "because they might be in a similar situation because of where they work." | high12228.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "in 2012"
},
"options": [
"in 2011",
"in 2012",
"in 2013",
"in 2014"
],
"question": "Miller considered John to be a serious athlete _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | Twelve years ago, Rachel Miller was lost when it came to her son John. The 7-year-old was seriously disabled because of his autism . Unable to speak, he withdrew from people at school and, worse, from his family.
In March 2003, Miller was introduced to Jeff Hancock, a one-on-one therapist for people with autism. Hancock was hired to be John's companion. The two would go people-watching at the mall on the weekend. Hancock chatted throughout their trips, even though John couldn't talk back.
Their relationship developed when Hancock introduced John to the Special Olympics. Whenever John was running or being active, he was smiling.
When John turned 12, Hancock introduced him to track at the Special Olympics. For the first three years, the pair just observed the sport by watching practices and events. Hancock worked daily with John, showing him everything, including where to sit, stand and walk, so he would understand the flow of the events.
Eventually, the lessons clicked, and John was off doing 50-meter sprints. But as John got older, he got stronger and faster. At 16, he was jumping hurdles and doing 800-meter races. Miller started seeing her son as a serious athlete.
In May 2014, John's training brought him to the Special Olympics State Summer Games in Orlando. The 18-year-old was competing in the 800 meters and the 110-meter hurdles.
As the 800 was setting up, Miller remembered, she pressed her face against the fence, anxiously waiting for John to compete. But as soon as the race started, all Miller saw was an athlete, her athlete.
"I just wanted to see the best performance. It seemed much more significant than whether he would ever speak or respond to me," she said.
John ended up winning the gold medal for the 800. Sports completely changed John, and Miller said that is because of Hancock."A person with a disability can feel hopeless and isolated, and I think that can happen to parents, too. " | high14881.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "girls get fewer chances to know about STEM"
},
"options": [
"girls are not as good at STEM as boys",
"girls do not like to take science classes",
"girls get fewer chances to know about STEM",
"girls seldom survive the h... | The early lack of exposure to science ,technology,engineering and mathematics (STEM) can be harmful to achieving gender balance in these fields. It begins when we are young and continues throughout our time in high school.
While at home,girls generally don't get to experience the level of exposure or encouragement in STEM fields that their male counterparts do. It is often subtle ,but it's the first hurdle that faces and confuses so many women. Boys ,on the other hand, get on their path ,and are encouraged to do so, generally earlier than girls. For example ,boys are more often given science sets as toys ,which spark an interest in these subjects.
In school3boys are often pushed to take the more challenging math and science classes. So if we want to attract the best and brightest minds into the fields that will advance us as a people?a country,and a planet,we can no longer look to only half of the population. Young girls cannot possibly consider opportunities they do not know exist. If girls are not exposed to certain subject and career paths,they are highly unlikely to choose to follow them in college.
Our bias toward girls9either from families or from schools ,is so rooted in our culture that we often don't even recognize _ . Although the situation Has changed greatly in the past 20 or 30 years,there is still a sense that girls aren't as good at math9for instance9even though there is almost no evidence to support such a belief.
It is important that as a society we deal with gender stereotypes long before young people are faced with a decision to declare or choose a major in college. Without making efforts to break them, we are limiting the potentials of our youth,both male and female. Providing the necessary resources, exposure,and encouragement would help young women understand that their gender shouldn't determine the career path they choose, and that pursuing a STEM career does not make them less feminine. | high3266.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Colleges should concentrate more on the services to keep the students"
},
"options": [
"The brightest students are not at all hungry for stronger universities.",
"About 76% of first-year students got an award of $ 20,000 per year."... | Hungry for the brightest students, many of the country's stronger universities are actively discounting tuition .And it's the high achievers, rather than the needy students, who are getting a good chunk of the money.The practice is remarkably widespread, reaching almost all but the 30 or so Ivy and other top colleges that forbid good grades-based financial aid.Schools are also becoming more aggressive in raising their discounts.At the DePauw University Website, enter an SAT or ACT score, grade point average and class rank, and a computer program immediately tells you what kind of "award".Only "the real unlucky" pay full price any more.
About 76% of first-year students got some form of discount this year at 331 private schools.Average award per student: $7,000.At small schools with tuition under about $20,000, the average discount is even higher, with some schools returning over half their tuition.
Carnegie Mellon even tells students it will "negotiate " and perhaps match financial-aid packages if kids are offered bigger awards at other schools.Much as banks and insurers offer special rates to their best customers, schools are giving the biggest breaks to their top students.Public four-year colleges, too, are offering discounts.
The flip side of big discounts is that less money is available to improve academic programs and keep school infrastructure up to date.Universities that have sharply increased their tuition discount rates have seen graduation rates fall, and that's true even among highly selective schools.They get the students in the door, but don't have the services to keep them. | high11721.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "tell readers about blogs"
},
"options": [
"introduce an Internet computer Web site called \"blog\"",
"introduce a short way of saying Weblog",
"tell readers how to write blogs",
"tell readers about blogs"
],
"qu... | A "blogger" is a person who writes on an Internet computer Web site called a "blog ".The word "blog" is a short way of saying Web log, or personal Web site. Anyone can start a blog, and they can write about anything they like. There are millions of blogs on the Internet today. They provide news, information,advertisements, advice and ideas for many people who read them. They contain links to other Web sites. And they provide a place for people to write about their ideas and react to the ideas of others.
A research company called Perscus has studied more than 300 Web logs. It says that blogs are most popular with teenage girls. They use them to let their friends know what is happening in their lives. The study also says that more than 100,000 bloggers stopped taking part in the activity after a year.
However, some people develop serious blogs to present political and other ideas. For example, the Republican and Democratic parties in the southern state of Kentucky recently started their own blogs. And American companies are beginning to use blogs to advertise their products. At the same time, some long-standing blogs have ended. Last week, blogging leader Dave Winer closed his free blog service "weblogs. com". He says the site became too costly to continue. He started the blog four years ago. And thousands of people had written on it. They are now upset because they did not know that the site was closing. One blog that is still going strong is called Rebecca's Pocket. Rebecca Blood created the Web-site in 1999. She wrote about the history of blogs on the site. That article led to a book called "The Weblog Handbook". It has been translated into four languages so far. Ms. Blood says Rebecea's Pocket gets about 30,000 visitors a month. She writes about anything and everything -- politics, culture and movies. She recently provided medical advice. And she wrote about how to prevent people from stealing money from on -line bank accounts. | high4509.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a different meaning"
},
"options": [
"the meaning of a Latin word",
"a different meaning",
"the meaning of \"in\" or \"out of\"",
"a lot of meanings"
],
"question": "By adding a prefix or a suffix to a root, we ... | Some English words are made up of the same part and have different beginnings and different endings, such as import, export, report and transport. All these words, you can see, have the same "port", which comes from the Latin word, meaning "to carry" or "to move" from one place to another. And according to the bit at the beginning, which we call the prefix, the meaning changes. "Import" means "to carry in" or "to bring into a country"; "export", "ex" means "out of", so this word means "to carry out of the country"; "re" means "back", so the "report" means "to tell somebody, to bring back information to somebody"; "transport", "trans" means "across" and it means "to carry across one place to another".
Let's look at the following words: supporter, reporter, importer and exporter. You can see that in this case these words are nouns which are made up of the verbs plus a suffix, thus meaning a person who does this thing. So "supporter" means somebody who supports. A "reporter" is somebody who reports. "Importer" is somebody who imports and "exporter" is somebody who exports, and so on. | high17350.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The penguins' new garments"
},
"options": [
"The penguins' new garments",
"How to protect the penguins",
"The Penguin Foundation",
"Poisonous oil pollution"
],
"question": "Which is the best title for the text?"... | They survive in some of the coldest environments in the world--but even penguins appreciate a warm woolly jumper once in a while.
The mini knitted garments have helped save hundreds of flightless birds caught in oil spills, providing protection from the elements and stopping them from eating poisonous pollution.
Knits tor Nature,a program run by The Penguin Foundation,which protects the little penguin population of Phillip Island,140km south-east of Melbourne,has created up to 300 different designs over the years--and it's all thanks to talented volunteers.
"There's a lot of hidden creativity out there,"said Lyn Blom,of the Phillip Island Nature Park."People love to know that they're helping the penguins because they're so cute and small and they waddle up the beach and they're so strong and determined.But they need to be,they 1ive in a pretty tough sort of environment.''
A thumbnail--sized patch of oil can kill a little penguin,the smallest of the species,measuring just l3 inches and weighing l kg.The oil separates and mats their feathers,breaking natural waterproofing and heating functions.
Ms Blom estimates she has knitted between 200 and 300 penguin jumpers over the years.
A staff member read an article in an English women's magazine about knitting for guillemot birds and decided to adapt the designs.
"There's a lot of ladies out there who used to knit for their children and grandchildren.These ladies have spare wool and idle hands,and they love to feel loved and needed and we love and need them,"said Ms Blom.
The Pengu in Foundation recently staged a competition for the most creative jumper,which received an enthusiastic response.
The Penguin Foundation rescues approximately 20 birds a year.They even have a stockpile of jumpers in case of emergency-such as the large oil spill Phillip Island in 2001. In that instance,453 little penguins were affected,96 percent of which were saved-most thanks to the jumpers. | high18063.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A novelist"
},
"options": [
"An actor.",
"A novelist",
"A movie director.",
"A translator."
],
"question": "Who is Harper Lee?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | In films, dads change from cruel men to loving souls. Here is a list of good and bad movies dads .Atticus Finch in To kill a Mockingbird
GOOD DAD:A man whose wife has died with a young family and a busy job as a lawyer, Gregory Peck's character in the 1962 film is one of the great heroes of American cinema Firm but fair he teaches his children respect and human decency .Harper Lee's novel gets a respectable transposition to film, thanks to Gregory Peck's perfect performance.
Jack Torrance in The Shining
BAD DAD: When Jack Torrance ,his wife ,Wendy ,and son, Danny ,escaped from the cold winter to the Overlook Hotel we know that Jack has hardly been a model father But when Jack becomes extremely angry and tries to murder his family with an axe, Danny used his intelligence to defeat him and left him to freeze to death.
George Bailey in It's a Wonderful life
GOOD DAD: James Stewart's character is a father-of-four who is saved from the edge of suicide and realizes his positive effect on others lives.Much of the film is unpleasant, with George shouting at his children as he faces financial problems. But finally the lovable father realizes the worth of his own life, the value of friendship and the importance of being a loving dad
Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back
BAD DAD: When the unfriendly cyborg told Luke Skywalker that he was his father ,the son's reaction says it all: "No! No!" It's hardly a joyful welcome to the family. For most of his son's life, Darth Vader has been an absent dad--and he has just cut off Luke's hand You can understand why Father's Day cards might not be available. | high5617.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "his work was unnecessary"
},
"options": [
"his work was unnecessary",
"he did his work carelessly",
"he was too old to do the job",
"he could do other better jobs"
],
"question": "The leaders decided to ask the ... | Many years ago in a small village, an old man was hired to clear the spring up on the mountain. He patrolled the spring every day, and swept away all the leaves and other things that would dirty the fresh flow of water. Soon, beautiful swans came to the clear spring, and the village became a popular attraction for visitors.
Years passed. One evening the town leaders held a meeting. As they looked at the salary list, one of them said, "Why do we keep this old man on year after year? I don't think we need him or his work." Later, the old man was asked to leave.
For several weeks, nothing changed. By early autumn, the leaves began to fall off the trees, and the spring was covered with leaves. A few days later, the water was much darker. Only a few months after the old man left, all the swans left, as did the tourists. Disease reached deeply into the village.
Quickly, the leaders held a special meeting. Realizing their mistake, they rehired the old man. Then within a few weeks, the spring began to clear up. Soon new life returned to the village.
So, my friends, do you see? No matter how small your work or your life seems to be, never _ it. Anything we can do will make a difference. | high2178.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It's not mentioned here"
},
"options": [
"8000 yuan",
"10000 yuan",
"7000 yuan",
"It's not mentioned here"
],
"question": "What is the average housing price per square meter in China?",
"question_type": "fac... | China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 - Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people's average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered. | high1459.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he was poor"
},
"options": [
"his farm belonged to the rich man",
"he liked the rich man",
"he was poor",
"the rich man's children liked apples"
],
"question": "Why did the farmer bring apples to the rich man? B... | Once there was a poor farmer and his farm belonged to a rich man. One day he brought a basket of apples to the rich man's house. On the doorsteps, he met two monkeys dressed like children. They jumped onto the basket to eat the apples and threw some on the ground. The farmer politely took off his hat and asked the monkeys to get off. They obeyed and the farmer went into the house. He asked to see the rich man. A servant took him to the room where the rich man was sitting.
"I have brought you the basket of apples you asked for," he said.
"But why have you brought a half-empty basket?" the rich man asked.
"I met your children outside, and they stole some of the apples." | high6336.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Rio de Janeiro"
},
"options": [
"Rio de Janeiro",
"Lisbon",
"Madrid",
"a place not mentioned"
],
"question": "The first edition of the festival may be held in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},... | After ten years, the world' s largest music festival, Rock in Rio, returned to its hometown Rio de Janeiro for seven days of concerts from Friday, September 23rd, attracting 700,000 people over the whole week.
It is the 10th edition of the Rock in Rio festival, but only the 4th to be held in Rio as the organizers exported the festival to Lisbon and Madrid ten years ago.The first edition of the festival was in 1985 and the most recent edition in Rio was held in January, 2001.A total of 700,000 tickets were sold out for this year' s festival.
The festival consists of four stages with the participation of International stars including Elton John, Katy Perry, and bands Metallica, Evanescence and System of a Down.Several stars which performed in previous editions are also on the list this year..In addition, a number of local singers and bands will also join this year.
The performance site, named as Rock City, is a 150,000-square-meter area.Besides the concert area, the site also has a giant Ferns wheel, a roller coaster, and a small shopping mall.After the festival, the Rock City area will be converted into a leisure area to athletes in the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro
According to Rio' s tourism company Riotur, out of the 700,000 people expected in the festival, some 315,000 will be tourists, who raised the hotels' occupation rate to 98 percent.Riotur estimated that the Rock in Rio festival will bring 419 million U.S.dollars for the city and create 10,000 jobs.
The creator of the festival, Brazilian businessmen Roberto Medina, insisted on opening the Rock City gates himself, in the early afternoon, and greeted the first fans to enter the site."We come to the gate because the Brazilian audience is even more important than the bands.We applaud them.They make the greatest show," he said. | high7028.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a babysitter rescuing kids from a big fire"
},
"options": [
"a big fire without serious injury",
"an urgent call 911",
"a brave babysitter",
"a babysitter rescuing kids from a big fire"
],
"question": "The text ... | Lisa Pina never thought she would need the fire safety training she received during her apprenticeship as a union painter and dry waller. On Friday morning,she was thanking God she had _ .
On Thursday night,while Pina was babysitting her granddaughter,nephew and two nieces in her sister's apartment,she smelled smoke and realized the apartment building was on fire. When her 4yearold granddaughter Ilean Garcia began saying,"We're going to die,"she knew she had to act.Pina,39,first sealed the door,and then told all four children to get on the floor. After calling 911,she told the children to start singing and promised them all treats as soon as they reached safety. "I said,'OK,we're going to lie down and we're all going to play a game,'" Pina said. "We all started singing our ABCs and 123s.I was just trying to make it fun." Pina patiently waited,and a few minutes later,Riverside County sheriff's deputies arrived. Pina,Ilean,8yearold Gabriel Parga,5yearold Aubreyana Parga and 4yearold Meriyah Parga were all trapped on the second floor as flames filled the first story. Pina did the only thing she could. She opened the window and dropped the children,onebyone,into the arms of the sheriff's deputies about 15 to 20 feet below. "I just needed to keep the kids calm so they wouldn't be afraid,"Pina said."I was deathly afraid inside,but I couldn't let them know that."[Not long after dropping the children out of the window,firefighters arrived with a ladder and rescued her. Ten people were treated at the scene for suffering smoke,but nobody was seriously injured. | high12200.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "American people were suffering financial problems"
},
"options": [
"it became the top bestseller all of the time",
"reading was more popular than anything else then",
"the price of the book was too high for people then",
... | Gone with the Wind is a novel written by Margaret Mitchell, first published in 1936. It was popular with American readers from the onset and was the top American fiction bestseller in the year it was published and in 1937 on the row. As of 2014, a Harris poll found it to be the second favorite book of American readers, just behind the Bible. More than 30 million copies have been printed worldwide. The sales of Margaret Mitchell's novel in the summer of 1936, at the virtually unprecedented price of three dollars, reached about one million by the end of December. Because it was released in the era of the Great Depression and Mitchell worried the high $3.00 price would ruin its chance for success. Actually the book was a bestseller by the time reviews began to appear in national magazines.
Herschel Brickell, a critic for the New York Evening Post, praised Mitchell for the way she "tosses out the window all the thousands of technical tricks our novelists have been playing with for the past twenty years."
One criticism by literary scholar Patricia Yaeger, leveled at Gone with the Wind, is for its portrayal of African Americans in the 19th century South. Former field hands during the early days of Reconstruction are described behaving "as creatures of small intelligence might naturally be expected to do. Like monkeys or small children turned loose among treasured objects whose value is beyond their comprehension, they ran wild~either from wrong pleasure in destruction or simply because of their ignorance." In Gone with the Wind Mitchell is blind to racial oppression and 'the inseparability of race and gender" that defines the southern belle character of Scarlett, according to Patricia Yaeger.
Yet there are complexities in the way that Mitchell dealt with racial issues. Scarlett was asked by a Yankee woman for advice on who to appoint as a nurse for her children; Scarlett suggested a "darky", much to the disgust of the Yankee woman who was seeking an Irish maid, a "Bridget". African Americans and Irish Americans are treated "in precisely the same way" in Gone with the Wind, writes David O'Connell in his 1996 book, The Irish Roots of Margaret Mitchells Gone with the Wind. Ethnic slurs on the Irish and Irish stereotypes spread in every part of the novel, O'Connell claims, and Scarlett is not an exception to the insults. And apparently in the novel, the Irish American O'Haras were slaveholders whereas African Americans were held as slaves.
Speaking on the subject of whether Gone with the Wind should be taught in schools, James Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, says the novel should be taught in schools. Students should be told that Gone with the Wind presents the wrong view of slavery, Loewen states. Besides, the main complaint was that the racial slur "nigger" appears repeatedly in the novel. In the same complaint were several other books: The Nigger of the 'Narcissus', Uncle Tom's Cabin, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Another criticism of the novel is that it promotes plantation values. Mitchell biographer Marianne Walker, author of Margaret Mitchell & John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone with the Wind, is of the opinion that those who believe Gone with the Wind promotes plantation values have not read the book. Walker states it is the popular 1939 film that "promotes a false notion of the Old South". She goes on to add that Mitchell had no involvement in the production of the film. Perhaps the most enduring legacy of Gone with the Wind is that people worldwide would incorrectly think it was the true story of the Old South and how it was changed by the American Civil War and Reconstruction. The film version of the novel "amplified this effect". Scholars of the period have written in recent years about the negative effects the novel has had on race relations. | high19355.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "people can learn to cope with pain"
},
"options": [
"fakirs possess magic power",
"Indians are not afraid of pain",
"people can learn to cope with pain",
"some people are born without a sense of pain"
],
"questi... | The human body has developed its millions of nerves to be highly aware of what goes on both inside and outside of it. This helps us to adjust to the outside world. Without our nerves and our brain, which is a system of nerves, we couldn't know what's happening. But we pay for our sensitivity. We can feel pain when the slightest thing is wrong with any part of our body. The history of torture is based on the human body being open to pain.
But there is a way to handle pain. Look at the Indian fakir who sits on a bed of nails. Fakirs can put a needle right through an arm, and feel no pain. This ability that some humans have developed to handle pain should give us ideas about how the mind can deal with pain.
The big thing in withstanding pain is our attitude toward it. If the dentist says, "This will hurt a little," it helps us to accept the pain. By staying relaxed, and by treating the pain as an interesting sensation , we can handle the pain without falling apart. After all, although pain is an unpleasant sensation, it is still a sensation, and sensations are the stuff of life. | high17378.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Band."
},
"options": [
"Band.",
"Choir.",
"Dance.",
"Theater."
],
"question": "In which course might you receive personal training?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Bullis School Visual and Performing Arts Program is designed to advance a student's ability through artistic expression. Students will choose their Majors and Minors and will commit to each of these courses for the academic year.
Courses are listed as follows:
* Majors: Band, Choir , Dance, Theater
* Minors: Painting, Music Ensemble , Visual Arts
Arts course meetings will vary according to the term:
* Fall Term: 3 Majors - 4 classes / course / week;
1 Minor - 2 classes / course / week
* Winter Term: 2 Majors - 3 classes / course / week
* Spring Term: 2 Majors - 3 classes / course / week;
2 Minors - 2 classes / course / week
Descriptions of Majors:
*Band: This class is designed to help students progress towards proficiency in a range of musical instruments. An audition will only be required for students who are not current members of the band. Members of the band will be expected to take a weekly lesson with a private instructor.
*Choir: Choir is a mixed vocal ensemble devoted to the study and performance of music from a wide range of traditions. The course is for students who want to learn to respond to different musical styles. The course also focuses on developing vocal skills.
*Dance: This course is designed for students who have had little or no dance background. Students have the opportunity to explore the principles of dance skills, develop awareness and control the body.
*Theater: The primary goal of this course is to introduce students with greater experience to the art of acting. More specifically, it allows students to recognize their own personal responses to a given situation and use these reactions to create individual and unique characters. | high10417.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "everyone thinks all the other family members want to go"
},
"options": [
"they really like the restaurant they are going to",
"they are tired of the game they have been playing",
"they have not been to Abilene for a long time... | So there are four of them in this car heading north from Coleman in the heart of Texas to the town of Abilene , some 53 miles away. It is a hot day, and the drive is dusty and boring. Someone has had the bright idea to interrupt a nice family game of dominoes to go on a four-hour round-trip to eat at a really not very good restaurant.
When they are back home again, one family member admits that she hasn't enjoyed herself all that much. One by one they all confess that they would rather have stayed at home. "I only went along with it because I thought the rest of you wanted to go," says everyone. No one wanted to go to Abilene. It had just happened.
This story was first told by Professor Jerry Harvey in an article published in 1974 calledThe Abilene Paradox and other meditations on management. It offers a wonderful insight into the way that decisions can sometimes just emerge, without ever being consciously "made".
Whether they mean to or not, groups exert a pressure to conform . A senior management team can find itself a long way down the track to a bad decision without realizing that the idea has very little support around the table.
Close-knit teams are easily influenced by the pull of groupthink. The late Professor Janis suggested several ways in which teams can avoid it. Two key steps are to invite experts from outside into meetings, and to appoint at least one person to the role of "devil's advocate" -- a role that should be played by different people in different meetings. | high2150.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It is an object in space that can be seen on the Earth."
},
"options": [
"It is an object in space that can be seen on the Earth.",
"It has extremely strong gravity.",
"It can suck up everything near them.",
"It is an e... | What looks like a black hole, behaves like a black hole, but is bigger than a black hole? Two black holes! Astronomers last week discovered a pair of enormous black holes far out in the galaxy that appear to be dancing toward each other. However, astronomers say the collision is not likely to occur for several million years.
Black holes are objects in outer space that are so dense that nothing can escape their gravity. They often sit in the center of a galaxy -- like the Milky Way --and suck up everything near them. The gravitational pull of a black hole is so intense that not even light (Which travels faster than anything else in space) can make it past without being swallowed.
Black holes, like the one at the center of the Milky Way, are enormous. Scientists call some of them "supermassive", because they can be a few million times the size of most stars. Their size, their mass, and their inescapable gravity make black holes a giant force of nature in outer space.
Because there is no light near black holes, astronomers cannot actually see them; they are completely invisible to us on the Earth. Scientists manage to detect the existence of a black hole by watching what happens to other objects, or matter floating in space.
So how did scientists manage to get a good look at a region so faraway? The team used an orbiting NASA observatory known as Chandra. This special observatory uses X-rays rather than light to watch far out into space. Right before a star gets sucked into a black hole, it produces a large number of X-rays. | high21812.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to be a successful man"
},
"options": [
"to be a successful man",
"to have won a lottery",
"to represent American culture",
"to know a lot about the U.S."
],
"question": "In the eyes of the young potato seller, ... | "I want to be just like you.You are from uptown, aren't you?" the young man asked in the local slang with a broad smile unaware of the burning tropical sun.Selling bags of potatoes at the roadside, his extra-large T shirt and faded blue jeans were a proof to the universal influence of American pop culture in Africa.I had accepted a seat at his potato stand to take a break before concluding business in Accra that afternoon.Between busy sales serving customers stuck in traffic, he asked numerous questions about life in America, convinced that having a visa to the United States was like winning the lottery .How could I tell him that I envied his simple life and childish innocence when I was guilty of the silent culture that has helped to create a false image of Africans living abroad?
Outwardly, I looked like the poster boy for success visiting from the United States.My white designer shirt and matching pants were straight from the shopping malls in Detroit, where I worked as an engineer.Inwardly, I was caught in a web of ambition and cultural disappointment.My clothes suggested wealthy, yet I could not afford the numerous requests for money or to make gifts of my belongings.Uncles and aunties who were prepared to mortgage their homes to help me leave 10 years ago now expected me to finance cousins hoping to make the same move to the United States.
America had helped me achieve my ambition for furthering my education and professional experience.I had arrived with a high-school diploma, and after 10 years, I hold a graduate degree and have a relatively successful professional career.Every inch of progress, however, had been achieved through exhausting battles.My college education had been financed partly through working multiple minimum-wage jobs.I was fortunate to secure a job upon graduation, but adjusting to corporate culture made me pay another high price.Initially, I found myself putting in twice the effort just to keep up.Scared by a wave of layoffs, I went to graduate school part time because it was the only way I knew that afforded me an edge in job security.It was as though I had run 10 continuous marathons, one for each year abroad, and my body screamed for rest. | high10371.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "how rap music develops"
},
"options": [
"when rap music started",
"how rap music develops",
"what rap music is like",
"why rap music is popular"
],
"question": "The passage is mainly about _ .",
"question... | It may seem to be a hard task to trace back the history of rap music, though you often see the informal music associated with highly informal dance style. As far as the origin of rap music is concerned, most people agree that it is from Afro-American and Latino Street culture of New York City. Not only in this city but in the surrounding areas there is the influence of African people and their culture.
Rap is a vocal style in which the performer speaks rhythmically and in rhyme, generally to a beat. The term of rap music is the same with hip-hop music typically-consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap. If we see it carefully, then we will definitely notice that the music usually is sung at higher pitches . Most of the time rap music is associated with chorus. Though rap music was primarily an American music style with African influence over its music and lyrics, recently it has been spread to almost the entire world.
There is hardly any country or nation where rap music cannot be seen in some form or another, and it is one of the most popular music styles among the youngsters. However, when it comes to its history, it is believed that hip-hop or rap music started in the early 1970s,and gained much popularity throughout the world during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The history of rap music and hip-hop music is full of controversies and bans, as the lyrics sometimes relate to drugs and crime; even most famous pop stars and hip-hop musicians and singers were found to be associated with the controversies in their life. For that reason, no matter how popular this music style was or still is, it has always had a bad reputation in the eyes of mainstream society. | high2636.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "pay more attention to his study"
},
"options": [
"pay more attention to his study",
"keep silent in the room",
"finish his homework on time",
"get right answers"
],
"question": "At the beginning, the author trie... | I am a strong believer that if a child is raised with approval, he will learn to love himself and will be successful in his own way.
Several weeks ago, I was doing homework with my son in the third grade and he kept standing up from his chair to go over the math lines. I kept asking him to sit down, telling him that he would concentrate better. He sat but seconds later, as if he didn't even notice he was doing it, he got up again. I was getting frustrated, but then it hit me. I started noticing his answers were much quicker and accurate when he stood up. Could he be more intent while standing up?
This made me start questioning myself and what I had been raised to believe. I was raised to believe that a quiet, calm child was a sure way to success. This child would have the discipline to study hard, get good grades and become someone important in life.www.zxxk.com
Now those same people perhaps come to realize that their kids are born with their own sets of DNA and personality traits and all you can do is loving and accepting them. As parents, throughout their growing years and beyond that, we need to be our kids' best cheer leaders, guiding them and helping them find their way.
I have stopped asking my son to sit down and concentrate. Obviously, he is concentrating just in his own way and not mine. We need to learn to accept our kids' ways of doing things. Some way may have worked for me but doesn't mean we need to carry it through generations. There is nothing sweeter than being individual and unique . It makes us free and happy and that's just the way I want my kids to live their own life. | high5159.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The elderly having difficulties with tax issue."
},
"options": [
"Children attracted by the culture of Africa.",
"Teenagers fond of taking challenge.",
"The elderly having difficulties with tax issue.",
"Anyone interest... | The Raytown Branch of Mid-Continent Public Library is offering the following activities for the month of March. The library is located at 6131 Raytown Road. All activities are free, but registration is required.
Tax Help for Seniors
10 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. AARP Tax-Aide representatives will be at the Library to assist seniors with medium to low incomes with tax questions and free tax return preparation. Time listed indicates starting time.
Teen Games
2 p.m. March 2. Challenge yourself, challenge your friends.
Movie Classics
For adults, 2 p.m. March 4. Join us for an afternoon of nostalgia as we watch classic films. Call to see what's showing.
KC Zoomobile
Africa, for ages 5 and older, 11 a.m. March 5. Join the Kansas City Zoo for an African adventure. We will share African culture as well as show you an animal or two. Come with us to learn something new about Africa.
Kids at the Library
For ages 6 and older, 11 a.m. March 12. Discover, create, and play. Explore big ideas in a new way.
Chess Free Play
For ages 6 and older, 1 p.m. March 12. Play chess, learn the basics, brush up on your chess skills, challenge other players at Free Chess Play at the library. The Raytown Branch, in cooperation with the Raytown High School Chess Team coaches, will be hosting chess on the second Saturday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. Chess boards and chess pieces will be provided.
Eggstravaganza
Noon March 26. Join us for story time with Mayor Mike McDonough, as we take part in Raytown's Easter festivities. After the stories, the Easter Bunny will escort the children across the street for an Easter egg hunt. | high19433.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it was towed by the police"
},
"options": [
"it was stolen by a stranger",
"it was towed by the police",
"he placed it in a wrong place",
"he should rent another one"
],
"question": "The moment the author found ... | One day I walked down to get to my car, thinking about what I had to accomplish and scolding myself for being late for work, but surprisingly the car was nowhere to be found.
This was at 8 a.m. in the morning. I made trips to all the towing places and police stations, all the time thinking that it was towed by cops .By around 10 a.m., the cops decided that it was actually stolen. After filing a report with them, I finally got to work thinking how my day was completely messed up.
Later in the day I went to pick up a rental car at Enterprise only to realize that my license was missing, too, along with my car. I told the enterprise guy the whole story and he offered to take me to the closest DMV and get a duplicate license. 1 was totally shocked. I did not know why this complete stranger would want to take some time off his day to help me. He actually took me to DMV, got a duplicate and then rented me a car. I was upset the whole day because of the events happening to me but somehow this simple act of kindness from a complete stranger made it all worth it. It cheered me up and made me forget all the troubles of the day. I was so moved by this kind act that the next day I made sure someone else got a similar surprise. I took some smiley shaped chocolates and left them on some of my colleagues' desks.
There is still a lot of goodness out there in the world. We just need to take the time to notice it. I hope that this story would inspire many others like me to do more acts of kindness. | high4247.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "reasonable"
},
"options": [
"shocking",
"ridiculous",
"puzzling",
"reasonable"
],
"question": "In the teacher's opinion, Lucy's argument was _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | One day, Mr. Arnold was teaching a lesson, and things were going as normally as ever. He was explaining the story of mankind to his pupils. He told them that, in the beginning, men were nomads; they never stayed in the same place for very long. Instead, they would travel about, here and there, in search of food, wherever it was to be found. And when the food ran out, they would move off somewhere else.
He taught them about the invention of farming and keeping animals. This was an important discovery, because by learning to cultivate the land, and care for animals, mankind would always have food steadily available. It also meant that people could remain living in one place, and this made it easier to set about tasks that would take a long while to complete, like building towns, cities, and all that were in them. All the children were listening attracted by this story, until Lucy jumped up:
"And if that was so important and improved everything so much, why are we nomads all over again, Mr. Arnold?"
Mr. Arnold didn't know what to say. Lucy was a very intelligent girl. He knew that she lived with her parents in a house, so she must know that her family were not nomads; so what did she mean?
"We have all become nomads again," continued Lucy, "The other day, outside the city, they were cutting the forest down. A while ago a fisherman told me how they fish. It's the same with everyone: when there's no more forest left the foresters go elsewhere, and when the fish run out the fishermen move on. That's what the nomads did, isn't it ?
The teacher nodded, thoughtfully. Really, Lucy was right Mankind had turned into nomads. Instead of looking after the land in a way that we could be sure it would keep supplying our needs, we kept developing it until the land was bare. And then off we would go to the next place! The class spent the rest of the afternoon talking about what they could do to show how to be more civilized.
The next day everyone attended class wearing a green T-shirt, with a message that said " _ "
And , from then on, they set about showing that indeed they were not. Every time they knew they needed something, they made sure that they would get it using care and control. If they needed wood or paper, they would make sure that they got the recycled kind. They ordered their fish from fish farms, making sure that the fish they received were not too young and too small. They only used animals that were well cared for, and brought up on farms.
And so, from their little town, those children managed to give up being nomads again, just as prehistoric men had done, so many thousands of years ago. | high3528.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "it built a like among people"
},
"options": [
"it built a like among people",
"it helped unite a community",
"it was a source of self- education",
"it was a source of pleasure"
],
"question": "Reading poems is t... | Reading poems is not exactly an everyday activity for most people. In fact, many people never read a poem once they get out of high school.
It is worth reminding ourselves that this has not always been the case in prefix = st1 /America. In the nine-tenth century, a usual American activity was to sit around the fireside in the evening and read poems aloud. It is true that there was no television at the time, nor movie theaters, nor World Wide Web, to provide _ However, poems were a source of pleasure, of self - education, of connection to other people or to the world beyond one ' s own community. Reading them was a social act as well as an individual one, and perhaps even more social than individual. Writing poems to share with friends and relations was, like reading poems by the fireside, another way in which poetry has a place in everyday life.
How did things change? Why are most Americans no longer comfortable with poetry , and why do most people today think that a poem has nothing to tell them and that they can do well without poems?
There are, I believe, three factors: poets, teachers, and we ourselves. Of these, the least important is the third: the world surrounding the poem has betrayed us more than we have betrayed the poem. Early in the twentieth century, poetry in English headed into directions unfavor-able to reading of poetry. Readers decided that poems were not for the fireside or the easy chair at night, and that they belonged where other difficult-to-read things belonged.
Poets failed the reader, so did teachers. They want their students to know something about the skills of a poem, they want their students to see that poems mean something. Yet what usually occurs when teachers push these concerns on their high school students is that young people decide poems are unpleasant crossword puzzles. | high23963.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "different cultures would affect how students look at the photo"
},
"options": [
"different images would change with different people",
"different cultures would affect how students look at the photo",
"with Chinese prompts, m... | Are you trying to learn a new language in a foreign land? You might be better off if you stopped looking at that picture of your family and friends.
New research from Columbia University found that prompting someone who is learning a new language with images and reminders of their own culture could temporarily ruin everything that the brain was trying to build.
When native Chinese students were asked to talk with a Caucasian avatar and a Chinese avatar, their English skills were so different. Simply exposing students to a Chinese person affected their ability to speak English. Subjects who talked with the Chinese version felt more comfortable in their speech, but they produced 11% fewer words per minute. They actually became less fluent speakers.
To make sure it wasn't just the avatar, researchers also showed people random images of China while the participants told a story. When pictures of their homeland appeared, fluency dropped 16% and volunteers were 85% more likely to use a literal translation, for example, calling _ "happy nuts", because that's literally what the Chinese word for pistachio means.
When the students were shown pictures of fish with one swimming ahead of the others, their culture would change how they look at the photo. With Chinese prompt, like photos of the Great Wall or Chinese Dragon, etc. they saw more students thinking that the fish was being chased, while an American prompt, like pictures of Marilyn Monroe or Superman, saw those students believing that it was a leader fish.
The bottom line is: when attempting to learn a new culture it is far better to surround yourself with that culture than create an island of the old one. | high12566.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "work in the laboratory"
},
"options": [
"manufacture cars",
"work in the laboratory",
"work in space",
"explore oceans"
],
"question": "Scientists now are using a robot to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | Robots are common in today's world. They manufacture cars, work in space, explore oceans, clean up oil spills and investigate dangerous environments. And now, scientists at the University of Manchester are using a robot as a laboratory partner.
The researchers at the university created the robot in 2009 and named it Adam. Despite the name, Adam is not a humanoid robot. It is about the size of a car.
Adam was built to do science and make discoveries. Ross King is the leader of the University of Manchester research team. He says the robot made a discovery about yeast , a kind of fungus used in science as a model for human cells.
"Adam hypothesized certain functions of genes within yeast and experimentally tested these hypothesizes and confirmed them. So it both hypothesized and confirmed new scientific knowledge."
Adam's success as a scientist led to the creation of another robot scientist named Eve. Researchers developed Eve to design and test drugs for tropical and neglected diseases. These diseases kill and infect millions of people each year.
Drug development is slow and costly. Experts say it can take more than 10 years and about $1 billion to discover and develop new medicines. Drug manufacturers are unlikely to get their investment money back.
So the University of Manchester developed a low-cost test that shows whether or not a chemical is likely to be made into an effective medicine. Mr. King says that other drug testing methods were not very effective.
"How it works conventionally is you use robotics as well and you have a large collection of possible drugs. You test every single compound. And you start at the beginning of your library and continue until the end, and stop. So it's not a very intelligent process. The robotics doesn't learn anything as it goes along, even if it's tested a million compounds, it still doesn't have any expectation of what will happen next when it tests a new compound."
Mr. King says that Eve is different because the robot learns as it tests different compounds. He says the robot is designed to ignore compounds that it thinks unlikely to be good. It will only test the compounds which have a good chance of working.
Eve has discovered that a compound known to be effective against cancer might also be used to fight against malaria and other tropical diseases.
Mr. King says he hopes to completely automate the drug testing process with robots like Eve to create and test new chemicals. But he says humans remain in control of the manufacturing process. | high9763.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "music producers"
},
"options": [
"music producers",
"email writers",
"credit card users",
"web designers"
],
"question": "The website the producers choice.com. is most probably for _ .",
"question_type": ... | A Special Opportunity for Customers of Producers Choice
Dear music producers,
If you LOVE producing music, then you are going to LOVE our new monthly sample pack club. With Producers Choice Monthly, you'll get every single sample pack we'll ever make at theproducerschoice.com. You'll get every new pack we put on the website -- sent directly to your email inbox even before they go on our website! Also, you'll get a new sample pack (worth $36) to get started immediately.
Other Benefits:
Only $29.95 per month.
Cancel the order anytime you like.
Get sample packs that NO ONE else will get.
Keep your inspiration flowing with new samples each month.
I'm excited to be able to offer this subscription service to both new and existing customers. I hope you are looking forward to taking your music to the next level with our award-winning samples being sent to you each month -- good for keeping your inspiration flowing.
3 (8 )
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Producers Choice Monthly:
Q -- How many sample packs will I get with my subscription?
A -- You'll usually get 1--3 new sample packs per month. The sample packs are different in size, each of which is usually from 300MB to 2GB+, so you will get great value for money!
Q -- How will my samples be delivered to me?
A -- We send our members an email with a download link, so you can download your sample packs quickly and easily.
Q -- How does the payment/billing work?
A -- If you join our monthly plan, your credit card will be billed once a month. You can stop at any time. | high14117.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "RUB 9, 800"
},
"options": [
"RUB 14, 400",
"RUB 19, 600",
"RUB 9, 800",
"RUB 3, 600"
],
"question": "A couple with twins aged 5 dining at L'Europe Restaurant should pay at least _ .",
"question_type": "clo... | Dining Experiences at Belmond Grand Hotel Europe
Delicious cuisine is paired with excellent musical entertainment at Belmond Grand Hotel Europe.
TCHAIKOVSKY NIGHT
Every Friday, dine in Lobby Bar and be treated to a special musical accompaniment.
Enjoy timeless classics from the great Russian composer Tchaikovsky, performed by local dancers and a
chamber orchestra.
Time: 7 pm - 10 pm
Price: RUB 2, 000 per adult
RUSSIAN AFTERNOON TEA
Take a seat in the Mezzanine Cafe at a table laid out with Imperial Porcelain china.Feast on Borodinsky
bread sandwiches with various fillings, hot smoked trout , delightful mini pirozhki and sweets such
as vatrushkas, all accompanied by good, strong tea and light music.
Available daily 2 pm - 6 pm, priced at 1800 RUB for two.
TAITTINGER CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH
Enjoy a wide variety of international dishes and unlimited drinks accompanied by live jazz at L'Europe
Restaurant every Sunday.A supervised playroom for children is also available.
Time: I pm - 4:30 pm
Price: RUB 4, 900 per adult; Children': up t0 7 - free / 7 t0 15 - RUBI, 800 / above 16 - full price
VODKA EXPERIENCE
Available in the Caviar Bar, let our seasoned chef take you through caviar and vodka pairings.
You can also take part in cocktail demonstrations, or enjoy vodka-themed treatments at the beauty salon.
Available daily 4 pm - 11 pm, priced at RUB 3, 000 for one bottle. | high6450.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "American stores."
},
"options": [
"American hospitality.",
"the life of Americans.",
"American stores.",
"the business of Americans."
],
"question": "The passage is mainly about _",
"question_type": "cloze_... | In the United States you will find yourself being urged from every page of every newspaper and every television station to buy all kinds of goods.
Not only is there a wide range of prices for goods in America, there is also a wide range in the quality of goods offered for sale. Unlike some countries,
Americans generally pay the price of a product without question, instead of trying to get a lower price by bargaining. However, there are many "sales" in the United States, during which time stores will lower their normal prices. This may all be very confusing to visitors. How are you going to know how to "get your money's worth" when you shop? Perhaps the best advice is: Don't hurry. Visit various stores and determine the quality of goods. Read the advertisements so that you can compare prices.
There is a great variety of shops in the United States, ranging from very large stores called "department stores" to very small shops. There are "discount houses" offering goods at low prices, and "dime stores" specializing in a wide range of inexpensive items.
Most department stores in large cities carry better quality products at higher prices. However, they offer the shoppers great convenience since they contain such a wide variety of products.
If convenience isn't as important to you as price, you may want to shop in discount houses. These stores have nearly as great a variety of goods as department stores, but offer lower prices. They can do so for several reasons. They don't offer the same services to buyers that department stores do; there may be fewer sales people; and the store probably doesn't deliver purchases.
Another popular shop is the "dime store". No longer selling many things for five or ten cents, these stores got their name in the last century when it was decided that a small profit on a great quantity of goods would be better than a large profit on fewer sales. Dime stores specialize in a wide variety of inexpensive items and today, prices range from a quarter or 50 cents up to several dollars. | high33.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Education"
},
"options": [
"Services",
"Legal & General notices",
"Education",
"Recruitment"
],
"question": "Which of the following advertising rates is the lowest?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answ... | China Daily
Classified Page
Advertising Rates
Published every Wednesday and Friday.
Minimum(smallest)Size: 1 col x3 cm
Personal: RMB 100 yuan/cm
-Engagements, Marriage, Births, Deaths, Obituaries, Funerals, Birthday greetings, Holiday greetings, Anniversaries
Shopping Guide: RMB 100 yuan/cm
-Department store and supermarket shops only
Education: RMB 100 yuan/cm
-Vocational training or courses for foreigners offered by universities and colleges
Services: RMB 120 yuan/cm
-Computer service, Business centers, Interior decoration, Cars for lease, Used cars wanted/for sale, Business offices wanted, Travel, Restaurants and entertainment
Recruitment: RMB 140 yuan/cm
Property, Trade and Investment: RMB 170 yuan/cm
-Merchandise wanted/for sale, business/capital solicited
Legal & General Notices: RMB 170 yuan/cm
-General and legal announcements, Auctions, Lost & Found, Changes of address
Surcharges: 30 col x cm plus 20%, Half page 40%, Full page 50%
All art or production fees(charges)carry a surcharge
1.China Daily reserves the right to make any alterations it seems necessary and to reject advertisement which violates(breaks)the Advertisement Law of the People's Republic of China or contains fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading statements or illustrations .
2.Advertisers who wish to insert an ad should submit (put forward)an Advertising Order Form with all advertisement information and any necessary documents 10 days before the date of publication. After this deadline, additional charges will be incurred (brought upon oneself).
Tel : (86 - 10)64941104, 64924488 ext. 2117
Fax: (86 - 10)64941104
E- mail: cads @ chinadaily. com. cn | high13678.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because he was seriously injured in his left ankle."
},
"options": [
"Because he suffered a fracture on left leg.",
"Because he was seriously injured in his left ankle.",
"Because he met with some personal problems.",
"... | (CNN)---NBA star Yao Ming announced his retirement during a news conference in China on Wednesday."I need to make a personal decision," Yao said."I am ending my basketball career. I am very grateful. I would like to thank my family members and my parents. And most of all, the Houston Rockets."
Voted an All--Star player eight times while playing for the Houston Rockets, he was one of the most successful overseas players in the league. Yao has chalked up a career average of 19 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks . His field-goal percentage was 52.4.
In recent years, however, he struggled with foot and ankle injuries, and missed the 2009-2010 seasons. He suffered a fracture on his left ankle, and missed last season after playing only five games. Yao has been undergoing treatment and training in recent months, but some doubted he could make a comeback. The 30-year-old said he struggled to learn English when he first came to the United States, and grew a lot during his time in the country.
" 9 years ago, I came to Huston as a tall, skinny player. I grew to a man there. I also had my daughter there. I thank you all," Yao said during the packed news conference in Shanghai.
Yao's retirement came the year as another NBA giant Shaquille O'Neal. Both seven-footers had battled for many years.
Kobe Bryant said Yao opened up doors for Chinese players to feel they could play in the NBA."All that started with Yao," Bryant said. | high23977.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The humanities and STEM subjects should be given equal importance."
},
"options": [
"STEM-related subjects help students find jobs in the information society.",
"Higher education should be adjusted to the practical needs of society... | The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education isn't an either/or proposition ,although the current emphasis on preparing young Americans for STEM(science,technology,engineering,maths)-related fields can make it seem that way.
The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of technical training,but also states firmly that the study of the humanities and social sciences must remain central components of America's educational system at all levels.Both are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society,become creative leaders,and benefit from the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.
Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education worry about graduates' job prospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs.Under these circumstances,it's natural to look for what may appear to be the most "practical" way out of the problem "Major in a subject designed to get you a job" seems the obvious answer to some,though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as "soft" often,in fact,lead to employment and success in the long run.Indeed,according to surveys,employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a broadly-based education that has taught them to write well,think critically,research creatively,and communicate easily.
Moreover,students should be prepared not just for their first job,but for their 4th and 5th jobs,as there's little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers.The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be flexible.The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight--picked up from science,arts,and technology--to solve the problems of the future,and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves,will be helpful to them and the United States. | high12572.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "10% or more of its population is over 60"
},
"options": [
"less that 10% of its population is over 60",
"10% or more of its population is over 60",
"there are four old people in a family",
"most of its population is ove... | Today most Chinese teenagers are happy to be favored by two parents and four grandparents in their families. But have you ever thought about how to take care of four to twelve old people when you grow up and get married? This could be a problem for most Chinese youths as China is entering a new stage of an aging society.
An aging society refers to one where 10 percent or more of its population is over 60. By the end of 2007, Chinese over 60 years old have made up 11.7 percent of the nation's total population. "China is getting old before becoming rich,"said Cai Chuang, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The population increase that has powered Chinese growth for three decades will give way over the next ten years to a rapid aging of the society. This will lead to weaker economic growth, because of a lack of labor resources.
As a result of the family planning policy, it is expected that the country's total working population will decrease after 2015.
China is not the only country getting old. More that 60 countries have become aging societies and one in three people in the European Union is a senior citizen.
However, experts said that China doesn't have a highly developed social security network to support the old. Social security is an insurance program protecting those in need, including the old, the disabled and others. | high867.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "lives in the next town with her husband and son"
},
"options": [
"lives in the next town with her husband and son",
"is the only member of the family that he knows",
"never writes back to him",
"has a small family: a so... | Some people do not like anything to be out of place; they are never late for work; they return their books to the library on time; they remember people's birthdays; and they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Dodds is such a person .
Mr. Dodds works in a bank, and lives on his own. The only family he has is in the next town :his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Mark, Mr. Dodds does not see his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Mark's seventeen birthdays.
Last week Mr. Dodds had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast. He parked his car where he always parked it, out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Straight away, there was a knock at the door. Mr Dodds opened the door to find a policeman standing on the door-step .
"What have I done wrong ?" Mr. Dodds asked himself . "Have I driven on the wrong side of the road? Has there been some trouble at the bank? Have I forgotten to pay an important bill?"
"Hello, Uncle ," said the policeman," My name is Mark." | high8469.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It is helped by the best teachers."
},
"options": [
"It is free for new students.",
"It offers all kinds of business classes.",
"It is helped by the best teachers.",
"It is intended for high school students."
],
... | It has been more than 50 years since Harvard Business School started admitting women, yet the institution is still trying hard to find out how to best attract and support them. Its latest effort: a program targeting women's colleges--place that are not traditional feeding grounds for the male-majority business school.
The program is called Peek. It offers juniors, seniors and recent graduates from women's colleges the opportunity to read and discuss four HBS case studies in class specially taught by top HBS members. About 50 to 70 promising students will pay $500 for their stay there.
Women make up 41 percent of Harvard Business School class of 2016--the most the school has had. In 1985, women made up only one-quarter of the graduating class. Harvard is not alone when it comes to struggling with a gender gap . At Wharton, the class of 2016 is 40 percent women; at Standford Business School, it's 42 percent. No top business school had gotten to 50 percent yet.
Despite the Peek program's good intention, the $500 fee bothered someone, said John A. Byrne, the editor of business school new site. "The fact that HBS would charge women for the chance of coming to campus rubbed a lot of people the wrong way," said Byrne. HBS said the $500 fee was a "fair price" for room and daily meals at the business school for a weekend, and didn't actually cover the full costs of the program.
For years, women students at Harvard Business School failed to keep pace with men. In 2010, Harvard business School got a new manager, Nitin Nohrin, who promised a turnaround. Nohrin designed a program to encourage women students and professors. He promised to change the school's case studies so that at least 20 percent of the people in the business texts would be women. | high14103.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They are unwilling to take advice."
},
"options": [
"They like flying by themselves.",
"They are unwilling to take advice.",
"They pretend to be good pilots.",
"They are quick learners of CRM."
],
"question": "W... | Doctor are known to be terrible pilots. They don't listen because they already know it all. I was lucky: I became a pilot in 1970, almost ten years before I graduated from medical school. I didn't realize then, but becoming a pilot makes me a better surgeon. I loved flying. As I flew bigger, faster planes, and in worse weather. I learned about crew resource management , or CRM, a new idea to make flying safer. It means that crew members should listen and speak up for a good result, regardless of positions.
I first read about CRM in 1980. Not long after that, an attending doctor and I were flying in bad weather. The controller had us turn too late to get our landing ready. The attending doctor was flying; I was safety pilot He was so busy because of the bad turn, he had forgotten to put the landing gear down. He was a better pilot - and my boss - so it felt unusual to speak up. But I had to: Our lives were in danger. I put aside my uneasiness and said, "We need to put the landing gear down now!" That was my first real lesson in the power of CRM, and I've used it in the operating room ever since.
CRM requires that the pilot/ surgeon encourage others to speak up. It further requires that when opinions are from the opposite, the doctor doesn't overreact, which might prevent fellow doctors from voicing opinions again. So when I'm in the operating room, I ask for ideas and help from others. Sometimes they're not willing to speak up. But I hope that if I continue to encourage them, someday someone will keep me from " _ ". | high9777.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Its tourism."
},
"options": [
"Its location .",
"Its tourism.",
"Its business.",
"Its history."
],
"question": "Which of the following about Pingyao is NOT mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
... | Pingyao, in the center of Shanxi Province, is a famous historic cultural city of China and a world cultural heritage site . It's 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan on the Fen River.
People lived in Pingyao during the New Stone Age. Its long period as a country government seat has left Pingyao with lots of historic buildings and sites, with a 2,700-year history. Ninety-nine of _ are under government protection, including Zhengguo Temple, Shuanglin Temple and Pingyao Ancient City.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, businessmen organized commercial groups that did business nationwide. Shanxi Province had some of the most important ones and Pingyao was their center. In 1823, a store, known as Rishengchang(Sunrise Prosperity), traded in bank checks rather than in silver or gold coins. It was the beginning of modern Chinese banking. Branch banks were soon set up in major cities in China and other parts of Asia, leading to great development in Pingyao. Its Lacquer ware became well known.
In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional houses and commercial buildings, 3,797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are in good condition. Not only do the houses in Pingyao show Shanxi's history and culture, but this large number is valuable for studying its history, customs, and ancient buildings and art. Most of these houses are still used as homes and shops of local people.
In 1997, Ancient Pingyao City was listed in World Heritage List as " World Culture Heritage Site". | high7982.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "protecting the traditional Italian lifestyle"
},
"options": [
"preventing Italy from being affected by America",
"beautifying the environment of small Italian cities and towns",
"calling on Italians to enjoy stress-free life"... | "Slow City" -- a recently launched project focused on preserving the traditional quality of life enjoyed in some of Italy's smaller cities and towns. The project was born from the idea of the "Slow Food" movement -- started in Italy in the 1980s -- which promotes leisurely eating and the growing of local, healthy products to fight against the American fast-food style.
"The American urban model has invaded our cities, making Italian towns look the same. We want to stop this kind of globalization," says Paolo Saturnini, an Italian mayor.
The "Slow City" project plans to emphasize the rich, cultural, culinary and artistic local traditions of each community.
Walking areas will be enlarged and squares and parks will be made greener with more plants. Car alarms and other noise that disturbs the peace will be banned, and ugly TV aerials , advertising posters, and signs will be taken down.
City councils will also insist on the use of recycling and renewable energy sources, and will also introduce ecological transport systems. Parking will be made stress-free by creating more public parking areas, and easily accessible walkways and bike lanes will cross the city. But in the "Slow City" way, all improvements will probably come about slowly.
Thirty-two Italian city councils, which joined the "Slow City" program, have decided to take further steps in this direction by increasing the numbers of traditional family-style eating establishments, reducing noise pollution, and concentrating on making their towns friendlier for people to live in.
Organic local produce will be promoted in all restaurants and genetically modified foods will be banned. "We can't stop large, fast-food chains from coming here, but we hope that people who come to our towns will not want to eat exactly the same hamburger they can eat in Melbourne, London or Paris, but want something genuine and different," said Saturnini. | high2622.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "go to colleges and universities"
},
"options": [
"go to colleges and universities",
"need not pay any tuition",
"have to enter open universities",
"work hard to avoid errors on tests"
],
"question": "In the pref... | Education in the United States is compulsory for children up to about the age of sixteen.Most young people stay in school longer than that. Most graduate from high school at the age of 17 or 18.
Almost half of these high school graduates continue their education at a college or university.Education for most young people in this country is free up to the time they graduate from high school.There are private schools, but most parents send their children to public schools, where students do not pay tuition . When young people go to college, however,they must pay tuition at a public university or a private university.University costs are going up a lot:private universities have become very expensive because the government does not help them.
Who pays? The parents of children in college may have to pay more,or often the students may have to find jobs.These students have to worry about assignments and grades and also about their jobs.If they work too much at their jobs they may be absent from class or miss assignments or make too many errors on tests.They may even fail their courses and have to leave the university.
For many students, the problem of getting an education is not just a problem of homework and exams.They also have to make money to pay for tuition.And professors don't teach them how to do that! | high18739.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he put all his mind to his performance"
},
"options": [
"he put all his mind to his performance",
"he cared much about the judges' feelings",
"he tried his best to avoid making mistakes",
"he paid close attention to the... | Fourteen - year - old Richie Hawley had spent five years studying violin at the Community School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles when he took part in a violin contest. Ninety two young people were invited to the contest and Hawley came out first.
The contest could have been the perfect setup for fear, worrying about mistakes, and trying to impress the judges.But Hawley says he did pretty well in staying calm. "I couldn't be thinking about how many mistakes I'd make--it would distract me from playing," he says."I didn't even remember trying to impress people while I played. It's almost as if they weren't there. I just wanted to make music."
Hawley is a winner. But he didn't become a winner by concentrating on winning. He did it by concentrating on playing well.
"The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part," said the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin."The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
A characteristic of high performers is their intense, pleasurable concentration on work, rather than on their competitors or future glory or money, says Dr.Charles Garfield, who has studied 1,500 achievers in business, science, sports, the arts, and professions."They are interested in winning, but they're most interested in self-development, testing their limits."
One of the most surprising things about top performers is how many losses they've had and how much they've learned from each. "Not one of the 1,500 I studied defined losing as failing," Garfield says."They kept calling their losses 'setbacks'."
A healthy attitude toward setbacks is essential to winning, experts agree.
"The worst thing you can do if you've had a setback is to let yourself get stuck in a prolonged depression. You should analyze carefully what went wrong, identify specific things you did right and give yourself credit for them." Garfield believes that most people don't give themselves enough praise. He even suggests keeping a diary of all the positive things you've done on the way to a goal. | high4253.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The ever-rising child care prices."
},
"options": [
"The ever-rising child care prices.",
"The budgeting of family expenses.",
"The balance between work and family.",
"The selection of a good daycare center"
],
... | Children are delight, they are our future. But sadly, hiring someone to take care of them when you're going to work is getting more expensive by the year.
Earlier this month it was reported, that the cost of involving an infant or small kid at a childcare centre rose 3 percent in 2012, faster than the general cost of living. There are now large strips of the country where daycare for an infant costs more than 10% of the average married couples' income.
This is not necessarily a new trend, but it is somewhat puzzling me. The price of professional childcare has been rising since the 1980s. Yet during that time, pay for professional childcare workers has stood still. Actually caregivers earn less today than they did in 1990. Considering that labor costs are responsible for about 80% of a daycare center's expenses, one would infer that stable wages means stable prices.
So who is to blame for higher child care costs?
Childcare is a carefully regulated industry. States lay down rules about how many children each employee is allowed to watch over, the space care centers need per child, and other details. And the stricter the regulations are, the higher the costs will be. In Massachusetts, where childcare centers must hire one teacher for every three infants, the price of care averaged more than $ 16,000 per year. In Mississippi, where centers must hire one teacher for every five infants, the price of care averaged less than $5,000.
Unfortunately I don't have all the daycare center regulations, but I wouldn't be surprised if as the rules have become more complicated, prices have risen. The tradeoff might be worth it in certain cases; after all, the health and safety of children should probably come before cheap service. But certainly, it doesn't seem to be an accident that some of the cheapest daycare available is in the least regulated South. | high19427.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A sense of humor."
},
"options": [
"Exercise programs.",
"Education background.",
"A sense of humor.",
"Love for bicycling."
],
"question": "What did Alfred and Anthony have in common?",
"question_type": "fa... | A sense of humor is just one of the many things shared by Alfred and Anthony Melillo, 64-year-old twin brothers from East Haven who made history in February 2002. On Christmas Eve, 1992, Anthony had a heart transplant from a 21-year-old donor. Two days before Valentine's Day in 2002, Alfred received a 19-year-old heart, marking the first time on record that twin adults each received heart transplants.
"I'm 15 minutes older than him, but now I'm younger because of my heart and I'm not going to respect him," Alfred said with a big smile, pointing to his brother while talking to a roomful of reporters, who laughed frequently at their jokes.
While the twins knew that genetics might have played a role in their condition, they recognized that their eating habits might have also contributed to their heart problems. "We'd put half a pound of butter on a steak. I overdid it on all the food that tasted good, so I guess I deserved what I got for not dieting properly."
The discussion moved to Anthony's recovery. In the five years since his heart transplant, he had been on an exercise program where he regularly rode a bicycle for five miles, swam each day, and walked a couple of miles. He was still on medication, but not nearly as much as Alfred, who was just in the early stage of his recovery.
"Right now I feel pretty young and I'm doing very well," Anthony said. "I feel like a new person." Alfred said his goal, of course, was to feel even better than his brother. But, he added, "I love my brother very much. We're very close and I'm sure we'll do just fine." | high16714.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "risky"
},
"options": [
"risky",
"shocking",
"exciting",
"boring"
],
"question": "The author thinks that helping a victim can be _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | We all know how important human life is--it's priceless. It doesn't matter where you are from or what the color of your skins is--all people are human beings. Firstly, we can tell you that the lives of your relatives could depend on your ability to give first aid. If you think highly of human's life, this website is for you! Here you can find information about first aid.
The very first thing that you should do when you see an accident is to _ the situation and prevent further dangerous incidents. First of all, you have to recognize what has happened and what the dangers to rescuers and victims are. Think about how to take care of the victims.
Helping usually takes place in very difficult conditions and injuries can be very bad. Therefore, you cannot be too afraid of making mistakes to help. Sometimes you have to face the fact that regardless of your actions and your efforts the victim's condition might not improve--he or she could even die. In some cases even professional medical aid may not succeed. If you have done everything you think you should do, you shouldn't feel guilty.
Do not expose yourself to danger. Giving first aid can be dangerous. While trying to help a victim, do not forget about your own safety. If something happens to you, you won't be able to help anyone.
Call for help after you find out the condition of a victim. But remember if a victim faints due to breathing failure caused by drowning, choking or poisoning, you should first take actions that help to bring back the heart beat and breathing. While calling, talk shortly but clearly. Always provide the following information: the location of the accident, the kind of accident, the number of the injured and your full name and phone number and so on.[:] | high4535.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Early school hours."
},
"options": [
"Persona haibits.",
"Early school hours.",
"Sports activities.",
"Too much home work."
],
"question": "According to the passage,which of the following is the chief cause of s... | Surveys of American teenagers find that about half of them do not get enough sleep on school nights. They get an average of 60 to 90 minutes less than experts say they need.
Experts say teens are biologically programmed to go to sleep later and wake up later than other age groups. Yet many schools start classes as early as seven in the morning.
As a result,many students go to class feeling like Danny,16 years old. He plays two sports,lacrosse and football. He is an active teen--except in the morning. DANNY:"Getting up in the morning is pretty terrible. I'm just very out of it and tired. And through first and second period I can hardly stay awake."
Michael Breus,a clinical psychologist with a specialty in sleep disorders says:"These aren't a bunch of lazy kids--although,you know,teenagers can of course be lazy. These are children whose biological rhythms,more times than not,are off."Teens,he says,need to sleep eight to nine hours or even nine to ten hours a night. He says sleepy teens can experience a form of depression that could have big effects on their general well-being. It can affect not just their ability in the classroom but also on the sports field and on the road because any tired driver is dangerous,especially a teenager with a lack of experience.
So what can schools do about sleepy students?The psychologist says one thing they can do is start classes later in the morning.
Eric Peterson,head of St.George's School in the northeastern state of Rhode Island,says,"In the end,schools ought to do what's the right thing for their students,first and foremost."And he wanted to see if a 30-minute delay would make a difference.
did. | high16072.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They needed someone to lead them out of danger."
},
"options": [
"They lost their way in the storm.",
"They weren't satisfied with Caius Insectus.",
"They needed someone to lead them out of danger.",
"They needed someon... | Ladybirds didn't have black spots on their backs at first. Then a storm broke out, and their famous guide, Caius Insectus, disappeared into the flood , and the few ladybirds who survived had to choose a new leader to guide them out of trouble. They decided that their new leader would be the first ladybird to successfully travel south to the Great Lake and return to describe it.
Many young ladybirds moved off immediately into this adventure. One by one they returned and told of how beautiful the southern lake was at that time of year, with its clear waters and flowers. However, the last of the ladybirds was late in getting back. He hadn't managed to reach the lake. Everyone criticized him, and they prepared to continue their journey the next day.
Following their new guide, they spent a morning walking northwards until they reached some tall thick grassland, where they stopped. There were no clear waters or flowers in front of them. The heavy rain had turned the place into a huge green puddle . Everyone understood what had happened. When the ladybirds had gone out looking for the lake, they had gone in the wrong direction. Now they could see that, except that one late ladybird, they had lied in order to get what they wanted.
And so, the late little ladybird was made the Great Guide. They also decided that every time one of them was discovered lying they would paint a black spot on that ladybird's back. From then on, when a ladybird looks at another's back, it can tell whether that ladybird can be trusted. | high10403.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "New life for liver patients"
},
"options": [
"How to transplant liver for patients",
"A new way to transplant livers for patients",
"The difficulty in curing liver patients",
"New life for liver patients"
],
"qu... | Cut out part of a healthy person's liver and transplant it into a sick person--it sounds like a complicated and dangerous operation , not to mention very expensive. But it is sometimes the only possible cure for a seriously ill patient with liver disease.
Until now British scientists have just announced a new stem cell technique, which allows them to grow healthy liver cells outside human bodies. According to the researchers, it could be another five to ten years before the technique can actually be used to help patients with liver disease. However, they say the method might one day replace liver transplants altogether. The study was led by the University of Cambridge and the Welcome Trust Sanger Institute, a British genomics and genetics research institute. It was published in the journal nature on October 12,2011.
The researchers took skin cells from a patient with a mutation in a gene called alphal-antitrypsin (a-l). This gene makes a protein that protects our bodies against inflammation . People with changed or damaged alphal-antitrypsin are not able to release the protein correctly from the liver, so the protein is trapped there and eventually leads to liver cirrhosis .
Scientists then used an advanced technique to cut away the faulty section of DNA from a stem cell and replace it with a corrected one, according to the journal. The stem cells went on to produce fresh and healthy liver cells with normal protein levels. Scientists put the new liver cells into mice and found that they worked very well.
Stem cells are the life source of all other cells in the body. They could transform medicine, providing treatment for blindness, spinal cord injuries and other serous injuries. They could also be used to produce new cells for damaged organs.
David Lomas, a Cambridge biology professor who worked on the team, said: "If we can use a patient's own skins cells to produce liver cells that we can put back into the patient, we may prevent the future need for transplantation. " | high21806.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To persuade more people to donate to the organization."
},
"options": [
"To introduce the organization to readers.",
"To raise awareness of children's living conditions.",
"To draw public attention to educating children.",
... | Save the Childrenis the world's leading independent organization for children that works to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Our founder Eglantyne Jebb drafted the "Declaration of the Rights of the Child" in 1922 which was adopted by the League of Nations in 1924.
Save the Childrenworks to bring about a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.
Our Approach:
Save the Childrenactively works with the communities, the State governments and the national government to bring lasting changes for children by:
Providing them with immunisation and nutrition.
Ensuring that they have a chance to join formal school.
Exposing and preventing exploitative child labour practices and running prevention programs.
During emergencies, we provide emergency supplies as well to ensure that children are protected in safe places as well to continue schooling.
We cannot do this without your support. Please contribute by choosing an amount below.
Rs. 20,000 can provide Child Friendly Space for 50 children ensuring that they receive Psycho-Social and Educational support.
Rs. 10,000 can provide hygiene kits and house-hold cooking utensils for 4 families affected by emergencies.
Rs. 5,000 can provide education kits and uniforms for 5 under-privileged children who have lost belongings in an emergency.
Rs. 2,500 can provide a hygiene kits and house-hold cooking utensils for a family during an emergency.
You will receive your Tax Exemption Certificate within 12 days of making a donation. | high2144.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "are more skilled at auto knowledge"
},
"options": [
"are less aggressive while driving",
"are more skilled at auto knowledge",
"are more likely to stick to driving laws",
"are less familiar with safety equipment"
],... | People always think men are more skilled than women in driving. Nowadays women appear to have a positive image of themselves as safer drivers than men.
In a survey done for insurer MetLife, 51% of women said they drive more safely. The evidence is on their side: Men are 3.4 times more likely than women to get a ticket for careless driving and 3.1 times as likely to be punished for drunk driving. "Women are on average less aggressive and more law abiding drivers, which leads to fewer accidents." the report says. However, not all male drivers share the same opinion. Of the men surveyed by MetLife, 39% claimed male drivers were safer. The findings did back them up on one point: automotive knowledge. The report showed that more men are familiar with current safety equipment such as electronic stability control, which helps prevent rollover accidents.
Auto safety unavoidably matters to money. Insurance companies focus on what classes of drivers have the lowest dollar amounts of claims, and for now, that mainly includes women. In general, women pay about 9% less for auto insurance than men. A study by the website Insweb also showed that auto insurance rates are lower for women in most states. Among individual states, women get the greatest advantage in Wyoming (where they pay 20% less), South Dakota and Washington, D. C., where their insurance costs are 16% lower.
"More than 11,900 male drivers died in U.S. traffic accidents in 2009, compared with just under 4,900 women drivers," according to the study. "Based on miles traveled, men died at a rate of 2.5 deaths per 100 million miles traveled, v.s. 1.7 deaths for women." | high14665.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "spaces between intervals"
},
"options": [
"cars",
"grooves",
"spaces between intervals",
"bulldozers"
],
"question": "According to the passage, melody roads use _ to create different notes.",
"question_typ... | Motorists who used to listen to the radio or their favorite tunes on CDs may have a new way to entertain themselves, after engineers in Japan developed a musical road surface.
A team from the Hokkaido Industrial Research Institute has built a number of"melody roads,"which use cars as tuning forks to play music as they travel.
The concept works by using grooves .They are cut at very specific intervals in the road surface. The melody road uses the spaces between to create different notes.
Depending on how far apart the grooves are, a car moving over them will produce a series of high or low notes, and designers are able to create a distinct tune.
Paten documents for the design describe it as notches "formed in a road surface so as to play a melody without producing simple sound or rhythm and reproduce melody-like tones".
There are three musical strips in central and northern Japan--one of which plays the tune of a Japanese pop song. Reports say the system was invented by Shizuo Shinoda. He scraped some markings into a road with a bulldozer before driving over them and found that they helped to produce all kinds of tones.
The _ speed for melody road is 44kph,but people say it is not always easy to get the intended sound.
"You need to keep the car windows closed to hear well,"wrote one Japanese blogger."Driving too fast will sound like playing fast forward, while driving around 12mph[20km/h]has a slow-motion effect, making you almost car-sick." | high12214.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He may be one of the rare cases of people with a superior memory."
},
"options": [
"He has worked for Google, so he recall any news events.",
"He may be one of the rare cases of people with a superior memory.",
"He is now the... | Imagine being able to recall just about anything, your mind functioning as a nearly endless encyclopedic book of names, pictures, dates and events.
Brad Williams' excellent memory recall makes him a personified version of Google. His wide memory allows him to recall almost any news event and anything he has experienced, including specific dates and even the weather. "I was sort of a human Google for my family. I've always been able to recall things," the 51-yearold said on Good Morning America in his first television interview.
Williams' type of detailed, complete memory is called hyperthymesia and few known cases exist. Brad's brain scan are now being studied by scientists at the Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, at the University of California.
At first, the drive-time radio broadcaster didn't think his ability to recall so much was anything special. Gradually, over the years, other people noticed how much he was able to remember in detail about events. Then in 2006, he read an article about a wman whom scietists called AJ, which _ Williams to come forward. AJ is a writwer of a medical journal, and the only scientifically-documented case of superior memory.
"When I read about AJ, my immediate thought was : Oh my God. That's Brad!" said williams' brother, Eric Williams.
Eric Williams is eager to learn about the inner working of his brother's mind. He is in the process of making documentary about Brad, appropriately titled: "Unforgettable." In the film, which hasn't been finished yet, Williams takes on a person who is Googling answers to 20 questions. He answers 18 of them correctly and is 11 minutes faster than the Google user.
"All of us have the ability to store this information, but the difference with Brad is that he can recall it," Eric Williams said. | high8290.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "what it takes to be a leader"
},
"options": [
"how a leader is elected",
"what it takes to be a leader",
"when a leader is needed",
"where a leader lays his power"
],
"question": "The passage is mainly about _ ... | Not every president is a leader, but every time we elect a president we hope for one, especially in time of trouble. Leadership is as much a question of timing as anything else. The leader must appear on the scene at a moment when people are looking for leadership. And when he comes, he must offer a straightforward and powerful message.
Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers who cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand and remember. We have an image of what a leader ought to be. We even recognize the physical signs: leaders may not necessarily be tall, but they must have bigger- than-life, commanding features. We expect our leaders to stand out a little, not to be like ordinary men. Half of President Ford's trouble lay in the fact that, if you closed your eyes for a moment, you couldn't remember his face, figure, or clothes.
It also helps for a leader to be able to do something most of us can't. Mao swam the Yangtze River at the age of 72. We want our leaders to be like us but better, special, more so. Yet if they are too different, we reject them.
A leader must know how to use power (that's what leadership is about), but he also has to have a way of showing that he does. A leader should know how to appear relaxed and confident. His walk should be firm and purposeful. He should be able to give a good, hearty, belly laugh. Ronald Reagan's career as an actor showed to good effect in the debate with his opponent. He managed to convey the impression that in fact he was the President.
A leader rides the waves, moves with the tides, understands the deepest feelings of his people. He cannot make a nation that wants peace at any price go to war, or stop a nation determined to fight from doing so. His purpose must match the national mood. His task is to focus the people's energies and desires, to inspire, to make what people already want seem possible and important to achieve. | high22248.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they must reach the age of 60"
},
"options": [
"they should be easy to make friends with",
"they must swim outside at least 8 times in the four cold months",
"they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February",
... | When did you last see a polar bear ? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3degC, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bears Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits(or advantages)of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits(or advantages)of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-old woman says, When I go into the water , I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away. | high21741.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The Georges is a double income family."
},
"options": [
"George's parents gave birth to three children",
"The Georges is a double income family.",
"The children had more arguments during the summer.",
"They recyled soda... | George, when your big brother and your little dog and I walked you up to schools today, you had no idea how I was feeling.
You were so excited. You had packed and unpacked your pencils and safety scissors in your backpack a dozen times. I am really going to miss those lazy mornings when we waved your brother and sister off to school.
Because you are my youngest, I had learned a few things by the time you came along. I found out that the seemingly endless days of babyhood are gone like lightning. I blinked , and your older siblings were setting off for school as eagerly as you did this morning, I was one of the lucky ones; I could choose whether to work or not. By the time it was your turn, _ . A splash in the pool with you in your bright red boots or "just one more" rereading of your favorite book,Frog and Toad Are Friends, meant more. You didn't go to preschool and I hope that doesn't hold you back. You learned numbers by helping me count the soda cans we returned to the store.
I have to admit that in my mind's eye, an image of myself while you're in school has developed, I see myself updating all the photo albums and starting that novel I always wanted to write. As the summer wound down and more frequent quarrels erupted between you and your siblings, I was looking forward to today. And then this morning, I walked you up the steep hill to your classroom. You found the coat hook with your name above it right away, and you gave me one of your characteristically fierce, too-tight hugs. This time you were ready to let go before I was.
Maybe someday you will deliver a kindergartner to the first day of school. When you turn at the door to wave good-bye, he or she will be too deep in conversation with a new friend to notice. Even as you smile, you'll feel something warm on your cheek.
And then, you'll know... | high11682.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The funny picture about the teacher."
},
"options": [
"The funny look of the teacher.",
".The teacher's interesting lecture.",
"The funny picture about the teacher.",
"The short story written on the note."
],
"q... | I was giving the class when her giggling drew my attention. Walking over to the young trouble-maker, I asked for the note in her hands.
It was a had-drawn picture of me, teeth blackened, nostrils upwards, and the words "I'm stupid" coming out of my mouth. I managed to fold up the picture calmly and continue the class. My mind, however, was working angrily. I knew the two most likely suspects for drawing the picture. Maybe it was high time that I taught them a lesson!
Somehow, in the very moment of real hurt and anger, I asked myself very softly, "How can I ever bring good out of this?"
When there were about six minutes left of the class, I showed the kids the picture. The whole class was silent. I told them there must be a reason behind such a picture and that now was their chance to tell me the reason. Then I let them write silently while I stood sadly in the back of the classroom.
Most of them either blamed the artist or felt sorry. But two notes, from the girls I figured were behind the picture, had a list of issues. I was too mean and too strict. Reading those notes, I realized that where I thought I was driving them to success I was actually driving them away. I had some apologizing to do.
When the kids walked into my classroom the next day, one boy and one girl each handed me a card. The one signed by all the boys expressed sincere regret for the ugly joke. The one from the girls asked for forgiveness. I was extremely surprised. And more than a little shameful. I had my little speech all ready to give to the kids, but they did it before me. | high21999.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The resurrection of Jesus."
},
"options": [
"the goddess of springtime and sunrise.",
"The resurrection of Jesus.",
"The return of the mild weather.",
"The rising of the sun in a new spring."
],
"question": "Peo... | Easter Eggs
Easter falls officially on the Sunday following the first full moon after March 21. The name Easter itself derives from Europe, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of springtime and sunrise. Christians relate the rising of the sun to resurrection of Jesus, Son of God, and therefore Easter, like Easter, represents rebirth of the soul.
It is because of this association of the holiday with rebirth that the egg has long been its chief symbol. The egg was a symbol of spring and fertility (for the egg is the original germ from which all life proceeds) long before the Christian era. The ancient Persians, Greeks and Chinese exchanged eggs at their spring festivals. In Christian times the egg took on a new meaning, symbolizing Christ's tomb---a cold and hard casket from which new life finally broke forth in triumph. In modern times the egg is still the most important part of Easter customs. Egg-rolling contests, egg hunts and egg-dyeing are still very popular with Americans at Easter time. Today Easter is more a family day than a religious holiday. Relatives and friends get together for large Easter dinners. Many American and friends get together for large Easter dinners. Many American cities have Easter parades. People enjoy the return of the milder weather by walking outdoors to display their new spring clothes. | high17595.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "America covers a large part of the North American continent."
},
"options": [
"America is the largest country in the world.",
"The population of America is larger than that of any other country in the North American continent.",
... | The United States covers a large part of the North American continent. Its neighbours are Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. Although the United States is a big country, it is not the largest in the world. In 1964, its population was over 185,000,000.
When this land first became a nation, after winning its independence from England, it had thirteen states. Each of the states was represented on the American flag by a star. All these states were in the eastern part of the continent. As the nation grew toward the west, new states were added and new stars appeared on the flag. For a long time, there were 48 stars. In 1959, however, two more stars were added to the flag, representing the new states of Alaska and Hawaii.
Indians were the first people of the land which is now the United States. There are still many thousands of Indians now living in all parts of the country. Sometimes it is said that the Indians are "the only real Americans". Most Americans come from all over the world. Those who came first in greatest numbers to make their homes on the eastern coast of North America were mostly from England. It is for that reason that the official language of the United States is English and that its culture and customs are more like those of England than those of any other country in the world. | high20339.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "one's heart-beat, brain activities, blood pressure, feelings and emotions"
},
"options": [
"only one's feelings and emotions",
"one's energy",
"one's mental changes",
"one's heart-beat, brain activities, blood pressure,... | Scientists are making new studies of color and its effects on our health. They have known for a long time that the color of a room or the color of the light in it can affect our feelings and emotions. Many prisons and hospitals have at least one room that is painted pink. Officials have found that light and color can produce physical changes in our bodies.
Professor Falfan worked with a group of 9 disabled children at school in Albert. Two of the children were blind. The other seven had normal sight. The scientists changed the color of the school room, then looked for changes in blood pressure, heart beat and breathing rate. The effects of color changes were the same for the blind children as for those with normal sight. Their blood pressure dropped from about 120 to 100. Similar changes were reported in heart-beat and the breathing. The children also were calmer and less excited. Then the colors of the room were returned to orange and white. Blood pressure, heart-beat and breathing rate went up and the children became excited again.
Professor Falfan said different colors produce different levels of light energy. He said the differences seem to affect chemicals in the brain that carry messages from nerve to nerve and from nerve to muscle. | high2965.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the stronger pound against the dollar"
},
"options": [
"the high cost of clothing",
"the stronger pound against the dollar",
"its expensive transportation",
"the high prices of fast food meals"
],
"question": "L... | If your boss asks you to work in Moscow this year, he'd better offer you more money to do so -- or even double that depending on where you live now.That's because Moscow has just been found to be the world's most expensive city for the second year in a row by Mercer Human Resources Consulting.
Using the cost of living in New York as a base, Mercer determined Moscow is 34.4 percent more expensive including the cost of housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment.
A two-bedroom flat in Moscow now costs $4,000 a month; a CD $24.83, and an international newspaper $6.30, according to Mercer.By comparison, a fast food meal with a hamburger is _ at $4.80.
London takes the No.2 place, up from No.5 a year ago, thanks to higher cost of housing and a stronger British pound relative to the dollar.Mercer estimates London is 26 percent more expensive than New York these days.Following London closely are Seoul and Tokyo, both of which are 22 percent more expensive than New York, while No.5 Hong Kong is 19 percent more costly.
Among North American cities, New York and Los Angeles are the most expensive and are the only two listed in the top 50 of the world's most expensive cities.But both have fallen since last year's study -- New York came in 15th, down from 10th place, while Los Angeles fell to 42nd from 29th place a year ago.San Francisco came in a distant third at No.54, down 20 places from a year earlier.
Toronto, meanwhile, is Canada's most expensive city but fell 35 places to take 82nd place worldwide.In Australia, Sydney is the priciest place to live in and No.21 worldwide. | high720.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "You are used to your old environment."
},
"options": [
"You are used to your old environment.",
"Your teachers don't want you to change school.",
"It is never easy to get permission of the authority.",
"It is difficult ... | It's never easy moving schools. You're settled in the school you're in, you have your friends and you know your teachers and you just don't want the change. But unfortunately sometimes it is necessary to move schools and start again. Once you've started at the new school there are little tips and tricks you could try to help you fit in and make new friends easily.
When you start at a new school you may be nervous and be keen to make new friends as soon as possible. You may feel like you need to make friends by changing who you are. If you want to make friends quickly you may feel like to fit in your need to alter your personality. This is not a good idea. Changing who you are for other people will only make you feel insecure and pressured. Be yourself, you don't need to change and you soon enough will find friends who like you for what you are.
When you move to a new school in a new area you may want to keep in touch with friends from your last school and, depending on how far you now live from the old school, you usually can. But that doesn't mean you should avoid making friends at your new school. If you are invited to another pupil's house for tea, take up the offer. You may prefer to go out with your old friends but by getting involved with other pupils you'll find yourself making friends much more easily.
The teachers at your new school will be happy to help you settle in. If you are having any trouble fitting in or even if you just want to talk to someone who understands, have a word with your teacher. He or she will be happy to listen to you. If you are having trouble with another class member and you don't know what to do about it, talk with your teacher. Your teacher is there to help so be sure to confide in him or her whenever you need to.
Moving to a new school in an unfamiliar area can be hard. You'll be keen to fit in but don't worry too much. Before long you'll have made lots of friends and you'll be having fun again. | high23630.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The crowded situation in China during the Golden Week."
},
"options": [
"A successful roadside wedding during the Golden Week.",
"The popularity of traveling around during the Golden Week.",
"The crowded situation in China du... | Most Chinese people expect to relax and enjoy themselves during the Golden Week. But for those trying to go someplace,it may seem more disappointment than pleasure. This year, the severe traffic jam resulted in a roadside wedding.
The suffering of being stuck in traffic was possibly most strongly felt by Lv Kangzhou and his bride Yan Mengxia. By tradition, the groom drove early in the morning to the bride's home in Zhejiang province in East China to pick her up along with her family and take them to his family's hometown for the wedding. By 4 p.m., Lv's wedding was 90 minutes away, but his car had not moved an inch for a long time. Lv contacted the local radio to explain his difficult situation and ask for a traffic forecast. The radio host told Lv there was no way he could hold his wedding on time and offered to hold their wedding on the air. At 5:30 p.m., Lv and his bride said their vows on the side of the road while Lv's family and friends witnessed the ceremony while listening to the radio.
Lv wasn't the only person stuck in the Golden Week crowds. According to the state news agency Xinhua, 11.7 million people traveled by train Wednesday. It calculated that 120,000 people gathered at Tiananmen Square in Beijing to watch the flag raising ceremony. Last year, the Forbidden City in Beijing hosted 175,000 tourists on a single day during Golden Week, and the number is expecting to be even bigger this year.
Chinese internet users routinely complain about the Golden Week holiday every year. As internet user Tuzhi said on Sina Weibo: "On the Great Wall, I'm holding your hand, but I cannot see your face." | high9824.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Computer learning should be made easier."
},
"options": [
"Computer learning should be made easier.",
"There should be more computer clubs for experts.",
"People should work harder to master computer use.",
"Computers s... | Computer people talk a lot about the need for other people to become "computer-literate." But not all experts agree that this is a good idea.
One pioneer, in particular, who disagrees is David Tebbutt, the founder of Computertown UK. Although many people see this as a successful attempt to bring people closer to the computer. David does not see _ that way. He says that Computertown UK was formed for just the opposite reason, to bring computers to people and make them "people-literate." David Tebbutt thinks Computertowns are most successful when tied to a computer club but he insists there is an important difference between the two. The clubs are for people who have some computer knowledge already. This frightens away non-experts, who are happier going to Computertowns where there are computers for them to experiment on, with experts to encourage them and answer any questions they have. They are not told what to do, they find out.The computer experts have to learn not to tell people about computers, but have to be able to answer all questions people ask. People don't have to learn computer terms , but the experts have to explain in plain language. The computers are becoming "people-literate." | high734.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "good communication skills"
},
"options": [
"the ability to smile",
"tidiness",
"good communication skills",
"proof of past experience"
],
"question": "A good skill for a telephone operator to have is _ .",
... | Job Interviews
You have the education and the work experience; now all you need is the job. Most people spend more time getting ready for an evening out than they do preparing for a job interview. There are several things you can do to have a successful job interview. Here are some of them:
1. Know about the company where you are trying to get a job. Find out what the company does and who their competitors are.
2. Know yourself. Most interviewers will ask a question related to your strengths and weaknesses. Before the interview, examine the job you are applying for and determine the top skills needed for that position. For instance, if you are applying for a job as a telephone operator, it's more important that you have strong communication skills than that you are tidy.
3. Have proof. It's easy to say you have good organization skills. But if you can tell the interviewer about a time you organized an event, it makes the claim much more solid.
4. Prepare questions to ask about the company and the job.
An interview is a stressful event. When you are under pressure, it can be difficult to think straight. Preparing before the interview will make it easier to give answers to those tough questions. But you can't think of every question they might ask. So relax and be confident. Remember, first impressions are lasting. | high14088.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "keep notes to improve their memory"
},
"options": [
"live with their children",
"keep notes to improve their memory",
"do some sports",
"have an operation"
],
"question": "The doctor suggested the couple that th... | An 80-year-old couple was having problems remembering things, so they decided to go to their doctor to get checked out to make sure nothing was wrong with them.
When they arrived at the doctor's, they explained to the doctor about the problems they were having with their memory. After checking the couple out, the doctor told them that they were physically okay but might want to start writing things down and make notes to help them remember things. The couple thanked the doctor and left.
Later that night, while watching TV, the man got up from his chair and his wife asked, "Where are you going?"
He replied, "To the kitchen."
She asked, "Will you get me a cup of ice cream?"
He replied, "Sure."
She then asked him, "Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?"
He said, "No, I can remember that."
She then said, "Well, I would also like some strawberries on top. You had better write that down because I know you'll forget that."
He said, "I can remember that. You want a cup of ice cream with strawberries."
She replied, "Well, I also would like some whipped cream on top. I know you will forget that so you'd better write it down."
With anger in his voice, he said, "I don't need to write that down! I can remember that." He then went into the kitchen.
After about 20 minutes he returned from the kitchen and handed her a plate of bacon and eggs. She stared at the plate for a moment and said angrily, "I told you to write it down! You forgot my bread!" | high23624.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "motivating part of the brain"
},
"options": [
"getting rid of green light",
"creating a quiet environment",
"receiving real-time signals",
"motivating part of the brain"
],
"question": "The \"time control\" glas... | Australian sleep researchers have developed a set of hi-tech "sunglasses", described as the world's first "time control" glasses, which can imitate sunlight patterns. The team, from Flinders University, in Adelaide, says the glasses send out a soft green glow that helps a traveller adapt to changing sleep patterns and time zones in "small steps". It targets a part of the brain that regulates the human body-clock, by sending signals to the rest of the body that help it slowly realise it is in a different area of the world. It has been suggested the device, called the "Re-Timer", is currently the only wearable body clock adjustment system commercially available.
Scientists say the device, officially launched in South Australia, can help ridf the negative effects of long-timel travel and bring new relief to insomnia sufferers, shift workers and even teenagers.
"The light from Re-Timer stimulates the part of the brain responsible for regulating the 24-hour body clock," said Prof Leon Lack, its chief inventor.
Extensive research has shown that green light is one of the most effective wavelengths for influencing the body clock.
The battery-powered device, which retail for PS162 in Britain, then sends signals that cause the production of hormones and daily cycles known as circadian rhythms .
Those people who want to sleep peacefully, but wake earlier, should wear it for 50 minutes in the morning for three days. Those who want a lie- in, should wear it for the same time before bed to delay the body clock. The device, which is powered by an inbuilt rechargeable battery, can also be worn as sunglasses during daily tasks such as reading or using a computer.
"The glasses have been designed to be user friendly and comfortable to wear so people can go about their normal activities wearing them at work or at home," he said, adding they had been designed based on 25 years of university research.
It is estimated that up to 94 per cent of long-time travellers suffer from jet lag because the body becomes confused to travelling through different time zones. So the glasses are good news to them. It uses the outside world as indicators as to whether it should be awake or asleep including factors such as light, silence or noise.
Airlines are said to be seeking a "silver bullet" for the tiredness and confusion that often follow a long-timel flight and are in discussions to buy the device. | high17581.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "social position"
},
"options": [
"personality",
"social position",
"job",
"favorite hobby"
],
"question": "In Britain, ties were first used as a sign to show a person's _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questi... | Wearing ties was originally the mark of Britain's most powerful classes, which made the tie itself a symbol of power and respect. And that led it to be adopted by a much larger tribe--the business tribe.
You cannot wear a tie if you work with machinery. So wearing a tie became a sign that you were a man who used your brain to make a living, rather than your hands. It showed you were serious. It showed you were a professional. It meant that everyone who wanted a job in business had to wear one. It was just impossible to take seriously a man who didn't wear a piece of color1ed silk around his neck.
This is how millions of people came to be wearing ties across the world. They are part of the uniform of business.
"Ties offer a point of indifference," says John Milne, head of the British Guide of Tie Makers. "They give a chance to say something about their own personality."
So if you happen to meet a man with a very brightly color1ed tie, there is a good chance that he is the office joker. There is also a good chance that he will be wearing brightly color1ed socks.
Is there a future for ties? The signs are not promising. Tie wearing seems to be rare among the new bread of entrepreneurs in the Internet and new technology industries. Many political leaders,including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, now go without ties. This shows they are men of the people--but not the people wearing ties.
Up until around 1960, it was common for men across the Western world to wear hats as part of their business uniform. That changed with the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency of the United States. Kennedy never wore a hat in fact his nickname was"hatless Jack". Seeing that the most powerful man in the world did not have to wear a hat, millions of other men decided that they did not have to, either. Hats simply vanished across the Western world. Perhaps"tieless Tony"(UK Prime Minister Tony Blair) will have the same effect as "hatless Jack". | high16847.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the bus offered by the school and different from the public bus"
},
"options": [
"the bus offered by the school and different from the public bus",
"the bus that has no difference from the public bus",
"the bus that is driven... | Every day 25 million U.S. children ride school buses. The safety record for these buses is much better than for passenger cars; but nevertheless, about 10 children are killed each year riding on large school buses, and nearly four times that number are killed outside buses in the loading zones. By and large, however, the nation's school children are transported to and from school safely.
Even though the number of school bus accidents is not large, the safety of children is always of intense public concern. While everyone wants to see children transported safely, people are divided about what needs to be done-particularly whether seat belts should be compulsory.
People in favor of seat belts on school buses-many of them parents and medical organizations-argue that seat belts are necessary not only to reduce fatality and injury, but also to teach children lessons about the importance of using them routinely in any moving vehicle. A side benefit, they point out, is that seat belts help keep children in their seats, away from the bus driver.
People who object to seat belt installation suggest that children are already well protected by the school buses that follow the Nation Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) safety requirements set in 1977. They also believe that many children won't wear seat belts anyway, and that may damage the belts or use them as weapons to hurt other children.
A new research council report on school bus safety suggest that there are alternate safety devices and procedures that may be more effective and less expensive. For example, the study committee suggested that raising seat backs four inches may have the same safety effectiveness as seat belts.
The report sponsored by the Department of transportation at the request of Congress, reviews seat belts extensively while taking a broader look at safety in and around school buses. | high2971.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It's a good idea to write a letter of apology as soon as something goes wrong."
},
"options": [
"It's a good idea to write a letter of apology as soon as something goes wrong.",
"It's a good idea to send several emails to apologize... | It is impossible not to make a mistake at some point in your life.We may as well accept that something will go wrong and we will be to blame.It is therefore sensible to work out some strategies for apologizing,and the best way to apologize is by letter.This way you can take care over every word you write which you can't do if you say sorry to someone in person.
We all say or do something that we wish we hadn't said or done.You may say something that accidentally hurts someone,or you may provide a service which doesn't come up to the standards that a client or customer expected,
You may feel that it was a genuine mistake which couldn't be avoided. _ you should quickly try to remedy the problem.An effective letter of apology is an important part of that process.
For the content of the letter,just remember TABS--Timing,Action,Brevity,Sincerity.
The timing of a letter of apology is crucial--it must be sent as soon as possible.Any delay in sending the letter will only compound the problem.In this case "Better late than never" is not the best motto! The longer you wait before writing a,letter of apology,the more it will seem that you have been coerced into writing it.
Although it is important to recognize what has gone before,it is also essential to detail the action you plan to take to _ whatever it was you did wrong.Research has shown that some indication that you have thought about what future action you plan to take is always well received.
A letter of apology should be brief and the word "sorry" should appear no more than twice.Indicate that you are aware you are using it a second time"Once again,I am so sorry for..."or"As I said earlier,I am really sorry about...".Finally,the tone of the letter has to be sincere.In fact, the combination of all the above factors will help in this respect.
And don't think that letters are out of date in the email-oriented 21st century.An apology email can be worse than no apology at all ! | high21033.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "cares very much for his daughter Maria"
},
"options": [
"likes his garden better than his daughter",
"is interested in fixing broken blenders",
"wants the readers to look at his project",
"cares very much for his daught... | Maria sat by the glass door that faced the side yard. The door hadn't been opened as long as she had lived there. The dirty yard outside was overgrown with weeds . Maria liked to look at the weeds. Small flowers would grow, followed by seed balls. And the seed carriers would fly away.
The late afternoon sunlight died into night. Turning on the light, Maria picked up her color1ed pencils and notepaper. She worked on a picture of a clearing in a forest.
"Maria!" called her father, who knew where to find her. "I'm back!" He had been working at the apartments next door.
"Did you fix their broken blender, Papa?" She asked, and he said, "Yes." He pushed his daughter's wheelchair into the kitchen so that she could help him prepare dinner. Maria cut up the vegetables that Papa had grown in the small yard behind the house. She loved their bright color1s, their strange shapes, and their fresh, crispy taste before being cooked. She would have loved to garden herself, but it was hard for her to sit on the ground and work.
As they ate and talked about their day, Papa told Maria that his brother, Ramon, would be coming over the next day to help him with a special project. Papa had asked Mr. Yamato, the bus driver, to take her to Aunt Gabriela' s house after school. Then Papa would pick her up when the project was finished. Maria wondered why she had to be away while he worked. There was something in Papa's eyes and in his voice, perhaps -that told her not to ask.
When Papa brought her home the next evening, he asked her to close her eyes while he took her to the glass door. She heard him open the curtain. Then he said, "Open your eyes."
Surely she was dreaming! The tall crowd of weeds was gone. In its place was a beautiful garden. There were young trees, flowery bushes, and color1ful little flowers. Papa opened the glass door. He wheeled Maria to a path that placed her at the heart of the little garden. Then she saw the best part. Along the house were raised wooden beds of soil, just waiting to be planted - by her! They were exactly the right height for her to reach from her wheelchair.
"First I'll draw a plan," she said excitedly.
"And then we'll go to the garden center," said Papa. "You're a gardener now, Maria!" | high21755.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "is the first product to manage one's sleep"
},
"options": [
"can record one's sleep process",
"is the first product to manage one's sleep",
"is free of medical risks",
"provides access to sleep fitness websites"
],
... | To get a better night's sleep, get into bed with Zeo Introducing the revolutionary Zeo Personal Sleep Coach
The inability to get a good night's sleep is one of the top health issues. A night of poor sleep can affect one's mood, energy level, and performance. Most people have felt powerless to do anything about it -- until now. Introduing Zeo, a revolutionary approach to the problem of poor sleep.
A revolution in the science of sleep
Designed by leading sleep scientists,the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach is the first consumer product to help you take control of your sleep.Because understanding your sleep is the first step toward mananging it.
Wear the light Zeo Headband to bed and Zeo technology tracks and records your personal sleep patterns and wrielessly send them to the Zeo Bedside Display. When you wake up, you simply touch a button to get your sleep data: the time you took to fall asleep, your time in deep sleep and light sleep, and how often you woke up. Seeing how you slept is just the beginning. What you do with that information is what makes Zeo so remarkable.
Take control of your sleep
Zeo puts the science of sleep at your fingertips. The Zeo Bedside Display stroes your sleep data so you can easily upload it to the Zeo Peasonal Coaching website. Here you 'll find a collection of online tools that help you analyze you sleep and uncover the links between how you live and how your sleep. Zeo's Seven Step Sleep Fintness program assists you in creating a personalized action plan based on your own sleep pattems and goals, and delivers user-tailored coaching emails that help you get the sleep you need.
Try Zeo risk free,and enjoy free shipping
Order Zeo today and receive the headband, bedside display, full access to our powerful user website and you personalized, multi-week sleep coaching program--plus our satisfaction guarantee and free shipping.
ze?
The more you know, the better you sleep.
30-DAY money- back guarantee FREE SHIPPING
Call NOW to order. Call 888-794-9349
Zeo Personal Sleep Coach is neither a medical device nor a medical program and is notintended for the treatment of sleep disorders. | high5978.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To call on students to apply to be Campus Coordinators,"
},
"options": [
"To describe the serious environmental problems.",
"To call on students to apply to be Campus Coordinators,",
"To explain the advantage of the Greenpeac... | Our planet is in trouble.Polluting industries and corporations are destroying our planet, resulting in increasing global temperatures, melting ice caps, and economic turmoil .All across the country, folks are waking up to the reality that if they do not ad now to solve the environmental problems of today, the consequences are unthinkable.If we don't i ct now, who will? Fortunately, an amazing team of young leaders are taking action.They a e getting involved with the Greenpeace Student Network!
The Student Network has student leaders who deal with the most pressing environmental issues.We have organized and won inspiring campaigns.Convincing corporations to change their ways and politicians to do the right thing.All thanks to our team of leaders, known as Campus Coordinators.
Campus Coordinators are located all across the United States, and even Canada! They work on Greenpeace Student Network campaigns at their schools and in their communities.They organize events like film screenings and days of action.They hold meetings with elected officials, work with the media, recruit volunteers, and mobilize their campus to take action! They do all of this with excellent training and expert support from our team of Student: Network staff.Campus Coordinators develop their leadership skins and become an unstoppable force for green solutions on pus and in their community.
Currently, the Greenpeace Student Network is campaigning to solve the largest environmental threat to humankind: global warming.With only months until a new international treaty on global warming is decided this December, the time to stand up and take the lead has never been
more important,
If you are concerned with environmental issues, want to mobilize your scho4l and community, nd are ready to become a skilled organizer and strong leader, then the Campus Coordinator position is for you! We are now accepting applications for the Fall 2009-Spring 2010 academic year.
Are you ready to be a leader on your campus?
Apply to be a Campus Coordinator today! | high11696.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Her unwillingness to see others write the story."
},
"options": [
"Her eagerness to try writing for the screenplay.",
"Her unwillingness to see others write the story.",
"The attraction of earning more at the box office.",
... | Warner Brothers has announced more Harry Potter movies are on the way. The studio is working with Potter author J. K. Rowling to create a new franchise of movies based on "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them", which is a fictitious textbook in the Harry Potter world. The story will also follow the adventures of the book's author, Newt Scamander. Rowling, for the first time, will pen the screenplay.
It comes as no surprise that Warner Brothers is trying to keep the Harry Potter franchise going. The films alone have earned $7.7 billion at the box office. The franchise has probably almost doubled those earnings on home video and TV sales. Then there's the many Harry Potter products that fans still _ .
But at some point, Harry Potter could seem old hat and that's not something Warner Brothers wants to see happen. So executives had three choices: restart the franchise, come up with continuations or spin off part of the Potter world into a new movie.
Without books to support the new stories, the upcoming movies could be a tougher sell for Warner Brothers. Harry and friends won't appear at all in the new movies which will be set in New York 70 years before Harry Potter heads to Hogwarts.
The new stories will also net video games, products and enhance Rowling's website.
Here's Rowling on the upcoming franchise:
It all started when Warner Brothers came to me with the suggestion of turning "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of "Fantastic Beasts", realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.
As I considered Warners' proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn't get rid of. That is how I could express my own idea for a film to Warner Brothers.
Although it will be set in the worldwide community of wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, it is neither a previous work nor a continuation to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world. The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt's story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry gets underway. | high10588.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Impossible."
},
"options": [
"The Big Wedding.",
"Teddy Bear.",
"The Impossible.",
"Family Guy."
],
"question": "Which of the following is based on a true story?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"ans... | The Big Wedding
Actor:Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro,
The Big Wedding is about a modern family holding a weekend wedding celebration. To make their adult children and friends happy, the long divorced couple Don and Ellie Griffin are once again forced to play the happy couple because of their son's wedding. With all guests looking on, the Griffins are forced to face their past, present and future. To come out on Oct26, 2012.
Teddy Bear
Director: Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy
He brings his way of humor to the big screen for the first time as writer, director and voice star of Teddy. In the play, he tells the story of John Bennett, a grown man who must deal with the lovely teddy bear who came to life as the result of a childhood wish...and has refused to leave his side ever since. To be _ d on July13, 2012.
The impossible
Actor: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor
Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand.But on the morning of December 26th, as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas party the night before, a scaring noise rises up from the center of the earth. As Maria freezes in fear, a huge wall of water runs toward her. Based on a true story, The impossible is the unforgettable experience of a family caught in the worst natural disasters of our time, with tens of thousands of strangers. It is planned to be on on Dec21, 2012. | high23142.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "36 points."
},
"options": [
"131 points.",
"145 points.",
"95 points.",
"36 points."
],
"question": "What was the gap between Chinese vehicles and foreign vehicles in 2016?",
"question_type": "factiod_questi... | Chinese car makers have narrowed the quality gap with their foreign rivals in the world's largest vehicle market to the smallest level in seven years, according to research.
But the improvements have not been enough to see an obvious drop in the market share for local car companies this year, raising questions about their ability to be global competitors.
The annual quality survey of China's car market by J.D. Power, a Californian market research company, tracks the number of mechanical and design problems reported per 100 vehicles by more than 21,000 Chinese drivers.
It documented 131 problems per 100 domestic vehicles, compared with 95 per 100 foreign vehicles. The 36-point gap was the narrowest in the study's seven-year history. When China overtook the US as the world's largest car maker in the 2009, the gap between domestic and foreign cars was 145 points. "It's evidence to the improvements that domestic brands have been making," said Geoff Broderick, head of J.D. Power's operations. "By 2018 the domestic and the global brands will be equal in terms of quality."
Despite the steady improvement in quality, local vehicle makers have been performing poorly this year. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, domestic brand's share of the market for cars--not including SUVs--has fallen from about 25 percent to 20 percent.
"Chinese customers are very picky in the world because they have been trained to distrust products," said Mr Broderick, citing scandals affecting baby milk powder and toys.
"They go into a situation expecting there could be quality issues, whereas in the West we trust the brands. | high14936.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "choose food in similar ways"
},
"options": [
"depend on one sense in choosing food",
"are not satisfied with their food",
"choose food in similar ways",
"eat entirely different food"
],
"question": "We can infer... | Many animals recognize their food because they see it. So do humans. When you see an apple or a piece of chocolate you know that these are things you can eat. You can also use other senses when you choose your food. You may like it because it smells good or because it tastes good. You may dislike some types of food because they do not look, smell or taste very nice. Different animals use different senses to find and choose their food. A few animals depend on only one of their senses, while most animals use more than one sense.
Although there are many different types of food, some animals spend their lives eating only one type. The giant panda eats only one particular type of bamboo . Other animals eat only one type of food even when given the choice. A kind of white butterfly will stay on the leaves of a cabbage, even though there are plenty of other vegetables in the garden. However, most animals have a more varied diet . The bear eats fruits and fish. The fox eats small animals, birds and fruits. The diet of these animals will be different depending on the season.
Humans have a very varied diet. We often eat food because we like it and not because it is good for us. In countries such as France and Britain, people eat foods with too much sugar. This makes them overweight, which is bad for their health. Eating too much red meat and animal products, such as butter, can also be bad for the health. Choosing the right food, therefore, has become an area of study in modem life. | high4496.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Don't get upset."
},
"options": [
"Take it personally.",
"Take it seriously.",
"Don't apologize to her.",
"Don't get upset."
],
"question": "According to the author, what can you do when meeting with a mean old ... | 1. Mean old ladies
There is always a reason why an old lady gives you a serious look - you are being too loud, dressed improperly or not crossing the street in the right place. Sometimes it can be lovely, but if you are already having a bad day, a mean old lady can drive you mad.
What to do about it:
I've come to realize that when people start conflicts, it is actually an expression of their inner state expressed in an outside way. You, your personality, your looks or your actions have nothing to do with it. It is not personal, so why take it personally?
2. That person, who cuts in front of everybody in line
This is something that gets me angry. Even if I am not in a hurry, I still feel bad for the other people in line who are being treated unjustly. Are you more patient than I am or do you feel annoying too?
What to do about it:
If we have negative thoughts then we are wasting our energy on negativity. Situations like this could be a great opportunity to learn to control our first negative responses and practice understanding. After all, the person may just have a quick question or maybe there is an emergency.
Friends that tell you "I told you so"
It is one thing to admit that you made a mistake and another to hear it from a friend. Friends should be there to support you and cheer you up when you are feeling down, not make themselves feel better at your expense, right?
What to do about it:
It helps to remember that when people say "I told you so", they may mean, "Please listen to my advice to avoid future mistakes." If this is not the help you need - voice it out, without getting defensive. | high5950.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "an organization"
},
"options": [
"a deadly disease",
"an organization",
"a piece of equipment",
"a game"
],
"question": "We know from the passage that NBN is in fact _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | For Americans, a mosquito bite is an itchy bother. But for many in Africa, a tiny bite can be deadly. One million people die each year of malaria, a disease spread by infected mosquitoes. Most of these people live in Africa, and are under age 5.
Malaria can be prevented and treated. However, many African nations don't have the funds to fight it. Nothing but Nets (NBN) hopes to change that. The United Nations Foundation created the campaign in 2006. The aim is to prevent malaria by covering sleeping areas with nets. Hanging bed nets treated with insecticide is the simplest way to stop mosquitoes from biting at night. The chemicals last four to five years. For $10, anyone can send a net to Africa and help save a life.
So far, NBN has raised $19 million and delivered 700,000 nets to seven countries. Families are taught how to use the nets. Kids also get vaccines and vitamins. "Women line up for miles to get the medicine for their kids," says NBN director Elizabeth McKee Gore. "They understand the importance."
So do kids in this country. "They get so excited thinking of ways to raise money," says NBN spokesperson and basketball star Ruth Riley.
NBN's biggest fund-raiser is Katherine Commale, 7. She's been spreading the information about bed nets for the past two years. To show how they work, she and her brother made a video. "We teach that bed nets can save lives," she said.
Katherine has raised $42,000 for NBN. "She just wants those who need a net to have one," says her mom, Lynda. "It's pretty simple to her." To find out how you can help, visit nothingbutnets.net. | high11866.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "outside an office building"
},
"options": [
"outside an office building",
"in front of a store",
"near a post office",
"on a bus"
],
"question": "The story happened _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | While I was waiting outside my wife's office building for her to get out of work, I saw a beggar coming my way from across the parking lot.
"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.
He didn't.
He came and sat in front of the bus stop, but he didn't look like he could have enough money to ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a pretty car," he said, pointing to my car. He was ragged , but he had an air of dignity about himself.
I gave him a smile and continued cleaning my car.
He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected asking for money never came. As the silence between us widened, it seemed that a voice inside me said, "Ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes", but I listened to the inner voice.
"Do you need any help?" I asked.
He answered in three simple but meaningful words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women, and we expect it from those of higher learning and achievements. I expected nothing but a dirty hand from him, but he said three words that shook me.
"Don't we all?" he said.
I was feeling high, successful and important above a beggar in the street, until those three words hit me like a shot.
Don't we all?
I needed help. Maybe not for a bus fare or for a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only for a bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have achieved, you need help, too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help. | high20463.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It makes the earth neither to hot nor too cold."
},
"options": [
"IT only traps the heat of the sun.",
"It does great harm to humans.",
"It makes the earth neither to hot nor too cold.",
"It prevents all the light from ... | Global warming happens when greenhouse gases trap heat and light from the sun in the earth's atmosphere, which increases the temperature. This is like when heat is trapped in a car. On a hot day, the car gets hotter when it is out in the parking lot. This is because the heat and light from the sun can get into the car, by going through the windows,but it can't get back out. This is what the greenhouse effect does to the earth .The heat and light can get through the atmosphere, but it can't get out As a result,the temperature rises.
Sometimes the temperature can change in a way that helps us. The greenhouse effect makes the earth appropriate for people to live on Without _ ,the earth would be freezing,or it would be burning hot. It would be freezing at night because we would not get the sun's heat and light .During the day, especially during the summer, it would be burning because the sun would be up with no atmosphere to filter it,so people,plants,and animals would be exposed to all the light and heat.
Although the greenhouse effect makes the earth able to have people living on it,if there gets to be too many gases,the each can get unusually warmer, and many plants,animals.and people will die. Plants would die because they would not be able to take the heat .This would cause us to have less food to eat, and it would also limit the food that animals have. With less food for the animals that we need to survive we would even have less food. Gradually, people,plants,and animals would all die of hunger.
People are doing many things to try to stop global warming .One thing is carpooling--driving with someone to a place that you are both going to. Another thing is being more careful about leaving electrical devices turned on. Now, more people are even riding buses or bikes to lower the amount of greenhouse gases in the air .Although adults do many things to help stop global warming, kids call do just as much. | high6281.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "China's rising global power is a threat to its neighboring countries"
},
"options": [
"cooperation betweenChinaand theUScan strengthen understanding",
"problems like the environment and nuclear proliferation are the global concern"... | John McCain and Barack Obama call for closer U.S.-Chinese cooperation on trade, the environment and nuclear proliferation in the upcoming issue of an American business group's magazine. They do so in an unusual effort to _ voters abroad.
Both articles appeared Sunday on the website of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, and will be published in China Brief, the chamber's monthly magazine, on September 22.
Both stress that the countries should work more closely to ease trade friction , fight global warming, improve military exchanges, and block the spread of nuclear weapons to such countries as Iran and North Korea.
"Cooperation on the key, enduring global challenges, such as climate change, can deepen understanding and enhance confidence. ""We also need to deepen high-level dialogues on a sustained basis on economic, security and global political issues", said Obama in the article.
McCain agreed that the cooperation with prefix = st1 /Chinawould be essential in addressing issues of global concern. "TheUnited Statesshares common interests withChinathat can form the basis of a strong partnership on issues of global concern, including climate change, trade and proliferation," he added. "and I hope to see our relationship develop in a manner that benefits both countries and, in turn, the Asia-Pacific region and the world," he noted.
Both candidates were impressed by China's economic success.
"Chinahas achieved extraordinary, sustained growth over the past three decades. Hundreds of millions of people inChinalive better now than most thought possible even two decades ago," Obama said.
"China's double-digit growth rates have brought hundreds of millions out of poverty, energized the economies of its neighbors and produced many new economic opportunities," McCain said.
Gao Wenhuan, 21st Century Online's special reporter, interviewed Marshall M. Bouton, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. "My guess is, regardless of who is elected in November, you will hear basically the same description that Chinais a strategic partner and competitor," said Bouton.
A survey conducted by the Council in July 2008 found that the majority of respondents clearly admired China's accomplishments, but some Americans viewedChina's rising global power as a threat. According to the survey,Chinanow is seen as the most influential country in the world following theU.S.. | high22274.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "so far there are 13 winners whose works are written in German"
},
"options": [
"she moved to Germany from Romania when she was 40",
"most of her works are very popular outside Germany",
"she is the first German writer that ha... | Herta Muller, the Romanian-born German writer, has won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature.The award was announced in Stockholm on Thursday.
Ms.Muller, 56, immigrated to Germany from Romania in 1987.She is the first German writer to win the Nobel in literature since Gunter Grass in 1999 and the 13th winner writing in German since the prize was first given in 1901.She is the 12th woman to win the literature prize.But unlike previous winners like Doris Lessing and V.S.Naipaul, Ms.Muller is ly unknown outside of literary circles in Germany.
"I am very surprised and still cannot believe it," Ms.Muller said in a statement delivered by her publisher in Germany."I can't say anything more at the moment."
She has written some 20 books, but just 5 have been translated into English, including the novels "The Land of Green Plums" and "The Appointment."
At the news conference on Thursday at the German Publishers & Booksellers Association in Berlin, where she lives, Ms.Muller, wearing all black and sitting on a leopard-print chair, appeared nervous with all the cameras flashing on her.
When asked what it meant that her name would now be mentioned in the same breath as German greats like Thomas Mann and Heinrich Boll, Ms.Muller remained philosophical."I am now nothing better and I'm nothing worse," she said, adding: "My inner thing is writing.That's what I can hold on to."
Earlier in the day, at a news conference in Stockholm, Peter England, secretary of the Swedish Academy, said Ms.Muller was honored for her "very, very distinct special language" and because "she has really a story to tell about cruelty and repression in a village much like the one Muller grew up in."
The awards ceremony is planned for Dec.10 in Stockholm.As the winner, Ms.Muller will receive about $1.4 million. | high22512.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they have gradually changed people's way of life"
},
"options": [
"they keep people sitting long hours watching TV",
"they have gradually changed people's way of life",
"people are drawn to their attractive package",
"t... | Brazil has become one of the developing world's great successes in reducing population growth--but more by accident than design.While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates,Brazil has had better result without really trying,says George Martine at Harvard.
Brazil's population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990,and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average.Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990,an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.
Martine _ ,among other things,soap operas and installment plans introduced in the 1970s.Both played an important,although indirect,role in lowering the birth rate.Brazil is one of the world's biggest producers of soap operas.Globo,Brazil's most popular television network,shows three hours of soaps six nights a week,while three others show at least one hour a night.Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.
"Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction ,they describe middle and upper class values--not many children,different attitudes towards sex,women working,"says Martine."They sent this message to all parts of Brazil and made people realise other patterns of family life and other values,which were put into a very attractive package."
Meanwhile,the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers."This led to change in consumption patterns and consumption did not get along well with unlimited reproduction,"says Martine. | high13917.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the temperature of warm water drops faster than that of cold water"
},
"options": [
"the temperature of warm water drops faster than that of cold water",
"warm water is heavier than cold water",
"warm water has the same tempe... | Warm water freezes more quickly than cold water. Sir Francis Bacon said that almost four hundred years ago. But few people believed him until 1970. In that year a Canadian scientist George Kill proved the English professor was right. Dr Kill filled an open oil pail with cold water. He filled another with warm water. He put both in the same low temperature. The warm water froze first. The lack of covers on the pails is the secret. Some of the warm water changed into vapor. This meant that less of the warm water was left to be frozen. And so the warm water froze faster than the cold water even though it had a greater temperature drop to make. | high1288.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to read today's newspapers"
},
"options": [
"to go to the cinema",
"to watch a color TV",
"to read today's newspapers",
"to listen to the music over radio"
],
"question": "The easiest way to get today's news is ... | There are many types of reports.A report is simply an account of something that has happened.The commonest are news reports.We get them in newspapers,over radio and on television.Sometimes cinemas also show us newsreels.
The main purpose of a newspaper is to provide news.If you examine a newspaper closely,you will find that there are all types of news:accidents,floods,fires,wars,fashions ,sports,books,etc.The news covers everything that happens to people and their surroundings.Sometimes there are news items which are very amusing.
A news report is usually very short,except when it is about something very important,but it contains a lot of information.It is also written in short paragraphs.The first paragraph is in fact a summary of the news item.It gives all the necessary information,what,when,where,how and why.The other paragraphs give full details of the subject.There may also be interviews with people.The words actually spoken by them are within inverted commas .
Often there are photographs to go with the news to make it more interesting. | high7821.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He who doesn't want to be a general can't be a good soldier."
},
"options": [
"He who doesn't want to be a general can't be a good soldier.",
"Before everything else,getting ready is the secret of success.",
"If you work hard... | Pete Rose,the famous baseball player,whom I have never met,taught me something so valuable that it changed my life.Pete was being interviewed in spring training the year he was about to break Ty Cobb's alltime hits record.One reporter asked, "Pete,you only need 78 hits to break the record.How many atbats do you think you'll need to get the 78 hits?" Without hesitation,Pete said,"78." The reporter yelled back,"Ah,come on Pete.You don't expect to get 78 hits in 78 atbats,do you?"
Mr. Rose calmly shared his rule in life with all the reporters who were anxiously awaiting his reply."Every time I step up to the plate,I expect to get a hit! If I don't expect to get a hit,I have no right to step in the batter's box in the first place! If I go up hoping to get a hit,then I probably don't have a prayer of getting a hit.It is the positive expectation that has gotten me all of the hits in the first place."
When I thought about Pete Rose's rule and how it was applied to everyday life,I felt a little embarrassed.As a business person,I was hoping to make my sales meet the quotas .As a father,I was hoping to be a good dad.As a married man,I was hoping to be a good husband.The truth was that I was an adequate salesperson,I was not so bad as a father,and I was an okay husband.I immediately decided that being okay was not enough! I wanted to be a great salesperson,a great father and a great husband.I changed my attitude to one of positive expectation,and the results were amazing.I was fortunate enough to win a few sales trips,I won Coach of the Year in my son's baseball league,and I share a loving relationship with my wife! Thanks,Mr. Rose! | high24163.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She looked much older than her age."
},
"options": [
"She was shy and cold to visitors.",
"She was confident and energetic.",
"She wasn't good at dressing herself up.",
"She looked much older than her age."
],
"... | It was a week before Christmas, but things were far from cheery. Our task was to deliver as many boxes of food as possible to those in need in Camden, New Jersey. There were no Christmas carolers walking these streets that were lined with boarded-up houses and broken windows. Mothers kept their children close as they hurried down the streets. It was mid-afternoon, but even the bright sun couldn't warm this place.
Red tickets in the windows marked which houses we were to visit. Our white truck stopped in front of one townhouse and our group knocked on the door. In our arms were boxes filled with ham, bread and other essentials to make the perfect Christmas dinner. Four small faces glanced through the curtains and one exhausted mom answered the door. She seemed embarrassed to be caught in her nightgown with undone hair. She was in her mid-20s, but her rough skin and tired eyes added years.
"Sacred Heart food delivery service," I smiled. "Where can we put this for you?"
She pointed and as we entered the house, I noticed the conditions they lived in. The children climbed around, wearing only diapers . There were no carpets, only cold concrete beneath our feet. There was no Christmas tree or decorations. My heart sank. It was so cold, and I found it hard to believe that this was reality for this family. We set the boxes down and the mother grabbed my hand.
"You don't know how much of a blessing this is to me and my family," she said, crying. _ I opened my arms and gave her a hug.
"Happy holidays!" I replied before I headed out the door. I realized how warm I felt inside.
This was unlike anything I had ever experienced. We cannot help what family we are born into, but we can help each other. | high20305.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because you can make your child feel hurt, or misunderstood by what you say without realizing it yourself."
},
"options": [
"Because the teenager is very naughty.",
"Because the parent always expects a lot from the child.",
"... | It's not easy being a teenager---nor is it easy being the parent of a teenager. You can make your child feel angry, hurt, or misunderstood by what you say without realizing it yourself. It is important to give your child the space he needs to grow while gently letting him know that you'll still be there for him when he needs you.
Expect a lot from your child, just not everything. Except for health and safety problems, such as drug use or careless driving; consider everything else open to discussion. If your child is unwilling to discuss something, don't insist he tell you what's on his mind. The more you insist, the more likely that he'll refuse to talk. Instead, let him attempt to solve things by himself. At the same time, remind him that you're always there for him should he seek advice or help. Show respect for your teenager's privacy . Never read him his mail or listen in on personal conversions.
Teach your teenager that the family phone is for the whole family. If your child talks on the family's telephone for too long, tell him he can talk for 15 minutes, but then he must stay off the phone for at least an equal period of time. This not only frees up the line so that other family members can make and receive calls, but teaches your teenager moderation . Or if you are open to the idea, allow your teenager his own phone that he pays for with his own pocket money or a part-time job. | high2781.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "satisfy the unlimited human needs with the limited resources"
},
"options": [
"get more resources for human beings",
"put human needs under some control",
"satisfy the unlimited human needs with the limited resources",
... | Economics is the study of how societies with limited resources decide what to produce, how to produce and for whom to produce. What, how, and for whom to produce are problems all over the world because human needs are practically unlimited, but all societies have only limited quantities of resources that can be used to produce goods or services.
A knowledge of basic economics is important for understanding both the problems and opportunities that will face the world economy in the 21st century. As a student of economics, one will have the chance to discover how commerce , government policies, and day-to-day decisions made by consumers affect his living standards. The study of economics can help him understand the influence of such events as the move to free markets in prefix = st1 /PolandandRussia, or of ups and downs in interest rate and the foreign exchange rate. Economics is influenced by developments in the many different areas of business, politics, science, nature, religion and history. And whether or not one is aware of it, economics is an important part of his life.
From a practical point of view, one's study of economics will help improve his decision-making skills. He learns a logical way to compare different courses of action. As he studies the concept of opportunity cost, for instance, he will discover that every choice he makes has both a benefit and a cost. Suppose someone decides to get a part-time job so he can earn enough money to buy a car. He will have the benefit of owning the car, but he will pay a cost in terms of the leisure hours he gives up for working so as to pay for the car and keep it in good condition. After weighing his choice in cost-benefit terms, he may decide he does not need a car any more. | high18842.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Gift Ideas for High School Students"
},
"options": [
"Gift Ideas for High School Students",
"New Products for Teachers",
"Best Choices for Parents",
"Rare Gifts for Teenagers"
],
"question": "What is probably th... | It's almost time to head back to school, and well, it' s never too early to start shopping for those school supplies.If you have some extra cash left over after shopping for backpacks and number two pencils, then treat your kid to some cool electronics you can borrow from them later.
Acer Aspire One: Netbooks are great for many reasons.Parents will love them because they're extremely affordable and light compared to the average laptop.They' re also ideal for students who don' t quite need a computer but want one to do research, check email, or just surf the Web.You can find a black or white version for the low price of $ 99.
Fuji Fine Pix Z20fd: This sub - $ 200 digital camera is the perfect thing for any high school student.Available in five eye -catching color1s, the Fine Pix Z20fd is a 10 - megapixel camera.Media kids will appreciate the camera? s blog and auction mode that lets users transfer pictures between cameras, as well as the "one touch" movie recording option that allows them to edit movies before sharing them online.This is certainly an affordable camera for photo - lovers of any age
Mimobot: USB flash drives are all pretty much the same, but if you want to treat your teen to a hip flash drive, check out Momobot.corn.Each drive is packed with cool wallpaper, digital magazines, and so on.You can find them in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities at the price of $35- $100.
Samsung S2: Regardless of what your teen may tell you, there are other music players out there packed with plenty of great features.Samsung' s S2 MP3 player is nice enough to wear around the neck and small enough to take to the gym.It is available in five color1s (red, black, white, purple, and green) , comes in capacities of 1GB or 2GB, and is available for the low price of $40 or less. | high20311.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "his graduation from Harvard University"
},
"options": [
"his father's influence",
"his devotion to basketball",
"his years of hard work",
"his graduation from Harvard University"
],
"question": "Which of the fol... | February 4, 2012 saw the take-off of a new rising NBA star-Jeremy Lin.
Among professional basketball players, Jeremy Lin's background is not typical. He graduated from Harvard University, which sends few players to the NBA, and he is the only Chinese-American NBA player. But when you watch him on the court, there is no doubt that he belongs there. He moves with speed and grace that demonstrate years of faithful practice, which is fueled by a love for basketball.
Lin's enjoyment of basketball actually began in Taiwan. When Lin's father moved to U.S., his interest in the sport only grew and he passed on this love of basketball to his son, introducing him to the game at the age of five. The young Lin spent much of his youth playing basketball for fun.
In high school, Lin dreamed of playing in the NBA. When he applied for college, he was not offered a single sports scholarship. However, after his admission to Harvard, he was offered a place on its college basketball team.
During Lin's time at Harvard, his basketball career began to speed up. He scored 1,482 points, making him one of the highest scorers in Ivy League history.
When he graduated, no professional teams offered Lin a contract, but he was invited to play in the NBA Summer League. He played well and ended up eagerly signing a contract with the Golden State Warriors.
At first,playing in professional games filled Lin with excitement. He treasured opportunities to meet players he had been watching on TV for years. But slowly, the excitement _ and was replaced by anxiety. In a few very difficult months, he was cut by two teams before the New York Knicks picked him up.
But he had the courage and determination to stick to his dream, so he put himself into hard training to get ready for his opportunity to come. Then his moment arrived on February 4, 2012,on which his excellent performance made him famous overnight. After that, he led the Knicks to their fifth straight victory.
The Associated Press called Lin "the most surprising story in the NBA". Knicks fans developed the nickname for him "Linsanity" . Time magazine released its 2012 list of the 100 "Most Influential People in the World", Jeremy Lin included.
No doubt, Lin fever is continuing to spread if you haven't already caught "Linsanity", get ready. | high2795.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The passing of days."
},
"options": [
"The passing of days.",
"The brightness of the sun.",
"The early agricultural tools.",
"The early forms of writing."
],
"question": "Which of the following is linked to what... | Future historians will be in a particular position when they come to record the history of our own times. They will hardly know which facts to select from the great mass of evidence that's always increasing. What is more, they will not have to rely only oh the written word. Films, videos, CDs and CD-ROMs are just some of the huge amount of information they will have. They will be able, as it were, to see and hear us in action. But the historian attempting to show the distant past again is always faced with a difficult task. He has to make proper use of evidence available to draw reasonable conclusions. Good news is that even evidence that may appear unimportant can shed light on the history of early man.
Up to now, historians have assumed that calendars came into being with the appearance of agriculture, for man of that time was faced with a real need to understand something about the seasons. Recent scientific evidence seems to suggest that this assumption is incorrect
Historians have long been puzzled by dots, lines and symbols which have been carved on walls, bones and so on. The nomads who made these markings lived by hunting and fishing during the last Ice Age which began about 35,000 B.C. and ended about 10,000 B.C. By comparing and analyzing markings made in various parts of the world, historians have been able to read this difficult "language". They have found that it is connected with the passing of days and the stages of the moon. It is, in fact, a primitive type of calendar. It has long been known that the hunting scenes drawn on walls were not simply a form of expression of art. They had a certain meaning, for they were as near as early man could get to writing. It is possible that there is a certain relation between these, paintings and the markings that sometimes accompany them. It seems that man was making a real effort to understand the seasons 20,000 years earlier than has been supposed. | high18856.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Creative and realistic."
},
"options": [
"World-famous but unusual.",
"Practical and popular.",
"Creative and realistic.",
"Authentic but ordinary."
],
"question": "Which of the following best describes Frida Ka... | If Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is today one of the best-known and most popular figures of 20th-century Mexican art, it is undoubtedly because of her personality and the originality of a body of works. Her work is, above all, the expression of a life -- a tragic and stormy life, one that challenged all conventions.
The mere mention of her name excites enthusiasm and admiration, but her work is rarely exhibited, and has not been shown in France for fifteen years. The selection to go on show at the Musee de l'Orangerie includes major works by the artist, with masterpieces from the Museo Dolores Olmedo.
The life and work of Frida Kahlo cannot be separated from those of her companion Diego Rivera (1886-1957). Together they became figures of legend , and both have a place in the pantheon of 20th-century Mexican artists. Famous for his large wall paintings, Rivera's easel paintings, drawings and prints, which form a large part of his artistic production, are less well-known to the public in Europe. The exhibition aims to trace his artistic career from the early Cubist images, revealing his links with the Paris artists whose works are a key element in the Orangerie collections, to the paintings that established him as the founder of the 20th-century school of Mexican art. His travels throughout Europe influenced his vision and his skills without ever distancing him from his roots, thus confirming his place in history as the founder of the nationalist school.
The exhibition devoted to the legendary couple Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo presents their works together, as if to confirm the impossibility of their divorce that was in fact finalised but reconsidered after just one year apart. It also gives us a better view of their respective artistic worlds, so different and yet so complementary , through the deep-rooted attachment they shared to their country. | high19590.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Global warming: The causes"
},
"options": [
"A Rising Population",
"Saving Sources of Energy",
"Global warming: The causes",
"Carbon Dioxide"
],
"question": "Which of the following titles goes with the text?",
... | A rising population is one of the main reasons that there is global warming. Between 1650 and 1850 the population increased by 0.75 billion people going from 0.25 billion to one billion. From 1930 to the end of the century the population rose from two billion to over six billion. In just a third of the time the population rose by more than five times what it did before. It is expected that this trend in the changing population will continue and could even heighten. The growing population requires increasing amounts of energy. These energy demands and other supplies require production, which almost always involves the emission of greenhouse gases. The more the population increases the more greenhouse gases that are produced and the greater the increase in temperature.
The burning of fossil fuels is one of the best-known causes for global warming. The major reason for fossil fuels contributing so much to global warming is the release of carbon that occurs during the burning of fossil fuels. When people burn fossil fuels, they release large amounts of carbon by way of the release of carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide in the air then leads to global warming.
Another source of carbon dioxide comes from _ . In forests there is a large amount of carbon that is stored in the trees and other plants. This carbon is out of the atmosphere because the trees consume the carbon from carbon dioxide. When people cut down trees, they are frequently burned. This burning releases the carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that was stored in organic matter. Even when new trees are planted, it can take up to one hundred years to make up for the carbon that was released. It is commonly thought that because trees absorb more carbon dioxide, the atmosphere experiences positive effects.
Sophie Armstrong, the writer of Earth Care put it, "There's no doubt that the earth is becoming warmer because of human activity rather than a random but natural phenomenon. | high13903.txt |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.