questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Positive."
},
"options": [
"Positive.",
"Indifferent(\n).",
"Negative.",
"Worried."
],
"question": "What is the author's attitude towards giving children pocket money?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"a... | "How should I give my children pocket money?" is one of the most common questions asked by parents. "Should kids receive pocket money when they get high marks at school, or lose pocket money if they don't help with the housework?" are also common questions.
Giving pocket money is an excellent way to develop children's independence. Children should receive pocket money as their small share of the family wealth, and they should share in doing the housework as well.
Here are some ideas to help you use pocket money to develop your children's independence.
Give pocket money regularly. Like adults, children should have a payday every week or two.
Link pocket money with ages and needs. Provide spending guidelines; don't be afraid to let them know what you expect them to buy, and what not to. A child in preschool and lower primary school is sure to spend money on candies and other such things. But older children can be expected to buy their own lunches or bus tickets.
Teach kids to set their goals. Encouraging children to save money for big things like bikes can help them learn about planning ahead.
When given wisely, pocket money is an excellent way to develop children's independence. But at some time, perhaps when a child turns fifteen, it needs to be reduced or eliminated in order to encourage the child to get a part-time job and begin to earn his own pocket money. | high1539.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To 1 Bowling Green."
},
"options": [
"To 1 Bowling Green.",
"To 1216 Fifth Ave.",
"To Seventh Ave at 27\nthSt.",
"To 103\nrdWall St."
],
"question": "If you are interested in Native American culture, where would... | In New York there are quite a few free museums for visitors. Below we explore New York's most impressive free ones.
National Museum of the American Indian
Focusing largely on Native American culture, this museum boasts over a million items, from crafts to traditional tools, all of which played a large part in Native American culture in past times. Located at 1 Bowling Green, the museum is free of charge. Open 10 a.m.~5p.m. Frid-Wed and 10 a.m.~8 p.m. Thurs, it's served by subway lines 4/5 to Bowling Green.
Federal Hall
A popular one for followers of American politics, Federal Hall is the original location of the US Customs House and the place where Washington took the oath of office in 1789 as the first US President. Today, this building is a premier example of classical architecture. Free of charge to visitors, the museum is located at 26 Wall St, which is accessible by subway lines 2/3/4/5 to Wall St. It's open from 9 a.m.~ 5 p.m. Mon-Fri.
New York Academy of Medicine
For the more intellectual, a trip to the New York Academy of Medicine is unmissable. With over 700,000 catalogued works, it's the world's second largest health library. Its biggest attraction, however, is the interesting medical equipment on display here, which is weird but wonderfully original. Located at 1216 Fifth Ave at 103rdSt, it's free of charge to peruse. Open 9 a.m. ~ 5 p.m. Mon-Fri, it's served by subway line 6 to 103rdSt.
Museum at Fashion Institute of Technology
The museum contains a huge permanent collection which features 200 historically significant clothes and also features works by student exhibitions. With free talks and tours on offer, this museum is a great place without spending a cent. Located at Seventh Ave at 27the St by subway line 3, this free museum---undoubtedly the most fashionable one in New York --- is open Tues-Fri 12 a.m. ~8 p.m. and Sat 10 a.m.~ 5 p.m.. | high12837.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "People in their early twenties."
},
"options": [
"Teens.",
"People in their early twenties.",
"People in their early thirties.",
"People in their early forties."
],
"question": "Who are most likely to rely on co... | The personal computer has overtaken the family dog as man's best friend.according to a study.
Researchers found that just 6 per cent of us believe that" most people rely more on their dog than they do on their PC",while 67 per cent think the opposite to be true.
Even 38 per cent of dog owners admitted to relying more on their PC than on their dog, although 36 per cent disagreed.
And 71 per cent of 18 to 24-year-old dog owners said they relied more on their computer.
Paul Allen,editor of Computeractive magazine said:"These days you can even you're your PC for fl walk,provided you have a laptop or tablet."
"It's only a matter of time until the first PC that fetches your slippers."
Researchers questioned 2,000 British adults to find out the change modern technology has brought to their home life.
They found that male dog owners are almost twice as likely as female owners to rely on their computer than a _ companion.
Mr.Allen said:"With broadband bringing them global news and newspaper sales falling,the family dog even misses out on the pleasure of taking the paper to his owner."
But it's not all bad news for obedient dogs.
"The family PC has given dog owners access to a wealth of resources and information that can help with the long-term care that a dog needs,"Mr.Allen said. | high522.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Most of the hotels in Switzerland offer first class service."
},
"options": [
"Most of the hotels in Switzerland are big in size.",
"The hotels in Switzerland offer exactly the same service.",
"Most of the hotels in Switzerla... | More perhaps than any other European nation, the Swiss are accustomed to looking after foreign travelers. As early as the 18th century, wealthy French, Germans and Italians were treating the country as a amusement center while, in the 19th century, it became the major holiday playground for the British nobles. Today, it attracts visitors from all over the world.
The Swiss are clear about the importance of tourism to their economy, which contributes about eight percent of Gross National Product, and helps the industry greatly. Managers of hotels the world over go to Switzerland to learn how to do the job, and a generally high standard can be expected from the great majority of the country's hotels, most of which are small and pride themselves on a personalized service. Public transport is the best in Europe. Both the Swiss Federal railways and the private railways are fully electrified, and the total network is made up of about 5000 kilometers of track.
Under the Fly Baggage system passengers can check luggage in at 116 railway stations and have it automatically carried to their flight. The national highway system is equally well planned, and the mountain roads offer views of some of the country's most breathtaking scenery. Also serving the mountains is an effective system of railways and cable ways, while more than 160 passenger cars cross the lakes and rivers to and fro. Hiking in the mountains is equally popular with Swiss nationals and foreign visitors. For those who want to view the country from a height without having to climb the mountain themselves, it is always possible to take in the view from a balloon. | high6901.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the command post is crowded with people all the time."
},
"options": [
"the command post is stationed with people all the time.",
"the command post is crowded with people all the time.",
"there are clocks around the command p... | The government-run command post in Tunis is staffed around the clock by military personnel, meteorologists and civilians. On the wall are maps, crisscrossed with brightly colors arrows that painstakingly track the fearsome path of the enemy.
What kind of invader gives rise to such high-level monitoring? Not man, not beast, but the lowly desert locust . In recent months, billions of the 3-inch-long winged warriors have descended on Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, blackening the sky and eating up crops and vegetation. The insect invasion, the worst in 30 years, is already creating great destruction in the Middle East and is now treating southern Europe. The current crisis began in late 1985 near the Red Sea. Unusually rainy weather moistened the sands of the Sudan, making them ideal seedbed for the locust, which lays its eggs in the earth. The insect onslaught threatens to create yet another African famine. Each locust can eat its weight (not quite a tenth of an ounce) in vegetation every 24 hours. A good-size swarm of 50 billion insects eats up 100,000 tons of grass, trees and crops in a single night.
All $150 million may be needed this year. The U.S. has provided two spraying planes and about 50,000 gal. of pesticide. The European Community has donated $3.8 million in aid and the Soviet Union, Canada, Japan and China have provided chemical-spraying aircraft to help wipe out the pests. But relief efforts are hampered by the relative mildness of approved pesticides, which quickly lose their deadly punch and require frequent replications. The most effective locust killer dieldrin has been linked to cancer and is banned by many Western countries and some of the affected African nations. More than 5 million acres have been dusted with locust-killing chemicals; another 5 million will be treated by the end of June.
On May 30, representatives of Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Mauritania will meet in Algiers to discuss tactics to wipe out the ravenous swarms. The move is an important step, but whatever plan is devised, the locust plague promised to get worse before the insects can be brought under control. | high15180.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "will luckily be able to watch the men's 100m final"
},
"options": [
"will luckily be able to watch the men's 100m final",
"will not enjoy the synchronized swimming events",
"will have to change their tickets to other games",
... | Around 200 people who thought their only experience of the London 2012 Olympic Games would be minor heats of synchronized swimming have received an unexpected hange to the men's 100m final because of an embarrassing ticketing mistake.
The London 2012 Organising Committee (Locog) confirmed on Wednesday that an error n its ticket selling had led to four synchronised swimming competitions being oversold by 10, 000 tickets.
Locog and its ticket agent spent the Christmas period contacting ticket holders and offering them alternatives that included the tickets they had applied for but unsuccessful.The hanges need no additional cost.It has also offered to return any discrepancy if the n ew tickets cost less than the originals.Locog said the replacement tickets would come from a number of unsold seats across the Olympic Games and _ was doing all it could to make up the error to the fans who bought tickets.
Locog said the error occurred in the summer, between the first and second round of ticket sales, when a member of staff made a mistake, entering "20,000" into the computer rather than the correct figure of 10,000 remaining tickets.The error was discovered when Locog checked the number of tickets that had been sold against the final seating numbers, and began contacting ticket holders before Christmas.
Thousands of ticket holders have already struck lucky, changing to tickets for major events including swimming and athletics finals, and in around 200 cases the hottest of all, the men's 100m final.Locog said the decision to award 100m final tickets was made because one of the synchronised swimming competitions was on the same afternoon as the event, August 5. | high21225.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "hands and arms"
},
"options": [
"head and neck",
"feet and head",
"legs and knees",
"hands and arms"
],
"question": "In sepaktakraw, players are not allowed to use _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"... | Imagine that the rules of volleyball forbid the use of hands or arms---that's sepaktakraw . It's a difficult sport, but that isn't stopping the world from picking it up.
The court where sepaktakraw is played is the size of one used for badminton doubles. A net and a plastic ball a little larger than a baseball are used. Two teams of three players(left inside, right inside, and server) take their places on either side. A teammate passes the ball to the server who kicks it over the net. Points are scored when the ball touches the court surface on the other side.
How sepaktakraw began has been a hot topic. Many Asian cultures once had their own names and rules for it. In Thailand the sport can be found on a famous mural . It was also played to celebrate the writing of the nations' first constitution in 1933. however, various nations discussed to decide the official name and rules in 1960, At last, sepak is a Malay word for "kick", and takraw is Thai for "woven ball".
International tournaments have been held for many years, but sepaktakraw continues to improve. It was introduced as an exhibition event at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung. And though no other countries can b equal to Thailand in sepaktakraw, they will show improvement. Twenty-five continents on five continents now claim active teams that play internationally. Finally, a place in the Olympic Games is also being sought. If these changes continue, sepaktakraw may soon be familiar to all. | high19962.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Those who have troubled relationships with their friends or family members and try to improve them."
},
"options": [
"Those who are to act some roles in a certain play for the first time in their life.",
"Those who are preparing fo... | When you are at odds with someone close to you, the One-Minute Drill can show you how to express your feelings effectively - and how to listen more skillfully. All it requires is two individuals who are committed to improving their relationship.
Set aside at least ten minutes, and then sit facing each other. Decide who will be the Talker and who will be the Listener. It makes no difference, because later you will change roles.
How to perform the One-Minute Drill
For approximately 30 seconds, the Talker can say anything he or she wants. Your job will be to express your thoughts and feelings. You can discuss problems you've had a hard time talking about. Remember to limit yourself to about 30 seconds. When the Talker finishes, the Listener will summarize what the Talker just said, as well as how the Talker was feeling inside, as accurately as possible.
The Talker now gives the Listener a grade between 0 and 100 per cent to indicate how accurate the summary was. If the rating is 95 per cent or more, you can change roles; the new Talker can continue with the same topic or move on to something entirely new.
However, if the grade is below 95 per cent, the Talker should point out what the Listener missed or got wrong, and repeat the process until the overall rating is 95 per cent or more. Then you can change roles and repeat the exercise for as long as you both like.
How it works
Thirty seconds of emotionally charged information is sufficiently challenging for anyone. Express your feelings in strong, clear, direct language, but as your partner will be listening attentively, you won't need to shout, exaggerate or put your partner down.
The Listener should sit and listen respectfully without interrupting. Look into your partner's eyes, but avoid using negative body language. If you like, take a few notes.
So the Talker might say: "When I come home from work, I feel tired and I need some quiet time. But you tell me I'm supposed to spend time with the kids. This makes me feel frustrated. I work hard and I'm exhausted at the end of the day. I feel like I deserve a little time to relax, not listen to more demands."
In response, the Listener might summarize like this: "You just told me that you feel exhausted when you come home at night because you've been working hard all day. When I tell you I want you to spend time with the kids, you feel frustrated and _ because you're tired and you need time to relax. You see me as very demanding, and you're probably feeling like I don't appreciate you."
The first time you attempt the One-Minute Drill, you may get a low score. Don't worry, because you'll get up to speed quickly. Once you've tried this exercise a few times, you'll find that you can nearly always get ratings of 95 per cent or better on the first or second try. | high11480.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "His religious and political considerations."
},
"options": [
".Making industrial production in Europe safer.",
"The pace of European industrialization.",
"His religious and political considerations.",
"The support of th... | talent, but his contributions includes many of today's social insurance programs. During the middle German Prime Minister Otto Von Bismarck may be most famous for his military and diplomatic of the 19th century, Germany, along with other European nations, experienced an unprecedented rash of workplace deaths and accidents as a result of growing industrialization. Motivated in part by Christian sympathy for the helpless as well as a practical political impulse to get the support of the socialist labor movement, Chancellor Bismarck created the world's first workers' compensation law in 1884.
By 1908, the United States was the only industrial nation in the world that lacked workers' compensation insurance. America's injured workers could sue for damages in a court of law, but they still faced a number of tough legal barriers. For example, employees had to prove that their injuries directly resulted from employer negligence and that they themselves were ignorant about potential hazards in the workplace. The first state workers' compensation law in this country passed in 1911, and the program soon spread throughout the nation.
After World War II, benefit payments to American workers did not keep up with the cost of living. In fact, real benefit levels were lower in the 1970s than they were in the 1940s, and in most states the maximum benefit was below the poverty level for a family of four. In 1970, President Richard Nixon set up a national commission to study the problems of workers' compensation. Two years later, the commission issued 19 key recommendations, including one that called for increasing compensation benefit levels to 100 percent of the states' average weekly wages.
In fact, the average compensation benefit in America has climbed from 55 percent of the states' average weekly wages in 1972 to 97 percent today. But, as most studies show, every 10 percent increase in compensation benefits results in a 5 per cent increase in the numbers of workers who file for claims. And with so much more money floating in the workers' compensation system, it's not surprising that doctors and lawyers have helped themselves to a large slice of the growing pie. | high20885.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "who have lost their consciousness owing to a stroke"
},
"options": [
"whose parent has experienced a head injury",
"who have lived in a foreign country for a long time",
"who have lost their consciousness owing to a stroke",
... | Two years ago, Wendy Hasnip, 47, experienced a brain injury that left her speechless for two weeks. When she finally recovered, she found herself talking with what seemed to be a French accent: "I phoned a friend the other day, and she spent the first ten minutes laughing," Hasnip said at the time. "While I have nothing against the French."
Hasnip suffered from foreign accent syndrome , a rare condition in which people find themselves speaking their own language Like someone from a foreign country. The condition usually occurs in people who have experienced a head injury or a stroke a sudden loss of consciousness, sensation, or movement caused by a blocked or broken blood vessel in the brain.
The condition was first identified during the Second World War in a Norwegian woman whose head was injured during an attack by the German military. The woman recovered but was left with a German-sounding accent, to the horror of fellow villagers who avoided her after that.
Researchers have discovered that the combined effect of the damage to several parts of the brain makes victims lengthen certain syllables, mispronounce sounds, and change,the normal pitch of their voice. Those changes in speech add up to what sounds like a foreign accent.
Another researcher, a phonetician ,says victims of the syndrome don't acquire a true foreign accent. Their strangely changed speech only resembles the foreign: accent with which it has a few sounds in common.
When an English woman named Annie recently developed foreign accent syndrome after a stroke, she spoke with what seemed to be a Scottish accent.
However, Annie's Scottish coworkers said she didn't sound at all like a Scot. | high21543.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "carnivorous animals and herbivorous animals"
},
"options": [
"carnivorous animals and meat-eating animals",
"herbivorous animals and plant-eating animals",
"carnivorous animals and herbivorous animals",
"meat animals an... | Animals like the lion are known as carnivorous (meat-eating) animals. They feed on smaller animals. But many other animals eat grass or plants. They are called herbivorous (plant-eating) animals.
You may be surprised to learn that there are carnivorous plants as well as carnivorous animals. Plants that grow in poor soil need other food. They trap (catch by a trick) small insects and take their bodies as food.
The pitcher plant is a common carnivorous plant. This plant has a clever trap like a pitcher or jar. It even has a lid to keep out of the rain. The mouth of the pitcher is covered with something sweet like honeydew . Insects come to the plant to feed on the honeydew. When they have eaten all that is round the mouth, they go into the pitcher to look for more. There is more honeydew deep in the pitcher and they go down to feed on it. The inner wall of the pitcher is covered with fine hairs. These hairs point downwards so that the insects cannot climb out of the pitcher. They are trapped in it. They die there, and their bodies are taken as food by the plant. | high1908.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "take the GRE revised General Test"
},
"options": [
"achieve your career goals",
"earn as much money as possible",
"take the GRE revised General Test",
"vary educational and cultural background"
],
"question": "I... | One Test for Graduate and Business School.
Getting an advanced degree can create many opportunities. The GRE revised General Test--the most widely accepted graduate admission test worldwide--can bring you one step closer to achieving your career goals.
There has never been a better time to take the test that gives you more opportunities for your future. The GRE revised General Test features question types that closely reflect the kind of thinking you'll do in graduate or business school.
Who Takes It?
Prospective graduate and business school applicants from all around the world who are interested in pursuing a master's , MBA, specialized master's in business or doctoral degree take the GRE revised General Test. Applicants come from varying educational and cultural backgrounds and the GRE revised General Test provides a common measure for comparing candidates' qualifications.
GRE scores are used by admissions or fellowship panels to supplement your undergraduate records, recommendation letters and other qualifications for graduatelevel study.
When and Where Do People Take It?
The GRE revised General Test is available at more than 700 test centers in more than 160 countries. In most regions of the world, the computerdelivered test is available on a continuous basis throughout the year. In Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea, the computerdelivered test is available one to two times per month. In areas of the world where computerdelivered testing is not available, the paperdelivered test is available up to three times a year in October, November and February.
Who Accepts It?
The GRE revised General Test is accepted at thousands of graduate and business schools as well as departments and divisions within these schools. | high12189.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "people go out and drink a lot"
},
"options": [
"people stay up too late",
"people go out and drink a lot",
"firework explodes in the sky",
"people go shopping madly"
],
"question": "The last Friday before Christ... | In Britain, it's bottoms up from the week before Christmas till the last firework explodes in the sky announcing the new year. The last Friday before Christmas, popularly known as 'Mad Friday', is one of the busiest periods for the country's pubs and clubs.
But it's not just the bars that get busy. Ambulances and A&E departments around Britain get packed out too. Head injuries, cuts, falls...it's easy to end up hurting yourself or others when self-control disappear and your head is spinning due to alcoho1 revelers have been warned by the health authorities about the dangers of deadly drinking but drinking crazily seems to be part of the festivities for some.
The charity Alcohol Concern is running a campaign of restriction by encouraging people to have a dry January.
Jackie Ballard, the charity's Chief Executive, believes the campaign has been successful in recent years. She says, "More than two-thirds of people even six months later are drinking at reduced levels having had a month off drink. But also a study has shown the impact it has on people's health reducing their blood pressure and blood sugar levels."
The study by the University of Sussex followed up nearly 900 participants in Alcohol Concern's Dry January campaign and found out that 72%of them had kept harmful drinking sessions down and 4%were still not drinking.
Moderation seems to be the key to everything. The official recommendation for women is not to regularly drink more than 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day. The limit for men is 3 to 4 units of alcohol -- no more than a pint of 5.2%ABV lager, beer or cider. | high13297.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Children should be encouraged if they are in trouble."
},
"options": [
"Children should be patted when they lose something.",
"Children should be encouraged if they are in trouble.",
"Both failure and mistakes should be ignor... | We often don' t give importance to minor things thinking they won' t matter. But at times, some things look very minor but their result can be really powerful. Here are some of the efforts which can change the relationship between parents and children.
Pat your child when he loses:May it be failure in the class, or on the field, speak words of encouragement to your child. The trust and confidence in your relationship will go to another level. After all, words of encouragement during failure are more valuable than words of praise after success.
Give him importance, like a member of the family:Hang his painting in your room or in the office, take his opinion when you are buying furniture for the house. Your child will believe in himself and be a winner throughout.
Share your own experience when your child makes a mistake:When you see your child lying or stealing, share with him the mistakes you made in your life. He' 11 know it is all right to make mistakes and that he can share with you anything.
Appreciate at least one quality in your child every day:Each day look at what qualities your child possesses and appreciate him, maybe for his caring attitude, his dance skills or his observation power. Tell him how proud you are of him because of those qualities.
Become his age before bedtime:Jump on the bed, have pillow fights, act silly, dance--become a child with your child for sometime. You' 11 forget all your day's stress.
Try these minor things; you' 11 see the love deepen and the relationship blossom. | high23354.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "On the island of Viti Levu."
},
"options": [
"In Suva.",
"In Sydney.",
"On the island of Vatoa.",
"On the island of Viti Levu."
],
"question": "Where is the international airport of Fiji?",
"question_type": ... | It's only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in "Fiji time"?
Viti Levu - Great Fiji - is the largest island. Here you'll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi. Vatoa, on the other hand, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.
Whit less than a million people living on islands, you'll never feel crowded. And with a climate that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there's never a bad time to come.
From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.
Whenever you come, wherever you go, you're sure to see some unforgettable events. From war dances to religious songs. From market days to religious days. It's not just staged for tourists; it's still a part of everyday life in Fiji. And any one of us can enjoy Fiji's spirit by being part of the traditional sharing of yaqona, a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.
So why not join us for the experience of a life me? | high8086.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "man hasn't realized the importance of trees to him"
},
"options": [
"man is only interested in building empires",
"man is eager to profit from trees",
"man hasn't realized the importance of trees to him",
"man hasn't fo... | We can't deny that trees are useful to man in three very important ways: they provide him with wood and other products, they give him shade, and they help to prevent drought and floods.
Unfortunately, in many parts of the world man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important. In his eagerness to draw quick profit from the trees, he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had.
Two thousand years ago a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire. It gained the empire but, without its trees, its soil became hard and poor. When the empire fell to pieces, the country found itself faced by floods and starvation.
Even though a government realizes the importance of a plentiful supply of trees, it is difficult for it to persuade the villager to see this. The villager wants wood to cook his food, and he can earn money by making charcoal or selling wood to the townsman. He is usually too lazy or too careless to plant and look after trees. So unless the government has a good system of control, or can educate the people, the forests will slowly disappear.
This does not only mean that the villagers' sons and grandsons have fewer trees. The results are even more serious. For where there are trees ,their roots break the soil up, allowing the rain to sink in and also bind the soil, thus preventing it being washed away easily, but where there are no trees, the soil becomes hard and poor. The rain falls on hard ground and flows away on the surface, causing floods and carrying away the rich topsoil, in which crops grow so well. When all the topsoil is gone, nothing remains but worthless desert. | high13283.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "81"
},
"options": [
"81",
"80",
"100",
"101"
],
"question": "We can learn from the passage that Queen Elizabeth II is _ years old this year.",
"question_type": "summarization_questions"
},
{
"answe... | April 21st in 2006 was the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. She is one of the most famous women in the world. Here are some interesting stories about the Queen.
Queen Elizabeth IIis the fortieth monarch since 1066. She has been the queen of Great Britain for 54 years. During her 54-year reign , she has made over 250 official visit to 129 different countries, including China in 1986. She has also hosted more than 90 formal dinners for those important people from foreign leaders. When she visits foreign countries or hosts formal dinners, the Queen often receives presents from foreign leaders. Some unusual presents include animals like jaguars and sloths from Brazil, and black beavers from Canada.
The Queen is a great animal lover and she is known for her love of dogs. So far, the Queen has had more than 30 dogs. She is also really fond of horses and good at feeding horses. Her horses have won major races several times.
The Queen usually sends a telegram of congratulations to her people who are 100 years old on their hundredth birthday. Perhaps she will send herself on in twenty years. It's not impossible, since all her family members have enjoyed a long life. The Queen's mother died in 2002 at the age of 101. | high9398.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "it's necessary for a school to have a library"
},
"options": [
"it's necessary for a school to have a library",
"there are many learning places better than a library",
"the school library is noisy and crowded in most cases",
... | After a discussion last week. "Do SCHOOL Libraries Need Books?" the comments from readers included some first-hand views from students. Below are excerpts from their observations on how studying has changed and how they use libraries.
It makes little difference whether the books you are reading is electronic or paper. But if you want a place to read, a library is still the place to go. As a kid in school, I often avoid the study hall noises and go to the quiet school library. The library is a place. A learning place. Modern technology won't change the library as long as things are learned.
-Scott
Being a student I am aware that many of us seldom look at the books in the library unless told to do so by a teacher as a requirement for an assignment. It takes time to find the very book you want at the library, and it may not be necessary to do so. More and more students, such as myself, use the internet for nearly every assignment. There are countless online resources for us to use with a click of the mouse. What's more, books are very expensive and schools could put that money towards charities.
-Hayley H
I hope schools continue to have libraries. As a student, I know there is a difference between reading something on a screen and something printed. When I read something in a book that I do not understand or want to look further into. I record it and will research later or discuss with someone. With a screen (especially online) I will instantly access the information and look into the question at hand, which interrupts my reading and especially my imagination.
-Allie
To me, it depends on the purpose of the books. As a student, I prefer to do research online. Online research is faster and more efficient. But when I'm reading for pleasure, I ly refuse to give up a real book. The tactile sensation and freedom that real books give you really makes the reading experience more enjoyable. So my suggestion is that schools have more digital collections for research and scholarly work, and a good selection of interesting and age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction for pleasure reading.
-CM | high20649.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he was not skillful enough in communicating with people."
},
"options": [
"he was not a qualified typist.",
"he couldn't make coffee",
"he was not skillful enough in communicating with people.",
"he didn't apologize in ... | Maxwell had not held a steady job in almost two years. Today was a big day, because he was going to a job interview that he felt good about. The secretary he had talked to on the phone sounded friendly and encouraging.
Maxwell was a typist. His fingers danced on the keyboard. However, his people skills were not nearly as good as his typing skills. Sometimes his mouth got in the way of his employment. At his last steady job, his boss had told him to start making coffee every morning. Maxwell laughed. "I'm not making coffee," he said. "It's not part of my job description."
"Read the employee manual again," his boss said. "Your job description is anything I say it is."
"That's a woman's job," said Maxwell. "Do it yourself."
His boss was still yelling as Maxwell walked out of the building. He felt great about telling off the boss. A few days later, the reality of not having a job hit home. He had to pay the rent and utility bills, and he had to eat. What was he going to do?
He thought about apologizing and asking for his job back. But how would that look? Then again, who cares how it looks when you're almost broke? After thinking about it for another week, he finally called his boss and apologized. His boss accepted his apology, but said that he had already hired a replacement.
Maxwell contacted a temporary job agency, which provided him enough occasional work to pay his bills. But none of the companies that he was sent to were hiring. So Maxwell was excited about finally getting an interview for a steady job.
Maxwell's drive to the interview was disappointing. The traffic was _ and the neighborhood looked rough. It took him 45 minutes to get there. The building was covered with graffiti.
The interview started 30 minutes late. Not bothering to apologize, the manager lit a cigarette and took a sip from his coffee cup. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on his desk. He asked Maxwell a lot of questions. Maxwell thought that each question was stupider than the preceding question. The final question was, "Where would you like to be 10 years from now?"
What does that have to do with typing? Maxwell wondered. Stupid questions from a rude man in a lousy neighborhood! Where would he like to be 10 years from now?
"Anywhere but this dump!" Maxwell said angrily, as he stood up and walked out. | high20891.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "her mother would be sad"
},
"options": [
"her Mom would forget her",
"her birthday had been forgotten",
"her mother would be sad",
"she would be growing older"
],
"question": "When it was time for her birthday, ... | When I got up, Mom was already awake. I could hear her doing something in the kitchen. It's was my birthday, and I was afraid.
What if my husband had neglected to take Mom shopping for a card? Once Mom found it was my birthday, she would be sad that she had forgotten and had nothing to give me. She even can't remember what we did two hours ago because of dementia .
Birthdays are not a big deal to me. I hate growing older. I don't mind if Mom forgets my birthday as long as she still remembers me. That someday she might not recognize me has been my biggest fear ever since Mom got dementia. I can't imagine anything more devastating than being forgotten by my own mother.
When Mom was diagnosed with vascular dementia seven years ago, I was told she did not have Alzheimer's disease . I hoped that meant she would never forget her family. But as Mom's dementia progressed, I realized that I had no idea whether vascular dementia could be as bad as Alzheimer's. I really didn't understand the difference.
The sleeping house was quiet except for the sound of Mom washing the bowls left last night in the kitchen. Will Mom live long enough to forget me? Will the day come when she no longer worries about remembering my birthday because she no longer knows that I exist?
In the kitchen, Mom heard me come near. She hurried to the door, face ringing with smiles. "Happy birthday to you," she sang.
We laughed as I hugged her tightly, and both of us were very surprised that she had remembered. Moments later she said, "Oh, there seems to be something here for you." She brought me her card. My husband did, after all, take her shopping. The birthday-for-a-daughter card was filled with expressions of love in pink. | high21557.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "will feel guilty about the trouble"
},
"options": [
"will communicate with their parents",
"will be responsible for the trouble",
"will feel guilty about the trouble",
"will help the parents recover"
],
"questio... | If the child has been brought up in a loving, openly communicative environment, the relationship with parents would be a strong one.It is only when there are ongoing troubles in the relationship between parents and the child that there is a breakdown in communication.
When parents are going through difficulties in their own relationship the child sometimes develops guilt.The child can hold himself or herself responsible for the breakdown in relationship between the parents.This needs to be explained to the child, who won't speak out this guilt.
The teenage years are emotionally sensitive years to the outside world.For the first time the child realizes his or her position in society.Friends suddenly become more important than parents.It is during this time that the relationship between children and parents is tested.If the bond with parents is strong, the child will not be swayed by the drug and alcohol culture.If the bond is weaker, the child will end up with problems.
During such times, one of the effective ways to deal with the problems is to discuss the problem with the child.As parents, you will need to discuss the consequences of each option and then leave the final decision to the child.Forcing parental will on children is counterproductive, especially at this age.Imposing parental will at this time will stop communicating and then you will not know what is happening in their life.Whatever the problem is, the child need never be made to feel lonely.The moment that happens, the possibility of serious self-harm is raised.
Any problem at this age can be dealt with by a flexible approach by parents.Discuss things calmly.Leave the decision to the individual.Make yourself available for any help or support that the child desires.The child will feel comfortable when allowed the freedom of choice. | high21231.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Unfairly."
},
"options": [
"Kindly.",
"Unfairly.",
"Normally.",
"Cruelly."
],
"question": "How do you think Elizabethwas treated in the medical school?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | Years ago people could hardly accept the ideas of a woman's being a doctor. In order to get into medical school in 1847, Elizabeth Blackwell was asked to keep it a secret that she was a woman. This was contrary to her beliefs, and she refused to do it. After entering medical school, prefix = st1 /Elizabethoften had to summon all her courage to free the unkindness of teachers and classmates. By her great efforts, she was able to complete her studies. Many people came to her graduation just to have a look at a woman doctor. Doctor Blackwell soon found that most people were not as ready as to go to a woman doctor. She had to struggle to make a living. Then came the great day when she was offered a job as a doctor in a hospital. She did so well that she was asked to organize a new hospital and medical college. TheUnited Statescan now be proud of thousands of women doctors. | high19976.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "giving money brings more happiness than spending it on himself or herself"
},
"options": [
"any country can get greater happiness from giving at any time",
"there is a negative connection from aid to happiness for European countrie... | Is there a connection between a nation's contributions to international aid programs and the happiness of its citizens? According to a study of nine European donor countries, there is a direct relationship between the level of foreign aid and level of happiness in the UK and France but for other European countries there seems to be no link. Full details of the analysis and its conclusions are published this month in the journal Global Business and Economics Review.
Mark Arvin and Byron Lew of Department of Economics, Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, have investigated the old proverb that it's better to give than receive. Previous research has suggested that for individuals giving money to worthy causes brings more happiness than spending it oneself. Elizabeth Dunn and colleagues at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, found that people said they were much happier if they were spending money "pro-socially" -- that is on gifts for others or on charitable donations -- rather than spending it on themselves.
Whether this proposal translates to the national level is open to question, but Arvin and Lew hoped to confirm that it is indeed the case by looking at the foreign aid disbursements of nine donor countries in Europe and using general measures of happiness among a nation's citizens. Their statistical analysis hoped to reveal whether happiness levels could predict levels of aid offered.
"Our results reveal that for two important European donors, France and the UK, the aid-happiness link is a positive causal relationship from happiness to aid," the team says. "In addition, for France, there is also a positive causal connection from aid to happiness. This leads
us to suspect that aid and happiness are likely both naturally born -- at least for some countries."
The researchers point out that it is not surprising that there is a different effect in countries other than the UK and France because there are different attitudes towards foreign aid. Some nations have smaller public parts others donate at the institutional level and through private channels. Nevertheless, public giving seems to bring greater happiness to a nation as a whole as well as assisting those less fortunate. | high17783.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "come from different countries in the world"
},
"options": [
"come from different countries in the world",
"mainly come from Europe",
"mainly come from Asia",
"come from China"
],
"question": "People in America ... | Most Westerners--particularly most Americans--are not nearly as concerned about protocol in social matters as Chinese people are. America is a nation of immigrants. It's made up of people from all over the world, all of whom bring their own traditions and habits with them. Thus you needn't worry much about "proper" behavior :who sits next to whom at the dinner table, what is the suitable dress for the occasion, etc. , unless you receive a formal invitation to a dinner or party.
Americans are very direct people. When you want something you say "Yes" and when you don't, you say "No". If you want something different from what is offered, you ask for it. Westerners will not ask you again and again or try to press something on you after you have said you don't want it. In fact, if you say "No" when you really want something to drink or to eat, you may find yourself very thirsty or hungry.
But there are a few Western customs which are very important and you should try at all times to observe.A Westerner doesn't leave his paper or cloth on the table. He puts it on his lap where it's supposed to protect his clothes from spilled food or uses it to wipe his hand or mouth when necessary.
A Westerner doesn't put his own fork, knife or spoon into a serving bowl. He uses it in the bowl to put some of the food on his own plate, and then returns the serving fork(knife or spoon) to the bowl.
A Westerner doesn't spit food anywhere. If he has bones in his mouth, he takes them out with his fingers and places them on the edge of his plate, never on the table or floor.
A Westerner doesn't belch out loud. If he does, he says "Excuse me" quietly and goes on with the conversation. | high12823.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "have a telephone"
},
"options": [
"learn how to operate a computer",
"know how to make a telephone call",
"have a telephone",
"learn how to type on a computer"
],
"question": "If you want to join the Internet,yo... | You've probably heard of a lot about the Internet,but what is it?
The Internet is a computer network that uses the telephone system to connect together millions of computers around the world. Maybe that isn't very exciting but once you're connected to the Internet,there are lots of different things you can do.You can send electronic messages or emails to your friends (as long as they're on the Internet,too),or you can sort through all kinds of information on something called the World Wide Web.
You don't need to know how the Internet works in order to use it,but if you understand the basics,it may help you work out many technical problems you have--and of course you can help your friends with your Net knowledge!
You may think that your telephone is just for talking. But as long as you have the equipment, you can use a telephone line to send computer data as well as sounds. If you connect your computer with the telephone system it can receive information from, and send information to other computers (as long as they are connected with the telephone system,too).
Because there is not an organization which operates the Internet,no one exactly knows how many people are connected to it. It's thought that there could be 60 million people on the Net,connected up to over 15 million computers! | high8938.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "make it clear by yourself"
},
"options": [
"ask your teacher for help",
"make it clear by yourself",
"ask your classmates to help you",
"ask your parents for help"
],
"question": "When you have doubt on schoolwo... | Work Your Mind
Here's something to think about the next time you ask your teacher for help: struggling with schoolwork on your own can help you learn. According to a recent study, the more you struggle while you are learning new information, the better you can remember it later.
This theory might surprise you. When teachers are presenting new information, they often give students lots of help. But a new study shows this may not be the best way to support learning. "Don't be too quick to get help when learning something new," education expert Manu Kapur told TFK. "Try to work on it yourself even if it means trying different ways."
Kapur came up with the idea that struggling can lead to better learning. Then he tested it out on students in Singapore. He separated students into two groups. In the first group, students were asked to solve math problems with the teacher's help. In the second group, students were asked to solve the same problems by helping one another, instead of getting help from the teacher.
With the teacher's help, students in the first group were able to find the correct answers. Students in the second group did not solve the problems correctly. But they did come up with a lot of good ideas. The students were then tested on what they had learned. The group without any help from a teacher scored much higher than the group who had help. Kapur said working to find the answers helped students understand the process, not just the solution.
Kapur's advice for kids is to put a lot of effort into learning something new rather than going to your teacher for help. "Simply doing a little work or nothing at all won't work," says Kapur. "The struggle needs to be a genuine attempt to figure out or solve a problem in as many ways as possible." | high536.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Weight-loss solutions for new moms"
},
"options": [
"The influence of babies on their mother",
"Weight-loss solutions for new moms",
"The reasons of new moms' fatness",
"How to exercise and prepare healthy meals"
],... | The constant demands, together with the exhausting effects of interrupted sleep, can make it hard to find the time and energy to exercise or prepare healthy meals.
Here are some tips for common problems new moms face:
Problem: No time to cook proper meals. When you're caring for a baby, cooking proper meals seems like a luxury. Instead you rely on convenience meals and processed foods.
Solution: Try to get more support. Friends, family members, and neighbors are often delighted to help, so don't feel you have to do everything yourself. Use the extra time to prepare some healthy meals. Follow the basic rules of cutting down on fat and increasing fruit and vegetable intake.
Problem: Sugary or high-fat snacks. Tiredness can leave you feeling sleepy, run-down, and in need of an immediate help from sweets and high-fat snacks.
Solution: Turn snacking to your advantage. Eat high-fiber, low-fat, low-sugar snacks; these will fill you up without adding too many calories. For an energy boost, eat a banana, which is high in potassium -- a mineral essential for muscle and nerve function -- or try a handful of raisins , which are high in iron but low in fat.
Problem: No time or energy to exercise. A baby is a constant demand on your time, so you're too tired or busy to exercise.
Solution: Increasing activity levels will help you obtain a net calorie loss, while toning exercises will tighten your muscles. Though you may feel too tired to do any exercise, it is worth persevering (,) because in the long run your energy levels will increase. Involve your baby in your postnatal exercises; start by walking with the child in a carriage or sling(;). Swimming is another aerobic exercise that you can both enjoy by joining a mother and baby class. Many pools have childcare facilities, so you can swim a few laps on your own.
Problem: Lack of sleep. The new baby interrupts your sleep, _ your energy and leaving you tense and exhausted.
Solution: Practice some relaxation techniques whenever you have a few free moments. Meditation, visualization, or yoga can help your body recover and give you more energy. | high22738.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Gulangyu Islet and Guanyinshan Water Park"
},
"options": [
"Gulangyu Islet",
"Guanyinshan Water Park",
"Gulangyu Islet and Guanyinshan Water Park",
"Guanyinshan Water Park and Xiamen Firefly Park"
],
"question":... | If you walk along the streets, you will find children as young as seven years old walking to school or taking the public bus on their own. If you ride on the public bus with a baby or young child, you will find at least three people standing up to give up their seats for you. And as a booming town with a young population, Xiamen has a lot to offer young families with kids.
There are lots of places of interest for you to enjoy. The following are some of them.
* A walking adventure at Gulangyu Islet: There you can have a round-the-island trip by fast boat and the Xiamen Underwater World has a dolphin and sea lion performance and an enjoyment of around 400 types of underwater life from around the world.
Opening hours: 08:00-18:00 See the map!
Price: 70RMB(adults) 50RMB (children above 1.4m)
* Wild rides at Guanyinshan Water Park: The park has a wave pool, which creates seven types of wave effects. It also has a hair-raising water ride that speeds down ...
Opening hours: 11:00-20:00 See the map!
Price: 120RMB per person 60RMB visitors aged above 60 and below 1.4m
....
* Xiamen Firefly Park: Last of all, young nature lovers will enjoy the wonder of watching more than 100,000 fireflies light the dark night at the firefly park. Children will also learn the roles fireflies play in protecting the ecology by controlling the populations of pests.
Opening hours: 19:30-21:30 See the map!
Price: Free for children up to 16 years old | high19786.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Last fall,there was the second lowest number of grown salmon returning on record."
},
"options": [
"Last fall,there was the second lowest number of grown salmon returning on record.",
"The salmon migrates to the ocean when they gro... | The shocking collapse of one of the West Coast's biggest wild salmon runs has prompted even cash-trapped fishermen to call for an unprecedented shutdown of salmon fishing off the coasts of California and Oregon.
The Sacramento River salmon run is usually one of the most productive on the Pacific Coast,providing the bulk of the salmon caught by sport and commercial trollers off California and Oregon.
But only about 90,000 adult salmon returned to the Central Valley last fall--the second lowest number on record and well below the number needed to maintain a healthy fishery.That number is projected to fall to a record low of58.000 this year.
The council,which regulates Pacific Coast fisheries,will choose between three management options:a total ban on salmon fishing off the coast of California and Oregon;extremely limited fishing in select areas;or catch-and-release fishing for scientific research.
For consumers,it will be hard to find any Chinook,also known as king salmon.which are prized by trollers,seafood critics and upscale restaurants.There should still be abundant supplies of farm-raised salmon.but prices could be higher.
Biologists and others are trying to figure out what caused the salmon collapse so they can make sure California's Chinook populations rebound.
There are many potential factors,because wild salmon are born in streams and rivers, migrate to the ocean when they're juveniles and spend two to four years there before returning to spawn in the areas where they were born.In between they have to navigate the often dangerous waters of the Sacramento Delta and San Francisco Bay.
The council has asked state and federal scientists to research possible causes, including water diversions,habitat destruction,dam operations,agricultural pollution,and ocean conditions.Many scientists point out that unusual weather patterns disrupted the marine food chain along the Pacific Coast in 2005,when thousands of seabirds washed up dead or starving because they couldn't find enough to eat.
Researchers believe those poor ocean conditions also devastated the juvenile salmon that would have returned to the Central Valley last year.Young Chinook couldn't find the tiny shrimp and fish they depend onto survive. | high17973.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Their own slimming matter."
},
"options": [
"Different diets they prefer.",
"Their life after marriage.",
"Tex books for students.",
"Their own slimming matter."
],
"question": "What do you think the four women ... | Glynis Davis:
I first piled on the pounds when I was in the family way and I couldn't lose them afterwards. Then I joined a slimming club. My target was 140 pounds and I lost 30 pounds in six months. I felt great and people kept saying how good I looked. But Christmas came and I started to slip back into my old eating habits. I told myself I'd lose the weight at slimming classes in the new year... but it didn't happen. Instead of losing the pounds, I put them on. I'd lost willpower and tried to believe that the old bag of fish and chips didn't make any difference -- but the _ don't lie.
Roz Juma:
To be honest, I never weigh myself any more. I've learnt to be happy with myself. It seemed to me that I would feel sorry about every spoonful of tasty food that passed my lips. My idea is simple. You shouldn't be too much thinking about food and dieting. Instead, you should get on with life and stop dreaming of a super thin body. This is obviously the size I'm meant to be and, most of all, I'm happy with it.
Lesley Codwin:
I was very happy at winning Young Slimmer of the year. I'd look in the mirror unable to believe this slim lady was me! That might have been my problem -- perhaps from then on I didn't pay any attention to myself. Winning a national competition makes everything worse, though. Because you feel the eyes of the world are fixed upon you. I feel a complete failure because I've put on weight again.
Ros Langfod:
Before moving in with my husband Gavin, I'd always been about 110 pounds, but the pleasant housework went straight to my waist and I put on 15 pounds in a year. Every so often I try to go on a diet... I'm really good in a few days, then end up having the children's leftovers or eating happily chocolate -- my weakness. I'd like to be slim, but right now my duty is the children and home. I might take more exercise when my kids are older. | high2583.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the course emphasizes the application of skills"
},
"options": [
"the course is suitable for students of all levels",
"the course will ensure your success at university",
"you can't go to university without taking the course"... | Gateway Academy Pre-Sessional Courses
Our pre-sessional courses are ideal for students who have a conditional place at a British university, but who need to achieve a certain level of English in order to be accepted. The course aims to provide students with the English language and study skills that they need in order to be successful at university or another academic establishment. It is important to note that completion of the course does not guarantee students' entrance into a university. It is necessary for students to show during the course that they have understood the information and skills that they have been taught, and can apply them to their work.
Pre-sessional students at Gateway Academy will benefit from:
* Small class sizes (no more than 10 students per class)
* Twenty three hours of tuition per week
* Individual support and tutorials
* Regular guest lecturers
* The use of the Academy's study and recreational facilities, including the Language Library, the computer suite, and the academy's sports facilities.
* A varied social programme including evening entertainments and weekend excursions to popular tourist attractions and cities such as Stonehenge, Oxford and Stratford-on-Avon.
The course offers an all-around approach to learning, and covers reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. During the course, students will receive instruction on important techniques such as summary-writing, analysing essay titles, organising writing, note-taking in lectures, giving seminars and making presentations. Students will gain experience in working both individually and in groups. As part of the course, all students will work towards a 5000-word project in their own field of study. Students will receive guidance from their tutors on how best to conduct research and write it up effectively. Students will also work towards a presentation on the same subject.
There is no final examination. The attendance, successful completion of assignments and participation in class will be taken into account. Students will be given a full report on their progress at the end of the course. Students need to be aware that the course involves a great deal of coursework, which will require students to manage their time effectively. | high20107.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "is determined partly by genes"
},
"options": [
"is determined partly by genes",
"increases gradually with age",
"has little to do with wealth",
"is measured by desires"
],
"question": "According to the passage, ... | Over the last 70 years, researchers have been studying happy and unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference. Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes. However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the top two.
Money can buy a degree of happiness. But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself , each extra dollar makes less and less difference.
Researchers find that, on average, wealthier people are happier. But the link between money and happiness is complex. In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same. Once your basic needs are met, money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues.
"Dollars buy status, and status makes people feel better," conclude some experts, which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways---scientists or actors, for example--may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs.
In a research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires--not just for money, but for friends, family, job, health--rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap. Indeed, the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone. "The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income." Says Michalos.
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age. Old age may not be so bad. "Given all the problems of aging, how could the elderly be more satisfied?" asks Professor Laura Carstensen.
In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill out an emotions questionnaire. She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young people, but negative emotions much less often.
Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it, or they're more realistic about their goals, only setting ones that they know they can achieve. But Carstensen thinks that with time running out, older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don't. "People realize not only what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever," she says. "A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20. | high3845.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A general"
},
"options": [
"President of the USA",
"A soldier of Cuba",
"A mailman",
"A general"
],
"question": "Who is Garcia?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | When war broke out between Spain and the United States, it was very necessary to communicate quickly with General Garcia, who was somewhere in the mountains of Cuba -- No one knew where. The President must secure his cooperation, and quickly.
What to do!
Someone said to the President, "A fellow by the name of Rowan will find Garcia for you, if anybody can."
Rowan was sent for and given a letter to be delivered to Garcia. How he took the letter, in four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba from an open boat, disappeared into the jungle, in three weeks came out on the other side of the Island, and had delivered his letter to Garcia, are things I have no special desire now to tell in detail.
The point I wish to make is this: Rowan was given a letter to be delivered to Garcia; Rowan took the letter and did not ask, "Where is he?" He was loyal to a trust. He acted quickly and concentrated the energies: do the thing -- "Carry a message to Garcia!"
My heart goes out to the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly takes it, without asking any idiotic questions, but delivers it. This man is wanted in every city, town and village -- in every office, shop, store and factory. The world cries out for such: he is needed, and needed badly -- the man who can carry a message to Garcia. | high18498.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they are afraid that they may lose their jobs"
},
"options": [
"they devote themselves to the whole work",
"they are afraid that they may lose their jobs",
"they are asked to keep in touch with their bosses",
"they aren... | More than half of Americans do not take all their vacation days,even though they think they need one more holiday. And nearly a third of workers who take a break check their emails from the boss every other day and some even keep in touch hourly.
"We're workaholics ',"said Samuel Nahmias."From a general perspective,this has a lot to do with the economic situation in the US. More and more people are unemployed."
With jobless numbers reaching 9.6 percent,people who have jobs seem to be unwilling to take time off." _ People are not going on vacation as much and those who are going on vacation are being more selective about where they are going."Nahmias explained.
Unlike European countries where four or more weeks of holiday each year is normal,27 percent of people questioned in the poll said they had 6 to 10 days of annual leave and 20 percent had less than 3 days.With more people on unemployment lists in America,those still with jobs are facing more responsibility at work,which is reflected in their lack of time off.
The majority of workers who did not take time off mentioned too many responsibilities or stress at work,while some people said they simply did not have time to plan a holiday."People are more conscious of what they are doing and when they are going on vacation because they don't want to look bad in this situation,"Nahmias explained.
Technology is also playing a part with smartphones enabling workers to keep in contact in ways that were not possible before.It has to do with technology and the level of concern about what is going on in the office. | high8910.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "less time spent outdoors may mean more short-sightedness"
},
"options": [
"short-sightedness and its effects",
"some factors that affect one's eyesight",
"more and more children become short-sighted",
"less time spent o... | The time children spend outdoors could be linked to a reduced risk of being short-sighted, research suggests.
An analysis of eight previous studies by University of Cambridge researchers found that for each additional hour spent outside per week, the risk of short-sightedness was reduced by 2%.They said exposure to natural light and time spent looking at distant objects could be key factors .
The studies involved more than 10,000 children and adolescents. Dr Justin Sherwin and his research team concluded that short-sighted children spent an average of 3.7 fewer hours per week outdoors than those who either had normal vision or were far-sighted.
But they said the reasons were not yet clear.They expected to find that children who spent more time outdoors also spent less time doing activities like reading, studying or playing computer games, but no such link was found in two of the eight studies which looked at this relationship.
However, Dr Sherwin said they would now need more precise data to try to understand which factors, such as increased use of distance vision, reduced use of near vision, natural ultraviolet light exposure and physical activity,are most important.
"Any increase in time spent outdoors must be weighed against exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the increased risk of skin cancer, cataracts and other cancers."he said."On the other hand, increasing outdoor physical activity could protect against diabetes and obesity, for example."
Short-sightedness is a common eye condition that causes distant objects to appear blurred , while close objects can be seen clearly. It is much more common today in the UK and the United States than it was just 30 to 40 years ago. Approximately 1-2% of five-year-olds to seven-year-olds in the UK have short-sightedness.About.five million British people are short-sighted and some 200,000 of them will be seriously short-sighted. In some parts of Asia, more than 80% of the population suffers from short-sightedness. | high22710.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "help the wearers keep their duties in mind"
},
"options": [
"prevent the wearers from being laughed at",
"help the wearers keep their duties in mind",
"are seen as a symbol of power",
"help to create social barriers"
... | School uniforms are becoming more and more popular across the U.S.A. That's no surprise,because they offer many benefits. They immediately end the powerful social sorting and labeling that come from clothing. If all students are dressed in the same way,they will not pay too much attention to their clothing,and some of them will not be laughed at for wearing the "wrong" clothes.
Some people are against the strict rule of school uniforms,but they do not realize that students already accept a kind of rule -- wanting to look just like their friends. The difference is that the clothing students choose for themselves creates social barriers ; school uniforms tear those barriers down.
As in other places,uniforms remind the wearers of their purposes and duties. For example,when a man or woman puts on a police uniform,he or she becomes,for a time,the symbol of law and order. The uniform means to the wearer his or her special duties and sends the same message to everyone the wearer meets. People with different jobs wear uniforms of one kind or another. For students,the school uniform reminds them that their task for the six or seven hours they are in school is to get an education.
Some parents are unhappy about uniforms,saying that school uniforms will affect their children's "creativity". First,as noted above,the clothes students choose to wear do not necessarily express their individuality . They just copy their classmates. Second,students have the rest of the day to be as creative as they like. While they're in school,their job is to master reading,writing,and maths; this should take up all the creativity they have. Mastery of those skills will be good for the students to build up their creativity in every way. | high1934.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The global recruitment mostly took place online"
},
"options": [
"The recruitment started in winter in Australia",
"Ben Southall got the job in January",
"The global recruitment mostly took place online",
"The organizer... | SYDNEY (AFP) Nick Bryant reports:
"It gives me great pleasure to introduce the new caretaker of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, from the United Kingdom, Ben Southall."
A global recruitment drive with the trappings of a TV reality show made it truly a tourism marketing campaign.
The best job in the world's competition finally has a winner, Ben Southall, a 34-year-old charity worker from Britain. He beat 34,000 candidates from 200 countries in an online competition that became something of an Internet phenomenon.
"To go away now as the island caretaker for Tourism Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef is an extreme honour. I hope I can fill the boots as much as everybody is expecting, my swimming hopefully is up to standard and I look forward to all of the new roles and responsibilities that the task involves." [Ben Southall]
For a disappointing Australian tourism industry currently in the _ , this has been an unexpected encouragement. Tourism Queensland deliberately chose the middle of winter of the northern globe to launch the campaign back in January, but didn't expect anywhere near the global response. They think the only countries where people didn't visit their website was North Korea and a few African nations.
What's said to be the best job in the world comes with a $110,000 (about 750,000 yuan) contract for six months' work, a luxury beachside home and a plunge pool.
In return, the island caretaker will be expected to stroll the white sands, enjoy the sun, diving and taking care of the reef, "maybe clean the pool"-- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs , photo diaries and video updates.
For the losers meanwhile, there's the worst of long journeys home. | high22076.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "tried to change her life"
},
"options": [
"tried to change her life",
"often slept m friends' homes",
"felt lonely because of her illness",
"felt quite desperate for her father"
],
"question": "According to the ... | In 1997, I found myself in a situation I never thought I'd be in: alone and begging for money in New York. My father had been separated from our family, and my mother had recently died from complications related to AIDS. What I remember most about such nights is lying on the cold marble floor and using my backpack for a pillow.
Even though I had lost my family, I made choices every single day to turn my life around. There was the haven for homeless teenagers called the Door, a non-profit organization that provided me with guidance, medical care and food, all of which kept me going while I completed my homework in train stations and under hallway lights. Perhaps the most surprising help though, I did not seek out;it found me. The New York Times told my story. In the weeks that followed, dozens of strangers reached out to me from all across the United States. At my high school, I began receiving handwritten letters of encouragement. Strangers showed up bearing clothes, books, and even hugs. Since the article mentioned I was applying to Harvard, one woman knitted a blanket for me. She attached this note to the box it was posted in: "It gets cold in those dorms. May you warm yourself knowing that people care about you".
With the help of these people, my life today bears no resemblance at all to my life then. I graduated not only from high school but also from Harvard University.
Before these people -- some of them nameless-- I just didn't realize how good people could be. But now I do, and I can say that the people who helped me have forever changed me. They are the reason behind my decision to join the board at the Door so that I can be part of a small team of people opening a high school for homeless teenagers .They are the reason I dedicate my life to opening pathways for others. And they are the reason I travel around the world helping people transform their own lives. | high278.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "draw our attention to Internet language"
},
"options": [
"explain some Internet language",
"suggest common Internet language",
"laugh at the Beijing father",
"draw our attention to Internet language"
],
"questio... | Recently a Beijing father sent in a question at an Interact forum asking what "PK" meant.
"My family has been watching the 'Super Girl' singing competition TV program.My little daughter asked me what 'PK' meant,but I had no idea,"explained the puzzled father.
To a lot of Chinese young people who have been playing games online,it is impossible not to know this term.In such Internet games,"PK" is short for "Player Kill",in which two players fight until one ends the life of the other.
In the case of the "Super Girl" singing competition."PK" was used to refer to the stage where two singers have to compete with each other for only one chance to go up in competition ranking.
Like this father,Chinese teachers at high schools have also been finding their students' compositions using Internet
which are difficult to understand.A high school teacher from Tianjin asked her students to write compositions with simple language,but they came up with a lot of Internet jargons that she didn't understand.
"My 'GG' came back this summer from college.He told me I've grown up to be a 'PLMM'.I loved to 'FB' with him together;he always took me to the 'KPM',"went one composition.
"GG" means Ge Ge(Chinese pinyin for brother)."PLMM" refers to Piao Liang Mei Mei (beautiful girl)."FB" means Fu Bai (corruption)."KPM" is short for KFC.Pizza Hut and McDonald's.
Some specialists welcome Internet jargons as a new development in language.
If you do not even know what a Kong Long(dinosaur,referring to an ugly looking female) ora Qing wa (frog,referring to an ugly looking male)is,you will possibly be regarded as a CaiNiao! | high15802.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Alabama"
},
"options": [
"Alabama",
"Cleveland",
"Ohio",
"Michigan"
],
"question": "Jesse Owens was born in _ in the USA.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index"... | Jesse Owens was born in Alabama in the USA, in 1913. There were ten children in his family. Jesse was the youngest. He went to school in the city of Cleveland. At school he showed he had a special talent for athletics . He could run fast. He could jump high. He could jump far. Because he was good at athletics, Jesse became a student at Ohio State University.
In May, 1935 in Michigan, USA, he broke the world record for the long jump. This was his first world record. On the 25th May Jesse did something unusual. In 45 minutes he broke six world records. Some people think that this was the greatest athletics achievement ever.
In 1936 Jesse went to the Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. There were only nineteen black athletes in the USA team. He won gold medals in the 100 meters race, the 200 meters race, the long jump and the relay race.
Jesse was not a professional athlete. This meant that he could not get money for running. Later, he became a professional athlete. To make money he had to appear in strange races. Sometimes he had to race against horses.
In 1960 somebody broke Jesse's last world record. In 1980 Jesse died. | high6083.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Volunteer Service in the West"
},
"options": [
"How To Be a Volunteer",
"The Benefit of Being a Volunteer",
"Volunteer Service in the West",
"Who Can Be a Volunteer"
],
"question": "What's the best title of the ... | Do you want to work with people, animals or machines? Do you want to work indoors or outdoors, directly serve people in need or serve people behind the scenes? These are the typical questions that volunteer service agencies would ask.
Every year, thousands of people in the west offer volunteer service. Volunteering greatly strengthens the community because it helps the old, the young, the weak, the sick, the disabled and the injured to overcome difficulties.
Volunteers usually help in many different ways. They may give people advice, offer friendship to the young , drive the elderly to church, counsel kids against drugs, work as assistants in schools or nursing homes, raise funds, plant trees, help out in local libraries and do many other things. Volunteering can be a few hours a week or a few hours a month. Anybody who wants to serve people in need can become a volunteer.
The art of volunteering is a process of both giving and receiving. Volunteering allows volunteers to meet new people, make new friends and mix with people from all walks of life. Volunteering is an excellent way to experiment,practice and try out new techniques and skills,discover your individual talents and explore career choice. Being a volunteer will take individuals on a wonderful journey and help them learn many important things beyond their school learning. | high23368.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To avoid getting his shoes dirty."
},
"options": [
"To get close to a butterfly.",
"To look over the bad situation.",
"To escape a sudden attack.",
"To avoid getting his shoes dirty."
],
"question": "Why did the... | Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia, I saw a small pool of water ahead on the path. I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn't covered by water or mud. As I reached the pool, I was suddenly attacked! Yet I did nothing for the attack. It was so unpredictable and from somewhere totally unexpected. I was surprised as well as unhurt though I had been struck four or five times. I backed up a foot and my attacker stopped attacking me. Had I been hurt I wouldn't have found it amusing. And I was laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly!
Having stopped, laughing, I took a step forward. My attacker rushed me again. He charged towards me at full speed, attempting to hurt me but in vain. For a second time, I took a step backwards while my attacker paused. I wasn't sure what to do. After all, it's just not everyday that one is attacked by a butterfly. I stepped back to look the situation over. My attacker moved back to land on the ground. That's when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments earlier. He had a mate and she was dying.
Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her. I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate. He had taken it up on himself to attack me for his mate's sake , even though she was clearly dying and I was so large. He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life, should I have been careless enough to step on her. His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate's safety seemed admirable. I couldn't do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the pool. He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed.
Since then, I've always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I see huge barriers facing me. | high4694.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Firms guided by strategic speed take time to make necessary changes."
},
"options": [
"How fast a firm moves depends on how big it is.",
"How competitive a firm is depends on what it produces.",
"Firms guided by strategic spe... | In business, there's a speed difference: It's the difference between how important a firm's leaders say speed is to their competitive strategy and how fast the company actually moves.The difference is important regardless of industry and company size. Companies fearful of losing their competitive advantage spend much time and money looking for ways to pick up the speed.
In our study of 343 businesses, the companies that chose to go, go, go to try to _ ended up with lower sales and operating incomes than those that paused at key moments to make sure they were on the right track.What's more, the firms that "slowed down to speed up" improved their top and bottom lines, averaging 40% higher sales and 52% higher operating incomes over a three-year period.
How did they disobey the laws of business physics, taking more time than competitors yet performing better? They thought differently about what "slower" and "faster" mean.Firms sometimes fail to understand the difference between operational speed (moving quickly) and strategic speed (reducing the time it takes to deliver value).Simply increasing the speed of production, for example, may be one way to try to reduce the speed difference.But that often leads to reduced value over time, in the form of lower-quality products and services.
In our study, higher-performing companies with strategic speed always made changes when necessary. They became more open to ideas and discussion.They encouraged new ways of thinking.And they allowed time to look back and learn.By contrast , performance suffered at firms that moved fast all the time, paid too much attention to improving efficiency, stuck to tested methods, didn't develop team spirit among their employees, and had little time thinking
about changes.
Strategic speed serves as a kind of leadership.Teams that regularly take time to get things right, rather than plough ahead full bore, are more successful in meeting their business goals.That kind of strategy must come from the top. | high4858.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to find the frequency of people's yawning"
},
"options": [
"to find the frequency of people's yawning",
"to indicate brain can regulate temperature naturally",
"to prove people yawn in winter and in summer equally",
"to... | Yawning sends out certain messages -either "Oh,this movie is so boring" or "I probably need to get some sleep". But did you know that a yawn can also help your brain to cool down when it is overheated?
A new study, led by a research team at Princeton University, has indicated that yawning could be the brain's natural way of regulating temperature. People yawn more often when the temperature outdoors is lower than their body temperature but are less likely to yawn when it is hotter outdoors, according to Sciencedaily. com.
The research team did an experiment on 160 people, 80 in summer and 80 in winter, to examine how often they yawned at different air temperatures. The study found that people yawned more often in winter than in summer. Scientists say that when the air temperature is lower outside the body, there is heat exchange between the overheated brain and the cool air. But when the air temperature is higher than or equal to the body, people are less likely to yawn because the hot air they breathe in will make the brain even hotter.
When people yawn, their jaw is also stretched,which increases blood flow and may also help cool the brain
The study showed that the amount someone yawned could be related to the amount of time they spent outside. The longer they spent outside in summer, the less they yawned. Nearly 40 percent of participants yawned within their first five minutes outside, but after that the percentage was reduced to less than 10 percent.
However, the result was the opposite in winter. The number of people who yawned increased when they spent more than five minutes outdoors. But the change was only slight compared to summertime.
According to Gallup, this is the first report to show that yawning frequencies change depending on season. This could help us to understand better the way our brains work. It may also help us understand the reason why frequent yawning can sometimes be a sign of brain disease. | high4680.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because he was caught in a traffic jam."
},
"options": [
"Because he was ill.",
"Because he got up late.",
"Because he was caught in a traffic jam.",
"He was busy applying for a new job."
],
"question": "Why was... | A lot of us lose life's tough battles by starting a frontal attack--when a touch of humor might well enable us to win. Consider the case of a young friend of mine, who hit a traffic jam on his way to work shortly after receiving an ultimatum about being late on the job. Although there was a good reason for Sam's a being late--serious illness at home--he decided that this by-now-familiar excuse wouldn't work any longer. His supervisor was probably already pacing up and down preparing a dismissal speech.
Yes, the boss was, Sam entered the office at 9:35. The place was as quiet as a locker room ; everyone was hard at work. Sam's supervisor came up to him. Suddenly, Sam forced a grin and stretched out his hand. "How do you do!" he said. "I'm Sam Maynard. I'm applying for a job. Which, I understand, became available just 35 minutes ago. Does the early bird get the worm?"
The room exploded in laughter. The supervisor _ a smile and walked back to his office. Sam Maynard had saved his job--with the only tool that could win, a laugh.
Humor is a most effective, yet frequently neglected , means of handling the difficult situations in our lives. It can be used for patching up differences, apologizing, saying "no", criticizing, getting the other fellow to do what you want without his losing face. For some jobs, it's the only tool that can succeed. It is a way to discuss subjects so sensitive that serious dialog may start a quarrel. For example, many believe that comedians on television are doing more today for racial and religious tolerance than people in any other forum. | high7389.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "harmful"
},
"options": [
"harmful",
"made from plants",
"good and eco-friendly",
"biodegradable"
],
"question": "Plastics produced in the traditional way are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | You may never connect the words "good" and "eco-friendly"with plastic.It's time to do a rethink on that as we say hello to hemp plastic.Traditionally,plastics have been made from petrochemicals,which are mainly poisonous.Plants,on the other hand,are also a source of cellulose ,which can be used to make biodegradable plastic.As hemp happens to be one of the richest sources of cellulose,it is only natural that scientists will support its use,considering its ecological benefits.
Hemp plastic is biodegradable and recyclable.If you thought being eco-friendly reduced its solidity,you couldn't be more wrong.The hard level of hemp plastic can match that of regular plastic.Hemp plastic is resistant to heat;however,the most outstanding feature of a few varieties of hemp plastic is that they are flame resistant too.Finally,if Henry Ford could imagine creating a car with this material,we can perhaps believe that it indeed is"ten times stronger than steel".
It is a pity that with so many useful qualities,we don't see hemp plastic being used in our everyday life,the way it ought to be.Hemp plastic can easily take the place of the exiting plastic in products like cell phone chargers ,laptop covers,etc.Currently,hemp plastic is being used to produce audio ,video,toys,automobile parts and packaging materials.
Hemp fiber is one of the strongest natural fibers known to us.As scientists keep looking for ways to solve the ecological damage that traditional plastics have caused,here is a material that can be produced to be 100% biodegradable.Hemp plastic is known to be several times _ as compared to polypropylene plastic,and it comes without all the health and safety threats,It really has long useful life.
Plastics keep reminding us of the damage that we have done to our planet,all under the excuse of convenience.As hemp products have become a new choice into our daily life,Please take a green plan now and make your effort to protect the environment. | high1920.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "hutong days realize my desires to live a local life ."
},
"options": [
"hutong days realize my desires to live a local life .",
"Trishaw is the only way to visit the hutong",
"living in the hutong with other visitors",
... | I first visited hutong as part of a tourist group several years ago. We rode on a trishaw with a guide explaining the history, architecture and lifestyle of the local inhabitants.
Having visited the "must-sees" of Beijing, like the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Drum Tower and the Summer Palace, going into the hutong home of some famous ancient families gave the "Beijing experience" a human element.
My curiosity has sharpened over the years from reading about them at every opportunity. During the preparation for the Olympics, I was eager to learn that some siheyuan courtyards in hutong were turned into accommodations for visitors. I wished to stay in one someday.
Preparing for a recent trip to the capital, I eagerly sought one out. On my limited teacher's salary, I settled on an affordable option, though I looked longingly at the more
courtyard accommodations.
As usual, by not being able to go upmarket, I ended up having something closer to a true experience. A real family still lives in the courtyard, which is closer to the original. The rooms all opened into the central courtyard. Flowers were blooming, beans and peas were climbing up the bamboo fence, and the cat was napping in the sun. Every day after exploring the city, I'd hurry back to the hutong, take a quick shower and join the cat - snoozing in a bamboo-made chair with a book ready nearby.
As the other guests came back we'd greet one another. There was a mother and young daughter from France, a guy from Canada, a mother and teenage daughter from the Netherlands, a teacher from England and several guests from various parts of China.
Coming and going through the narrow alleys of the hutong, the residents would smile and give cheery "ni hao" (hello). Laughing children were playing under the watchful eyes of the neighbors. I felt right at home in this friendly neighborhood. | high15816.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "watched things going on, unable to do anything"
},
"options": [
"reported the disaster to Sky News television",
"was watching a drama on TV in the hotel",
"tried to find his son lost in the waters",
"watched things goin... | SYDNEY 2005-01-01 08:30--Mother of two, Jillian Searle, had to choose between her children when she made a life--or--death decision.
Swept up by mountainous tsunami waves at a Thai resort, she could not hold on to both her young sons and survive. Fighting to stay above the waters, she had to choose which one would have to take his chances in the swirling torrent.
"I knew I had to let go of one of them and I just thought I'd better let go of the one that's the older," she told Sky News television in a report broadcast on Thursday. She said she was accompanied by the two, Lachie, 5, and two--year--old Blake, and their father, Brad, who had watched the drama helplessly from their first-floor hotel room, when the waves struck." And I was screaming, trying to find _ , and we thought he was dead."she told reporters on arrival back in Australia.
Lachie was found alive about 2 hours later clinging to a door and looked uninjured as his mother spoke to reporters.
British surfer Martin Markwell is also a lucky man. He had always dreamed of catching that perfect wave--but when it finally came along, it was a nightmare. He was on his surfboard when he was swept up by a tsunami wave.
"It was really terrible because I was surfing, I was really surfing on a wave I wasn't supposed to be on,"he said. "As an experienced surfer, when I saw the wave come I realized something was wrong, but I couldn't escape because my surfboard was tied to my ankle."
His wife, Vicki and son Jake looked on in horror from a hotel balcony as he crashed towards the shore. Luckily, he stayed atop his board until he reached the hotel, jumped off and got to safety as the ocean rolled back to feed a much larger tsunami wave on its way. The family regrouped and ran to safety just minute before a giant tsunami wave 10 meters high. | high6097.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Blue--the most attractive eye colour."
},
"options": [
"Who have the most charming eyes in the world?",
"Blue--the most attractive eye colour.",
"A survey result on eye colours.",
"Different eye colours in the world."
... | Blue is the most attractive eye colour according to a new research.
Blue eyes like those belonging to sexy star Angelina Jolie are the most appealing colour according to a pool of 3,000 18-24yearolds by Fresh Look One Day Colour. Angelina,her partner Brad Pitt and his exwife Jennifer Aniston all have blue eyes and all been named in a top twenty of the world's most desirable eyes.
The survey found that young folk with blue eyes is generally seen as being more flirtatious,sexy and kind.
And when asked if they would change the colour of their eyes if they could,only one in ten blueeyed people wanted to,significantly less than people with other colour eyes.
One in three people who didn't have blue eyes wanted a change.
One quarter of respondents have considered wearing coloured contact lenses to change their eye colour temporarily--and blue is the most wanted colour.
Green was the second most popular colour for those wanting a new look,with respondents saying greeneyed people were usually mysterious and creative.
People with brown or hazel eyes were perceived to be more trustworthy than people with other eye colours.
People with grey eyes were generally thought to be more intelligent than other people,and they were also described as usually being shy.
Blue was the most common eye colour among respondents,with 41 percent of those who answered the survey having baby blue peepers and 39 percent having brown or hazel eyes.
The survey also found that 18 percent of people don't know what colour eyes their partner has. | high8904.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Producer Vacancies,Kiss 100."
},
"options": [
"Producer Vacancies,Kiss 100.",
"Mrs Oglivie,Palmlace Limited.",
"The Enterprise Shopping Centre.",
"Wealden District Council."
],
"question": ".Who should you get i... | Wanted,Someone for a Kiss
We're looking for producers to join us on the sound of London Kiss 100 FM. You'll work on the station's music programs. Music production experience in radio is necessary,along with rich knowledge of modern dance music. Please apply in writing to Producer Vacancies,Kiss 100.
Father Christmas
We're looking for a very special person,preferably over 40,to fill our Father Christmas suit.
Working days:Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December 17 to December 24 except Sundays, 10:30-16:00.
Excellent pay.
Please contact the Enterprise Shopping Centre,Station Parade,Eastbourne.
Accountants Assistant
When you join the team in our Revenue Administration Unit,you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division,dealing with post and other general duties. If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you. This position is equally suitable for a school leaver or for somebody who has office experience.
Wealden District Council
Software Trainer
If you are aged 24-45 and have experience in teaching and training,you could be the person we are looking for. You should be good at the computer and have some experience in program writing. You will be allowed to make your own decisions,and to design courses as well as present them. Pay upwards ofPS15,000 for the right person. Please apply by sending your CV to Mrs R. Oglivie, Palmlace Limited. | high6929.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To attract readers' interest in icebergs."
},
"options": [
"To attract readers' interest in icebergs.",
"To show readers icebergs are dangerous.",
"To tell readers icebergs are large blocks of ice.",
"To encourage reade... | What does the word iceberg make you think of ? Do you think of a large block of ice in a cold northern ocean? Or do you think of something that ships can crash into? While these are both correct, in truth there's far more to icebergs than meets the eye.
According to scientists, only the largest blocks of ice count as icebergs. They must rise at least 5 meters above the water and be 15 meters wide at the water line. But only about 10 percent of an iceberg can be seen. The rest lie beneath the water.
Icebergs begin froming when layers of snow fall year after year without melting. The snow is pressed together into large blocks of ice called glaciers. When chunks of ice break off these glaciers, icebergs are born. In Greenland alone, about 40,000 icebergs are formed each year.
Since they began as snow, icebergs are made of fresh water, not salty ocean water. Tidy bubbles of air inside the ice give them their white color1.
While most icebergs are white, some are blue because they have melted and frozen again. This action allows the air bubbles to escape. Other icebergs have brown, black or yellow parts because of dirt mixed with the ice. Algae can also get trapped in the underwater parts of an iceberg. If the iceberg turns over, all or part of it is green!
Icebergs can be flat, cube-shaped, round like a turtle shell or U-shaped. Some even look like mountains.
The large underwater parts of icebergs are hard for ships to avoid. They have destroyed and sunk many ships, including the Titanic. As a result, the International Ice Patrol now monitors icebergs in areas with heavy ship traffic.
But there's yet another side to icebergs. Many microscopic animals live inside icebergs and in the water around them. These creatures feed on minerals that the icebergs store and release as they melt. Scientists are still studying all the ways icebergs affect sea life. | high22704.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He does not think there exists any objectiveness in news writing or reporting."
},
"options": [
"He does not think there exists any objectiveness in news writing or reporting.",
"To make clear the news is a way to be objective for ... | The newspaper must provide for the reader the facts,pure,unprejudiced,objectively selected facts.But in these days of complex news it must provide more; it must supply interpretation,the meaning of the facts.This is the most important assignment facing American journalists-to make clear to the reader the problems of the day,to make international news understandable as community news,to recognize that there is no longer any such thing as"local"news,because any event in the international area has a local reaction in the financial market,political circles,in terms,indeed,of our very way of life.
There is in journalism a widespread view that when you start an interpretation,you are entering dangerous waters,the rushing tides of opinion.This is nonsense.
The opponents of interpretation insist that the writer and the editor shall limit himself to the"facts".This insistence raises two questions.What are the facts?And:Are the bare facts enough?
As for the first question,consider how a so called"factual"story comes about.The reporter collects,say,fifty facts; out of these fifty,his space being necessarily restricted,he selects the ten which he considers most important.This is Judgment Number One.Then he or his editor decides which of these ten facts shall hold the lead of the piece.This is Judgment Number Two.Then the night editor determines whether the article shall be presented on page one,where it has a large influence,or on page twentyfour,where it has little.Judgment Number Three.
Thus in the presentation of a socalled"factual"or"objective"story,at least three judgments are involved.And they are judgments not at all unlike those involved in interpretation,in which reporter and editor,calling upon their research resources,their general background,and their"news neutralism ",arrive at a conclusion as to the significance of the news.
The two areas of judgment,presentation of the news and its interpretation,are both objective rather than subjective processes-as objective,that is,as any human being can be.If an editor is determined to give a prejudiced view of the news,he can do it in other ways and more effectively than by interpretation.He can do it by the selection of those facts that support his particular viewpoint.Or he can do it by the place he gives a story-promoting it to page one or dragging it to page thirty. | high19792.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because she didn't want to disturb others."
},
"options": [
"Because she didn't want others to hear her play.",
"Because she didn't want to disturb others.",
"Because she didn't have a large house.",
"Because she liked ... | Brenda Bongos was a happy, artistic girl. She had one big ambition--to play the drums in a band. But one big obstacle lay in her way. To be good enough to play in a band, Brenda had to practice a lot, but she lived next-door to a lot of old people. Many of them are sick. She knew that the sound of beating drums would really get on their nerves. So, she had tried playing in the strangest places: a basement, a kitchen, and even in a shower. But there was always someone it would annoy.
One day, while watching a science documentary on TV, she heard that sound cannot travel in space, because there's no air. At that moment, Brenda Bongos decided to become a sort of musical astronaut.
With the help of a lot of time, books and work, Brenda built a space bubble. This was a big glass ball connected to a machine which sucked out all the air inside. All that would be left inside was a drum kit and a chair. Brenda got into the space suit she had made, entered the bubble, turned on the machine, and played those drums like a wild child.
It wasn't long before Brenda Bongos came very famous. Many people came to see her play in her space bubble. Shortly afterwards she came out of the bubble and started giving concerts. Her fame spread so much that the government suggested that she be part of a unique space journey. Finally, Brenda was a real musical astronaut, and had gone far beyond her first ambition of playing drums in a band.
Years later, when asked how she had achieved all this, she thought for a moment, and said: "If those old people next - door hadn't mattered so much to me, I wouldn't have found a solution, and none of this would have ever happened." | high3689.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "About 1.3 million."
},
"options": [
"About 1.3 million.",
"About 2 million.",
"About 3 million.",
"About 1 million."
],
"question": "For 4 million American adults, how many of them are eating two or more serving... | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced trends in fruit and vegetable consumption among adults. Since 2000, the CDC has made efforts with goals of getting 75% of Americans to eat two or more servings of fruit a day and 50% of Americans to eat three or more servings of vegetables a day. Unfortunately, Americans aren't meeting these modest targets.
Although a diet high in fruit and vegetables can reduce the risk of many diseases, Americans just aren't getting enough. In fact, since 2000, the amount of vegetables Americans are eating has stayed the same and the amount of fruit Americans are eating has gone down. The CDC also finds that only about a third of adults are eating their expected servings of fruit, and just over a quarter of adults are eating their expected servings of vegetables.
So why aren't Americans getting their expected servings of fruit and vegetables? It turns out that Americans might be spoiled when it comes to their produce. A national survey conducted by Fruit2day reveals that nearly half of Americans leave fruit in their fridges until it rots with people in Boston among the worst and those in New York and Los Angeles among the best. Sadly, most Americans admit to leaving fruit in the fridge for more than a week.
There are many reasons why Americans don't eat their fruit or vegetables, including the inconvenience of having to wash or peel it. Fruit2day offers consumers a surprising and convenient way to enjoy the goodness of fruit.
"With no added sugar, natural juices and two full servings of fruit, our Fruit2day line has really captured the imaginations of health-conscious consumers who are actively looking to get more fruit in their diets," said Hanno Holm, president and chief executive officer of Hero-White Wave. "Fruit2day makes getting more fruit in one's diet easier for any daily snack routine." | high2597.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "How we can improve the lives of the old."
},
"options": [
"The problems faced by the old in society.",
"Why we should take responsibility for the old.",
"How we can improve the lives of the old.",
"Where the old can go ... | A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs.
Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions. Furthermore, some institutions should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them. Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly _ answer. The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young.
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.
To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations. | high3851.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the effects of external rewards on students' performance"
},
"options": [
"the choice between spiritual encouragement and monetary rewards",
"the amount of monetary rewards for student' creativity",
"the study of relationship... | Psychologists take opposing views of how external rewards, from warm praise to cold cash, affect motivation and creativity. Behaviorists, who study the relation between actions and their consequences, argue that rewards can improve performance at work and school. Cognitive researchers, who study various aspects of mental life, maintain that rewards often destroy creativity by encouraging dependence on approval and gifts from others.
The latter view has gained many supporters, especially among educators. But the careful use of small monetary rewards sparks creativity in grade-school children, suggesting that properly presented inducements indeed aid inventiveness, according to a study in the June Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
"If kids know they're working for a reward and can focus on a ly challenging task, they show the most creativity," says Robert Eisenberger of the University of Delaware in Newark. "But it's easy to kill creativity by giving rewards for poor performance or creating too much anticipation for rewards."
A teacher who continually draws attention to rewards or who hands out high grades for ordinary achievement ends up with uninspired students, Eisenberger holds. As an example of the latter point, he notes growing efforts at major universities to tighten grading standards and restore failing grades.
In earlier grades, the use of so-called token economies, in which students handle challenging problems and receive performance-based points toward valued rewards, shows promise in raising effort and creativity, the Delaware psychologist claims. | high20113.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the worst dust storm in Australia in the past 70 years"
},
"options": [
"the causes of the major dust storm in Australian cities",
"different reactions to a dust storm in Australia",
"the damage caused by the big dust storm i... | Residents along Australia's east coast awoke in the morning to an orange sky as winds swept millions of tons of red dust from the country's inland and dumped it on Sydney.
Tanya Ferguson,living in Sydney,saw that the room was completely orange.She thought there was a bush fire.But when she went outside,the entire city was covered in a film of orange dust.
"It was like being in the outback ,but it was right here in the city,"she said On that day,a big dust storm swept through Sydney.It covered the city in orange dust for about eight hours,making landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge invisible.
The storm affected the transportation system.Flights were delayed.Roads were busy as drivers struggled in the difficult conditions.Children and the elderly were told to stay indoors until the dust had cleared.Later strong winds blew it out to the sea and up the coast.
No one was hurt in the storm,though health officials answered hundreds of calls from
people with breathing difficulties.Emergency services responded to hundreds of calls about
tree branches brought down by strong winds.
Dust storms are common in the Australian outback,where the land is arid .But the storms rarely reach the coastal regions.
Officials said it was the worst dust storm of the past 70 years.Air pollution levels were
15,500 micrograms of pollutants per cubic meter.
"On a clear day the pollutants are around 10--20 micrograms per cubic meter,"said Chris
Eiser of the NSW department of the environment.
Experts said that dry conditions in the outback and strong winds caused the sandstorm.
"Ten very dry years over inland southern Australia and very strong winds have combined to produce the storm,"said Nigel Tapper,an environmental scientist at Monash University, Australia. | high18467.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Cheriton; Sangatte"
},
"options": [
"Dover; Kent",
"London; Paris",
"Lille; Brussels",
"Cheriton; Sangatte"
],
"question": "The Channel Tunnel links _ with _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}... | "Choo, Choo!" Here comes the Chunnel train. Get aboard if you want to learn more about this underground transportation system. This is an unusual form of transportation, because it is a tunnel that trains travel through and not an actual form of transportation.
The Chunnel is actually the English nickname for the Channel Tunnel. In French, it is called le tunnel sous la Manche. It is a rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Straits of Dover. It connects Cheriton in Kent, England with Sangatte in northern France. It is the second longest rail tunnel in the world.
Did you know that the British and the French had a race whi1e they were building the Chunnel? The race was to see who could get to the middle of the tunnel first. The British won by a little bit. It took 15,000 workers over seven years to dig the tunnel. The tunnel was finished in 1994.
The completed Chunnel cost about $ 21 billion. But it all paid off, because it became very popular, very quick. Millions of people use it. Now it is getting even more popular.
There are three complete tunnels in the Chunnel. The two outside ones are the passenger trains. The small inner one is a guidance train. The guidance train is not used for transportation. Each track is exactly parallel to each other.
There are four different train systems in the Chunnel. The Eurostar is a high speed passenger service that connects London, Paris, Brussels, and Lille. The Eurotunnel shuttle is a rail ferry service. These shuttles carry cars. These are railcars that allow drivers to drive their vehicles on and off. There are also two Eurotunnel goods service trains.
Now you know more about the Chunnel. Everybody off, this is the last stop. | high5213.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "state leader"
},
"options": [
"retired politician",
"university scholar",
"state leader",
"military consultant"
],
"question": "At the time of the writing, Geoff Hoon was a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_q... | Geoff Hoon is one of prefix = st1 /Britain's most experienced politicians.
Mr Hoon joined the Foreign and Commonwealth office in May 1999 as Minister of State with responsibility for Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa; he was then made Minister for Europe. Later, in 1999, Mr Hoon joined Tony Blair's Cabinet as Secretary of State for Defence, where he oversaw four major deployments of British troops, including to Iraq. After the 2005 general election he became leader of the House of Commons and earlier this year (2006) he was appointed as Minister for Europe again.
On Friday 24thNovember Mr Horn is visiting Nottingham to address Forum. He will speak about his experience in the public spotlight, and explain what life as a Cabinet Minister is really like.
There will be an opportunity for questions after the talk, which is open to all students and staff at NottinghamUniversity. Please arrive early as there are limited spaces and nobody will be admitted once the event had begun.
FRIDAY 24THNOVEMBER
4 O'LOCK
A48 SIR CLIVE GRANGER (GEOGRAPHY & ECONOMICS)
FREE ENTRY
www.nottingham.forum.org | high17754.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Share your talent for it helps to improve yourself."
},
"options": [
"Focus on what you are capable of rather than what you are not.",
"Take pride in your achievements however big or seemingly small they are.",
"Share your ta... | We are constantly bombarded with visions of how we are not good enough or how we need to improve ourselves. And it's not only external things that cause us to have such low self-esteems and feel bad about ourselves either, but your negative inner thought reflects your way of being real with yourself. Little things like: I'll never get it done; I don't deserve that; I could never wear that; and I'm not smart enough. Instead of focusing on and telling yourself what you can't do, try focusing on what you can do.
Here are a few ideas worth trying to build yourself up and fall in love with yourself all over again.
Focus on your strengths. We all have strengths and luckily they are not all the same. Do things you are naturally good at and enjoy and you will build self-confidence, efficiency and pride.
Be proud of your accomplishments. No matter how big or seemingly small your accomplishments are, you should be very proud of each and every one of them. Whether it's completing high school, university, starting your own company, having kids and raising a family, completing a project that's hanging around for far too long, be proud. Celebrate the small and large accomplishments and everything in between.
Share your talent. If you've got a talent, share it with the world. If you can write - write, if you can dance - dance, if you can organize ...well you get the picture. Believe it or not there are people out there who could benefit greatly from you sharing your talent. Ever notice how giving to others makes you feel so incredible about yourself?
^ . Guilt is a weird thing. All guilt does is hold us in the past reliving something we wish we could change. Not going to happen I'm afraid. Forgetting is a choice.The past is the past--I know you've heard this before but the more you hear it the more you may start to believe it. | high19779.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because he thinks it will be helpful for his music career."
},
"options": [
"Because he wants to live in the UK.",
"Because his record company asks him to.",
"Because he wants to sell his album in the UK.",
"Because he ... | In his lowest days when few people bought his records, Taiwan singer Steve Chou lived alone in Canada and did little. One day, he passed by a local CD store and heard a song that greatly attracted him.
"My heart tells me that music is the thing I truly want to do, not for fame or money," Chou said. That's how we luckily have such a music genius, who has since then composed lots of hits for the pop music charts .
"Sometimes we need to get close to nature to look deeply into our souls and see what we really want to follow," he said.
Recently he has made public his latest work Lovers Genesis. In this album he explores human relationships in the Internet age."Technology itself is a good thing, but it depends on how you're going to use it,"is Chou's advice to teenagers.
Chou often gets his music ideas from trips. He has traveled to many places around the world and believes that learning a country's language is the fastest way of experiencing the culture behind it.
Chou has worked hard on learning English to push forward his music career. He has flown to the UK to attend months-long English training schools three times. There he lives with local families and practices daily conversations.
"So I could easily read the English instructions on recording machines and communicate with the local music producers," said Chou, "The music reviews of the US or British singers that I appreciate could help me learn and grow with them." | high3662.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "His easy-broken bone disease affected him."
},
"options": [
"His easy-broken bone disease affected him.",
"His parents also had the same disease.",
"His poor family couldn't provide him with rich food.",
"An unexpected ... | Born with easy-broken bone disease, Zhang Yonghong is only half a meter tall and must use a wheelchair. His thin arms and legs can hardly support any weight, and he is unable to take care of himself. However, his hands are able to produce fine paper-cuts, which will free his daughter from the same disease.
To support himself, he learned how to make paper-cut art from his mother. He sold his artwork and taught his techniques in Xi'an for eight years before discovering his young daughter _ the disease from him, leading Zhang to move his family to Beijing for his daughter's better treatment five years ago.
The daughter's treatment costs about 30,000 yuan a year. The family's savings was used up in two years, and Zhang was forced to start to sell his work in underground passages with his healthy wife, who soon left him because of the hard life.
With a little help from government, he was lucky to meet some kindhearted people in Beijing. A Hong Kong businessman gave 60,000 yuan to him last year to treat the girl and start a small shop on Qiangulouyuan, which is known as a famous hutong that attracts lots of tourists over holidays. Zhang Rui, a university graduate, spends most of her time helping Zhang sell the paper-cuts, translating the stories of the paper-cuts into English and selling the works on the roadside of Nanluoguxiang.
However, the artist still lives beyond his income and struggles to continue his small business. "Selling paper-cuts is his only source of income. Without this, he can't support the family and treat his daughter," says Zhang Rui, who hopes more people will help Zhang. | high8737.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a series of TV programmes for children"
},
"options": [
"different science fiction films shown each day",
"a series of TV programmes for parents",
"a series of TV programmes for children",
"different children's films sh... | Tuesday
October 23 11:00 am
World Tree Day; World Tree Cuisine
For World Tree Day, Snook gives out badges to everyone who is nice to the tree, but Bob can't think of what to do -until he comes up with a song.Also: Madge and Snook plan a party to celebrate the World Tree's birthday.
Wednesday
October 21 11:00am
The Sloth Must Be Crazy; Smarter than You Think
Bob investigates a shiny green object that fell from the sky, and, with Madge's help, figures out what it is. Also: Winslow fears that everyone else is smarter than he is.
Thursday
October 22 11:00 am
Fish out of Water; Burdette's Nest
Bob fears that Ick is stuck inside a rock, but soon learns that the rock is a fossil; Smooch and Snook help patch Burdette's nest.
Friday
October 23 11:00 am
Bones; Food and Plenty of It
After Winslow injures his arm, he refuses to slow down and winds up hurting his leg too.Also: Burdette is upset when the nuts on her favorite tree disappear.
Thursday
November 5 11:00 am
The Sting; Growing
Wartz's frog friend Greenie is frightened by Stripey the bee; Madge and Snook think about everything that's occurred at the World Tree during the past year.
Friday
November 6 11:00 am
The Big Race; You Are What You Are
Winslow, Smooch and Snook organize a relay race for all the animals of the World Tree.Also: Wartz wonders if fish and plants are related since they both need water to survive. | high15143.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "give their children little time to develop freely"
},
"options": [
"treat their children as sports players",
"pay no attention to their children's lessons",
"bring up their children in a simple way",
"give their childre... | LONDON -- Life for Cathy Hagner and her three children is set to permanent fast-forward.
Their full school day and her job as a lawyer's assistant are busy enough. But Hanger also has to take the two boys to soccer or hockey or basketball while dropping off her daughter at piano lessons or Girl Scout Club.
Often, the exhausted family doesn't get home until 7 pm. There is just time for a quick supper before homework. In today's world, middle-class American and British parents treat their children as if they are competitors racing for some finishing line.
Parents take their children from activity to activity in order to make their future bright. It seems that raising a genius has become a more important goal than raising a happy and well-balanced child.
"Doctors across the country are reporting a growing number of children suffering from stomachaches and headaches due to exhaustion and stress," says child expert William Doherty of the University of Minnesota.
Teachers are dealing with exhausted kids in the classroom. It's a very serious problem. Many children attend after-school clubs by necessity. But competitive pressures also create an explosion of activities. They include sports, language, music and math classes for children as young as four.
"There is a new parenting trend under way which says that you have to tap all your child's potential at a young age; otherwise you will let him down," says Terry Apter, a Cambridge-based child and adolescent psychiatrist .
"It isn't entirely new: there have always been pushy parents. But what was previously seen as strange behaviour is now well accepted." | high7404.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "as important as \"reading between the lines\""
},
"options": [
"the most important of all",
"more important than \"reading between the lines\"",
"as important as \"reading between the lines\"",
"not so important as \"re... | You know you have to read "between the lines" to get the most out of anything. I want to persuade you to do something equally important in the course of your reading. You have to "mark between the lines". By marking you can make the most efficient kind of reading.
There are two ways in which one can own a book. The first is the property right you have by paying for it, just as you pay for clothes and furniture. While full ownership comes only when you have made it a part of yourself and the best way to make yourself a part of it is by writing marks on it.
Why is marking up a book _ to reading? First, it keeps you awake. Second, active reading is thinking, and thinking tends to express itself in words. Finally, marking helps you remember the thoughts you had, or the thoughts the author expressed.
Reading a book should be like making a conversation, a conversation between you and the author. Although he knows more about the subject than you do, don't let anybody tell you that a reader is only on the receiving end. Understanding is a two-way operation. Reading doesn't mean being a passive empty receiver, the reader has to question himself and question the author. And marking a book can show his own judgment on author's opinion: agreement or difference. | high9429.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "helped students be more focused in class"
},
"options": [
"helped students be more focused in class",
"draw students to reading classic novels",
"make students less worried in English class",
"encourage students to red ... | In a growing number of English classes, teachers are leaving the classic novels on the shelf and letting students select the books they read. Supporters say that the new approach, called reader's workshop, helps develop a love for reading in students who are bored by classic literature. They argue that the best way to motivate students to read more is to offer them more choices.
_ , however. They worry that students who choose trendy, less challenging titles over the classics won't be exposed to the great writing and key themes of important works of literature.Student reporters Donald and Sarah express their ideas about this new approach.
Donald thinks that we should turn the page. Students should be allowed to select the books they read in English class. He says he and his classmates are allowed to pick their own books in class. That makes them more focused, and they look forward to class time. Tristin, a classmate of his at Clinton Middle School agrees. "I'm reading books that I want to read, which makes class more fun and interesting," he says. Offering students a choice may also improve test scores. Studies by Professor John Guthrie of the University of Maryland found that students in grades 4 through 6 who had some choices in the books they read showed improved reading comprehension skills during testing. Giving students the chance to decide what they read helps build a lifelong love for reading. Isn't that what we want for our students?
Sarah holds a different view. She thinks teachers know more about books than students do. When an English teacher assigns a book, he or she keeps in mind the reading level of most students in the class. Students who choose their own books might be cheating themselves by picking books that are not up to their reading level or that are too difficult. Furthermore, a whole class can discuss a book it reads together. That makes it easier for some kids to understand what they are reading. "The students wouldn't be able to hold a meaningful conversation if they were all reading different books," says Kristin, an English teacher at Fleetwood Area Middle School. "If they read the same book, their conversations would be more in-depth." | high1075.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "We may be able .to visit some scenic spots at a fairly low price."
},
"options": [
"We can enjoy all of the attractions of the county by bus.",
"Day Ranger tickets~offer us unlimited bus travel across the county every day.",
... | The local bus network gives access to most of the attractions of Nottinghamshire,making it easy for you to enjoy all that the county has to offer.
Why not let Nottinghamshire's buses provide you with a cheep,convenient and safe way of enjoying a day out. they even take away the worry of stopping for lunch, having a drink and then deciding who's going to drive home.
Special Sunday ticket saves you money.
Nottinghamshire County Council's Day Ranger tickets give you unlimited travel on buses right across the county every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday and will entitle(...)you to discounts at several visitor attractions.This means that you can save money by traveling by bus.Prices are currently:
Adults PS5.00
Children&Concessions PS2.50
Family ticket PS9.00
(2 adults&up to 3 children)
Simply buy your ticket on the first bus you board on a Sunday and then travel wherever you want in Nottinghamshire for the rest of the day.
Finding out about getting around the county couldn't be easier.Information on bus service is widely available at:
. Bus stations
. Libraries
. County contact points
.Tourist information centers.
You can also visit our web site at:www.Nottinghamshire.gov.uk/buses There is extensive information on bus travel and the attractions of the county. We also provide a journey planner and access to timetables for all the bus services operating in the county. There are links to the individual bus operators for further information on fares and special offers.
Traveline
Public transport info
0870 608 2 608
www. traveline.org.uk | high22937.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "his church songs helped his development in his singing"
},
"options": [
"Elvis forgot his church music at a later age",
"his church songs helped his development in his singing",
"Elvis didn't get any help from his parents in ... | One of the most popular American singers of the twentieth century was Elvis Presley. He made the Rock & Roll music popular around the world. He sold millions of records and made many successful films, and he helped change the direction of popular music in the 1960s.
Elvis Presley was born in a poor family in 1935. His parents were simple country people who often took him to church, where he learned to sing and he never forgot the kind of songs that he used to sing in church as a child.
When he was a teenager, Elvis moved from Tupelos to Memphis in Tennessee, where he attended high school, but he was not a good student. His only real interest was singing. He began to sing in the style that is called "country and western".
In 1955 he recorded some songs for his mother's birthday. The people at the recording studio liked his singing and his music. There was something different about it. It was country and western music, but it also sounded a little like the music, which black people used to sing in the American South, music known as "blues".
Shortly after that, Elvis met Tom Parker, who became his manager and arranged concerts for him across the United States and new recordings as well. Soon Elvis rose to fame all over the country. Later, Elvis went to Hollywood and began to appear in films like Love Me Tender and King Creole.
But Elvis found it hard to live with success, like many other entertainment personalities .He began to take drugs and his health began to suffer. When he died at an early age of 42 in 1977, his many millions of fans were shocked. "The King Is Dead!" the newspaper said. But today his memory and his music live on and he will always be remembered as the King of Rock & Roll. | high13532.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She was in great danger."
},
"options": [
"She was driven to St.Mary's shop.",
"A doctor came to see her in her house.",
"She was very thin and couldn't speak.",
"She was in great danger."
],
"question": "What d... | Like any good mother,when Karen found out that another baby was on the way,she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son,Michael,prepare for a new baby.They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl,and day after day,night after night,Michael sings to his sister in Mommy's stomach.
Finally,Michael's little sister is born.But she is in serious condition.With alarm in the night,the ambulance rushes _ to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital,Knoxville,Tennessee.The days go by.The little girl gets worse.The pediatric specialist tells the parents,"There is very little hope.Be prepared for the worst."
Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot.They have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby,but now they plan a funeral.Michael,keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister,"I want to sing to her,"he says.
Karen makes up her mind.She will take Michael whether they like it or not.If he doesn't see his sister now,he may never see her alive.
She dresses him in an oversized suit and marches him into ICU.He looks like a walking laundry basket,but the head nurse recognizes him as a child and shouts,"Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed.Never disturb patients here."The mother rises up strongly and said,"He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!"
Karen leads Michael to his sister's bedside.He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live.And he begins to sing.In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old,Michael sings:"You are my sunshine,my only sunshine,you make me happy when skies are gray..."Instantly the baby girl responds.The pulse rate becomes calm and steady.
The next day,the very next day,the little girl is well enough to go home! Woman's Day magazine called it"the miracle of a brother's song."The medical staff just called it a miracle.Karen called it a miracle of God's love!
Never give up on the people you love. | high287.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "loses his clothes in Mr. McGregor's garden"
},
"options": [
"is caught by Mr. McGregor's cat",
"gathers onions to give to his mother",
"runs into a scarecrow when escaping",
"loses his clothes in Mr. McGregor's garden"
... | Peter Rabbit is a character in various children's stories written by Beatrix Potter(1866-1943). Peter Rabbit made his first appearance in 1902 in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Peter doesn't obey his mother's orders and goes away. Mr.McGregor spots him and runs after him. Peter manages to escape, but not before losing his jacket and shoes, which Mr.McGregor uses to dress a scarecrow . Peter returns home tired and ill.
In the Tale of Benjamin Bunny, first published in 1904, Peter's cousin Benjamin Bunny brings him back to Mr.McGregor's garden and they get back the clothes Peter lost in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. But after they gather onions to give to Peter's mother, they are caught by Mr.McGregor's cat. Benjamin's father arrives and rescues them, but also blames Peter and Benjamin for going into the garden. In this tale, Peter displays fear about returning to the garden.
In the The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, first published in 1909, Peter has a small role and appears only briefly. He is grown up and his sister Flopsy is now married to Benjamin Bunny. The two are the parents of six little Flopsy-Bunnies. Peter and his mother keep a nursery garden and the bunnies come by asking him for spare cabbage.
In the Tale of Mr. Tod, first published in 1912, Benjamin and Flopsy's children are taken away by Tommy Brock. Peter helps Benjamin run after Brock, who hides out in the house of the fox Mr. Tod. Mr. Tod finds Brock sleeping in his bed and as _ get into a fight, Peter rescues the children.
Peter makes cameo appearances in two other tales. In The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, first published in 1905, Peter and Benjamin are customers of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a hedgehog washerwoman. In The Tale of Ginger and Pickles, first published in 1909, Peter and other characters from Potter's previous stories make cameo appearances. | high1713.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "\"female\" facial features"
},
"options": [
"a strong chin",
"\"female\" facial features",
"low eyebrows",
"obvious cheekbones"
],
"question": "Miss Green wants to find a pet shop for her dog while she is on hol... | The truth was written all over her face. The eyes are the window to the soul. From those sayings, you would think that we could read faces. In fact, people tend to overestimate their ability to do it.
Most of us can't distinguish between certain expressions without contextual clues. In one study, participants were unable to tell whether faces in photos were showing pain or pleasure about a quarter of the time. In another, when people watched silent videos of the same person experiencing pain and faking pain, they couldn't tell which was which.
And yet, as bad as we are at reading expressions, we jump to all kinds of conclusions based on people's faces. We might scoff at the ancient physiognomy--assessing character on the basis of facial feature--but we unknowingly practice it daily. Recent research shows that while there's practically no evidence that faces reveal character, we nonetheless behave as if certain features signal certain traits. People with typically "female" facial features seem more trustworthy; those with lower eyebrows appear more controlling. In another study, people were ready to decide whether an unfamiliar face should be trusted after looking at it for just 200 milliseconds. Even when given a chance to look longer, they rarely changed their mind.
Such judgments can defy logic. Subjects playing a trust game invested more money with a player who had a trustworthy face than with one who didn't--even when the two players had the same fame. Another study reported that judges needed less evidence to sentence a person with an untrustworthy face. And a researcher focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict found that a Palestinian peace offering was more likely to be accepted by Jewish Israeli if it was attributed to a politician with "babyfacedness".
Which brings us to a contradiction. A person's face may not reflect her nature, and yet research finds that specific facial features do seem to influence futures. U.S. Army War College graduates with controlling-looking faces are more likely than their peers to become generals; people with obvious cheekbones, appearing strong and competent, are more likely to become CEOs of successful companies. This makes a certain sense. If everyone assumes strong-chinned Daniel is an ambitious person, he's more likely to become one. Perhaps by treating others as though their face reveals their character, we motivate them to become the people we assume them to be. | high13254.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It contributes to their self-study."
},
"options": [
"It contributes to their self-study.",
"It trains teachers for them.",
"It helps raise their living standards.",
"It provides funds for building schools."
],
... | The kids in this village wear dirty, ragged clothes. They sleep beside cows and sheep in huts made of sticks and mud. They have no school. Yet they all can chant the English alphabet, and some can make words.
The key to their success: 20 tablet computers dropped off in their Ethiopian village in February by a U.S. group called One Laptop Per Child.
The goal is to find out whether kids using today's new technology can teach themselves to read in places where no schools or teachers exist. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers analyzing the project data say they're already amazed. "What I think has already happened is that the kids have already learned more than they would have in one year of kindergarten," said Matt Keller, who runs the Ethiopia program.
The fastest learner--and the first to turn on one of the tablets--is 8-year-old Kelbesa Negusse. The device's camera was disabled to save memory, yet within weeks Kelbesa had figured out its workings and made the camera work. He called himself a lion, a marker of accomplishment in Ethiopia.
With his tablet, Kelbasa rearranged the letters HSROE into one of the many English animal names he knows. Then he spelled words on his own. "Seven months ago he didn't know any English. That's unbelievable," said Keller.
The project aims to get kids to a stage called "deep reading," where they can read to learn. It won't be in Amharic, Ethiopia's first language, but in English, which is widely seen as the ticket to higher paying jobs. | high8051.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "traveling on vacation"
},
"options": [
"traveling on vacation",
"exploring in the forests",
"buying a Mother's Day gift",
"learning geography in class"
],
"question": "The things mentioned in the passage are of ... | Whether you're flying off to distant beaches or piling into the car for a weekend vacation, nurture a love of new places in your child this travel season. There are some wonderful products and media available to help your kids get fired up about geography.
For the youngest ones, don't miss the adorable Hugg-A- Planet, Earth (peacetoys.com, $19.95). It's a soft, stuffed globe that's covered with a color1ful map of Earth. Kids will eye it like a treasure, toss it like a ball and hug it like a friend.
For toddlers, the nifty puzzle My Town A-B-C (Great American Puzzle Factory, ages 3 and up; $12) helps teach the concept of place as it illustrates the relationship of one location to another. Also worth looking at for younger kids is the very cool CD-ROM Tonka Town (Atari, ages 3-6; $19.99), which lets children steer their favorite giant trucks down some adventurous paths.
For the older kids, probably nothing beats Handling the Actual Map (ages 8-15; $12.95) that your family's using to get to your vacation destination. Whether you are traveling by car, bus, train or plane, show the kids how to follow your route. Ask them to narrate the trip.
During your journey, consider weaving in a history lesson or two. Discuss how the famous explorers used maps to chart their journeys. An excellent book is The Lewis & Clark Expedition (Williamson Publishing, ages 9-12; $12.95), which shows how the Corps of Discovery bravely pushed westward.
Love music and want to work it into your vacation in a meaningful, catchy way? Sample the delightful video States and Capitals Songs (Educational Insights, ages 7 and up; $14.95).
Or, if you want lots of laughs as you travel (and who wouldn't?), try Scrambled States of America (Gamewright, ages 8 and up; $11.99). It's a fun game of observation and fast reflexes that sets players scrambling to find. | high22089.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Narcissus was good-looking."
},
"options": [
"Narcissus was good-looking.",
"Echo was a lively spirit",
"Narcissus loved her, too.",
"Echo took pity on Narcissus"
],
"question": "Echo fell in love with Narcissus... | Narcissus was a beautiful looking boy. He had long, flowing, blond hair, beautiful, bright, blue eyes and even, white teeth. Many young ladies fell in love with him including the nymph : Echo.
Nymphs were lively spirits who lived near streams and lakes and protected trees in the forest. Echo had upset the Queen of the Gods; Hera. As a punishment Hera made Echo unable to speak except to repeat the last three words of the person she was talking to.
Poor Echo fell in love with Narcissus but could never tell him how she felt. Narcissus teased her and she ran away with tears pouring down her face. Aphrodite, the goddess of love saw what happened and decided to punish Narcissus. As he came to a pool of water Narcissus saw his reflection and fell in love with the vision he saw. It was of course his own reflection.
Poor Narcissus watched his own reflection, every time he tried to touch the face of the vision he loved it broke up on the shimmering surface of the water. Narcissus stopped eating, lost his beautiful looks and desired to get his love. In the end he anguished gradually and died.
Aphrodite took pity on him and made a flower grow in his place on the bank of the lake. Narcissus flowers can be found to this day growing wherever you can find water and trees. | high7362.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "can understand you"
},
"options": [
"knows everything",
"likes to talk with you",
"can read your diary",
"can understand you"
],
"question": "In Anne's opinion, the best friend is one who _ .",
"question_t... | Do you want to have a friend whom you could tell everything to, like your deepest feelings and thoughts? Or are you afraid that your friend would laugh at you, or just can't understand what you are going through?
Anne Frank chose the first kind. She lived in Amsterdam during World War II. Her family was Jewish so they had to hide, or they would be caught by the German soldiers. She and her family hid away for two years before they were discovered. During this time the only true friend was her diary, which she called Kitty.
In a diary dated on Thursday 15 June, 1944, she wrote, "Dear Kitty, I wonder if it's because I haven't been able to be outdoors for so long that I've grown so mad about everything to do with nature. I can well remember that there was a time when a blue sky, the song of the birds, moonlight and flowers could never have kept me puzzled. That's changed since I was here for a year and a half." | high11443.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Nervous."
},
"options": [
"Angry.",
"Calm.",
"Nervous.",
"Excited."
],
"question": "How did Percival feel during his meeting with Laura?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | At exactly eleven Sir Percival knocked and entered, with anxiety and worry in every line of his face. This meeting would decide his future life, and he obviously knew it.
"You may wonder, Sir Percival," said Laura calmly, "if I am going to ask to be released from ray promise to marry you. I am not going to ask this. I respect my father's wishes too much. "
His face relaxed a little, but one of his feet kept beating the carpet.
"No, if we are going to withdraw. from our planned marriage, it will be because of your wish, not mine. "
"Mine?" he said in great surprise. "What reason could I have for withdrawing?"
"A reason that is very hard to tell you," she answered. "There is a change in me. "
His face went so pale that even his lips lost their color1. He turned his head to one side.
"What change?" he asked, trying to appear calm.
" When the promise was made two years ago", she said, " my love did not belong to anyone. Will you forgive me, Sir Percival, if I tell you that it now belongs to another person?"
"I wish you to understand", Laura continued, "that I will never see this person again, and that if you leave me, you only allow me to remain a single woman for the rest of my life. All I ask is that you forgive me and keep my secret."
"I will do both those things, " he said. Then he looked at Laura, as if he was waiting to hear more.
"I think I have said enough to give you reason to withdraw from our marriage,',she added quietly.
"No. You have said enough to make it the est wish of my life to marry you, " he said. | high20846.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "become a brother like Paul's"
},
"options": [
"have a brother like Paul's",
"get a present from his brother",
"become a brother like Paul's",
"take a ride in his automobile"
],
"question": "The naughty street bo... | A fried of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a naughty street boy was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked..
Paul nodded, "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was surprised. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything? I wish..." He hesitated .
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said made Paul think all the way.
"I wish ," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."
Paul looked at the boy in surprise, adding, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"
"Yes, I'd love that." After a short ride, the boy turned and said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?"
Paul smiled, He thought he knew what the boy wanted. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.
He ran up the steps. Then in a while Paul heard him coming back, but he didn't come fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He pointed to the car and said, "There it is, Buddy, just like I told you up stairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas. And some day I'm going to give one just like it and then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying tell you about. "
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what "It is more blessed to give" means. | high3104.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The ability to obtain and apply knowledge."
},
"options": [
"Knowledge we obtained in the past.",
"Computer skill.",
"The ability to obtain and apply knowledge.",
"Foreign language."
],
"question": "What is the ... | During the last century we have moved from the Industrial Age through the Information Age to the Knowledge Age. The ability to obtain and apply the right knowledge effectively will become a key skill in the next century. Our ability will no longer be judged only by knowledge gained in the past, but will also be measured by our ability to learn and adapt in the future.
Learning isn't just about economic success, however. It is the key to achieving our full potential(,). Human beings are particularly adapted to learn and we have the ability to do so throughout our lives.
Learning has the power to change us. Specifically, we can become more successful. Learning can enable us to solve problems and change our attitudes. It makes us more interesting to be with. It can be enormous fun. It can also be very challenging.
We all have the ability, at any age, to change our lives through learning. Our survival in the twenty-first century as individuals, organizations and nations, will depend on our ability to learn. A learning population is healthier, more tolerant(,), independent and fulfilled. Learning can take place in a range of styles: anytime, anywhere, anyhow.
None of us learn in isolation(,). There are a whole range of factors that can affect us in learning. The key factors affecting people's learning include: *their resources *their image of learning *the rewards associated with any learning activity *the availability of information about learning opportunities *the climate created by government and employers in which learning takes place | high10985.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It 's a pity."
},
"options": [
"It's surprising.",
"It's disappointing.",
"It 's a pity.",
"It's acceptable."
],
"question": "What does the author think of Mr. Miyazaki's retirement?",
"question_type": null
... | The news hit the Venice Film Festival unexpectedly: Hayao Miyazaki, the world's most honored creator of animated features, was ending his movie career.
Koji Hoshino, who is the president of Mr. Miyazaki's production company, made the announcement at the film festival, where Mr. Miyazaki's latest work, The Wind Rises, was shown. "Miyazaki has decided that The Wind Rises will be his last film, and he will now retire," said Mr. Hoshino. The language of the announcement is believed to have left the door open for Mr. Miyazaki to work on shorter projects.
Mr. Miyazaki's latest work has been met with some controversy in Japan and in Republic of Korea. The Wind Rises is a fictional account on the life of JiroHorikoshi, the engineer who designed the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, a fighter plane used in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Some Japanese conservatives have criticized Mr. Miyazaki for the film's antiwar attitude, while some Internet users in Republic of Korea have accused him of romanticizing the inventor of a plane that became a symbol for the Japanese military during World War II.
The controversy, however, doesn't change the fact that Mr. Miyazaki is one of the most famous figures in animated filmmaking.
The72-year-old has directed 11animated features over 34 years, including the international hits My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle.
In the age of digital animation, Mr. Miyazaki has remained faithful to the hand-drawn technique. His movies, known for their entertaining plots, convincing characters and wonderful animation, won him critical praise as well as public recognition. In 2003, Mr. Miyazaki won an Oscar for best animated feature for Spirited Away, and he was awarded a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2005.
It's doubtless a shame if animation lovers will really see no more new works from the legend. May his announced retirement be a brief, dark impulse . May he go on attracting movie fans for years to come. | high18301.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "share his experience"
},
"options": [
"share his experience",
"show his generosity",
"express his thoughts",
"exchange his opinions"
],
"question": "The writer's purpose in writing the passage is to _ .",
... | Last Friday, I was coming home late after spending time with friends and thought I'd go down to the $99 cent pizza place. On the way, I saw a man sitting on the stairs alone there. I'd seen him before every day I run late to work, but this time I had no place to rush off to.
There was something about him, a quiet manner, different from many of other homeless people I had seen in New York City. I walked past him, went to the pizza place, and those 10 seconds waiting in line was enough to practice stepping outside of my usual, familiar flow. So with a few slices in hand, I went back to join him. I asked him if he was hungry. He said yes, but not for pizza because it made him uncomfortable. He'd rather have a few bucks for chicken and rice since it was easier on his stomach. It's funny, in that moment, he became more real to me.
This man I had seen almost every day was someone with specific conditions, needs, and experiences. We exchanged names and ended up talking for a little over an hour that night as Kevin told me stories from his life, how he had done things when "he was younger and didn't know any better" and how he tried to make amends but too much time had passed. He shared his views on the value for young adults to learn the history of other people.
He talked about his one wish being in his 60's before he leaves this earth, which is to share his story with the teenagers and young adults so they could avoid the mistakes he went through. Throughout the conversation, he eventually got his chicken and rice and gifted me a rose he had been carrying. Shortly afterwards, I made my way home, thinking to myself, "I met an amazing homeless person". | high5575.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "accidents that affected many living things"
},
"options": [
"accidents that affected many living things",
"air pollution",
"water pollution",
"what people are doing to prevent environmental disasters"
],
"questi... | Accidents happen, but when they destroy the delicate balance of nature and cause the whole world to suffer, they become disasters, and we should do all we can to prevent them from happening again.
Bhopal chemical leak, December 1984, Bhopal, India
An explosion in the Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, India, released a deadly gas called methyl isocyanate , which is used to make pesticides. The gas formed a cloud that killed 2500 people; another 50000- 100000 people became ill. Trees and plants in the area became yellow and brittle. The explosion was caused by a mechanical failure that was not noticed in time to stop it.
Exxon Valdez oil spill, March 1989, Alaska, U.S.
On March 24, 1989, 11 million gallons of crude oil spilled into Prince William Sound from the tanker Exxon Valdez when its hull hit a reef and tore open. The oil, which is not yet cleaned up after billions of dollars have been spent and the millions of birds, fish, and other wildlife have died, was caused by human error and could have been avoided.
Chernobyl, April 1986, USSR
At 1:23 A.M. on Saturday, April 26, 1986, the reactor blew at nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, ripping open the core, blowing the roof off the building, starting more than 30 fires, and allowing radioactive material to leak into the air. Some 31 people were killed and 200 people were treated for radiation poisoning. Still at risk are 135000 people from the 179 villages within 20 miles, of the plant who were exposed to the radiation before being evacuated. Glaring violations of safety rules were at the bottom of this tragic event.
Love Canal, 1953, New York, U.S.
Love Canal, a small town in upstate New York near Niagara Falls, was destroyed by waste from chemical plants. Beginning in 1947, chemical companies could legally dump their waste products into the canal. The area developed a foul smell, trees lost their bark, and leaves fell throughout the year. A health survey found that the drinking water contained excessive levels of 82 industrial chemicals, 7 of which were thought to cause cancer. The people of Love Canal had an unusually high rate of cancer and birth defects. Eventually, many of the houses had to be abandoned. Today, the town has been partly cleaned up and some families have moved back to the area.
Three Mile Island, 1979, Pennsylvania, U.S.
On March 28, 1979, the worst accident in U.S. nuclear reactor history occurred at the Three Mile Island power station, near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. No one was killed, and very little radioactivity was released into the air when coolant (the fluid that keeps a machine cool) escaped from the reactor core due to a combination of mechanical failure and human error. After 10 years and $ 1 billion in cleanup costs, the lower extremes of the reactor are still so radioactive that workers must use remote - control equipment to remove the remaining fragment of fuel core. | high11457.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because they want to get a more stable job."
},
"options": [
"Because doctors are highly respected in Korea.",
"Because they want to get a more stable job.",
"Because medicine is easier to learn than other subjects.",
"... | A growing number of college students are applying to take entry tests for medical and dental schools among increasing graduate unemployment in Korea.
"I've decided to apply for the test to enter a medical college to become a doctor, changing from my original plan to prepare for a lawyer qualification exam in order to get a more stable job in the future," said a 24-year-old college graduate, Lee, who majored in business administration during his undergraduate schooling.
The new medical and dental school system is getting popularity, attracting an increasing number of students every year since its appearance in 2004, as it is open to all college graduates regardless of their previous majors.
The Education Development introduced the new medical and dental education system, in which college students with bachelor's degrees are allowed to study medicine or dentistry by taking the Medical Education Test (MET) and Dental Education Test (DET).
Ten medical schools and six dental colleges that have used the new system have received 4,377 applications for the entrance exams.
Applicants are getting younger compared with those in their 20s representing 76.9 percent of the total. The tests might be easier for students with biology and chemistry majors, but graduates from other majors are also applying for the tests.
Under the existing medical and dental education system, students should take a two-year premedical course followed by a four-year medical course.
Students graduating under the new medical or dental education system are given master's degrees, while those graduates who studied under the previous system have bachelor's degrees. | high3110.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a matter of life or death"
},
"options": [
"a minor thing",
"a matter of life or death",
"the small stuff",
"a great chance"
],
"question": "People without patience will treat the challenge as _ .",
"quest... | The quality of patience goes a long way toward your goal of creating a more peaceful and loving self. The more patient you are, the more accepting you will be of what life is, rather than insisting that life be exactly as you would like it to be. Without patience, life is extremely frustrating. You are easily annoyed, bothered, and irritated. Patience adds a dimension of ease and acceptance to your life. It's essential for inner peace. Becoming more patient involves opening your heart to the present moment, even if you don't like it. If you are stuck in a traffic jam, late for an appointment, being patient would mean keeping yourself from building a mental snowball before your thinking get out of hand and gently reminding yourself to relax. It might also be a good time to breathe as well as an opportunity to remind yourself that, in the bigger scheme of things, being late is "small stuff".
Patience is a quality of heart that can be greatly enhanced with deliberate practice. An effective way that I have found to deepen my own patience is to create actual practice periods--periods of time that I set up in my mind to practice the art of patience. Life itself becomes a classroom, and the curriculum is patience. You can start with as little as five minutes and build up your capacity for patience over time. What you'll discover is truly amazing. Your intention to be patient, especially if you know it's only for a short while, immediately strengthens your capacity for patience. Patience is one of those special qualities where success feeds on itself. Once you reach little milestone --five minutes of successful patience--you'll begin to see that you do indeed have the capacity to be patient, even for longer periods of time. Over time, you may even become a patient person.
Being patient will help you to keep your perspective. You'll see even a difficult situation, say your present challenge, isn't "life or death" but simply a minor obstacle that must be dealt with. Without patience, the same scenario can become a major emergency complete with yelling, frustration, hurt feelings, and high blood pressure. | high20852.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Willapark Manor Hotel."
},
"options": [
"Boscastle.",
"The Bay Hotel.",
"Willapark Manor Hotel.",
"S W France."
],
"question": "60. If you want to take your children and pets with you on holiday, you can choose ... | Holiday
The Bay Hotel
It is a quiet, comfortable hotel overlooking the bay in an uncommerciallised Cornish fishing village on England's most southerly point. If pop music is no longer your strong point, and you are considering a relaxing holiday where the scenery is break taking and sound of the sea is live music to your ears, come and stay with us. For adults only. Sssh! Don't tell everyone! 01326 280464
Willapark Manor Hotel.
Peaceful situation in 14 acres of separated gardens and woodlands, overlooking picturesque bay. Close to coastal path and beach. Excellent cuisine. Our excellent service bring our guests back year after year. Children and pets welcome. 01840 770782
The Country Garden Hotel.
Delightful hotel set in lovely gardens; calm Island of Wight near Tennyson Downs, Great food! Garden, sea view and ground floor rooms. Please call for brochure and sample menu. Adults only and pets welcome. 0800 980 1943.
Boscastle.
Romantic 17
Century farmers's cottage in countryside with splendid coastal views. Well equipped. Sleeps 5. Regret no pets/ smoking. Garden with furniture. Brochure: 01633 450417 Godshill. 4 stars self---served units. Nonsmoking. Cosy. No pets. Brochure: 01983 840371
The Blakeney Hotel. Special seasonal midweek price for aged citizen.
Overlooking harbor traditional privately owned friendly hotel with 60 bedrooms, lift, heated indoor pool, spa bath and saunas. Relax, walk, sail, play golf, explore the Norfolk villages, countryside and coast. Special seasonal midweek price for aged citizen. 01263 7407 97
S W France.
Rural setting near Corders. Two beautifully repainted old houses, sleep 4/5 and 5. Gardens,woodland, pool, views, excellent walks. Available all year round. Outstanding 01962 776967 | high16338.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She enjoys staying with him while working."
},
"options": [
"He can help pick more tomatoes.",
"He can learn the hardship of labor.",
"She enjoys staying with him while working.",
"She tries to share the happiness of ha... | Picking tomatoes
For as long as I can remember,Grandma's plentiful tomato garden has been a sign of summer's end.Each September,just as the decreased heat of the sun suggests cooler days,Grandma requests my help in her tomato garden.She convinces me she cannot pick tomatoes without my youthful eyes and quick mind.She says we need to examine each tomato and agree on its readiness for picking.While Grandma's request for my help in the tomato garden is always the same,her desire for my help seems to increase each year.
Grandma has eyes for finding even the tomatoes hidden by undergrowth and other tomatoes.I,however,just turn circles looking for the ones I think Grandma will like.I spot what looks like a ripe tomato,head in its direction,and then get sidetracked by another that appears to be equally ripe.I usually end up watching Grandma and trying to stay out of her way,which seems the only way my eyes and mind are useful.
There we are,lost in the tomato vines .Grandma's eyes are always knowing,and they are no different in the vegetable garden.From afar she spots what looks like a ripe tomato.As she walks toward the garden,she evaluates the tomato for a second time,but from a different angle.I already know it will end up in the basket with the pile of others Grandma has carefully chosen.However,Grandma acts as if she needs final look to be sure.She calls me to her side,kneels beside the vine while enjoying the warmth of the fading sunlight on her face,and grasps the tomato in her hand.She turns each round,red ball toward the sunlight before disconnecting it from the vine with a halfhearted smile.
She then looks at me.I nod my head and smile.Grandma assumes I smile in agreement with her tomato selection.I know I smile,instead,at her. | high21594.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because the doctor warned him of the danger of overwork."
},
"options": [
"Because he went crazy because of overwork.",
"Because he had to receive treatment in hospital.",
"Because his father asked him to.",
"Because th... | At 21,Ricardo Semler became boss of his father's business in Brazil,Semco,which sold parts for ships. Semler Junior worked like a mad man,from 7:30 am,until midnight every day. One afternoon,while touring a factory in New York,he broke down. The doctor who treated him said,"There's nothing wrong with you. But if you continue like this, you'll find a new home in our hospital. "Semler got the message. He changed the way he worked. In fact,he changed the ways his employees worked too.
He let his workers take more responsibility so that they would be the ones worrying when things went wrong. He allowed them to set their own salaries,and he cut all the jobs he thought were unnecessary,like receptionists and secretaries. This saved money and brought more equality to the company. "Everyone at Semco,even top managers,meets guests in reception,does the photocopying,sends faxes,types letters and dials the phone."
He completely reorganized the office:instead of walls,they have plants at Semco,so bosses can't shut themselves away from everyone else. And the workers are free to decorate their workspace as they want. As for uniforms,some people wear suits and others wear T-shirts.
Semco has flexible working hours:the employees decide when they need to arrive at work. Also,Semco lets its workers use the company's machines for their own projects,and makes them take holidays for at least thirty days a year.
It sounds perfect,but does it work? The answer is in the numbers:in the last six years,Semco's revenues have gone from $35 million to $212 million. The company has grown from eight hundred employees to 3,000. Why?
Semler says it's because of "peer pressure". Peer pressure makes employees work hard for everyone else. If someone isn't doing his job well,the other workers will not allow the situation to continue. In other words,Ricardo Semler treats his workers like adults rather than children, and expects them to act like responsible adults. And they do. | high5561.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "6848--5462"
},
"options": [
"6551--4787",
"6848--5462",
"8315--6170",
"6606--9999"
],
"question": "If you want to buy tickets for listening to the music \"Memory of Childhood\", you will dial _ .",
"quest... | Happy birthday
The China National Opera (CNO) will give a concert to celebrate its 50th birthday .
Different generations of CNO vocalists , like Li Guangxi , Yao Hong and Ma Mei , will present the concert which will feature both songs from famous Chinese operas like "The White-haired Girl" and "The Hundredth Bride", as well as , arias of such Western opera classics as "Madame Butterfly", "La Traviata" and "Rigoletto".
Time/ date : 7:30 pm , September 7, 8
Location : Tianqiao Theatre
Tel : 6551-4787, 8315-6170
Tickets : 60--500 yuan (US $7.2-- 60.2)
Folk music
A concert will be held to feature some recently composed traditional Chinese music works .
The concert , given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre , will include such pieces as "Memory of Childhood ", "Memorial Ceremony for God "and "Wine Song".
Time/date: 7:30pm, September 13
Location: Concert hall at the National Library of China
Tel: 6848 -5462, 6841-9220
Tickets: 30-200 yuan (US$3.6-24.1)
Moon music
A concert of traditional Chinese music will be given on the eve of the Moon Festival which falls on September 21st this year.
The concert will feature a number of famous pieces centered on the theme of the moon, such as "Moonlight", "Spring night on a Moonlit River" and "Lofty Mountain and Flowing River."
A number of established traditional Chinese music performers like Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, will play solos as well as collaborate with the folk music orchestra.
Time / date: 7:30 pm, September 21st
Location: Grand Theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities
Tel: 6606--8888, 6606--9999 | high17026.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Interesting hobbies"
},
"options": [
"Interesting hobbies",
"Wearing badges",
"Collecting stamps",
"Enjoying music"
],
"question": "Which of the following is the best title for the text?",
"question_type": n... | Different people like doing different things;different people have different hobbies. My brother is fond of collecting stamps. He has a very good collection and he is proud of it. His stamps can tell you about different people and different countries. My brother often says that his hobby is popular with people of all ages.
Collecting stamps is easy and interesting. It is great fun. You begin to learn many interesting facts about history and famous people when you start to collect stamps. At first people collect every kind of stamp. But soon they begin to make special collections. Sometimes they specialize in stamps of one subject only,for example,birds,animals,flowers or sports. Birds or sports,are your theme .This kind of collecting is called thematic. My brother's collection is thematic. His theme is fish. My best friend,Alice,is a collector too. She is fond of collecting badges .Her collection is also thematic. Her theme is sports. She keeps her badges on the wall. When you come into her room you can see _ all there.
My grandfather collected coins when he was a boy. Some people collect dolls. My uncle does. When he travels he always brings home dolls from different countries. Some people collect pictures,cups,toys,toy soldiers,books,pencils and many other things.
But collecting things is not the only hobby people have. Some people are fond of travelling or gardening. Very many boys and girls are fond of sport and that is their hobby. My aunt's hobby is taking pictures and my mother is fond of music. If you have one,what is your hobby? | high10749.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "came from a family without good background"
},
"options": [
"graduated from Anderson College",
"paid her first visit to the UK this time",
"was confident when she entered the college",
"came from a family without good b... | Despite being tall, Michelle Obama is much smaller than she appears on television. And she seemed a little short by her surroundings in the great hall of Christchurch College as she spoke quietly without a microphone because of a technical mistake. Her audience were 40 young girls from a London state school where 50 languages are spoken.
"I remember how well-meaning but misguided people questioned whether someone with my background could succeed at an elite university," she said. "When I was accepted, I had all kinds of worries and doubts. I wouldn't be as well prepared as students from privileged families and I wouldn't fit in. But you are just as capable and have just as much to offer as anyone else."
This was Mrs. Obama's only solo outing during the state visit and part two of an unusual relationship which she has struck up with Anderson College in Islington. Two years ago on her first visit to the UK she visited the school.
Yesterday she returned to meet the pupils but this time at Christchurch College where they were taking part in an open day run to improve Oxford's still poor record on diversifying student intake.
Mrs. Obama was asked why she married her husband, what it was like being First Lady and when there would be a female President in the White House. Her message--which she repeated time and again--was work hard, have self-belief, and don't be afraid to fail. _ Afterwards there were hugs for everyone and a photo with her.
And watching the group of multicultural young Britons surround her among the splendor of the college building one thought stood out. Had Mrs. Obama been born in Britain, she would almost certainly not have made it to Oxford as she did to Harvard. But now--thanks in part to her--some of these children just might. | high1707.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it was a local hospital excellent at treating burns"
},
"options": [
"it was the nearest hospital to her home",
"it was the only hospital curing her burns",
"surgeons there were skilled at performing skin grafts",
"it w... | Ammie was only 18 months old when she had an accident that scarred her for life. While her mother was away for a moment , the curious baby reached up to a hot kettle in the kitchen and poured boiling water all over her body.
An ambulance was called and rushed the baby to nearby hospital . About 20 percent of Ammie's body had been burned and all of her burns were third degree. The doctors could tell immediately that Ammie's best chance of survival was specialized burns unit some miles away at Glasgow Royal hospital.
There , using tissue taken from unburned areas of Ammie's body, surgeons performed complex skin grafts to close her wounds and control her injuries , an operation that took about six hours. Over the next 16 years, Ammie underwent 12 more operations to repair her body.
When she started school at the age of 4 , other pupils made cruel comments or simply wouldn't play with her . "I was the only burned child in the street , the class and the school," she recalls, "Some children refused to become friends with me because of that."
Today , age 17 , Ammie can only ever remember being a burned person with scars ; pain is a permanent part of her life, she is still awaiting two further operations. Yet she is a confident, outgoing teenager who offers inspiration and hope to other young burnt victims.
Ammie's parents have been a great support to her. "They told me of people had a problem with my burns, the problem with my burns, the problem was theirs not mine," says Ammie. "They taught me to cope with other people's reactions and constantly reminded me I was valued and loved." Ammie's positive attitude to life means she is often contacted by burns charities , helping younger patients build their self-respect to live with permanent scars.
Now she is a member the Scottish Burned Children's Club. "Ammie provides so much encouragement for the younger ones. She is optimistic and outgoing and a perfect role model for them , " say Donald Todd, chairman of the club.
This month , Ammie will join some younger children on a summer camp. "I'll show them how to _ unkind stares from others , " she says. Ammie loves wearing fashionable sleeveless tops , and she plans to show the children at the summer camp that they can too. "I don't go to great lengths to hide my scars , " she says . "I gave up wondering how other people would react years ago." | high293.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it is similar"
},
"options": [
"it is much cheaper than dry ice",
"it can be stored at any rooms",
"it can be sent into clouds by wind",
"it is similar"
],
"question": "Bernard chose silver iodide as a method of... | Cloud seeding is a method of artificially causing clouds to produce precipitation in the form of rain or snow.Cloud seeding has also been used in attempts to modify the severity of hail storms and hurricanes.The effectiveness of cloud seeding remains controversial .but it continues to be used in some regions to try to increase rainfall for agriculture and to build snow packs for water supplies and power production.
Cloud seeding was developed by American scientists Irving Langmuir and Vincent Joseph Schaefer during and after World War II.Their work began as an effort to learn more about the buildup of ice on airplane wings, and eventually led them to attempt to create rainfall by releasing several pounds of crushed frozen carbon dioxide into a cloud from an airplane.In this form, the carbon dioxide is called dry ice.On November 13, 1946, the technique appeared to produce snow directly under the cloud; the snow then turned to rain as it fell to the ground.
For their experiment, Langmuir and Schaefer selected a supercooled cloud, one in which the water droplets remain liquid in subfreezing temperatures.Their theory was that small grains of dry ice falling through the cloud would cause tiny droplets of water vapor in the cloud to freeze into crystals that attracted more water vapor.Their theory proved to be correct and eventually the crystals became heavy enough to fall from the cloud as snow.As the snow reached the warmer temperatures closer to the ground, it melted and became rain.
Another scientist, Bernard Vonnegut, produced a method of cloud seeding using silver iodide .He used particles of silver iodide because its crystal structure resembled that of ice in clouds.Silver
iodide also had practical advantages over frozen carbon dioxide It could be stored at room temperature
and did not require an airplane as a delivery mechanism.Instead, silver iodide crystals could be fired by
cannons high into the air, where wind carried them into the clouds. | high6068.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "find a better way to keep the cat"
},
"options": [
"try to persuade her daughter to give in",
"spend more time cleaning the house",
"ask her daughter to help tidy up",
"find a better way to keep the cat"
],
"que... | Dear Aunty,
After years of her crying, I finally gave in and allowed my daughter to have a cat. I now regret my decision. As someone needs to have a clean, tidy house, I no longer feel relaxed in my own home. If I tell her, "sorry, the cat has to go." She will be heartbroken. What can I do?
-Feline Phobic
Dear Phobic,
I'm an animal lover and on your kid's and cat's side. Tell your daughter your problem. Ask her to help you come up with a plan. Perhaps you can agree to allow the cat only in certain areas of the house. This is a chance for your daughter to develop the sense of responsibility owning a pet requires.
Dear Aunty,
I got the highest grade on a biology test. Now the popular kids think I'm
, and want me in their lab group. I knew I was being used. Now, they want my homework. What should I do?
-Lily
Dear Lily,
Popularity can come at a price, but it's no excuse to cheat. Offer to help new friends with their homework, but don't give them yours.
Dear Aunty,
I'm one of six assistants in a dental office. But I'm new there just four months. I've tried to join conversations, but they just ignore me. They go shopping together. No one invites me. How can I break into the circle?
-Crystal
Dear Crystal,
Humans run in packs like dogs. When a new dog enters the pack, a lot of discovery goes on. So bring cookies for everyone! Then try making friends with one co-worker. Invite her to lunch. When you get familiar with each other, tell her how hard you're finding the situation at work. Chances are, she'll take you under her wing. | high15631.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "positive; uncertain"
},
"options": [
"uncertain; positive",
"doubtful; uncertain",
"supportive; positive",
"positive; uncertain"
],
"question": "About the Obama government's new moves, the auto makers are _ ... | The U.S. government's push to decrease the nation's output of greenhouse gases by increasing the fuel efficiency of the cars Americans drive is arousing again an emotional argument: Does driving a small, fuel-efficient car make you more likely to die on the road?
Engineers and statistical analysts can point to data that suggest more-efficient cars don't necessarily put motorists at greater overall risk. But most of us care less about the "overall" risk than we do about ourselves. Driving a big Chevrolet Tahoe SUV makes many of us believe we are safer than we would be in a smaller car -- even if statistical measures across a large population of vehicles and all kinds of car accidents suggest the advantage of safety isn't quite as wide as SUV owners believe.
The Obama government has put the fuel-efficiency and safety question back on the front burner by calling for new-vehicle fuel economy to rise to an average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020 from about 25 mpg today. That goal could move higher if the government decides to adopt California's requirement to cut vehicle greenhouse-gas giving off, which would result in stricter mileage standards.
Those moves, and the effects of last summer's gas-price shock, are driving auto makers to offer cars such as the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Daimler AG's Smart For Two -- which get the kind of mileage today that law says should be the average in a decade. Beyond that, auto makers will launch a wide range of new compact vehicles, and decrease production of large, body-on-frame SUVs.
That's leading to new concerns about "green safety", a term for managing the balance between reducing vehicle size for efficiency and adding safety and protection features that tend to make vehicles heavier and less efficient. Undoubtedly, further work has to be done before Americans make the choice. | high8045.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a deaf player devoted to the game of baseball"
},
"options": [
"a deaf player devoted to the game of baseball",
"baseball game rules and important players",
"the rise in the social position of the deaf people",
"where t... | In October 1961 at Crowley Field in Cincinnati Ohio an old deaf gentleman named William E. Hoy stood up to throw the first ball of the World Series. Most people at Crowley Field on that day probably did not remember Hoy because he had retired from professional baseball 58 years earlier in 1903. However he had been an outstanding player and the deaf people still talk about him and his years in baseball.
William E. Hoy was born in Houckstown Ohio on May 23, 1862. He became deaf when he was two years old. He attended the Columbus Ohio School for the deaf. After graduation he started playing baseball while working as a shoemaker.
Hoy began playing professional baseball in 1886 for Oshkosh(Wisconsin) of the Northwestern League. In 1888 he started as an outfielder with the old Washington Senators. His small figure and speed made him an outstanding base runner. He was very good at stealing bases during his career. In the 1888 major league season he stole 82 bases. He was also the Senators' leading hitter in 1888. Hoy was clever and he threw right-handed and batted left-handed. On June 19,1889 he threw out three batters at the plate from his outfield position.
The arm signals used by judges today to show balls and strikes began because of Hoy. The judge lifted his right arm to show that the pitch was a strike and his left arm to signal that it was a ball.
For many years people talked about Hoy's last ball game in 1903. He was playing for Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast Winter League. It was a memorable game because Hoy hit a wonderful ball which won the game. It was a very foggy day and therefore very hard to see the ball. In the ninth inning with two men out, Hoy managed to catch a fly ball to make the third out in spite of the fog. Los Angeles defeated their opposition and won the game.
After he retired Hoy stayed busy. He ran a dairy farm near Cincinnati for 20 years. He also became a public speaker and traveled giving speeches. Until a few years before his death he took 4-10 mile walks several mornings a week. On December 15, 1961 William Hoy died at the age of 99. | high7376.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "some schools overemphasize testing"
},
"options": [
"some schools overemphasize testing",
"her daughter is not a good student",
"the test is most important",
"the quality of tests should be limited"
],
"question... | Tests are not fun--but they're necessary.But in places like Colorado, Connecticut and New York, we're seeing a new and problematic movement within public education to convince parents to pull their children from participating in any standardized testing.They're opting out of the exams designed to measure how well our schools are teaching our children.
Let's look at why some parents are opting out.The most common argument is that standardized testing takes too much classroom time away from instruction.Yes, in too many schools and in too many districts, there is an overemphasis on testing.As a parent, I understand that problem.My daughter came home from public school one day and said class was easy now that "the test" was over.And I thought, "What are we communicating to our kids if they think the test is the most important thing--and once it's over, learning ends?"
Those test-crazed districts need to change.But a new study by Teach Plus, an organization that advocates for students in urban schools, found that on average, in grades three and seven, just 1.7 percent of classroom time is devoted to preparing for and taking standardized tests.That's not shocking at all.Most people spend a larger percentage of their waking day choosing an outfit to wear or watching TV.
We also shouldn't accept the false argument that testing restricts educators too much, _ innovation in the classroom or takes the joy out of teaching.That line of thought assumes that the test is the be-all and end-all--and if that's the perspective, the joy is already long gone.Teachers enter this profession because they care about kids, believe each one has the ability to succeed and want to teach far beyond minimum proficiency.The most valuable teachers are those who impart knowledge, not just information, and do so in a way that engages students and makes school interesting.
"Okay," the opt-out crowd replies, "what about kids who are stressed out and suffering from anxiety because of standardized tests?" You know what? Life can be stressful; it can be challenging.The alternative is to hand out prizes just for participating, give out straight A's for fear of damaging a kid's ego--and continue to fall further and further behind as a country.I reject that mind-set .
Rather than encouraging parents to opt out of testing, it would be much more productive for the leaders of this distracting movement to help improve the assessments.Make the exams more reflective of student learning.Ultimately, students and educators need test data--opting out does harm to both.And it risks endangering the progress that all of our children need. | high12638.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "presenting a cause and analyzing its effects"
},
"options": [
"providing typical examples",
"following the natural time order",
"comparing opinions from different fields",
"presenting a cause and analyzing its effects"
... | Being able to multitask--doing several things at the same time--is considered a welcome skill by most people. But if we consider the situation of the young people aged from eight to eighteen, we should think again.
What we often see nowadays is that young people juggle an ever larger number of electronic devices as they study. While working, they also surf on the Internet, send out emails, answer the telephone and listen to music on their iPods. In a sense, they are spending a significant amount of time in fruitless efforts as they multitask.
Multitasking is even changing the relationship between family members. As young people around them. They can no longer greet family members when they enter the house, nor can they cat at the family table.
Multitasking also affects young people's performance at university and in the workplace. When asked about their opinion of the effect of modern gadgets on their performance of tasks, many young people gave a positive response . However, the response from the worlds of education and business was not quite as positive. Educators feel that multitasking by children has a serious effect on later development of study skills. They believe that many college students now need help to improve their study skills. Similarly, employers feel that young people entering the job market need to be taught all over again, as modern gadgets have made it unnecessary for them to learn special skills to do their work. | high7410.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "promises to accompany the elderly"
},
"options": [
"reaches the age of 25",
"has financial problems",
"promises to accompany the elderly",
"agrees to share it with his neighbor"
],
"question": "Helsinki probably... | A recent housing project in Helsinki offers remarkably cheap apartments for those under the age of 25. They must commit to spending time with their older neighbors.
Helsinki offers 247-suqare-foot studio apartments with a bathroom, storage space, kitchen, and balcony for only $272 every month--about a third of the average price for a studio in the city. The apartment is inside homes for the elderly, and the young renter must spend between three to five hours with their elderly neighbors each week.
Like pretty much all other major cities in the world, Finland's capital of Helsinki has faced rapid population growth in recent years. And with population growth, comes an inevitable rise in the cost of living, and of course, sharp increase in rent. Currently, Helsinki is ranked 14th on the list of the world's most expensive cities. For those young and freshly independent, this causes terrible problems -- even homelessness.
"It's a very expensive city to live in," Mr. Bostrom writes in an email to CNN's Eoghan Macguire. "If you manage to get an apartment that the city owns, it can be quite affordable. The screening criteria included the ability to participate in a variety of activities, such as cooking or playing instruments, but the number of applicants for those apartments is so high that waiting list takes forever," he says.
According to Helsinki's Youth Housing Association, the city council aims to ensure that every young person will have a home by 2018. Miki Mielonen, a representative of the youth department, says this project, currently in its trial stages, will help out young people while offering social benefits to senior citizens. "I think there is quite a rigid opinion in Finland with many people thinking young of the old ideas that we are going to break down." | high14249.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "3,827."
},
"options": [
"537.",
"3,290.",
"3,827.",
"2,753."
],
"question": "How many women in the survey in the two communities were grandmothers who had lived past the age of 50?",
"question_type": "factio... | Have you thanked your grandma today? You might want to consider it. A recent study found that kids live longer when a grandmother takes part in their daily lives.
Most animals die soon after their childbearing years are over. Women, however, often live for many years after they stop having kids.
To try to understand why, researchers from Finland looked at birth and death records of two communities from the 18th and 19th centuries, one in Finland and one in Canada. In these communities, 537 Finnish women and 3,290 Canadian women were grandmothers who had lived past the age of 50.
For every decade they lived beyond 50, the researchers found that the women ended up with an average of two extra grandkids. It didn't matter what the differences in health or living conditions were between the two communities or from family to family.
Grandchildren were also more likely to live into adulthood if their grandmothers were alive when they were born. If their grandmothers were younger than 60 at the time, that was even better. The study also found that women had children 2 to 3 years earlier if their own mothers were still alive at that time than those whose mothers had died.
The researchers suggested that grandmothers have provided important assistance in raising their grandchildren for at least the past 200,000 years. As a result, they helped extend everyone's lifespan.
So, don't take your grandma for granted! | high22923.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "All of the above."
},
"options": [
"Good way of holding your body.",
"Balanced food.",
"Right body weight.",
"All of the above."
],
"question": "According to this passage, which of the following is suggested abo... | Good posture certainly shows good health. It also adds to a body's energy and beauty. The body is not handsome when the back is bent and neck thrusts forward. Bad posture suggests the impression that a person is tired,lacking in energy,bored,or weak. Tiredness may sometimes be the cause of bad posture. Most often,however,it is due to careless and poor health habits. Whatever it causes,bad posture affects one physically. The muscles are stretched and pulled into unnatural positions,which can lead to poor base of the body's various systems.
Nutrition is the study of how the body takes food and uses it. This science provides information about the kinds of food a person must eat to improve and maintain good health. Such knowledge helps him develop and form people habits to his problems of healthful living. People habits of nutrition can be developed by paying attention to:(1) the variety of food included in the diet;(2) the quality of each kind of food eaten. A diet,or the food regularly eaten,must contain all the necessary factors.
Many physicians believe that overweight is one of the greatest dangers to good health. This condition often leads to a shorter life. An overweight person is also easier to suffer disease, and various disorders of the digestive system. A person's weight directly has something to do with the amounts of food he eats.
All foods can make a person fat if too much is eaten. In reducing,the safe weight loss is about two pounds a week. The sensible way to lose weight is to decrease the gaining starchy foods,fats and sweets in the diet. | high1061.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "If you'd like to enjoy songs, you'll face the music."
},
"options": [
"If you'd like to enjoy songs, you'll face the music.",
"When actors have to face the music, it means they have to go on stage to perform, however changeable the... | When someone says, "Well, I guess I'll have to face the music," it doesn't mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you did not do this or that. Terrible music indeed, but it has to be faced. At sometime or another, every one of us has had to "face the music", especially as children. We can remember father's angry voice, "I want to talk to you!" And only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!
The phrase "face the music" is known to every American, old and young. It is at least one hundred years old. Where did the expression come from?
The first explanation came from the American novelist, James Fenimore Cooper. He said, in 1851, that expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on the stage. After they got their clue to go on, they often said. "It's time to face the music." And that was exactly what they did - facing the orchestra which was just below the stage.
An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be friendly, or perhaps unfriendly, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So the expression "face the music" came to mean "having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice." | high13526.txt |
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