questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To make China more and more beautiful"
},
"options": [
"To save money",
"To learn to love each other",
"To look after our brothers and sisters",
"To make China more and more beautiful"
],
"question": "As Chinese... | Most of us are the only child in our family. We have no brothers or sisters. Our family mainly _ our mom,our dad and us. We are growing up in a world differently from our parents'. And we will be the future leaders of China. Some day we have to work hand in hand with each other and make China more and more beautiful. So we must learn to love each other like brothers and sisters.
It's hard to think how difficult life would be if we had a sibling(,).We never have to share anything at home. Of course, we might have cousins, but we don't have to live with them! Our parents try to give us the best, and the best doesn't need sharing between two or three children. Do we ever ask ourselves if we are spoiled?
A recent study has found that many children don't know how to love others! We don'r know the value of money. We don't know how hard our parents are to support us. We don't want others to regard us as spoiled, do we? Well, why not start now to help our parents at home, share a game with one of our friends or value the opinions of our classmates, even if we don't always agree? In a word, we must learn to love each other! | high1881.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Castles have a history of more than 1,000 years in Europe."
},
"options": [
"Castles have nothing in common with palaces.",
"Castles have a history of more than 1,000 years in Europe.",
"Castles were mainly used for defensive... | A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages. This is different from a palace, which is no fortified-though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to diverse structures.
The European castles originated in the 9thand 10thcenturies, resulting in its land divided among nobles. These nobles built castles to control the area surrounding them, and they were both offensive and defensive structures. Although army uses are often emphasized in castle studies, the structures also served as centres of administration and symbols of power. Urban castles were used to control the local people and important travel routes, and rural castles were often built near farmland.
Many castles were originally built from earth and wood, but had their defences _ later by stone. In the late 12thand early 13thcenturies, scientific approaches to castle defence appeared, and could function to maximize the castle's firepower. These changes in defence came from a mixture of castle technology. Although gunpowder was introduced to be built well into the 16thcentury, improved cannon fire made them uncomfortable places to live in. As a result, true castles went into decline.
From the 18thcentury onwards, there was a renewed interest in castles with the construction of mock castles, part of a romantic revival of Gothic architecture, but they had no defensive purpose. | high12000.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Yellen's educational background."
},
"options": [
"Yellen's professional experiences.",
"Yellen's ability to deal with the challenges the Fed faces.",
"Yellen's educational background.",
"Yellen's remarkable competence ... | Who is the most powerful woman in the world? According to the US media, it's Janet Yellen, or at least she's about to be.
On Oct 9, 2013,US President Barack Obama nominated Yellen to serve as the next US Federal Reserve (the Fed, )chair. If confirmed by the Senate, Yellen will become the first woman to serve in the top spot.
Aged 67, silver-haired and tiny, Yellen is said to be the most qualified nominee ever. She chaired President Bill
Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, taught at Harvard and Berkeley, and was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She is currently the Fed's vice chair.
Many think Yellen is the right choice to deal with the challenges the Fed now faces:First, to bring interest rates back to more normal levels without triggering a new recession .Second, to reduce the US unemployment rate, which remains at historically high levels.
A CNN opinion piece says Yellen is unusual for an economist of her caliber ."She has kept her eyes on what's critical-the people. Her research has centered on unemployment, on the best way to modulate government policies to benefit the people."
Past records also show that Yellen is exceptionally good at predicting where the economy is headed. An article in The Washington Post points out that she was one of the few voices at the Fed inDecember 2009 warning about the subprime crisis and the following recession.
The reason why Yellen will be the most powerful woman in the world has to do with the unique position of the Federal Reserve, explains an article on Quartz, a US news outlet for business people in the new global economy,
First of all, the Fed is independent. Unlike US Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Hilary Clinton, the decisions made by the organization Yellen will lead next year are not subject to approval by anyone in the government.
Within the Fed, the chair alone sets the agenda. The Fed chairperson has huge influence on monetary policy and financial regulation. And don't forget how powerful the Fed itself is. It controls the money supply in the world's largest economy. The Fed's interest rate decisions don't just set the course for the US economy, its decisions set the course for the world economy, too.
Because of globalization, Yellen's decisions will affect everyone around the world, says an article in The Atlantic, making her even more powerful than some great women rulers in history, including Elizabeth I of England and China's Wu Zetian. For example, the article continues: "If Yellen even just talks about slowing down the Fed's bond-buying, Europe's troubled economies are likely to see their interest rates rise, and emerging markets, some of which, like India and Indonesia, used foreign capital to fund their current account deficits ,are likely to see their currencies collapse." | high16266.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the birth of a book and its lasting influences"
},
"options": [
"Charles' family life",
"a girl's adventurous experience",
"a magical world called wonderland",
"the birth of a book and its lasting influences"
],
... | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most loved children's books of all time, and many adults enjoy it as well. It tells the story of a young girl named Alice, who follows a rabbit entering a magical world called Wonderland: she has many experiences which seem to change the rules of reasoning or common sense. The popularity of the book comes from its imagination, interesting story, and art work.
The writer of the book is Lewis Carroll. In fact, Lewis Carroll was not the writer's real name. His real name was Charles Dodgson. One day, he took a boat ride down the Thames River to have a picnic with three little girls who were friends of the family. To keep them entertained on the ride, he told them a story in which Alice, the middle child, was the main character. They enjoyed the story very much.
Charles later wrote the story down under the name Alice's Adventures under Ground and gave it to Alice as a Christmas present. Later, he gave a copy to his friend George MacDonald. George read it to his children and they loved it. George suggested to Charles that he make a book from his story. Charles then wrote more parts to the story until it was around 35,000 words. It was first printed in 1866, with art work by John Tenniel, under the name Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The book was an immediate success.
One of its first fans was Queen Victoria. She immediately requested a collection of all of Lewis Carroll's works. She was surprised to find that they included many works on math. In fact, Charles Dodgson was a highly respected mathematician. This can be seen in many puzzles and plays on reasoning that appear in his books and poems.
Since the story was first printed, it has kept selling up to the present day. It has been translated into over fifty languages and has had several movies based on it. The story is even mentioned in the popular 1999 film The Matrix by the character Morpheus. | high4721.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It refers to female shoppers who eat cheaply but spend a lot in drinking a cup of expensive coffee."
},
"options": [
"It refers to female shoppers who eat cheaply.",
"It refers to female shoppers who drink expensive coffee.",
... | A WOMAN walks into a small stall and eats a cheap bowl of instant noodles, paying 1,500 won. Then she moves into a Starbucks coffee shop, where she drinks a cup of mocha, paying 4,300 won.
Surprised? This is the typical behaviour of South Korean young women. They are called "denjang girls". The term "denjang girls" referred to female shoppers who would eat cheaply and then _ to be seen drinking a cup of expensive coffee. Now it has grown to a new army of women in their 20s who look smart, rich but are actually buying luxuries they probably can't afford.
Internet users created the term when debating the popularity of Starbucks coffee among South Korean women. In prefix = st1 /South Korea, the coffee costs, on average, over a dollar more than inJapanand theUS. Despite the higher price, Starbucks sales inSouth Koreaincreased from 72.1 billion won in 2004 to 91.2 billion won in 2005.
Ahn Ji-Yoon, a student at Yonsei University in Seoul, says she can spend two hours surfing the web for discounts on skin cream and dinner. Yet she would think nothing of spending US$550 on a Gucci bag. Girls like Ahn live by extremes - hunting for bargain items while spending heavily on "necessary luxuries". | high17178.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the kids without parents"
},
"options": [
"the kids in rich families",
"the kids in common families",
"the kids in expanded families",
"the kids without parents"
],
"question": "Old photos and baby pictures are ... | For some kids, old photos and baby pictures are embarrassing. For others, they are _ . But for thousands of children living in orphanages worldwide, these records of the past simply don't exist. Either the kids' parents weren't around to snap photos, or the pictures have been lost. Whatever the reason is, the Memory Project is giving orphans a lasting document of their youth.
Over the last two years, the Memory Project has provided hand-painted portraits to more than 4,000 children living in orphanages in poor countries. Ben Schumaker, 24, got the idea when he was visiting an orphanage in Guatemala in Central America. But he's not creating the _ alone. Students in hundreds of high school art classes across the U.S. paint them using photos sent from the orphanages.
Schumaker believes that the artists benefit from the project as much as the orphans do."There are two purposes of the Memory Project," he said. "One is to offer a special gift to the child abroad. The other is to help open the eyes of the student who is painting."Staring into the eyes of another person, Schumaker believes, it creates a real connection. This connection raises awareness in U.S. schools about the needs of the world's poor children."It's about planting a seed," he said.
Schumaker is also working on Books of Hope, a project in which students of all ages put together homemade books for children in Uganda and India. He hopes that one day children in Uganda and India. He hopes that one day children in Uganda and India will send books to the U.S. "It's important to me to have it be a two-way exchange," Schmnaker says. | high2350.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Three."
},
"options": [
"Two.",
"Five.",
"Four.",
"Three."
],
"question": "How many reasons are mentioned for the habitat destruction?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | The Cuban iguana is a species of lizard of the iguana family. It is the largest of the West Indian rock iguanas, one of the most endangered groups of lizards. This species with red eyes and a thick tail is one of the largest lizards in the Caribbean.
The Cuban iguana is mainly _ : 95% of its diet consists of the leaves, flowers and fruits from as many as 30 plant species, including the seaside rock bush and various grasses. However, Cuban iguanas occasionally eat animal matter, and individuals have been watched eating the dead flesh of birds, fish and crabs. The researchers wrote that quite a few people on Isla Magueyes could have caused this incident.
The Cuban iguana is living throughout the rocky southern coastal areas of mainland Cuba and its surrounding islands with a wild population growing rapidly on Isla Magueyes, Puerto Rico. It is also found on the Cayman Islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, where a separate subspecies occurs. Females guard their nest sites and often nest in sites half destroyed by Cuban crocodiles. To avoid the attack from them, the Cuban iguana often makes its home within or near prickly-pear cacti .
In general the species is decreasing, more quickly on the mainland than on the outlying islands. One of the reasons for their decrease is habitat destruction caused by the over consuming of farm animals, housing development, and the building of tourist resorts on the beaches where the animals prefer to build their nests. Although the wild population is decreasing, the numbers of iguanas have been sharply increased as a result of captive-breeding and other protection programs. | high10171.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "push bad spirits away"
},
"options": [
"cheer him up",
"push bad spirits away",
"bring him a big fortune",
"prove that he's a popular person"
],
"question": "According to the passage, good wishes and presents gi... | Thousands of years ago, birthdays were considered special days. On birthdays, the bad spirits were able to harm you and change your life. It was believed that the only way to solve the problem was to have your friends and family around you, so that good wishes and presents would keep the bad spirits away. Also, noisemakers were thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits.
The custom of lighting candles was created by people believing that the gods lived in the sky. By lighting candles and torches, they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods, so they could be answered. Blowing out the candles and making a wish were thought to be another way of sending a signal or a message.
This is how the way we celebrate our birthdays came about. But different cultures celebrate in different ways.
The birthday story in the Bible that we know best is about the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem(:). For nearly 2000 years since that day, the Christian world has been honoring this birth. The day many Englishmen celebrate is, of course, Christmas. There are other references to birthday parties. King Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by making a feast for his court followers. That was over 4000 years ago. The story of King Herod tells that on his birthday he made a supper for his lords, high captains and other special friends in Galilee (:). | high5359.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "have the poorest results in doing various things at the same time"
},
"options": [
"seek high productivity constantly",
"prefer handling different things when getting bored",
"are more focused when doing many things at a time... | Multitasking
People who multitask all the time may be the worst at doing two things at once, a new research suggests. The findings, based on performances and self-evaluation by about 275 college students, indicate that many people multitask not out of a desire to increase productivity, but because they are easily distracted and can't focus on one activity. And "those people turn out to be the worst at handling different things," said David Sanbonmatsu, a psychologist at the University of Utah.
Sanbonmatsu and his colleagues gave the students a set of tests and asked them to report how often they multitasked, how good they thought they were at it, and how sensation-seeking or imperative they were. They then evaluated the participants' multitasking ability with a tricky mental task that required the students to do simple mathematical calculations while remembering a set of letters.
Not surprisingly, the scientists said, most people thought they were better than average at multitasking, and those who thought they were better at it were more likely to report using a cellphone while driving or viewing multiple kinds of media at once. But those who frequently deal with many things at the same time were found to perform the worst at the actual multitasking test. They also were more likely to admit to sensation-seeking and impulsive behavior, which connects with how easily people get bored and distracted.
"People multitask not because it's going to lead to greater productivity, but because they're distractible, and they get sucked into things that are not as important." Sanbonmatsu said.
Adam Gazzaley, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not a member of the research group, said one limitation of the study was that it couldn't find out whether people who start out less focused toward multitasking or whether people's recognizing and understanding abilities change as a result of multitasking.
The findings do suggest, however, why the sensation-seeker who multitask the most may enjoy risky distracted driving. "People who are multitasking are generally less sensitive to risky situations." said Paul Atchley, another researcher not in the group. "This may partly explain why people go in for these situations even though they're dangerous." | high4047.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "is a symbol of long-lasting relations"
},
"options": [
"is a collection of childhood memories",
"is a symbol of long-lasting relations",
"takes too much time to decorate",
"is full of out-of-date ornaments"
],
"... | I looked at my beautiful Christmas tree and sighed. It was time. The New Year was a week old and my tree still stood in the corner of our room with its collection of memories proudly displayed in a shower of colorful lights. I'd procrastinated(,)long enough.
I got up, went to the garage and dragged all the boxes into the room. The garland was the first to come down. The tree looked naked already. I took the large ornament off next. They made a large pile on our bed. An hour later, our bed was covered with Christmas memories. Each pile contained an ornament along with its matching brothers and sisters from sets purchased many years ago.
I prepared the boxes and carefully placed ornaments in their protective packaging, pausing every few minutes to admire a favorite. "Hey, little Santa!" I held the Santa from my childhood. "Thanks for being my friend for almost fifty years." He was a little ragged but still gives me a flood of wonderful memories. "Until next year, my dear friend."
There was a collection of handmade ones. My children made in the their first years of school, more than twenty years ago. Made by tiny hands, they are far from perfect in design, but every year they go on my memory tree-memories of young giggles on Christmas morning and a smiling face when they handed them to me when I came home from work. "Look what we made, Daddy!"
"Oh! It is beautiful. Let's find a special spot on the tree for it." Every year since, they are displayed.
A few hours after I started, the filled boxes were back in the garage, the room was vacuumed and I sat staring at a barren corner. The room seemed so empty. It took me two days of work to assemble and decorate my tree, but only a few hours to take it apart.
My tree is like a good marriage or a great friendship. Like the tree, they take a long time to assemble and decorate with memories, but can be torn down quickly.
Every year I have to put my tree away, but not my marriage or friendships. I take great care of those. They get to glow in the corner of my life for as long as I live. I get to analyze my tree and find memories for a few weeks every year. I can do the same with the loves in my life every day. Take great care of your friendships and your marriage. Once they come down, they aren't as easy to put back together as a Christmas tree. Stand them in that special spot in the corner of your heart and admire their glow. | high3728.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The British"
},
"options": [
"The British",
"German spies",
"Spanish soldiers",
"William Martin"
],
"question": "_ put the papers on the dead man.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | In 1943, during the Second World War the body of an English man, William Martin, was discovered off the Spanish coast. The papers he had been carrying were returned to England, where they were carefully examined. They had clearly been changed and that was exactly what the British had hoped would happen, for Martin was a trick designed to fool the Germans.
Martin did not exist. The body was that of a sailor who looked as though he had died when his boat sank, but in fact he had been ill and died. Leaving the boat to go down, his parents allowed the dead body to be put into the sea near Spain. It was hoped that the Germans would find it and read the fake papers he carried.
The papers said that the British would attack the island of Sardinia, when in fact they planned to attack the island of Sicily. The trick was successful. When the British landed on Sicily, most of the heavy German guns had been moved to defend Sardinia. | high6888.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "have meals and meet with friends"
},
"options": [
"Do homework and watch TV",
"Buy drinks and enjoy concerts",
"have meals and meet with friends",
"Add money to your ID and play chess"
],
"question": "What can y... | A Guide to the University
Food
The TWU Cafeteria is open 7am to 8pm.It serves snacks , drinks, ice cream bars and meals.You can pay with cash or your ID cards.You can add meal money to your ID cards at the Front Desk.Even if you do not buy your food in the cafeteria, you can use the tables to eat your lunch, to have meetings and to study.
If you are on campus in the evening or late at night, you can buy snacks, fast food, and drinks in the Lower Cafe located in the bottom level of the Gouglas Centre.This area is often used for entertainment such as concerts, games or TV watching.
Relaxation
The Globe, located in the bottom level of McMillan Hall, is available for relaxing, studying, cooking, and eating.Monthly activities are held here for all international students.Hours are 10 am to 10 pm, closed on Sundays.
Health
Located on the top floor of Douglas Hall, the Wellness Centre is committed to physical, emotional and social health.A doctor and nurse is available if you have health questions or need immediate medical help or personal advice.The cost of this is included in your medical insurance.Hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to noon and 1;00 to 4;30pm.
Academic Support
All students have access to the Writing Centre on the upper floor of Douglas Hall.Here, qualified volunteers will work with you on written work, grammar, vocabulary, and other academic skills.You can sign up for an appointment on the sign-up sheet outside the door two 30 -minute appointments per week maximum.This service is free.
Transportation
The TWU Express is a shuttle service.The shuttle transports students between campus and the shopping center, leaving from the Mattson Centre.Operation hours are between 8am and 3pm.Saturdays only.Round trip fare is $1. | high12766.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a wooden salt shaker"
},
"options": [
"a wooden salt shaker",
"a bamboo salt shaker",
"a ceramic salt shaker",
"a hand painted salt shaker"
],
"question": "If you prefer salt powder, you may choose _ .",
... | Get a Custom Salt Shaker for your Dining Table
If you are looking for custom salt shaker for your dining table, then there are a number of varieties available from which you can have your pick.
Get custom salt shakers for custom seasoning
A wooden salt shaker has a beautiful design that can enrich your dining table. It is handmade from different pieces of wood of varying sizes. It has a pear shaped body with a ceramic grinder with fancy wood finish. The ceramic grinder for making salt into powder is built to last a life time. It does not wear away like metals do when used to grind salt. It is an extremely beautiful and very delicately made gift to be given to anybody. If you buy two pieces they offer you a generous quantity of Himalayan salt.
Ceramic salt shakers for custom Seasoning
A ceramic salt shaker is handmade and ideal to be kept in the kitchen to keep the cooking area neat and orderly. It is available in different colors, olive green, coffee brown, purple, egg blue, yellow and many more colors. You can use your fingers when you require a pinch of salt or use the spoon that accompanies it. It looks beautiful for kitchen use and can be given as a gift.
Personalized salt shakers that can be given as anniversary gifts
If you are looking for handmade anniversary gifts that you would like to give to your friends, you can give hand painted salt shakers. You can send your pictures and the makers will paint the picture of your friend and her loved one. Any message you like to add will be written on the salt shaker.
This cannot be put in a dishwasher or soaked in water. It has to be washed carefully by hand. If you are a person who likes eco-friendly items then you can have a salt shaker made of bamboo. It has a solid construction which makes it ideal for kitchen setting.
So if you are interested in buying a salt shaker for your table, you can choose one from above and order it. | high15009.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to recover from poor health"
},
"options": [
"to recover from poor health",
"to observe star movements",
"to hold religious ceremonies",
"to gather huge bluestones"
],
"question": "Stonehenge is recently believe... | Stonehenge may have been a prehistoric health center rather than a site for observing stars or a temple in honor of the dead, scientists said yesterday. New evidence unearthed at the World Heritage Site in more than 40 years suggests that the monument was a place where the diseased and injured went in groups, seeking cures.
After a two-week dig, scientists have concluded that Stonehenge was "the ancient healthcare centre of southern England" because of the existence of "bluestones"---the smaller columns of dolerite that formed an earlier stone structure.
By dating pieces of remains to around 7330BC, Tim Darvill, of Bournemouth University, and Goff Wainwright, of the Society of Antiquaries have found that hunter-gatherers were at the site on Salisbury Plain 4,000 years earlier than thought. The first stage of Stonehenge, a round earthwork structure, was built around 3000BC. Professor Wainwright added: "I did not expect the degree of complexity we discovered. We're able to say so much more about when Stonehenge was built and why---all of which changes our previous understanding of the monument."
The research reveals the importance of the henge's famous bluestones. Hundreds of bluestone chips gathered at the site have led the team to conclude that the bluestones were valued for their curing effects---the key reason that about 80 of them, each weighing up to 4 tons and a half, were dragged more than 150 miles from the Preseli Hills to Wiltshire. After years of research, Professors Darvill and Wainwright have concluded that, for thousands of years, the Preseli mountain range was home to magical health centers and holy wells.
Even today there are those who believe in the curing powers of the springs for coughs and heart disease, and people who use crystals and bluestones for self-curing. Radiocarbon tests have also revealed that the construction of the original bluestone circle took place around 2300BC, three centuries later than originally thought. Interestingly, on the same day died the "Amesbury Archer"---a sick traveler from the Swiss or German Alps who had an infected knee---whose remains were discovered about five miles from Stonehenge. The professors believe that he was a devoted religious person who was hoping to benefit from the curing powers of the monument. | high6650.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the same comet appearing at different times"
},
"options": [
"some different comets appearing several times",
"the same comet appearing at different times",
"three different comets appearing at the same time",
"several ... | Edmund Halley was an English scientist who lived over 200 years ago. He studied the observations of comets which other scientists had made. The orbit of one particular comet was a very difficult mathematical problem. He could not figure it out. Neither could other scientists who dealt with such problems.
However, Halley had a friend named Isaac Newton, who was a brilliant mathematician. Newton thought he had already worked out that problem, but he could not find the papers on which he had done it. He told Halley that the orbit of a comet had the shape of an ellipse .
Now Halley set to work. He figured out(,)the orbits of some of the comets that had been observed by scientists. He made a surprising discovery. The comets that had appeared in the years 1531, 1607, and 1682 all had the same orbit. Yet their appearance had been 75 to 76 years apart.
This seemed very strange to Halley. Three different comets followed the same orbit. The more Halley thought about it, the more he thought that there had not been three different comets as people thought. He decided that they had simply seen the same comet three times. The comet had gone away and had come back again.
It was an astonishing idea! Halley felt certain to make a prediction of what would happen in the future. He decided that this would appear in the year 1758. There were 53 years to go before Halley's prediction could be tested. In 1758 the comet appeared in the sky. Halley did not see it, for he had died some years before. Ever since then that comet had been called Halley's comet, in his honor. | high14317.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "protect the wildlife"
},
"options": [
"protect the wildlife",
"free people from diseases",
"rid people from strange behaviors",
"develop a better economy"
],
"question": "According to the passage, being a vegeta... | I am a vegetarian . Many people are quick to think of vegetarianism as strange behavior. I treasure our Earth, and since we only have one, we should protect it and the wildlife that lives on it. But that's only one of the reasons to be a vegetarian.
Vegetarians may live longer, healthier lives. There is a connection between red meat consumption and various diseases. From an economic standpoint, it requires less land, money and energy to produce foods for a vegetarian diet. While there are many benefits to being a vegetarian, only a handful of those who attempt to adopt this lifestyle succeed.
The most important quality required to be a vegetarian is firmness since surrounded by the _ of meat, we tend to give up vegetarianism easily. Creativity is almost as important as commitment. It's easy to tire of eating nothing but salad. But with a little creativity and some soy products, almost any meal can become vegetarian-friendly.
Not everyone wants to be vegetarian. Accepting this is part of being a vegetarian with style. Forcing your beliefs on others is disrespectful. Stylish vegetarians should also be able to turn down a meaty dish politely without annoying their hosts.
Being a successful vegetarian has been easy for me, but it may not be so for others. A common mistake is quitting before your body has adjusted to the change. It can be difficult to keep the lifestyle in the beginning because of temptation. However, it fades over time. Another common mistake is quitting because you've been misinformed about the nutritional wisdom of being a vegetarian. That's why it is vital to be educated. Countless people will tell you that it's impossible to obtain the nutrients and protein your body requires without meat, but they are incorrect. People actually need only 44-55 grams of protein a day, and that is easily found in a vegetarian diet. Many meat eaters are consuming three times that amount, which is not beneficial. It leads to diseases. Vegetables can also supply all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs. However, if you're still not convinced, you can take a multi-vitamin. | high9563.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To be honest and win their trust."
},
"options": [
"To get more privileges from them.",
"To risk gaining their permission.",
"To keep off the track of reality.",
"To be honest and win their trust."
],
"question"... | I got invited to go with some friends to a game at another school. A senior will be driving us, and I think she's a good driver, but it's someone my parents don't know. I want to tell my parents where I'm going, but what if I ask and they say "no"? I'll end up wishing I never mentioned it and just went ahead and did it anyway.
If you want more privileges, it's best to build a track record of honesty and trust. Letting a parent know where you're going is always a good idea.
You may worry that telling your parents puts you at risk of getting "no" for an answer. But there's a good chance your parents might be OK with you going. If you go but don't tell them, you risk losing something more important -- your parents' trust.
Parents who find out their kids did something behind their backs may be less likely to give permission to do things in the future. When trust is broken like this, parents wonder if teens are trying to hide something -- and what they imagine can be far worse than the reality.
Before you talk to your parents about the game, think about which approach will help them feel most comfortable with giving you more freedom. Maybe they'd like to meet the person driving or talk to friends who have driven with her in the past. If your parents have questions or hesitate about letting you go, find out what their worries are and then do your best to answer them. | high13478.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "meaningful but difficult"
},
"options": [
"worthwhile but expensive",
"reasonable but worthless",
"meaningless but hard",
"meaningful but difficult"
],
"question": "Which of the following best describes Lu Zhang... | The Collections of Chinese Ancient Cultural Relics Abroad: Volume Victoria and Albert Museum has just been published, the fruit of ten years' efforts by Chinese experts.
The book is the first of an upcoming series that centers on ancient cultural heritage collections in different museums around the world. The book details 195 out of 18,000 items now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in England.
More than 1.64 million ancient Chinese artifacts have been transported out of China because of different reasons such as wars and smuggling since the mid 19th century. More than 200 museums in 47 countries hold such collections, according to a report from UNESCO.
"The information we now have about these pieces is still very patchy ," said Lu Zhangshen, curator of the National Museum of China. "In order to have a clearer picture about these items, National Museum of China decided to start the Chinese Ancient Cultural Relics Abroad book project in 2005. But after we began, we found it really difficult to collect information for every piece from each museum. That's why the first volume took us ten years."
"The pieces in the book include 102 porcelains , 31 bronzes , 22 lacquer , 10 enamel vessels and so on," Liu Mingqian from Victoria and Albert Museum said.
According to the National Museum of China, the volume of the Japanese museum Sen-oku Hakuko Kan is coming out soon and the museum will seek more cooperation from museums worldwide to accelerate the project. | high12772.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He fell over and crashed into the table."
},
"options": [
"He had a terrible headache.",
"He didn't sleep well the night before.",
"He was hit in the eye by his wife.",
"He fell over and crashed into the table."
],
... | A man wakes up with a big hangover the morning after attending his company's annual Summer Party. He can't even remember how he got home from the party, let alone how he got so drunk and is deathly afraid of what he may have done or said the night before to make his wife angry.
The man forces his eyes open and the first things he sees are two headache tablets next to a glass of water on his table, and, next to them, a single red rose! He sits up with difficulty and sees his clothing hung on the back of his chair all clean and pressed and the rest of the house all in perfect order.
Incredulous , the man takes the tablets and sees a black eye looking back at him from the bathroom mirror. Then he finds a note next to the red rose on the table, "Sweetie, breakfast is waiting for you on the stove. I left early to buy the cooking materials to make your favorite dinner tonight. I love you, darling! " The note was signed, "Your loving wife."
The man then walks into the kitchen. His daughter Jessie is at the table, eating. "Jessie...what happened last night?" The man asks, with great fear.
"Well, you came home around four o'clock in the morning, drunk and out of your mind. You tripped and fell onto the coffee table and broke it, and got this black eye when you crashed into the table's edge."
Puzzled, the man asks Jessie, "Then why is there a rose on my table and breakfast on the stove waiting for me?"
"Oh that," Jessie replies, "well, Mom pulled you into your bedroom, and when she tried to undress you, you yelled, 'Leave me alone; I'm married and I love my wife!'" | high8669.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "kept them expecting deliberately"
},
"options": [
"held back the truth",
"gave a definite answer \"no\"",
"kept them expecting deliberately",
"said she preferred the single state"
],
"question": "To the suitors ... | "I will never marry," the future Elizabeth I declared at the age of eight, and, to the terror of her people, the Great Queen kept her word.
For four centuries, historians have guessed why Elizabeth never married.In her own day, her decision to remain single was considered absurd and dangerous.A queen needed a husband to make political decisions for her and to organise and lead her military campaigns.More important, she needed male heirs to avoid a civil war after her death.
There was no shortage of suitors for the Queen, both English courtiers and foreign princes, and it was confidently expected for the best part of 30 years that Elizabeth would eventually marry one of them.Indeed, although she insisted that she preferred the single state, she kept these suitors in a state of permanent expectation.This was a deliberate policy on the Queen's part, since by keeping foreign princes in hope, sometimes for a decade, she kept them friendly when they might otherwise have made war on her kingdom.
There were, indeed, good political reasons for her avoiding marriage.The disastrous union of her sister Mary I to Philip II of Spain had had an unwelcome foreign influence upon English politics.The English were generally prejudiced against the Queen taking a foreign husband, particularly a Catholic one.Yet if she married an English, jealousy might lead to the separation of the court.
There were other, deeper reasons for Elizabeth's unwillingness to marry, chief of which, I believe, was her fear of losing her autonomy as Queen. In the 16th century, a queen was regarded as holding supreme dominion over the state, while a husband was thought to hold supreme dominion over his wife.Elizabeth knew that marriage and motherhood would bring some harm to her power.
She once pointed out that marriage seemed too uncertain a state for her. She had seen several unions in her immediate family break down, including that of her own parents.
Some writers, based on very fragile evidence, have argued that Elizabeth was frightened or incapable of the sex act, but it is more likely that she feared childbirth. Two of her stepmothers, her grandmother and several acquaintances had died in childbed.
Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII, had had her mother, Anne Boleyn, killed; her stepmother Catherine Howard later suffered the same fate. When Elizabeth was 14 she was all but attracted by Admiral Thomas Seymour, who also went to the prison within a year. Witnessing these terrible events at an early age, it has been argued, may have put Elizabeth off marriage.
Elizabeth had to decide her priorities. Marriage or being single? Elizabeth was far too intelligent.The choice she made was courageous and revolutionary, and, in the long run, the right one for England. | high6644.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Pain can help them to avoid the creative thinking."
},
"options": [
"Pain is a mirror that can reflect the life of everybody.",
"Pain is something that no one can escape from.",
"Pain can help them to avoid the creative think... | Comfort is comforting, but it might narrow our experience at work -- and beyond.
In our modern world, discomfort is considered a terrible thing. If not terrible, at least a thing of the past. Dishwashers, washing machines, computers, remote controls--yes, they add convenience, but also a level of comfort our forefathers did not enjoy.
As pain of any kind discourages happiness, we tend to reason, anything that compromises our ability to feel good must be bad. And that's also particularly true for our careers. Success makes us feel great, not terrible. Such a view, however, is a matter of personal opinion. And it may blind us to hidden opportunities.
Artists throughout history have tried to experience suffering, instinctively if not consciously, to produce works that explore the darker hidden sides of the human condition. This was done, in part, because pain is a reality of life for everybody in some form at some time. Pain is something everybody can relate to. And pain makes a person very present. For such artists, to relieve or to deny pain would be to block the creative thinking, which drives them to explore and express. In fact, Germans have a term for this melancholia, " _ ", which means "suffering from the world." Writers, from Lord Byron to Kurt Vonnegut, have used the term to describe the psychological pain encountered along life's roller-coaster journey. It was not to be avoided; it was to be understood, investigated and employed.
So I propose that discomfort is good for us. Or, put another way, it tells us that something needs to be addressed. It stretches us by forcing us to view our circumstances through a wholly different lens. Because we're drawn to safety and security, we do our best to create pleasant comfort zones for ourselves and our loved ones through the cars we drive, the homes we live in, and the places we work. But by resisting discomfort, we deny ourselves an important opportunity: the chance to shake ourselves out of our predictable perspectives and allow ourselves to make knowledgeable observations we could not possibly have made before. Discomfort gives us fresh eyes. | high9577.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "avoid maths because of social reasons"
},
"options": [
"are poorer at maths",
"avoid maths because of social reasons",
"are afraid of maths because they are the weaker sex",
"can't learn maths as well as boys"
],
... | Scientists have tried to come up with biological explanations for the difference between boys and girls. However, none were believable enough to explain the general picture. As one scientist points out, "There are slight genetic differences between the sexes at birth which may affect the subjects boys and girls choose. But the difficulty is that by the time children reach school age, there are so many other effects that it is almost impossible to tell whether girls are worse at science and maths, or they've been brought up to think of these subjects as boys' 'territory' ".
Statistics show that in mathematics, at least, girls are equal to boys. A recent report suggests that girls only stop studying mathematics because of social attitudes. One of the reports' authors says, "While it is socially unacceptable for people not to be able to read and write, it is sill acceptable for women to say that they are 'hopeless' at maths. Our research shows that, although girls get marks which are as good as the boys' , they have not been encouraged to do so."
The explanation for the difference, which is very clear during the teenage years, goes as far back as early childhood experiences. From their first days in nursery school, girls are not encouraged to work on their own or to complete tasks, although boys are. For example, boys and not girls, are often asked to 'help' with repair work. This encouragement leads to a way of learning how to solve problems later on in life. A further report on maths teaching shows that teachers seem to give more attention to boys than to girls. Most teachers who took part in the study admitted that they expect their male students to do better at mathematics and science subjects than their females students. All of this tends to encourage boys to work harder in these subjects, gives them confidence and makes them believe that they can succeed.
Interestingly, both boys and girls tend to regard such 'male' subjects like mathematics and science as difficult. Yet it has been suggested that girls avoid mathematics courses, not because they are difficult, but for social reasons. Mathematics and science are mainly male subjects, and therefore, as girls become teenagers, they are less likely to take them up. Girls do not seem to want to be in open competition with boys. Neither do they want to do better than boys because they are afraid to appear less female and less attractive. | high22869.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "I already have a volunteer job that I enjoy."
},
"options": [
"I have to check my e-mails first.",
"I already have a volunteer job that I enjoy.",
"I cannot find any time to do it.",
"I have a million things to do."
... | A friend asks you to be a volunteer. Your husband asks you to glance over an e-mail he is writing to his boss. You say you'd love to. Really! But..."I don't have time".
It seems plausible( ). We're all busy these days, right? But there are reasons not to use these four words, at least with yourself.
Here's the big one: _ is not true. You tell yourself "I don't have time" to exercise, but we all have 168 hours a week. If someone offered to pay you $100,000 a week to go to the gym for 5 of those 168 hours, you would probably find the time to do it. Since that isn't going to happen, this is a more exact description: " It's not a priority ."
There are a million things we could be doing with our time; some are priorities and some are not, even if it's wrong to say so. Try it. "I'm not going to read to you tonight, sweetie, because it's not a priority. Daddy's present priority is to check my e-mails."
Using the words "I don't have time" keeps us from admitting to the fact that how we spend our time is a choice. It puts the responsibility for our lives on someone else: a boss, a client or a family member.
Better to be truthful: "I have another volunteer job on which I am focusing my energy right now. It is the cause that is most important to me." Or, to your husband "I wish you had mentioned this earlier. Right now, my priority is to get our children dressed and out of the door for school. I will be available around lunch time if you would like to talk". | high10165.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "showed his anger to Mrs.Nugget"
},
"options": [
"expressed his astonishment",
"showed his anger to Mrs.Nugget",
"made children not practise the piano",
"was afraid that he would be troubled by any noise in the evenings"... | Dear Mrs.Nugget,
You may remember that we have discussed the noise your children make while practicing the piano.You agreed to make sure that they would stop practicing in the evenings.
You can imagine my astonishment , then, when I realized that nothing had changed and the situation was going on as before.I find it difficult to stay in the house and invent any excuse to go out for the evening to be away from the terrible noise.Though I like music very much, I have had enough, and to be honest, I am not prepared to put up with the situation any more.
I think it's high time that you realized your duty as a member of the community , and I must warn you that unless you do something about the situation I will be forced to take legal action.
I have sent a copy of this letter to my lawyer.
Mr.Barge | high18539.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To keep users informed of the polluted levels in the air."
},
"options": [
"To advise people to stay at home as often as possible",
"To keep users informed of the polluted levels in the air.",
"To make women look pretty even ... | AEco-friendly Car Racer
Can you image a car racer is so eco-friendly that its tyres are made from potatoes, its body is created from hemp and rapeseed oil and it runs on fuel made from wheat and sugar beet? The one-seater racing car called Eco One is built by experts from Warwick University, who hope that Eco One will be adopted by the automotive industry.It is sold at $51,000.
Pollution-sensitive Dress
Don't be caught outside unaware of pollution levels in the air.The pollution-sensitive EPA Dress by Stephanie Sandstrom notices pollution in the air accordingly.This dress - which is actually quite pretty-look like you pull it from the bottom of the dirty laundry pile when the air is dirty.It might protect your hea1th by advising you to stay indoors for the day, but it won't do you any favor if you're meeting with clients.
Eco-friendly Umbrella
Traditional umbrellas come with a fixed surface.Although it is changeable, you cannot replace it easily.This eco-friendly design is more flexible.It is actually only an umbrella skeleton without any surface, which can be folded, so you can put anything such as newspapers, plastic bags or whatever you want to serve as the protecting surface.
Eco-friendly Moss Carpet
It is said that walking on fresh grass increases your blood circulation.The Moss Carpet, created by Nguyen La Chanh, looks at getting the grass to your feet.The mat includes ball moss, island moss and forest moss.The humidity of the bathroom ensures that it grows well.And that's why you need to place it there and not anywhere else. | high19627.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To protect people from the rain"
},
"options": [
"To predict a heavy rain",
"To check the weather forecast",
"To protect people from the rain",
"To remind people to take an umbrella"
],
"question": "For what pur... | You can't always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belvacv doesn't think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That's why he created lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.
The designer says he come up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. "once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street and saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy built into a street lamp." he said.
The lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand. Sensors then ensure that the umbrella offers pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining.
In addition to the rain sensor, there's also a 360degmotion sensor on the biberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone's using the lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.
According to the designer, the lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lighting strike. Each lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people. Being installed at 2 meters off the ground, it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.
While there are no plans to take lampbrella into production, Belyacv says he recently introduced his creation one Moscow Department, and insists this creation could be installed on any street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies to provide shelter. | high4053.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It absorbs wet air and turns it into water."
},
"options": [
"It works in the same way as microwaves.",
"It is very expensive for families to afford.",
"It absorbs wet air and turns it into water.",
"It helps to make th... | A gadget which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave.http://www.ks5u.com/gaokao/beijing/
Using the same technology as a dehumidifier ,the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get
from an unlimited source--the air.http://www.ks5u.com/gaokao/beijing/
The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water inhttp://www.ks5u.com/gaokao/beijing/
developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage.http://www.ks5u.com/gaokao/beijing/
The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water droplets.It can produce up to 12 liters a day.The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases. In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights. Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said, "The demand for water is off the chart. So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable."
The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost PS800 when it goes on sale here in the spring. Its maker, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly calculates that a liter of water costs around 20 pence to produce.
Environmentalists state that half the world's population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080. One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.
The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won't be much of a problem. | high16272.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "show how the poor life experienced in the Philippines influenced him"
},
"options": [
"help us know him well",
"warn us not to live a poor life",
"show how he missed his teenage time",
"show how the poor life experience... | At the age of 14, Hugh Evans spent a night with cockroaches crawling all over him.
That experience turned out to be life-changing for Evans, now 30. Far removed from his comfortable home in Australia, he traveled to the Philippines with an aid organization that set him up with a host family. Their home was in Smokey Mountain, a teeming slum in Manila.
A boy in the family, Sonny Boy, was the same age as Evans. The difference between their lives shocked him hard. "I believed that I wanted to commit my life to this," said Evans. "I want to see an end to extreme poverty in my lifetime."
It's the same goal shared by global organizations and world leaders, and some great progress has been made in reducing the number of the world's poorest. In 1981, about half the developing world lived in extreme poverty. By 2010, it had fallen to about 20 percent. The organization has set 2030 as the goal to reduce the rate even further, to 3 percent.
The gains worldwide are unbalanced. China and Southeast Asia have made huge progress in lifting their populations above that line. But the opposite is true in some areas in Africa. Even though economic growth is developing across the continent, the number of extremely poor people actually increased over the last three decades.
The organization's campaign, "Live Below the Line", hoped for an even greater effect by actually having people eat the way that the world's poorest have to do every day.
This year about 15,000 people worldwide joined in the campaign such as Ben Affleck and Josh Groban, as well as other notables, such as Jill Biden and Hunter Biden, the vice president's son. The campaign will raise up to $4,000,000 for various aid organizations working to help the world's poorest. | high19141.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Lewis Carroll"
},
"options": [
"Tim Burton",
"Lewis Carroll",
"Alice",
"the passage doesn't tell us"
],
"question": "The story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was written by _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_... | Tim Burton attempts to work his gothic magic over one of the best loved stories of all time--Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There.
Alice, now 19, attends a party at a Victorian estate, only to find she is about to be proposed to by a rich suitor in front of hundreds of snooty society types. She runs off, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland--a place she visited many years before, yet she doesn't remember. The white rabbit claims to have come back for Alice because she is the only one who can slay the Jabberwock, the beast who guards the Red Queen's empire. Alice remains completely unaware of why she is in Wonderland, and is confused about the fact that she had once visited Wonderland years before.
Now, Wonderland has changed into a dark, scarier place than it used to be. Alice then _ an adventure of self discovery, and to save Wonderland from the Red Queen's reign of terror with the help of her Wonderland friends. | high4735.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "their fingers fit them better for the job"
},
"options": [
"they work harder than men do in picking",
"they can throw their picking more easily into the baskets",
"their fingers fit them better for the job",
"they can m... | The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates . The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimetres high. _ is important because it encourages the growth of tender hoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best in got.
Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates like to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.
Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill. There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required. For black tea, the young green leaves are first spread out on shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this, the leaves are passed through heavy rollers. This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste. Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea. The fermented leaves are then dried with a hotair blower until they become rolledup black leaves. The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world. | high2344.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because he could hardly hear what the other frogs said."
},
"options": [
"Because he would like to jump out of the pit.",
"Because he could hardly hear what the other frogs said.",
"Because he didn't want to give up his hope.... | If you are a human, you can't help but experience the time when everything seems to be going wrong and you feel as if your life is completely out of control.It is during the low time that words of encouragement from family, friends, coworkers or even strangers can boost your spirits.It is also during the low time that destructive words can be devastating and make you sink deeper and deeper into depression.
For example, consider this story about a group of frogs who were traveling through the woods when two of them fell into a deep pit .All of the other frogs gathered around the pit.When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two unfortunate frogs they would never get out.
The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump out of the pit.The other frogs kept telling them to stop.Finally, one of the two frogs took notice of what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up.He died.The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could.Once again the crowd of frogs shouted at him to stop the pain.The more they shouted, the harder he jumped and finally he made it.
When he got out, the other frogs asked him why he continued to jump when they were all shouting at him to tell him to give up.The frog explained to them that he was a little bit deaf.He thought they were encouraging him the whole time.
Every time you have a chance to say either something positive or negative to another human being, do choose the chance to say something positive! Don't let those opportunities get away from you.Your words have a large amount of power.Use them wisely.You really never know just how much they can mean to someone else. | high10603.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "two"
},
"options": [
"two",
"twelve",
"twenty",
"twenty -two"
],
"question": "When she moved to California, Joan Fontaine was _ years old.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Oscar-winning actress Joan Fontaine, who rose to fame during Hollywood's golden age as the star of several Alfred Hitch.cock classics, died from natural causes at her home in Carmel, northern California on December 16, 2013 aged 96, US media reports said.
Born in Japan to British parents, Fontaine moved in 1919 to California, where she and her elder sister -screen idol Olivia de Havilland-were to shape successful movie careers.Fontaine and de Havilland remain the only sisters to have won lead actress honours at the Academy Awards.Yet the two sisters also had an uneasy relationship, with Fontaine recording a bitter competition in her own account "No Bed of Roses ".
Fontaine began her acting career in her late teens with Largely less important roles on the stage and later in mostly B-movies in the 1930s. It was not before famous British film director Hitchcock spotted her a decade later that her career took off.
Greatly surprised by her expressive looks, the suspense master cast Fontaine in his first US film, a 1940 adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier novel "Rebecca". She received an Academy Award nomination for her performance as a troubled wife. A year later, Fontaine finally won the long-sought golden figure, for her role as leading lady in "Suspicion" opposite Cary Grant, becoming the first and only actress to earn the title for a Hitchock film.
Although her sister, Olivia de Havilland, preceded her in gaining Hollywood fame, Fontaine was the first of the sisters to win an Oscar, beating Olivia's nomination as best actress in Mitchell Leisen's "Hold Back the Dawn".
The dislike ,between the sisters was felt at the Oscars ceremony."I froze. I stared across the table, where Olivia was sitting.'Get up there!' she whispered commandingly," Fontaine said."All the dislike we'd felt toward each other as children...all came rushing back in quickly changing pictures...I felt Olivia would spring across the table and seize me by the hair."
Olivia did not win her first Oscar until 1946, for her role as the lover of a World War I pilot in Leisen's " To Each His Own". Fontaine later made it known that her. sister had slighted her as she attempted to offer congratulations."She took one look at me, ignored my hand, seized her Oscar and wheeled away," she said.
The sisters were also reportedly competitors in love. Howard Hughes, a strange businessman who dated the elder de Havilland for a time, offered marriage to Fontaine several times."I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did, and if I die first, she'll undoubtedly be extremely angry because I beat her to it!" Fontaine once joked.
As her film career fruited in the 1950s, Fontaine turned to television and dinner theatre, and also appeared in several Broadway productions, including the Lion in Winter". Anything but the ordinary lady, Fontaine was also a licensed pilot, a champion balloonist, an accomplished golfer, a licensed .decoration designer and a first-class cook. | high6122.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Doing homework"
},
"options": [
"Watching TV.",
"Playing computer games.",
"Doing homework",
"Doing housework."
],
"question": "What makes most students sleep less than nine hours every night?",
"question_ty... | In China, more and more middle school students are getting shorter sleeping time than before. More students sleep less than nine hours every night, because they have much homework to do. Some homework is given by their teachers, and some by their parents. Also, some students don't know how to save time. They are not careful enough while they do their homework, so it takes them a lot of time. Some students spend too much time watching TV or playing computer games. They stay up very late. Some students have to get up early every morning on weekdays to get to school on time by bus or by bike. It can be a long way from home to school. It will probably make them sleepy during school hours.
Schools and parents should cut down some of the homework so that our children can enjoy more than nine hours of sleep every night for their health. For children, they should make the most use of their time. When they have enough time for sleeping, they will find it much better for both their study and health. | high9211.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "they worked busily and often forget it"
},
"options": [
"they worked busily and often forget it",
"they didn't have food even for themselves",
"they had a farm of animals to feed",
"they were unwilling to help a man wit... | We live in central Phoenix, near the canal. Every day I used to see a homeless old man and his scruffy little dog hanging out down there.
I would tell my husband we should give him food for the little dog. It wouldn't have been a problem; we have our own "mini farm" of animals! But he would say "OK!" and then blow the idea off because of our business.
Being in Phoenix, Arizona, you can just imagine how hot it gets here, but his winter was really chilly! I had just come from KFC with take-out food for dinner. As I was turning by the canal, the man and his dog were sitting right there all bundled up. Even the doggy had a coat on! Not even thinking about it, I pulled into the parking lot along the canal and piled up a plate of chicken with all the fixings for the man and his little buddy. I gave it to him with a soda and a bottle of water for the little dog. He said, "Thank you, sweetie. You are an angel." And there were tears welling up in his eyes! I told him he was so welcome, and then went home.
When my husband dug into the KFC gag, he asked, "Were you hungry, or what?" I told him what I did and he said, "Only you!" Then he told me I had done a good thing.
A few weeks later, we were walking along the canal and found the man walking to me, with his little dog. He asked whether I would mind adopting the dog. With tears in eyes, he said it had gotten too hard for him to care for the dog. He added that he was planning on heading to Washington State but his dog wouldn't have been up to it, so he hoped to give it to me. "Only you! In this city, you are the only person I can believe in!"
Now, every time I watch and pat the puppy lying near the fireplace, I will recall the old man's words and wish him good luck. | high14465.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "at the beginning of the 18\nth century."
},
"options": [
"in 1620",
"at the beginning of the 18\nth century.",
"at the end of the 17\nth century",
"in 1609"
],
"question": "The first English newspaper printed an... | The first newspaper were handwritten sheets which were posted in pubic places. The earliest recorded newspaper was started in Rom in 59 BC. In the 700's the world's first printed newspaper was developed in China. The paper was printed from carved wooden blocks and sent out among the citizens. Europe didn't have a regularly published newspaper until 1609, when one was started in Germany.
The fist regularly published newspaper in the English language was printed in 1620. In 1621, an English newspaper was started in London and was published weekly. The first daily English newspaper was the Daily Courant, which didn't appear until March 1702.
In 1690, Benjamin Harris printed the first American newspaper in Boston. But the local government soon stopped its publication. In 1704, John Campbell started The Boston News-letter, the first newspaper to be published daily in America. By 1760, the whole America had more than thirty daily newspapers. There are now about 1800 daily papers in the United States.
Today, as a group, English language newspapers have the largest circulation in the world. The largest circulation for a newspaper, however, is that of the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, which sells over eleven million copies every day. | high12014.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Our past experiences have a great influence on our future life."
},
"options": [
"It is impossible to avoid the inconvenience caused by flight delays.",
"Our past experiences have a great influence on our future life.",
"Look... | I had arrived at the airport to catch an early flight home.It had been a very busy three days for me on an interstate trip with lots of meetings,business to do and new customers to meet.Then came the announcement that the flight had been delayed due to a technical problem.I could see a group of technicians and ground staff rushing about,obviously trying hard to fix the problem.I watched and listened as many of the passengers sitting near me shared their frustration about the inconvenience.
As I sat waiting,I reflected on my last meeting for the day.It was not a business meeting but rather a very enjoyable and brief lunch with an old business associate and friend I had not seen for over 12 years,and who I had worked with for nearly 15 years before we lost in touch.I had been given his phone number by a customer I had visited on the first day of my trip,so I called him out of the blue and made a time for us to meet.
Our lunch was spent recollecting times gone by and as well filling each other in on what had happened in our lives over the last 12 years.Our conversation was frequently interrupted with statements such as 'remember when we did...','whatever happened to...' and of course the one we all liked to hear...'you know you haven't changed one bit,except for a few more grey hairs.'
We both laughed and smiled as we recalled the good times and the great experiences we had shared over the 15 years we had worked together. Each event we discussed caused another recollection and everything we talked about centered on the good times.Almost at the same time,right at the end of our time together,we both said how much we both enjoyed it and that we must do it again.We agreed to catch up when I was next in town,then said our goodbyes and I was off to the airport.
So with this extra time on my hands as I waited for my flight,it was great to revisit and replay in my mind all that we had talked about over lunch.I realized at that moment just how important it is to have regular reminders of the good times in your life and to be able to take the time to recall the past,for so much of what we have done in our past,shapes us and makes us who and what we are today and beyond.
At the end of my busy trip with the focus on getting all the business done,I was indeed fortunate enough to have had the chance to take a short break and reflect on the good things that had happened in my life over 12 years ago.It was somewhat like looking at an old photo album that you have found stored away in a cupboard in your house.There before your eyes are lots of wonderful memories in print that take you back to that time and place,and most importantly to those people who are in the photos.It also made me realize that when you get caught up doing what has to be done in the moment,it is easy to forget the people you have met in your life who have made a positive effect on and enriched you,often in only the smallest of ways.
My flight home was finally called nearly three hours later and yes as you would have expected many of the passengers cheered when the announcement was made.I smiled as I boarded the plane and realized that I was not at all upset about the delay,as I had been able to spend much of my time reflecting on the good times from days gone by and now eagerly look forward to many more opportunities to recall the past. | high11535.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To give them to people in need."
},
"options": [
"To donate them to a charity.",
"To help Vietnamese children.",
"To raise money for a Rotary Club.",
"To give them to people in need."
],
"question": "Why did Car... | Carly Zalenski's eyes filled with tears as the dusty bus ran down a dirt road in southern Vietnam. The 14-year-old and her family had traveled by plane from Canton, Ohio. Now, as they approached the village, hundreds of cheering schoolchildren lined the entrance to the Hoa Lac School, a two-story concrete building that Carly had raised money for.
Carly started helping others at eight, handing out Thanksgiving baskets at church to families in need. It was a snowy day, and she saw many girls didn't have warm coats. The next November, she went door to door asking for used coats, hats, gloves and scarves, and then handed them out with the baskets.
But Carly wanted to do more. She remembered her grandmother's Rotarv Club ("") had, years earlier, raised money to build a school in Vietnam. That was what she now wanted to do.
At 12, she began to raise money for Vietnamese children with a PowerPoint presentation. "The kids in rural Vietnam don't have decent schools. I want to give them a place to make their lives better," she told a room of 200 Rotarians.
That summer, Carly set off with her family across Ohio, visiting three or four Rotarv Clubs a week. "We traveled like crazy people to all these meetings," recalls her mother, Kris.
At first they got no donations. But one night, Carly and her dad, Fred, pulled up to a building in Minerva, Ohio. Carrying a laptop, a projector and a screen, they walked into a bar where 15 people were sitting around a long table. There was dead silence after Carly finished her presentation. Fred thought that was never going to work. Then someone made a motion: "Let's give this girl check right now." Minutes later, Carly walked out with her first donation: $500.
Not everyone was _ about the idea of helping Vietnam. "Why should we help it?" asked one veteran . Carly replied simply, "They're kids. And I'm just a kid who wants to help out."
As word spread, individual donors sent checks for as little as $5. A restaurant chain contributed $1,000. Carly's coach organized a tournament that netted $4,000. A bible camp bought 500 backpacks for the children. In two years, Carly raised $50,000. | high20930.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "disappear gradually"
},
"options": [
"die suddenly",
"come back",
"disappear gradually",
"last forever"
],
"question": "You will find friendships _ in America if they are not near each other.",
"question... | In the United States, friends can be close, constant and real. But if they move live far away from each other, little by little, they will not be as close as before. But neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while, then no more. If two people meet again by chance, even years later, they will be delighted and pick up the friendship again.
In America, you can feel free to visit people's homes, share their holidays and enjoy their delicious food. If you are invited to a party, just accept their hospitality for various reasons, such as crowded space, language difficulties or family customs. It is often considered more friendly to invite a person to one's home than to go to a public place. So, if your host or hostess brings you home, do not feel that you aren't treated well. You know, strangers are not invited into the home.
_ if you do not find flowers awaiting you in your hotel room either. Flowers are very expensive there, hotel delivery is not certain, and arrival times are often delayed, so flowers are not often sent as a welcoming touch. Please do not feel unwanted! In fact, signs outside change in different lands, but the welcome in the heart is real and valuable. | high3072.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To produce legal documents."
},
"options": [
"To produce legal documents.",
"To replace sewing machines.",
"To record the results of research.",
"To create the first computer keyboards."
],
"question": "For wha... | The history of the computer keyboard started way back in 1714, when the first typewriters were manufactured. Then, they looked more like sewing machines, since they were designed by Remington, which also used to manufacture sewing machines. They were not used for commercial purposes but to produce legal documents that were neat. 1868 was the year when Christoper Latham Scholes created the typewriter that is common today and was later mass marketed in 1877.
Before the typewriter advanced to become the modern-day keyboard, there were a few developments that led to it. First there was the combination of the typewriter with the telegraph to create a teletype. Key punches were also created by the combination of the typewriter with punch card systems. The teletype was used to input data in the very first computers, and this is where the development of the computer keyboard started.
How the teletype worked with the computer is that a card was inserted into the teletype. The keys would then be pressed in the teletype and a series of holes would be punched in the card. These were known as key punches, which would then be put into a card reader which analyzed the cards as data. This was in 1946, and in 1948 an electromagnetically controlled teletype was brought into operation for the binary automatic computer .
There later came the video display terminal and electronic keyboards. When people typed, they would immediately see the results on the screen. This was in the 1970s, and people accepted the technology because it was user-friendly. There was no long process involved in getting something typed. The very first designs of these keyboards were big and heavy, and most did not come with the computer. This was later modified to a smaller size and different colours and designs, and that is the keyboard we use today. | high19169.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Long-sleeve clothes"
},
"options": [
"String bikinis",
"Bathing suits",
"Long-sleeve clothes",
"Shorts."
],
"question": "What clothing is proper for ladies visiting a mosque?",
"question_type": "factiod_ques... | Most of the guests who come on our trips have never been to Egypt before .We want to make everyone comfortable and at ease, but we do always get the same questions in advance of trip. So here I will give you some travel tips.
What should I wear?
If you're lucky enough to visit Egypt between November and February, pack a sweater. You'll need it----the desert gets rather cold at night. During the day, the temperature will be agreeable and comfortable. Any other time, pack as if you're going to Phoenix of Vegas in August. For the ladies, bathing suits are normal if there's a pool where you are going, but leave the string bikini at home -it is a Muslim country, after all. Last, if you are planning on visiting any mosques or certain parts of upper Egypt, ladies will need to plan on bringing something that comes at least to the elbow , and no shorts for men or women in those areas.
What special things do I need to pack?
One of my favorite things in the world to bring to Egypt is an Evian Mister, a sprayer with a fine mist of Evian water. You may be able to find it in your local drug store. Spray a little on your face or head , and your body temperature will feel like it's dropped 10 or 15 degrees. Other items include your camera, sun block and extra batteries.
How do I communicate with home?
Internet cafes are plentiful everywhere, especially in Cairo, Luxor, and Alexandria. If you have international calling on you phone, you should be able to use it-AT&T and Sprint both work internationally for sure, but make sure you have the international coverage. A satellite phone is best if you are certain to need coverage in the middle of the country, like while sailing up the Nile , but for most people these days a cell phone is fine.
What medical preparation do I need?
In a word: none! The one thing you may come down with in Egypt is politely called "Pharoah 's Revenge. " The thing that gets rid of pharoah's Revenge is a regionally produced medicine, and is available at every drugstore for $1 a box . DON'T drink local water. DO drink bottled water, avoid the skins of fresh vegetables, and you'll be fine. | high18277.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "know the relationship between planets and their stars"
},
"options": [
"study why planets change orbits after forming",
"understand how planets move around their stars",
"answer questions about the age of stars and planets",
... | Astronomers have captured the first direct image of a planet being born.
Adam Kraus, of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, said the planet is being formed out of dust and gas circling a 2-million-yea-old star about 450 light years from Earth.
The planet itself, based on scientific models of how planets form, is believed to have started taking shape about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago.
Called LkCa 15b, it's the youngest planet ever observed. The previous record holder was about five times older.
Kraus and his colleague, Michael Ireland from Macquarie University and the Australian Astronomical Observatory, used Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea(a volcano on the island of Hawaii, US) to find the planet. Kraus presented the discovery Wednesday at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.
Observing planets while they're forming can help scientists answer questions like weather planets form early in the life of a star or later, and whether they form relatively close to stars or father away.
Planets can change orbits after forming, so it's difficult to answer such questions by studying older planets.
"These very basic questions of when and where are best answered when you can actually see the planet forming, as the process is happening right now," Kraus said.
Scientists hadn't been able to see such young planets before because the stars they're circling around outshine them. Kraus and Ireland used two techniques to overcome this problem.[:++]
One method, which is also used by other astronomers, was to change the shape of the telescope mirrors to remove light distortion created by the Earth's atmosphere. The other method they used, which was unique, was to put masks with several holes over most of the telescope mirrors. The combination of these techniques allowed the astronomers to obtain high-quality images that let them see the planet next to the bright star.
The star LkCa 15--the planet is named after its star--was the team's second target. They immediately knew they were seeing something new, so they plan to gather more data on the star. | high5403.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "72 years"
},
"options": [
"72 years",
"80 years",
"60 years",
"56 years"
],
"question": "The practice of the Olympic Flame has been carried on for about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | The Olympic Flame from the ancient games was reintroduced during the 1928 Olympic Games. An employee of the Electric Utility of Amsterdam, lit the first Olympic flame in the Marathon Tower of theOlympic Stadiuminprefix = st1 /Amsterdam.
The modern practice of moving the Olympic Flame via a relay system from Olympia to the Olympic venue began with the 1936 Summer OlympicsinBerlin,Germany.
The relay, captured in Leni Riefenstahl'sfilm, "Olympia", was part of the Nazi propaganda machine's attempt to add myth and mystique to Adolf Hitler's regime. Hitler saw the link with the ancient Games as the perfect way to illustrate his belief that classicalGreecewas an Aryan forerunner of the modern German Reich.
Although most of the time the torch with the Olympic Flame is still carried by runners, it has been transported in many different ways. The fire traveled by boat in 1948 to cross the English Channel, and it was first transported byairplanein 1952, when the fire traveled toHelsinki. All carriers in the torch relay toStockholm, where these events were held instead, traveled on horseback.
Remarkable means of transportation were used in 1976, when the flame was transformed to a radio signal. From Athens, this signal was transmitted bysatellitetoCanada, where it was received and used to trigger alaserbeam to re-light the flame. In 2000, the torch was carried under water by divers near theGreat Barrier Reef. Other unique means of transportation include aNative Americancanoe, acamel, andConcorde. In2004, the first global torch relay was undertaken, a journey that lasted 78 days. The Olympic flame covered a distance of more than 78,000 km in the hands of some 11,300 torchbearers, traveling to Africa and South America for the first time, visiting all previous Olympic cities and finally returning toAthensfor the2004 Summer Olympics.
Another means of catching attention has been the lighting of the fire in the stadium. At the 1992 Barcelona Games,ParalympicarcherAntonio Rebolloshot a burning arrow over the cauldron from a platform at the opposite end of the stadium. Two years later, the Olympic fire was brought into the stadium ofLillehammerby aski jumper. | high17144.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "People's characters."
},
"options": [
"Places where people lived.",
"People's characters.",
"Talents that people possessed.",
"People's occupations."
],
"question": "Which of the following aspects do the surname... | Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of current answers. That question is "What's your name?" Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct.
Have you ever wondered about people's names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People's first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means "bright"; Beatrice means "one who gives happiness"; Donald means "world ruler"; Leonard means "as brave as a lion".
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook ;someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people's occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter -- a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter --a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter's great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father's name. English-speaking people added -s or -son. The Johnsons are _ of John; the Roberts family's ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O'Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell. | high1665.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Pedestrians."
},
"options": [
"Drivers.",
"Cyclists.",
"Police.",
"Pedestrians."
],
"question": "Who is the text intended for?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | If you need to spend time on the road,it's important to find ways to keep safe on your feet. Don't suppose it's your right of way. Yes, you might be crossing at the right place, at the right time, within the crosswalk area, but you are still exposed to danger. It could be a distracted driver, or a cyclist with a loose sense of traffic rules, so you could still get hurt. You can be in the right legally, but that won't be much help when you're in the hospital.
Follow pedestrian signals. Just as drivers aren't supposed to speed up to beat a light when crossing through an intersection, pedestrians need to take the same care when obeying their own signals. If the hand is flashing and the countdown is into single digits ,stay where you are. Trying to outrun the flashing hand is unsafe,especially as cars try to clear the intersection before the light turns red.
Give drivers enough time to stop when crossing. Don't suppose that drivers will jam on their brakes when you hit the crosswalk signals. Some provinces, such as Alberta, issue a ticket if you don't give drivers enough time to brake.
Cross quickly. Once you've followed all of the other rules, and it is safe to cross the street, don't then just wander along in front of six lanes of traffic. There's no need to run or jog, but respect the drivers who respected you enough to stop for you. | high13322.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Supportive."
},
"options": [
"Curious.",
"Doubtful.",
"Supportive.",
"Disappointed."
],
"question": "What is the author's attitude towards connected cars?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | Since Henry Ford turned it into a mass-market product a century ago, the car has delivered many benefits. It has promoted economic growth, increased social mobility and given people a lot of fun. But the car has also brought many problems. It pollutes the air, creates traffic jams and kills people. An astonishing 1.24 million people die, and as many as 50 million are hurt, in road accidents each year.
Drivers and passengers waste around 90 billion hours in traffic jams each year. In some car-choked cities as much as a third of the petrol used is burned by people looking for a space to park.
Fortunately, a new technology promises to make motoring safer, less polluting and less tendency to hold-ups. "Connected cars"--which may eventually develop into driverless cars but for the foreseeable future will still have a human at the wheel-can communicate wirelessly with each other and with traffic-management systems, avoid walkers and other vehicles and find open parking spots.
Some parts of the transformation are already in place. Many new cars are already being fitted with equipment that lets them keep their distance and stay in a motorway automatically at a range of speeds. Soon, all new cars in Europe will have to be able to warn the emergency services if their on-board sensors discover a crash. Singapore has led the way with using variable tolls to smooth traffic flows during rush-hours; Britain is pioneering "smart motorways", whose speed limits vary constantly to achieve _ . Combined, these new inventions could create a much more highly effective system in which cars and their drivers are constantly warned of dangers and showed the ways, traffic always flows at the proper speed and vehicles can travel closer together, yet with less risk of crashing.
In the past, more people driving meant more roads, more jams, more death and more pollution. In future, the connected car could offer mankind the pleasures of the road with rather less of the pain. | high9239.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the line between work time and rest time is unclear"
},
"options": [
"work time is equal to rest time",
"many people have a day off on Monday",
"it is hard for people to decide when to rest",
"the line between work time... | Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be. Places of business that used to keep daytime "business hours" are now open late into the night. And on the Internet, the hour of the day and the day of the week have become irrelevant . A half century ago in the United States, most people experienced strong and precise dividing lines between days of rest and days of work, school time and summer time. Today the boundaries still exist, but they seem not clear.
The law in almost all states used to require stores to close on Sunday; in most, it no longer does. It used to keep the schools open in all seasons except summer; in most, it still does. And whether the work week should strengthen its legal limits, or whether it should become more "flexible," is often debated. How should we, as a society, organize our time? Should we go even further in relaxing the boundaries of time until we live in a world in which every minute is much like every other?
These are not easy questions even to ask. Part of the difficulty is that we rarely recognize the "law of time" even when we meet it face to face. We know as children that we have to attend school a certain number of hours, a certain number of days, a certain number of years--but unless we meet the truant officer , we may well think that we should go to school due to social custom and parents' demand rather than to the law. As adults we are familiar with "extra pay for overtime working," but less familiar with the fact that what constitutes "overtime" is a matter of legal definition. When we turn the clock forward to start daylight-saving time, have we ever thought to ourselves: "Here is the law in action"? As we shall see, there is a lot of law that has great influence on how we organize and use time: compulsory education law, overtime law, and daylight-saving law -- as well as law about Sunday closing, holidays, being late to work, time zones, and so on. Once we begin to look for it, we will have no trouble finding a law of time to examine and assess. | high8127.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "when a certain point in losing weight has been reached."
},
"options": [
"when a certain point in losing weight has been reached.",
"when his blood lacks nutritional material",
"when his normal weight is lost",
"when he... | A
Most of us feel upset if we miss just one meal, and if we try to go without food for 12 hours we would really be uncomfortable. But there are some people who seem able to "fast" for very long periods.
Various records are claimed for long fast, but in most cases there is no medical proof and so the records are doubtful. One South African woman claimed that she lived for 102 days on nothinig but water and soda water.
There are great differences among living things in the ability to survive without food. For example , a tick , which lives on animals, may survive a whole year. Warm-blooded animals use up their stores of food in the body more quickly.
In fact, the smaller and more active the animal, the more quickly it uses up its reserves. A small bird starves to death in about five days, a dog in about twenty. In general, we can say that a warm-blooded creature will die when it has lost about half its normal weight.
This matter of weight is important. Man and other creatures live in a state of metabolic equiplibrium which means maintaining the body weight once a certain point has been reached. This regulation of body weight is done by thirst, hunger, and appetite.
When your blood lacks nutritional materials, this registers in the hunger center of the brain and you feel "hungry". The body is crying out for any kind of fuel(food). And it is our appetite that sees to it hat we chooose a mixed diet, which is the kind the body needs. | high15753.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Mrs. Anderson stole Charlie's car at the request of her daughter."
},
"options": [
"Mrs. Anderson's daughter discovered the car her mother drove was not hers.",
"Mrs. Anderson stole Charlie's car at the request of her daughter.",
... | Charlie Vansant, a college student of Athens, Ohio who reported that his car was stolen, got a surprise when he learned a woman had mistaken it for her daughter's car and taken it-using her key.
Kate Anderson became an accidental car thief when picking up her daughter's car near an Ohio University building last week. Anderson spotted the Toyota Camry and used her daughter's key to unlock the car, start the engine and drive home-without realizing that the car wasn't her daughter's.
When Charlie Vansant left class a short time later, he found only an empty parking spot. He first assumed the car had been _ , but when the police couldn't find a record of it, they took a theft report.
The morning after Anderson took the car, her daughter discovered the Camry in the driveway wasn't hers. Anderson said she was able to find Vansant's name on paperwork in the glove compartment and look up his phone number on the website for the university.
When Anderson told Charlie the car was in her driveway, "It sounded real suspicious at first, as she wanted to hold the thing for ransom ," said Vansant. He eventually went to the house with a police officer, where he was reunited with his car. According to the police report, the case was closed "because of mistaken car identity", Anderson wasn't charged.
Vansant seemed to blame the car company more than the "thief". "Her key fit not only my lock, but my ignition as well - so high-five for Toyota. I guess." he said. | high7214.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because of the deed of the Italian sailors."
},
"options": [
"Because of his reputation for generosity.",
"Because he died in Italy.",
"Because of the deed of the Italian sailors.",
"Because of his devotion to Italian c... | Many Christmas customs are based on the birth of Christ, such as giving presents because of the Wise Men, who brought presents to the baby Jesus Singing Christmas carols is based on the scene of the birth with figures of shepherds, the Wise Men and animals surrounding the baby Jesus.
The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in the present-day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A. D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors were believed to steal his remains and removed them to Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas' popularity throughout Europe.
His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cap, flowing white beard, and bishop's mitre. In Greece, he was the patron saint of sailors; in France, he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium, the patron of children and travelers. Thousands of churches across Europe were dedicated to him and sometime around the 12th century an official holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated on December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and charity.
After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas declined, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolass was eventually transformed to _ . Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought this tradition with them to America in the 17th century and here the English name of Santa Claus appeared. | high8641.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The average exposure."
},
"options": [
"Its decibel.",
"The average exposure.",
"Its playing environment.",
"The listener's sensitivity to sound"
],
"question": "What's the most important factor considered in th... | AC/DC have postponed their US tour after singer Brian Johnson was warned by doctors that he was at risk of "total hearing loss". This is unsurprising, given the decades that the Australian band has been pumping out the hard rock decibels . But deafness isn't only a concern for rock musicians. In recent years it has become clear that anyone around music a lot has reason to be equally worried.
When exposed to music, risk to hearing arises from a combination of how loud the sound is and how long you're exposed to it. If you visit a nightclub that is thumping out music on the dance floor at 100 dB, then after only 10-15 minutes the exposure is potentially damaging. In a quieter part of the club, but where the music is still loud enough that you have to shout at your friends, then you could be there for a couple of hours before having to worry about your hearing. Of course music frequently exceeds 80-85 dB, but what counts most in assessing the risk to hearing is the average exposure.
Exposure to high noise levels often causes temporary deafness - something many people have experienced after going to a nightclub. While hearing usually recovers after a few hours or days, repeated loud exposure leads to permanent hearing damage. Initially, this damage is subtle and unlikely to be noticed by the listener. Problems only becomes significant in middle age when the noise-induced hearing loss combines with the natural loss of hearing due to ageing.
Improved technology means that the number of musicians having to give up performing could decrease, but student musicians need to be educated about the dangers of noise-caused hearing loss. The increasing use of headphones will also work against this - for musicians and everyone else. Unless people are careful with the volume level on their portable music players, hearing loss caused by music will increase.
(http://theconversation.com/highway-to-hearing-hell-musicians-and-the-danger-of-deafness-55983) | high15035.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Entertainment."
},
"options": [
"Science and technology.",
"Robots and space travels.",
"Entertainment.",
"Information Technology."
],
"question": "What field attracts more people in the author's opinion?",
... | Every now and then we hear about an event that has taken place. This information helps us prepare ourselves for any problem in the future. Current affairs serve different purposes for different people. Theses days, the importance of current affairs has risen. Most people focus on certain areas of information according to their needs and interests. There are certain areas like science and technology, which attract only a special kind of crowd, and thus have a lesser audience compared to fields like the entertainment industry.
Science and technology are completely ignored by a common man, unless he or she happens to be "a techno-freak ". Yes, this is the word given to people who show interest in current affairs related to science and technology. However, they are the ones who have much more knowledge of the current world. Why is it so? Mainly because today's world is driven by science and technology. It is the techno-freaks that cause the development in science and technology, and thanks to them you can see a miracle of new inventions. The old way of living has been replaced by the high-tech modern way of living. It will be a world of robots in the near future.
If somebody decides not to get to know about current affairs related to science and technology, he or she will be separated from the real world. We must stay abreast with the new inventions so that we can predict the future. For example, if you know the current conditions of science and technology of 2012 well, you will better understand what will take place in 2012.
Therefore, you must gain enough knowledge on current affairs in science and technology. There are the Internet, newspapers and magazines to provide you with all the information of science and technology. | high22699.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in spring and autumn"
},
"options": [
"in spring and autumn",
"in summer and winter",
"in spring and summer",
"in autumn and winter"
],
"question": "This year four sections of this course will be offered _ .",... | The introduction to Music Bibliography Site
Welcome to the introduction to Music Bibliography Site. In the site Friedheim Library will establish Music Bibliography Course. This year four sections of this course will be offered: two sections in fall and two sections in spring.
Time and Place
Section 1: Tues. & Thurs. 9:30---10:20 a.m. (Room 214)
Section 2: Wed. & Fri. 4:30---5:20 p.m. (Room 116)
The goals of Music Bibliography
To build a tool box of music reference sources
To write an article with footnotes/endnotes and a bibliography about a major musical work.
Note:
The Music Bibliography Site serves all the teachers and students of the Peabody Conservatory of Music. ID card is required. If you are a student with a disability for which you require accommodations , please contact Dr. Eileen Soskin, Associtate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University at 410-659-8100, extension 4405, at website esoskin@peabody.jhu.edu, or Ms Peggy Hayeslip, University Coordinator of Disability Services on the Homewood Campus of the Johns Hopkins University at 410-516-6225, at website phayeslip@jhu.edu to discuss reasonable and appropriate accommodations. | high12982.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To pay for their education."
},
"options": [
"To help people in Poland.",
"To buy the concert tickets.",
"To pay for their education.",
"To hold a musical concert."
],
"question": "Why did the two students decid... | An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. Not knowing where to get the money, he and a friend decided to host a musical concert to raise money for their education.
They went to the great pianist Paderewski. His manager demanded $2,000 for the piano recital . A deal was made and the boys began to work to make the concert a success.
The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they hadn't managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1,600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and gave him the entire $1,600, and promised to pay him the rest $400 back as soon as possible. "No," said Paderewski. "Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left." The boys were surprised, and very thankful.
Paderewski later became the Prime Minister of Poland, and he was a great leader. When the World War broke out, more than l.5 million people went hungry, but there was no food to feed them. Paderewski turned to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.
The head there was a man called Herbert Hoover -- who later became the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food to Poland.
Paderewski decided to go across to thank Hoover himself. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his kindness, Hoover quickly stopped him and said, "You shouldn't be thanking me, Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college. I was one of them." | high8899.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Many people are curious about aliens from outer space"
},
"options": [
"This passage is a piece of science news recently issued.",
"Chinese are descendants to the survivors of the alien spaceship crash",
"The UFO crash in the... | About 12,000 years ago- long before the famous UFO crash make headlines in America--an alien spaceship crashed in China. And their descendants are still living in a faraway Chinese village today! That is the mind-bending claim made in the new book Out of Time and Place, a collection of reports from the files of Fate, a magazine edited by Terry O'Neil.
The story first came to light in 1937 when an expedition led by Chi Pu-Tei came across a group of caves deep in the Bayan-Kara-Ula Mountains. In the caves were found strange-looking skeletons with big heads and small, slender bodies--closely matching typical descriptions of space aliens. The explorers also uncovered 716 mysterious stone discs with strange hieroglyphics on them.
In Qinghai Province, where the mountains lie, ancient stories tell of small, skinny beings with oversize heads who came from the sky long long ago. And to this day, locals live in fear of attack from strange-looking creatures from above.
And there is more. In 1947, British scientist Karyl Robin-Evans led an expedition into the mountains and discovered a group of dwarfs who called themselves the Droza. "They told him that their ancestors came from a planet in the Sirius system and crashed in this mountain area a long time ago," writes Hausdorf, "Many of them were killed, but survivors adapted to living on this rough planet far from home."
For decades, Robin-Evans' claims were dismissed as nonsense. But in 1995, the Associated Press reported that in the region a village named Huilong had been discovered--populated by 120 dwarfs ranging from 3-foot-10 to 2-foot-1tall.Hausdorf asks, "Could these people be the last living descendants of the survivors of the legendary UGO crash--the Chinese Roswell?" | high1103.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Negative"
},
"options": [
"Negative",
"Positive",
"Neutral",
"The passage doesn't tell us"
],
"question": "What is the doctors' general attitude to human cloning according to the passage?",
"question_type": ... | Room doctors and medical groups around the world last weekend reacted with strong opposition to the news that an Italian specialist is _ cloning the first human baby.
Dr. Severino Antinori, who is head of a hospital in Rome, has been referred to in an Arab newspaper claiming that one of his parents is eight weeks pregnant with a cloned baby.
Antinori refused to comment on the reports, but in March 2001 he said he hoped to produce a cloned embryo for implantation with two years. So far seven different kinds of animals have already successfully been cloned, including sheep, cats and most recently rabbits.
Doctors showed their doubt and were strongly opposed although they admitted that human cloning would finally come true unless there was a worldwide ban on the practice.
Professor Rudolf Jaenisch of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said, "I find it astonishing that people do this where the result can be foretold that it will not be a normal baby. It is using humans as guinea pigs . It makes people feel sick."
But Ronald Green, director of the Ethics Institute at Darmouth College in the USA, said it is unlikely that an eight-week-old pregnancy would lead to a birth.
So far all cloned animals have suffered from some different serious disorders, many of them dying soon after their birth.
Doctors are opposed to human cloning because they are worried about the welfare of the cloned child if there is one. "There are no benefits of cloned human beings, just harm," said Dr. Michael Wilks of the U.K. | high22841.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They are given too much praise."
},
"options": [
"They don't do well at school.",
"They are often misunderstood.",
"They are eager to win in sports.",
"They are given too much praise."
],
"question": "What does ... | Make Up Your Mind to Succeed
Kind-hearted parents have unknowingly left their children defenseless against failure. The generation born between 1980 and 2001 grew up playing sports where scores and performance were played down because "everyone's winner." And their report cards sounded more positive than ever before. As a result, Stanford University professor Carol Dweck, PhD, calls them "the overpraised generation."
Dweck has been studying how people deal with failure for 40 years. Her research has led her to find out two clearly different mind-sets that have a great effect on how we react to it. Here's how they work:
A fixed mind-set is grounded in the belief that talent is genetic - you're a born artist, point guard, or numbers person. The fixed mind-set believes it's sure to succeed without much effort and regards failure as personal shame. When things get difficult, it's quick to blame, lie, and even stay away from future difficulties.
On the other hand, a growth mind-set believes that no talent is entirely heaven-sent and that effort and learning make everything possible. Because the ego isn't on the line as much, the growth mind-set sees failure as a chance rather than shame. When faced with a difficulty, it's quick to rethink, change and try again. In fact, it enjoys this experience.
We are all born with growth mind-sets. (Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to live in the world.) But parents, teachers, and instructors often push us into fixed mind-sets by encouraging certain actions and misdirecting praise. Dweck's book, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, and online instructional program explain this in depth. But she says there are many little things you can start doing today to make sure that your children, grandchildren and even you are never defeated by failure. | high497.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To find everything except information and funny cat videos."
},
"options": [
"To find information for homework assignments.",
"To find everything except information and funny cat videos.",
"To find funny cat videos on the Int... | Kids love the all-knowing Google. Your kids likely use Google to help them find everything from information for homework assignments, to funny cat videos, and everything in between. Sometimes kids can take a "wrong turn" on Google and end up in a dark part of the Internet where they shouldn't be. Thankfully, Google has some parental control features that parents can implement to at least help reduce the volume of crap that ends up in search results,which can enable you to help keep your curious kids from ending up on the wrong side of the tracks.
What is Google SafeSearch? Google SafeSearch is one of the primary parental control options offered by Google to help parents police search results. SafeSearch helps to filter explicit content out of search results. It is mainly designed to target sexually explicit material (images and videos) and not violent content.
How to Enable Google SafeSearch?1. From the "Search Settings" preferences page, place a check in the box with the label "Filter explicit results". 2. To lock this setting so that your child can't change it, click the "Lock SafeSearch" link. If you are not already logged into your Google account, you will need to do so in order to lock SafeSearch to the "on" position.
Enable SafeSearch on Mobile Devices. In addition to your computer, you will probably also want to enable SafeSearch on any mobile device that your child uses regularly. For instructions on how to enable SafeSearch on a variety of mobile devices, check out Google's SafeSearch Mobile support page. As we all know, kids are going to be kids and try to test their boundaries. We put up one roadblock and they go around it. It's a constant cat and mouse game and there will always be some internet door that we as parents forget to lock, and that will be the one that the kids get through, but we do the best we can. | high13444.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "children's screen time should be limited"
},
"options": [
"children's screen time should be limited",
"most childhood obesity problems are caused by bad TV watching habits",
"children under seven shouldn't watch TV at all",
... | A recent study shows that young people in the UK aged between 11 and 15 spend, on average,52 hours a week in front of a screen.Dr.Aric Sigman, a researcher from the British Psychological Society,believes watching too much TV can cause health problems for children,including attention deficit disorder and obesity .He said children under three shouldn't watch TV at all. Children aged between three and seven should watch no more than 30 minutes to an hour of TV a day; 7 to 12-year-olds should be limited to an hour,and 12 to 15-year-olds should watch one and a half hours at most.
Both adults and children believe that it can be difficult to cut down on screen time."It needs a bit of effort,but small steps can make a difference,"says Dr. Aric Sigman.He also offered some tips to change the family's TV habits.
TVs and computers should be placed out of children's bedrooms.Watching TV before going to sleep doesn't help children to settle . Having the TV and computer in a family room also means that parents can know what they are watching and who they are talking to online.Parents can tell children how much time they can spend watching TV or playing computer games.Parents can tell children to do something different,such as playing games or going out for a bike ride.Dr. Aric Sigman says:"We went into lots of schools and the children told us they wished their parents would take them to the park and play with them." | high18511.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "impress others with the fact that he loves reading"
},
"options": [
"make his house look more beautiful",
"show that his father is a learned person",
"impress others with the fact that he loves reading",
"show that he i... | Having a great collection of books at home doesn't really mean that you are a person who loves reading. It may be got from your father or your father's father, and it can just impress people around you with the fact that you are a person of culture.
From my point of view, reading is very important in our daily life. For example, reading is a way of gaining knowledge in different areas. It can help us have a great imagination, and it makes things easier when it comes to making compositions on different themes. It gives you the possibility to speak about science, even if you don't work in this field. You can express your opinions about a political event because you have read something about that.
Secondly, reading gives us the possibility to enter the world of imagination. We can imagine what life will be like in the future. Sometimes, we compare ourselves with the people in the stories we read and they can give us some clues to solve the problems and tell us what to do in certain situations. Books are based on real life. Even if writers are considered to be somehow different from common people, they often face the same problems as we all do.
In short, I would like to say that literature is the perfect way of enriching our culture, expressing correctly, having a rich vocabulary, being able to understand different fields and really being considered to be a learned person. | high17622.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "as long as there are animals that can give milk."
},
"options": [
"as long as there are animals that can give milk.",
"where there are animals that can give milk.",
"if there are animals and people in the world.",
"if w... | Milk was one of the main foods of people long before history was written. It will probably keep on being one as long as there are animals that give milk.
Even the word "milk" is very old. It comes from Sanskrit ( ), one of the oldest languages known to man. A very old picture of _ has been found. It was drawn more than five thousand years ago.
In the years long ago, people got their milk from their own animals. But later new inventions made the milk industry a big business. In 1851 Gail Borden found a way to take some of the water out of milk. This made it keep much longer. Four years later, Louis Pasteur introduced a way to kill the bacteria ( ) in milk. Next, a special milk bottle was made. This was followed by the invention of machines that could fill bottles with milk.
These discoveries had a great effect on the milk industry. They meant that milk could be stored longer.
Some people believe that milk drinking will become less popular that it has been. But remember how long milk has been an important food and think of many ways in which it is useful. It seems safe to say that milk industry will always be important. | high21390.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To help deal with some puzzles on entering American colleges."
},
"options": [
"To attract more people to the website.",
"To introduce the TOEIC to readers.",
"To ask questions on entering American universities.",
"To h... | We answer some questions this week in our series on getting into an American college or university.
The first question is about our recent discussion of English language test. Vo Ngoc from Vietnam would like to know about the TOEIC, which is designed to measure skills of English as spoken in the workplace.
The Educational Testing Service administers the TOEIC. It says the test measures the language skills of people working in an international environment. American colleges and universities accept scores from the TOFEL and often the IELTS. If you miss our report on these tests, you can find it at our website www. unsv. com..
Tahir Mahood from Pakistan asks how to improve his English before taking these kinds of tests. Well, you can start by looking for ways to use English as much as you can Watch American movies and TV shows and read books in English Look for English speakers to talk to.
The Internet has many free materials for Engiish learners. Visitors to www. unsv. com. for example, can read, listen and watch programmes on many different subjects. The U.S. Department of Education recent launched a free website designed to help immigrants learn English.
The site is called USA Learns at www. usalearns, org, like www. chinadaily. cn, intended for English learners in China
Next,a question from Turkey:Hasan Eker asks about getting a postdoctoral position in the U. S. This is work generally done by a person who recently earned a PhD. The National Post-doctoral Association in Washington has information about international postdocs on its website www. Nationalpostal.org.
And, finally, we have questions from Iran, Afghanistan and Indonesia about how to pay an education through jobs. There're rules that restrict the kinds of jobs that foreign students
can have while studying in the U. S. | high11253.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the plane did not fly at all that day"
},
"options": [
"the Wrights did not invite them",
"the plane could not stay long in the air",
"the plane did not fly at all that day",
"they had wanted to see a better machine"
... | Today, when a man steps on to the moon, or something new and important happens, the world learns about it immediately. What did the newspapers say about that first flight in 1903? Strangely enough, they said hardly anything about it at all. There are only a few reports about it in the papers. These reports said very little. Some of the things they said were not even correct.
In 1904 the Wrights built a second machine. They called it " _ No. Two". They invited some reporters to a field near Dayton to watch them fly. Unfortunately, there was some mechanical trouble with the plane and it did not fly at all that day. The newspapermen went away. They were disappointed and did not come back. The Wrights went on with their work. In 1905, they built an even better machine, "Flyer No Three". They were able to stay upon the air for half an hour and more in the machine. Farmers and travelers on the road around the Dayton often saw them flying, but when three people told newspapermen about it, they refused to believe them.
The Wrights offered "Flyer No. Three" to the United States government. The government was not interested. They seemed to think the Wrights wanted money in order to build a plane. They did not understand the Wrights had already done this, and flown it as well. Experts were still saying that mechanical flight was impossible. At the end of 1905, the two brothers took their planes to pieces. The parts were put into a huge wooden box. It seemed nobody was interested. | high3714.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "carry the bag of potatoes everywhere they go"
},
"options": [
"keep the bag of potatoes in the classroom",
"carry the bag of potatoes everywhere they go",
"leave the bag of potatoes at home",
"count the bag of potatoes ... | A teacher let her class play a game. The teacher told each child to bring a bag with some potatoes. Each potato would be given a name of a person that the child hated, so the number of potatoes in his/her bag would depend on the number of people the child hated. Some children had two potatoes, some had three and others had up to five potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry the bag wherever they went for a week. After a week, the teacher asked, "How did you feel?" The children started complaining about the unpleasant smell coming from the _ potatoes when they had to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes everywhere they went.
Then the teacher said," This is the same when you carry your hate for somebody inside your heart. The smell of hate will pollute your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot bear the smell of rotten potatoes for just one week, can you imagine what it is like to have the smell of hate in your heart for your lifetime?" | high10159.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Living in packs"
},
"options": [
"Living in packs",
"Hunting at night",
"Occupying a large area",
"Finding fellows"
],
"question": "What makes communication the most important part of wolves' lives?",
"quest... | Wolves travel in groups, and they perform almost all the other activities of their lives in the company of fellow wolves. This is one of the most important facts that modern science have learned about wolves and one of the things that most clearly explain their way of life.
The pack is usually a family group. It is made up of animals related to each other by blood. The centre of a pack is a pair of wolves----an adult male and female that have produced young. The other members of the pack are their offspring : young wolves ranging in age from pups to two- and three-year-olds. Most packs have 6 or 7 members, although some may include as many as 15 wolves.
Relationships among creatures that live close together in groups are often very complex, and this is true of the ties that connect the members of a wolf pack. Scientific studies of captive wolves and wolf packs in the wild have shown that many complex rules of behavior seem to govern the way that the animals relate to each other.
When wolf pups are born into a pack, one of the most important things they must learn is the "language" of the group, the method by which pack members keep in touch with each other, sharing information and communicating their feelings. Scientists have discovered that wolves have a very complex system of communication.
The most famous wolf sound is, of course, the howl, and it is a very important part of wolf language.
When people think about howling, they usually imagine a sad, lonely sound made by a wolf sitting all alone on a hilltop in the moonlight. However, this picture in most human beings' mind is not completely true. Wolves howl at any time, not just at night, and they often howl together, not alone.
Group or chorus howling is another means by which the members of a wolf reaffirm their ties with each other and their closeness as a group. One wolf----often the male leader----will point its nose at the sky, open its mouth, and start to howl. Immediately the other members of the pack rush to stand beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and join their voices to his. Each wolf howls on its own note so that a big chorus of slightly different sounds is produced.
Chorus howling often takes place before a wolf pack goes out to hunt. At the end of a successful hunt, the pack may also celebrate with a group howl. While wolves are on the track of prey ,they are usually silent.
There are occasions when a wolf will howl by itself. This may happen when an animal is separated from the pack. Pack members seem to recognize each other's voices and will keep responding to the howl of their wandering relative until the group is reunited.
Because howling is a sound that carries over a considerable distance, it is very useful in communications among separated members of a pack. Howling is also used when members of different packs have to get in touch with each other to pass on information about their locations and their purposes. | high5371.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the UN Security Council had decided to shorten the time for the oil-for-food program"
},
"options": [
"oil price is too low in the international market",
"the UN Security Council had decided to shorten the time for the oil-for-food... | Vienna--Although Iraq's decided to stop oil deliveries , the 11-nation Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will not increase production to make up the shortfall caused by Iraq.
The 11 oil ministers decided to meet again on July 3 to discuss the effects of the Iraq temporary stop. The organization's president Charkid Khelil of Algeria said after the meeting that stocks were high and prices were stable and that quota increases were not necessary.
The EU Commission has also expressed concern about Iraq's output stop. A speaker said OPEC had to take all possible measures to keep or lower the oil price.
Saudi Arabia's Oil Minister Ali Al-Nuaimi had earlier said that there would not be any shortfall of oil in the market. The organization had already taken steps to fill the gap , he said. OPEC Secretary General Ali Rodriguez added that the period of the Iraq stop to export was not known, so other exporters were not going to lift quotas yet. If the market was destabilized , a suitable response would be made.
Iraq stopped delivery of crude oil on Monday to protest against the UN Security Council's decision to extend the oil-for-food program by only a month, instead of the normal six-month renewal .
Just before the Vienna meeting, oil prices had gone up, with a barrel of OPEC crude selling for 27.05 dollars, up from 26.81 dollars last Friday. And north sea oil was at 29.26 dollars Monday evening.
OPEC wanted the oil price to stay within a margin of 22 to 28 dollars and achieved that in January and March by reducing 2.5 million barrels per day off quotas. | high18505.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Return the call as soon as possible."
},
"options": [
"Text an apology to the caller.",
"Give a reason for the delay.",
"Wait till the caller calls again.",
"Return the call as soon as possible."
],
"question": ... | Mobile Phone Manners
Mobile phones have changed the way we communicate;they have also brought about problems in phone manners.Gaik Lira, a Singapore-based advice has some advice on phone manners.
When dealing with missed calls,the person being.called should return the call."Calls should be returned as soon as possible, and no later than the following day. Anything later than that,and an apology or a reason for the delay should go with the call."
Text messages should be kept short and to the point.If they go beyond four or five lines,call or e-mail instead."The use of short forms should be among family members and friends,never in a business situation."
Speak in a low voice as if you were talking to someone next to you.If the connection is bad,don't raise your voice in order to be heard,simply move to another place where the connection may be better.And if that doesn't work,tell the caller to call you back or offer to call at a later time.
When a conversation is cut off due to a bad connection,the person who started the conversation should call back."It may be inconvenient for the other person to return the call,especially if it's an unlisted number,or an overseas call."
When running late for a date or meeting,it is acceptable to text to inform that you'll be delayed.Messages should be apologetic."A message like'Sorry.Will be about 30 mi- nutes late due to flight delay'is considered polite and thoughtful."
Taking calls during meetings is only acceptable if you have informed the chairperson that you are expecting an urgent call.If you get an unexpected but urgent call,apologize to those present and offer a quick explanation as to why you have to take that call.Then leave the room to contioue your phone conversation. | high17636.txt |
[] | Sometimes there doesn't seem to be enough rain. Other times there is too much. Maybe thereisn't a lot we can do to control the rain, but there is a lot we can do to reduce problems caused bydifferent rainfall patterns.
A new development at the London Wetland Centre in Barnes solves the problems of managingwater with a "Rain Garden". We are likely to be hearing about it a lot more often over the next fewyears. The idea is that the garden owner can store rainwater and use it in dry periods. They canreduce the problems caused by extra rain this way.
One of the key problems that the rain garden tries to deal with is the problem caused by toomuch water in the street. In a natural environment, a lot of rainwater is sent back into the air byplants. Much is also absorbed deep into the ground, and flows into streams and rivers. What happensin city environments can be completely different ---- a large amount of rainwater flows straight offthe hard surfaces of roofs and roads. The harder the rain, the less likely it will be absorbed into theground ---- floods are the result. Rainwater running off roads is often polluted.
The rain garden deals with living plants rather than hard surfaces. Plants are designed to holdwater and release it slowly, either into the ground, to be absorbed by plant roots (and so eventuallyback up into the atmosphere) or to go down into the water table. Not only does the rain gardenreduce the amount of water that flows onto the street, but it helps to clean it because plants are very goodat breaking down pollutants . | high16528.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "is unable to communicate with others well"
},
"options": [
"is unable to use his legs",
"likes reading novels",
"is disliked by people around him",
"is unable to communicate with others well"
],
"question": "An ... | The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a novel about a 15-year-old autistic boy named Christopher Boone. After discovering the dead body of Wellington, his neighbor's dog, Christopher decides to find out the cause of the dog's death. He records his findings, as he has decided that he will create a "murder mystery novel" of the situation. But like any murder mystery novel, nothing is as simple as it seems. Christopher runs into many difficult situations because of his disability. He again and again mentions how he admires Sherlock Holmes (a fictional detective), which gives me an understanding as to why he continues to look into Wellington's death even after his father makes him promise not to.
Christopher's story seems so true and heartfelt and that makes the novel an entertaining read. The author, Mark Haddon, had me wanting to keep reading to find out what Christopher would get himself into next.
Haddon shows how Christopher' s disability affects how he goes about solving the mystery. Christopher has difficulty in communicating or forming relationships with others, but he has a great visual memory and ability to understand difficult math.
This book was required reading at my school, but it became more than something I had to read. Haddon showed how these disabilities affect the lives of not only the children diagnosed with them, but also those around them.
The novel feels real because it was written from Christopher's point of view. For example, when Christopher explains that when he was little he didn't understand much about other people having minds, it gives the impression that he's a real person.
I believe that teenagers sometimes aren't sensitive to kids with mental disabilities. I think that when people read this novel, they will have a better understanding of what people with mental disabilities and those around them have to deal with on a daily basis. | high21384.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "makes women enjoy high-heel:boots in winter"
},
"options": [
"makes women like Doc Martens more",
"protects the back end of high-heel boots",
"makes women enjoy high-heel:boots in winter",
"protects women from being rob... | *Walking tall, and safely
Some women simply refuse to give up high heels, despite slush ( ) , ice and snow. Now there's Winter Trax for them, designed to fit over high-heel boots and make their walk on the wild side a little more safe. Metal coils ( ) wrap around rubber at the front end of the shoe, with the heel end open.
*Snow skirt steps up into fashion
Down with snow pants. Up with snow skirts! Montreal's Fantasy Wolrd Heroes has created these skirts to layer over minis and jeans as the snow season sets in. In a range of colors and available in wool, lends and quiltings, they come in four sizes and adjustable.
*
Doc Martens, those army-inspired leather boots, are back. They were last popular when Kurt Cobain was all the rage( ). So far, just a few teens and fashion people have been spotted wearing the slight fat boots, but they have already appeared on stylish models like Irina Lazareanu and Agyness Deyn.
Neon stores sold Doc Martens 15 years ago and its owner Irving Tajfel wasn't sure at first if he was ready to relive the trend.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Doc Martens at a fashion fair in Barcelona last year. Then I saw all the cool fashion kids wearing them in Paris. That got me thinking that it was about time Doc Martens came back in style here." Tajfel said. | high11247.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A special fish living in freezing waters."
},
"options": [
"The terrible conditions in the Antarctic.",
"A special fish living in freezing waters.",
"The ice shelf around Antarctica.",
"Protection of the Antarctic cod."... | Far from the land of Antarctica , a huge shelf of ice meets the ocean. At the underside of the shelf there lives a small fish, the Antarctic cod.
For forty years scientists have been curious about that fish. How does it live where most fish would freeze to death? It must have some secret. The Antarctic is not a comfortable place to work and research has been slow. Now it seems we have an answer.
Research was begun by cutting holes in the ice and catching the fish. Scientists studied the fish's blood and measured its freezing point.
The fish were taken from seawater that had a temperature of -1.88degC and many tiny pieces of ice floating in it. The blood of the fish did not begin to freeze until its temperature was lowered to -2.05degC. That small difference is enough for the fish to live at the freezing temperature of the ice-salt mixture.
The scientists' next research job was clear: Find out what in the fish's blood kept it from freezing. Their search led to some really strange thing made up of a protein never before seen in the blood of a fish. When _ was removed, the blood froze at seawater temperature. When it was put back, the blood again had its antifreeze quality and a lowered freezing point.
Study showed that it is an unusual kind of protein. It has many small sugar molecules held in special positions within each big protein molecule. Because of its sugar content, it is called a _ . So it has come to be called the antifreeze fish glycoprotein, or AFGP. | high3700.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To analyze the functions of fake buttons."
},
"options": [
"To analyze the functions of fake buttons.",
"To describe some different kinds of fake buttons.",
"To explain the advantages and disadvantages of fake buttons.",
... | Whenever we see a button, we are eager to press it because we know something will happen. This is true in most cases, for example on a doorbell and on the "on/off" button on the TV. But some buttons are actually fake, like the "close" button on a lift.
Many people are in the habit of pressing the "close" button because they don't have the patience to wait for the lift doors to shut. But lifts' "close" buttons are a complete scam , at least in the US-the doors will not close any faster no matter how hard you press.
It started in the 1990s when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in the US, making sure that all lifts stayed open long enough so that people with disabilities could enter. Only US firefighters and repairmen can use the buttons to speed up the door-closing process if they have a code or special keys.
But to normal lift riders, the buttons aren't completely useless. According to psychologists, fake buttons can actually make you feel better by offering you a sense of control.
"Perceived control is very important. It reduces stress and increases well-being," Ellen J. Langer, a psychology professor, said, " having a lack of control is associated with depression."
Experts have revealed that a lot of buttons that don't do anything exist in our lives _ . For example, many offices in the US have fake thermostats because people tend to feel better when they think they can control the temperature in their workspace.
But psychologists found it interesting that even when people are aware of these little "white lies", they still continue to push fake buttons because as long as the doors eventually close, it is considered to be worth the effort.
"That habit is here to stay," John Kounios, a psychology professor, said. "Even though I have real doubts about the traffic light buttons, I always press them. After all, I've got nothing else to do while waiting. So why not press the button in the hope that this one will work?" | high15021.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "\"Habits (Stay High)\" is sung by a Swedish singer Ebba Tove Elsa Nillson."
},
"options": [
"There are many news songs this week.",
"The article introduces from the first place song.",
"\"Do It Like A Dude\" is sung by Jessie... | We're unleashing the five most popular songs in the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, for the week ending November 15, 2014.
We don't get any new songs this week...but things do get shaken up a bit.
It all starts in fifth place, where Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj dip a notch with "Bang Bang." Jessie says she wanted to assemble this lineup for a long time - she says she only met the other two after the song went to number one on iTunes. Jessie also says she wanted to use Nicki five years ago on her debut single, "Do It Like A Dude."
Taking over fourth place is Maroon 5 with "Animals." This band has been around for 20 years...but not always under this name. The Los Angeles group formed in 1994 as Kara's Flowers, and released one album under that name in 1997. Four years later the members re-grouped as Maroon 5, and the rest is chart history.
Holding in third place is Tove Lo with "Habits (Stay High)." Where did that name come from? This Swedish artist's real name is Ebba Tove Elsa Nillson. "Lo" is Swedish for lynx - a species of wildcat that Tove says she fell in love with as a little girl.
After eight weeks, Meghan Trainor falls off the Hot 100 pedestal: "All About That Bass" falls to second place. Last week, she and Miranda Lambert sang this song at the Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, and Meghan kicks off a headlining North American tour next February in Vancouver, Canada.
Taylor Swift re-takes the Hot 100 title, with "Shake It Off" - giving her three total weeks at the top - but that's only the beginning of her phenomenal week. Taylor's 1989 album just opened at number one by selling 1.2 million domestic copies. That's the largest sales week since The Eminem Show sold 1.3 million copies, way back in 2002.
That's a wrap for this week, but as you know, the chart is always changing. Come back in seven days for an all-new lineup. | high8655.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "We will probably meet many problems in the course of applying sustainable management."
},
"options": [
"Sustainable management is usually used in commercial units.",
"Sustainable management is more powerful than laws.",
"We w... | Sustainable management is seen as a practical and economical way of protecting species from dying out. Instead of depending on largely ineffective laws against poaching , it gives local people a good economic reason to preserve plants and animals. In Zimbabwe, for instance, there is a sustainable management project to protect elephants. Foreign tourists pay large sums of money to kill these animals for sports. This money is then given to the inhabitants of the area where the hunting takes place. In theory, locals will be encouraged to protect elephants, instead of poaching them because of the economic benefit involved.
This sounds like a sensible strategy, but it remains to be seen whether it will work. With corruption in these developing countries, some observers are skeptical that the money will actually reach the people it is intended for. Others wonder how effective the locals will be at stopping poachers.
There are also questions about whether sustainable management is practical when it comes to protecting forests. In theory, the principle should be the same as with elephants --- allow logging companies to cut down certain number of trees, but not so many as to completely destroy the forest.
Sustainable management of forests requires controls on the number of trees which are cut down, as well as investment in replacing them. Because almost all tropical forests are located in countries which desperately need funds from logging, there are few regulations and motive to do this.
One solution might be to confirm wood comes from sustainably managed forests. In theory, consumers would buy only this wood and so force logging companies to _ or go out of business. Unfortunately, unrestricted logging is so much more profitable that wood prices from managed forests would cost up to five times more --- an increase that consumers, no matter how "green", are unlikely to pay. | high7566.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "show that e-bikes are really becoming popular now"
},
"options": [
"show that he is wild about the future technology",
"tell us that he is an agent for the e--bike market",
"tell us that actors care only convenience no the pr... | Sales of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, a hot item in consumer green tech, are expected to grow by more than 50% in North America during 2013. Actor William Shatner, who is no stranger to futuristic tech, recently purchased two e-bikes for him and his wife.
I've been shopping for an e-bike now for a few weeks, and I've had my eye on the folding electric bike. I've had folding bikes in the past and love the convenience of being able to throw my bike into my car.
The e -bike market is ready to go mainstream in the U.S. The price for e-bikes has come down greatly in recent months. At one time, most e-bikes with good components and proper weight were in the $3,000range. Now you can find reasonable quality e-bikes in the $1,000range. With gas prices at all-time highs, e-bikes are an attractive, low-cost option to gas efficient vehicles.
E-bike owners are finding that they are great for commuting to work, as traditional bikes can be a problem with office dress and sweat.
People who use e-bikes range from commuters to casual cyclers who like a little help with hills and wind,to those who decided to save money on buying a motor bike.These are not for the serious road cycler or professional mountain biker.
If you're considering all e--bike, it pays to do some research first.Cheaper e-bikes are going to be heavier and have less battery--power.Higher priced bikes will be made from lighter materials and have better batteries.
Another consideration is local motor vehicle laws.For example,according to US federal law,as long as your electric bike is under 750 watts and does not go over 20 MPH then it is a bicycle and not a motor vehicle.Most consumer e--bikes in the $1,000 range don't fit the motorized vehicle description. | high23593.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Some errors and failures in business are unavoidable"
},
"options": [
"Only regular customers deserve good treatments",
"New customers are treated well in large organizations",
"Some errors and failures in business are unavoi... | One of the odd things about some business organizations is that they spend so much money attracting new customers but spend so little keeping them. It just doesn't make sense. However, taking customers for granted is a routine in some business organizations.
Loyal customers are an organization's only protection against bankruptcy , and losing them because of neglect or indifference is really wrong. Not only do satisfied customers continue to buy by themselves, but they often encourage others to buy. This is advertising that doesn't cost a penny. Although there are always problems in giving good service to customers, maintaining their business isn't all that difficult. It's a matter of attitude, of believing that everyone who buys from you is entitled to the best treatment you can deliver. Plus giving just a little more than you have to.
There are always problems in giving good service to customers. The reason, of course, is that no organization is perfect, and there's many a slip: unreasonable delays in filling orders, shipping the wrong goods, failing to answer letters promptly, and so on. Sometimes these errors or failures can't be helped. For example, if you can't get parts because of material shortages or a transportation strike, customers may be denied the goods they've ordered.
No matter who is at fault, customers whom you value highly should generally be given the benefit of the doubt. The old saying that _ . Customers who repeatedly place large orders and pay for them will naturally, get more attention than those who buy infrequently and have to be badgered to pay what they owe. However, you have to make the assumption that all customers are good unless proved otherwise. | high12996.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "exciting experience* with a lot of fun"
},
"options": [
"great chances to help other people",
"happy occasions to play with baby chickens",
"exciting experience* with a lot of fun",
"good opportunities to enjoy chocolat... | As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mill carrier, and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did.
In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when 1 was a boy it was such a fun to stick your finger 'through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers.
On Dad' s final day of work, it took him well into the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each family was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. "Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route." he used to say, "and a story at every one. " One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills.
Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read. "Nat, take these eggs to Marian; she's baking a cake and doesn't have any eggs. " Mailboxes might be buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the groom:. bat the mail was always delivered On cold days Dad might find one of his customers waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few button on the envelope in the mailbox; Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to 8 32,000.
A dozen years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad's death, the mailboxes along the way reminded me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn't the case.
As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles, one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green and the other was red, and each had a long narrow hole at the top with white lettering: SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE. For years children had dropped letters to Santa through those holes.
I made a turn at the comer and drove past the post office and across the railroad tracks to our house. Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard footsteps. There, at the door, stood Frank Townsend, Dad's postmaster and great friend for many years. So we all sat down at the table and began to tell stories.
At one point Frank looked at me with tears in his eyes. " What are we going to do about the letters this Christmas?" he asked.
"The letters?"
'I guess you never knew. "
"Knew what?"
" Remember, when you were a kid and you used to put your letters to Santa in those green and red boxes on Main Street? It was your dad who answered all those letters every year. "
I just sat there with tears in my eyes. It wasn't hard for me to imagine Dad sitting at the old table in our basement reading those letters and answering each one. I have since spoken with several of the people who received Christmas letters during their childhood, and they told me how amazed they were that Santa had known so much about their homes and families.
For me, just knowing that story about my father was the gift of a lifetime. | high483.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Such behavior lacks respect."
},
"options": [
"It is common in his family.",
"It is OK if the friends are close.",
"Such behavior lacks respect.",
"Such behavior sounds funny."
],
"question": "What does the auth... | There is a big question making the rounds among the parents at my daughter's class. Should the kids refer to the parents' friends as "Mr. Jones" or "Mrs. Smith", rather than using their first names? I was quite shocked, having come from a home where it would have been unheard of to refer to one of my parents' friends by their first names. This was reserved for only the closest of family friends and s, and even they always had "Aunt" or "Uncle" in front their name.
Respect is something that is earned. Unlike many of the other virtues we try to nurture in our kids, respect is a bit more complicated. It is not only necessary when dealing well with others, but the virtue of self-respect is critical for kids to succeed and feel good about themselves and their choices throughout their lives.
There are several factors that can have a big impact on kids and their ability to be respectful. The first one to consider is manners. Calling adults by their surnames, setting proper examples during sporting events and while driving, and how we talk to each other in our homes all can have an enormous effect on a child's concept of respect and how important it is. Many of these seemingly trivial ideas have become almost outdated, but one should seriously consider the value of these ideas before casting( ) them aside. It is easy to become unaware of these behaviors. Try to keep track of how often your child is subjected to this kind of disrespect.
The media, as you may have guessed, plays a large part in the increase in disrespect. Movies are equally to blame, with a PG movie often containing an abundant amount of _ language.
These factors and others all contribute to an alarming increase in disrespect in society. If we don't step in and change course, we will find living in a morally respectful culture unlikely. | high22855.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the man wasted some money advertising"
},
"options": [
"the man got his umbrella back",
"the man wasted some money advertising",
"nobody found the missing umbrella",
"the umbrella was found somewhere near the church"
... | A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspaper.
"Last week, " he said, "my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As
it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back. "
"How did you write your advertisement? " asked one of the listeners, a merchant.
"Here it is, " said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper. The other man took it and read, "Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street. "
"Now, " said the merchant, "I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance. Let us try for your umbrella again, and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one. "
The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: "If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street. He is well known. "
This appeared in the newspaper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors, and his own was among them. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter. | high1117.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "More and more Chinese are choosing coffee to drink"
},
"options": [
"Chinese people have long tradition of tea-drinking.",
"More and more Chinese are choosing coffee to drink",
"People in big cities like drinking coffee bette... | Asia has long tradition of tea- drinking. And China is no exception.
However, lately more and more Chinese people are turning to a different drink. Coffee has become an increasingly popular choice of Chinese people living abroad and in the country's huge cities. It is also a popular crop among those living in the mountains of southern Yunnan Province.
In big cities such as Beijing, coffee shops seem to be on nearly every major street corner. These shops are not just selling drinks from Starbucks, the world-famous coffee company. Coffee businesses from South Korea, Taiwan, HongKong and Britain are also operating in China.
Tea-drinking is steeped in the culture and traditions of many countries, like China and Japan. But is that changing? Are young people from Asia now choosing a cup of coffee instead of tea?
BeiBei Su is from China. She has been living in the United States for the past eight years. Before that, she lived in Italy for two years. Ms. Su says she likes tea better than coffee. But she adds that may not be true among the young generation in China. Many young Chinese people drink coffee socially --when meeting with friends. Yang Lin lives in the U.S. but comes from an area in China famous for growing tea. She used to only drink tea while in China. But now, she says, she drinks both and for different reasons.
Yang Lin says that drinking coffee for her is a social event. She and her co-workers like to sit in a cafe and talk over a cup of coffee. Voyo is another Chinese woman who now lives in Washington, D.C. She says that after moving to the U.S. Her tastes changed. We would call her a coffee _ , someone who now chooses to drink coffee.
With more people drinking coffee, many see an economic opportunity for Chinese -grown beans. China-grown coffee could be a money- maker even if most of the coffee on sale in China is imported. | high13450.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "where weather forecasts are made"
},
"options": [
"which is specially designed to help Smarter Child",
"where we people can find Smarter Child",
"where weather forecasts are made",
"which is about artificial intelligenc... | To what degree can a computer achieve intelligence?The answer to this question may lie in a newly-developed US computer program called Smarter Child and the Internet.
If you ran into Smarter Child online, you would be surprised at this kid's huge memory. It can recite many facts. For example, Smarter Child knows every baseball player in every team this season.
He knows every word in the dictionary and the weather in every major city areas across the US. However, if you ask Smarter Child other questions, you get strange answers. A question about Smarter Child's age returns, "One year, 11 days, 16 hours, 7 minutes, and 47 seconds!" Asking where he lives gets, "In a clean room in a high-tech building in California."
Smarter Child uses the vast information on the World Wide Web as his memory bank. To answer questions about spelling, for instance, Smarter Child goes to American Heritage Dictionary online. For the weather, he visits www.intellicast.com.
Some scientists believe that by joining the many systems of the Internet, an artificial being with the combined knowledge of, say, Albert Einstein, Richard Nixon and Britney Spears could be born. However, if Smarter Child wants to think and learn on his own like the boy-computer David in the movie A. I. Artificial Intelligence, he must solve two problems.
The first is that computers find it difficult to read web pages because the files are sorted in different ways. That's why programmers need to tell Smarter Child where to look for the weather. It would be a much more difficult task to let him find it himself.
Another problem is that while Smarter Child can process information more exactly and faster than any human, he lacks common sense--a basic grounding of knowledge that is obvious to any young child. | high1671.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The industrial revolution caused many Americans to lose their jobs."
},
"options": [
"Some working Americans in factories got fired.",
"Jobless workers had no choice but to sit there doing nothing at all.",
"Many American wor... | Imagine that 7 out of 10 working Americans got fired tomorrow. What would they all do? It's hard to believe it would happen. But that is what the industrial revolution did to the labor force of the early 19th century.
Two hundred years ago, 70 percent of American workers lived on the farm. Today automation has eliminated all but one percent of their jobs, replacing them with machines. But these workers did not sit, doing nothing. Instead, automation created hundreds of millions of jobs in completely new fields. Those who once farmed were then working in factories that produced farm equipment, cars, and other industrial products.
It may be hard to believe, but before the end of this century, _ Yes, dear reader, even you will have your job taken away by machines. In other words, robot replacement is just a matter of time, First, speedy robots being able to lift 150 pounds all day long will carry boxes, sort them, and load them onto trucks. Fruit and vegetable picking will continue to be robotized until no humans pick outside of specialty farms. Next, The work of cleaning in offices and schools will be taken over by late-night robots. The trucks will be driven by robots.
We need to let robots take over. They will do jobs we have been doing, and do them much better than we can. They will do jobs we can't do at all. They will do jobs we never imagined even needed to be done, and they will help us discover new jobs for ourselves and new tasks that expand who we are. They will let us focus on becoming more human than we were. | high13336.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "As a teacher, Noah Webster wasn't satisfied with the books he used."
},
"options": [
"Noah Webster had to borrow books from Britain when he was a student.",
"Noah Webster had his own government when he was very young.",
"When... | As a young adult, Noah Webster was a teacher. At this time, the colonies were fighting for independence from Britain. Yet the books that American children used in school all came from Britain. The books were all about British people and British places. Webster wanted books that would mean more to American children. So he wrote three books that used American examples -- a grammar book, a spelling book, and a reader. These books were very popular, and millions of them were sold.
Webster was interested in changing the spellings of words. He wanted words to be spelled the way they were pronounced. For example, he thought the word "head" should be spelled "hed", and the word "laugh" should be spelled "laf". People liked Webster's suggestions.
However, few words were actually changed. One group of words that were changed were words in which an unpronounced "u" followed an "o". That is why Americans write "color" and "labor", and the British write "colour" and "labour".
With the money he made from his books, Webster was able to write. It was the first American English dictionary, published in 1828. Webster's dictionary had over 70000 words and gave the meaning and origin of each. To this day, Webster's work is the example that most dictionaries of American English follow. | high14459.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "will be better some day"
},
"options": [
"doesn't need improving",
"couldn't be improved",
"will be better some day",
"will be worse in the future"
],
"question": "According to the woman mentioned in Para. 3, he... | How to improve our life? Many people think that they have to accept whatever life throws at them. They'll say, "This is my destiny .I cannot change it."
Of course not! You don't have to suffer needlessly. Your life depends on you, not on any other external factor.
I know a woman who says she just accepts what life gives her because she has done everything she can to improve it. Guess what her lifestyle is? She wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes back home, relaxes, chats with people, watches TV, and then goes to sleep. Next day, the same routine cycle follows.
Huh! Is this what she calls "doing her best"? She believes she has tried her best and just accepts it in her heart that this is the life that has been intended for her and that her luck can only change if God wills it. She hasn't realized that we have to do our share of making the effort to live the life of our dreams.
Remember that you harvest what you sow. You have to get off the sofa, get your eyes off the TV screen, get your hands off the phone(unless it contributes to your success),and get your mind and body to work! Don't expect your luck to change, unless you do something about it. If something goes wrong, don't just regard it as a temporary setback; instead, learn your lesson, make the most of the situation, and do something to solve the problem. It's not enough to think positively; you also have to act positively.
If someone's life is in trouble, do you just hope and pray that things will turn out fine? Of course not! You get to do anything you can to save the person. So it is with your own life. It is not enough to hope for the best, but you have to do your best. In other words, don't just stand(or sit)there, do something to improve your life. | high15747.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "some other cultural aspects of nonverbal communication"
},
"options": [
"classification of nonverbal communication",
"the reasons why people should think about space",
"the relationship between communication and space",
... | Another cultural aspect of nonverbal communication is one that you might not think about: space. Every person perceives himself to have a sort of invisible shield surrounding his physical body. When someone comes too close, he feels uncomfortable. When he bumps onto someone, he feels obligated to apologize. But the size of a person's "comfort zone" depends on his cultural ethnic origin. For example, in casual conversation, many Americans stand about four feet apart. In other words, they like to keep each other "at arm's length", people in Latin or Arab cultures, in contrast, stand very close to each other, and touch each other often. If someone from one of those cultures stands too close to an American while in conversation, the American may feel uncomfortable and back away.
When Americans are talking, they expect others to respond to what they are saying. To Americans, polite conversationalists empathize by displaying expressions of excitement or disgust, shock or sadness. People with a "poker face", whose emotions are hidden by a deadpan expression, are looked upon with suspicion. Americans also indicate their attentiveness in a conversation by raising their eyebrows, nodding, smiling politely and maintaining good eye contact. Whereas some cultures view direct eye contact as impolite or threatening, Americans see it as a sign of genuineness and honesty. If a person doesn't look you in the eye, American might say, you should question his motives--or assume that he doesn't like you. Yet with all the concern for eye contact, Americans still consider staring--especially at strangers--to be rude. | high7200.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A bitter feeling will develop in our mind"
},
"options": [
"We will always be criticized and hurt",
"We will not blame others for any reason",
"A bitter feeling will develop in our mind",
"We will not be particular abou... | Have you ever hated anyone? Well, probably you don't really hate them. But you do get angry the moment you think of them. If you don't get out of the anger, it may turn into bitterness .
Bitterness can come about when we can't forgive someone who has hurt us or made us angry. Someone might say or do something that hurts us. But we keep it deep inside instead of working through the anger. Before long, a bitter feeling begins to grow. The bitterness shows when we constantly criticize the one who hurt us. We may think we are hurting that person, but we are really only hurting ourselves.
Bitterness is a harmful emotion that affects the whole body. It can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure. Bitterness can stop us from concentrating on important things. Instead, we waste time thinking about how we have been hurt.
Finally, holding on to bitterness can hurt our relationships with friends and family members. No one enjoys being around an angry, negative person for very long.
Author Chuck Swindoll once said, " Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it." That means when someone hurts you, your response is more important than what happened. You can choose to let go of hurt. You can also choose to hold on to hurt, which results in bitterness.
If you see bitterness in your life, here are some ways to deal with it.
Stop making excuses for it.
You may feel you have a fight to be angry. You may even secretly enjoy making the other person look sad. But in the end, bitterness hurts you much more than the other person.
Forgive and forget it.
The best thing you can do is to forgive and forget. You probably can't totally put the act out of your mind. But you can decide to forgive the other person. Let it go and move on. You'll enjoy better health and peace of mind. | high3066.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The Consequences of Communication Technology"
},
"options": [
"The Advance of Modern Technology",
"The Consequences of Communication Technology",
"The Story of Communication Revolution",
"The Automation of Modern Commun... | A funny thing happened on the way to the communication revolution: we stopped talking to one another.
I was walking in the park with a friend recently, and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were, walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and suddenly, I became invisible, absent from the conversation.
The telephone used to connect you to the absent. Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent. Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communication technology is a tragedy to the closeness of human interaction. With email and instant messaging over the Internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With voice-mail, you can conduct entire conversations without ever reaching anyone. If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine.
As almost every contact we can imagine between human beings gets automated, the emotional distance index goes up. You can't even call a person to get the phone number of another person any more. Directory assistance is almost always fully automated.
I am not against modern technology. I own a cell phone, an ATM card, a voice-mail system, and an email account. Giving them up isn't wise. They're a great help to us. It's some of their possible consequences that make me feel uneasy.
More and more, I find myself hiding behind email to do a job meant for conversations or being relieved with voice-mail picking up because I don't really have time to talk. The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier. | high4709.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "By providing opposite opinions"
},
"options": [
"By presenting others' prediction",
"By asking a question",
"By providing opposite opinions",
"By talking about the background"
],
"question": "How does the author... | Some say the Internet will kill off papers. Others say not so fast.
Are newspapers dying?
That's the heated debate these days. Many say the disappearance of the daily paper is just a matter of time. The future of journalism is in news websites, not newsprint.
However, others say, newspapers have been with us for hundreds of years, and while all news may be online some day, papers can exist for some time.
So who's right? I'll outline the arguments on both sides, and then you can decide.
Newspapers Are Dead
Newspapers are in trouble. Circulation is dropping, display and classified ad income is drying up, and the industry has experienced a hard time. Big metro papers like the Rocky Mountain News have stopped operating, and even bigger newspaper companies like the Tribune Co. go bankrupt .
And where are newspaper readers going? To the Web. A recent study has found that Internet users read online newspapers for an average of 53 minutes per week in 2008. That's highest level recorded in the eight years when the study has been done.
The study found that 22 percent of users said they stopped their subscription to a printed paper or magazine because they could access the same content online.
Some people say the Internet is just a better place to get the news. "On the Web, newspapers are live, and they can supplement their coverage with audio, video, and the valuable resources of their vast contents," says Geffrey I. Cole, director of the Center for the Digital Future. | high5417.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "best prevention for obesity"
},
"options": [
"American living habits",
"best prevention for obesity",
"children's self-esteem",
"healthy food for children"
],
"question": "The passage is mainly about_.",
"qu... | Can we seek simple, effective ways to help kids grow up against the national obesity trend?
Here's advice from a new study:
--Make sure kids eat healthfully, starting with a good breakfast every day.
--Limit kids' sedentary free time.
--Promote positive self-esteem in children.
--Be a good role model for a healthy life.
Those tips come from Ashley Crossman, a graduate student at Arizona State University's sociology department. She looked at data from national surveys of about 6,400 teens and young adults.
Crossman presented her findings in Philadelphia at the American Sociological Association's annual meeting.
What is Obesity?
Healthy Habits
Participants who grew up to have a healthy weight had some common traits. As teens, they ate breakfast, had good self-esteem, and were too busy to spend tons of time watching TV or playing computer games. Their parents also had some things in common: healthy weight, more education, and control over their kids' diets. Parents' income and kids' race didn't make a difference, notes Crossman.
Food for Thought
Many factors affect weight, but "our research suggests that prevention must begin at home," writes Crossman. Healthy eating and active lifestyles are part of the solution she recommends.
Physical activity is promoted as part of a healthy life (get a doctor's OK first). In this study, "active" didn't always mean tons of exercise. Teen's part-time jobs, volunteer activities, and hobbies also helped by reducing time with TV or computer games, notes Crossman.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children at risk should be identified by virtue of family history of obesity, and other factors such as environment. Parents and caregivers should be encouraged to promote healthy eating patterns by offering nutritious snack such as fruit and vegetables, low-fat diary products, and whole grains; setting appropriate limits and modeling healthy food choices. They also recommend limiting television and viewing time to a maximum of two hours a day. | high18263.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a person in an educational aid project"
},
"options": [
"a daily newspaper",
"an educational organization",
"a person in an educational aid project",
"a learning tool"
],
"question": "The Youth Outreach Speciali... | Request a teacher training workshop or school visit
If you are interested in discovering new ways to supplement the materials you use in the classroom through the use of a daily newspaper, our Youth Outreach Specialist can come to your school and show you how to incorporate(... )the news into your curriculum. Armed with your newspapers and experience, she can conduct an activity with your class, making it fun and easy for you to bring real-world learning into your classroom.
The Outreach Specialist is also available to run workshops with staff who are also looking for new ideas on how to use the newspaper as a learning tool. Please send us an e-mail at ghiten@seattletimes.com or give us a call at 206/652-6290. Once we have received your request, we will confirm the date, time, place and activity with you. Your request will be honored of a first-come, first-served basis.
These services are FREE for current Newspapers In Education (NIE) subscribers . We recently visited Ridgecrest Elementary and conducted a class workshop. An overview of our time in the classroom, and our in-class lesson, can be read online.
Schedule a tour
Follow a newspaper from start to finish ... and get your copy that has just recently been printed. See how robots move giant paper rolls, how the press is "prepared" for printing and much more. Tours of our North Creek production facility in Bothell are offered Thursdays throughout the school year at either 10 am, 11 am or 4 pm. The tour lasts one hour.
To make reservations contact:
Kate Palmer
425/489-7000
kpalmer(r) seattletimes.com
North Creek Facility is located at:
prefix = st1 /19200 120th Avenue NE, Bothell. WA 98011-9506 | high17150.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "hive"
},
"options": [
"hive",
"honeycomb",
"drone",
"wax"
],
"question": "The bee's nest is called a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answe... | Honeybees
Honeybees can do three kinds of jobs.
It is one of the most unusual insects in the world. Bees are special because they divide up their honeybee work. Each bee has a certain job to do.
The busiest bee is the worker. Workers build the nest, called a hive. Inside the hive, workers make a honeycomb from wax . They store honey there for food. Workers are always cleaning and fixing the hive. They even stand at the opening and fan their wings to cool the hive. Worker bees will attack anything--even people--to keep their hive safe.
Another kind of bee is the drone . Drones are male bees, and their job is to fly with the queen bee and mate with her. After the queen mates, the worker bees drive the drones away. The drones then starve to death.
The third kind of bee is the queen. Each hive needs only one queen, and her job is laying eggs. She can lay as many as 2, 000 eggs a day. | high20717.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he was not the best writer in China"
},
"options": [
"he was not the best writer in China",
"he was not as famous as other writers",
"he was born in a farmer's family",
"he didn't have good education"
],
"questi... | GAOMI, Shandong, Oct.11( Xinhua)--Chinese writer Mo Yan said last Thursday that he was "very surprised" at winning the Nobel Literature Prize.
Speaking to reporters at a hotel in his hometown Gaomi city in east China's Shandong Province, Mo said, "(I was)very surprised upon winning the prize because I felt I was not very senior in terms of qualification(among Chinese writers).There are many good writers and my ranking was not so high."
"I am very happy," he said."I was having dinner when I received the news.I was surprised."
"Thank you for coming all the way to Gaomi.This should be a season of red sorghum, but no such crop is planted any more.I believe none of you have seen the crop," he said.
"The Nobel Literature Prize is a very important literature prize, but not the top award.It represents the opinions of the jury( ).I am satisfied with my major works and I still keep writing by hand.My works are Chinese literature, which is part of world literature.They show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs.Meanwhile, my novels described human beings in the broad sense.I wrote in the perspective of a human being.These works stand beyond regions and ethnic groups," he said.
"The folk arts and folk culture accompanied my growth and I was influenced by the cultural elements I witnessed through my childhood.When I picked up the pen for literature creation, the folk cultural elements inevitably entered my novels and affected and even determined the artistic styles of my works," he added.
Mo's win brought joy to other writers and readers throughout the country as he is the first Chinese national to win the Nobel Literature Prize in its century--long history.
Born into a farmer's family in a village in Gaomi, Mo has been known since the late 1980s for his novels such asBig BreastsandWide Hips and Red Sorghum, which was later adapted into a film by director Zhang Yimou. | high2393.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "writing poems"
},
"options": [
"singing songs",
"celebrating great people",
"writing poems",
"praising common people"
],
"question": "Walt Whitman expressed his feelings by _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_q... | Walt Whitman was born in eighteen nineteen in New York City. During his long life, he watched America grow from a young nation to the strongest industrial power in the world. Whitman was influenced by events around him. But his poetry speaks of the inner self. He celebrated great people like President Abraham Lincoln. He also celebrated common people.
As a young man, Whitman worked as a school teacher, a printer and a newspaper reporter. He was thirty-six years old when his first book of poetry was published. He called it Leaves of Grass. It has only twelve poems. The poems are written in free verse. The lines do not follow any set form. Some lines are short and some are long. The words at the end of each line do not have a similar sound. They do not rhyme.
One of America's greatest thinkers and writers immediately recognized the importance of Leaves of Grass. Ralph Waldo Emerson praised Whitman's work. _
The America's Civil War began in eighteen sixty-one. During the war, Whitman worked without pay at army hospitals. He helped care for the wounded and dying soldiers. He sat beside these men for hours. He brought them food and wrote letters for them. After the Civil War, Whitman worked for government agencies. He watched the United States try to heal itself and increase democracy. To Walt Whitman, democracy was more than a political system or idea. It was a natural form of government for free people. Whitman believed democracy was meant to honor the rights of every person and the equality of all people.
In eighteen seventy-three, Walt Whitman suffered a stroke. He spent the last few years of his life in Camden, New Jersey and wrote more poems. Whitman was poor and weak during the last few years of his life. He died in eighteen ninety-two. | high21409.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the driver of the car had something on his mind"
},
"options": [
"the driver of the car was drunk -",
"there was something wrong with the car",
"the driver of the car had something on his mind",
"the car hit something... | A trucker relates that he was traveling through rural North Carolina on I-95 when a brown car combined onto the highway. It came back and forth between lanes, causing the driver of the truck to change into a lower position. At first he thought the driver was drunk, but when he came closer, the trucker saw an old man shaking uncontrollably behind the wheel. He noticed a Citizen's Band aerial shaking to and fro as the car pulled suddenly between lanes, so he called on the radio: "You in the brown Chevy, if you can hear me, pull over. Pull off the road!"
Amazingly, he drdf The trucker pulled up behind the car and climbed from his cab . The elderly man staggered from his auto and fell into the trucker's arms. He poured out a story of months of fear and pain that accompanied the illness of his only daughter.
Now he was returning from the hospital where it was decided that she would stop any further treatment. In the hospital he remained "strong", but out on the road he fell apart.
The two men talked for the good part of an hour. The father eventually decided to share his pain with his ciaughter and said he felt good enough to drive home. The men embraced and the trucker followed him for 50 miles. As they drove along, the two talked together on the radio.
The older man finally acknowledged that his exn was ahead and thanked his new friend again for the help. The trucker asked if he could make it home all right and, suddenly, a third voice broke in on the conversation: "Breaker 19, cjon't worry, good buddy. Go your way. I'll see him home" Glancing in his mirror, he saw another truck move into the exit lane behind the brown car.
I think there are good people the world over. People who will gladly give that caring touch, a needed warm embrace or a patient and listening ear. They are like angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly. | high19196.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Modern education makes them think differently."
},
"options": [
"Young people like to choose their own life styles.",
"American society is changing very fast.",
"Parents place high hopes on their children.",
"Modern edu... | A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders.Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience , while children complained that their parents did not understand them at all.What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been _ for a long time.Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric of our society.
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life.In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation .In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do.Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them.Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations.In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight.The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities.
No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature of American life for some time to come.Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes. | high1842.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Hung's performance attracted the public eye."
},
"options": [
"How an unsuccessful person became famous.",
"Success sometimes does not require hard work.",
"Something an idol behaves quite foolishly.",
"Hung's performan... | In the age of reality television,success isn't the only way to the public eye. Failure can also create fame,just like William Hung,21,a native of Hong Kong.
Hung recently has made an agreement with USbased entertainment firms Koch Records and Fuse Music Network. They'll publish a record,titled TheTrueIdolon April 6.
The idol is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version of Ricky Martin's SheBangson the television showAmericanIdol3,on January 27.The Fox TV singing contest searches for pop stars among ordinary people. In the case of Hung,however,his act was so bad that the judges cut him off in midact.
Hung's response?"I already did my best,so I have no regrets at all." That's good,because any common person would have found plenty to regret:the offkey singing,the blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled up too high,the terrible dancing and the hips jerking to a beat that did not belong to the song,maybe not even to this planet. It was,by all accounts,bad.
However,it was this very bad act that sold well.
Mare Juris,president of Fuse,explained it this way:"Every one of us is happily guilty of singing our favorite song at the top of our lungs with complete freedom,completely offkey and completely unworried. That's what William did and immediately won the hearts of America."
Whatever _ is,for the moment it's big.Three websites devoted to Hung have gone up on the Internet in the past few weeks. Versions of his performance have been remixed with hip hop and technomusic and have made it to the top 10 request list at a Chicago radio station.
So,what does Hung think of this?
"There were all these people saying things about me. A lot were saying I was very courageous and that I was great on the show,but some didn't have much respect for me and some were kind of mean."
Now he says he's not so sure whether to distance himself from the glamour or to accept it.Returning to normal hasn't been easy. | high22100.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Radios, television and newspapers."
},
"options": [
"Cinemas, television and Internet.",
"Television, Internet and newspapers.",
"Internet, newspapers and cinemas.",
"Radios, television and newspapers."
],
"ques... | There are many types of reports. A report is simply an account of something that has happened. The commonest are new reports. We get them in newspapers, over the radio and on television. Sometimes cinemas also show us newsreels .
The main purpose of a newspaper is to provide news. If you examine a newspaper closely, you will find that there are all types of news: accidents, floods, fires, wars, fashions, sports, books, etc. The news covers everything that happens to people and their surroundings. Sometimes there are news items which are very amusing.
A news report is usually very short, except when it is about something very important, but it contains a lot of information. It is also written in short paragraphs. The first paragraph is, in fact, a summary of the news item. It gives all the necessary information--what, when, where, how and why. The other paragraphs give full details of the subject. There may also be interviews with people. The words actually spoken by them are within inverted commas .
Often there are photographs with the news to make it more interesting. | high15974.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "being on time"
},
"options": [
"1eaving soon after class",
"coming early",
"arriving a few minutes late",
"being on time"
],
"question": "The word'punctual'most probably means _ .",
"question_type": "cloze... | In the United States, it is important to be on time , or punctual , for an appointment , a class, a meeting, etc. However, this may not be true in all countries. An American professor discovered the difference while teaching a class in a Brazilian university. The two-hour class was scheduled to begin at 10 A.M. and end at 12. On the first day , when the professor arrived on time, no one was in the classroom. Many students came after 10:30 A.M. Two students came after 11 A.M. Although all the students greeted the professor as they arrived, few apologized for their lateness.Were these students being rude? He decided to study the students' behavior.
The professor talked to American and Brazilian students about lateness in both an informal and a formal situation:at a lunch with a friend and in a university class, respectively.He gave them an example and asked them how they would react, If they had a lunch appointment with a friend,the average American student defined lateness as 19 minutes after the agreed time,On the other hand.the average Brazilian student felt the friend was late after 33 minutes.
In an American university, students are expected to arrive at the appointed hour.In contrast, in Brazil,neither the teacher nor the students always arrive at the appointed hour.Classes not only begin at the scheduled time in the United States,but also end at the scheduled time.In the Brazilian class, only a few students left the class at 12:00;many remained past 12:30 to discuss the class and ask more questions.While arriving late may not be very important in Brazil , neither is staying late. | high23578.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Fish is cooked whole to save trouble."
},
"options": [
"You can order your dinner in Joe's Shanghai.",
"Fish is cooked whole to save trouble.",
"Roast duck and chicken sell well.",
"Chicken is served with peanuts in Eve... | East Corner Wonton,70 East Broadway,343-9896
If you come too late,they may have run out of roast duck and chicken,but you can always count on fresh supplies of eggs or rice,noodles and pork-filled dumplings.
Evergreen,63 Matt St.571-3339
Shanghai-style rice dishes,hot and sour soup,chicken with peanuts,and eggplant or cucumber($5 95)won't _ and this often-crowded and always-reliable place.
Sheng Wang,27 Eldridge St.,nr.Canal St,9250805
The pulled noodles are made fresh as we watch and put into boiling water.They have a new noodle man here,and he's really good.
Joe's Shanghai,9 Pell St.,732-6973
You can enjoy tasty soup dumplings,fresh vegetables and whole yellow fish(the Chinese believe fish,cooked whole,means richness).
Hunan Garden,1 Mott St.(across from Chatham Square),732-7270
Have a New Year menu and enjoy the dancing lions.
Sweet n' Tart, 20 Mott St.(between Chatham Square and Pell St.),964-0380
Strangers seated together have a Chinese New Year menu with a multi-course dinner for $25 per person. | high24217.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To find out details she can make use of."
},
"options": [
"To improve her computer program.",
"To find out details she can make use of.",
"To find out their attitudes towards food.",
"To predict what food they'll like i... | A study published in September suggests there is a surprising way to get people to avoid unhealthy foods: change their memories. Scientist Elizabeth Loftus of the University of California at Irvine asked volunteers to answer some questions on their personalities and food experiences. "One week later," Loftus says, "we told those people we'd fed their answers into our smart computer and it came up with an account of their early childhood experiences." Some accounts included one key additional detail. "You got sick after eating strawberry ice-cream." The researchers then changed this detail into a manufactured memory through leading questions --- Who were you with? How did you feel? By the end of the study, up to 41% of those given a false memory believed strawberry ice-cream once made them sick, and many said they'd avoid eating it.
When Loftus published her findings, she started getting calls from people begging her to make them remember hating chocolate or French fries. Unfortunately, it's not that easy. False memories appear to work only for foods you don't eat on a regular basis. But most importantly, it is likely that false memories can be implanted only in people who are unaware of the mental control. And lying to a patient is immoral , even if a doctor believes it's for the patient's benefit.
Loftus says there's nothing to stop parents from trying it with their overweight children. "I say, wake up --- parents have been lying about Father Christmas for years, and nobody seems to mind. If they can prevent diseases caused by fatness and all the other problems that come with that, you might think that's more moral lie. Decide that for yourself." | high468.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To report on a joking burglary"
},
"options": [
"To report on a joking burglary",
"To call our attention to the burglary.",
"To explain how the burglar was caught.",
"To look back on an adventure story."
],
"que... | A drunken burglar in the Orrell Park area of Liverpool, ended up leaping out of a window after a 10-year-old girl asked him to prove he was a superhero.
The drunken thief who pretended he was Superman to stop a child raising the alarm has been caught after he leapt from the apartment building in his pants to make the girl convinced.
Theif Ethan Adamson, 25, told police that he had broken into a fifth-floor flat after a drinking session, believing it was empty.
But he was horrified when the owner's 10-year-old daughter woke up while he was there.
From his hospital bed, the thief told reporters, "To keep her quiet, I told her I was really Superman and I'd soon be flying off back to my secret headquarters."
"She called my bluff (...) and told me, 'If you're Superman, show me you can fly or I'll scream'.
"I had no choice so I stripped to my pants to look more like a superhero and went to the window. I saw another roof below and I thought _ but it turned out to be a lot further down than thought. I know it doesn't make sense but it did to me when I was drunk."
Police later found him on the roof in just his yellow pants, covered in cuts and bruises after a baffled neighbor heard his cries of pain.
He now faces seven years behind bars for burglary.
Police spokesman Frank Armado said, " He was in quite a serious state and couldn't move until we got up there using ladders. He was treated for his injuries and we got him some fresh clothes, before taking him to hospital where he is being kept under guard until he is well enough to be arrested." | high8866.txt |
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