questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "improving your mood"
},
"options": [
"improving your mood",
"making you strong",
"helping you study",
"practising your eyes"
],
"question": "Sleep has many advantages except _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_... | Going to sleep may seem pretty boring compared with all the fun things you do while you are awake. But there's a lot going on in your mind and body while you are sleeping.
Sleep, in fact, is as important to your survival as eating and drinking. Sleep improves your mood, makes you a better athlete, and helps you remember and understand what you learned during the day.
During sleep your temperature drops. Your heart rate slows. Down goes the pressure of the blood moving through your veins. A chemical that controls growth (called a hormone) moves into your bloodstream. Scientists think that sleep brings back energy and improves your immune system. We know what happens while we're asleep because scientists study volunteers who sleep in laboratories. The sleepers are connected with machines that measure brain waves, eye movements and muscle activities.
Sleep is like a school day: it's divided into different periods, or stages. When you are awake, your brain waves fire rapidly. As you begin to relax and drift into the first stage of sleep, your brain produces slower-moving waves and you lose awareness of your surroundings. As you slide to deeper sleep, your body repairs itself from the normal wear and tear of daily life. Then, as you begin to drift back up to a lighter sleep, your mind becomes more alert, and your dreams begin. You are in REM sleep.
REM is the name for the rapid eye movement that happens while you are dreaming. During REM sleep, your eyes move back and forth behind your lids , as though you were watching a movie. During other stages, you might move in bed, but during REM sleep you're still. That's probably because if you could move, your body would act out your dreams. As you get close to morning, you spend more time in REM than in deep sleep, so you dream more. Researchers know that during REM sleep the part of the brain that handles learning and thinking is very active.
Getting too little sleep can affect your personality. Experts recommend that children get at least nine hours sleep a night. | high20716.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Everyone needs friends' help and friendship."
},
"options": [
"To form an island, we need more than one man.",
"Without friendship , people can not live on an island.",
"Friends can make you feel comfortable and encouraged.",... | Everyone needs friends. As the old saying goes, " No man is an island" . In other words, no one can survive without the help and friendship of others. One can hardly live without a friend. Society is made up of people , and making friends is a very important part in our life. Friends can give you a lot. Firstly, if you have trouble with some problems, you can talk to your good friends and exchanged opinions . Thus you will feel comfortable and encouraged.Secondly, if you wish to do some physical exercises, such as playing table tennis, you can play with friends and have a good time, In short, we need friends.
But what is true friendship ? Some people think friends are people whom they can play with, others believe true friendship lies in similar interests . However, in my opinion, "A friend in need is a friend indeed". True friendship can encourage you when you are in difficulties . True friends can give you warnings against danger. True friends not only share with you your joy and happiness but also your trouble and anxiety.When you need him he will give you a hand and _ . Of course, these principles are the same to you when you treat your friends. | high20070.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "is able to track directions"
},
"options": [
"is able to track directions",
"has no stopwatch function",
"includes a blue backlight",
"is equipped with one digital display"
],
"question": "From the passage,we le... | How to Tell Time Like a Man
Our digital watch has two sides...tough and tougher.Get it now foran unbelievable 59!
Your watch shouldn't cost more than your car.It should look and feel like a power tool and not a piece of flashy jewellery.Wearing it shouldn't make you think twice about swinging a hammer or changing a tire.A real man's timepiece needs to be ready for anything.But that's just my opinion.If you agree,maybe you're ready for the StauerCenturion Hybrid.Use your Promotional Code below and I'll send it to you today for ONLY 59.
This is a LOT of machine for not a lot of money.The Stauer Centurion Hybrid sports a heavy-duty metal body,detailed with a rotating bezel that allows you to track directions.The luminous hour and minute hands mean you can keep working into the night.And the double digital displays give this watch more than one ability.The LCD windows displays the time,day and date,includes a stopwatch function,and a bright green backlight.We previously offered the Centurion for 199,but with the promotional code it's yours for ONLY 59!
No matter what,this watch can keep up.Thanks to the Stauer 30-day Money Back Guarantee,you've got time to prove it.If you're not totally satisfied,return it for a full refund of the purchase price.You also get a 2-year replacement guarantee on both movements.But I have a feeling the only problem you'll have is deciding whether to keep the StauerCenturion on your dresser or put inside your toolbox.
TAKE 70% OFF INSTANTLY!
When you use your Promotional Code
Stauer Centurion Hybrid Watch 199Promotional Code Price
Only 59or two payments of 29
Order now to take advantage of this fantastic low price.
1-800-333-2057
Your Insider Promotional Code:CNW342-03
Please use this code when you order to receive your discount.
Smart Luxuries-Surprising PricesT | high19829.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "More than the teaching of knowledge."
},
"options": [
"Filling a boy' mind with facts.",
"Teaching how to work with others for the team.",
"Training character by means of games.",
"More than the teaching of knowledge."
... | Football is,I believe,the most important game in England:one has only to go to one of the important matches to see _ . Rich and poor,young and old,one can see them all there,shouting for one side or the other.
To a stranger,one of the most surprising things about football in England is the great knowledge of the game which even the smallest boy seems to have. He can tell you the names of the players in most of the important teams. He has pictures of them and knows the results of large numbers of matches. He will tell you who he expects will win such a match,and his opinion is usually as good as that of men three or four times his age.
Most schools in England take football seriously--much more seriously than nearly all European schools,where lessons are all that are important,and games are left for the children themselves. In England,it is believed that education is not only a matter of filling a boy's mind with facts in classroom,it also means the training of character by means of games,especially team games,where the boy or girl has to learn to work with others for the team instead of working for himself or herself alone. The school therefore plays games and matches for its pupils. Football is a good team game;it is good for both body and mind. That is why it is every school's game in prefix = st1 /England. | high17804.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a computer software used for chatting"
},
"options": [
"an Internet document called \"I want to find you\"",
"a computer hardware called \"I want to find you",
"a computer software used for chatting",
"an Internet progr... | IWFU is short for "I want to find you", and is an-easy-use Internet program which makes communication online easy. With IWFU, you can chat, send messages, play games and surf the Internet with your friends, and much more. With just a click of your mouse, you and your friends are connected at once.
Using IWFU is simple. When you install IWFU, the program asks you to register . When you register, you receive a special IWFU number. You can also enter information about yourself which allows other IWFU users to recognize you when you log on. Once you've registered, you can make a list of your IWFU friends. IWFU will then use the list to identify your friends. As soon as you log onto the Internet, IWFU will let people know that you are online. Whether you are in Asia or Europe, in the United States or China, you can access your friends from anywhere and at any time through IWFU. | high22667.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "destructive"
},
"options": [
"normal",
"productive",
"destructive",
"extreme"
],
"question": "According to the author, the jealousy emotion is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | You know how wonderful you are, and you know that others know how wonderful you are, but what do you do when admiration crosses over the line into jealousy ? For most teens there will come a day when you realize that one of your friends is jealous and that this jealousy is hurting your friendship. When this happens it can seem like there is nothing that you can do, but the good news is that there is. Don't let jealousy spoil your relationships. Deal withitconfidently and you might be back to normal much sooner than you think.
It can be hard to walk up to a friend and ask them what the problem is, but if you want to save your friendship you'll have to do just that. Don't approach them and ask why they are jealous of you unless of course you want to appear totally conceited , just take some time alone with them and let them know that you've been feeling like there's been something coming between you. If they refuse to respond, then use the opportunity to explain how you have been feeling. Chances are that something you say will strike a nerve and your friend will open up as well.
When you figure out what is annoying your friend, ask him or her what (s)he thinks would make the situation better. If, for example, (s)he says that (s)he feels like (s)he doesn't get to spend any time with you because of your being off with your new friends from the swim team then maybe you could invite her along the next time or block off one day a week for just the two of you. Remember, though, that whatever solution you decide on should be a compromise. Don't limit your own talents or opportunities simply because your friend is unhappy. Try instead to include him or her in your new life and see how that works out.
Even the best of friendships can be ruined by jealousy. This destructive emotion is rarely productive and can turn best friends into worst enemies. Before taking extreme action, chat with your jealous friend to see if the two of you can work out a compromise. If you can't, be prepared to know exactly how far you will go to keep your friend and how far you won't. | high8867.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he keeps on struggling for success"
},
"options": [
"he plays best in Hong Kong",
"he keeps on struggling for success",
"his experiences are very special",
"he is well thought of"
],
"question": "Chow Yun fat ha... | For the first time in Hong Kong's history,an entertainer has been written into middle school textbooks. He is considered one of the best actors in Hong Kong. Yes,he is Chow Yun fat.
The example of his long hard struggle for success has been used in a chapter in a Hong Kong middle school textbook.Using his experience,students can learn to make the most of their time and to grab every opportunity to succeed.
On hearing about this,Chow said happily,"I really hope that my experiences can make young people understand that one should not be afraid of difficulties and setbacks ,for they are the only way to success."
Indeed,Chow has travelled a long and difficult path to reach his success.In 1955,he was born into a poor family in Hong Kong. When he was 17,he had to leave school.He worked in a number of jobs--as a postman,camera salesman and taxi driver. These experiences paved the way for him to play all kinds of roles later in life.
Chow broke into the film industry in the late 1970s. He was one of the hardest working actors and starred in a number of popular TV dramas and films including "Shanghai Bund"(<<>> ) and "A Better Tomorrow". Since 1985, he has won many awards including Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards .
In 1995, he went to Hollywood. Although he was already in his 40s, he had to learn English.He even put chopsticks in his mouth to practise pronouncing certain sounds. His film, "Crouching Tiger,Hidden Dragon",began to gain him more fame and recognition around the world.In 1998,the mayor of Chicago set aside January 12 as "Chow Yun fat Day." | high23579.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Octopuses"
},
"options": [
"Octopuses",
"Crocodiles",
"Bats",
"Koalas"
],
"question": "Which animal moms die when their babies are born?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index":... | Animal moms are great moms. You might be surprised at some of these moms.
Octopuses
The octopus mother lays about 50,000 eggs. For about 300 days, she stays with the eggs, cleans them and protects them. She does not leave to feed. However, this animal mom dies as soon as the eggs are hatched .
Crocodiles
A crocodile mother puts a lot of time and effort into raising her babies.
She starts by building a nest which she guards for over two months! When the eggs are ready to hatch, the young crocs call out to their mother, who digs them out and helps them hatch. She then carries them in her mouth down to the water, where she will guard them for several more weeks or months until thy learn to hunt on their own.
Bats
Bats become moms by hanging head up in a cave, giving birth. Catching the youngsters before it can fall to the ground below, she puts it in a pouch .Bat moms may carry babies with them when feeding for the first few days. As the little bats get bigger and heavier, moms help them hang on the wall of their caves and return to feed them. It continues for about three weeks, until the babies are grown up and able to fly on their own.
Koalas
The animal mom gives birth after pregnancy of only 35 days. The hairless baby climbs into its mother's pouch and lives there for another five months. When the little koala is between five and eight months old, it leaves the pouch for short periods of time but returns for safety. Once it is too big to return to the pouch, it will climb onto its mother's back and ride there until it is about 12 moths old. | high6692.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They are healthier"
},
"options": [
"They have a new fashion",
"They have better quality.",
"They are healthier",
"They are cheaper."
],
"question": "Why are people advised to wear plimsolls?",
"question_typ... | Parents whose children think the latest Nike or Adidas shoes may be better than buying old-fashioned plimsolls because they encourage a healthier style of running, researchers said.
Big companies, like Nike and Adidas, make millions of dollars from selling highly-cushioned shoes both as fashion and sports shoes. The researchers warn that wearing such shoes from an early age can make it difficult to run in a healthy way. Once we have grown used to running in this kind of shoes, it is very difficult to change our technique, even if we remove our shoes, it can raise the risk of injury.
Children should be encouraged to wear shoes with thin soles such as plimsolls from a young age to help them develop a natural "barefoot" running style, experts said.
Dr Mick Wilknson, who did the research, told the British Science Festival in Newcastle, "If I would advise someone on what to give their child, I would say don't go and buy them expensive Adidas or Nike, just get them a pair of flexible, flat shoes. Give them basic foot-ware, nothing fancy, nothing particularly cushioned."
Running in flat shoes, barefoot, encourages the runner to use the front of their foot which is a better technique for running, especially long distances as the human was designed to do.
Around the world, and in particular in the US, running barefoot is becoming more and more popular with many long distance runners training without shoes.
Dr Mick Wilknson believes that training and running barefoot or in flat running shoes can help reduce injuries to runners, he said: "Injury rates in running have not changed since the 1970s, despite claims of improvements in running shoes. That has led some to conclude that barefoot running is better." | high13451.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she was the subject of a study"
},
"options": [
"she was asked to do research on mice",
"she wanted to experience loneliness",
"she was the subject of a study",
"she needed to record her life"
],
"question": "St... | On May 23,1989, Stefania Follini came out from a cave at Carlsbad , New Mexico.She hadn't seen the sun for eighteen and a half weeks .Stefania was in a research program, and the scientists in the program were studying body rhythms . In this experiment Stefania had spent 130 days in a cave ,30 feet in depth.
During her time in the cave, Stefania had been completely alone except for two white mice.Her living place had been very comfortable ,but there had been nothing to feel her the time .She'd had no clock or watches , no television or radio.There had been no natural light and the temperature had always been kept at 21degC | high1116.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "develop a passion for wildlife and nature"
},
"options": [
"take action to protect wildlife in isolated areas",
"develop a passion for wildlife and nature",
"raise money for wildlife in the zoo",
"learn more about plant... | Recently we've observed an increasing request from disadvantaged and regional schools for attending one of our zoo areas at no cost or partly paid some organizations. Zoos Victoria believes that all children should have the opportunity to have an early memory of visiting the zoo, and gain an understanding of the wild and natural world that humans share with animals. Zoos Victoria wins the support of the Ian Potter Foundation to help achieve this goal.
Funding available for schools to enter an educational program at Zoos Victoria in 2012
Applications are open from November 23, 2011 to February 12, 2012.
Children from disadvantaged and originally isolated schools are provided with the opportunity to visit the zoo and attend an interactive education experience at no charge.
The program objectives are:
*To start developing "environmentalists" within low social and economic groups.
*To support the youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to have greater awareness of wildlife and have ongoing opportunities to get relevant information about animals and the environment through the zoos' website.
What is covered under the program?
*Travel to the zoo -- transport costs will be partly or fully paid back to the school on the basis of the number of children applying for the program.
*Student entry to one area of Zoos Victoria and an educational experience.
Which schools are able to take part in the program?
*Open to schools in Victoria.
*Consideration will be given to schools that have not previously been able to enter one of our zoo areas, list as "disadvantaged" ones or come from regionally isolated areas.
*Able to visit an area of Zoos Victoria within the 2012 school year.
*Applications must be supported by the school principal .
*Able to complete a short evaluation of the program.
How to apply for the program?
*Download the application forms.
*Complete all the details, including a signature from your principal and attaching a quote for transport costs.
*Return the application forms to Margaret Harwood at Zoos Victoria by email to mharwood@zoo.org.au or by post to PO Box 74, Parkville, VIC 3052.
*Please contact Margaret Harwood at 03 9285 9462, if there are any further questions. | high22854.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "how to deal with school conflicts"
},
"options": [
"the lives of school children",
"the cause of arguments in schools",
"how to analyze youth violence",
"how to deal with school conflicts"
],
"question": "This a... | Two friends have an argument that bleaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, "In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence". Given that this is the case, why aren't students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive cars, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult . For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well. Rude words, name-calling, and accusation only add fuel to the emotional fir On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy for conflict resolution; listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask non-threatening questions to clarify the speaker's position. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need f. consider what they are hearing. This doesn't mean trying to figure out what's wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these: How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid off As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn't, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn't mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, "64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student cooperation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves". Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country. | high482.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To make trips to space cheaper."
},
"options": [
"To make trips to space cheaper.",
"To help astronauts do research in space.",
"To find a more convenient way to the moon.",
"To prove an assumption which seems crazy."
... | Think about the longest elevator ride that you've ever taken. Whether you rose five or 100 floors, it probably took less than a few minutes. Now imagine riding in an elevator higher and higher as it climbs for nearly a day. When you reach the top floor, prepare for views that are really out of this world. You'll be in space!
Space elevators might sound like a crazy idea, but they're something scientists have been working on for decades.
At the moment, riding in a capsule is the only way ordinary people can get to and from space. But those rides are very expensive---about $ 25 million per person per flight. Now scientists are making efforts to reduce the expense of those rides.
Researchers are still figuring out the details about how a space elevator might work. One idea is stretching a very long cable -- more than 37,000 kilometers -- up to space from the earth's equator . Objects in space above the equator orbit (......) the earth at the same speed that our planet turns. A weight on the end of the cable would stretch it tight. An elevator tied to the cable could use _ to climb up and down.
The only problem is that besides being long, this cable must also be very strong. Storms, including hurricanes might break it. One way to solve this problem is to stretch the cable from the moon instead of from the earth. Airplanes designed to climb higher than a typical jet might take off from the earth and link up with the cable, which would be held in place by the pull of gravity from the earth. An elevator car waiting there would then take riders the rest of the way to the moon. Fueled by solar power, the elevator could transport people and materials without much expense or effort per ride. | high12997.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "People couldn't travel freely."
},
"options": [
"People had more money at that time.",
"People couldn't travel freely.",
"The government spent a lot of money on films.",
"People were made to see movies by the government... | Chaplin was one of the famous clown-style actors of the silent time. It was through Charlie Chaplin that the Hollywood comedy movies became famous.
Then in the 1920s came another trend of animated cartoons. They were the most popular Hollywood comedy movies of the time. The several popular characters of that era were Felix the cat, Krazy Kat and Betty Boop. However, the popularity of these movies was blocked out due to lack of sound and color. The end of 1920s, the Hollywood comedy industry marked a change brought about by the introduction of sound into the movies. This has allowed the industry to create dramatic new film styles and use verbal humor. These films were soon replacing silent movies. These films used dialogue of comedians such as the W.C Fields and the Marx Brothers. Charlie Chaplin was the last comedian to have acted in the silent films.
When the United States entered into World War II, Hollywood movies changed its course to themes related to the conflicts, and Hollywood comedy movies described more on military themes. The war time experienced a boom, where restrictions on the traveling made nearly a quarter of the money spent on attending movies.
In the 1950s, the interest shifted where the TV became popular. During this time the release of Hollywood comedy films declined . The 1960s saw an increasing number of broad, star-packed comedies. In 1970 Hollywood comedy movies reflected the anti-war sentiment, which was popular then.
In the 1980s the gag based comedy Airplane was released, and Hollywood comedy movies paved its way for more of the same. The popular comedians of this time included Dudley Moore, Tom Hanks, etc. Jim Carrey, the Canadian actor and a comedian, came into Hollywood comedy movies in the late 1980s where he won the role in such a comedy, Copper Mountain.
The most popular Hollywood comedy movies were of John Hughes, which includes Ferris Buellers Day Off and Home Alone series of 1990s. The later films focused more on family audience. This was a revival in comedy movies. Comedy movies remain popular till date. | high6679.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "How Santa Claus got his names and image."
},
"options": [
"What Santa Claus usually do on Christmas.",
"How Santa Claus got his names and image.",
"Different countries have different \"Santa Clauses\".",
"Everyone, espe... | Santa Claus is someone who will remain in the hearts of children forever.
Santa C1aus also has some other names: Saint Nicholas, St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Pelznickel. Two of his names-Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas-both come from the Dutch who settled in New York long ago. The Dutch honored this kindly saint with a yearly festival on December sixth. The Dutch spoke the name "Saint Nikolas" very fast. It sounded like "sinterklaas". And so, when the English said this word, it sounded like "Santa Claus".
West of New York, in Pennsylvania, many German farmers had also heard of Saint Nikolas. But they cal1ed him "Pelznickel". This word came from "pelz", meaning fur, and "nickel" for Nicholas. So, to the Germans of Pennsylvania,"Pelznickel" was a man dressed in fur who came once a year with gifts for good children. Soon, people began to feel that the 1ove and kindness Pelznickel brought should be part of a celebration honoring the "Christkindl", as the Germans ca1led the Christ child. After a time, this became Kris Kringle. Later, Kris Kringle became another name for Santa Claus himself.
Whatever he is called, he is still the same short, fat, jolly old man with a long beard, wearing a red suit with white fur.
The picture of Santa Claus as we see him came from Thomas Nast. He was an American
painter born in Bavaria. Someone asked him to paint a picture of Santa Claus. Nast remembered when he was a little boy in southern Germany Every Christmas, a fat old man gave toys and cakes to the children. So, when Nast painted the picture, his Santa Claus looked like the kindly old man of his childhood. And through the years, Nast's painting has remained as the most popular picture of Santa Claus.
Santa can be seen almost everywhere. It is easy to find them by the long lines of children waiting to tell Santa what they want for Christmas. | high23592.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because they will not have burden with the gadgets."
},
"options": [
"Because they are cleverer.",
"Because they will not have burden with the gadgets.",
"Because they have no feelings.",
"Because they are easier to ope... | High-tech gadget shows draw throngs of excited consumers each year in the United States, Japan, Europe and the Arabian peninsula. Though many people are already surrounded with all kinds of smart electronic devices, some always need one more -- better and smarter than the previous one.
At electronic shows, visitors flock around the newest tablet computers, cameras, 3D television screens, even small robots, dreaming of taking one home.
Consumers spend hours waiting in lines and spend hundreds of dollars to be among the first to get the latest smart phone.
The modern world seems to _ shiny expensive objects that keep us connected, help us navigate, record our thoughts and memorable events, and even talk to us. So infatuated, we no longer merely "own" our gadgets -- we have relationships with them, according to clinical psychologist and life transition therapist Francine Lederer.
"It's a lot easier to have, right, a one-sided relationship with your computer, your phone, than it is with a live person. So that at the end of the day, you don't need to worry about somebody being angry with you, you don't need to worry about getting blamed for anything," she said.
Magical devices
Although having a thousand Facebook friends may be perceived as equivalent to having a thousand real, authentic friendships, Lederer said in reality it is not so.
"It comes down to a lot of the internal stuff. How we feel about ourselves, our own sense of self-esteem, our self-worth, a lot of those things," she said.
But gadgets are magical. They fascinate us the same way we are intrigued by a magician's trick, said psychology professor at the University of the South Pacific, Robert Epstein.
"If you don't know how they're doing it, that's very fascinating and intriguing. But if they do it 10 times or 20 times or 100 times, it gets boring and you want something else. That's why magicians do not repeat the same trick over and over again," he said.
Plugged in, isolated
Epstein, former editor-in-chief of Psychology Today magazine, said he is concerned that gadgets will take on a life of their own.
"All we're seeing so far is a little bit of the so-called wearable technology that you might wear on your wrist or in your glasses, but we're moving very rapidly, whether the public knows it or not, toward real biological interfaces so that the gadgets will be built into us to some extent," he said.
Lederer said the danger is that our dependence on electronic gadgets is increasingly being perceived as normal.
"I think our society in a way, and the media, often times normalizes the extent to which we use these gadgets and phones, but the reality is, it's really not healthy for us," she said.
Scientists predict that gadgets with biological interfaces may be available within the next 20 years and, coupled with strong artificial intelligence, will be much smarter than today. | high8654.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "12 Picket Post Close in Bracknell for sale"
},
"options": [
"12 Picket Post Close in Bracknell for sale",
"Harry Potter's s childhood home",
"Visits to Harry Potter's home",
"Films of Harry Potter at 4 Privet Drive"
... | LONDON(AP)---A suburban house that starred onscreen as Harry Potter's childhood home is on the market---complete with a cupboard under the stairs.
Fans of the boy wizard will recognize 12 Picket Post Close as 4 Privet Drive, home of Harry's cruel aunt and uncle, the Dursleys.
The couple unwillingly took Harry in after his parents were murdered and made him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs.
The house in Bracknell, 30 miles(50 kilometers)west of London, was a location featured in the 2001 film "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." A studio set of the house was built for later films of the eight series.
Real estate agency Chancellors says the three-bedroom house has recently been made over to an extremely high standard." It's listed at a price of 475,000 pounds$616,000.)" Real estate agent Paul Bosanko said, "the original plan was to take this property to market without using any reference to Harry Potter. But since news of the connection got out, interest has shot up, and that may or may not influence the final price that we achieve at this property," Bosanko said.
Neighbor Karen Field said that the house still attracts Potter fans a decade-and-a-half after the film crews left. When the movie first came out, "there were tour buses, literally tour buses coming down the road," Field said. "It's a lot quieter now," she said. "School holidays, you still get people coming along." | high15020.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "32%"
},
"options": [
"55%",
"32%",
"23%",
"78%"
],
"question": "China will raise the ratio of adopting international standards in the food industry by _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Food safety will become the food industry's key target as the nation tries to adopt international food standards. The National Development and Reform Commission, the Standardization Administration of China, the Ministry of Agriculture and six other departments announced their 2004-05 development programme for national food standards over the weekend.
China is conducting a rectification within two years. Inspectors will search for all known banned materials in food production. To reduce trading barriers, China will raise the ratio of adopting international standards in the food industry to 55 percent from today's 23 percent. "Safety is the first consideration for anything entering people's mouth followed by its nutritious value," said Hao Yu, secretary-general of the National Food Industry Standardization Technique Committee. He added the usage of food addictives will be a major field for consideration in setting the new standards. On-the-spot checks during the past two years have shown the abuse or misuse of addictives in food production and processing has become the biggest threat to food safety. In one case, talcum powder was found in flour products, which is outlawed according to national food standards.
"At present there are no methods or standards to test the content of talcum powder in flour," said Shang Yan'e, an official with the national watchdog on grain and oil inspections. Under the guidelines, all banned addictives will be recorded as inspections increase, Relevant departments have allocated funds to conduct risk evaluations on current food addictives to fix the limits of their usage. China will adopt international advanced techniques and standards so as to find out the harmful materials in food within a shortest period. | high3701.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "American"
},
"options": [
"French",
"British",
"Russian",
"American"
],
"question": "Barack Obama is _ President now.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index":... | Barack Obama became US President in January, 2009. Since then, the world has been watching him closely to see whether he keeps his promises about the economy , foreign policy and health care.
But at home, he has also been under pressure from his two daughters to keep his promise: to give them a new dog as a gift for helping him with his election campaign .
On Tuesday the nation's first dog, named Bo, came out. It is a six-month-old water dog which is black with a white chest and white paws .
"Bo's got star quality," said President Obama as he and his family took a walk with the dog on the White House lawn in front of reporters.
He then joked, " I finally got a friend. It took some time," mentioning a famous saying, | high16529.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the richness and variety of the language"
},
"options": [
"the richness of the content",
"the great length of each chapter",
"the richness and variety of the language",
"the great varieties on writing style"
],
... | Shakespeare, perhaps more than any other writer, made full use of the great resources of the English language. Most of us use about five thousand words in our normal employment of English; Shakespeare in his works used about twenty-five thousand! There is probably no better way for a foreigner (or an Englishman!) to appreciate the richness and variety of the English language than by studying the various ways in which Shakespeare used it. Such a study is well worth the effort, even though some aspects of English usage, and the meaning of many words, have changed since Shakespeare's day.
However ,it is surprising that we should know comparatively little about the life of the greatest English author. We know that Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford--on--Avon ,and that he died there in 1616.He almost certainly attended the Grammar School in the town ,but of this we cannot be sure .We know he was married there in 1582 to Anne Hathaway and that he had three children .We know that he spent much of his life in London writing his masterpieces .But this is almost all that we do know .
However, what is important about Shakespeare's life is not its incidental details but its products, the plays and the poems. For many years scholars have been trying to add a few facts about Shakespeare's life to the small number we already possess and for an equally long time critics have been theorizing about the plays. Sometimes, indeed, it seems that the poetry of Shakespeare will disappear under the greatest masses of comment that has been written about it.
Fortunately this is not likely to happen. Shakespeare's poetry and Shakespeare's people (Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, Falstaff and all the others) have long delighted not just the English but lovers of literature everywhere, and will continue to do so after the scholars and _ and all their works have been forgotten. | high21385.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They can get boys in more healthy activities."
},
"options": [
"They are good at playing computer games.",
"They can get boys in more healthy activities.",
"They are better trained than women for their jobs.",
"They can... | It's 8:00 a.m.James Butters gives,18-month-old Thomas his milk,then breakfast.After getting Thomas into his outdoor clothes, they head for the park to watch birds and play on the grass.With lunchtime drawing near,they're back home for an afternoon of drawing, playing with cars,or maybe watching some children's programs.
James isn't Thomas'dad.He is a nanny -a man nanny obviously,humorously termed a"manny"--specially trained and in his third nannying position.At 27,he cares for Thomas,and another boy of a simliar age."It's much freer than an office job,"he says, "and you're getting to see children develop and grow.You become very close to them,for sure.I don't think I'm special or better than a woman nanny; everyone has their own ap- proach.But I'm unusual.Friends laughed when I started studying nursery nursing.In my class,I was the only man among 70 women.Somehow,I made it,"he said.
Although it's not yet common to find men in traditional nannying courses,things are changing.In the United States,parents are employing young mannies,sometimes to care for babies,but more often as active role models to get their children away from the TV and the computer.From rollerblading friends to summer swimming mannies,these are the big brothers who are always willing to play,largely because they're paid for it.It is catching on here in Britain,too.Earlier this year,Norland Nanny College welcomed its first full-time man student,19-year-old Peter Cummins in Wales.While some families find it difficult to accept the idea of a young man in a traditional nannying role,man nannies are increasingly popular. | high17637.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "quite difficult"
},
"options": [
"very easy",
"quite difficult",
"quite tired",
"more interesting"
],
"question": "It is _ to read a book about computer.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | The computer is a perfect tool for all those categories , but...
You just never really had the time to take a basic computer class,and the books
about how to actually use a computer are heavy reading and it seems like computers and computer manufactures have a language all of their own, so the books really don't help you much, anyway.
This is a web site for YOU
Here is your chance to get the basic knowledge you need, so you can enjoy the
time you spend in front of your computer, and you can learn at your own pace. This web site is a guide for new computer users. Here you will find step by step descriptions of the most commonly used programs and functions of your computer. You can look through the links on the left and find what you need to know right now and come back later and get some more information.
This is NOT a web site for computer experts and it's not written by an expert,
either, so don't worry, you will find that everything here is written in a language for YOU!
The list of computer terms will have the explanations to the words you will need
to gain the desired knowledge for everyday use. As you get acquainted with the basic functions you will also have a better picture of what your computer can actually do for you in your daily life. After all a computer is a TOOL, and here is your chance to 1earn how to use it!
As I said. It's important to learn at your own pace, so add this site to your favorites. | high18504.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "His works are all about farmers."
},
"options": [
"He has won about 8 million yuan.",
"His works are all about farmers.",
"He has a big influence on Chinese contemporary literature.",
"Reporters have interviewed him abo... | Mo Yan, the winner of this year's Nobel Prize for Literature, said he is not sure about whether he is happy after winning the prize.
In an interview with China Central Television broadcast on Sunday night, Mo said "I don't know," when a reporter asked if he was happy."Happiness means a healthy body and a total absence of mental burdens, but now I'm under high pressure and bothered by worries. Can I say that I'm happy?" he said. "But if I say I'm not happy, people will consider that I'm striking a pose. How could you be unhappy after winning the Nobel Prize?"
Mo, born into a farmer's family in East China's Shandong province, As a 12-year-old during the Cultural Revolution he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the People's Liberation Army and during this time began to study literature and write. His first short story was published in a literary journal in 1981.
"In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth. This is apparent in his novel Hong gaoliang jiazu (1987, in English Red Sorghum 1993)," said the academy in a statement of Mo's biography. Red Sorghum was successfully filmed in 1987, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou.
Mo won the Nobel Prize for Literature, which is worth $1.2 million, on Oct 11 for his "hallucinatory realism" which merges "folk tales, history and the contemporary". Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French and Japanese and many other languages.
He is the first Chinese citizen to win the prize.The award sparked strong interest about contemporary Chinese literature among the public, and his books have been flying off the shelves in many bookstores across the country. | high2379.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "alive with their genes damaged"
},
"options": [
"alive with their genes damaged",
"as active as the one-hungred-thousand-year-old ones",
"totally the same as what they used to be",
"harder to revive than the one-hundred... | Imagine putting some bacteria in the freezer and taking them out millions of years later to find that they are still alive.
That would be similar to what happened recently, when scientists brought eight-million-year-old bacteria back to life -- simply by thawing them out.
The ancient bacteria were found frozen in the world's oldest known tracts of ice, the glaciers of Antarctica.
Professor Bidle and his colleagues found and revived two samples of bacteria from the glacial ice. The first was a hundred thousand years old, and the second was around eight million years old. The eight-million-year-old bacteria were alive. But their genes were seriously damaged from long exposure to cosmic ( ) radiation, which is higher at the earth's poles.
Most of the bacteria in the samples probably blew over from African deserts, said Paul Falkowski, a scientist at prefix = st1 /RutgersUniversity. Once the bacteria landed on the glacier's snowy surface, they combined with the snow to form ice. "These ices are actually gene banks," he added.
As glaciers and ice caps melt as a result of increasing global warming, large amounts of bacterial genetic material might be washed into the ocean.
These bacteria might get incorporated into today's bacteria in the ocean, or living bacteria from the ice might also grow and have an important effect on the ecosystem.
"How that's going to play out, we don't know," Bidle said. He and Falkowski plan to focus their future work on how current ice melting influences modem bacteria's genetic diversity. | high17151.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "we should not sit for a long time"
},
"options": [
"we should not sit for a long time",
"most people like to sit most of the time",
"office jobs encourage us to walk a lot",
"modern lifestyles are good for our health"
... | New research suggests that cutting daily sitting time to less than three hours might extend your life by two years.
"Humans were designed to move. But modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely encourage us to walk around," says Peter Katzmarzyk, an expert at the University of Louisiana.
"Sitting is common in our lives today. We sit while we're driving, eating and watching TV. And many of us sit for many hours at work." Katzmarzyk said.
"We can't throw away physical activity. It's extremely important. We have 60 years of researchers showing us that." Katzmarzyk said.
Katzmarzyk and other researchers are trying to discover how sitting all day affext our lifespans .
"This is a relatively new area of study...Studies that have assessed the relationship between sitting and death or television viewing and death have been very rare in the last four or five years," said Katzmarzyk.
Katzmarzyk and his colleagues analyzed data from these studies, which involved almost 167,000 adults. Then they turned to a government-run survey of Americans to find out exactly how much time people spend sitting and watching.
Not only did the team find that U.S. citizens could live longer by sitting less, they found that cutting TV time to less than two hours a day could add an extra 1.4 years to their lives.
People who've spent half their waking lives sitting down might well ask, "Is it ever too late to make a change?"
"We would say 'No. It's never too late.' Physical activity is good for you at every age." Katzmarzyk said.
Katzmarzyk says studying this problem has inspired his team to make a few changes in their own lives. They recommend a few simple changes: frequently getting up from your desk, taking walks at lunch time, and instead of e-mailing colleagues, walking over to their offices and talking face-to-face----all activities that can be enjoyable as well as life-extending. | high5416.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "easy to communicate with"
},
"options": [
"like traveling better",
"easy to communicate with",
"difficult 1o make rcal friends",
"have a long-term relationship with their neighbors"
],
"question": "Often moving ... | Ideas about polite behavior are different from one culture to another. Some societies, such as America and Australia for example, are mobile and very open. People here change jobs and move house quite often. As a result, they have a lot of relationships that often last only a short time, and they need to get to know people quickly. So it's normal to have friendly conversations with people that they have just met, and you can talk about things that other cultures would regard as personal.
On the other hand there are more crowded and less mobile societies where long-term relationships are more important. A Malaysian or Mexican business person, for example, will want to get to know you very well before he or she feels happy to start business. But when you do get to know each other, the relationship becomes much deeper than it would in a mobile society.
To Americans, both Europeans and Asians seem cool and formal at first. On the other hand, as a passenger from a less mobile society puts it, it's no fun spending several hours next to a stranger who wants to tell you all about his or her life and asks you all sorts of questions that you don't want to answer.
Cross-cultural differences aren't just a problem for travelers, but also for the flights that carry them. All flights want to provide the best service, but ideas about good service are different from place to place. This can be seen most clearly in the way that problems are dealt with.
Some societies have 'universalist' cultures. These societies strongly respect rules, and they treat every person and situation in basically the same way.
'Particularist' societies, on the other hand, also have rules, but they are less important than the society's unwrinen ideas about what is right or wrong for a particular situation or a particular person. So the normal rules are changed to fit the needs of the situation or the importance of the person.
This difference can cause problems. A traveler from a particularist society, India, is checking in for a flight in Germany, a country which has a universalist culture. The Indian traveler has too much luggage, but he explains that he has been away from home for a long time and the suitcases are full of presents for his family. He expects that the check-in official will understand his problem and will change the rules for him. The check-in official explains that if he was allowed to have too much luggage, it wouldn't be fair to the other passengers. But the traveler thinks this is unfair, because the other passengers don't have his problem. | high4708.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "you have a high amounts of IFITM3"
},
"options": [
"a variant of EFIM3 is produced",
"the immune system is weakened",
"protein doesn't function in your cells",
"you have a high amounts of IFITM3"
],
"question": ... | During the outbreak of 2009-2010 H1N1 or "swine flu", the same virus that caused mild coughing and sneezing in some patients proved deadly for others. It highlighted a medical mystery: why are some people more fit to handle the flu than others?
British and American researchers think they have a clue. Reporting on Sunday in the journal Nature, researchers say they've found a gene that influences our ability to fight against flu illness. The gene, called IFITM3, is the "important first line of defense" against the flu, researcher Paul Kellam of Britain's Sanger Institute told Reuters.
The IFITM3 protein prevents flu viruses from reproducing in cells. So, if you have a high amount of IFITM3, you're in luck, since it weakens the spread of the virus; a low amount can lead to more rapid viral reproduction, causing severe flu symptoms, according to Kellam.
Scientists first found in gene studies that IFITM3 played a role in resistance to flu and other viruses. In experiments in mice, they showed that when mice were raised to lack the IFITM3 gene and then infected with influenza, the animals developed more severe lung infection from flu, compared with mice that had the gene.
To figure out the role of IFTTM3 in humans, researchers then studied the IFITM3 genes of 53 patients with the flu in 2009-2010. They found that these patients were more likely to have a variant of the IFITM3 gene -- which makes people more vulnerable to flu -- compared with the general population. According to evidence from large genetic databases, about 1 in 400 people carries this IFITM3 variant, the BBC reports.
"Our research is important for people who have this variant as we predict their immune defenses could be weakened to some virus infections," said Kellam.
The Findings also suggest that a drug that functions as IFITM3 could help increase resistance to flu and other viruses, including deadly ones like H5N1 flu. | high20925.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "you should get lost"
},
"options": [
"you should go everywhere on foot",
"you should have a map",
"you should ask people the way",
"you should get lost"
],
"question": "The writer believed that if you wanted to ... | I was in a strange city and I didn't know the city at all and what is more,I could not speak a word of the language. After having spent my first day in the town-centre,I decided to lose my way on my second day, since I believed that this was the simplest way of getting to know the strange city.
I got on the first bus that passed, rode on it for several stops then got it off and walked on. The first two hours passed pleasantly enough. Then I decided to turn back to my hotel for lunch. After walking about for some time, I decided I had better ask the way. The trouble was that the only word I knew of the language was the name of the street in which I lived and even then I pronounced it badly.
I stopped to ask a friendly-looking newspaper-seller. He smiled and handed me a paper. I shook my head and repeated the name of the street and he put the paper into my hands. I had to give him some money and went on my way. The next person I asked was a policeman. The policeman listened to me carefully, smiled and gently took me by the arm. There was a strange look in his eyes as he pointed left and right and left again. I thanked him politely and began walking in the direction he pointed.
About an hour passed and I noticed that the houses were getting fewer and fewer and green fields were appearing on either side of me. I had come all the way into the countryside.
The only thing left for me to do was to find the nearest railway station, | high3067.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "what inspired Yanez to create the generator"
},
"options": [
"what the initial philosophy or spirit was",
"what inspired Yanez to create the generator",
"how the bridge was destroyed in strong wind",
"how wind creates p... | Wind turbines are efficient sources of cheap energy but also a source of concern as their huge spinning blades frequently kill birds and bats. A new type of wind generator developed in Spain offers a creative solution to that problem.
In 2002, Spanish inventor David Yanez saw a short film about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the U.S., collapsing in strong wind. It was a vivid example of the powerful vibrations wind can create when it blows past a long pole, such as a car antenna or even a stick of bamboo. It gave him the idea for a new type of wind-energy generator.
"The initial philosophy or spirit was to create a generator of dreams that had all the qualities one would want: It should be as cheap as possible, need as little maintenance as possible, the setup as simple as possible," he said.
Yanez and his friend Raoul Martin took the idea to an engineering firm, where they were told it would never work. Undiscouraged, they started experimenting on their own in a small wind tunnel they built.
Good initial results were repeated by a larger working model called Vortex installed in a nearby field. "What we have is a mast , which is the top piece and acts as a blade," Yanez said. "It's constructed from the same material as a conventional generator, and what it does is it oscillates , transmitting the oscillation to a conventional alternator, which by its own oscillation converts the wind's energy into electric energy."
Yanez said the output of the 6-meter-tall generator, and even that of smaller models, was better than expected. The Vortex creates about 30 percent less energy than a comparable bladed wind turbine, but it is lighter and cheaper to build and maintain. It is made mostly of reinforced plastic and has very few moving parts. Also, it does not create noise and--even more important for many environmentalists--it does not present a threat to passing birds.
The current prototype works at wind speeds ranging from 1.5 to 7 meters per second. The inventors say the next step is building a 12.5-meter tall bladeless generator with a 4-kilowatt capacity that could power small businesses or individual homes, or provide supplemental power to a main grid. The commercial version of the Vortex Bladeless generator should be ready for the market by 2017. | high11520.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The Good Earth was well-received by American readers"
},
"options": [
"Pearl Buck attended a college in China",
"The Good Earth was well-received by American readers",
"Pearl Buck stayed in China in 1926",
"Pearl Buck s... | Pearl Buck(1892--1973)was born in Hillsboro, West Virginia. She grew up in China, but was educated at Randolph-Macon Woman's College. After her graduation she returned to China and lived there until 1934 with the exception of a year spent at Cornell University, where she took an MA in 1926.Pearl Buck began to write in the twenties; her first novel, East Wind; West Wind, appeared in 1930.It was followed by The Good Earth (1931),Sons(1932),and A House Divided(1935),together forming a trilogy on the stories of the family of Wang. The Good Earth stood on the American list of bestsellers for a long time and earned her several awards, including the Pulitzer Prize and the William Dean Howells Medal. She also published The first Wife and Other Stories(1933),All Men are Brothers(1933),The Mother(1934),and This Proud Heart(1938).The biographies of her mother and father, The Exile and Fighting Angel, were published in 1936 and later brought out together under the title of The Spirit and the Flesh(1944).
Pearl Buck's works after 1938 are too many to speak about. Her novels have continued to deal with the differences between East and West. Her interest has spread to such countries as India and Korea.
Pearl Buck was active in many charity organizations; in particular she set up an organization for the adoption of Asian-American children and took an active interest in children with low IQ. | high12029.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "talking in front of people"
},
"options": [
"attending an English class",
"standing in a classroom",
"watching a performance",
"talking in front of people"
],
"question": "Someone may be most likely to suffer fr... | Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, or fear which may occur in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience. It is most commonly seen in school situations, like stand-up projects and class speeches. It has numerous forms: heart beating fast, trembling hands and legs, sweaty hands, dry mouth etc.
In fact, most of the fear occurs before you step on stage. Once you're up there, it usually goes away. Thus, it is a phenomenon that you must learn to control. Try to think of stage fright in a positive way. It heightens your energy, adds color to your cheeks. With these good side effects you will actually look healthier and more physically attractive.
Many of the top performers in the world get stage fright so you are in good company. Stage fright may come and go or decrease, but it usually does not disappear permanently. You must concentrate on getting the feeling out and present what you have prepared calmly.
Remember "Nobody" ever died from stage fright. But, according to surveys, many people would rather die than give a speech. If that applies to you, and you are an unlucky guy who is with stage fright the whole time, try out some of the strategies as follows to help get yourself under control. Realize that you may never overcome stage fright, but you can learn to control it, and use it to your advantage.
Strategies are as follows when the program begins:
1) If legs are trembling, lean on table or shift legs or move.
2) Don't hold notes. The audience can see them shake. Use three-by-five cards instead.
3) Use eye contact. Look at the friendliest faces in the audience.
Remember nervousness doesn't show one-tenth as much as it feels. Before each presentation, make a short list of the items you think will make you feel better. Don't be afraid to experiment with different combinations. You never know which ones will work best until you try. Use these steps to control stage fright so it doesn't control you. Once you are used to stage fright, you will find you on the road to a great speech-maker. | high7201.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "In a popular magazine"
},
"options": [
"In a popular magazine",
"On the top-line position of a newspaper",
"In a science textbook",
"In an encyclopedia"
],
"question": "Where would this article probably appear?"... | Nearly everyone is shy in some ways. If shyness is making you uncomfortable, it may be time for a few lessons in self-confidence. You can build your confidence by
following some suggestions from doctors and psychologists.
Make a decision not to hold back in conversations. What you have to say is just as important as what other people say. And don't turn down party invitations just because of your shyness.
Prepare for yourself for being with others in groups. Make a list of the good qualities you have. Then make a list of ideas, experiences, and skills you would like to share with other people . I think about what you would like to say in advance. Then say it.
If you start feeling self-conscious in a group, take a deep breath and focus your attention on other people, Remember, you are not alone. Other people are concerned about the impression they are making, too.
No one ever gets over being shy completely, but most people do learn to live with their shyness. Even entertainers admit that they often feel shy. They work at fighting their shy feelings so that they can face the cameras and the public. Just making the effort to control shyness can have many rewards. But perhaps the best reason to fight shyness is to give other people a chance to know about you. | high1670.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To introduce a surprising way to earn money."
},
"options": [
"To tell an interesting story.",
"To introduce a surprising way to earn money.",
"To solve a puzzling problem.",
"To present an exciting research."
],
... | Online Money Earning
Yes, you can earn money online without any investment or without anytime limit. There is no need to stop any other work. Here I tell you the complete method for online earning.
The Method
You can earn money through "Bux.to" by clicking on ads on "Bux. to" site. First you need to open an account at "Bux. to". "Bux. to" is a new international and FREE English based service that allows advertisers to reach thousands of potential customers by displaying their ads on our "Surf Ads" page. An exact calculated percentage of all advertising income is paid to our members. "Bux. to" makes money through advertising.
How you make money
You view websites in 30 seconds through the "Surf Ads" page. Once the 30 seconds is up, you'll either get a green tick sign or a red "x". The green tick sign means you've earned $0.01and the "x" means you have not earned money for the visit. You'll get red x's when you have more than one website from the "Surf Ads" page open. When this happens, you get no credit.
Earnings example
You click 10 ads per day =$0.10
20 referrals click 10 ads per day =$2.00
Your daily earnings =$2.10
Your weekly earnings =$14.70
How to get paid
At present, it only makes payments through "AlertPay". AlertPay is the payment processing solution that we use to pay members. Your AlertPay address is the e-mail address you use to register with AlertPay. You can get a free AlertPay account at http:// alertpay. com. | high7215.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "lacked confidence"
},
"options": [
"was not clever",
"could not focus on his study",
"lacked confidence",
"got along well with other kids"
],
"question": "It can be inferred that when entering Blue Creek Element... | When I was three years old, my parents discovered I was totally deaf. But instead of sending me to a school for the deaf, they decided to "
" me. All of my peers and teachers world have normal hearing.
I was the only deaf child at Blue Creel Elementary School. From almost the first day there, the other kids made fun of me mainly because of my hearing aid and the way I talked. And I also had difficulty with most of my school work.
When the other kids made fun of me, I was sure that I was a bad person. I saw myself as a boy who wasn't smart enough to keep up with the class.
Mrs. Jordan, my 5th grade teacher, changed all of that with a simple three-word phrase.
One morning, she asked the class a question. I read her lips from my front-row seat and immediately raised my hand because I was sure I had the right answer. But when she called on me, I was afraid. Here was an opportunity to impress the powerful teacher and show her I was worthy of her love. Maybe even impress my classmates a little. I didn't want to blow it. despite my fears, I took a deep breath and answered Mrs. Jordan's question.
I will never forget what happened next. Mrs. Jordan enthusiastically slammed her right foot on the floor and turned her tight hand around in full circle until it pointed directly at me. With sparking eyes and a wide smile she cried, "THAT'S RIGHT STEPHEN!"
For the first time in my young life, I was a star. I sat a little taller in my chair.
From that day forward, my grades and speech improved greatly. My popularity among my peers increased. It was all because Mrs. Jordan believed in me and wasn't afraid to express it. "THAT'S RIGHT STEPHEN!" | high15752.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It used to be home to parrots of their kind."
},
"options": [
"Its landscape is new to parrots of their kind.",
"It used to be home to parrots of their kind.",
"It is close to where they had been kept.",
"Pine trees wer... | Three years ago, five parrots were set free in a wild place of Arizona, thousands of miles from the Channel Islands in Jersey where they had been looked after by zookeepers. No evolutionary strategies informed them how to behave in this new landscape of mountainous pine forest unoccupied by their kind for 50 years. To the researchers' surprise, they failed to make contact with a group of wild parrots imported from Mexico and set free at the same time. Within 24 hours the reintroducing ended in failure, and the poor birds were back in cages, on their way to the safety of the Arizona reintroduction programme.
Ever since then, the programme has enjoyed great success, mainly because the birds now being set free are Mexican birds illegally caught in the wild, confiscated on arrival north of the border, and raised by their parents in the safety of the programme. The experience shows how little we know about the behaviour and psychology of parrots, as Peter Bennett, a bird researcher, points out: "Reintroducing species of high intelligence like parrots is a lot more difficult. People like parrots, always treating them as nothing more than pets or valuable 'collectables'."
Now that many species of parrot are in immediate danger of dying out, biologists are working together to study the natural history and the behaviour of this family of birds. Last year was an important turning point: conservationists founded the World Parrot Trust, based at Hayle in Cornwall, to support research into both wild and caged birds.
Research on parrots is vital for two reasons. First, as the Arizona programme showed, when reintroducing parrots to the wild, we need to be aware of what the birds must know if they are to survive in their natural home. We also need to learn more about the needs of parrots kept as pets, particularly as the Trust's campaign does not attempt to discourage the practice, but rather urges people who buy parrots as pets to choose birds raised by humans. | high8126.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They are expected to work better."
},
"options": [
"They are expected to work better.",
"They can't focus their attention on the work.",
"They are running the Nap Now campaign.",
"They have difficulty in falling sleep a... | I love sleeping. It's something I'm good at. There's nothing better than nodding off on the sofa in front of the TV and when my head hits the pillow at night, I have no problem falling into a deep sleep within minutes. There is one place where I never nap and that's at work--but new research suggests I should!
The idea of you and your colleagues heading off for a lie down in the afternoon may seem strange, but some companies such as Google and Facebook actually encourage it. Because it's thought that a power-nap makes them more refreshed and more focused, and this in turn makes them more productive.
An Australian health writer called Victoria is a founder of a campaign called Nap Now which is trying to make sleeping at work more acceptable. She calls herself a " _ "! She says: "I think that our culture is a bit crazy not to accept it... It's time to end the common work principle which is all about working longer and harder."
So should we all be taking a sleeping bag and pillow to work with us? A few years ago, research by the East of England Development Agency found 30% of people have their best ideas in bed compared to just 11% who have them at their desk. That suggests people are more creative when they are relaxed--and the agency has called for companies to put beds in the workplace.
A nap in the afternoon is nothing new. In certain hot countries, such as Spain, a short rest or sleep in the afternoon-called a siesta-is perfectly normal. So maybe we should break from the traditional nine-to-five work culture and take up the siesta. The UK's Sleep Council claims the nine-to-five working day does not fit into the natural sleeping pattern of the human race and says that bosses need to introduce a more sleep-friendly working day. | high9238.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "How to make ends meet."
},
"options": [
"How to become a banker.",
"Where to open a savings account.",
"Where to choose a money box.",
"How to make ends meet."
],
"question": "What did the author learn from her ... | At primary school in New Zealand, I was introduced to a school savings account run by one of the local banks. When our money box was full, we took it to the bank and watched with pride as our coins flowed across the counter. As a reward,we could choose our next money box from a small variety, and start the whole savings routine again. Every week I watched my parents sort out the housekeeping and "make ends meet". Sometimes it was annoying to wait for things we really felt we needed.
Later, as a university student, I managed on an extremely small student allowance. Students were ignored by banks then, because we were so poor, and there was no way I could have gotten credit, even if I had tried. We collected our allowance three times each year, deposited it to the best advantage and withdrew it little by little to last until the next payout of the allowance.
When our daughter, Sophie, began to walk, we made a purposeful choice to encourage her to use money wisely. We often comment when the TV tells us "You owe it to yourself to borrow our money"--to whom do we really owe it? And what would happen if our income were reduced or dried up? Now, as a 12-year-old child, it's almost embarrassing to see her tight "financial policy",and wait for the unavoidable holiday sales to buy what she wants.
I agree that financial education in schools is very important. But the root of the problem lies with us and the way we behave as role models to those who follow. | high13323.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because she feels a sense of achievement"
},
"options": [
"Because she sees her family sleeping peacefully.",
"Because she finishes her favorite exercise",
"Because she enjoys the interesting DVD",
"Because she feels a ... | It's 5:00 in the morning when the alarm rings in my ears. I roll out of bed and walk blindly through the dark into the bathroom. I turn on the light and put on my glasses. The house is still as I walk downstairs while my husband and three kids sleep peacefully. Usually I go for a long run, but today I choose my favorite exercise DVD, Insanity. Sweat pours down my face and into my eyes. My heart races as I face my body to finish each movement. As I near the end of the exercise ,I feel extremely tired, but a smile is of my face. It's a smile because the DVD is over , but a smile of success from pushing my body to its extreme limit.
Some people enjoy shopping, smoking , food, work, or even chocolate. But I need exercise to get through each day. Some shake heads when they see me run through the town. Others get hurt when I refuse to try just one bite of their grandmother's chocolate cake. They raise their eyebrows, surprised by my "no thank you," or by my choice to have a salad. Over the years , I have learned it's okay to just say "no." I shouldn't feel sorry for refusing food that I don't want to eat.
So what drives me to roll out of bed at 5:00 a.m.? What gives me the reason to just say no to ice cream? _ t. A commitment to change my life with a way that reduces daily anxiety, increases self -confidence and energy, extends life and above all improves my body shape. This is the point where a smile appears on my face as I look at myself in the mirror or try on my favorite pair of jeans that now fit just right. It's through commitment and sweat that I can make a difference within myself inside and out. | high1664.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Less rainfall"
},
"options": [
"Globe warming",
"Less rainfall",
"Pollution",
"Poor planning"
],
"question": "According to the passage, which of the following is not the cause of severe water shortage?",
"qu... | prefix = st1 /Gland, Switzerland - Rivers on every continent are drying out, threatening severe water shortages, according to a new WWF report.
The report, World's Top Rivers at Risk, released ahead of World Water Day (22 March), lists the top ten rivers that are fast dying as a result of climate change, pollution and dams.
"All the rivers in the report symbolize the current freshwater crisis, which we have been signalling for years," says WWF Global Freshwater Programme Director Jamie Pittock.
"Poor planning and inadequate protection of natural areas mean we can no longer assume that water will flow forever. Like the climate change crisis, which now has the attention of business and government, we want leaders to take notice of the emergency facing freshwater now not later."
Five of the ten rivers listed in the report are in Asia alone. They are the Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Ganges and Indus. Europe's Danube, the America'sLa Plataand Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, Africa's Nile-Lake Victoria andAustralia's Murray-Darling also make the list.
Dams along the Danube River -- one of the longest flowing rivers in Europe -- have already destroyed 80 per cent of the river basin's wetlands and floodplains. Even without warmer temperatures threatening to melt Himalayan glaciers, the IndusRiverfaces scarcity due to over-extraction for agriculture. Fish populations, the main source of protein and overall life support systems for hundreds of thousands of communities worldwide, are also being threatened.
The report calls on governments to better protect river flows and water allocations in order to safeguard habitats and people's livelihoods.
"Conservation of rivers and wetlands must be seen as part and parcel of national security, health and economic success," Pittock adds. "Emphasis must be given to exploring ways of using water for crops and products that do not use more water than necessary."
In addition, cooperative agreements for managing shared resources, such as the UN Watercourses Convention, must be ratified and given the resources to make them work, says WWF.
"The freshwater crisis is bigger than the ten rivers listed in this report but it mirrors the extent to which unabated development is _ nature's ability to meet our growing demands," says Pittock. "We must change our mindset now or pay the price in the not so distant future."(373) | high17145.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "round up cows on dairy farms"
},
"options": [
"milk the cows on the field",
"feed the cows with food",
"round up cows on dairy farms",
"take farmers around the farm"
],
"question": "The robot Rover was mainly us... | A four-wheeled robot,known as Rover,has been tested by a team at Sydney University.It was used to move a herd of cows from a field to a dairy .
Researchers were amazed at how easily cows accepted the presence of the robot.They were not disturbed by it and the gathering process was calm and effective.Because the robot moved in a steady manner it allowed cows to move at their own speed,which was important in reducing injuries among cattle,said Dr Kendra Kerrisk,dairy researcher and associate professor.
The robot was adapted from one that was already being used to monitor fruit and trees on farms.A team at Sydney University's Centre for Field Robotics improved the robot so that it could be put in a field with cows in order for the researchers to gather data on robot--cow interaction.
The robot needs to be operated by a human but it's hoped that in the future a version can be developed that will be fully automated.As well as gathering cows a new version could also collect information useful for farmers.
Using robots to get cows to the dairy will be better for their well-being."The research is in its very early stages but robotic technologies certainly have the potential to transform dairy farming,"said Dr.Kerrisk."When we have discussed this concept with farmers they have been extremely excited and we have had a series of calls and emails asking how they can get hold of one,"she added.
The robot could also cut down the number of accidents involving humans on farms.Most dairy farmers in Australia use bikes to round up their cattle and they are one of the leading causes of injury.The team hopes that by using the robot to do the job instead,accident rates could fall. | high18276.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "live a life in a rural area as a cowboy"
},
"options": [
"live a life in a rural area as a cowboy",
"buy farm products at a discount",
"get money for housing from the government",
"have a higher salary than other profes... | What's the coolest job ever? It may be one that allows you to express your personality while doing something you love and getting paid for it. Here are some really cool jobs.
*Cowboy
If you dream of living the rural life as a cowboy, consider a position as a rancher or a farm manager. You can expect to earn between US$25,000 and US$35,000 a year, says Brady Lynch, an agricultural research consultant. "A lot of benefits will include other things like housing, a vehicle and even beef or chicken," he adds.
*Professional Golfer
You need nerves of steel to face pressure and difficulty and a love of travel to survive as a professional golfer. Average yearly winnings in the Ladies Professional Golf Association were US$230,117 in 2013. With 161 ladies on the list, top-ranked Na Yeon Choi earned more than US$1.8 million, while 161st-ranked Jackie Gallagher-Smith earned just US$1,786. If you want to stay in one place, work as a golf professional and earn an average salary of US$57,141, according to Monster's Salary Wizard.
*Firefighter
There's a lot of work out there in firefighting, but the competition is fierce, so you'll need mechanical aptitude , physical fitness and a bit of firefighting or emergency responder education to win a paid position. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that next decade the industry will grow 9 percent to 336,900 jobs. The average salary for firefighters is US$45,420 a year. If you become chief, you could double that salary.
*Flight Attendant
Free flights are the best benefit offered to flight attendants. Attendants' salaries start at around US$16,191 a year, according to the Association of Flight Attendants. But the salary goes up as you stay on the job, and the average salary for US flight attendants is US$37,740, according to the BLS. Some airlines have minimum and maximum height requirements, and you can't be too large to walk down the aisle facing forward. Being able to speak a second language will make you more appealing to international airlines. | high19168.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "\"Functional disability\" is related to problems with daily activities or basic needs."
},
"options": [
"Antioxidant chemicals can lead to disease.",
"Those who often drank green tea can't develop \"functional disability\".",
... | Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people.
Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals that may help stop the cell damage that can lead to disease. Researchers have been studying green tea's effect on everything from cholesterol to the risk of certain cancers, with mixed results so far.
They found those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop "functional disability", or problems with daily activities or basic needs, such as dressing or bathing.
Specifically, almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of green tea per day became functionally disabled, compared with just over 7 percent of people who drank at least five cups a day.
The study did not prove that green tea alone kept people agile as they grew older. Green-tea lovers generally had healthier diets, including more fish, vegetables and fruit, as well as more education, lower smoking rates, fewer heart attacks and strokes, and greater mental sharpness. They also tended to be more socially active and have more friends and family to rely on. But even with those factors accounted for, green tea itself was tied to a lower disability risk, the researchers said.
People who drank at least five cups a day were one-third less likely to develop disabilities than those who had less than a cup per day. Those people who averaged three or four cups a day had a 25 percent lower risk.
Although it's not clear how green tea might offer a buffer against disability, Tomata's team did note that one recent study found green tea extracts seem to increase leg muscle strength in older women.
While green tea and its extracts are considered safe in small amounts, they do contain caffeine and small amounts of vitamin K, which means it could affect drugs that prevent blood clotting . | high3073.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "they killed a lot of giant animals"
},
"options": [
"they killed a lot of giant animals",
"giant animals began to disappear",
"they built a bridge to the mainland",
"climate began to change dramatically"
],
"que... | Research led by UK and Australian scientists sheds new light on the role that our ancestors
played in the extinction of Australia's prehistoric animals. The new study provides the first evidence
that Tasmania's giant prehistoric animals were still living on the island when humans first arrived.
The findings suggest that the mass extinction of Tasmania's large prehistoric animals was the result
of human hunting, and not climate change as previously believed.
Scientists have long argued over the reasons behind the worldwide mass extinction that took place towards the end of the last ice age. The main _ are generally thought to be climate change or some form of human impact. People only arrived in Tasmania around 43,000 years ago, when the island became temporarily connected by a land bridge to mainland Australia. None of Tasmania's giant animals, known as "megafauna" were known to have survived until this time. This appeared to clear humans of any involvement in the disappearance of the island's large megafauna.
This new international study reports the discovery of giant kangaroos surviving in Tasmania until people arrived, placing humans back on the list of likely culprits for the extinction of the megafauna.
Using the latest techniques, the team were able to determine the age of the fossilized remains of the megafauna more accurately than ever before. The results showed that some of these animals survived until at least 41,000 years agomuch later than previously thought and up to 2,000 years after the first human settlers arrived. As climate in Tasmania was not changing dramatically at this time, the researchers argue that this is evidence of these species being driven to extinction through over-hunting by humans. | high20931.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "what role the business plays in the program"
},
"options": [
"what role the business plays in the program",
"why the students get paid for their jobs",
"where the students have their math class",
"what the school decide... | Determined to make school more related to the workplace, Roosevelt High School in Portland, Oregon, developed a school-to-work program. In their first year, students are offered some job pathways in natural resources, human services, health care, business, arts and communication. The following year, each student chooses one of the pathways and examines it in depth, spending three hours a week watching someone on the job. Such a program is also in practice in some other states.
The school-to-work program is built around a partnership. For example, Eastman Kodak, a major employer in Colorado, introduces students to business by helping them construct a model city using small pieces of wood. "The children use the models to decide on the best place to set up schools," says Lucille Mantelli, director for Eastman Kodak in Colorado. Kodak introduces math by teaching fifth graders to use their pocket money properly. They also provide one-on-one job watching experiences and offer chances of practice for high school juniors and seniors. "Students come to the workplace two or three hours a week," explains Mantelli. "They do the job for us. We pay them and they get school credits . We also give them our views on their performance and developmental opportunities."
In these partnerships, everybody wins. The students tend to take more difficult courses than students in schools that don't offer such programs. Business benefits by having a better prepared workforce needed in future years. "It's a way for us to work with the school systems to develop the type of workforce we'll need in future years," Mantelli continued. "We need employees who understand the basics of reading and writing. We need them to be good at math and to be comfortable working on a team."
"Our theory is that they can learn as much outside the classroom as in. All students have the ability to change the world, not just to live in it. To do that, they have to know how to solve problems and use critical thinking skills. We need to encourage them to dream about jobs that go beyond what they see today," concludes a school-to-work program organizer. | high11534.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To frighten it away"
},
"options": [
"To get ready to fight",
"To frighten it away",
"To protect the boy",
"To cool down"
],
"question": "Why did Jeb pull his jacket open when he saw the cougar?",
"question_... | Lying in the sun on a rock, the cougar saw Jeb and his son, Tom, before they saw it. Jeb put his bag down quickly and pulled his jacket open with both hands, making himself look big to the cougar. It worked. The cougar hesitated, ready to attack Jeb, but ready to forget the whole thing, too.
Jeb let go of his jacket, grasped Tom and held him across his body, making a cross. Now the cougar's enemy looked even bigger, and it rose up, ready to move away, but unfortunately Tom got scared and struggled free of Jeb.
"Tom, no!" shouted his father.
But Tom broke and ran and that's the last thing you do with a cougar. The second Tom broke free, Jeb threw himself on the cougar, just as it jumped from the rock. They hit each other in mid-air and both fell. The cougar was on Jeb in a flash, forgetting about Tom, which was what Jeb wanted.
Cougars are not as big as most people think and a determined man stands a chance, even with just his fists. As the cougar's claws got into his left shoulder, Jeb swung his fist at its eyes and hit hard. The animal howled and put its head back. Jeb followed up with his other fist. Then out of the corner of his eye, Jeb saw Tom. The boy was running back to help his father.
"Knife, Tom" shouted Jeb.
The boy ran to his father's bag, while Jeb stated shouting as well as hitting, to keep the cougar's attention away from Tom. Tom got the knife and ran over to Jeb. The cougar was moving its head in and out, trying to find a way through the wall Jeb was making out of his arms. Tom swung with the knife, into the cougar's back. It howled horribly and ran off into the mountains.
The whole fight had taken about thirty seconds. | high3715.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Strengthening one's body."
},
"options": [
"Strengthening one's body.",
"Easing one's anxiety.",
"Increasing one's memory.",
"Improving children's brain development."
],
"question": "Which of the following is NO... | Music is really powerful. Without music, movies would lose some of their attraction. No one disagree with the powerful effect music has on individuals. Whether this effect is positive or negative, however, often depends on the type of music listened to. And researches have shown that certain types of music own the ability to relieve one's anxiety, improve brain development in children, uplift one's memory and help patients to recover...just to name a few.
It should come as no surprise then, that researchers from the Tufts University have found that background music has the ability to directly affect one's eating habits as well. They counted the bites of food individuals took at meals while listening to different types of music. The diners "ate at an average rate of 3.9 bites per minute", with about a third of the diners requesting more food after clearing their plates. On the other hand, with "spirited tunes, "the diners "sped up to an average of 5.1 bites per minute! "Not surprising however, when "calming flute instrumental" were played, the eating speed of the diners slowed "to 3.2 bites per minute--and the bites became smaller". They didn't request second helpings and praised that the food tasted better.
Studies have clearly stated that one safe way of losing weight includes eating slowly. Since it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell the brain that it's full, eating slowly will help you to eat to satisfaction--without overdoing it. With this important piece of information then, it leads one to believe that with the use of calming background instrumental music, one can slow their food digestion, "retraining" both the stomach and the brain to take in less food which could lead to weight lost.
Is there any truth to this theory? One will never know unless they try it themselves. Even if it doesn't work for you, at least you'll achieve a bit of relaxing and pleasant environment during your meal periods. A great meal with great music--who could ask for anything more? | high21391.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Prevention or Treatment?"
},
"options": [
"Prevention or Education?",
"Prevention or Treatment?",
"Health or Illness?",
"Exercise or Illness?"
],
"question": "What's the best title of the passage?",
"questio... | The rising costs of health care have become a problem for many countries in the world. To deal with this problem, it is recommended that a big part of the government's health budget be used for health education and disease prevention instead of treatment. Actually, many kinds of diseases are preventable in many ways and preventing a disease is usually much cheaper than treating it. For example, people could avoid catching a cold if they dressed warmly when the weather starts getting cold. But many people get sick because they fail to do so, and have to spend money seeing a doctor.
Daily habits like eating more healthy food would have kept millions of families from becoming _ if the patients had taken measures for early prevention. For instance, keeping a balanced diet, such as not consuming too much animal fat and insuring a steady intake of vegetables and frits, seems to be quite important.
One very effective and costless way of prevention is regular exercise, which is necessary for a healthy mind and body. Regular exercise, such as running, walking, and playing sports is a good way to make people feel better and reduce stress.
In addition, health education plays a key role in improving people's health. By giving people more information about health, countries could help people understand the importance of disease prevention and ways to achieve it. For example, knowing one's family medical history is an effective way to help keep healthy. Information about health problem among close relatives will make them aware of what they should do to prevent certain diseases through lifestyle changes, Which will work before it is too late.
However, stressing disease prevention does not mean medical treatment is unimportant. After all, prevention and treatment are just two different means toward the same effect. In conclusion, we could save money on health care and treat patients more successfully if our country spends more money on health prevention and education. | high5364.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Curious."
},
"options": [
"Angry.",
"Excited.",
"Curious.",
"Sad."
],
"question": "How did the princess feel When she first saw the stone?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Once there was a rich,beautiful and wise princess.Tired of those who were only interested in her money,she said that she would only marry whoever managed to present her with the most valuable and sincere gift of all.
Soon the palace was filled with gifts of every kind.Among all these gifts,she found a simple dirty stone.She wondered who had offered this gift.She pretended to be very angry because of the gift when the young man was brought before her. He explained,"Dear Princess,this stone stands for the most valuable thing one can give---- it is my heart.It is also sincere.And because it is not yet yours,it is as hard as a stone.Only when it is filled with love will it become softer than any other thing."
The young man quietly left,leaving the princess surprised.She was so in love that she took the little stone with her wherever she went.And for months she gave the young man gifts and all her attention.But his heart remained as hard as the stone in her hands.Losing hope,she ended up throwing the stone into a fire. Then in the heat of the fire,the stone became a golden figure .Then the princess understood that she herself would have to be like fire.
During the following months,she contributed her life, her wisdom and her wealth to her country.And the people started to call her the "Princess of Fire".
And,as with the stone,the Princess of Fire melted the hardness of the young man's heart.And, just as he had promised,he became so soft that he made the princess happy till the end of her days. | high18510.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "warn him of the danger of being killed"
},
"options": [
"warn him of the danger of being killed",
"reveal the names of the conspirators",
"protect the House of Lords",
"report the plot to the authorities"
],
"qu... | The Gunpowder Plot was conspiracy to kill King James I, as well as the members of the House of Lords and Commons at the re-opening of Parliament. It was designed by a group of Catholics in protest against the anti-Catholic laws that were being introduced by the king.
Robert Catesby was the leader of the group. It was he and his cousin, Thomas Wintour, and two other friends, Thomas Percy and John Wright, who formed the center of the group. They were joined by nine more men; among them was Guy Fawkes, from the city of York in the north of England.
Fawkes found a store room directly under the House of Lords and rented it out under the false name of John Johnson. The conspirators stored thirty-six barrels of gunpowder there, and Fawkes, who was an explosives expert, was to light the fuses on 5th November 1605.
The plot failed because one of the conspirators, Francis Tresham, sent a letter to his relative, who was a member of the House of Lords. The letter warned him not to attend the opening ceremony of Parliament. The letter was passed on to the authorities, who took action.
Guy Fawkes was found in the cellar on the night of 4th November with the thirty-six barrels and a number of fuses. He was imprisoned and ill-treated, eventually giving away the names of the conspirators.
Soldiers of the king surrounded Holbeach House, in the Midlands, where they knew the conspirators to be hiding. In the fight that followed, four of them were shot dead, including Catesby and Percy, who were actually killed by the same bullet. The others were imprisoned and hanged along with Guy Fawkes on 31st January 1606.
These days, on 5th November, children all over Britain celebrate Guy Fawkes Night by building huge bonfires and lighting fireworks. It's a family tradition and an occasion to eat potatoes baked by the flames. There is always a 'guy' on top of the fire, a model of Guy Fawkes, dressed in the clothes of the 17th century. | high13445.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "report a coming event"
},
"options": [
"introduce a few U.S. museums",
"describe some research work",
"discuss the value of an ape-man",
"report a coming event"
],
"question": "The author writes this text mainly... | ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - One of the world's most famous fossils - the 3.2 million-year-old Lucy skeleton unearthed in Ethiopia in 1974 - will go on an exhibition tour abroad for the first time in the United States, officials said Tuesday.
Even the Ethiopian public has only seen Lucy twice. The Lucy on exhibition at the Ethiopian National Museum in the capital, Addis Ababa, is _ while the real remains are usually locked in a secret storeroom. A team from the Museum of National Science in Houston, Texas, spent four years discussing with the Ethiopians for the U.S. tour, which will start in Houston next September.
"Ethiopia's rich culture of both the past and today, is one of the best kept secrets in the world," said Joel Bartsch, director of the Houston museum.
The six-year tour will also go to Washington, New York, Denver and Chicago. Officials said six other U.S. cities may be on the tour. But they said plans had not been worked out.
Travelling with Lucy will be 190 other fossils.
Lucy, her name taken from a Beatles song that played in a camp the night of her discovery, is part of the skeleton of what was once a 3-foot-tall ape-man . | high496.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "because she wanted to have a dress."
},
"options": [
"before she hesitated for a while.",
"though she asked to see a dress in the window.",
"because she wanted to have a dress.",
"as she passed by."
],
"question... | A woman in blue jeans stood at the window of expensive shop. Though she hesitated for a moment, she finally went in and asked to see a dress that was in the window. The assistant who served her did not like the way she was dressed. Glancing at her scornfully , he told her the dress was sold. The woman walked out of the shop angrily and decided to punish the assistant the next day.
She returned to the shop the following morning dressed in a fur coat, with a handbag in one hand and a long umbrella in the other. After searching out the rude assistant she asked for the same dress. Not realizing who she was, the assistant was eager to serve her this time. With great difficulty, he climbed into the shop window to get the dress. As soon as she saw it, the woman said she did not like it. She enjoy herself making the assistant bring almost everything in the window before finally buying the dress she had first asked for. | high22840.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a young man said sorry to me for touching my bag"
},
"options": [
"a young man wanted to rob me of my bag",
"a young man ran by and wanted to brush my bag",
"a young man said sorry to me for touching my bag",
"a young m... | There is one word that is on the lips of Americans , day and night , "Sorry".
One time as I was walking on the street , a young man ran by hurriedly , brushing against my handbag . Even as he continued on his way , he turned back and said "sorry" to me . Even in a rush , he didn't forget to apologize .
One day , after I bought some apples , the salesman was giving me the change , but I wasn't ready for it , and a coin dropped on the ground, "I'm sorry ," he said while bending down to pick it up . I was puzzled --why would he apologize when it was my fault ?
Another time , I stepped on a man's foot in an escalator . At the same time , we both said "sorry" . I thought it interesting : was it really necessary for him apologize ?
Later on , an American friend explained to me that according to the American ideas, the escalator is public place which everyone should be able to stand in . After someone occupies a position in the escalator , making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand in , isn't it necessary to express an apology ?
During my stay in America , I gradually realized that when friction occurs in daily life , Americans don't care much about who is responsible . If someone is troubled , a "sorry" is always necessary . Even if the other person is hurt , the "sorry" would cool tempers . Perhaps this is why I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses , subways or streets in America . | high1102.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Happening as frequently as before."
},
"options": [
"Happening earlier than before.",
"Affecting more areas",
"Happening as frequently as before.",
"Affecting air more seriously"
],
"question": "According to the... | Until late April, northern China had experienced eight severe sandstorms this year alone, worsening the air quality in half the region's cities.
This year's sandstorms are considered more severe than before. Not only are they increasing in frequency and having more serious effects on air quality, but they are also occurring earlier in the season and affecting a wider area. The timing of the first sandstorm moved up by a week this year, and the sandstorm-affected area has extended beyond 3 million square kilometers.
The reason for the frequent dust storms is worsening desertification in China's northern areas, caused by a combination of warm, dry weather and the rapid spread of agriculture. The dust-affected area is likely to expand to the northeast in the near future as a large area of grassland in Inner Mongolia's northern plain turns rapidly to desert.
Due to its lack of rainfall and overall surface dryness in the spring, Beijing experiences sandstorms every March and April. The most recent sandstorm hit the capital on April 17 and was the worst in five years. For about 40 days every year, the pollutants cannot be diffused, as the city's location makes it a natural container for accumulating sand and dust. Rapid urban development is affecting Beijing's air quality as well. To _ the dust from hundreds of new construction sites, authorities have issued rules asking builders to cover all working areas, pack down loose dirt, and wash vehicle tires when leaving the sites. | high23586.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Drinking alcohol is much cooler than taking drugs."
},
"options": [
"They want to show their maturity by drinking alcohol.",
"Drinking alcohol is much cooler than taking drugs.",
"They are affected by many other people arou... | Some kids start to drink alcohol at a young age. They think it is part of becoming an adult. They also think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it. They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs . It is easy for kids to get liquor by using fake identification .
Parents may start to notice a change in their child's behavior if the child starts drinking. Kids who drink sometimes stop doing things they normally liked to do. They may keep telephone calls and meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things. They act moody and do not have the same eating and sleeping habits.
Parents need to stay involved in their kids' lives. They should talk to their children about their problems to be aware of any changes.
Parents can be the best protection. Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves. It helps them resist doing bad things even when other kids are doing them. Parents can also help set a good example by not drinking and driving. They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows.
Give the children good ideas on how to say "no" to drinking, even when they are at a party. Try not to overreact or panic if the child tries alcohol. How you handle it can affect their attitude. It may be helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews and rules about parties or other events. | high7573.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They are the inventions of a car company."
},
"options": [
"They are in hot demand like iPhones.",
"They are intended for queuing diners.",
"They are the inventions of a car company.",
"They are completely different fro... | Standing in line for the latest iPhone at the Apple store, queuing for tickets to Wimbledon or even just waiting at the post office might just have got a lot easier. Japanese car-maker Nissan announces that it has just the thing to relieve the painful legs of tired queuers.
The new system of 'self-driving' chairs is designed to detect when someone at the front of the queue is called, and automatically move everyone else one step forward in line. The new invention is shown off in a company video, which shows a busy restaurant with patrons waiting outside.
In the video, diners are sitting in a row of chairs, but will not have to stand when the next hungry diner is called to a table. Instead, the chairs, equipped with autonomous technology that detects the seat ahead, move along a path toward the front of the line. When the person at the front of the queue is called, the empty chair at the front can sense it is empty and so moves out of pole position. Cameras on the remaining chairs then sense the movement and follow automatically.
The system, which is similar to the kind used in Nissan's autonomous vehicle technology, will be tested at select restaurants in Japan this year, Nissan said. "It appeals to anyone who has queued for hours outside a crowded restaurant: it _ the boredom and physical pain of standing in line," Nissan added.
Although Tokyo has some 160,000 restaurants, long queues are not uncommon. Chosen restaurants that meet the criteria will be able to show the chairs outside their restaurant next year. Nissan also released a short video showing the chairs being used in an art gallery, moving slowly in front of the various paintings to let viewers appreciate the art without the need to stand up. | high15034.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To show many people aren't nice."
},
"options": [
"To prove his mother is wrong.",
"To show many people aren't nice.",
"To tell us he knows little about computer.",
"To share his funny experience with us."
],
"q... | When my mother was alive, she used to tell me again and again about the value of just being nice. "Never underestimate the power of a smile," she would say. I fear she would be very disappointed looking at the world today. A lot of people don't smile and when it comes to service today, they're just not nice. Now don't give me wrong, not all service workers but a good many.
I was on the phone the other day with a computer help desk. First a man, then later a woman, who couldn't have been ruder. And this to a customer, who didn't know his way around a PC. But no matter, I could tell they thought I was a bother, The woman, in fact, seemed to be chewing gum as she unemotionally clicked off a series of commands for me to perform.
The next day I heard from a friend of mine who got a performance review without his boss once looking up at him. Not once.
You see it everywhere. Gone are the days when people cared about you. It's a sign of the time, I suspect. But that makes me sad -- for them and for us all. People who aren't happy, who don't smile, who don't kid, who don't joke or make light of even bad situations, make for an even worse situation.
And it spreads like a cancer. Someone's rude to you, you're rude to them and to the next fellow you meet, and on and on. Smiles are contagious but so annoyances. The boss who can't be bothered with his workers. The celebrity who can't be bothered with her annoying fans.
You know, my mom used to judge presidential candidates by how they smiled. I would say, "But mom, you don't know if that smile is real."
"Oh, yes I do," she would tell me. "I can feel it."
It's in their eyes, she would say. And it's in their smile. The rest just kind of falls into place. | high8640.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "one returns from abroad after staying there for a long period of time"
},
"options": [
"one enters a new culture",
"one has been used to a foreign culture",
"one returns from abroad after staying there for a long period of ti... | Travelling and even living abroad can be great for broadening your horizons and learning about different cultures. However, after returning home from being abroad for a long period, many people can suffer from the problem of reverse culture shock. Reverse culture shock is a condition that happens when you return home and find things have changed greatly from how you have remembered them while you are away. It develops feelings of anxiety, hostility and boredom.
One of the biggest change people encounter when returning home after spending a great deal of time abroad is that their relationships with friends and family are not as familiar as they once used to be.
While reverse culture shock is a very common condition, there are actually many ways you can deal with and lessen the effects of this condition.
Posting a regular blog, or updating your status on Facebook or Twitter, can really help to keep your friendships with people back at home. The best thing about posting regular updates is that your friends and family always know what you are getting up to, so they won't be surprised by the changes they see in you when you do finally return home. You could even ask close family and friends to keep you updated on life at home so you are not left feeling shocked by changes that might happen while you are away.
If you are left feeling a bit upset that none of your friends want to hear all about your amazing travel stories when you get home, then why not try sharing the world with them by writing online travel reviews. For those who are considering travelling abroad, your experiences could prove very useful, and may even encourage them to do some of the things you are lucky enough to have experienced while you were away. | high22698.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "performed in various ways"
},
"options": [
"written about New Yorkers",
"Composed for Paul Whiteman",
"played mainly in the countryside",
"performed in various ways"
],
"question": "Many of Gershwin's musical wo... | George Gershwin, born in 1998, was one of America's greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.
Many of Gershwin's songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way -- from jazz to country.
In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.
In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.
George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written. | high4052.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Ray"
},
"options": [
"Ray",
"McDonald",
"Wendy",
"Three old women"
],
"question": "_ started McDonald's restaurant.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Every people uses its own special word to show its ideas and feelings. Some of these expressions(,) are commonly used for many years. Others are popular for just a short time. One such American expression is "Where's the beef?" It is used when something is not as good as it is said to be. In the early 1980s "Where's the beef?" was one of the most popular expressions in the United States. It seemed as if everyone using it at the time.
Beef, of course, is the meat from a cow, and food is more popular in America than a hamburger made from beef. In the 1960s a businessman named Ray began building small restaurants that sold hamburgers at a low price. Ray called this "McDonald's". Ray became one of the richest businessmen at last in America.
Other business people watched his success. Some of them opened their own hamburger restaurants. One company called "Wendy's" said its hamburgers were bigger than those sold by McDonald's or anyone else. The Wendy's Company began to use the expression "Where's the beef?" to make people know that Wendy's hamburgers were the biggest. The Wendy's television advertisement showed three old women eating hamburgers. The bread that covered the meat was very big, but inside there was only a bit of meat. One of the women said she would not eat a hamburger with such a little piece of beef. "Where's the beef?" she shouted in a funny way. The advertisement for Wendy's hamburger restaurants was success. As we said, it seemed everyone began using the expression "Where's the beef?". | high19626.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "blue jeans and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt"
},
"options": [
"a white coat and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt",
"blue jeans and a yellow shirt",
"a white coat and a yellow shirt",
"blue jeans and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt"
],
... | It was the first day of second grade, and Sarah had been looking forward to this moment. The night before, she laid out her favorite clothes: a white coat and a bright yellow shirt.
When having breakfast, Sarah dropped some food on her shirt, so she had to change into her second-best clothes, blue jeans and a Jonas Brothers T-shirt.
After breakfast Sarah rushed to catch the school bus and when she was just reaching the door the bus driver opened it. The door hit right in Sarah's face and blood dripped from her nose. The driver wanted to send her home, but she refused, "It is the most important day of the year! I can't miss it!"
Before classes, Sarah went to her favorite swing. When rising high, she saw her best friend little Jack. She let go of the swing and waved to him with one hand. Unfortunately, she flew out of the swing and landed hard on the sand, breaking a leg and an arm. As she lay in the sand, she noticed a shiny thing on the ground beside her. With her good hand she took it.
When Sarah' mother rushed into the ward she was surprised by what she saw: her girl was lying in bed with an arm and a leg in the splint , a broken nose, and blood stains on her second-best clothes. Expecting to see her child crying, she was confused when she saw a big, bright smile on Sarah's face.
"Sarah, look at you!" her mother cried. "You were hurt so badly and why are you smiling?"
"Look, Mommy, I found a diamond!" Sarah laughed.
Life can be like that. It can be tough, even painful sometimes. But there are always treasures that make the pain worth suffering. | high16515.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A teacher"
},
"options": [
"A washer.",
"A student.",
"A teacher",
"A headmaster"
],
"question": "What was the writer?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_... | My husband had just bought a new washing machine for me. I decided to use it the other day and I washed a lot of things.
Everything worked well, but I found one of my husband's socks missing. I looked everywhere for it, but I couldn't find it anywhere. The next morning, I got ready for school as usual. When the bell rang, the students came in, I greeted them and told them what we were going to do that day.
When I turned around to write on the blackboard, the class burst out laughing.
They laughed and laughed. They laughed so much, in fact, that I was afraid the headmaster would be in and see all this. I asked the class to stop, but the more I talked, the more they laughed. I decided to pay no attention to them and continued to write on the blackboard. When I did this, they laughed even more. Finally, the teacher who was in the next room came in to see what all the laughter was about. When he came in, he started laughing, too!
"Good heavens," I said. "Will someone please tell me what is so funny?"
"Oh, God," said the teacher. "You have a brown sock stuck to the back of your skirt!"
So that's how I found my husband's missing sock. "Oh, well," I said to the class," Let's just say you have had an unforgettable lesson on static electricity ." | high18538.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "uniform style"
},
"options": [
"wide coverage",
"uniform style",
"speed in reporting news",
"popularity"
],
"question": "A modern newspaper is remarkable for all the following EXCEPT its _ .",
"question_t... | A good modern newspaper is an extraordinary piece of reading. It is remarkable first for what it contains: the range of news from local crime to international politics, from sport to business to fashion to science, and the range of comment and special features as well, from editorial page to feature articles and interviews to criticism of books, art, theatre and music.
A newspaper is even more remarkable for the way one reads it: never completely, never straight through, but always by jumping from here to there, in and out glancing at one piece, reading another article all the way through, reading just a few paragraghs of the next. A good modern newspaper offers a variety to attract many different readers, but far from one reader is interested in what brings this variety together in. One place is its topicality , its immediate relation to what is happening in your world and your locality now. But immediacy and the speed of production that goes with it mean also that much of what appears in a newspaper has no more than transient value. For all these reasons, no two people really read the same paper: what each person does is to put together out of the pages of that day's paper, his own selection and sequence, his own newspaper. For all these reasons, reading newspapers efficiently, which means getting what you want from them without missing things you need but without wasting time, demands skill and self-awareness as you modify and apply the techniques of reading. | high10164.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "mainly circulated among poets by oral communication"
},
"options": [
"usually written in the form of songs by some musicians",
"mainly circulated among poets by oral communication",
"seldom chosen as teaching materials in mos... | Traditionally poems would be recited and passed from poet to poet through the ages. It is only recently that poetry is something that one reads alone, rather than reciting to an audience. At some point in the education of any student majoring in poetry, one will attempt to memorize a poem, and possibly recite it to someone else.
Chances are that you have already memorized thousands of lines of verse in the form of lyrics. How did you memorize the lyrics of songs? You simply listened to songs you liked over and over again until you almost couldn't help but have them memorized. Memorizing poetry isn't much different. You start with a poem you like, recite it to yourself over and over again, and you get to know it.
One of the best aspects of learning a poem by heart is that you get to take a poem inside of yourself. It becomes a part of you. When you memorize a poem, it is no longer just a poem, but yours. It's in your head, and you can call it up from memory as you would in any other experience.
Also, memorizing a poem is a great way to truly get to understand languages, and consider every phrase, line, and word. You can practice varying the sounds, adding pauses and emphasis in different spots to try to find the most accurate tone for the poem. In a way, you never really know a poem until you've memorized it. Once you know it, you'll be able to recite it, like a jazz musician improvising inside a song's boundaries - adding his own words or re-wording a section to make it his own. | high22868.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They should stay longer outdoors."
},
"options": [
"They should study less and less.",
"They should stay longer outdoors.",
"They should wear sun-glasses.",
"They should have a longer rest in bed."
],
"question"... | If you need glasses to read this, you are among the majority of Chinese students. That's because most students in China are short-sighted which means they can only see things close up and distant things will be _ . Four-fifths of high school students wear glasses and now more and more children in primary school need glasses, too.
This epidemic of poor eyesight has two very simple causes: too much time spent indoors studying and too little time spent outdoors playing. Reading and writing for hours and hours, sometimes in poorly lighted rooms, causes eyesight to weaken. But students have to do this because there is so much pressure on them to succeed in school. And because they spend so much time indoors at school and at home, they have less time to spend outdoors enjoying the sun.
The sun, as a consequence, is important in developing good eyesight. Exposure to daylight releases a chemical in the eyes that prevents, or at least delays, short-sightedness. According to a study by Ian Morgan of Australian National University, Australian children and Chinese children have the same level of eyesight before they start school, but once they enter primary school, Chinese children only spend about an hour a day outside, while Australian children spend three to four hours each day in the sunshine. The result is that while about 40 percent of Chinese primary school students need glasses, only three percent of Australian children do.
Wearing glasses may not seem like a big deal. For some, wearing glasses can even be an opportunity to make a fashion statement. But poor eyesight at a young age can have serious long term consequences. As you get older, your eyesight can worsen and lead to things like macular degeneration , a condition of the eyes for which there is no cure and which can eventually lead to blindness.
With all that in mind, don't you think it's time to give your eyes a break? Try spending a little less time inside and go for a walk in the park, instead. It's the healthy thing to do and your eyes will thank you for it. | high9576.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "may not be affordable for schools"
},
"options": [
"is of no help in classes",
"has a bright future in classes",
"is more practical than 2D models",
"may not be affordable for schools"
],
"question": "Danny Nich... | Pupils remember more and behave better when 3D images areused in lessons,research suggests.They are quicker to learn andabsorb new concepts,and display higher levels of concentration.
Professor Anne Bamford,of the University of the Arts,London,studied the effectiveness of 3D content in 15 schools across seven countries,including the UK.Pupils in 3D classes can remember more than those in the 2D classes after four weeks,improving test scores by an average of 1 7 percent compared with eight percent for 2D lessons.They gave more detailed answer to the tasks and were more likely to think in 3D, using hand gestures and mime to answer the test questions successfully.
The teachers commented that the pupils in the 3D groups had deeper understanding,increased attention span, more motivation and higher engagement in the lessons.
Children are used to 3D with the rise of computer games that use the technology90 percent of those in the study had seen a 3D film.Schools would need 3Denabled projectors ,laptops with good picture capabilities,3D software and glasses for children to introduce animations into classrooms.
But Danny Nicholson,an educationist,said the technology would be impractical to use inschools and could be costly.He said,"While I think the idea of 3D technology is very interesting,I worry that 3D is a bit of an expensive gimmick .There are a few cases where a true3D image might help,but most of the time,good 2D models that can be moved would be just aseffective."
In the US,one school district in Colorado is already in the process of having 1,000 3Dprojectors fixed in classrooms.And the University of Caledonia, which carries out scientific research into the Lake Tabon Basin, has used 3D presentations with Grade Six pupils.Those who watched the 3D presentations were more engrossed and reported a general increase in their interest in science compared with students who watched the 2D version. | high6645.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Do you have a boy friend or girl friend?"
},
"options": [
"Do you enjoy your life on campus?",
"Do you have a clear career plan after graduation?",
"Are you a popular guy?",
"Do you have a boy friend or girl friend?"
... | What should college life be like? Easy, joyful and fun? Unfortunately, facing heavy pressure from a _ job market, many students know that they are facing an even more uncertain future and they are beginning to feel lost, according to a survey. The research, conducted by the Social Survey Institute of China, covers more than 2,000 college students from big cities.
The report shows that about 75 percent enjoy their lives on campus. However, there are still 16.7 percent "lost ones" who think life is boring and aimless, while 8.3 percent complain that they have too much to study.
Around half of the participants have no clear career plan after graduation and 41.7 percent say that they have not thought about it. Only 8.3 percent have a clear blueprint and believe that they can realize their dreams.
58.3 percent of the participants gave a sure answer to the question "Are you a popular guy?", leaving 41.7 percent as unsure. 91.7 percent of the students thought they could get along very well with others, the final 8.3 percent finding it difficult to choose a particular answer.
Answers such as "doing things your own way" and "forget other people's opinions" seemed to be popular among modern college students, with 75 percent agreeing with this attitude. 25 percent said that they worried about opinions of other people.
Objecting to the feeling in Suicide is Painless, most students criticize suicide on campus. 58.3 percent urged school leaders to discover hidden social reasons behind suicide, thus helping to prevent it. 33.3 percent thought students who did suicide couldn't face life's bigger challenges in the future even if they survived. Surprisingly, 8.3 percent admitted that they once wanted to kill themselves, but finally decided against it. | high8668.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To help himself pass the long hours ahead of him."
},
"options": [
"To enjoy some interesting programs together with his son.",
"To help himself pass the long hours ahead of him.",
"To help his son fall asleep sooner.",
... | One hot night last August, I tried everything I could think of -- toys, songs etc. to make him fall into sleep, but he just couldn't do it. Since I believed that a long night was waiting for me ahead, I had no choice but to bring a TV into his room to kill off the hours until dawn. I was surprised that the moment I turned on the TV the baby became quiet right away and fixed his little eyes brightly on the screen. Not willing to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then tiptoed out of the room, leaving him to watch the boring TV programs. I heard no more of the baby's crying that night and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV by himself. I found there was a metaphor in my baby's behavior for the new generation. When I gave my boy some books to go over, he only spit upon them; when I read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools with my students. I find that our students don't read and they look down upon reading and make light of those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have drawn a conclusion: "Let them watch it!" If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight against it? Let them watch what they want! | high12773.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Vitamin A ,B,Cand D"
},
"options": [
"Vitamin A",
"Vitamin B and C",
"Vitamin D and A",
"Vitamin A ,B,Cand D"
],
"question": "There are many kinds of vitamins, the most important of which are _ .",
"quest... | The vitamins are named by letters of the alphabet . Vitamin A is needed by the eyes. There is Vitamin A in milk, butter, and green vegetables. It can be kept by the body.
Vitamin B cannot be kept. It must be supplied all the time by some of the food we eat.
Vitamin C is very important to the body. Without it men's teeth become loose and their arms and legs get weak. Lemons , oranges and tomatoes have Vitamin C in them.
Vitamin D is the sun vitamin. We get it in milk and eggs and from sunlight on our skin . There are other Vitamins, but these A, B, C and D, are the most important. | high1894.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Teachers."
},
"options": [
"Students.",
"Teachers.",
"Workers.",
"Schools."
],
"question": "Who is the passage probably written for?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | While most teachers enjoy the summer break from work, other teachers try to find part-time work during that time. If you're one of those teachers who are finding part-time work during the summer, writing for children might be the right job you're looking for.
During the school year, you're very familiar with children in your classroom. That means you know what children think about, how they talk and how they act. If you read stories and books for children with your students during the school year, you also know the kinds of story that children are fond of.
As a teacher, you can go to the school library and find out what kinds of books students are most interested in. Also, what kinds of books seem to be in short supply? Use this information to create stories and novels.
If you continue writing for children during the school year, you won't have enough time to write as much while you're teaching, but you can probably manage to work on at least one short story for children each month. Even if you don't finish these pieces during the school year, when school ends for the summer you will have lots of writing projects to finish and hand in to editors .
Recently, many teachers have turned to writing for children as a part-time job. If you enjoy writing as much as you enjoy teaching, then writing for children might be the second job for you, too. | high9210.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they showed strong disbelief."
},
"options": [
"They lost balance in excitement.",
"they showed strong disbelief.",
"they expressed little interest.",
"they burst into cheers."
],
"question": "How did the archit... | A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. "I think half of them fell off their chairs," Gerner says.
Gerner manages school facilities for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes ; they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.
Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. "One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation ," Mark. McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. "You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool."
Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of re most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. "I don't believe in the new green religion," Gerner says. "Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I'm interested in those that work." But he wouldn't mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. "You never know what's going to start the interest of a child to study math and science," he says. | high6123.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Grandpa's Birdhouses"
},
"options": [
"Long-lasting Birdhouses",
"Birdhouses Making",
"Birdhouses, Home for Birds",
"Grandpa's Birdhouses"
],
"question": "What's the best title for the text?",
"question_type... | Grandpa's hobby was making birdhouses. He always said, "A man has to keep busy to stay out of trouble." Leigh wasn't sure how much trouble Grandpa could get into anyway, since he was such a nice man, but Leigh tried to listen to his advice. Besides, she liked to help on his birdhouses.
Grandpa's shop was full of well-oiled and carefully-kept tools. Whenever he used something, he put it back in exactly the right place. He had rules about how he treated his tools, because he hated buying something new if the old one still worked. He also made sure to clean up each time he worked on something.
It wasn't too fun cleaning up, but it was nice to watch him cut boards to exact lengths. It was nice to see the drill put in holes for screws to go in cleanly. It was like being a doctor, but with wood. The best part of building was seeing all the pieces come together in the final form.
The last steps always included lacquer or paint, to help protect Grandpa's hard work from the weather. His birdhouses lasted for years. If he didn't coat them properly, the sun and rain would turn the wood gray and weak in a short period of time. No, he always made sure to do things right. Even if he put rocks or other cute decorations on them, it was done right and made to last.
Grandpa was a hard worker, but he was also smart and generous. He let Leigh keep the birdhouses sometimes, but only if he got to help hang it up or set the post for it. It had to be done just right, after all.
The birdhouses were a great way to learn about woodworking, hard work, taking care of what you have, and about birds. The best thing about building birdhouses was that Leigh spent some time with Grandpa. | high10602.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "lack of proteins in food"
},
"options": [
"poor living conditions",
"lack of proteins in food",
"breastfeeding",
"lack of food"
],
"question": "From the passage we learn that kwashiorkor is a disease caused by ... | The World Health Organization (WHO) planned to study the relationship between the eating habits of the people and the disease. Two doctors were chosen to make the study. They flew to Africa south of the Sahara and during the next two months visited ten countries. They found that serious diseases of poor eating, often mistaken for other diseases, existed in all parts of Africa. The diseases were similar and could therefore all be named kwashiorkor. The diseased children are usually from one to four years old. As the illness progresses, the child's stomach becomes swollen by liquid collecting in the body. The skin changes color and may break out in open sores . The hair changes color and starts to fall out. The patient loses all interest in his surroundings and even in food, and becomes so weak that he wants to lie down all the time. Stomach liquids are no longer produced.
The doctors reasoned that kwashiorkor was found in the young children of this age in many parts of Africa because of lack of milk or meat. Their mothers, after stopping their breastfeeding, gave them foods full of starches instead of greatly needed proteins. They found that the addition of milk to the food of the children suffering from kwashiorkor saved many lives.
The unbelievable thing about kwashiorkor is that the very existence of the disease--which has been killing thousands of children for centuries--was not even recognized in Latin America as recently as ten years ago. The deaths of those children were mistakenly listed as due to other diseases. It was the WHO's work in Africa that led to the discovery of the problem in Central America. | high4734.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Easter Island was separate from the outside world"
},
"options": [
"Easter Island was separate from the outside world",
"they knew where Islanders had come from",
"they discovered something dangerous",
"the huge stone s... | On Easter Day, 1722, Dutch explorers landed on Easter Island . It was the first time that Easter Islanders had met people from the outside world. The strangers were about to discover something very strange themselves --that they were on an island with hundreds of huge stone statues . The Dutch explorers wondered where the Islanders had come from and why and how they had built the statues. Now science is putting together the story.
The first people to arrive on the island came there around A.D. 700. The society that developed there was based on fishing and farming to feed the population, which grew to 12,000. Its success showed itself in a way that has become the island's trademark : hundreds of huge stone figures --the moai.
None of the moai was standing when scientists first arrived. People put them back up later; but how had a Stone Age society ever made, moved and set them up there in the first place? And why?
There are nearly 900 moai on Easter Island, and while the questions about them remain unanswered, no one doubts the years of effort that must have gone into making them.
The real killer of the Easter Islanders came from across the ocean. After 1722, it became popular for explorers to visit Easter Island, bringing diseases. The final blow came in 1862, when slave traders came from Peru and took away 1,500 people, one-third of the population. | high20919.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Everyone should persist in chasing their dreams."
},
"options": [
"Everyone should persist in chasing their dreams.",
"The poor can get more help from others.",
"It is never too late to study.",
"It is necessary for eve... | 12-year-old Robert Looks Twice appears to be the typical all-American boy. He is the quarterback of his school's football team, student council president and one of the top students in his class.
But he hasn't forgotten his Lakota Sioux root. Unlike most children on the reservation , he keeps his hair long, a symbol of strength, and he performs at powwows , traditionally known as wacipis, where he is a champion of the traditional Lakota dance. Robert was inspired to start dancing by his grandfather, John Tail, who had a small role in the famous film about Indian Amercans, Dances with Wolves. Six years ago, John passed away, and Robert wears little wolves on his clothes in his memory.
We are told that his last name, " Looks Twice", came about because his ancestors were cautious and always took a second look.
Robert lives in a trailer with his grandmother, uncle and eight other cousins. When he gives us a tour, the trailer is falling apart. " It is getting ready to cave in ," says Robert about the kitchen floor. The family also put trash bags on the ceiling, because it's leaking. " When it rains it gets all my shirts wet," he says of another leak in his bedroom. Often the electricity goes off and the family have to use the burners on the stove to heat the house.
This kind of poverty is typical of the reservation. The reservation is the third poorest county in America, and Robert's community, Manderson, is known for its high crime rate. But despite all the temptations of drugs and alcohol around him, Robert remain focused on being the first person in his family to go to college and then a very big dream.
" I want to be the first Native American President," Robert said. " I want to build better houses and clean up the reservation, because it's bad. Get people off the drugs and alcohol and spend that money on their children. Build a better school and playground. Try to get a mall down here to help people get work." | high10616.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "make the students understand the blind people and offer help in the future"
},
"options": [
"give the students a lesson about the hardships of the vision damaged",
"entertain the students after regular lessons",
"urge the stu... | College students go 'blind for a day'
A group of 18 students at the prefix = st1 /leshanTeachers' Collegeexperienced the hardships of the vision damaged during a "blind for a day" exercise over the weekend. The college's Department of Education organized the event, aiming to give students an understanding of the daily battle faced by the vision damaged so that they may offer their help in the future.
Taiyuan forbids taking pets into its parks
The local government of Taiyuanhas banned pets from being taken into the city's parks. The regulation, which came into effect on Saturday, states that anyone who takes pets into parks will be fined from 10 yuan (US$1.27) to 200(US$25). The local government said it introduced the rule because pets may cause harm to other park visitors and their waste pollutes the environment.
Enormous pumpkin steals the show
A 240-kilogram pumpkin worth over 2,300 yuan (US$293) was the star attraction at an agricultural show in Foshan's Shunde District over the weekend. Visitors all wanted to have their pictures taken with the huge pumpkin at the first Guangdong Agricultural Products Fair. The pumpkin was planted by the Zhuhai Academy of Agriculture Science.
More than 1,000 seagulls die on beachofShandong
More than 1,000 seagulls died on the beach in Jimo,ShandongProvince, last week. Experts investigating the case stressed that the cause of death was not bird flu. They said the seagulls died from a disease, but they are still testing samples to determine which one. | high17179.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They want to keep up with other children."
},
"options": [
"\"Latest things\" are fun to play with.",
"\"Latest things\" are easy to play with.",
"They want to keep up with other children.",
"They want to show off the l... | Every five minutes my children ask me for the "latest thing". They tell me that all their friends have it already and they can't live without it. Our house is full of Game Boys, Play Station CDs and a million other "latest things".
But, the one "latest things" we have refused to buy is a mobile phone. Our twelve-year-old son wants one, and we've said "no". He says he'll only use it for texting and he really needs it for emergencies.
We don't want him to have a mobile phone, because it may be bad for children's health. Unfortunately, when I say, "As your father, I don't want you to have a mobile phone, because you might get a brain tumour ," he tells me that he doesn't mind.
Why do twelve-year-old boys only want things that are bad for them? We've already told him that he can't listen to rap music--the words are disgusting . And I've said no to beer with his meals. Right now I'm saying no to everything.
Then a few weeks ago he asked for something called a BB gun. He says everybody's got one. Of course they have. He shows me a website full of them and tells me it only fires plastic pellets . Finally, I say yes. I can't believe I've said no to phones and yes to guns.
In October our son becomes a teenager, and I pray that research will find that mobile phones are safe...even better, that young people may become less moody--and more interested in personal hygiene .
Until _ , I'm saying no. | high19154.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a week before the dinner"
},
"options": [
"on the night before the dinner",
"on the day before the dinner",
"at the last moment",
"a week before the dinner"
],
"question": "If your American or English friend wan... | We know the westerners like to plan for their time carefully in order to do all the things that are important to them. So if your American or English friend asks you to dinner, he usually invites you a week ahead. But if you really have no time and can't go to the dinner, you can ring him to say sorry. The dinner is usually served at home, sometimes at a restaurant. You should get there on time, and don't forget to put on your fine clothes. It is also a good idea to take some little presents to your friend, such as flowers, chocolates and so on. When you are at dinner, you should also observe some other customs. Here I'll give you some dos and don'ts about them in the following:
1) Don't leave bones on the table or the floor. (You should put them on your plate with fingers.)
2) Don't use your bowl to drink soup, but use your spoon to help you instead.
3) Don't talk with much food in your mouth.
4) Don't ask others to have more wine. (This is quite different from that in China.)
5) After dinner, use your napkin to clean your mouth and hands.
6) Make sure small pieces of food are not left on your face.
Then after dinner, you can stay there a little time. And your friend will be pleased if you leave in half an hour or so. Next day, you had better ring him up to thank him for the good dinner. | high4720.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Dark and cold."
},
"options": [
"Grey and dirty.",
"Dark and cold.",
"Unfriendly and expensive.",
"Wild and forbidden."
],
"question": "What words can best describe Hammerfest in winter?",
"question_type": "... | In winter Hammerfest is a thirty-hour ride by bus from Oslo, though why anyone would want to go there in winter is a question worth considering. It is on the edge of the world, the northernmost town in Europe, as far from London as London is from Tunis, a place of dark and cruel winters, where the sun sinks into the Arctic Ocean in November and does not rise again for ten weeks.I wanted to see the Northern Lights. Also, I had long harboured a half-formed urge to experience what life was like in such a remote and forbidding place. Sitting at home in England with a glass of whisky and a book of maps, this had seemed an excellent idea. But now as I picked my way through the grey, late-December slush of Oslo I was beginning to have my doubts.
Things had not started well. I had overslept at the hotel, missing breakfast, and had to leap into my clothes. I couldn't find a cab and had to drag my unreasonably overweighted bag eight blocks through slush to the central bus station. I had had huge difficulty persuading the staff at the Kreditkassen Bank on Karl Johans Gate to cash sufficient traveller's cheques to pay the overcharged 1,200-kroner bus fare-they simply could not be made to grasp that the William McGuire Bryson on my passport and the Bill Bryson on my traveller's cheques were both me-and now here I was arriving at the station two minutes before departure, breathless and steaming from the endless uphill exertion that is my life, and the girl at the ticket counter was telling me that she had no record of my reservation.
"This isn't happening," I said. "I'm still at home in England enjoying Christmas.Pass me a drop more port, will you, darling?" Actually, I said, "There must be some mistake. Please look again." The girl studied the passenger list. "No, Mr Bryson, your name is not here*"
But I could see it, even upside-down. "There it is, second from the bottom,,
"No," the girl decided, "that says Bemt Bjornson. That's a Norwegian name*"
"It doesn't say Bernt Bjornson. It says Bill Bryson. Look at the loop of the 'y', the two 'I's. Miss, please." But she wouldn't have it. "If I miss this bus when does the next one go?""Next week at the same time.,,
Oh, splendid.
"Miss, believe me, it says Bill Bryson."
"No, it doesn't."
"Miss, look, I've come from England. I'm carrying some medicine that could save a child's life."She didn't buy this. "I want to see the manager."
"He's in Stavanger."
"Listen, I made a reservation by telephone.If I don't get on this bus I'm going to write a letter to your manager that will cast a shadow over your career prospects for the rest of this century." This clearly did not alarm her. Then it occurred to me. "If this Bemt Bjornson doesn't show up, can I have his seat?"
"Sure."
Why don't I think of these things in the first place and save myself the suffering? "Thank you,"
I said, and dragged my bag outside. | high16267.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "motivate and encourage their employees"
},
"options": [
"improve the workers' healthcare system",
"provide cell phones to people in need",
"motivate and encourage their employees",
"promote the development of communicat... | With the Indian economy predicted to grow by 7.5 percent this year, experts say it could be time for Western CEOs to learn some lessons from Indian CEOs.The key differences between Indian and Western bosses are:
Social purpose
One of the most important things is that Indian leaders lead with a sense of social purpose.Every leader in India gave a specific social purpose as being the goal of their business.Those purposes ranged from improving healthcare to getting cell phones to people who didn't have access to communication tools.Having a social purpose motivates workers.
Invest in employees
Indian firms invest an enormous amount in their employees' training and development.IT firms typically offer 60 days of formal training for newly hired workers and they even spend months training experienced workers.A study said that Western firms have largely abandoned investing in employees, seeing it as a waste if they quit.But Indian bosses believe that investing in employees ensures the quality of those who stay at the company.
Take the long view
Indian bosses stress far less on shareholders than it is typical at Western business.As a result they're more able to take a long-term view.Western companies can't just ignore their shareholders, but their CEOs can do more to protect their -employees from short-term financial pressures, letting them get on with their jobs.
Work fromtheir strengths
Western companies often think about strategy in terms of chasing customers or pursuing market opportunities, but Indian firms will more often start by identifying their strengths and customers' needs, and then try to meet those needs.
Act as a role model
Being a personal role model for their employees is an amazing thing for a CEO.If Western bosses could think of themselves as role models, it would have a real impact on their workers. | high11508.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "sense a close friend in danger"
},
"options": [
"think of a stranger",
"use the five senses together",
"recall things from our memory",
"sense a close friend in danger"
],
"question": "Telepathy turns up when we... | Telepathy: Mind-to-mind Contact
Telepathy is the ability to communicate without the use of the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste). It's an instinct which can be woken up in times of emergency or need. When we feel that something is happening or about to happen by instinct, we're using resources within the unconscious mind. When the resources of two persons' unconscious minds link together into the same frequency, we call it Telepathy.
We can either send or receive Telepathy. If you know who is calling before you answer the ringing phone, you are probably a good receiver. If you think of a person and he/she calls you, you are most likely to be better at sending.
You can easily put your abilities to the test. Think of somebody and will him or her to contact you. Be patient. The other person may not be a good receiver, but they should contact you much earlier than would normally be expected. Or whenever the phones rings, but try "feeling" who is contacting you. Don't guess, but try to feel it with your mind. However, if neither of these work for you, that doesn't mean that you have no ability of telepathy. As mentioned earlier, telepathy is most likely to turn up in case of emergency.
Telepathy dreams often contain telepathic messages. Two people may both dream of the other and find that their dreams had a clear connection. These people are probably linking to each other's unconscious mind.
Telepathy & Relationships. The more people spend time together, the more likely they are to be able to link up to the other's mind, especially when separated. There are two reasons for this. One is that they understand the other's mind through time spent together; the other is that there is usually a strong desire to communicate. A mother will often sense that her child is in danger. This is due to the child's eagerly wanting his or her mother, knowing that this person who would always want to be there for them, and the mother's deep desire to protect her child from harm. | high7229.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It is also the same day as some great writers were born or dead."
},
"options": [
"It was set up to encourage people to learn English.",
"China also celebrates it on 4th March every year.",
"It is also the same day as some gr... | World Reading Day was set up by the UNESCO in 1995 to encourage people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of reading. It is also the day to honor great writers, for example, William Shakespeare, born or dead on that day.
Many countries celebrated World Reading Day. Take the UK as an example, on that day, millions of schoolchildren can buy book of special price, a much lower price than usual, in any bookstore. It has been done every year since 1998. World Reading Day 2010 in the UK will take place on Thursday 4th March. Please note that this date applies to the UK and Ireland only. The goal is so well set in schools there that they want to make sure that the Day happens in term time to really make the most of this opportunity to celebrate books and reading. Most other countries hold World Reading Day on 23 rd April every year.
World Reading Day is also celebrated in China. Chinese former premier Wen Jiabao, an avid reader, does lots of reading every day though he is very busy. On World Reading Day 2009 he encouraged citizens to do more reading. Wen suggested that young people should spend more time reading. "Books cannot change the world, but people can change the world by changing themselves through reading."
Reading can benefit people a lot. Reading helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology. Reading gives us information about other cultures and places of the world. Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English.
"Reading makes a full man." (Bacon, 1597) Books, magazines, newspapers and other kinds of reading materials can help us to know more about the outside world and perfect us. Therefore, it is necessary for us to spend time on reading every day. | high9204.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She wanted to help the old woman without bothering her."
},
"options": [
"She wanted to communicate with the old woman",
"She wanted to let driver warn the old woman off.",
"She wanted to make the old woman notice her existen... | An old woman diverted ( ) attention from the book when I was sitting in my car. She walked slowly towards my parked car with a large shoulder bag. She stopped and put a hand out to rest against the car. She gently closed her eyes, took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Was there a way I could do anything to help her? But I wondered if the lady noticed me sitting inside the car, she would feel embarrassed and walk away.
I stilled my body while my mind searched for answers. I turned my head towards my driver, wanting him to ask the lady if we could give her a ride. Because of my head movement, she noticed me and moved her hand away from the car. Her calm expression changed to a cautious one. I grabbed the water bottle next to me, smile, gently opened the door and offered the bottle to her. She looked at me hesitatingly, shook her head with downcast eyes and walked away.
I was so annoyed with myself. I should have been more careful not to move. However, she was back I opened the door and patted the seat next to me. She sat down, opened her bag and offered me a banana. I took it and offered her the water bottle again. She took it. I ate, she drank and we smiled. She rested for a couple of minutes.
Those minutes brought such tranquility to me. She took my head in both her hands and kissed my forehead, and then she left. I was trying to help someone in distress(,). In turn, I became distressed and she took away my distress and replace it with tranquility. | high14470.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They had the same arrival time."
},
"options": [
"They shared the same departure time.",
"They work in the same city.",
"They had the same arrival time.",
"They enjoy the same adventurous spirit."
],
"question":... | Cyclist Jia Yanmei and a fellow enthusiast covered more than 2,200 kilometers from Beijing to their individual hometowns in Sichuan to celebrate the Lunar New Year with their families, Xu Lin reports.
While others rushed home on high-speed trains or airplanes for the annual Spring Festival, Jia Yanmei spent 16-plus days cycling more than 2,200 kilometers from Beijing to her hometown, Nanchong, Sichuan Province.
Thanks to social media, cycling fans from different cities were able to follow her progress, and some even offered food and accommodation if she happened to be nearby.
"It's not that I failed to buy my train ticket home. I just want to bring the spirit of cycling to everyone -- to do whatever you want to do bravely. As long as you are on the road, you will enjoy yourself, " says Jia, 26, an English teacher at an educational institution in Beijing.
She started her adventure at 8:30 am on Jan 12, with Wang Yujiang, 47, who works in architecture in Beijing. A cycling friend introduced them because Wang also wanted to cycle to his hometown, Guangyuan, Sichuan Province.
Jia says Wang treated her like his daughter and took care of her on their way. After Wang arrived in Guangyuan, she cycled two days on her own to reach her home.
"I must say that I admire her. She's not like others. No matter how tired she is, she can soon recover after meals," says Wang, who is cycling back from his hometown to Beijing now.
" I've improved myself a lot after the cycling. No matter what difficulties I will meet with in the future, I will
have confidence to face them, " Jia says.
When she posted her plan online on Christmas Eve, many cycling fans supported her, lent her equipment and gave her gifts. She updated her social networks, such as Sina Weibo and WeChat, with news of her cycling adventures, as well as a cycling-related applications that recorded her route.
Four days after her departure, one of her friends learned about the trip in a newspaper and told Jia's parents. Her mom was so worried about Jia's safety that she cried and called Jia several times. | high6137.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He was not talented in screenwriting."
},
"options": [
"He was not talented in screenwriting.",
"He had a miserable family life.",
"He spent too much time watching movies.",
"He was greedy for money in his life."
],... | When people think of Hollywood, they think of the city where dreams come true. This did not apply to F. Scott Fitzgerald, a screenwriter who had his share of ups and downs in this land. Fitzgerald was not a successful Hollywood writer because he was not good at the career path he chose. He was an amazing novelist, but his efforts of turning them into screenplays ended in disappointment and confusion. It was because of a lack of potential for screenwriting as well as his addiction and desire to be famous.
Growing up as a boy, Fitzgerald went to movies a lot. He wanted to write stories that would eventually turn into movies. The problem was: just because Fitzgerald wanted to do something didn't necessarily mean that he was good at it. He made his attempts, but most of these efforts ended in disappointment because he thought about the change from script to screen too much. His plot was too detailed and complicated; his tone was too serious or his dialogue too sentimental .
Fitzgerald's quick rise to fame also led to his fall. In life, things are not meant to happen all at once, all that the same time but it did for Fitzgerald. At his best time, three of his early stories were made into short films, including The Great Gatsby and Babylon Revisited. As the twenties approached, he was gradually forgotten by the reading public. He became drunk and constantly took pills both to sleep and wake up. His marriage was destroyed and his wife broke down mentally. He seemed unsure about his life.
Fitzgerald had another chance at success when many opportunities came his way, including revisions of Emlyn William's play The Light of Heart and production of one of his own scripts, Cosmopolitan. However, these were all put aside and he was right back where he started, left behind and called a "ruined man". Fitzgerald simply wanted too much in his life. He wanted "to be both a great novelist and a Hollywood success, to write songs like Cole Porter and poetry like John Keats". His addiction to fame held him back and led to his failure as a Hollywood writer. | high9562.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the author got support from her family"
},
"options": [
"music played a big role in the author's life",
"the author enjoyed staying with her family",
"piano practice made the author fell confident",
"the author got supp... | Tonight, my piano concert was the most important thing in my family. My grandparents were coming by plane to hear me play. Even my busy Aunt Dianne who is on TV every night reading the news, was coming.
But one thing was for sure. I would never win an award for my piano playing. And that's just because the more I practiced ,the more nervous I got. So there I was, on stage, in my beautiful dress, and I sat down at the piano. But when I started to play, I hit a wrong note. I told myself to start over. But then I hit the wrong note again. It was as if I hadn't practiced at all.
Finally _ was over. I ran off the stage. I couldn't understand why people were applauding. But they were. My mom and my dad had flowers for me, and we were all supposed to go out for a nice dinner, but I couldn't. I just wanted to go home and cry and never go anywhere again. After we went back home, Aunt Dianne just came in and sat down on the side of my bed.
"It was my first night on the air," she said."I had never been on television before, and I made a mistake. I mispronounced my name and the name of the news show. And you know what? No one even noticed but me. Just like tonight, no one noticed--just you". Aunt Dianne was right. I think we are harder on ourselves than anyone else is. Maybe I will leave my room. And maybe, I'll play the piano again. | high14316.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Anyone aged 12-70"
},
"options": [
"Children",
"Old women",
"Anyone aged 12-70",
"Young people"
],
"question": "_ can be a volunteer.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | Are you looking for something fun and would you like to help others in your spare time? Then join us to be a volunteer! We're a non-profit organization. We have volunteer jobs of all ages. Anyone, from twelve-year-old children to people in their seventies can become a volunteer.
You can help people in many ways. Schools need help with taking care of children while parents are working. Hospitals need volunteers to look after children while their parents are seeing a doctor. Animal lovers can help take care of those dogs and cats without homes. There is something for everyone.
"As a volunteer, I don't want to get anything. Seeing the children's happy faces, I'm happy, too." Said Carlos Domingo, an old woman of 62. "I often played computer games in my spare time before. Now I help older people learn how to use computers." said another volunteer at the age of 18.
If everyone helps out a bit, we'll have a better world to live in. Interested? Call us 1-800-555-5756 or visit our website: www.activol.com. | high6651.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To attend a music festival."
},
"options": [
"To look after her sister.",
"To attend a music festival.",
"To watch a performance.",
"To visit her husband's cousin."
],
"question": "Why did the author leave home?... | I left home to support my sister in her efforts to present a music festival. She lives on the other side of the world, and I went to visit her, not wanting to leave and feeling like I was leaving home against my will. However, I wanted to show her my support because she is my only sister.
So I boarded the plane in mid-August, and hated the long flight. I arrived, tired and hungry. I had left my husband of 2 years, alone, in our old New Orleans house.
I was all set and ready to perform for my sister for the music festival on Sunday morning when I received a call from Chicago. The hurricane was predicted to hit our city, and many people had already _ , but my husband chose to stay behind. He could not get a call to me on the other side of the world, but he could call his cousin in Chicago. He gave his cousin a message for me, that he would be just fine, and not to worry.
As the day wore on, I finally took the stage in front of hundreds of Europeans, and I realized, thanks to CNN, that New Orleans was under water.
I performed, hoping that my husband would survive. And I performed perfectly. The audience stood and applauded. I left the stage and went straight to the TV. I saw the street sign near my home, of Humanity Street, but nothing below it, except water.
In the days that followed, I found out that my house, my car, my clothes, my furniture, everything that I'd left behind was gone...but not my husband. He survived by riding on the rear bumper of a VW bus, holding on to the overhead luggage rack, in the pouring rain, down the highway from New Orleans, half-way to Baton Rouge. The rest of the journey was a long walk, but he survived.
By the first week of September, I flew back to the Baton Rouge airport, and hugged my husband. Since then, our relationship has grown deeper; we have completely rebuilt our house, bought a new car, bought new furniture and new clothes and joined an inspirational, spirit-filled community. | high15008.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "About 420."
},
"options": [
"1280.",
"More than 333.",
"654.",
"About 420."
],
"question": "How many people questioned don't play with their children?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook by yourself? Have you been doing Internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can't you be bothered to do?
A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of the adults are so idle that they'd catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
Just over 2,000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain's largest health center. The results were extremely surprising.
About one in six people questioned said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up.
More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
This led the report to conclude that it's no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese (very fat) before they start school.
Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said, "People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently (;) their pets too."
"If we don't start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most fundamental tasks."
And Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most idle city in the UK, with 75% questioned admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%.
The results bring serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year. | high6889.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "women spent a greater part of their lives raising"
},
"options": [
"there were more children in the world than there are today",
"women spent a greater part of their lives raising",
"there were more women in poor health than ... | During the 20th century there has been a great change in the lives of women.A woman marrying at the end of the 19th century probably has been in her middle 20's and would be likely to have seven or eight children.By the time the youngest was 15,the mother would have been in her early 50's and would expect to live a further 20 years,during which chance and health made
it hard for her to get paid work.
Today women marry younger and have fewer children.Usually a woman's youngest child will be 15 when she is 45 and she can be expected to live another 35 years and is likely to get paid work until 60.
This important change in women's life has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic position.Even a few years ago most girls left school and took a fulltime joB. However,when they married they usually left work at once and never returned to it.Today the school-leaving age is 16,many girls stay at school after that age,and though women marry younger,more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born.Many more return to work later.Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage,with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties of family life. | high12767.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Some participants didn't know it was their last chocolate when offered the fifth one."
},
"options": [
"The majority of \"last\" participants chose the almond flavor as their favorite.",
"Some participants enjoyed the experiment mo... | People often view the "last" moments of an event positively simply because they signal the end of an experience, say experts.
University of Michigan researchers found that even if an experience is painful or negative, but ends on a good note, people will consider it to be positive.
"Endings are powerful," said Ed O'Brien, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan.
O'Brien and colleague Phoebe Ellsworth, the Frank Murphy Distinguished Professor of Law and Psychology, conducted a chocolate tasting experiment with 52 college students to test the theory.
Volunteers could taste five different Hershey's Kisses chocolates--milk, dark, cream, caramel and almond - but did not know in advance how many pieces they would eat or the type. Participants rated how much they enjoyed the chocolate and described each flavor so that the researchers could record the order in which the randomly selected treats were eaten.
Volunteers were assigned to the "next" or the "last " condition by chance.
In the "next" condition, the experimenter said "Here is your next chocolate" before offering each chocolate, including the fifth.
For the "last" condition, the experimenter said "Here is your last chocolate" before offering the fifth chocolate.
These participants rated the fifth chocolate more enjoyable than volunteers in the "next" condition.
As predicted, participants who knew they were eating the final chocolate of a taste test enjoyed it more.
In fact, when asked to pick their favorite chocolate, the majority of "last" participants chose the fifth - even though the flavor of the fifth was randomly chosen.
They also rated the overall experience as more enjoyable than volunteers who thought they were just eating one more chocolate in a series.
O'Brien says these findings may have far-reaching implications. For example, the last book or film in a series or the last speaker in a symposium may receive _ praise.
The last job applicant, meanwhile, may look more qualified. | high3729.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because the possibilities are unlimited."
},
"options": [
"Because it is hard for you to make plans.",
"Because the possibilities are unlimited.",
"Because there are many good foods from abroad.",
"Because there're too ... | Is there something that you've always wanted to try but just never had the time?Well,make plans to try it now since you are on summer vacation.Not all vacations call for taking a tour bus to take photos of famous landmarks.Some vacations allow you plenty of opportunities to learn.
The most difficult aspect of a learning vacation may be choosing one because the possibilities are endless.If you enjoy cooking,various companies can take you to Italy,France,Spain,Mexico or even Peru.Once there,you can learn to prepare the local cuisine .Trips are often planned to fit in with local food festivals or special events.
The term"learning vacation"often brings language to mind.The best way to learn a language is in an environment where it' s spoken.Study Spanish,French or English.Or attempt a more unusual language like Polish,Estonian or Thai.You'll be able to learn about the country and absorb the culture at the same time.
If you are fond of sports,you can polish your skills or learn new ones.Golf and tennis schools welcome players of all levels.If you want a bigger thrill,you can learn to surf,go climbing or race cars.It' s even possible to learn the art and techniques of bull fighting while on vacation!
You can also discover our inner artist.Many places offer painting classes in different mediums.The scenic locations of the schools offer plenty of subjects that provide inspiration for practice.
If you prefer capturing the world on film,take a photography vacation.Travel with a small group to photograph beautiful animals or scenery .You can also practise your technique on people or at historical sights.
Once you decide on a vacation,choose a company carefully.Request names of recent customers you can contact,and then ask them for an evaluation.The more you know before you go,the better prepared you'll be.Then go out and learn something! | high19632.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they had no ready-made components"
},
"options": [
"they had no model in their mind",
"they did not have sufficient time",
"they had no ready-made components",
"they could not assemble the components"
],
"questi... | A team of engineers at Harvard University has been inspired by Nature to create the first robotic fly. The mechanical fly has become a platform for a series of new high-tech integrated systems. Designed to do what a fly does naturally, the tiny machine is the size of a fat housefly. Its mini wings allow it to stay in the air and perform controlled flight tasks.
"It's extremely important for us to think about this as a whole system and not just the sum of a bunch of individual components ," said Robert Wood, the Harvard engineering professor who has been working on the robotic fly project for over a decade. A few years ago, his team got the go-ahead to start piecing together the components. "The added difficulty with a project like this is that actually none of those components are off the shelf and so we have to develop them all on our own," he said.
They engineered a series of systems to start and drive the robotic fly. "The seemingly simple system which just moves the wings has a number of interdependencies on the individual components, each of which individually has to perform well, but then has to be matched well to everything it's connected to," said Wood. The flight device was built into a set of power, computation, sensing and control systems. Wood says the success of the project proves that the flying robot with these tiny components can be built and manufactured.
While this first robotic flyer is linked to a small, off-board power source, the goal is eventually to equip it with a built-in power source, so that it might someday perform data-gathering work at rescue sites, in farmers' fields or on the battlefield. "Basically it should be able to take off, land and fly around," he said.
Wood says the design offers a new way to study flight mechanics and control at insect-scale. Yet, the power, sensing and computation technologies on board could have much broader applications. "You can start thinking about using them to answer open scientific questions, you know, to study biology in ways that would be difficult with the animals, but using these robots instead," he said. "So there are a lot of technologies and open interesting scientific questions that are really what drives us on a day to day basis."
(392 words) | high16501.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "it's environmentally friendly"
},
"options": [
"it's environmentally friendly",
"it makes up for the lack of electricity",
"it's a new idea and attracts people's attention",
"it brings convenience to electric vehicle us... | With the Tesla Roadster and other plugin electric vehicles hitting the road,demand is growing for accessible refueling points to recharge them. Carbon Day Automotive, a Chicagobased company,has now demonstrated a solarpowered recharging point, known as the Solar PlugIn Station,which lets motorists easily charge their cars using electricity that has been produced without any environmental damage.
The Solar PlugIn Station has gone on show in Chicago as part of the city's bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. According to Carbon Day Automotive,the Solar PlugIn Station on show in Chicago is part of the vital infrastructure required for electric vehicles in Chicago and was the focus of a recent visit by the International Olympic Committee.
These solarpowered electricity points will be used daily to fuel the city's electric vehicles with power from the sun. By producing the electricity from pollutionfree solar cell, the CO2 emissions are reduced to zero.
"Solar energy and electric vehicles are a partnership that is one more step to reducing our dependence on foreign oil," says Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies.Coulomb Technologies recently developed the components required for individual recharging stations,marketed as ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations.Carbon Day Automotive is the Midwest distributor for the ChargePoint stations. The Solar PlugIn Station consists of giant solar panels that shade the tiny ChargePoint Networked Charging Station.The solar panel is connected to an underground battery pack,ready for everyday refueling.
"Without these stations it would be like driving around in a traditional car without the availability of gas stations," says Scott Emalfarb,CEO at Carbon Day."The day of true plugin electric vehicles will be here sooner than most people realize and the world needs to be ready to accommodate(......)them." | high5358.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he is always ready to help his friend"
},
"options": [
"he is always ready to help his friend",
"he hardly spares time to help his friend",
"he has no good excuse for refusing his friend",
"he is not good at communicati... | "I'd be better off dead." he said, without any hesitation . Hearing those words come out of my best friend's mouth tore my heart apart. He has repeated that phrase more than once, and my mind continually plays it over like a voice recording.
I met him about three years ago. After knowing me for six months, he told me about his struggles with depression . Sadness was not the only feeling that came over me; I was shocked. He seemed so outgoing and happy all the time. I soon learned that he was hurt physically and mentally as a young child, causing him to have the thought of killing himself.
He refuses to talk to others about his depression because he now distrusts adults, especially those in his family. However, he feels as if I understand him and that I know the right words to speak. Therefore, when it comes to helping him, convenience is not in my vocabulary. It does not matter where I am or what I am doing, for he always comes first.
Many students at his school laugh at him when they notice scars on his arms from cutting. As he sees it, other kids have every right to make fun of him. But no one holds such a right, so I encourage him to ignore the heartless kids who treat him badly. When he feels the weight of judging eyes or hateful voices, I always remind him that I care about him unconditionally. Just hearing me say I will always be his best friend seems to give him the safety he needs to keep on going.
My best friend once told me that if he had not had me, he would not be alive. He said that my encouraging words helped him not to take his life. Our friendship has taught me that a single kind word can influence someones life. Life is not easy for every one, which makes me strongly believe in the necessity of encouragement. | high10170.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "send a spoken message"
},
"options": [
"record the stealing process",
"help recognize the lost laptop",
"lock down the computer remotely",
"send a spoken message"
],
"question": "Different from other security so... | "Get your hands off me, I have been stolen," the laptop, a portable computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft (the crime of stealing): a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.
The program allows users to displayalerts (warning)on the missing computer's screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners _ .
Owners must report their laptop missing by visiting a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow "lost or stolen" sign appears on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version of the software, users can also send a spoken message.
The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes _ . "One customer sent a message saying, 'You are being tracked. I am right at your door'," said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the company which produces the program, Retriever.
In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. For example, the laptop's speakers will say: "Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, report me now."
The Retriever software package, which costs $29.95 but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs. Owners can remotely switch to an alternative password immediately if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access (, ) details.
If a thief accesses the Internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the Internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.
Thousands of laptops are stolen every year from homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.
Other security software allows users to erase data remotely or lock down the computer. | high2437.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Coldly."
},
"options": [
"Gratefully.",
"Coldly.",
"Respectfully.",
"Amazedly."
],
"question": "How did the boy react towards Ms. Marie's greeting on the first day?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | I became a teacher at 55 years of age. Things were going on so well during my first two periods. Then came my 3rdperiod class - the 8thgraders with only one girl in the class. I thought the class was bad until the intercom came on and the office was asking if I was in my classroom. "Of course," I responded. A student who knew he was going to be late for class had informed the office I was not in my classroom - 10 minutes after class began.
When the student came in and I walked over to greet him, he said, "Don't touch me." He then put his head on his desk and did not seem to listen to a word I said. I did not comfront him with the "lie" to the office.
The next day he came into class on time. This time instead of listening or following instructions on keyboarding software, he played Internet games. I walked over to him. He looked at me ready to snap back at anything I said. I asked him, "Where did you learn to use a computer like that?" he looked at me surprised. I repeated, "You are really good at that. Where did you learn so much?" He began to tell me his father "used to" buy him games to play, but not anymore. I could feel the pain. Instead of blaming him for being off task, I surprised him and praised him for his skills. Then, I asked him to show me what he could do in our software. He was amazed.
On a Friday night at a high school football game, I really got my breakthrough . From about five feet away, in front of his friends he came over to me and gave me a big hug saying, "Hi, Ms. Marie." We talked for a while and before he walked away, he had hugged me two more times. This was a long way from "don't touch me" on that first day. | high11939.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "find their work provide them more satisfaction and self-confidence than how much they are paid"
},
"options": [
"just know work but nothing else",
"are willing to work hard for long hours without pay",
"find their work provid... | In some urban centers, workholism is so common that people do not consider it unusual: they accept the lifestyle as normal. Government workers in Washington D. C., for example, frequently work sixty to seventy hours a week. They don't do this because they have to; they do it because they want to.
Workholism can be a serious problem. Because true workaholics would rather work than do anything else, they probably don't know how to relax.
Is workholism always dangerous? Perhaps not. There are, certainly, people who work well under stress. Some studies show that many workaholics have great energy and interest in life. Their work is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy. For most workaholics, work and entertainment keep them busy and creative.
Why do workaholics enjoy their jobs so much? There are several advantages to work. Of course, it provides people with paychecks, and this is important. But it offers more than financial security. It provides people with self-confidence; they have a feeling of satisfaction when they've produced a challenging piece of work and are able to say, "I made that." Psychologists claim that work gives people an identity through participation in work, they get a sense of self and individualism. In addition, most jobs provide people with a socially acceptable way to meet others. Perhaps some people are compulsive about their work, but their addiction seems to be a safe-even an advantageous-one. | high15587.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because they might be fired."
},
"options": [
"Because they are tested for signs of psychological problems every year.",
"Because they are likely to be treated by physicians.",
"Because they are supported by the airlines.",
... | When JetBlue captain Clayton Osbon became unpredictable, his co-pilot invented a reason for him to go back into the cabin.Once the captain was out of the cockpit , the co-pilot locked the door to keep the captain from returning.Passengers, some with law enforcement experience, calmed the captain.The flight changed course to Amarillo, Texas where the captain was hospitalized.
Incidents in which a pilot has had an in-flight psychological breakdown are rare.But how could it happen at all? Though pilots are required to have an examination at least once a year by a physician approved by the FAA, there are no formal procedures in place to test pilots for signs of psychological problems.
At most airlines, pilots are members of a union.A pilot who appears to have a psychological or an alcohol problem can be reported to a union member whose job it is to investigate.If there is a problem, the pilot is given the choice of getting treatment or being reported to management.But at airlines, such as Allegiant, JetBlue, and Virgin American where there is no union, pilots are - to say the least - unwilling to report a fellow pilot to management.
In most professions, a person experiencing emotional difficulties is free to consult a doctor.Rut an airline pilot in therapy is viewed with suspicion both by the airline and by the FAA.No pilot wants to be put under extra examination by an agency that has the power to _ their license or end their employment.That being the case, pilots are less likely than people in other professions to seek help.
There may be no way to make sure this never happens again, but its possibility can be reduced. Tests such as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory ( MMPI) can reliably detect depression, paranoia, schizophrenia, and other problems.The FAA could require pilots to take the MMPI or a similar test on a periodic basis.Whether such testing becomes required will depend upon the public's response to this incident and whether additional incidents take place.
Flying is remarkably safe.But incidents such as this cause concern. | high125.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "quickly got used to his new tail"
},
"options": [
"injured his back",
"lost his tail and back legs",
"quickly got used to his new tail",
"was found by Ed Stubbings"
],
"question": "It can be learned that Mr. Stu... | Seal seizes raft
This seal really rocked the boat when he found himself an unusual place to hang out. After the seal came across a boat in the harbor where he lives, he fell inside and wouldn't _ for four days.
"One morning the seal just pulled himself aboard," says Ed Stubbings, who owns the boat-turned-bed. Probably thinking the boat was a rock, the seal made himself at home. The seal didn't move an inch-----not even to eat or drink.
Stubbings was a little worried that the 500-pound animal might sink it. Luckily on the fifth day, the seal fell back into the water and swam off.
Alligator gets new tail
When Mr. Stubbs the alligator swims through his pool at the Phoenix Herpetological Society, he looks like any other gator-----except that his tail is made of rubber. Mr. Stubbs is the first alligator known to wear an artificial tail.
Mr. Stubbs was brought to the society nine years ago. "His tail was missing when he arrived," says President Russ Johnson. Mr. Stubbs couldn't walk or swim properly. "We showed him how to swim in the water," Johnson says. "But that hurt his back." Later, the scientists used rubber to build an artificial tail attached to Mr. Stubbs's back legs. "Once we put the tail on him, he walked with ease," Johnson says.
Dog delivers papers
Morgan started her "paper route" when she was young. One day as Morgan and her owner Bill set out on a walk, she spotted a rolled-up paper. To Bill's surprise, Morgan grabbed the object in her mouth, walked back to the house, and dropped it on the doorstep. Morgan enjoyed the activity so much that she wanted to deliver every paper she saw on her walks.
Now three-year-old Morgan brings the paper to her owner and neighbors, even in bad weather. "Morgan has a natural instinct to carry things with her mouth," dog behaviorist Pat Miller says. "And she feels rewarded by the activity, so she keeps it up." | high14699.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "drinking in the country costs too much"
},
"options": [
"people drink too much without paying taxes",
"drinking in the country costs too much",
"drinking competitions are very crazy",
"drinking games are infamous"
]... | Tough new rules for pubs and clubs - including a ban on drinking games like the infamous "dentist's chair" - will be introduced in Britain this year in a bid to prevent the heavy drinking culture that costs the country billions of pounds a year.
Other promotions like "all you can drink for 10 pounds", speed drinking competitions and "women drink free" nights will also be forbidden.
But on the other hand, a large amount of offers of cheap alcohol in supermarkets - widely regarded as one of the main sources of Britain's problems with under-age and excessive drinking - will not be affected.
Doctors and health experts argue that the government has failed to use its most effective weapon, the taxation of minimum price controls on alcohol.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson said he did not want to target responsible drinkers on low incomes, but that the government and the industry had a duty to act on heavy drinking.
"These practices have a real impact on society, not to mention the lives of those who just want to enjoy a good night out." he said.
The "dentist's chair", where drinks are poured directly into the mouth by others, was made famous by the celebrations of footballer Paul Gascoigne. That game and others that promote mass consumption will be banned from April and publicans will have to ensure free tap water is made available to the drinkers.
A second set of rules enforcing compulsory ID checks and making sure smaller alcoholic measures are on sale will come into effect in October.
The government says excessive drinking costs Britain up to 12 billion pounds a year and has announced that any pubs that go against the new rule will face severe punishment.
Publicans and vendors could lose their licenses, be fined up to 20,000 pounds or face six months in prison. | high23035.txt |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.