questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "something pulled by a horse"
},
"options": [
"something like a car",
"something like a light",
"something pulled by a horse",
"something with a light"
],
"question": "In the passage the word \"cart\" is _ .",... | An old man was going home late one night with his horse and cart after a day's hard work. When he was not far from his house, the light on the cart went out. He tried but could not mend it. He was near his home, and so he went along the road without a light. When a policeman saw this, he stopped the old carter.
"Where is your light?" asked the policeman. "No man may take a cart along the road at night without a light. You know that. You have broken the law ." "I had a light, but it has just gone out," said the old man.
"I don't believe that story," said the policeman. He took out a book and got ready to write. What's your name and where do you live?" he asked.
"Please don't take my name," said the old man. "My home is just there. You can see it from here. I had a light nearly the whole way. I haven't come far without a light."
"You came all the way without a light. What's your name?"
The carter quickly took the policeman's hand and put it down on top of the light. The light was still hot and burnt the policeman's hand. The policeman jumped and he was very angry. "Now, what do you think?" said the carter. "Did I come all the way without a light?" | middle1432.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They are not so honest as older generations"
},
"options": [
"They have trouble getting pocket money",
"They don't get along well with teachers",
"They are not so honest as older generations",
"They have too many tests ... | The survey was done among 29,760 students at 100 US high schools. The results suggest that in the past year, 30 percent of US high school students have stolen from a store. And 64 percent may have cheated on a test.
However, 93 percent of the students said they were satisfied with their honesty. And 77 percent said,"when it comes to doing what is right, I am better than most people I know."
Some teachers were unhappy about the survey results. Some, however, defended (......) today's students.
"The competition is greater and the pressures on kids have increased greatly,"said Mel Riddle, who was a high school teacher and headmaster for 40 years."It is the pressures that make it easy for students to be dishonest."
"I think these students are better than other generations,"he said."I find them more active, better to work with and more thankful for support."" We have to create situations where it's easy for kids to do the right things, "he added."We need to create classrooms where learning is more important than having the right answer." | middle1354.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "uncle"
},
"options": [
"aunt",
"uncle",
"grandfather",
"friend"
],
"question": "Mary got a letter from her _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | It was Mary's birthday.Her uncle wrote a letter and told her he would like to send her some chickens.She was very happy because she liked eggs and chicken."I can keep the chickens for their eggs or eat them,"she thought.
When the chickens arrived the next day, they were all in a box.Mary took the box off the truck and began to carry it into her garden,but the box of chickens was so heavy that she dropped it.The chickens all ran out.They ran here and there.Mary spent hours in trying to find them.
A few hours later her uncle came.He asked."Did the chickens arrive safely?" "Yes,but I dropped the box.The chickens ran everywhere.It took me the whole morning to look for them,"Mary said.
"Did you find them all?" asked her uncle."I hope so,"Mary answered,"But l only caught eleven of them" "That's very interesting.I only sent you six."her uncle laughed. | middle58.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Thirteen."
},
"options": [
"Eleven.",
"Twelve.",
"Thirteen.",
"Fourteen."
],
"question": "How old is Tom?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answe... | Tom is thirteen years old. He is in Grade Seven this year. He likes playing football and watching football matches. And he often reads newspapers. He does his best to know when and where there is going to be a football match. Now Tom is having lunch and he is also reading newspapers. He is very happy because there is going to be a nice football match on TV at four this afternoon. He wants to watch it very much, but he is going to have English and maths lessons in the afternoon. He thinks hard and finds a way.
"Hello, Mrs Black,"Tom says to his teacher on the telephone."Tom is ill in bed. He wants to ask for half a day's leave ."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,"says Mrs Black."But who is that?"
"It's my father, Mrs Black,"Tom answers. | middle7725.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "delivers newspapers"
},
"options": [
"reads books",
"sells newspapers",
"borrows books",
"delivers newspapers"
],
"question": "John _ every day.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | John is a paper boy. He delivers newspapers to different houses in his street every day. He has about 80 customers . Half of his customers only take the newspapers on weekdays, and about half take the newspapers on weekdays and on Sundays. Two of John's customers only take the newspapers on Sundays.
John has to get up at 4:30 every morning to deliver his newspapers. It takes longer to deliver the newspapers on Sundays. The Sunday newspapers are twice as heavy as those on weekdays.
John is saving his money to buy a new bicycle. He is also saving money for college . He has already saved 500 dollars. | middle818.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "90 minutes"
},
"options": [
"6 hours",
"90 minutes",
"2 days",
"21 hours"
],
"question": "It took Yang Liwei _ to travel around the earth every circle.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | Yang Liwei circled the earth 14 times in 21 hours on October 15 and 16, 2003, landing on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. Looking a little tired, Yang stepped out of Shenzhou V, smiling and waving at the waiting people. "I feel very good." Yang said to Premier Wen Jiabao on the phone. Yang said to a newspaper, "For our motherland and me, this is a great moment."
China's _ of Shenzhou V shows a higher starting point. It has two special systems to protect the spaceman, but neither Russian rockets nor American ones have.
Yang didn't know that he was chosen as China's first spaceman until just before the launch. Although Yang was excited at the news, he still slept at 8p.m. as usual and was woken up at 8p.m. the next morning. Before the launch, Yang ate Chinese traditional food-dumplings. We all know that travelers usually eat them before going on a journey for good luck.
A stamp Success of China First Manned Space Flight was issued on October 16, 2003, making China the third country to send a spaceman into outer space. | middle3543.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "England"
},
"options": [
"America",
"China",
"No. 80 Middle School",
"England"
],
"question": "Mary is from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Her name is Mary. She comes from London. She is in China with her father and mother. Shecan speak a little Chinese. She studies in No. 80 Middle School in Tianjin. She is in the sameschool as her parents (father and mother). She is a good student. She goes to school six daysa week. She likesgetting up early. She doesn't like to be late. She often goes to school veryearly. But today she gets up late. So she gets to the classroom at 7 :30. But there aren't anystudents in it. She is not late. She is still early. It's Sunday today. The students are allat home. | middle2885.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Anne."
},
"options": [
"Liam.",
"Brian.",
"Sam.",
"Anne."
],
"question": "Who wrote this email?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "... | From: _ Sent: Wed., Oct. 19
To: _
Subject: Hello!
Hi, Liam!
So you're my new pen friend. Let me tell you a bit about myself. I'm 14 years old and I live in
Calgary, Canada. I have two older brothers, Brian and Sam. I'm the only girl.
I love sports and I'm always looking for exciting new hobbies to try. I like playing baseball in winter.
It's fun beating the boys! But summer is my favourite time of the year. I love skateboarding and
rock climbing in summer.
Skateboarding's great because it's so fun and easy to learn! I often skateboard after school. There
are many places in the park where I can do stunts. I'm good at stunts like jumping and turning the
skateboard!
Rock climbing is also really fun. I usually climb with my dad on weekends. We can't do it on real
mountains very often because we live in the city. We do indoor rock climbing instead but it's not as
challenging.
So that's me! How about you? Please write back soon!
Bye for now!
Anne | middle5132.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "playing with Paul"
},
"options": [
"writing to Paul",
"writing to his brother",
"playing with Paul",
"walking near his home"
],
"question": "Tom was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | One day Tom was playing with his younger brother Paul beside the well near their home. Suddenly Tom fell down the well. Paul was frightened. Their parents were not at home. Their father was working in the factory and their mother was helping a neighbor. Tom called his younger brother, Paul. Paul looked at the bottom of the well and saw his brother standing in the water of the well. Tom was five feet tall and the water was only three feet deep. Paul was glad to see his brother safe in the well. Then he ran home and brought a long rope.
He was only six and not very strong, so he could not pull Tom out. He was thinking hard and finally had a good idea. He tied one end of the rope to a tree and threw the other end to his brother in the well. Then Tom climbed up the rope and got out of the well. He thanked his brother first and went home to exchange his wet clothes. | middle3557.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "will learn how to cook at school"
},
"options": [
"are fond of cooking",
"love to eat junk food",
"will learn how to cook at school",
"have to prepare breakfast by themselves"
],
"question": "Students under 14 i... | A 14-year-old British student is packing for the next day of school: textbooks, notebooks, pens, 250 grams of flour, an egg and some cooking oil. Wait, what?
It's not a joke.
From September, cookery will be a compulsory course for kids aged 7-14 in the UK.
Primary school students will learn how to put things together and make simple, healthy food.
At high school, students will then master a number of different meals. They will also learn some cooking skills including baking.
Britain is sometimes known as a country with bad food and unhealthy eating habits. These new courses are part of the country's effort to bring healthy food back onto the table.
"One in four British families no longer has a table that everyone can eat around. One out of every two meals we eat is eaten alone. Only four out of ten of us enjoy eating meals with our children," British writer Joanna Blythman wrote in her book Bad Food Britain: How A Nation Ruined Its Appetite in 2006.
Instead, ready meals have become the first choice for many British kids, because their parents are often too busy to cook a proper meal.
The Department for Education hopes that the cookery courses can introduce children to good food and reduce childhood _ .
"It's important that children can develop an interest and understanding of good food," said a spokesman for the department.
"We want to encourage them to develop a love of food and cooking that will stay with them as they grow up. | middle2891.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "buy a pair of shoes"
},
"options": [
"buy a pair of shoes",
"buy a straw",
"get to town",
"measure his feet"
],
"question": "One day a man wanted to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | In the old time, there was a man. He wanted to buy a pair of new shoes. Hemeasured his feet with a straw , and then went to a shoe shop in town.
The man in the shop took out a pair of new shoes, and let him try it on. But when he looked into pocket, he found that the straw was not there. So he said, "I'm sorry. I forget to bring the size here! Let me go home to get it back." After that, he ran out of the shop. It was very far from his home to the shoe shop. When he got back home, he was very tired.
With the straw in his hand, he went back to the shoe shop again .But the shop was closed .
Someone near the man said, " Your feet are with you. Why did you not try which pair of shoes fitted your feet?" | middle4238.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Canada"
},
"options": [
"England",
"Canada",
"China",
"Japan"
],
"question": "_ and the United States have Thanksgiving Day.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | China has Mid-Autumn Festival. Canada and the US have Thanksgiving Day. Many countries around the world have harvest festivals. This is the best time for the harvest. Every year in the United States, Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday of November. But in Canada, people have Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday in October, because Canada is north of the United States, and it is colder, the harvest comes earlier in the year.
The harvest brings a lot of food to the people. On Thanksgiving Day, people in Canada and America like to have a big meal with their friends and family--just like Chinese people do at Mid-Autumn Festival. Many Canadians and Americans put flowers, vegetables, and fruits around their homes to say "Thank you" for the harvest. | middle2649.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "she was a long way from her mother"
},
"options": [
"she didn't have a present",
"she was a long way from her mother",
"she didn't know it was Mother's Day",
"she wanted to see her father"
],
"question": "The yo... | It was Mother's Day,but the young mother was a little unhappy,because she was 800 miles away from her parents.In the morning she phoned her mother to wish her a happy Mother's Day,and her mother told her about the beautiful lilacs in the garden.
Later that day,when she told her husband about the lilacs,he said,"I know where we can find all that you want.Get the children and come on."So they went,driving down the country roads.
There on a small hill,they saw a lot of beautiful purple lilacs.The young woman ran quickly to enjoy the flowers.Carefully,she picked a few here and a few there.On their way home there was a smile on her face.
When they were passing a nursing home ,the young woman saw an old granny sitting in a chair.She had no children with her.They stopped the car and the young woman walked to the old woman,put the flowers in her hands,and smiled at her.The old granny thanked her again and again.She smiled happily,too.
When the young mother came back to her car,her children asked her,"Who is that old granny?Why did you give our flowers to her?"
"I don't know her,"their mother said."But it's Mother's Day,and she has no children.I have all of you,and I still have my mother.Just think how much those flowers meant to her. | middle1340.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "For two years"
},
"options": [
"For two months",
"For two years",
"For two weeks.",
"For one year"
],
"question": "How long had Xia Yuna studied Chinese before she came to China?",
"question_type": "factiod_... | Now,in the streets of China,we can see increasing numbers of foreigners,speaking various foreign languages or strangely-toned Chinese.They have become part of our life.Have you ever wondered what brings foreigners to China and what they do in China?
Xia Yuan,a beautiful girl from Ukraine,works in Beijing.She is in charge of the marketing department.She had studied Chinese for two years before she came to China,and she now speaks fluent Mandarin .Unless you can see her in person,you might not even realize that she is a foreigner.
Ding Luo,an Italian,is the manager of Alcatel in China.Some years ago he lived in Chengdu,Sichuan.He often went to the poor areas of Sichuan to help the kids,donating computers,clothes and bags to _
_ | middle7731.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They were in the northwest of the US."
},
"options": [
"They were in their hometown.",
"They were in the southwest of the US.",
"They were in the northeast of the US.",
"They were in the northwest of the US."
],
... | My life plan is to visit all the states in the US. Several years ago, my husband and I were traveling in the northwest. One day, when we were having our breakfast, I lost my wallet that had over $300 in it. There was no way for us to be able to find it, but we went on with our trip.
We went off to drive around and enjoy the city, completely forgetting my missing wallet. Later on, when I checked my phone, there was a message from the boss of the restaurant where we had our breakfast:
"I have something that belongs to you, and you're going to be very happy."
We got back to the restaurant and there was the wallet on the table with all the money in it!
The boss's son found the wallet in front of the door, and brought it to him. He thought that it must belong to someone who had a meal in the restaurant, so he checked inside and found my phone number on a piece of paper. | middle7057.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He felt over and broke his nose."
},
"options": [
"He felt over and broke his nose.",
"He didn't catch the school bus.",
"His schoolbag was lost.",
"He was late for school."
],
"question": "What happened to Sam ... | Something bad happened to sam this morning. He fell over and broke his nose in the school hallway. When Sam looked up, he saw his friends. "Are you OK?" They asked him. But he didn't say anything to them. He stood up and ran to the classroom quickly. Sam put his schoolbag on his desk and went out to the school hospital. On his way back to the classroom he saw his friends again. They were laughing. Sam thought they were laughing at him, so he didn't talk to them for the rest of the morning.
At lunchtime, Sam's friends came up to him and asked, "How is your nose?" "Fine!" Sam shouted. "I saw you laughing at me this morning!" "We didn't. We laughed just because Jenny told us a joke," his friends said. "Well, I'm sorry. Can you _ me?" "Yes, of course. But next time you should ask us before you assume something." They looked at each other and laughed happily. They were still friends.
,,. | middle6349.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The roads"
},
"options": [
"The drivers",
"The roads",
"The buses",
"The government"
],
"question": "_ caused the terrible traffic in Beijing.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | You've probably known the crazy traffic in Beijing. Sometimes the cars could hardly move for a long time. The terrible traffic is caused by the poor road and China's ability to cope with so many cars on the road at the same time.
With more Chinese people buying cars every day, the problem seems to only get worse. But a design company called Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment has a possible solution: the super bus.
The super bus would carry up to 1,400 people in its passenger compartment . It would travel on a rail system that would be elevated above the roads, so cars could drive under it. The bus will run on electricity and solar power, creating far less pollution than that from the cars it would be replacing .
Beijing authorities haven't decided whether to create railways for the super bus throughout the city. But they are willing to give it a test drive. Later 2010, the company will test for the first time and in 2011 and 2012, the company will test the super bus with passengers.
According to the government, Beijing is probably to have five million cars on the road by the end of 2010. So it seems to be necessary to start taking the bus instead soon. | middle1426.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "began in 1865"
},
"options": [
"isn't to protect the president",
"makes fake credit cards",
"began in 1865",
"has only one important job"
],
"question": "The American secret service _ .",
"question_type": ... | The American secret service began in 1865. It has many important jobs. One is to stop different types of fraud , such as printing fake money, credit card fraud and computer fraud. The other is to protect the president at all times.
The secret service's earliest job was to stop people from making fake money. The secret service agents still have to do that because the criminals are smarter now. They are better at using computers and other expensive equipment. But agents are much smarter.
Protecting the president is hard. The most dangerous places are outdoors. Agents can't check every person in the crowd, so they must watch the crowd carefully. And they always follow the president. They're just like the president's shadow.
Unluckily, some criminals do want to give the president trouble, or even hurt him. The secret service agents try to find _ and stop them when they want to do something bad. It's a dangerous, but important job. The secret service helps keep the president and the country safe.
,. | middle5640.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Who will pay for the meal"
},
"options": [
"What to eat",
"Where to eat",
"Who will pay for the meal",
"When to eat"
],
"question": "_ is first of all when you discuss about eating out with your friend.",
"... | When you discuss about eating out with your friend, first of all, you must make it clear who will pay for the meal.If somebody suggests having lunch with his friend, he might simply say something like this "I'm afraid it'll have to be some place nearby ,as I have little money." The other person may say. "OK. I'll meet you at Mcdonald's." This means he has agreed that the two will go Dutch, that is, each person pays for himself. He may say "Oh, no. I want to take you for lunch at Johnson's " This means the person is to pay the bill for both of them. Although the other person is pleased with the invitation, there is one reason why he shouldn't accept it by simply saying "Thank you."
American customs are much the same as those in other parts of the world. American women used to expect men to pay for all the meals. But today, some of them like to. However, if a woman is asked to attend a dinner or a dance outside, the invitaton itself means "Come as my guest". So, as you see, it is a polite thing to make the situation clear at the very beginning. | middle3231.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "keep healthy"
},
"options": [
"study well",
"stay away from doctors",
"keep healthy",
"feel happy"
],
"question": "Eating fruit and vegetables every day can help you _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | Do you want to be healthy? Then you must eat well and get a lot of exercise. If you're healthy, your body works well and you also feel well. Here are some trips.
Eat more fruit and vegetables.
"One apple a day, keep the doctor away!"Fruit and vegetables have rich vitamins. They can help us to keep healthy. Remember to eat some fruit and vegetables every day.
Drink water and milk often.
When you are thirsty, water is the best choice. Try to limit soda drinks, such as Coca Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Milk is also very good for your body. Drink a cup of milk every day if possible.
Listen to your body.
You'd better notice how your body feels when you eat. That is to say you should stop eating when you're full. It can make you feel comfortable.
Limit screen time.
Don't spend too much time watching TV or DCDs, playing video games or using the computer. You should do some outdoor activities, such as playing basketball, going riding and swimming.
If you follow the tips, I'm sure you'll have a healthy body. | middle5898.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Ning switched to sprint freestyle swimming because the knee pain got worse."
},
"options": [
"Ning won the 100-meter freestyle at the 2015 FINA Swimming World Championships in Russia.",
"Ning switched to sprint freestyle swimming b... | "He could have lived on his good looks, but instead he chose to live on talent and hard work." This is how Internet users praised Chinese swimmer Ning Zetao.
On Aug 6, the 22-year-old won the 100-meter freestyle at the 2015 FINA Swimming World Championships in Russia. He was the first Asian to ever achieve this. Overnight the 191-cm-tall, handsome young man became the nation's hero. Ning didn't let the sudden fame get to his head. He said he only saw "a slight change" in his life after winning.
"My life is full of changes and challenges," he said . "I welcome them and am never afraid of _ ." The first big change in Ning's life came at 2009.At the time, he specialized in breaststroke and was successful. But he felt a sharp pain in his knee. He suffered every time he practiced his kicks. When he was 16,the knee pain got worse, and he had to stop swimming the breaststroke. Then he switched to sprint freestyle swimming. Ning didn't let the change bring him down. Instead, he took advantage of it and became one of the best freestyle swimmers. Last year, he won four gold medals in freestyle races at the Incheon Asian Games in South Korea.
What is the next change Ning would like to see in his life? He said he wants to improve on his English. "English will help me communicate with foreign coaches and compete in the world games in the future." Obviously Ning has high expectations for himself at the Rio Olympics next year. We wish him good luck. | middle5873.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "was asked to have a trip in"
},
"options": [
"had to fly in",
"was asked to have a trip in",
"was asked to fly",
"asked George to fly"
],
"question": "Peter _ his friend's plane.",
"question_type": "cl... | George liked flying a plane. Once he bought a small plane and learned how to fly it. He soon became so good that he could make his plane do all kinds of tricks .
George had a friend. His name was Peter. One day George said to his friend, " Peter, would you like to have a trip in my plane?" Peter thought, " I've traveled in a big plane several times, but I've never been in a small one, so I'll go."
They went up, and George flew around for half an hour and did all kinds of tricks.Peter said in a shaken voice , " Well, George, thank you very much for these two trips in your plane."
George was very surprised and asked, " Two trips? "
"Yes, my first and my last." Answered Peter. | middle159.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he didn't have enough school education"
},
"options": [
"he was only 18 years old",
"his father cared too much about him.",
"he had an expensive car",
"he didn't have enough school education"
],
"question": "It ... | When he was 16, his father seriously said to him, "I'll give you whatever you want before you are 18. But after that, I won't care much about you, and you should give me whatever I want." When his 18th birthday was coming, the young man began thinking about looking for a job. So he sent resumes to many companies he liked on the Internet. But, most got no reply, he said, "Maybe they were surprised about my primary school education."
By chance, one of his friends was looking for someone, who could work as an egg porter in the supermarket, for 0.5 Yuan a box. Facing lots of difficulties in getting a job, he said, "I'll take this job. At least I can make some money for my petrol ." Then every day, he drove his car, his 18th birthday gift, to work in the supermarket. He did that for three months.
Later, he heard that a newspaper was looking for a network technician , so he asked for it. But they were also worried about his school education. He practiced his skill right in front of the computer, and showed the managers web pages he had designed. He started to work the next day, and became the director of network department in less than a year.
And now, the 23-year-old man is a boss. In January 2005, he started a magazine for children, with himself as the editor in chief . And the only writer was his father. | middle7902.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because he thought playing the violin was useless."
},
"options": [
"Because he thought playing the violin was useless.",
"Because his father thought playing the violin would cost lots of money.",
"Because his father thought ... | Ole Bull was a very famous violinist from Norway. He really liked to play the violin. But his father thought that playing the violin was not useful. So his father sent him to university to study. However, playing the violin was his dream. He didn't want to give up his dream. So he left university before he finished his studies and spent all his time and energy practicing the violin. Unfortunately, his violin teacher was not very good. So when it was time for him to start his concert tour, he still couldn't play the violin very well.
Therefore, a Milan newspaper critic1criticized him and said that he was an untrained violinist. The critic said, " _ 2yet."
When facing this kind of problem, some people may become very angry and some people try to learn from it. Fortunately, Ole Bull belonged to the second group. He went to the newspaper office and found the critic. Instead of being angry, he talked about his mistakes with the man and listened to the man's advice.
After he met the critic, he gave up the rest of his concerts. Then he went back to practice the violin with the help of good teachers. In the end, he got great success when he was only 26. He also became one of the most famous violinists in the world. | middle7916.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Julia"
},
"options": [
"Julia",
"Helen",
"Nancy",
"Smith"
],
"question": "Zhao Na's English name is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answe... | Hello! My name is Zhao Na. I'm nine years old. I am in Rizhao Middle School in Shangdong. My English name is Julia. I like green. My telephone number is 1238-6517. I have a good friend. She is English. Her name is Helen Smith. Her Chinese name is Wang Min. She is ten years old. She likes red. Her phone number is 2816-3018. Helen and I are in the same school. | middle5867.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "eight"
},
"options": [
"six",
"seven",
"eight",
"nine"
],
"question": "The teacher can work for _ months at this family.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index"... | Teachers Wanted
Do you like kids? We need a teacher for our son. He's six years old. We want you to work from March to November, 3 pm. to 6 pm., but you don't need to work in July and August. You can get Y= 30 an hour . Sometimes we want you to work on weekends, and you can get Y=45 an hour.
You need to:
*Help our son with Chinese.
*Read to him.
*Play with him.
*Go to movies with him.
You need to work at my home. We live in Taipei Road, next to the Zhongshan Bus Station .
Please call (02)2956-4938. Ask Miss Liu. | middle165.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He had gotten some help from the quote."
},
"options": [
"He wanted to practice his handwriting.",
"He had gotten some help from the quote.",
"He thought doing this was interesting.",
"He wanted to catch his neighbor's ... | Several days ago, I was walking home from school and saw some writing on the fence of a house I was passing by. It said, "Happiness is a direction, not a destination ." I had been having a bad day and just reading this brightened my day a little. I also took out a pen and wrote one of my favorite quotes down. ww.szzx100.com
When I came back to the fence, I saw another quote under mine in the handwriting as the first one. I added another, and we kept at this pattern for quite a while. One day, I was writing another quote on the fence and the old man, one of my neighbors, who owned the fence, saw me. He came out and I was afraid he would be mad at me for writing on his fence; he was not known to be very friendly. He gave me a sharp glance and then read the quotes on the fence. Without saying a word, he said something to himself and then went back inside. I was a bit terrified for a while, afraid to go back to the fence, but when I did, I noticed not more quotes but two words in entirely different handwriting had been added, "Thank you."
Later, I saw the old man in his front yard. He beckoned me over and told me how my quotes had been inspiring him, how he thanked me and how he was glad to see young people still have "values". We are now good friend and I talk to him a lot. This experience has changed my life. I still don't know who wrote that very first quote, but if he is out there, I'd like to say "thanks" to that unknown friend. | middle7080.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "David"
},
"options": [
"Lydia",
"David",
"Liza",
"Ely"
],
"question": "_ lost computer game",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "52990... | Is this your pen?Call Lydia at 224-3638.
Lost:
My computer game.My name is David.Call 44-2697.
Mitchell,
Is that your backpack in the lost and found case?
Liza
Found:ID card.Is this your ID card? Call Ely at 52993. | middle5697.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To lead in the topic of the passage."
},
"options": [
"To please the readers.",
"To encourage the readers.",
"To lead in the topic of the passage.",
"To support the topic of the passage."
],
"question": "What's ... | " To seek happiness is to look for it" was once said by the famous French author Jules Renard. Look for it? Sure...but don't spend a lifetime trying, especially if it's well within your reach but you're just too blind to see it. Discover the three keys to happiness that you have already understood, but that you are just too afraid to find it.
1. Accepting Yourself
The idea of happiness is difficult to understand if you are not at peace with yourself. Learn to accept yourself as you are. Your next step will be to improve your attitude for tomorrow, for the next day, for the day after that, and so forth.
By beginning to accept reality, you will come to the final point of true happiness. Only when you are at peace with yourself, will you finally be able to admit that you are, in fact, a happy person.
2. Forgiving Others
Forgiving others is a true show of humanity which also allows us to feel more at ease. When you learn to forgive, you also learn to keep a firm hold on your life. To forgive is to open the doors of personal satisfaction. Yet you simply open your mind to answer, " Do I really want to allow my anger to grow and eat me from inside out?"
3. Helping Your Neighbors
When a friend seems to be suffering from a state of depression , it's quite easy to help him or her out of the trouble. The best attitude to have in this situation is to make him or her understand that he or she is not alone.
If you come to save a friend in need, you'll feel a lot more at peace with yourself. You will feel high--spirited by knowing that someone is looking at life on the brighter side thanks to your kind words.
,. | middle3580.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because he did something wrong."
},
"options": [
"Because the teacher wanted to visit his mother.",
"Because he did something wrong.",
"Because the teacher was happy with his progress.",
"Because the teacher thought he ... | Ted, my little brother, is in Grade One. Last Friday he came back from school with a letter. The letter was from his teacher. "I got a red flower today. Could you please sign this note?" he said to Mum. The note showed that he had been talking in class.
Ted hardly gets top scores in his school work. The best he gets is "OK", but often he gets "You can do better than this." Mum knows what it means. She tells me "You can do better than this" means "Extremely bad" in China.
In the USA, teachers never say anything too bad about their students, even if the students are making trouble in class or not working hard enough. The worst they might say is "Please be nicer tomorrow". Many parents are satisfied with--- a B-grade for each subject.
But things in Chinese schools are quite different. Parents have _ for their children. I sometimes felt that my second-grade cousin spent more time on homework than I did when I was a 6thgrader in the USA! Yet his parents and teachers didn't think he worked hard enough.
Is it too strict in China? Or is it not strict enough in the USA? Maybe both are true. | middle2846.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A robot"
},
"options": [
"A cook.",
"A robot",
"A cleaner",
"A computer"
],
"question": "What is Robbie?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer... | beep ...beep ... There went the bell! Robbie opened his eyes. He had been sitting in the room for a whole day, and now it was time for him to do something.
Robbie looked out of the window. It was still snowing heavily and there was ice on the window. It was another cold day. Robbie was told to turn the heat on before the family got home. And he _
Then Robbie was told to do some cleaning work at once. It was an easy job for him, but a tough one for his master, Helen. He kept on working until every room was clean and tidy.
For now, he had to cook supper for the family.
The first thing Robbie did was to get the big pot in the kitchen. Then he put some water in the pot and put it on the stove. He used one of his hands to cut up a chicken and added the pieces to the water to make a good soup. Then he got some tomatoes, cabbages and carrots to make a vegetable salad.
At ten past eight he laid the table. Then he put some bread, the chicken soup and the salad on it. What a sweet smell! The moment he turned on the lights, the whole family came home.
"The soup smells great, Victor," said Helen. "You really know how to tell Robbie what to do."
Robbie is one robot that really saves the family a lot of work. | middle603.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "apple juice"
},
"options": [
"sandwiches",
"apple juice",
"tomatoes",
"corn"
],
"question": "Which belongs to red-labeled food in Australia?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | It seems school children all over the world are not satisfied with their school food. Cherie Blair, the wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair, said that she would prepare a packed lunch for her son if school dinners do not improve. So what do students of your age eat for lunch at school?
Japan
High schools have dining halls, which serve everything from noodles to rice, but not hamburgers and chips. Other children bring food from home such as cold rice balls, meat or fish, and vegetables.
The United States
A common menu from a US school is made up of a hamburger with fried potatoes or roast chicken, fruit and cookies. School lunches must also provide food with protein ,vitamin A, vitamin C, ironand calories.
Australia
Meat piesand hotdogs are all traditional dishes in Australian school shops. But as the nation pays more attention to children's health, healthier foods have started to find their way onto school menus.
Many schools have used a traffic light system. The sale of red-labeled foods includingchocolate and soft drinks, is served only twice a week. Healthier green-labeled foods such as sandwiches, corn and watermelon, however are served every day.
In some schools, students have a choice of up to 89 foods to choose from, including popcorn and rice.
South Africa
Most of South Africa's schools do not serve meals at all. Classes end at 1:30 pm and students get their own lunches. Many students bring food from home, usually sandwiches.
Fast food and fried food sell the best among students, which has led to a rise in _ among children. But as more people began to realize the fact that being too fat may cause different illnesses, some schools in towns have led the way towards better nutrition . Now students at these schools are provided with lunches of porridge with vegetables, such as cabbages, carrots and tomatoes. | middle1383.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It was dangerous."
},
"options": [
"It was dangerous.",
"Is wasted time.",
"It was part of the life.",
"Their son didn't like to talk to strangers."
],
"question": "Why did the writer's parents tell him not to t... | When I was a child, my parents always told me that I should never talk to strangers. This was part of a whole list of things I should never do: Never accept food or candy from strangers, never get in a car with strangers, and so on.
But if we didn't start a conversation with strangers, we'd never make new friends. We'd never get a job. We may miss the joy that comes from talking with strangers. And the more people you know, you more chances you can get.
The following passage offers you some advice on how to break the ice.
Don't just stare at your shoes. Go and say "Hi" to that new guy. It will be easier to break the ice if you know more about different cultures.
British: Beautiful day, isn't it?
The weather in Britain is changeable. So, it is one of the topics the British care most about. And there's a simple rule: Say "Yes" whether you agree with the person's idea on the weather or not. That's because the British start a conversation using the weather so that they can continue their talk.
French: Where did you go on holiday?
To talk with a French person, the safest way is to ask his or her last holiday. French students enjoy a 10-to-15-day holiday every two months. French employees get more than six weeks of holidays per year.
American: So, where are you from?
The US is so big and people move so often that location is always a source of talk. You can try to find a connection with the place they're from. For example, if someone's from Los Angeles, you could say:"Oh, I have a friend who studied there" | middle2852.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "at 9 a.m. on October 15, 2003"
},
"options": [
"at 9 a.m. on October 15, 2003",
"at 9 p.m. on October 15, 2003",
"at 9 a.m. on October 16, 2003",
"at 9 p.m. on October 16, 2003"
],
"question": "Shenzhou V was la... | At 9 a.m. on October 15, 2003, our country launched its first manned space-ship, Shenzhou V, into space at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province. It took Yang Liwei and his spaceship about 21 hours to circle the earth 14 times. Yang Liwei is China's first astronaut. He comes from Liaoning Province, and he has been an air force pilot since 1983. He was chosen from 14 pilots after many difficult tests.
The life of an astronaut is hard to imagine for many people. To put on a space suit takes 15 minutes with the help of others. Sleeping in space is not easy, either. He has to sleep in a special sleeping bag on the wall because there is no gravity. Yang can eat chicken and rice. It's especially made to eat in space but it doesn't taste nice.
"I'm feeling very good in space, and it looks wonderful here," said Yang, "I have looked at our beautiful earth and I have recorded all that I have seen here."
China has become the third country in the world to send a person into space after the former Soviet Union and the United States. China is now planning its next launch. Shenzhou VI will be into space within(......) the next years, it may take three astronauts. We are all proud of our motherland. | middle171.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "lots of computer networks"
},
"options": [
"a big computer",
"a small group of computers",
"lots of computer networks",
"the World Wide Web"
],
"question": "The Internet is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | The Internet is becoming important in our life. How much do you know about it? The following questions and their answers will help you to know more about the Internet.
What is the Internet?
The Internet is a large, world-wide collection of computer networks . A network is a small group of computers put together. The Internet is many different kinds of networks from all over the world. These networks are called the Internet. If you have learned to use the Internet, you can have a lot of interest on the World Wide Web .
What is the World Wide Web?
The World Wide Web has been the most popular development of the Internet. It is like a big electronic book with millions of pages. These pages are called homepages. You can find information about almost anything in the world on these pages. For example, you can use the Internet instead of a library to find information for your homework. You can also find information about your favourite sport or film star, talk to your friends or even do some shopping on the pages. Most pages have words, pictures and even sound or music.
What is e-mail?
Electronic mail (e-mail) is a way of sending messages to other people. It's much quicker and cheaper than sending a letter. If you want to use e-mail, you must have an e-mail address. This address must have letters and dots and an @ (means "at"). For example: Lily @ Yahoo.com. Write a message, type a person's e-mail address, and then send the message across the Internet. People don't need to use stamps, envelopes or go to the post office because of the invention of the Internet. Quick, easy and interesting -- that's the Internet. | middle6605.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because it's a good chance to meet people who have the same interests."
},
"options": [
"Because it isn't far.",
"Because it is a rule in your area.",
"Because you can make some money.",
"Because it's a good chance to m... | If you want to make friends, what should you do?
Steps:
Try to look on the bright side of things.
Look for groups in your area that do something you are interested in. Maybe you will learn some new skills and meet some people who have many things in common with you.
Tips(,):
_ your friends at least once a week by telephone or e-mail, or by visiting them to find out how they are. Remember important things about them such as birthdays and weddings .
If you have an argument with your friends, say sorry first.
Remember never to leave old friends just because you have made some new ones.
Listen to others carefully. It's better to be a good listener.
Be different. Don't try to change others through your own ideas.
Warnings:
Never ask or give away a friend's secret.
Don't be afraid to stand up for what is right.
You'd better not give your ID number, phone number or your home address to people that you have just made friends with.
,A, B, C, D,. (10) | middle2463.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "read better"
},
"options": [
"read better",
"calm down",
"raise IQ",
"feel creative"
],
"question": "The color grey may help you _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | People have been interested in color and its effects for hundreds of years. More recently, research has turned to the question of how different colors can help students learn better.
Believe it or not, some colors can affect a child's IQ . For example, a simple black and white color scheme may cause IQ to become low, while the good use of reds and oranges may raise it as much as 15 points. Be careful not to use too much, however; a little red is exciting, but too much makes people uncomfortable. Bright yellow is exciting to the brain, while the color green is thought to encourage creativity.
Use blue and green to calm yourself. Blue, especially, can cause you to calm down. Something blue in a reading area, for example, may help you focus on what you are reading. But too much dark blue can make you sad, so use light blue on walls or large floor areas.
If you are struggling to read, try a different color of paper. According to a study, 80 percent of children who had difficulty in reading improved their understanding when they put something grey or blue over their pages. Do not use bright colors here, as they become difficult to look at after a while.
However, use bright colors like red, orange and yellow for important points. These colors attract the eye and may help you notice details.
The same color of the walls of a room do not help you focus on your studies, but make you slow in understanding. Colors, on the other hand, make the senses active and encourage learning. Use primary colors red, yellow and blue in a proper way. Then how do you make your choices of color? It mainly depends on your space, the lighting and the function of the room. | middle4012.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "22785161 or 22706030"
},
"options": [
"22785161 or 22706030",
"22706030 or 77364431",
"77364431 or 22785161",
"33562367 or 22785161"
],
"question": "If you want to go out for lunch on Sunday you can call up the ... | Telephone: 22706030
Address: 9020 Bridgeport Road
Open: Mon. --- Fri. 7:00a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and 5:00p.m. - 9:00p.m.
Sat 7:00a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. - 9:00p.m.
Sun 11:00a.m. - 2:00p.m. and 5:00p.m. - 9:00p.m.
NEW YORK MESEUM
Telephone: 77364431
Address: Vanieer Park, 1100 Chesnut St. New York
American's largest museum specializing(...) in American history and art of our native people
Open: Mon. --- Fri. 9:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Monday free)
Sat 9:00a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
LANSDOWNE PARK SHOPPING CENTRE
Telephone: 33562367
Address: 5300 No. 3 Road
Open: Mon. Tues & Sat 9:30a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Wed Thurs & Fri 9:30a.m. - 9:30p.m.
Sun 11:00a.m. -- 5:00p.m.
SKYLINE HOTEL
Telephone: 22785161
Address: 3031 No. 3 Road (at Sea Island Way)
The Hanger Den --- Wed to Sun Dinner from 5:30 p.m.
Coffee Shop --- Mon to Fri 6:00 a.m.; Sat, Sun 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. | middle4774.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Yunnan"
},
"options": [
"Jiangsu",
"Guizhou",
"Yunnan",
"Guangxi"
],
"question": "Yang Shanzhou lived in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"a... | For many years, Yang Shanzhou was the local party secretary in a remote, mountainous village in southwest China's Yunnan Province. Though he could live a better life in the city, he still decided to move even further into the mountains, and devoted himself to greening the land. He passed away in 2010, but his story lives on.
A blanket of green - And it all started with a surprising decision made by Yang Shanzhou back in 1988.
The 62 year old decided to return to his hometown in Daliang Mountain, to bring green back to the _ hills. Along with fifteen other people, Yang settled down deep in the mountains and began to work on his plan.
It was a life that was harder than most people could ever imagine.
Su Jiaxiang, Yang Shanzhou's secretary, said, "I went to visit him several times. He didn't even have decent shoes and it was very cold at night. But you know he was almost seventy!"
In 2010, Yang Shanzhou passed away. He was buried in Daliang Mountain, according to his will. More than twenty years has passed since he first began his planting in the mountains.The hills are now covered with kinds of trees. By planting trees, Yang Shanzhou also planted hope. This hidden hero left his local government with a priceless legacy. | middle398.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "5"
},
"options": [
"2",
"3",
"5",
"8"
],
"question": "Our school has got _ buildings.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "in front... | Look at the picture. This is our school. There are five buildings in our school. There are thirty- two classrooms in the Teaching Building. Our gym is behind the Teaching Building. The teacher's offices are in the Office Building. Our Library Building is next to the Office Building. There are many books and magazines in the library. Is the Library Building next to the Science Lab Building? No, it's in front of it. There are seven labs in it. Behind the Science Lab is the dining hall. In the dining hall there are many tables and chairs. We have meals there. Welcome to our school. | middle6163.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "One"
},
"options": [
"Three",
"One",
"Four",
"We don't know"
],
"question": "How many cinemas can they find in the small town?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | Joe Black, coach of a football team, and his family go to a small town for their holiday. One rainy afternoon, they can't go out to have fun, so the families go to the family. Joe, his wife and their three daughters walk down to the town's only cinema, buy tickets and go into the cinema. The lights are still on , and there are just six other people there. As Joe walks in, some of them see him and start clapping .
Joe gives them a smile and turns to his wife, "Aha, I can't believe that they know me and they are giving me a warm welcome here," he says , " I guess they see my games on TV."
They sit down and then a young man comes up to Joe and gives out his hand, "Thanks a lot," says Joe, " I just can't believe that you know me." The young man says, " I only know that they will not show the film until at least ten people buy tickets. | middle6177.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"four",
"five",
"six",
"seven"
],
"question": "There are _ bedrooms on the second floor of the house.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | Four-bedroom house for sale
This house is on a quiet street only a few meters from the beach. It has a wonderful view of the sea and would suit a family or an investor . There are many international cafes and restaurants nearby, and it is only a short walk to the stores. It's near the bus stops. The house has two floors. On the first floor there is a modern kitchen, a large sitting room, a dining room, and a bathroom. On the second floor you will find four bedrooms. There are also two bathrooms. There is also a swimming pool and a beautiful garden around the house.
Please telephone Jim Watson at 014-735-8383.One -bedroom apartment for sale
This apartment is on the top floor of a six-floor building and has a wonderful view of the city. There is a big park near the building. It is near the centre of the city. It will be a good home for a young couple . The apartment is freshly painted. A modern kitchen and a tidy bathroom make it very comfortable. The owners need money, so they are eager to sell it. Call Julie Kelly at 014-735-8484 for more information | middle7269.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Four."
},
"options": [
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many ways of travelling around the city are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | New York is a very large city with 8 million people. How do so many people move on their way to work or school? In New York you can travel by subway, bus, taxi and private car.
The subway runs on the railroad lines under the city. Travelling by subway is the fastest way to get around the city. The second way to travel around the city is by public bus. It is a slower way to travel. This is because the traffic is very heavy.
You can also travel around the city by taxi. This is very expensive, but the taxi will take you to the very place you want to. If traffic is heavy, the taxi will be slow, too.
During the mornings and afternoons, there is the "rush hour".This is the time when the traffic is very heavy with people going to and from work. The last way to get around New York is using your own private car. It is inconvenient because you will perhaps be driving during the "rush hour".The best time to travel around the city is from 9 am to 4 pm, because it isn't the "rush hour". | middle4760.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Signs"
},
"options": [
"Pictures",
"Maps",
"Signs",
"Photos"
],
"question": "What are there on the wall of the library?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1... | Our school has a big library. We often go there. Today is Sunday. Lily and I are in the library. In the library there are some signs on the wall. The signs mean different things. We know them. Don't shout in the reading room. Don't drink or eat here. Don't litter in the library.
I see a man smoking in the reading room. I go to him and say, "Sir, you can't smoke here. Look at the sign. It says 'No smoking'.You can smoke in the smoking room." The man says sorry. | middle2477.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "at home"
},
"options": [
"outside",
"at home",
"at Mrs. Brown's house",
"his friend's house"
],
"question": "Mr. Green has supper _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | One afternoon Mrs. Green says to her husband, "Jack, there is a meeting of our women's at Mrs. Brown's house at supper time today, and I want to go to it. I will leave you some fish for supper. Is that all right?"
"Oh, yes," her husband answers, "That's all right. What are you going to leave for my supper? " "This tin of fish," Mrs. Green says, "And there are some cold potatoes and some peas here, too."
Then Mrs. Green goes to her meeting. All the women have supper at Mrs. Brown's house and at nine Mrs. Green comes back home. "Is your fish nice, Jack?" she asks. "Yes, but my feet are _ ," he answers. "Why are they hurt?" Mrs. Green asks.
"Well, on the tin it says---OPEN THE TIN AND STAND IN HOT WATER FOR FIVE MINUTES." | middle4006.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "student"
},
"options": [
"teacher",
"student",
"boy",
"mother"
],
"question": "Sarah is a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": ... | Good afternoon! My name is Sarah. I'm twelve. I'm a student. Nice to meet you!
Look at this. What's this in English? Oh, it's a pencil case . It's red. What's in it? Look! This is a ruler. It's green. This is an eraser. It's white. This is a pen. It's yellow. My pencil case is new and it is very nice. I like it very much. Tomorrow is Saturday. It's a hot day. Let me go swimming. I like summer. | middle3769.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Say hello to each other."
},
"options": [
"Say hello to each other.",
"Say goodbye to each other.",
"Talk about the weather.",
"Talk about their personal matters."
],
"question": "What are the first words when E... | When two English people meet,their first words will be"How do you do?"or"How are you?"After the reply"How do you do?"or"Fine,thank you.How are you?"they often talk about the weather.The reason for this is not simply that their weather is interesting and changeable but that the English people don't like talking about personal matters with people who are not friends.Talking about the weather can be a useful way of starting a conversation with a stranger in public. | middle5330.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "two inches long"
},
"options": [
"too long for the young man",
"two inches long",
"six inches long",
"too short for the young man"
],
"question": "The new pants were _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | A young man once went to buy a pair of pants. When he got home, he went upstairs to his bedroom and put them on. He found that they were two inches long.
Then he came out of his room to see his mother and his two sisters. They were washing something in the kitchen."These new pants are too long, they need to be shortened about two inches. Would one of you like to do this for me, please?" His mother and sisters were busy and none of them said anything. The mother went upstairs after she had finished washing and shortened the pants two inches. But she didn't tell her daughters about it.
Later on, after supper, the elder sister remembered her brother's pants. So she went upstairs without saying to anyone, and shortened the pants two inches.
The younger sister went to the cinema, but when she came back, she also remembered what her brother had said. So she ran upstairs, and took two inches
off the legs of the new pants | middle1156.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "I don't know"
},
"options": [
"Yes, I am very happy.",
"No, I am not happy.",
"It depends on the weather.",
"I don't know"
],
"question": "What did Mo Yan say when he was asked the question \"Are you happy?\"",
... | Recently,CCTV reporter have asked a simple question, "Are you happy?"
The question has caught many interviewees off guard. Even Mo Yan, who recently won a Nobel Prize, answered by saying "I don't know."
We should ask "What exactly is happiness? And how do you measure it?". Last year, China's Premier Wen Jiabao told the nation, "Everything we do is aimed at letting people live more happily." At last year's National People's Congress , officials agreed that increasing happiness would be a top target for the 12thfive-year plan.
Many argue that happiness is _ . It also means different things to different people. For some, happiness can be as simple as having enough money to buy a new bicycle; for others, it's about socializing or finding the perfect spouse .
Chen Shangyuan, 21, a college student, said his idea of happiness always evolves . "At present it relates to how productive I am in a day", he said. "It might be linked to job security or leisure time after I graduate." | middle1630.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "mother"
},
"options": [
"father",
"mother",
"grandpa",
"grandma"
],
"question": "The writer had to leave her _ when she was two years old.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | It all started when I was two years old. My parents didn't get along and got divorced . I hated that I couldn't see both of my parents at the same time. So my dad, my younger sister, Alexis, and I went to live with my grandma and grandpa. We lived with them for almost six years. My mom, on the other hand, lived with her boyfriend Michael in Oklahoma. My life was really good, but when my mom called to check up on my sister and me, I cried myself to sleep. I missed her so much.
My life at my grandparents' house was really nice. And then on Friday, May 15, 2002, my grandpa died of cancer. I cried for seven days straight. My dad and his new wife were worried about me. So they took me to the doctor and they said that I was too sad and that I needed to find something happy and healthy to do during the day.
I prayed to God every night saying that I was sorry for getting myself sick and I also prayed for him to take care of my grandpa. I still pray to this day. And now, at my mom's house, she has a four-year-old girl, my half-sister, Macie. And I have my step-dad , Michael, there for me. I really like Michael. He's really good to me and my sister. And at my dad's house, I have two little brothers, Blake and Justin. Blake is two years old and Justin is ten months old. I have so much to be thankful for, but I'm still looking for more. | middle8172.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "has lived in China for a long time"
},
"options": [
"will come to work in Quzhou",
"will leave China soon",
"has lived in China for a long time",
"has just come to China"
],
"question": "From the passage, we can... | I have spent almost a third of my life in China, living and working in this beautiful country. In a sense, China has been and is still my second home But in those past years I had never been to Quzhou.
Some days ago, for the first time in my Chinese life, I stepped into the beautiful city of Quzhou. My impressions of Quzhou city were as I always thought: green countryside, rainy sky, wet air. That was what I imagined for years the south of China would be. When we finally arrived, I was impressed by the elegant city.
Next day we were taken to visit some places not far away from the city. I was not aware of the direction of our short trip, but when we arrived at Lanke Mountain and got out of the car, I thought that we had been taken to a fairyland : the light rain over the green and thick plants, the silvery sky like a heavy blanket and the mystery of this mountain made me feel like being part of a picture.
Jiulong Lake was our next step. The mystic atmosphere of this place was so strong that I decided to watch the view standing at the top when I stepped into the small boat to sail upstream. Sometimes we were so close to the mountain that we could clearly see the red soil under the plants. _
The final leg of the day's journey was a primary school. We were welcomed by the smiles on the faces of many young pioneers. The energy of the hundreds of kids made me feel younger for a while, so educated, so polite and so warm that I had no doubt about the future generations of Quzhou people. The people seem to me the best of Quzhou and they will remain in my memories forever. | middle7241.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "saleswoman"
},
"options": [
"worker",
"customer",
"teacher",
"saleswoman"
],
"question": "What does the \"I\" do in the passage? She is a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | I work in a small shop. It is near a factory. Every day, workers, old ladies and housewives come to the shop to buy things.
I live in a house not very far from the shop. I usually get up at six, have breakfast and then go to work by bike. I take some food along in my lunch box.
I get to the shop at about ten to seven. At seven customers begin to arrive. They buy meat, eggs, sugar, soybean, sauce, cooking oil , salt, candies, biscuits and many other things. We don't sell vegetables or fruit. There is a shop for these things nearby. I have my meal at noon from my lunch box. At seven in the evening we close the shop. I tidy things up and then go home for supper.
Some people may think my work isn't so interesting. But I do my bit for the modernizations , don't I? | middle3027.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "has long straight blond hair"
},
"options": [
"is tall and has dark hair",
"wear earrings",
"has long straight blond hair",
"is short and dark hair"
],
"question": "What does writer look like? She _ .",
"q... | My sister Sharon and I look very _ . She's tall, and I'm short. She has short curly dark (,) hair, and I have long straight blond hair. We both have dark eyes, but Sharon wears glasses, and I don't. And she always wears large earrings . I don't wear earring.
Sharon and I do many things together . We watch movies together, and we often go shopping. We play tennis together every Saturday. Often, people don't know that Sharon and I are sisters, because we look so different. But we are also good friends. | middle4748.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "O. Henry"
},
"options": [
"Joe",
"Delia",
"O. Henry",
"Sally"
],
"question": "The writer of the story is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"a... | Delia was a young pianist. Her husband, Joe, was a young artist.
Each of them was taking lessons: Joe with a famous art teacher, and Delia with a great pianist from Germany. Their teachers were the very best, so lessons were expensive, more than they could really afford, but...when you love your art, nothing is too much.
But soon the money began to run out, and they couldn't afford the lessons any more.
Then one day Delia came back home and told Joe that she had met a man whose daughter, Sally, wanted to learn the piano, and he was going to pay her $ 50 an hour.
"Delia," Joe said, "I'll be much happier if you keep up your lessons," Delia said it didn't matter. "When I've had some money, I'll continue." But Joe also decided to stop his lessons, to draw pictures and sell them.
A few days later, Joe came home and proudly took $ 200 from his pocket. "I met a man from Vermont," he said, "who bought one of my pictures. And he wants to buy more!"
_ .They didn't have to worry any more about money.
Then, one day, Joe came home and saw that Delia's hand was wrapped in a bandage . He asked her what had happened. "Oh," said Delia. "My student, Sally, asked me to make some coffee for her. I dropped the coffee and burned my hand. Sally went straight to the drugstore and got this bandage for me. "
"Delia, what have you been doing the last two weeks?" Joe asked. She tried not to tell him, but the tears came. "Oh Joe, I couldn't get any students, so I worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Today, I burned my hand with hot water. So I can't work any more. But we'll still have money from the man in Vermont, won't we?"
Joe looked at her. "There's no man in Vermont, " he said. "I've been working in a drugstore, and today someone came in to buy bandages for a woman who's burned her hand. So when I saw you, well, I guessed."
They both laughed.
[A story by O. Henry--adapted ] | middle5456.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It is a kind of air pollution."
},
"options": [
"It is something delicious to eat .",
"It is a kind of air pollution.",
"It is a girl's name.",
"It is a place."
],
"question": "What is haze ?",
"question_typ... | During the 15 days from New Year's Eve to Lantern Festival , Beijing was affected by haze .Do you know what the haze is ? Today I will introduce it to you .
Haze is air pollution in which is mixed up with dust, smoke and other dry particles (,),and it covers our blue sky ,so we can't see sunny days. It often happens in winter and spring.
The haze brings much trouble to people's lives. On the road many traffic accidents happened because people can not see clearly. The haze is _ to our health. People also have to go to see the doctor because of the poisonous air caused by the haze.
As students, we must tell our friends and family members to go to work or school with the public traffic, such as the bus and the underground and BRT .Also we should plant more trees and develop green and energy to reduce the haze. According to me, I will go to school by bike or on foot, and I won't throw the waste anywhere . It may take about 20 years to solve the problems caused by the haze .I believe the environment will get better and better and haze weather will vanish completely with the help of new technology. | middle4990.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Lisa's father"
},
"options": [
"Lisa's mother",
"Lisa's father",
"Lisa's brother",
"Lisa's sister"
],
"question": "_ likes riding a bike to work.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer":... | There are many ways to keep healthy. Different people have different ways. Lisa's father thinks riding a bike is the best way because he likes to go to work by bike. And their home isn't far from his bank. Lisa thinks running is better than riding, so she runs every day. However, her mother thinks it's boring. She loves walking to work. Lisa's sister likes flying kites. She goes to fly kites once a week. Lisa's brother thinks playing ping-pong is a good way to keep healthy. He plays it every morning. | middle2339.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "By setting off firecrackers."
},
"options": [
"By putting up a notice.",
"By setting off firecrackers.",
"By not wasting food.",
"By donating the money to charity."
],
"question": ".How do people usually celebra... | In China, people usually set off firecrackers to celebrate Spring Festival. But this year seemed very quiet. It was really different. A man called Zhang Wei was asked by a reporter in an interview. He said that his friends and he hadn't set off a single firecracker.
"We all suffered from last month's smog . If we don't call an end to the firecracker, the environment will get worse and worse during the holiday." said Zhang Wei. He put up a notice in his community in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province. In the notice, he called on more people to set off fewer firecrackers during this year's Spring Festival holiday.
Lots of parents agreed with Zhang Wei's idea. They said that they hated the noise of firecrackers. The noise used to wake up their babies too early. The babies really needed quiet mornings,
More Chinese looked forward to celebrating the holiday in a greener way. They decided not to set off firecrackers. They also decided not to waste food. They said that the new celebrations sounded fashionable.
"My family didn't buy any fireworks this year. Instead, we donated the money to charity. It's good for the environment and charity as well." Internet user "Fighter" wrote on Sina Weibo.
,A, B, C, D,. (10) | middle3033.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She still works day and night."
},
"options": [
"She still works day and night.",
"She lives all by herself now.",
"She is making a plan to save money.",
"She used to be too busy to look after her children."
],
... | Dear Mom,
I'm sorry that I can't go back home for Mother's Day next week. On that day, I'll have to go to an important meeting for my boss, who helps me a lot with my work and life here. But I'll find time to see you at home soon.
Mom, thank you for everything you've done for Tim and me. After Dad died of a heart attack at home ten years ago in a road accident, you had to work in a supermarket in the daytime and in a restaurant at night. But you always gave us two your love and care. Though you don't have to work now, I still remember your coming home and feeling tired many evenings.
Tim is going to finish his studies next month. He said he would move back from school and look for a job near home. I'm glad you won't live by yourself any more. Let's plan to take a trip in the near future. It's been years since the three of us took a trip together.
Happy Mother's Day. I love you, Mom.
Best wishes,
David | middle5442.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "By putting a small box on the floor."
},
"options": [
"By jumping with her.",
"By asking other kids to help her.",
"By putting a small box on the floor.",
"By giving her a book on how to jump."
],
"question": "H... | Kelly's favorite subject is P.E. But she has a hard time in P.E. class. She is not good at jumping very far, she has trouble throwing a ball, and she can't run really fast. Sometimes, some kids make fun of her. So why does Kelly love P.E. class?
The reason is that her teacher Mr. Burns always tells her to do her best. Though she only runs for a few minutes, Mr. Burns says, "Good job! Next time you will be able to go a little longer." Mr. Burns even put a small box on the floor so Kelly would be able to practice jumping over it.
That night when Kelly finished dinner, she put three boxes and began practicing jumping over them. She made it! Kelly thought to herself, "Tomorrow I will be able to jump over those boxes in P.E. class."
And sure enough, Kelly jumped over three boxes in class the next day. The other kids said to her, "Good job!"
There was a relay race on Tuesday. Kelly was scared that she would not be able to go very far. But when Mr. Burns said, "Ready! Set! Go!", Kelly thought to herself, "I can do it." When Kelly ran around the track , she heard many cheers and kids shouting, "Go Kelly! You can do it!" That was all she needed to hear. Kelly ran fast. She finished first! The kids cheered for her. Kelly felt so good. "Thank you Mr. Burns," said Kelly. "Kelly, you ran the race, not me." "Yes, but you always said I could do it." | middle4984.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "they are beautiful"
},
"options": [
"they are beautiful",
"they are like bows",
"they can find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow",
"they are good to crops"
],
"question": "Children like rainbows because _ ... | I wonder whether there is any girl or boy who does not like to see a rainbow in the sky. It is so beautiful.
There is a story, saying that whenever you see a rainbow you should run at once to the place where it touches the ground, and there you would find a pot of gold. Of course it is not true. You could not find the pot of gold or its end. No matter how far you run, it always seems far away.
A rainbow is not a thing which we can feel with our hands as we can feel a flower. It is only the effect of light shining on raindrops. The raindrops catch the sunlight and break it up into all the wonderful colours which we see. It is called a rainbow perhaps because it is made up of raindrops and looks like a bow .
That is why we can never see a rainbow in a clear sky. We see a rainbow only when there is rain in the air and the sun is shining brightly through the clouds.
Every rainbow has many colours in the same order. The first or the top colour is always red, and the next comes orange, then yellow, and last of all, blue. A rainbow is indeed one of the wonders of nature. | middle1624.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Teens who work will deal with stress better in the future."
},
"options": [
"Teens are too busy with study to work at high school.",
"Teens experience stress for the first time at high school.",
"Teens are worried about being... | Sports, drama, and all kinds of organizations keep students busy during high school. Where do they get the money to do these things? Not everyone gets it from parents. Most have to work for at least some of the money to pay for these activities. Some adults question if high school students should have jobs. I say yes, they undoubtedly should.
Some people worry that teens with after-school jobs will have difficulty finding time for schoolwork. Actually, having a job helps teens make better use of their time. Many jobs take only a couple of hours on weeknights. According to an article, 86 percent of high school students have an after-school, weekend or summer job and students who work between 10 and 20 hours per week during the school year get higher grades than those who do not work at all. Instead of considering working after school a
, it should be looked at as real-world education.
Other people think that work adds too much stress , which may be somewhat true, but whether having a job or not, there is always stress. Better to learn how to deal with busy schedules in a controlled environment like high school than to be out on your own and alone in the future, experiencing stress for the first time. I personally would be worried about the teenager who has to become independent without having any experience of working.
The biggest reason teens should work is that it is a healthy way of making money. There are many things teens need to pay for and they cannot do it if they don't have a job. Not all parents can pay for these activities. My dad told me, "Having a job is a good way to save up for things you are going to need or want to do. You get a lot more out of things if you pay for them yourself." The sooner kids make money, the sooner they can learn how to use money wisely. If they are not allowed to work in high school, they may have a hard time in the future. Teens should, without a doubt, be allowed to work on school nights. | middle8166.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a doctor for animals"
},
"options": [
"the farmer's friend",
"a milk factory",
"a hospital for cows",
"a doctor for animals"
],
"question": "In the story, the vet must be _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet.
"What's the problem?" The vet asked him when he arrived.
"My cow's ill" the farmer said. "I don't know what the matter with her is. She's lying down and won't eat. She's making a strange noise."
The vet looked over the cow. "She's certainly ill," he said, "and she needs to take some very strong medicine."
He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, "Give her these. The pills should make her better" How should I give them to her?" the farmer asked.
The vet gave him a tube and said, "Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow. That will make it."
The next day The farmer sat outside his house and looked more worried.
"How's your cow?" the vet asked." No change," the farmer said, "and I am feeling very strange myself. I did what you said, I put the tube in the cow's mouth and then put two pills down it." And?" the vet asked." The cow blew first, and blew the pills to my mouth." the farmer said.
,. | middle7255.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "if we play in the park"
},
"options": [
"if we play in the street",
"if we play on the road",
"if we play in the park",
"if we play by the road"
],
"question": "We are safe from truck or cars _ .",
"quest... | Some advice :
(1) Always play in a safe place. A park is a safe place because there are no cars or trucks. But do not talk to anyone you do not know. Never go with a stranger into a motor car.
(2) Before crossing the road, stop and look both ways. Look left, look right, look left again.
(3) Keep away from houses or building that are being built or knocked down. Something might fall on your head, or you might cut yourself on broken grass.
(4) Medicines or pills can be dangerous. Never swallow any pills or medicines you find in the cupboard.
(5) Wear a life jacket whenever you go out in a boat. Even if you are not in the open sea and the water is not deep, you should have your life jacket on. It's easy to fall out of a boat.
(6) Do not put your head out of a car, bus or train. Many children have been killed by doing this. | middle7533.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "teacher"
},
"options": [
"driver",
"worker",
"teacher",
"farmer"
],
"question": "Mr. King is a good _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer... | There are four people in the twins' family. They are the twins, their father and their mother.
The twins' names are Lucy and Lily. They are fourteen. They are in the same class in NO.1 Middle School. They are very good students. They not only work very hard but also sing very well. They want to join the music club. Lucy wants to play the piano. Lily can play the guitar.
Their father, Mr. King, is a teacher. He teaches English in a school near his home. Their mother, Mrs. King, is a teacher, too. She teaches Chinese. Mr. and Mrs. King are in different schools. But they have the same hobby--play the guitar. | middle3755.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "you can hear a program"
},
"options": [
"you can see a program",
"you can hear a program",
"a picture will appear",
"you can feel the electric current."
],
"question": "When you turn on the radio _ .",
"q... | Turn on the radio. A program will come out from a broadcasting station miles and miles away. We know that sounds and music themselves couldn't travel that distance through space .There must be something that brings the program from the station. But what is this silent carrier ( ) ?
This is known as radio waves. However, we can't see them or even hear them. In fact, nobody knows exactly what they are. Nevertheless( ) ,we know that they are made by electricity .
At the broadcasting station, people talk, sing, play musical instruments or make many other sounds. These sounds are changed into electricity. Then from the broadcasting aerial of a tall tower , electricity sends out radio waves which travel in all directions .And some of them reach your radio aerial. What happens next is a magical thing. The radio waves start an electric current ( ) in your aerial like the one that was first made in the broadcasting station . Finally, the loudspeaker in your radio set changes the electricity into sound .Therefore, you hear the program.
,. | middle3966.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the USA"
},
"options": [
"China",
"England",
"Canada",
"the USA"
],
"question": "The Blacks are from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer... | The Blacks are American tourists. They visits now in Beijing. This is their first visit to China. They are going to stay in China for three months. They want to visit some big cities and villages. They hope to learn some Chinese, too.
Mr Black is a taxi driver. He likes to drive in Beijing. Mrs Black is a school teacher. She is visiting a city school today and a village school tomorrow. Their daughter is a middle school student. She is going to meet some Chinese students.
They are taking a lot of pictures in China. When they return to America, they are going to show the pictures to their friends. They want the American people to know more about China. | middle1817.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they can change their colors"
},
"options": [
"they stay in trees",
"they can change their colors",
"they have sticky pads",
"they make surprising sounds"
],
"question": "According to the passage, these frogs ar... | Birds live in the trees. Squirrels live in the trees. But do you know that some frogs live in the trees, too?
The tree frog is hard to find. It can change colors. On green leaves, it stays green. On a brown branch ,it turns brown. Some tree frogs can change from green to gold or blue.
Tree frogs have legs and wide feet. They have sticky pads at the end of their toes. These sticky toe pads keep the tree frogs from falling off the trees. Tree frogs have different colors and markings on their skins. Their eyes are different, too. Some have green eyes, and others have bright red ones.
The sounds they make are different, too. One frog makes a sound like a dog barking .Another frog makes a loud noise like a snore .There is even a frog that whistles ! | middle8199.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They volunteered for a campaign."
},
"options": [
"The helped each other with homework.",
"They opened a restaurant together.",
"They volunteered for a campaign.",
"They collected money from customers in restaurants."
... | Qi Haoran, a Junior 1 student, was quite busy over the past winter vacation - and not just with homework.Qi, together with 10 other classmates made a volunteer group to call on people to join the Clean Your Plate Campaign ("").
The 11 students went to many restaurants and told people the importance of saving food."Excuse me, do you know that 950 million people around the world still haven't got enough to eat? Please don't waste food." They would say this kind of thing hundreds of times every day.
The Clean Your Plate Campaign began on the Internet in January.It calls on people to reduce food waste.
China in these years had serious problems with wasted food.CCTV reported in January that the food Chinese people waste every year is enough to feed 200 million people for a year.
Chinese people are well known for being hospitable and generous .Many even feel that they lose face if their guests have eaten all the food.
Luckily, the campaign has got the support of many.In a restaurant in Xinjiang, the owner give the guests who have eaten all that they ordered a sticker .People can enjoy a free meal when they have 10 stickers.More than 750 restaurants in Beijing have begun to offer smaller dishes and encourage their guests to take leftovers home.
To reduce food waste is a big task, and it needs time.It's important that everyone does their bit, just like Qi.Did you finish your meals today?
,A, B, C, D. | middle1803.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "life"
},
"options": [
"news",
"sports",
"life",
"advertisement"
],
"question": "We can probably read this article in the _ part of a newspaper.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | How to look good in a school uniform? You can look great in your school uniform, if you follow these tips:
(1) Make sure the uniform is the right size for you.
You will need a pair of scissors , but please, don't cut anything until you measure where you want the uniform to reach on your body. If you can find a tailor to do the job for you, it will be better.
(2) Make your uniform tidy
Your uniform should be taken good care of. Make sure your uniform is always tidy and clean. It helps you look smart.
(3) Accessories can help.
You can wear a nice watch. It will make you look beautiful and tell you the right time when you need to know. A cute hair clip can also make you, girls, look attractive. Choose a hat that matches the shape of your face or a backpack that goes well with your uniform. Also, have fun in winter by wearing colorful scarves.
(4) Walk with confidence.
It doesn't matter how cool your uniform is (or is not). If you are not confident, nobody will notice how great you look! | middle3972.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Children under 12"
},
"options": [
"Children under 12",
"All the children",
"Everyone",
"Adults"
],
"question": "Who have free lunch at the Sunday Family Buffet?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | Sports City Bar
Every Tuesday and Thursday evening in Sports City Bar everyone can enjoy a "Buy one, get one free"Tex-Mex &seafood Buffet* for 118 yuan.
At our Sunday Family Buffet, we have exciting games for children. The buffet lasts from 11:00am to 2:00 pm. And costs 98 yuan per adult. Children aged 12 to 16 eat for half price, and children under 12(limited* to two) eat for free.
Happy hours at Sports City Bar lasts from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. But one soft drink, get one free.
Tel:65118976-4228
Location: The fourth floor, Blue Sky shopping centre. | middle1195.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a science book"
},
"options": [
"a science book",
"a sports newspaper",
"a travelling magazine",
"a detective storybook"
],
"question": "We can probably find this passage in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_q... | Experts know that a disaster is coming but they do not know when it will happen. They do know that it could cause a lot of damage. They think it will be worse than a hurricane. The disaster they are worried about is an earthquake.
There is a break in the earth's crust . It is called the San Andreas Fault. The San Andreas Fault is in California. Many earthquakes happen along the San Andreas Fault. In 1989 there was a big earthquake on the fault. The earthquake was called the "Loma Prieta Earthquake". Many people were hurt or died. Many buildings were ruined. Lots of people lost their homes. Roads and bridges were also damaged.
A large earthquake could happen in Southern California. Many small earthquakes have happened in the last year. Earthquake experts think that a large earthquake will happen there soon. They think a big earthquake will happen in the next few years.
The San Andreas Fault has many power lines stretched across it. There are water channels close to the earthquake fault. A large earthquake in Southern California would destroy energy and water supplies . Lots of people would be without power or water for weeks. Buildings that have not been built strong enough would be destroyed. Not all hospitals would be able to help people who were injured. Many people would die or be homeless.
People need to be prepared. They need to know what to do if an earthquake happens. Everyone in California should have a survival kit at home. The emergency kit would include food and water. There should be medication and first aid supplies in the kit. A good survival kit will also have a portable radio, flashlights and spare batteries. All of the supplies in the kit should last at least 3 days. | middle6822.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "how education and pay are connected"
},
"options": [
"how education and pay are connected",
"high paying jobs",
"jobs for high school students",
"good schools"
],
"question": "The passage mainly talks about _ ... | Most people graduate from school and then get a job. Everyone wants a job that pays well. How much money can you make? Ask yourself these questions: What can I do? What skills do I have? Also ask yourself: How much education do I have? For most jobs, the higher your education, the higher your earning power.
In the United States, high school graduates make about $18,600 a year. If you do not finish high school, you make only $10,800 a year. You can make $7,800 more each year by staying in high school!
If you stay in school, then you can make more money. A person with a high school degree makes about $18,600 a year. If that person goes to college and gets a bachelor's degree , he can make $42,000. With a master's degree , he can make about $53,000. If the person gets a PhD , he can make almost $79,000 or more a year.
We can learn a very important thing from this information. If you want to work and make more money, get a good education. | middle367.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "suffers a lot from the drought"
},
"options": [
"has a good wheat harvest this summer",
"will import wheat from other countries",
"suffers a lot from the drought",
"won't be the world's largest food exporter any more"
... | America is the world's largest food exporter . But the worst drought in half a century is hitting corn and wheat harvests.
By twenty-fifty, the world will have to produce at least sixty percent more food to feed more and more people. China, a major food importer , is looking to producers around the world to make sure it can get enough food in the future.
The serious drought in the United States is adding to care about world food and prices. China has invested in food production in Australia and New Zealand. A new source of food is Ukraine. Ukraine was known as the breadbasket of Europe because of rich corn and wheat harvests a century ago.
Galyna Kovtok is chief manager of Ukraine's largest agricultural business, ULF. She says that within a few months her company will export corn to China. That will make Ukraine the first country outside the Americas to do so. Across the Black Sea area -- in Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan -- drought this year is pushing harvests down by fifteen to twenty percent.
Traditionally, the Black Sea area is the main source of wheat for North Africa and the Middle East. But this year, Russia may have to _ exports. However, Africa and the Middle East are now having competition with China. | middle7296.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It helps people work better."
},
"options": [
"It helps people work better.",
"It makes the city cleaner.",
"It reduces crime.",
"It makes it easier to exercise."
],
"question": "Which advantage of making Hydera... | Now, more and more cities are facing problems, such as high housing costs, pollution and crime. Let's see what people in Hyderabad, India and in Sao Paulo, Brazil do to solve the problems.
Hyderabad, India
To improve people's lives, Hyderabad is planting more and more trees. The city is even creating _ buildings that use less water and less electricity for power. Adding green to a city has a number of advantages. For example, trees make the air cleaner. In Hyderabad, streets were grey and dirty in the past. However, today they are filled with trees and flowers, making the city cleaner and more colourful. Green areas also give people places to relax or exercise. A study in the USA shows an interesting thing: the greener a neighborhood is, the less crime there is.
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Many people work in the centre of Sao Paulo, but they don't live there. They've spread out to neighborhoods outside the city because housing is cheaper. Every day, these people travel into the city, and traffic is very heavy. City planners are using different ways to deal with the problem. First, they are building better subways. Another goal is to make it cheaper for people to live in the downtown area . Doing this will reduce traffic and pollution in the city. | middle373.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "boy"
},
"options": [
"boy",
"teacher",
"girl",
"student"
],
"question": "I am an English _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Lu... | Hello! I'm an English girl.My first name is Lucy.My last name is White.I'm in No.3 Middle School.My father and mother are in No.3 Middle School, too.They are English teachers.My brother is in Nanchang University .His name is Tony.I have a Chinese teacher.Her name is Wang Yan.She can speak English well.She is a good teacher. | middle6188.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to travel around the world"
},
"options": [
"to travel around the world",
"to travel around the UK\\",
"to travel around China",
"to travel around the USA"
],
"question": "The young couple's dream was _ .",
... | Travelling around the world is a dream for many people, but a young couple from China has made his dream come true. They drove along the ancient Silk Road, from China to the UK.
Luo Chang and Ding Jie, a young couple from China's Guizhou Province, spent two months drving from their home in Shanghai all the way to London. The journey covered about 20,000 kilometer, and they crossed 14 countries and regions .
Ding Jie said, " People were excited to see two travelers driving a foreign license car, appearing on their streets. We were stopped many times to take photos with them. Sometimes, when we couldn't understand each other's language, they would express their ideas with gestures .
During their driving trip, they also spent many nights in local people's homes. Luo Chang said, "This is an amazing experience. We were driving on a highway or a country road to someone's home. Someone you've never met but was already preparing dinner for you. We feelwe have friends all over the world.
During the trip, Luo and Ding took nearly 10,000 photos and kept diaries to record the beautiful scenery , the friendly people and the different customs on the way.
,. | middle5481.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "4."
},
"options": [
"3.",
"4.",
"5.",
"6."
],
"question": "How many days does the Beer Festival last?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_te... | Welcome you to a friendly family run pub
THE BOOT
FREE HOUSE
18 Brinkley Rd Dullingham, Near Newmarket Tel: 01638 507327
Beer Festival 29 April - 2 May
ALWAYS AVAILABLE
Adanms Best Bitter, Broadside & Guest Beers
Traditional Pub Food served Mon - Fri 12noon--2pm
Opening Times:
Monday to Friday 11am--2:30pm & 5pm - 11pm
Saturday: 11am--11pm Sunday: 12 noon -2:30pm & 7pm - 10:30pm | middle4947.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "different countries"
},
"options": [
"Italy",
"Spain",
"Japan",
"different countries"
],
"question": "This story is about New Year's Eve in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer":... | On New Year's Eve , people in Italy throw out all the old things. So there are chairs, beds, clothes and plates in the streets. In Spain, New Year comes more quietly. Everyone holds a bag of grapes . When twelve o'clock comes, people start eating the grapes.
In Japan, people eat noodles on New Year's Eve. This food is said to bring long life. Early the next morning, some families climb Mount Fuji . There they watch the first sunrise of New Year. In China people eat dumplings. | middle2488.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The Enigma of the Universe"
},
"options": [
"Harry Potter",
"Sophie's World",
"The Truman Show",
"The Enigma of the Universe"
],
"question": "What did Su Su write?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},... | Su Su is a 16-year-old Beijinger. She studies at the High School Affiliated to Renmin University. She has just published her first book, The Enigma of the Universe (<<>> ).
The Enigma of the Universe tells a story of a girl called April. One day she meets an alien boy named Kaka. Kaka takes April on a journey into the universe. Later April finds out a big secret about Kaka...
What's special about this book? It's a book written in both Chinese and English.
Su wrote the book when she was 14 years old. She was influenced by the book Sophie's World (<<>> ) and the movie The Truman Show (<<>> ). Sophie is a girl who is interested in philosophy . Truman's life is run by television.
These stories gave Su an idea for her own book. She decided to write it in English.
"My English teacher asked us to write something," says Su. "I thought I'd write about my idea."
Su spent a whole summer vacation writing the story.
"Sometimes I had to stop because I couldn't find the right words," says Su. "I used the dictionary all the time."
After finishing the English novel, Su had another idea. She decided to translate it into Chinese. The job took her just a few days. "It was easy because Chinese is my native language ," she says.
Su says her story is "a mixture of philosophy and detective story and science fiction".
"My classmates and I have turned it into a DV play," says Su. "I wrote the play and I played April. We will show it in our school soon!" | middle1181.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "have fewer kinds"
},
"options": [
"are hotter",
"are the same as Western dishes",
"have fewer kinds",
"have the same taste as those in China"
],
"question": "According to the writer, Chinese dishes in Britain ... | Chinese food in Britain has over 100 years of history. Since then, they've been springing up around the country. Today, Chinese food is one of the top choices for hungry Englishmen.
But since coming to China, I've found some differences. Much of the Chinese food in Britain is influenced by western tastes. For example, dishes are not hot and had fewer kinds. It's difficult to find the hot food of Yunnan food in Britain. The most popular Chinese dishes in Britain are chou mein, egg-fried rice and spring rolls. Also, meat dishes are always sweet and sour.
The Chinese food in Britain not only gives a different taste. In most Chinese restaurants, food is served as a buffet . And once you sit down in a Chinese restaurant, don't hope to rotate the dishes around a big round table to share. This kind of table in English is called a Lazy Susan because it's convenient to move dishes around. But in Britain they are very uncommon.
At the end of the meal, don't forget your lucky cookie! In most Chinese restaurants, you'll be given a cake that you break a half. Inside is a small piece of paper with your lucky words written on it. Although you can hardly find lucky cakes in China, no Chinese meal in Britain is complete without reading these letters of good luck. | middle6836.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "bananas"
},
"options": [
"bananas",
"chicken",
"meat",
"beef"
],
"question": "It is good for you to eat _ before games.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index":... | Today, people want to keep healthy through sports and exercise. But some of them have some wrong ideas about it.
"A plate of chicken is a good meal before games because it has much energy."
In fact, the best meal before games should have carbohydrates . Food like potatoes, bread, bananas are rich (......) in it, but chicken and meat are not.
"The best time to exercise is early in the morning."
No. Morning is a good time to exercise, but it may not be suitable for you. If an afternoon or evening period is suitable for you, and you enjoy the feeling of getting healthier, you can choose any time to exercise. So there is no _ time for you to exercise.
"If you drink water when you exercise, you'll feel tired."
The fact is that you must have some water during breaks when you exercise. And after exercising, you must have enough water. If you don't drink enough water, then you may feel tired.
"Exercising every day is quite important."
Wrong. Too much exercise is bad for our health. You need to give your body a day of rest. | middle4946.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The college entrance examination."
},
"options": [
"The college graduation examination.",
"The middle s chool graduation exam ination.",
"The college entrance examination.",
"The middle school entrance exanmination."
... | Reform the gaokao
The college entrance examination is one of the most important tests in our lives. Now, the big exam has got a big change.
the government announced a reform plan on Sept 4, 2014. According to the plan, there are only three required tests that everyone to take - Chinese, maths and foreign language. Each subject is marked out of 150. Students can take foreign language tests twice.
Students also have to learn six other subject - physics, chemistry, biology, geography, politics and history. They will have a final test after finishing their studies in each subject. They can choose three to hand in when applying for universities.
Nowadays, liberal arts and science have different tests. For example, in some places, liberal arts students get easier math questions. Under the new system, everyone will have same tests.
The reform will begin trials from this year in some cities. Current Senior 1 students in Shanghai and Zhejiang don't have to choose between studying liberal arts and science.
Liu Yunsong, and English teacher at Beijing 101 Middle School, believes the reform is good news for junior students, especially for the English tests. "Two opportunities help the students show their real level better. As a result, we will pa y more attention to helping students be interested in the language instead of just teaching them the skills of dealing with tests. We will give them more chances to use the language, such as reading English." | middle5480.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "music can help you to improve your memories"
},
"options": [
"you get well after you take music lessons",
"you will make faster progress in every way",
"music can help you to improve your memories",
"you won't be sick a... | Do you have the experience of taking music lessons against your wishes? Perhaps you have complained about it because you thought it took you much playtime. But now you'd better thank your parents for their time and money spent on your musical training. A recent study suggests music lessons can make children have better memories than their peers .
The Canadian study showed that after one year of musical training, children did better on a memory test than those who didn't take music lessons.
The researchers made the children aged between 4 and 6 into two groups -- one group of children took music lessons outside school, and the other didn't take any musical training. In one year, they took four tests in different times. The results showed brain development changes at least every four months.
The children taking music lessons not only did better in musical listening but also made faster progress in other ways, such as reading, writing, math and IQ.
People say music is the good medicine for a broken heart. Now it seems music can also help us to improve our memories. We are sure to find more and more in the wonderful world of music. | middle6189.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "how to keep TV and video from disturbing his children"
},
"options": [
"how his children improve their reading and writing",
"that his youngest daughter can't read books",
"how to keep TV and video from disturbing his childre... | I don't want to brag , OK, maybe I do want to a little. I have two very smart daughters. My oldest is 7 and she is one of the best students in her second grade class and my youngest, who is 2, is learning new things every day. When it comes to their cleverness, I believe this is because they love reading.
When my wife and I first became parents, we were told by a number of people that the best thing we could do for our kids was to encourage them to read. However, with things like television and video games out there, we found it was sometimes hard to make books seem more interesting. But, we succeeded with both of them by doing a few different things.
One of the first things we did was reading to them. My youngest daughter can't read books herself yet. But, I also take the time to read to my oldest daughter, too. Not only is this a great way to _ and make them like you, it also introduces them to a world that they might not realize. One thing I recommend is making sure you plan first so you have plenty of time to read more than one book if they want it. This allows you to read their favorite stories while mixing in something new, too.
Another thing I started doing with my oldest daughter is having her read to her younger sister. This makes her practice reading out loud something she gets to do at school and loves to and I've noticed my 2-year-old seems to pay closer attention to the stories for some reason. The second thing we do with our kids is we challenge them to read outside their level. I have given my oldest daughter books that are a little more complicated . I do this so she doesn't get bored with "kids" books. For example, the other day, I had her try to read a Sherlock Holmes story. It was a bit hard. But, she understood it enough and she wanted to read it again with my help.
I also encourage her to read newspapers and magazines. I do the same thing when I read to my youngest daughter and will sometimes borrow one of her sister's books. So far, she's still paying attention when I read them. Third, and most important, I let them be kids and consider their interests. Reading is a great thing. But, you can get too much of a great thing, too. I let them mix in television, video games, etc. This keeps reading a bit more exciting for them because they like reading the books that they want to rather than think I'm forcing them to read instead of letting them do other things. | middle7297.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the writer came from a poor family"
},
"options": [
"Mrs Elise was the best friend of the writer",
"the writer came from a poor family",
"many or the writer's classmates liked cafeteria food",
"the writer like to eat tu... | Mrs Elise was my teacher in the fourth grade. One day at lunch time, I was getting ready to eat my tuna fish sandwich and suddenly Mrs Elise asked me if she could buy my sandwich from me. She explained that I could use the money to buy a hot hunch from the cafeteria .
I was excited. I never bought my lunch at the cafeteria. It was too expensive for my family, and I always carried my lunch and took the bag back home to use it again the next day. So you could understand my happiness when I had the chance to buy a hot lunch.
When we finished lunch that day, Mrs Elise took me aside and said she wanted to explain why she had bought my sandwich. I really didn't care why, but it gave me a few minutes of her special attention, so I was quiet as she explained. She told me that she was a Catholic and Catholics didn't eat red meat on Fridays, they ate fish on Fridays.
Oh, I couldn't wait to get home and tell my mother that from then on I wanted a tuna fish sandwich on Fridays. After my mother understood why, she gladly made tuna fish sandwiches for me on Fridays. She even made it with brown bread because she knew Mrs Elise liked brown bread. From then on, every Friday I could get in line with other kids for a hot lunch. I didn't care how many of the kids complained about cafeteria food. It tasted _ to me!
I realize now that Mrs Elise could have made herself tuna fish sandwiches on Fridays. But she bought mine because she saw a little girl who was excited at the simple act of having a hot lunch.
I will never forget Mrs Elise for her pity for me and generosity and what I should do is to follow her example. | middle1180.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they want to have a whole year of good luck"
},
"options": [
"the leaves fall in autumn",
"there are so many leaves to catch",
"the leaves can bring them a lucky month",
"they want to have a whole year of good luck"
... | When you are about to do something brave, a cheerful wish of "Good luck!" from a friend can be helpful. But if you think you need lots of luck, what else might you do?
In the UK and US there are some strange traditions for bringing yourself a little more good luck. Some are hundreds of years old and some are much newer.
Have you heard the saying "When you wish upon a star"? If you are looking up at the sky on a clear night and you see a sudden flash of light, it is probably a shooting star! Seeing one doesn't happen very often. The saying goes that if you see one you have been very lucky, and so if you make a wish, it will come true.
Maybe you have heard of the lucky rabbit's foot. Some people believe that rabbits are lucky animals, so they carry a part of the rabbit, its foot, for good luck. There are all kinds of strange, unclear rules about which of the rabbit's feet is the luckiest. It is said that this good luck tradition is the oldest one of all. However, as the funny saying goes, "Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit!"
People in Britain love trees. If it is autumn and leaves are falling from the trees, some people try to catch the leaves as they fall because they think each leaf they catch will bring _ a lucky month in the following year--they will need to catch 12 falling leaves to have a whole of good luck! | middle414.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a ride in the car"
},
"options": [
"an act of raising something",
"a ride in the car",
"an offer of cleaning cars",
"something run by electricity"
],
"question": "The word \"lift\" in the passage means _ .",
... | A young woman was driving through the country far away from the town. It was dark and raining. Suddenly she saw an old woman by the side of the road, holding her hand out as if she wanted a lift.
"I can't leave her out in this weather," the woman said to herself, so she stopped the car and opened the door.
"Do you want a lift?" she asked. The old woman nodded and climbed into the car. After a while, she said to the old woman, "Have you been waiting for a long time?" The old woman moved her head from side to side. "Strange," thought the young woman. She tried again. "Bad weather for the time of year," she said. The old woman nodded. No matter what the young woman said, the hitchhiker gave no answer except for a nod of the head.
Then the young woman noticed the hitchhiker's hands, which were large and hairy. Suddenly she realized the hitchhiker was in fact a man! She stopped the car. "There is something wrong with the car," she said, "Would you mind getting off and helping me?" The hitchhiker nodded and opened the door. As soon as the hitchhiker was out of the car, the frightened young woman raced off.
When she got to the next village she stopped her car. She noticed that the hitchhiker had left his handbag behind. She picked it up and opened it. To her surprise, there was a gun inside the bag. | middle3783.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "1ikes talking about others"
},
"options": [
"is famous for watching people walking",
"1ikes talking about others",
"can be either a man or a woman",
"is not a help at all"
],
"question": "From the passage we kno... | Neighborhood yentas are well--known women. They spend most of their time watching people around them. The yentas have this title for this. "Yenta" is a Yiddish word. It means a trouble maker or a talkative person. Nobody in the street is safe from their eyes or tongue.
Yentas certainly are not bad people. They pass on messages and advice. They give _ weather reports. They know who is doing what. They see,hear,and know all and usually repeat it. They have called themselves reporters.
Some of the yentas' neighbors think them so interested in others' things that they forget their own. Sometimes, however ,a child has to be found,or a robbery has to be reported. Then what yentas do are helpful. Every neighborhood appreciates its yentas very much. It doesn't matter what their color,belief or accent is. | middle6823.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Over two thousand passengers were killed in the ocean accident."
},
"options": [
"The Titanic was the largest steamship in the world in 1912.",
"The steamship Titanic hit an iceberg and sank about a hundred years ago",
"Over ... | BALTIMORE. MARYLAND--An old postcard changed the lives of an eleven-year-old boy and a very sick woman. The postcard had a picture of the steamship Titanic. The Titanic was the largest ocean ship in the world. It hit an iceberg and sank on April 14. 1912. More than 1,500 of the 2,200 people on the ship were killed.
The postcard was passed from one person to another for more than 80 years. Then it appeared at a card show for people who liked to collect postcards. An eleven-year-old boy, Joey Russell, came to the show with his grandfather. His grandfather knew everything about the Titanic and its trip from England to New York. "Let's buy that postcard." he told Joey. "It will be important someday."
Two years later, Joey's grandfather took him on a special trip. They went on a trip to the North Atlantic ocean to watch as workers pulled the Titanic up from the bottom of the ocean. Joey put his special postcard in his bag for the trip. On the ship, Joey met Edith Haisman. This woman was on the Titanic when it sank. She was one of the people who were _ Joey pulled the postcard out of his pocket. "Please sign this, Mrs. Haisman." he said. She was happy to write her name on the back of the postcard.
When Joey got home, he put the postcard away and forgot about it, Then Kate Shelley, one of Joey's friends, told him that her mother was very sick. She needed an operation, but there was a problem. The operation was very expensive, and the family needed $80, 000 to pay for it. Friends and relatives tried to help. But where could they get so much money?
Then when Joey went to see the new movie "Titanic", he had an idea. "Millions of people are seeing this movie and reading about the Titanic." Joey thought. He remembered the old postcard with Edith Haisman's signature on it. "Maybe I can sell it for some money. Then I can help Kate's mom."
Joey told his mother and father about his idea to help Mrs. Shelley. His parents helped him try to sell the postcard to the person who would pay the most money for it. Joey's story was on television and in newspapers. Joey and Kate even went to New York to be on a national TV show. After the show, many people called in to offer money for the Titanic card. Someone bought it for $60. 000.
Joey's kind heart and the old Titanic postcard worked together to save a woman's life. | middle400.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "both children in China and the USA carry too heavy school bags."
},
"options": [
"only children in China carry too heavy school bags.",
"children in other countries don't carry too heavy bags.",
"both children in China and th... | Are you carrying too much on your back at school? I'm sure lots of children of your age will say "Yes". Not only the students in China have this problem, but children in the United States also have heavy school bags.
Doctors are starting to worry about young students' back and neck because their school bags are too heavy for them.
"It's hard for me to go upstairs with my heavy bag," said Rick Hammond, an ll-year-old student in the USA.
Rick is among students who have school bags with two straps ,and many other students choose rolling bags.
But even with rolling bags ,getting upstairs is still a problem for children .Doctors say students should carry no more than 10% to 15% of their own body weight .
Scott Bautch, a back doctor, said children under Grade 4 should carry no more than 10% of their weight and older children shouldn't stay with over 15% , because their bodies are still growing.
Teachers and parents should do some things to help children. And the best answer is to have less homework! | middle1194.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because the mother thought the boy's words had hurt the author."
},
"options": [
"Because the boy ran into the author.",
"Because the boy hit the author.",
"Because the boy said the author was fatter than him.",
"Becaus... | I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice."Mom,come here!There's this lady here my size!"
The mother rushed to her son;then she turned to me to say sorry to me.
I smiled and told her,"It's OK."Then I talked to the boy,"Hi,I'm Dory Kramer. How are you?"
He studied me from head to toe,and asked,"Are you a little mommy?"
"Yes,I have a son," I answered.
"Why are you so little?"he asked.
"It's the way I was born," I said."Some people are little. Some are tall. I'm just not going to grow any bigger."After I answered his other questions,I shook the boy's hand and left.
My life as a little person is filled with stories like that. I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.
It takes only one glance( ) to see I'm different. I stand three feet nine inches tall(="1.14" metres).I was born adwarf.In spite of this,I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.
I didn't realize how short I was until I started school. Some kids called me names .Then I knew. I began to hate the first day of school each year.
But I learned to smile and face the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life.What I lacked in height,I made up for in personality.When people are rude,I remind myself,"Look what else I have-a great family,nice friends." | middle366.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To write in cursive is taught first."
},
"options": [
"Handwriting includes two skills.",
"To write in cursive is taught first.",
"The letters are repeated many times.",
"The students are taught by practicing a long per... | Do American children still learn handwriting in school? In the age of the keyboard, some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out. 90% of teachers say they are required to teach handwriting. But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it. One of this year's studies found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting. Some teachers are teaching handwriting by providing instruction for 10 to 15 minutes a day, and then other teachers who basically teach it for 60 to 70 minutes a day -- which really for handwriting is pretty much.
Many adults remember learning that way -- by copying letters over and over again. Today's thinking is that short periods of practice are better. Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself. Instead, they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. After all, that is why we write.
Handwriting involves two skills. One is _ , which means forming the letters so they can be read. The other is fluency -- writing without having to think about it. Fluency continues to develop up until high school.
But not everyone masters these skills. Teachers commonly report that about one fourth of their kids have poor handwriting. Some people might think handwriting is not important any more because of computers and voice recognition programs.
But Steve Graham at Vanderbilt says word processing is seldom done in primary school, especially in the early years. American children traditionally first learn to print, and then to write in cursive, which connects the letters. But guess what we learned from a spokeswoman for the College Board . More than 75 percent of students choose to print their essay(article) on the test rather than write in cursive. | middle4952.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he is good at communicating with others"
},
"options": [
"he's very lucky",
"he speaks very good English",
"he's good at speaking Chinese",
"he is good at communicating with others"
],
"question": "The writer do... | I have been very lucky to make many trips to China. Though I have had some trouble with the language, I have never had a problem I couldn't solve. As a native English speaker ,I can go almost everywhere in the world and find someone to communicate with. I never thought that someone who speaks only Chinese would have a lot of trouble in my country.
Recently, the King family that I had met in China moved to Canada. I met them at the airport. My wife and I made meals for them and showed them around where we live. Everything seemed to go smoothly for the first two days as we looked for a car for them, showed them the way to different stores and the nearest city, Victoria. Mr. and Mrs King had a two-year-old son and soon we became Nainai (grandmother) and Yeye (grandfather). We were having a good time but we didn't realize Mr. King can't speak English.
Luckily, Mrs. King can speak very good English. Many people with Chinese background live near us. In fact, none of them speak Chinese. Mr. King can't even buy a mobile phone without his wife's help. He can't talk to me, of course. By the third day, he felt lonely and worried. And on the fourth day, we decided to take them to a large Chinese community.
Now, we often visit them and they visit us too. Sometimes Mrs. King would still like to live near us but Mr. King cannot. I feel bad because he seems very nice and smart but I can't talk with him. It seems that neither of us will learn the other's language because of our ages, maybe we will never have a friendly conversation. But we will think of each other as friends. | middle5494.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "on June 30"
},
"options": [
"on May 1",
"on June 30",
"on June 31",
"on June 1"
],
"question": "Grandma's birthday is _ . .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | It is the last day of June today. It is grandma's birthday. Father, mother and I go to see her.
My grandma lives with my uncle in a village not too far away. Uncle works there. Early in the morning we buy a birthday cake and some fruit and go to her home by bus.
Grandma and uncle are very glad to see us. We give the present to grandma and say, "Happy birthday to you!" She is very happy. Then we sit down to talk. Uncle goes to prepare lunch. The meal is very nice. We all enjoy it very much. At 4 o'clock, we say goodbye and go back home. | middle8198.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "4"
},
"options": [
"3",
"4",
"5",
"6"
],
"question": "How many times did Zach Bonner travel to help homeless kids according to the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | A 13-year-old boy traveled to Washington, D.C. to raise money for homeless kids.
Zach Bonner was pretty tired. Instead of going to camp last summer, Zach decided to walk 668 miles from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. He hoped more people would help homeless kids. His journey to help others began six years ago. Zach walked from his home in Tampa to Tallahassee. Then, in 2008, Zach Bonner went on a 270-mile walk from Tallahassee to Atlanta. In 2010, he did it again, from Tampa to Los Angeles.
Last summer, Zach traveled 12 miles every day on foot. Along the way, he collected more than 1000 letters about homeless children. He hoped to give the letters to President Obama. Zach says he wants his walk to make a difference.
More than 1 million children in the U.S. have nowhere to live. During his journey, Zach spent 24 hours with some homeless children so he could learn the difficulties they face.
When Zach walked the last mile of his long journey, more than 500 supporters, including 300 homeless kids, joined Zach. They went with him down the National Mall. "It was a long walk," Zach says, "but it was meaningful."
Although the journey is difficult and tiring, Zach won't give up. "When homeless kids get tired of being homeless, they don't get to stop. So why should I stop when I get tired of walking?" | middle3973.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "read books"
},
"options": [
"watch TV",
"play with fish",
"read books",
"meet friends"
],
"question": "Susan's parents _ on the sofa.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | Hello! I'm Susan. Look at this picture. You can see a big sofa next to(...) the wall. My parents like to sit on it to read books , and sometimes they meet some friends there. There are two plants near the sofa. They're nice. What's that on the wall? Oh, it's a new TV. I often watch TV on weekends . Can you see some fishes in that big box? I like to play with them after school . Where's my dog Billy? Is it on the floor? No, it's under a chair! Do you like it? | middle428.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they became old"
},
"options": [
"the grandpa died",
"they became old",
"they didn't have enough money",
"Because they didn't need so much food"
],
"question": "The garden became smaller than before, because _"... | A long time ago, my grandma and grandpa lived in a house with a big front yard. They planted lots of vegetables and flowers in the yard.
They worked hard to keep the garden growing. All summer long, the family ate food from the garden and enjoyed the flowers.
Years passed. It became harder for them to keep up the garden. So they made it a little smaller.
Then one summer Grandpa died. It was a lonely winter for Grandma. It was hard for her to care for the garden alone. When spring came, she planted just a few vegetables and flowers.
One day in the early summer, Grandma heard big noises in the yard. She looked out of the window and saw thousands of bees.
What could she do? Should she _ someone to get rid of the bees? But that would cost more than she could afford. She decided to wait.
Over the next few days, the bees were busy with their own business. Grandma decided the bees wouldn't bother anyone, so she didn't give them another thought.
That summer, Grandma's little garden grew and grew. The neighbors would stop to admire the big crop of vegetables and the lovely flowers.
One day, Grandma's brother visited. As Grandma made him delicious squash pan cakes , she told him about the bees.
Frank said, "Farmers often hire beekeepers to set up beehives . The bees, pollinate the crops and help them to grow."
"So that's why my garden is doing so well!" Grandma exclaimed . After that, she believed that Grandpa had sent the bees to take his place and make Grandma's little garden grow and grow... | middle3967.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it is sometimes difficult to read a science passage"
},
"options": [
"we should look up new words before reading",
"it is sometimes difficult to read a science passage",
"the six steps are helpful in learning spoken English",... | Many textbooks are not written in the kind of English that we speak every day. In fact, sometimes the reading is so difficult that it almost seems like a foreign language. In a way, it is--the language of science. You should not expect to be able to read a difficult science passage the same way you read an interesting story; you should not expect to read it easily and all at once. Instead, you may have to read it several times through, catching on the meaning of difficult words, going back over difficult sentences, and finally putting the whole thing together. Do not be discourages if the whole passage don't make sense to you at first. You need to pick it apart patiently until you can understand it.
These are the steps to follow when you are reading something difficult:
1. Start to read normally until you _ a sentence that doesn't make sense to you.
2. When a sentence doesn't make sense, go back and read it again more slowly.
3. Look for any word you don't know in the sentence. Try to understand their meanings using word parts and context clues . If necessary, look them up in the dictionary.
4. Look at the next few sentences to see if they explain more about the sentence you are working on. Do not read very much farther ahead until you understand what is being said.
5. Finally, read the sentence again. Try to put it into simpler words.
6. Read through the passage once. Try to understand all the hard parts well. Then read the whole passage once more at a usual speed. This helps you to put all ides together.
The stops sound a lot harder than they are. It is really just the normal way good readers understand anything that is difficult to read. After you have done the best you can this way, you should always feel free to ask for help from your teacher, if you have one. | middle1816.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "You can shout \"Come on!\" loudly at important moments in a football match."
},
"options": [
"Drinks in glass bottles or cans are not allowed in a baseball match.",
"You can shout \"Come on!\" loudly at important moments in a foo... | The 2012 Olympic Games are coming. Many people will go to watch some matches. Here are some rules for the audience :
<1> Archery &shooting
Sit at the back or on either side of the field.
Keep quiet during the match.Set your mobile phone in a _ state or turn it off.
Don't use the flash on your camera.
When the athletes are aiming at the target , keep your voice down.
<2> Basketball,table tennis&football
You can't bring drinks in glass bottles or cans.
Keep the cheering down at important moments.Don't use the camera flash.
If you easily get nervous,bring some snacks.Keep your mouth moving to calm you down.
<3> Cycling&marathon
Audience should keep off the track .Control your pets.
Athletes might look tired and thirsty,but don't hand them water or anything else.
If an athlete falls,do not help him or her. | middle7254.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "September 10th."
},
"options": [
"September 1st.",
"September 10th.",
"October 9th.",
"We don't know."
],
"question": "When is Teachers' Day?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Teachers' Day is coming soon. Miss Wang is talking to her students and her students are listening to her.
"Good morning, boys and girls!"says Miss Wang,"Teachers' Day is on September l0th. I hear some students are going to buy some presents for your teachers. You want to show your love for your teachers. That is very good, of course. But teachers don't like to get presents from students. So please don't buy any! I think on Teachers' Day, a card from you all is enough . And the best present for our teachers is your good work. " | middle8167.txt |
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