questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "James wrote\"Today my best friend Jack hit me in the face\"in the sand."
},
"options": [
"After he was beaten in the face James was hurt and ran away.",
"James hated his friend,in return very much from then on.",
"James hit h... | Once upon a time,there were two good friends.One was called Jack and the other was called James.One day,the two friends were walking through the desert.During the journey they had a quarrel,and Jack couldn't control himself and hit James in the face.James felt hurt,but he didn't say anything.Instead,he wrote in the sand,"Today my best friend Jack hit me in the face."
They kept on walking until they found an oasis .They decided to get some water there.Suddenly James had trouble in the water,he fell into the mire and was in danger.Jack saved him at once.When he felt all right,he wrote on a stone,"Today my best friend Jack saved my life."Jack was very surprised and asked James,"After I hurt you,you wrote in the sand and now you write on the stone.Why?"James replied,"When someone hurts us,we should write it down in the sand so that the wind of forgiveness can blow it away.But when someone does anything good for us,we must write it on the stone,so no wind can blow it away."
Since then,the two good friends have never quarreled with each other again and they got on better with each other.
Hatred can bring you nothing but unhappiness.If you don't forgive others,you are making trouble for yourself Keep a peaceful heart all the time and remember to be always thankful to others! | middle1625.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because she didn't want Mary to know about the party."
},
"options": [
"Because she didn't care about Mary.",
"Because she tried to finish her work first.",
"Because she forgot it is Mary's birthday today.",
"Because sh... | Mary's mother waited for her in the car. Mary knew that she would be late if she didn't hurry , but she didn't care. It is her birthday today.
Ten minutes later, Mary opened the car door. Her mother said, "Don't forget to go home with Cindy today." Mary felt a little disappointed . She really hoped to have a party today, but her mother had to work late tonight. She promised Mary that they could have a party next week.
"I won't forget," replied Mary. When she arrived at school, she got out of the car and said goodbye to her mother. It seemed that her mother didn't care. Mary walked into the school. She hoped her friends would remember that she turned eight today.
"Hi, Mary. Happy birthday," said Julie.
Mary smiled and asked, "Julie, can you come to my party next week?"
Julie said, "I am sorry Mary, but I can't."
During the day, things didn't go much better. All of her friends said they could not go to her party next week. At the end of the school day, Mary felt very sad.
Evening came and Cindy's mother drove Mary home. When Mary opened the door, the house was dark. Her mother didn't even get home yet! She felt very sad.
"Surprise!"
All the lights in Mary's house came on. Her mother and all of her friends were there! There were many gifts in the living room. Then, she ran into the kitchen. Her mother prepared her favorite meal and a big chocolate cake. "Thank you, Mom!" Mary said, happily. | middle4985.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Lost in Thailand was more successful than it"
},
"options": [
"the two movies were filmed in Thailand",
"the two movie were directed by Xu Zheng",
"Lost in Thailand was more successful than it",
"Painted Skin: The Resur... | What a miracle! A low-cost Lost in Thailand <<>> has got the best ticket sales. It is true that Lost in Thailand has become the most popular Chinese film of all time.
The ticket sales
The movie Lost in Thailand cost just 30 million yuan to make, but it has earned more than 1.2 billion yuan. It has got more ticket than Painted Skin: The Resurrection, the best-selling movie this summer in China.
The story summary
Lost in Thailand is a comedy. It is a story about three Chinese men who met on their trips to Thailand. The movie has a great plot. Xu Lang is a businessman. He hurried to Thailand to look for his boss because of his special purpose. His competitor, Gao Bo followed him to Thailand, too. Xu Lang met Wang Bao, a pancake maker on his way to Thailand, Three Chinese men had some funny and _ experiences in Thailand and the story made people high.
The director and actors
The director of the movie is Xu Zheng. He has been a popular actor for about ten years. He was famous for his role, the Evil Pig in a popular TV serious. Lost in Thailand is his first movie that was directed by Xu Zheng. Xu Zheng is a lead role in the movie. Huang Bo and Wang Baoqiang are China's top comedians and the both play the important roles in the movie.
,A, B, c, D,. (10) | middle3032.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It's Mark's last name."
},
"options": [
"It's Maek's name.",
"It's Mark's last name.",
"It's Mark's first name.",
"It's Mark's middle name."
],
"question": "What is Green?",
"question_type": "factiod_questio... | Mark Green is my friend. He is English. He has a yellow bike. His bike number is 9075. His mother has a green car. The number is JA3566. His father has a black car. The number is JA3567. | middle3754.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "wearing a wrong shoe"
},
"options": [
"wearing a wrong shoe",
"carrying an alarm clock",
"looking down suddenly",
"rushing into the classroom"
],
"question": "The students began laughing when they saw Tony _ ... | Have you ever had an embarrassing experience? Last week we asked readers to tell us about embarrassing experiences. We received thousands of letters! Here is a selection.
Tony: My most embarrassing experience happened when I had just left university. I had just started teaching in a Liverpool secondary school. One morning my alarm clock didn't ring. I woke up at half past eight and school began at nine. I quickly washed, dressed, jumped into my car and rushed to school. When I arrived, the students had already gone into class. I didn't go to the office, but went straight into class. After two or three minutes the students began laughing, and I couldn't understand why! Suddenly I looked down and understood. I had put on one black shoe and one brown shoe!
Henry: The most embarrassing experience I've ever had happened two years ago. After seeing a film, my wife and I had lunch in our favorite restaurant in town. Then we decided to take a walk along the street. The street was very busy and we started holding hands. Suddenly my wife saw a dress in a shop window and stopped. I started looking at some watches in the next window. After a minute or two I reached for my wife's hand. There was a loud scream, and a woman slapped my face. I hadn't taken my wife's hand!I'd taken the hand of a stranger! | middle1143.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "want people to read their books"
},
"options": [
"want to make money",
"want to practise their handwriting",
"like reading books",
"want people to read their books"
],
"question": "Some children want to be write... | Some children wish to be writers when they grow up. They mean that they want to write stories or books. They would be happy if many people read their stories or books some day. But I would like to tell these children that they will need to be good readers and read a lot before they become good writers. Nearly all great writers listened to others tell stories long before they started school. They also kept on reading for hours and hours for years. Even when they have become writers, they spend much of their time reading books instead of watching TV in the evening.
If you are a good reader, it won't take you long to do the reading homework your teacher ask you to do. Then you will have time to read other books for fun. You read so well that you always want to look for more books to read.
If you want to be a writer, reading is very important. When you decide to become a writer, you had better tell yourself, "I must read more and more if I really want to become a good writer." | middle7532.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "with his granddaughter and her husband"
},
"options": [
"by himself",
"with his grandfather",
"with his grandson",
"with his granddaughter and her husband"
],
"question": "The old man lived _",
"question_t... | Mrs. Brown's old grandfather lived with her and her husband. Every morning he went for a walk in the park and came home at half past twelve for his lunch .
But one morning a police car stopped outside Mrs. Brown's house at twelve o'clock, and two policemen helped Mrs. Brown to get out . One of them said to Mrs. Brown . " The poor old man lost his way in the park and phoned to us for help , so we sent a car to bring him home . " Mrs. Brown was very surprised , but she thanked the policemen and they left .
" But , grandfather , "she then said " you have been to that park nearly every day for twenty years . How did you lose your way there ?"
The old man smiled , closed one eye and said , " I didn't quite lose my way , I just got tired and I didn't want to walk home !"
,. | middle1157.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "medicine"
},
"options": [
"peace",
"physics",
"medicine",
"literature"
],
"question": "What kind of prize did Tu Youyou win at the Nobel Prize ceremony?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"a... | Tu Youyou, an 84-year-old scientist, became the first female Chinese to win a Nobel Prize in science on Oct,5. She shared the 2015 Nobel Prize for medicine because of the new medicine for malaria . Tu started the research in the 1970s that made her find artemisinin , a kind of medicine that has saved many people's lives. It comes from Chinese traditional medicine and now is a good way to treat malaria.
When the news came that Tu was given the prize, there were cheers as well as questions. Some said that her achievement was the result of lots of Chinese scientists working together. So it is unfair to give the prize only to Tu.
However, Tu was awarded for "three firsts". She was the first to bring artemisinin to her team, the first to extract artemisinin that can stop malaria, and the first to finish the experiment.
Giving prizes to scientists with great ideas is the best way to keep national innovation . | middle6638.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Industry"
},
"options": [
"Industry",
"Health",
"Clean air",
"The future of the children"
],
"question": "According to the passage, what does man believe to be the most important?",
"question_type": null
}... | Our environment is being polluted faster. Man's present efforts cannot prevent it .Time is bringing us more people, and more people will bring us more industry, more cars, larger cities and the growing use of man-made materials.
What can explain and solve this problem ?The fact is that pollution is caused by man ----by his desire for a modern way of life. We make "industrialization "our main aim. So we seem to be ready to give up everything: clear air, pure water, good food, our health and the future of our children. Large numbers of people are moving from the countryside into the cities, looking forward to the modern life. But as our world has developed so fast in the last twenty years, pollution has become a serious problem.
Isn't it time for us to stop to ask ourselves where we are going-----and why? It makes one think of the story about the airline pilot who was heard over the loudspeaker, "I've some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we're flying at 530 miles per hour. The bad news is that we're lost and don't know where we're going." The sad fact is that this becomes a true story when we talk about our modern society. | middle7526.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "They don't want to be with their family very much."
},
"options": [
"They are too busy to have meals.",
"They have to have meals at school.",
"They don't want to be with their family very much.",
"They don't like the me... | Teenagers who turn off the TV and sit down to family meals are less likely to suffer eating disorders .
A study has connected eating together with lower rates of bulimia and anorexia . Teens used to eating around the table are less likely to take up smoking to lose weight.
Researcher Barbara said, "The common belief is that teens don't want to be around their parents very much, and that teens are just too busy to have regular meals with the family."
The study shows happy families have teenagers who eat with their parents often. These teens have less bad diet or dangerous eating habits.
"Parents may not be able to get their family together around the table seven days a week, but if they can prepare three family meals a week, this will have a big impact on the health of teens," Professor Fiese spoke out after reviewing 17 studies on eating ways and nutrition of almost 200,000 children and teenagers.
She found that teens who eat at least five meals a week with their families are 35% less likely to be "disordered eaters".
The definition of disordered eating is eating too much, or eating at wrong times too often or eating very little and smoking to lose weight.
Even three family meals a week helped, with youngsters 12% less likely to be overweight than those who ate with their family less often.
Teens can also use family meals as a time to _ . They were also 24% more likely to eat healthy foods and have healthy eating habits than those who didn't share three meals with their family.
Professor Fiese said, "Family meals give them a place where they can go regularly to check in with their parents and express themselves freely."
In the past American research found children who miss out on family meals are much more likely to fight at school, drink and take drugs .
,. | middle3998.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Three."
},
"options": [
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many festivals are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"an... | We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays.There are different customs for each festival.
Tan Xiaodong,15,Hong Kong,China
"It'll soon be Chinese New Year.Before it,we'll clean the house and decorate it for good luck.Every shop is going to close for a few days and we'll go out a lot to celebrate in the streets.We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center.I love this festival."
Wendy,16,Sydney,Australia
"Australia Day is on 26th January and it's an important holiday here.We always have a Monday off,so we celebrate for three days.My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over.Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there's lots of music and dancing.What fun!"
Amy,14,New York,the USA
"The first Thanksgiving Day was hundreds of years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help.It's still a very important day for families to be together.This year we're going to visit my grandparents and we'll eat a delicious meal of turkey.Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November every year." | middle5331.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "on a ship from Norway to England"
},
"options": [
"in England",
"on a ship from Norway to England",
"in Norway",
"on a ship from England to Norway"
],
"question": "The story happened _ .",
"question_type":... | An English traveller found himself in Norway with only enough money to buy the ticket for his journey back home.As he knew that it would take him only two days to get to England,he decided that he could easily spend the time without food. So he bought a ticket and got on the ship. The man closed his ears to the sound of the lunch bell.When dinner time came,he didn't go to dining room,saying that he was not feeling very well.
The next morning he still didn't have breakfast and at lunchtime he again stayed in his room. But at dinnertime he was so hungry that he went to the dining room and ate everything the waiter put in front of him. He got ready for the quarrel.
"Bring me the bill,"he said."The bill,Sir?" said the waiter in surprise."There isn't any bill.On our ship meals are included in the money for the ticket,"said the waiter. | middle4991.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A recorder."
},
"options": [
"A clarinet.",
"A recorder.",
"A violin.",
"A guitar."
],
"question": "What did Jenny get when she was six?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | When I was four years old, I wanted nothing more in life than to play the piano. My best friend Betty had a piano. But Betty hardly played it at all. She would rather play hide-and-seek. It didn't seem fair.
One day my mother came to pick me up from Betty's house. "Watch this!" I told her. Then I ran to play a song I had learned that morning. I was so proud of what I'd learned. "That's nice, Jenny," she said. "But we can't afford a piano."
When I turned six, my mother bought me a recorder . The problem was that I didn't love the recorder. When I played the recorder, I didn't feel anything special inside. I asked my mother if we could have a piano. "We still can't afford one," she said. "One day, I promise."
In the sixth grade, my mother traded in the recorder for a real clarinet . I like the clarinet more, but it still wasn't a piano. It wasn't the music that was inside of me.
One day, when I was in the seventh grade, my mother cut an ad out of the newspaper. We drove to a stranger's home in Providence, Rhode Island. The woman had a beautiful, dark wood piano from Russia. It was called an upright piano because it was tall. It was so shiny that it looked like it was wet. "We'll take it," my mother said. "It has a nice sound."
After that, I played the piano every single day.When I left for school in the morning, I would leave the sheet music open on the piano. When I got home, I would walk straight to the piano and sit down and start playing the sheet music. I even played if I stayed home sick. I had finally found the music inside of me.
Do you struggle with music? Have you been given an instrument to play, but you just can't play it? Maybe you think you're just no good or that you don't have any musical talent. Don't get discouraged. It's not true! We all have music inside of us, even if it's just what we listen to. Now it's up to you to find the right way to set that music free. | middle5457.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a big piece of meat"
},
"options": [
"a piece of bread",
"a cup of tea",
"a big piece of meat",
"a small piece of meat"
],
"question": "There's _ in the crow's mouth.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | A crow is sitting in a big tree. She has a big piece of meat in her mouth, "My babies will have a nice breakfast," she thinks. An old fox is looking for his breakfast. He sees the crow and the meat, " How can I get that piece of meat? " he thinks.
"Good morning, Mrs. Crow," says the fox. " How are you? "
But the crow doesn't say a word.
"You have very nice babies, Mrs. Crow," says the fox. " How are they? May I see them? "
Still the crow doesn't say a word.
"You are very beautiful, Mrs. Crow. And you have a beautiful voice, too," says the fox. " Would you like to sing a song for me? "
Mrs. Crow thinks, "How nice Mr. Fox is! I must sing a song for him. " So she opens her mouth, at that time, Mrs. Crow drops the meat into the fox's mouth. | middle4749.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "trash"
},
"options": [
"classroom",
"street",
"trash",
"tree"
],
"question": "Dicky's father finds CJ17 in the _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Can you imagine keeping an alien dog as a pet? This is what happens in CJ7--a wonderful movie made in China. Maybe some of you saw it. It came out in January, 2008. The movie is about a poor man Ti, his son Dicky and their alien dog CJ7.
Dicky, a 10-year-old boy, lives a poor life with his father Ti, a worker. One day,his father finds a ball in the trash and he gives it to Dicky. The ball becomes a cute alien dog. It's a small dog with big eyes and green hair. It can talk and do magic . Soon the dog comes to love Ti and his son. It goes to school with Dicky. It makes him laugh, but it makes trouble, too.
When Ti falls off a building and dies, CJ7 saves his life. Because the dog loses all its power , it becomes a doll. But Dicky still wears the dog around his neck. He hopes that CJ7 will come back to life one day. | middle3026.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he was younger"
},
"options": [
"he found it by himself",
"he made it by himself",
"he was hungrier",
"he was younger"
],
"question": "The writer's brother thought he should get the pudding because _ .",
... | Even though I just had lunch not long ago, I was felling hungry again. I went to the kitchen to look for something to eat. That was when I discovered the pudding in the fridge. It was made from milk, sugar, eggs and fruits, and it looked so yummy. I noticed that there was only one left.
I was putting the pudding on a plate when my brother came into the kitchen. He found the pudding and asked for it. "It's mine! I was the only one who found it!" I shouted. "You are my elder brother, You should give it to me!" said he. Then he started pulling the plate towards himself and I did the same.
Suddenly, the plate moved to one side and the pudding slipped out of the plate. It landed on the floor and turned into a yellow mess. My brother and I both looked at each other, feeling amazed and disappointed at the same time. It was such a waste!
To my surprise, Ollie, our pet dog, walked over to the mess on the floor. It began to _ the pudding happily, Within minutes, the mess on the floor was gone. Ollie licked its lips when it was done.
After watching Ollie finishing the whole pudding by itself, we realized _ . If both of us had shared the pudding, we would both have got to eat half of it. It was because of our greed that we ended up with nothing. That day, my brother and I learnt a good lesson. | middle7240.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because her parents can't understand her."
},
"options": [
"Because her parents make her happy.",
"Because her parents can't understand her.",
"Because her friends don't like her parents.",
"Because her parents don't th... | Dear Dr Jackson,
My parents are never happy with me. They are always criticizing my clothes, my hair and the music I listen to. They hate my friends' looks and they keep complaining when I go with them. I'm not allowed to stay out as late as my friends do, so I can't have any fun, My parents only seem to care about my school marks. Although I love them, sometimes I feel we live in different worlds. If they love me, can't they understand me? How can I make them understand me?
Dear Angel,
Your problem is common to both teenagers and parents. Don't worry, bacause all this is natural.You see, your parents have grown up at a different time and they have different experiences. So, they think some things are strange, but you find the same things ordinary. For example, the music you like may sound like noise to them. Your parents love you, so they feel they must protect you from whatever they find strange.On the other hand, you don't want to be different from other teenagers, so you feel that your parents restrict you.
I think you should talk about this problem with your parents. Try to explain to them what you want and make them know they can believe you. Sooner or later. they'll find you are a responsible person and they will give you more freedom . | middle8173.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"three",
"four",
"seven",
"two"
],
"question": "There are _ people in Mike's family.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"an... | Two little children come to a big city. Their names are Mike and Bob. They live with their father and mother. Their family is very rich. They have a driver and lots of servants. Mike and Bob are going to a new school. Their father says to them, "Mike and Bob, don't say we are rich at school."
So they go to school. Their teacher says, "Hi, boys and girls. Today we write a composition about your family. " So all the children write something about their families. This is Mike's composition.
"My name is Mike. My family is poor. My father and my mother are poor. Our driver is very poor and all the servants are very poor. "
, . | middle2310.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In Beijing."
},
"options": [
"In London.",
"In Beijing.",
"In Shanghai.",
"In Hong Kong."
],
"question": "Where did the Clarkes enjoy themselves before they left for New York?",
"question_type": "factiod_que... | It's Really a Miracle
Mr. Clarke works in New York and he brought his family to China last summer. They visited many places of interest and had a good time here. Before they left for New York, the Clarkes climbed the Great Wall. It was the greatest project over two thousand years ago. They took a lot of photos there and then they had a picnic under a big tree. Suddenly it began to rain and they hurried to the car. And when they returned to the hotel, they couldn't find the bag in which their expensive camera was. They were all sorry for it. They could buy another camera but had no time to go to the Great Wall again. They could not miss the plane!
That evening they didn't have supper. Mr. Clarke hoped to make them happy, so he said, "Well, let me tell you a story. An old man lived in a sixty-storey building. One day he fell down from it when he was cleaning the window. But he didn't hurt himself."
"It was a miracle!" called out his children, "Why?"
"Because he lived on the first floor!"
They all began to laugh while two policemen with a bag came in. They said a Chinese boy found it under a big tree and he asked them to find out who lost it.
"It's really a miracle!" the Clarkes said happily. | middle4761.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "in different places"
},
"options": [
"in the same town",
"in different places",
"in another town",
"in the other town"
],
"question": "The young officer and his mother lived _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_q... | A very new, young officer was at a station. He was on his way to visit his mother in another town, and he wanted to telephone her to tell her the time of this train , so that she could meet him at the station in her car.He look in all his pockets, but found that he did not have the right money for the telephone, so he went outside and looked around for someone to help him.
At last an old soldier came by, and the young officer stopped him and said, "Have you got change for ten pence ?"
"Wait a moment, " the old soldier answered. He began to put his hand in his pocket, "I'll see whether I can help you. "
"Don't you know how to speak to an officer?" the young man said angrily. "Now let's start again. Have you got change for ten pence? "
"No, sir," the old soldier answered quickly. | middle7268.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the English"
},
"options": [
"the Chinese",
"the French",
"the Japanese",
"the English"
],
"question": "From the survey we know _ like fast food best.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | A large number of people in the world eat fast food. Whenever you go into a fast food restaurant, you can see lots of people enjoying their meals there. How do you know in which country people like fast food best?
The English people are the world's biggest fans of fast food, while the French are the least interested in quick meals, according to a survey done last year.
The survey of thirteen countries shows that 45% of the English people say they can't give up fast food because it's delicious. And 44% of Americans and 37% of Canadians say the same.
The French, proud of their delicious and high-class cuisine, don't like fast food. 81% of them think it is unhealthy, followed by 75% of the Japanese.
How about the Chinese? How often do you have hot dogs or fried chickens? It doesn't matter whether you like Western fast food or Chinese food. The most important thing is to keep a balanced diet . | middle6176.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "how to change one's life with one small step"
},
"options": [
"we should do everything in big steps",
"how to change one's life with one small step",
"we should try a lot of sudden changes",
"how to find a small step wi... | If you have failed in the past to try to make big changes in life,try again now,one tiny step at a time.
Every year it's the same.As December comes to an end,you think about the new year and all the ways you want to improve your life. But as you start to write down your hopes for the new year,you think about the last year.You excitedly write down all the changes you are going to make,but by the end of January those ideas get lost in your busy life.
Here's a suggestion:Forget the too big,hard-to-achieve goals and just think about the small ones."We often think that we have to do everything in big steps, even though it's so hard for us to reach it." said Robert Maurer,who recently wrote the book One Small Step Can Change Your Life."What we try to do is to begin with such a small step that we can't find any excuse not to do it."
"Kaizen",a Japanese word,is used to mean to change behavior and attitudes .During World War Il,American factory managers were able to increase productivity by trying small, continuous improvements instead of sudden changes.After the war,the idea was brought to a rebuilding Japan.It made Japan develop fast. The Japanese called it "kaizen", which means "improvement".
Maurer studied the idea and did some experiments with it. "Kaizen" could possibly help people succeed in doing everything | middle1619.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He misses his life in his childhood."
},
"options": [
"He misses his life in his childhood.",
"He lives a happy life when he studies at school.",
"He enjoys himself during his service days in the army.",
"He can share h... | To me, the concept of home changes along with my age all the time.[:]
In my childhood, home was a number of calls. It seems that I had more free time than today's children. I didn't have to show up in front of my parents right after school, instead I would go to play with my classmates who lived in the neighborhood. We played like mad until dinner was ready and our parents called "Come back! Come home for supper!" Days passed by as I grew up in the _ of those calls which are still echoing in my ears even now.
In a short while, my childhood was gone. When a thin layer of hair began to grow around the corners of my mouth, home became a place I tried to run away from.
As I read more and more, my world opened up, larger than before me. The bed I used to sleep in became too small, and words of care from my parents began to sound meaningless. How I wished I could have a space of my own someday! Later I was joined the army and put on the green uniform. During my service days, home was the series of letters I received one after another. My most homesick moments were when I read those letters from my family.
When I got a job, I began to get "hurt", to rise and fall in a sea of people, and to understand that you can't share all your pains with other people, even with your best friends. So again, another wave of homesickness came over me. When I was badly hurt, I imagined myself flying home on wings. Pushing open the door, I let tears flow down my face. At that moment I felt that as large as the world was, what I needed was only the familiar smell of home and the unchanged view outside the window of my old house...
......
Although I already have much life experience behind me, I know there is still a long way ahead and my concept of home will go on developing. But already I have come to see that home is where we can find the true meaning of all the busy rush life. What makes the concept different is that sometimes it refers to a person's home and sometimes to the home of many, many people. | middle6610.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Yu Mei."
},
"options": [
"Jenny.",
"Yu Mei.",
"Mr. Wang.",
"DK."
],
"question": "Who is the letter from?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer... | Dear Jenny,
I'm very busy on Friday. At 8: 00 I have math. It is not fun. The teacher says it is useful, but I think it is difficult. Then at 9: 00 I have science. It is difficult but interesting. At 10: 00 I have history. After that I have P. E. at 11: 00. It's easy and fun. Lunch is from 12: 00 to 1: 00, and after that we have Chinese. It is my favourite subject. Our Chinese teacher, Mr. Wang, is great fun. My classes finish at 1: 50, but after that I have an art lesson for two hours. It is really relaxing!
How about you? When are your classes? What is your favourite subject?
Your friend,
Yu Mei | middle3768.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "3"
},
"options": [
"1",
"2",
"3",
"4"
],
"question": "How many players are there in each street-ball team?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answ... | Each team has three players and a coach . The basketball players are running and jumping in the hot sun. Music is all around. In just twelve minutes, the game is over. But a new one starts right away. How exciting!
This is street-ball. It's much like basketball. But it's faster. People play it outside and it's interesting. Usually, children play street-ball on an open court. They use only half of the court. What they need is a basketball goal . Children love lots of things about the game. "It's very nice to be outside in the sun. And the music is great", said Jane, fourteen, a girl in Beijing.
Some say street-ball was from Europe , others say it came from America. But now, boys and girls in many countries like to play it. Street-ball is a game for all. | middle4007.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Last weekend."
},
"options": [
"Last Friday.",
"Last Tuesday.",
"Last weekend.",
"Last Monday."
],
"question": "When did the writer go to Lipu?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | Lots of people are good at fishing. But what if you were only able to catch fish with just your hands?
Last Sunday, my dad and I went to Lipu in Guangxi. There, we saw a big traditional game ----the fish catching game. On that day, lots of local people took off their shirts and jumped into a river. There were many fish in the river. But they could only use a small ladle . Some of them waved their ladles to drive the fish together. And some tried to catch the fish quickly. It looks easy, but the water was so muddy that no one could see the fish clearly. They had to touch and feel the fish.
Visitors like us were also excited to see such an interesting game. We cheered and laughed. Although most people didn't catch even one fish, everyone was so happy that day. The game was really interesting. | middle5319.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Chinese; English"
},
"options": [
"Chinese; Chinese",
"Chinese; English",
"English; Chinese",
"English; English"
],
"question": "Li Hua is _ , but Tom is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Tom and I are good friends. Tom is an English boy, but I am a Chinese girl. My name is Li Hua. He is 12 and I am 13. He is in Class One. I'm in Class One, too.
Tom has a nice football. He can play it. I have a computer. I can play computer games, but I can't play football. It's difficult. Tom teaches me to play football, and I teach him to play computer games. Now I can play football and Tom can play computer games. | middle2476.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Jodie was laughed at for his father's job."
},
"options": [
"He wanted to show what job was the most useful.",
"He asked an improper question.",
"Jodie gave an honest answer.",
"Jodie was laughed at for his father's job... | Mr Swales wanted to find out what his students' parents did. He had just called Jodie when some girls burst out laughing. Shirley shouted, "Jodie's Daddy is a Garbage man !"
Everybody in the class laughed out loud, except Jodie. She felt her face turn red.
"Silence!" Mr Swales said, "Being a garbage men is a difficult and useful job. We should all be grateful to Jodie's father."
Jodie's father came to walk her home from school as usual, but she didn't run up to him the way she always did. When they got back home, Jodie went to her room and cried for a long time.
Her father came into her room, "What happened, Jodie? Why are you so sad?"
Jodie told her father what had happened and looked at him. He didn't seem angry or hurt. "Well," he said, "they are right. Being a garbage man is a dirty job. Tomorrow's Saturday. Come to work with me, Jodie."
The place really smell too good. Jodie wrinkled her nose. "Don't worry, kid. In five minutes you won't smell a thing." said her father.
Everybody there was working hard, and they seemed to have a good time. Jodie's father handed her a pair of gloves and told her to get the little plastic bags and throw them into the truck.
It was fun, but also hard work. Jodie's arms soon got tired. At last, no more garbage was left and Jodie felt very happy.
"Garbage is disgusting , but when we clear it away, everything's nice and clean. You can make yourself happy only by making others happy. That's why I like being a garbage man so much."
Jodie gave her dirty, smelly garbage man daddy a big kiss, She said, "When I grow up, I will be a garbage girl!"
Now whenever someone asks Jodie what her daddy does, she says, "He's a garbage man! Everybody makes garbage, but my daddy takes it away!" | middle4013.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "not big but modern and beautiful"
},
"options": [
"not big but modern and beautiful",
"big, modern and beautiful",
"very small but modern and beautiful",
"not big but modern and beautiful with a long history"
],
... | Our school is No 1 Middle School. It is not big, and it has a short history, but I'm lucky that I am a student of this school.
Ten years ago, there were not any teaching buildings and not a library in our school. The playground was so small that we could only play basketball there.
Now great changes have taken place in our school in the past ten years. There are three modern teaching buildings and there four modern computer classrooms. We have computer studies every week. On the left side of the school stands a modern lab building. On the right side of the school there is also a modern building--the library. In the library there are 20 thousand books and magazines. We can go to the library to borrow books and magazines at any time. We have built a new playground. It is much bigger than before. We can play not only basketball but also football and many other sports there. There are a lot of flowers, grasses and trees in and around our school. We usually take a walk or chat with our classmates after lunch and supper between the flowers and trees. We always feel very happy.
In a word, our school is more and more beautiful and modern. We love our school. | middle6604.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "make fewer accident"
},
"options": [
"make the students have a school bus",
"make fewer accident",
"make the school bus bigger",
"punish the parents"
],
"question": "New safety rules for school buses can _ ."... | China's long-awaited rules on school bus safety finally came into force on Tuesday, including a list of ways aimed at reducing the risk of accident.
Among the biggest changes is that buses carrying students will be given priority in traffic, while companies and drivers will need licenses to offer school transport services.
Officials have spent more than four months making the rules, during which time the country has been shocked by several big crashes because of overcrowded school buses.
The latest accident happened on Monday in Yangchun, Guangdong province, in which three kindergarten pupils were killed and 14 others injured.
Rules and funding
In the new rules, a school bus is considered as a vehicle with more than seven seats that is transporting children receiving the State's nine-year compulsory education (ages 6 to 15) to or from school. This can also be for preschoolers if a parent is unable to take them to or from kindergarten .
School buses must also operate in routes marked in the map by governments to ensure safety.
Punishment
Companies and bus drivers who fail to meet the rules face the punishment.
Drivers against the rules will be fined 200 yuan ($32) and vehicles will be taken away from its owner if they have been used as an unlicensed school bus. | middle399.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She begins talking"
},
"options": [
"She watches TV",
"She does the chores",
"She begins talking",
"She goes to bed early"
],
"question": "What does Mrs Smith often do after supper?",
"question_type": "facti... | Mr. Smith works in an office. He is very busy and has no time to have a good rest. Every evening, when he comes from his office, he's always tired and wants to go to bed early. But his wife often has a lot of interesting things to tell him after supper. She doesn't stop talking until she falls asleep, but it's usually too late and Mr Smith has to get up in time in the morning when she is asleep.
One day the man felt terrible and couldn't go to work. He decided to go to see a doctor. And Mrs Smith went to the hospital with him. Before her husband said what was the matter with him, the woman told the doctor all and the man understood why. He wrote out a prescription. And when Mr Smith brought the medicine to the resulting-room, the doctor said to her, "The bottle of medicine is for your husband and the pills are for you."
"For me?" the woman said in surprise, "I'm fine. I don't need any medicine!" "I don't think so, madam," said the doctor, "They are sleeping pills, your husband will soon be all right if you take them." | middle2304.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It is the result of people's unbalanced lifestyle."
},
"options": [
"It is the family genes that make people fat.",
"People are fat because they consume too little energy.",
"A diary of exercise can prevent people from becomi... | There have always been a lot of commonly believed but false ideas about being fat and doing exercise. Some people believe that they can't help putting an weight as they get older, while others hold that if they stop exercising, their muscles will turn into fat. Here are some more myths.
I'll never lose weight--I come from a fat family
Wrong! While we can't change the body type we are born with, we can't blame our genes for making us fat. There's plenty of evidence that fatness runs in families, and the main reason is that they share the same habit of eating too much and exercise too little.
I am fat because I burn calories slowly
Wrong! Fatness is not caused by a slow metabolism . In fact, although fat people consume more energy than slim people, they also fail to realize how much they eat. Keeping a diary can help you work out your daily food intake more accurately .
Exercise is boring
Wrong! Anything will become boring if you do it again and again. The key is to develop a balanced and varied program that's fun as well as progressive . If you enjoy a Sunday walk, take a different mute. If you do yoga , try a tai chi class.
No pain, no gain
Wrong! Exercise is not meant to hurt. Indeed, pain is your body telling you something's wrong, and continuing to exercise could lead to serious injury . You may experience mild discomfort as you begin to exercise regularly, but this is your body _ the positive changes in your lifestyle and the aches should disappear quickly. If they don't, rest and ask for medical advice. | middle4775.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "angry"
},
"options": [
"quiet",
"sorry",
"excited",
"angry"
],
"question": "Rose was very _ when she heard someone took her IC card away.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Rose sat behind Kate in the classroom. They got on well with each other. But one day, Rose didn't see her school IC card at lunch time. She asked her classmates and looked for it everywhere. But she couldn't find it. Later, one girl said that she saw Kate take a card from Rose's desk. Hearing this, Rose got very angry.
When she met Kate in the afternoon, Rose shouted, "You have stolen my card!" Hearing this, Kate began to cry, "No, no, I didn't steal it! I only took it by mistake." But Rose didn't think so and she began to say bad words to Kate.
Just then a teacher came up and asked what had happened. Kate told the whole story. She said a middle school classmate of hers came to see her in the morning. She was so excited that she took the card on the desk and rushed out. Then they went for lunch happily. "I used the card, but I had thought it was mine. I didn't know it was Rose's until she looked for it. I was too afraid to explain it to her. So I decided to put the card back with some money secretly. I am sorry, Rose." Kate said in a low voice.
"It's just a misunderstanding !" said the teacher. Tears came into Rose's eyes. Then she said, "I was very sorry, Kate! I hope we are still good friends." Kate smiled when she heard the words. Hand in hand, they walked toward the classroom building. | middle2853.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "eat much meat"
},
"options": [
"eat lots of fruit",
"eat lots of vegetables",
"drink water",
"eat much meat"
],
"question": "The writer wants us not to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Here are some tips about how to keep healthy.
1. Healthy food is important. If you want to keep healthy, eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Don't eat much meat.
2. Water is important. Drink water every day. Milk is good for you, too. Don't drink sweet drinks.
3. Exercise is important. You can ride your bike or play soccer. Going swimming is a good idea.
4. Clean air is important. If you are free, you can go to the park and enjoy clean air.
5. Your teeth are important. You should brush your teeth twice a day.
6. Sleep is important, too. Go to bed early. Don't stay up late, or you will feel sleepy. | middle3595.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "his teacher asked him to stay at school"
},
"options": [
"he did his homework at school",
"he played football at school",
"his teacher asked him to stay at school",
"his teacher asked him to give a talk at school"
]... | Harry is eight years old. He goes to school near his home. He always goes there and comes home on foot. One day he came home from school late. His mother saw him and asked him, "Why were you late, Harry?"
"My teacher was very angry and asked you to go to her office tomorrow."
"To her office? Why?" his mother asked. "Because she asked a question in the class." said Harry. "Nobody could answer it, but I could. "
"You are so clever, my son. " his mother said with a smile." What is her question?".
Her question is "Who put the tomato on my chair and made my trousers dirty?" said Harry. | middle616.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to keep their feet warm"
},
"options": [
"to feel much better",
"to go for a walk",
"to keep their feet warm",
"to save a lot of money"
],
"question": "The farmers in Finland wear paper boots in winter _ .",
... | When we think of paper, we think of newspapers and books. But there are many other uses. Only half of the world's paper is used for books and newspapers.
Paper is very good for keeping you warm. You have perhaps seen homeless men asleep on a large number of newspapers. In Finland, it is sometimes - 40degC in winter. The farmers wear paper boots in the snow. Nothing could be warmer.
Each year, more and more things are made of paper. We have had paper cups and plates for a long time. But now we hear that chairs, tables, and even beds can be made of paper. With paper boots and shoes, you can also wear paper hats, paper dresses, and paper raincoats. When you have used them once, you throw them away and buy new ones.
The latest use of paper seems to be paper houses. These are not small houses for children to play in, but real, big houses for people to live in. You can buy a house with three rooms for about 500 dollars. You can put it up by yourself in a few hours, and you can use it for about five years. | middle7095.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "findithardtolearntoread"
},
"options": [
"learnlanguageskillsmoreeasily",
"behealthier",
"findithardtolearntoread",
"eatlessfood"
],
"question": "Scientists say if kids watch too much TV, they will _ .",
... | Television is good. You'd like to watch it all day and all night. But too much TV is a very bad thing. Scientists found that kids who watch too much TV may have more trouble learning to read. They can't focus on their work.
Kids learn language skills best by reading, talking and playing with others. If they spend too much time watching TV, they'll have less time for those things. Watching too much TV is bad for people's health. People don't move much while watching TV. What's more, they may eat a lot of food while watching. This can make them fat. We call these people couch potatoes.
Fighting on TV is a big problem for kids. Yong people are good at following. Scientists have found that those who watch a lot of fighting shows are more likely to fight. | middle170.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "when the class is going to be over"
},
"options": [
"when he can't understand them",
"when the class is going to be over",
"when he can't answer the questions",
"after he finishes the exercises"
],
"question": "... | Allan is eight this year and he's in Grade Two. The boy is clever and can answer all the questions in class. But he hates to stay in the classroom for more than half an hour. He would not listen to the teachers when class is soon going to be over. Or he touches his deskmate's head, or he makes faces. He often makes the whole Class laugh. His teachers tell his parents about it. He has to make a promise that he won't do that again. But soon he will forget it.
The teachers think he does well in his lessons and don't mind it.
One Saturday evening Allan finished his homework as soon as he had supper. He turned on the television, but there was no football match on TV.
He found all the programmes were not interesting and turned it off. He saw his sister Mabel doing her homework in her bedroom. He decided to play a joke on her. He found an earthworm in the garden and put it in her clothes. The girl was so frightened that she cried out for help. Their mother heard this and went in to find out what had happened there. Of course, the boy was punished for it.
The next morning Mabel gave her mother a card and said, "Merry Mother's Day. Mum!" The woman was happy and thanked her daughter. But Allan had nothing to give his mother as a present. He felt sorry and said, "Don't be angry with me Mummy. I've forgotten it. "
"It doesn't matter, dear," said his mother. "The best present is to be a good boy. Don't be naughty , my son, or your child will be naughty, too! "
Hearing this, the boy began to laugh and said. "You've told me the truth today, Mummy!" | middle5682.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "8"
},
"options": [
"9",
"7",
"8",
"10"
],
"question": "Mary is _ years old this year.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "red swea... | Today is November 20th. It's my sister Mary's 8thbirthday. In the morning, my parents take us to Zig Zag's Clothes Store. There my mother buys a red sweater for Mary. And we go to Huaxing Book Store. There I buy some CDs for Mary. My father also buys a book for Mary, and its name is Harry Potter. It's Mary's favorite book.
In the afternoon, my parents have a birthday party for Mary at home. Mary's friends, Bill and Cindy come to the party. Bill brings a new pencil box to Mary. Mary likes it very much. Cindy gives Mary an English-Chinese dictionary. Mary is very happy. Oh, I'm Mary's brother. My name is Nick. | middle4588.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "4435-7792"
},
"options": [
"4435-7792",
"8467-6352",
"3345-6789",
"8956-7778"
],
"question": "If you are interested in a part-time job, you can call _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | Help wanted
Can you spend two hours a week doing some gardening? We are in need of help from 2 pm to 4 pm every Saturday. If you word like to help out, please call Elaine at 4435--7792
A Telephone Message
From:Jessica To:Lucas
Date: May5 Time:15:00
Message: She says that you must put on
Your sports shoes, cap and sunglasses; bring
Somefood and drinks at the school gate at 8 am tomorrow.
Tel: 8467-6352. Taken by:Jim
Found
Feb13,2016/6/30
An ipad was found in the library on the morning of Feb12. Please call 3345--67898 or come to Class 2, Grade 8 to get it.
Lost
March 7, 2016
Lost near Man Street. Puppy is 6 months old. He is a black schnauzer . He is very important to me.
Reward . Please call Allen at 8956--7778. | middle7081.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Edward"
},
"options": [
"Edward",
"Tom.",
"Cindy.",
"We don't know."
],
"question": "Who likes broccoli best?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"a... | Tom and Edward are brothers. They are very different in many aspects . Tom likes basketball very much. It's very interesting for him. He likes tennis, too. But he doesn't like soccer. He thinks it's difficult and boring.
Edward, his brother, likes soccer best. He thinks it's so exciting and interesting. He plays it every day, and he has a collection of four tennis balls. But he doesn't like tennis.
They also like different food. Tom likes eggs and fruits. Apples are his favorite. But Edward likes meat and vegetables, and broccoli is his favorite.
But they also have the same hobbies. They like rock music very much. They like Beatles very much. They can also play the drums and the guitar well. They make a band with their best friend, Cindy. The band's name is Sea. The people around like their band very much. | middle164.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "1ike home-cooked meals"
},
"options": [
"don't like cooking",
"cook food in the morning",
"1ike home-cooked meals",
"1ike having a picnic"
],
"question": "Most Americans _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | Every country has its own way of cooking.Ameri can people have their own way of cooking,don't they?Most people in the United states like fast food,but if you think that American people don't 1 ike cooking,you are wrong.It's true that most Americans eat fast food for their breakfast and lunch,but they also think cooking is interesting.Parents see the importance of teaching their children how to cook,and most Americans say that home--cooked meals are the best.
Americans have their own way of cooking.For example,baking is the most popular way of cooking in America.Most American families have ovens .American cooks pay attention to the balance of food.When planning a big meal,they try to cook meat,a few vegetab]es,some bread and sweet food.They also like to make the meal look beautiful.There are so many kinds of colorful foods,so the meal is healthy and look beautiful,too. | middle1396.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Useful"
},
"options": [
"Hard",
"Expensive",
"Useful",
"Boring"
],
"question": "What does the writer think of collecting stamps?",
"question_type": null
}
] | Starting a stamp collection is easy and not very expensive. Before you start, you need to decide what kind of stamps you want to collect. Most people collect stamps that they are interested in: a certain country or an animal, a famous person or even a sport. Whatever you choose, you will find that there is a world of knowledge in stamps: you will learn about people, geography, building, history and culture.
You can collect stamps from letters, ask your friends to let you have their old stamps, or you can buy used stamps. When you get a letter with a stamp on it, carefully cut out the stamp. Leave lots of space around the stamp so that you will not _ it. Put the stamp in water and wait until you can safely remove the stamp. Carefully remove the stamp off the letter. Place the wet stamp between two clean pieces of paper. A stamp can get wrinkled when it dries, so put some books on top. | middle602.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Five."
},
"options": [
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five.",
"Six."
],
"question": "How many students shared their ideas in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Time flies. Your time in junior high school will come to an end in a few months. Let's look back over the last three years. What were the highs and lows?
For Zhang Xiaomeng, a senior high school girl from Jiangsu, meeting her best friend Hua Xuan was the best part of her time at junior high school. They went to class together, had lunch together, and even went to the washroom together. Having one or two best friends is important, said Xu Zheng, a teacher from Jiangsu. "Students have secrets. They don't want to tell their parents,"Xu added. However, being too rebellious in junior high is the biggest _ for Liu Anqing, a senior high school student from Fujian. "I didn't listen to my parents. I quarreled with my mother every week," said Liu. "I wish I could go back to that time and get on well with them." Time also needs to be taken care of. Zhang Zihua, 15, from Shanxi, thought he had plenty of time to prepare for the big exam at the end of Junior 3. Then one day, he was told: "The exam is in 100 days." "We need a strong knowledge base to pass the exam. But I didn't care about it," said Zhang. Gu Xiaoli, a teacher from Jiangsu, said that it's never too late to catch up. "No matter your regrets about wasted time, you can always pick things up from now," said Gu. | middle2847.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "is needed in every country"
},
"options": [
"is needed in many countries",
"is needed in every country",
"can be used in many ways",
"is very important for factories"
],
"question": "From the passage we know tha... | Many places in the world need more fresh water . Every country is trying to find ways to turn salt water into fresh.
Why aren't there many factories like the Symi factory?
In some places, the sun isn't hot enough, or it doesn't shine every day. In these places other ways to heating sea water can be used. These ways cost more money, but they work faster than the sun. By boiling sea water with high heat,a lot of fresh water can be made quickly. But heating is not the only way to get fresh water from salt water. Other ways are tried. One way is freezing . The fresh part of salt water freezes first. To get fresh water, the pieces of ice are taken out.
Which way is best? The one that gives the most water for the least money. It may be a different way for each place.
Symi's way seems very good for small, hot places. It doesn't make very much water at a time. But the factory is easy to build and cost little. | middle3581.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It's impossible for angels and fairies to fly."
},
"options": [
"The angels and fairies are very powerful.",
"It's impossible for angels and fairies to fly.",
"The flight would be possible for angels with arms and bird-like f... | A leading biologist has found the angels and fairies that sit at top of Christmas trees did not get there under their own power.
Prof Roger Wotton, from University College London, found that flight would be impossible for angels with arms and bird-like feathered wings.
"Angels cannot take off and cannot use powered flight," said Prof Wotton. "They would need to be exposed to very high wind velocities at take off - such high winds that they would be blown away."
Some the world's most famous religious paintings and architecture make most Americans believe in angels.
The study found that 68 per cent of the 36,000 adults thought that angels and demons were at work in the world.
According to the latest study, angels lack the powerful muscles which allow birds to beat their wings.
Prof Wotton's paper explores why there are so many stories about angels. "Angels are very powerful religious icons for people with faith. Their similarity to humans adds to their power. At the same time, they have wings on them because they are more than human. They take messages to heaven and therefore have to fly." said the academic. | middle7917.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "their life in the future"
},
"options": [
"their school life",
"some interesting news",
"their life in the past",
"their life in the future"
],
"question": "Tom and Fred talked about _ .",
"question_type... | Tom and Fred are talking about the year 2020. "What will our world be like in the year 2020?" "I don't know," says Fred. "What do you think?" "Well, no one knows, but it's interesting to guess." "In the year 2020 everyone will carry a pocket computer . The computer will give people the answers to all their problems. We shall all have telephones in our pockets, too, and we'll be able to talk to our friends all over the world. Perhaps we'll be able to see them at the same time. " "A lot of people will live and work under the sea. Perhaps there will be big towns, factories and farms under the sea, too. " "Machines will do most of the work, and so people will have more holidays, perhaps they'll work only two or three days a week. They'll be able to fly to the moon by spaceship and spend their holidays there. " "I'm looking forward to the year 2020. I hope to go to the moon! " "And 1 hope I'll be able to live under the sea." says Fred. "Won't that be very interesting? Just like a fish! " | middle158.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To teach the writer some skills."
},
"options": [
"To laugh at the writer.",
"To teach the writer some skills.",
"To think about other customers' need.",
"To avoid her things being stolen."
],
"question": "Why d... | One day I went to a store with a list. "Excuse me," I said. A lady with glasses looked up, saying, "I'm Miss Bee. Come closer and let me look at you. I want to be able to describe you to the police if something is missing from the store."
"I'm only a little girl, not a thief !" I was surprised.
"But I think you're potential ," she said.
"I need these," I said, holding up my list.
"So what? I am not a person who works for you. Go to get them." she said.
The store was a puzzle to me. It took me two hours to find everything on the list. "That packet of beans is only 29 cents, but you asked me for 35 cents. " I corrected her. She didn't seem unhappy, just looked at me over her glasses.
The following summer I visited Miss Bee some times a week. She always found ways to fool me. Or shortly after I remembered the places of something on the shelf, she arranged the shelves again and made me hunt for them again. By the end of the summer the shopping trip that had once taken me an hour was done in 15 minutes.
One morning I was to get a packet of chocolate. "Miss Potential, what did you learn this summer?" she said. "That you're a meanie !" I answered angrily. But she laughed, "Well, I believe my job is to teach every child I meet life lessons to help them. When you get older, you'll be glad our paths crossed!" Glad I met Miss Bee? Ha! It was _ .
Until one day my daughter said, " Could you finish my math problems for me?" "How will you ever learn to do it yourself if I do it for you?" I said. Suddenly, I was back at that store where I had learned the hard way to check my bill. Now I have known what Miss Bee did for me. She is my good teacher. | middle5872.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Kevin is not good at playing basketball."
},
"options": [
"Kevin is not as clever as his brother.",
"He is neither the youngest nor the oldest.",
"Kevin doesn't like to make friends with others.",
"Kevin is not good at ... | One night I was sitting in my room half-listening as my 15-year-old brother Tommy fought with my 12-year-old brother Kevin. I didn't pay attention when Kevin rushed up the stairs with the hurt on his face.
About 20 minutes later, as I was walking upstairs I heard Kevin crying inside the bathroom. I knocked on the door and asked, "Hey Kevin, do you want to talk?"
No answer.
I tried again, "Why don't you come out of there?"
Again, no answer.
So, joking around, I grabbed a stack of cards and a pencil and wrote, "If you don't want to talk, we can write notes to each other."
An hour later I was still sitting on the floor outside the bathroom with two stacks of cards in front of me. One was blank and one was cards from Kevin on which he had translated all his _ feelings into words for me. As I read one of Kevin's notes, tears came to my eyes. It said, "Nobody in this family cares about me. I'm not the youngest, and I'm not the oldest. Tommy thinks I'm silly and Dad wishes he had the other Kevin as a kid because he's better at basketball. And you're never around to even notice me."
Tears came to my eyes as I wrote back to him. "You know Kevin, I really do love you and I'm sorry I don't always show it. I am here for you and you are loved in this family."
There was no answer for a while, but then I heard a tearing sound coming from inside the bathroom. Kevin, who had run out of cards wrote on a torn paper cup. "Thanks."
I wrote back "For what?" it returned to me with "Loving me" on it.
Since then, I try my best to never only half-notice my family members any more. Kevin and I have a closer relationship now. And sometimes when one of us notices that the other is upset, we'll smile and say "Write it on a paper cup." | middle7903.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "stay at home"
},
"options": [
"go out for a walk",
"go out and watch people running",
"stay at home",
"stay at home and do housework"
],
"question": "In the evening, Mr. and Mrs. Su often _ .",
"question_... | Mr. and Mrs. Su don't often go out in the evening, but today they go out for a walk after supper. They go to the park and have a good time there. On their way home, Mr. Su says to Mr. Su, "Look! A woman is running in the street and a man is running after her." Mr. Su says, "What's the matter? Let's go and help her."
Now the woman gets near them. Mr. Su asks, "Shall we help you?" "No, thank you," the woman says, "My husband and I are running home, and the slower one does the housework." | middle7730.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He does well in his lessons"
},
"options": [
"He's good to his grandpa",
"He's a polite boy",
"He does well in his lessons",
"He's learned to catch singing birds"
],
"question": "His parents like Henry because ... | The Story of a Broken Bowl
Henry is a boy of nine. Three years ago he began to go to school. He studied hard and does well in his lessons. His parents like him very much.
Henry's grandpa is a single man. But once he lost a leg in a traffic accident. And now he can't work. He often tells the boy all kinds of interesting stories. Sometimes he makes a kite or a cage. And he teaches the boy how to catch the singing birds and how to give them food. The boy admires him very much and always stays with him when he's free. But Henry's mother didn't like the old man. She always thought him useless and dirty, and didn't let her son play with him but the boy didn't listen to her. When they sat at table, she put some food on another table and filled a broken bowl with rice and porridge. The old man was very sad but he dared not say anything. Henry was angry with his mother about it. One day he saw a broken bowl on his way home. He picked it up and put it into his bag. His mother found it and asked, " Why have you brought a broken bowl home, dear?" " I keep it for you." said Henry, "When you're old like my grandpa, I'll fill it with rice for you !" Having heard this, the woman began to cry. Since then she's been good to the old man. | middle1341.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He is an English teacher."
},
"options": [
"He is a Chinese teacher.",
"He is a Maths teacher.",
"He is an Art teacher.",
"He is an English teacher."
],
"question": "What is Mr. Zhang?",
"question_type": "fa... | One morning, the students of Class Three, Grade One are having an English lesson. Mr. Zhang finds Li Lei doesn't listen to him. He goes to Li Lei and has a look. Oh, Li Lei is drawing a boy.
The teacher asks Li Lei to stand up. "Do you like drawing?"
"Yes, Mr. Zhang," answers Li Lei. "And I draw very well."
"You can draw after class, I think," says the teacher. " _ ."
"You are wrong, Mr. Zhang. I can draw when I have an Art class. And I like it very much," says Li Lei with a smile.
"You are right. And you must draw one hundred boys before the class is over," says the teacher angrily.
After five minutes, Li Lei finishes drawing and puts up his hand. The teacher looks at the picture and asks, "I ask you to draw one hundred boys. But you draw only two. One is standing at the door and the other is standing in front of the window. Where are the others?"
"The others are sitting in the classroom. You can't see them," answers Li Lei. | middle2648.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He was thinking about what present to get from Santa."
},
"options": [
"He wanted to take a close look at Santa Claus.",
"He was waiting for his special present from his father.",
"He was thinking about what present to get fr... | It was Christmas Eve. When everyone went to bed, Bunny couldn't fall asleep. He still couldn't think of what he wanted as a special Christmas present. He wondered how Santa -- Father Christmas would know what to bring him if he didn't know himself.,. .
As he was sitting up in bed, Bunny heard a big noise on the roof and a sound downstairs. It was Santa Claus, he realized. Bunny jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to the stairs. He hoped to take a look at the old man before Santa left for his next stop.
By the time Bunny was at the bottom of the stairs, everything was silent again. Lots of presents were put under the Christmas tree, but Santa was gone. A little disappointed , Bunny turned to climb back upstairs when he heard a cry.
"Hello," said Bunny. "Is somebody there?"
He was answered by another cry. Bunny looked around the big pile of presents to see what was making the noise. Right under the tree was a funny looking brown animal with big feet and sad eyes. It also had antlers on its head. Bunny almost mistook it for a dog.
"Are you a reindeer?" asked Bunny.
"Yes," replied the brown animal with antlers. "My name is Ralph."
"And you were pulling Santa's sled ?"
"I was until I got air-sick," replied Ralph. "Santa had to leave me here and go on with the other seven reindeer."
"Isn't it a bit unusual for a reindeer to get air-sick? I mean, isn't flying what reindeer are famous for?"
"Not me, I'm afraid. It makes me scared. I always feel sick when it comes to flying," replied Ralph. "But everyone wanted me to pull Santa's sled, so when it was my turn I gave it a try. I'm afraid I just wasn't _ for the job. Now I'm stuck here and I don't know how to get back to the North Pole."
"Well, if you like, you can stay with us as a friend," said Bunny. As he made the offer, Bunny suddenly realized the special present he wanted from Santa was a new friend! | middle5127.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Some of them are the shopkeepers of the pie shops."
},
"options": [
"They all have been to both pie shops.",
"They all talked about what the pies taste like.",
"Some of them are the shopkeepers of the pie shops.",
"Some... | Six people are talking about two pie shops in a TV program.
Lily: I've been going to Pie House for twenty years. Now Marie's son is taking care of the business, and he makes pies as good as his mother's. I enjoy my stay there as before. My family also like the pies. We feel relaxed while staying there.
***
Olive: I went to Pie Corner once. Their pies were great, too. But I feel more comfortable at Pie House. I am used to the taste there, which makes me feel happy. I'm really a fan of Pie House.
***
Ned: Uncle Roy used to work for my mom. Later he opened Pie Corner on the next block after he got married. At the beginning, it's not easy for him, but it is becoming more and more popular especially among young people. They think Pie Corner can often give them a surprise.
***
Marie: Roy was already quite _ when working with me. I mean he had different, sometimes even strange, ideas about pies. There were times I thought his pies wouldn't taste good, but they turned out magically delicious. He is really creative and can always make new pies, which attract many people.
***
Lee: Ned has done quite well with Pie House. His pies make you feel warm. But if you want to try something interesting, you should go to Pie Corner.
***
Chuck: The two pie shops are really different from each other. If eating Roy's pies is like taking an exciting trip, then Ned's pies are just like a sweet home you go back to after a long trip. Which one to go to depends on what you like. | middle2890.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they are hungry"
},
"options": [
"they see the sheep near the mountain",
"they see the sheepdogs",
"they are hungry",
"they want to go out"
],
"question": "The wolves go out for food because _ .",
"questio... | The wolves are very hungry. They go out to look for food. There are many sheep ( ) near the hill( ). There are also a few sheepdogs with them. The wolves think of an idea. They speak to the sheepdogs," You are like us and we are brothers. But we have a very different life. We do what we like, and you must work for man. They make you look after their sheep. They eat meat and give you the bones . If you listen to us and give us the sheep, we can eat them together. All of us will be happy,right?"The dogs are happy and do like this. The wolves ask the dogs to go to their house. The sheepdogs go to the wolves' home. But the wolves eat them and then eat the sheep. | middle3556.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The church is an old building."
},
"options": [
"They want to see the priest.",
"They are on holiday.",
"The church is an old building.",
"They want to see the baby."
],
"question": "Why are Jack and Mike in the... | Jack and Mike are on holiday in France. Mike loves visiting old building. So does Jack.
In the village Jack and Mike see a beautiful old church , but when they come into the church, some people are there. They don't know what the people are doing.
"Oh! Just sit quietly , and act like the others!"Mike says. Because they don't really know French, so they stand, kneel and sit to follow other people.
At that time, the priest says something. And the man who sits next to Jack and Mike stands up.
"We should stand up, too!"Jack whispers to Mike.
So, Jack and Mike walk to the priest. "What's so funny?"Jack asks in English.
With a smile on his face the priest says, "Boys, there is a newbaby born, we ask the father to stand up."
Mike shakes his head. He smiles and says, "We should understand what people do before we act like them!" | middle5899.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "For seven years , Earth Hour calls for action on climate change."
},
"options": [
"The first Earth Hour started in 2007 in Australia.",
"This year people are expected to turn off their lights for over one hour.",
"For seven y... | Cities and towns in 35 countries took part. The year 2012 saw 6,950 towns and cities in more than 152 countries took part in Earth Hour movement. Last year 7,000 towns and cities in more than 154 countries took part in Earth Hour. This year, WWF is calling for people across the world to take part in Earth Hour 2014 - the biggest switch-off in history.
For the eighth year, people are being asked to turn off their lights for one hour to call attention to the issue of climate change. The WWF's organizers say climate change is one of the greatest threats facing wildlife and nature. They also say when it comes to save energy and money, big changes start with small steps like turning out the lights.
Earth Hour supporter Jamie Oliver has some great ideas of his own for helping the environment: "We can all make simple changes to help, like always choosinghigher-welfare meat, and even trying to have a couple of meat-free days a week. More little steps, such as taking a shower instead of a bath, leaving the car behind and walking to work, not leaving electrical appliances on standby and so on are the beginning of a low carbon lifestyle and a healthier world.
This year, Earth Hour is asking people to take the movement "beyond the hour". Earth Hour is a call to stand up and get involved. We hope everyone will join us in turning off for a brighter future. | middle3230.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a primary school pupil"
},
"options": [
"a primary school pupil",
"a college student",
"a nineteen-year-old girl",
"a middle school student"
],
"question": "Although Millie is _ , we should learn from her.",
... | Millie is a little girl who is at the age of nine. She is a pupil in a primary school. She works hard at her subjects. In class, she takes an active part in all kinds of activities. She looks smarter than her classmates.
One day, she was doing her homework after supper as usual. Her father was not in. Her mother was taking a shower in the bathroom. After she finished her homework, Millie asked her mother to check it for her, but her mother didn't answer her. A few minutes later, her mother was still in the bathroom. Millie felt strange. She knocked at the door. But her mother had no answer. She pushed the door open and found her mother lying on the floor. At the same time, she smelled something terrible. It was the gas. She quickly opened the window, turned off the gas and called 120 and 110 for help. Soon some doctors and policemen came and sent her mother to the nearest hospital. Her mother was saved at last.
Why did the little girl know how to do that? That was because she had learned how to save herself and others in danger in school. | middle5641.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Five."
},
"options": [
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many fathers and their children are mainly mentioned on Where Are We Going, Dad?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {... | Since two years ago, Where Are We Going, Dad? ( <<?>> ) has become one of the most popular TV shows. On the shows, the five fathers and their children traveled around China, riding camels through the western deserts, fishing on the east coast, and selling vegetables for their bus fare home in southwestern Yunnan Province.
One dad doesn't know how to do his daughter's hair, so some people try to help him. Another one must _ with his son for three days in the desert. Because the father can't cook, they only eat instant noodles .
Why is Where Are We Going, Dad? so popular? Because it is about how Chinese parents look after their kids. The show makes modern parents think about what they should do with their kids. "In traditional Chinese culture, the father is strict and the mother is kind. But on the show, we see fathers who are much gentler on their kids and more involved in their upbringing " said Li Minyi, a professor of early childhood education.
In the past, children were taught to obey their parents' wishes and look after them in their old age. But today Chinese parents increasingly realize that respecting their children's choices may be a better way to prepare them for modern society. As they raise their children, parents are growing up at the same time.
,. | middle6348.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "six"
},
"options": [
"four",
"five",
"six",
"seven"
],
"question": "The soldier found _ bags in the smuggler's truck for the first time.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | A smuggler drove to the border. When a soldier looked in the truck, he was surprised to find six big bags.
"What's in them?" the soldier asked.
"Dirt," the smuggler answered.
"Take them out," the soldier said. "I want to check them."
The smuggler opened the bags, and sure enough, each one of them was filled with dirt. So the soldier let him go.
A week later, the smuggler came back, and once again, the soldier looked in the truck.
"What's in the bags this time?" he asked.
"Dirt, more dirt," said the smuggler.
Not believing him, the soldier checked the bags and, once again, he found nothing but dirt.
The same thing happened every week for six months, and the soldier finally became so frustrated that he left and worked as a waiter in a restaurant. Then one night, the smuggler went to the restaurant and had a drink. The waiter saw him and said, "Listen! Drinks are free tonight if you tell me what you were smuggling all that time."
Slowly, the smuggler got close to the waiter and said, "Trucks." | middle7056.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "very little"
},
"options": [
"very little",
"a little",
"very few",
"a few"
],
"question": "Tom had _ hair.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"a... | Tom was not old, but he did not have much hair. His wife, Grace, had thick, beautiful, black hair. They had one daughter. Her name was Jane, and she was four and a half years old. There was a photo of her father in the living-room, and a few days ago, Jane looked at it for a long time and then said to her mother, "Mummy, why had Dad got very little hair? "
Grace laughed and said, "He's got very little hair because he thinks a lot, Jane. He' s a clever man."
Jane looked at her mother's thick, black hair for a few seconds , and then she asked, "Mum, why have you got a lot of hair? " | middle1433.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "With careful preparation."
},
"options": [
"With necessary equipment.",
"With enough visual aids.",
"With proper body language.",
"With careful preparation."
],
"question": "How will you be fully confident in a ... | One of the most common forms of public speaking is the --presentation||. A presentation is one of the best ways of communicating your message. This article will give you seven of the most important areas to consider when giving any presentation.
*Preparation Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! Good preparation is very important for any presentation. With good preparation and planning you will be fully confident. This will give you control. With control, you will be --in charge|| and your audience will listen positively to your message.
*Structure A good presentation has a clear structure, like a good book or film. It usually has a beginning, a middle part and an end.
*Equipment You may use any of the following pieces of equipment as you want: whiteboard, flipchart, overhead projector, 35 mm slide projector and computer graphics.
Each of these has advantages and disadvantages. The important thing is to know and understand your equipment perfectly, and then you can use it freely and properly.
*Visual Aids --A picture is worth 1,000 words.|| There are many types of visual aids - photographs, maps, tables etc. But you should use them with care. Do not overload your audience with too much information in a short time. A good rule is: use one image to give one message.
*Signposting When you read a book, you know where you are. You know the title of the book, the end of one chapter, and even the page number. But when you give a presentation, your audience does not know where they are - unless you TELL them! You can use special language called --signaling|| or --signposting|| to help you. Here are a few examples: Let's begin by...; Now we'll move on to...; To start with...later...; To finish up....
*Audience Relations You need a warm and friendly relationship with your audience. How do you achieve this? Well, enthusiasm is contagious. If you are enthusiastic , your audience will be enthusiastic too. Try to make eye contact with each member of your audience. Each person should feel that you are speaking to him or her personally.
*Body Language Your BODY speaks to your audience even before you open your mouth. From your clothes, walk, glasses, haircut and your expression, your listeners form their first impression as you enter the room. | middle7042.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because his daughter used up their only gold wapping paper."
},
"options": [
"Because his daughter made some mistakes.",
"Because his daughter asked he for Christmas present.",
"Because his daughter used up their only gold wa... | Once upon a time, a man punished his 5-year-old daughter for using up the family' s expensive gold wrapping ( ) paper. Money was always not enough, and he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve, he saw that the child had pasted ( ) the gold paper to decorate a shoebox to put under the Christmas tree.
The next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, "This is for you, Daddy!"
As he opened the box, the father was sorry for his earlier behavior.
But after he opened it, he found it was empty and again he was angry."Don' t you know, young lady, " he said, "when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package!"
The little girl looked up at him with tears running from her eyes and said, "Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full."
When the father heard this, he fell on his knees and put his arm around his dear little girl. He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.
An accident took the life of the child only a short time later. It is told that the father kept that little gold box by his bed for all the year of his life. Whenever he was sad or faced difficult problems he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each of us as human beings have been given an _ golden box filled with love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. This is the most expensive possession anyone could hold.
,. | middle3224.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "some students"
},
"options": [
"some teachers",
"some parents",
"some students",
"some workers"
],
"question": "In Wuhan, Xiaogui Dangjia bank card is for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | When we talk about red packets, the most important question is "What are you going to do with it?" One thing you could do is to put your money in the bank.
Maybe you don't know, some students in Hubei began to use the Xiaogui Dangjia bank card this year. This is a card for children. It is from China Minsheng Bank in Wuhan.
Wang Ming is a 14-year-old junior student in Wuhan. He said "All my pocket money has a place to go now. I can pay my own school fees ."
Zhu Yu, a manager of Minsheng Bank, said that they knew lots of students who didn't know how to use their money. So they wanted them to know how to use it carefully. Parents worry that children don't know how to take care of the money by themselves. Shen qiangqiang's mother like the card very much. Shen was asking his mother for a computer for a long time, but his mother didn't buy it for him. She said, "We want him to use his card to save money for the computer. If we buy everything he asks for, he will think money comes too easily, and he won't work hard for it."
Today, there are many different kinds of bank cards. They are from different banks. People put their money in them. Then they can use their money at any time. People can do many things with bank cards. They can wash cars, go shopping, eat delicious food and travel to other places with the money in their bank cards.
The most important thing is not "How much did you get?" It is necessary for everyone to learn how to save your money and use your money correctly. | middle5655.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a play"
},
"options": [
"a play",
"a novel",
"a poem",
"a speech"
],
"question": "This is most probably part of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | One dollar a week
The doorway of the house where Chandler has a room. He is dressed in his best clothes, ready for
his evening out. He is going out as his friend, Jeff 'White, comes in.
WHITE What are you doing this evening, Towers?
CHANDLER (Smiling) Tonight I'm going to live like a man with a million dollars!
WHITE What are you talking about? You haven't got a million dollars!
CHANDLER How much money are you and I paid each week, Jeff?
WHITE Eighteen dollars. Why?
CHANDLER And how much of that eighteen dollars do you spend each week?
WHITE All of it, of course.
CHANDLER Well, I don't. Each week I save one dollar out of my eighteen. Then,
every ten weeks, I can buy myself an evening to remember.
WHITE What do you do?
CHANDLER I put on my finest clothes, go to one of the best restaurants in New York,
eat the most expensive food on the menu, drink the best wine, and then
take a taxi home!
WHITE ( _ ) Why?
CHANDLER Why? Because it makes me feel wonderful to sit with some of 'the richest
people in America, and to make them think that I'm rich, too.
WHITE You're crazy!
CHANDLER (Laughing) Perhaps I am!
Mrs Black comes in.
MRS BLACK Ah, Mr Chandler. I wanted to see you.
CHANDLER Good evening, Mrs Black. What a lovely evening!
MRS BLACK Lovely evening perhaps, but you haven't paid me for your room this
month. When am I going to get the money?
CHANDLER Soon, Mrs Black. Very soon.
Mrs Black looks at Chandler s clothes.
MRS BLACK You can spend money on expensive clothes, but you can't pay for your
room. Is that right?
CHANDLER (Hurrying away) Good night, Mrs Black! | middle5133.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "students"
},
"options": [
"students",
"teachers",
"nurses",
"cousins"
],
"question": "Lucy and Lily are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"an... | Hi! We are Lucy and Lily. We are sisters. We are studying in a high school. We are always wanting the weekends to come. Because on weekends there are different kinds of outdoor activities, such as going to the park, going shopping, playing ball games and so on.
We usually go to the park on Saturdays. We often take some bread, meat, water and milk with us. It's Saturday today. We are in the park again. Father is fishing in a boat on the lake . Mother is sitting and reading under the tree. Now we are drinking some water. Do you think we are happy? | middle2884.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "see some places for the last time"
},
"options": [
"show she was familiar with the city",
"see some places for the last time",
"let the driver earn more money",
"reach the destination on time"
],
"question": "Th... | Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived there, I walked to the door and knocked, "Just a minute," answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I'm in no hurry," she said. "I'm on my way to a hospice . I don't have any family left. The doctor says I don't have very long."
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter .
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been ,a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow down in front of a special building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
In the early morning, she suddenly said," I'm tired. Let's go now."
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
"How much do I pay you?" she asked.
"Nothing." I said.
"You have to make a living," she answered. "Oh, there are other passengers," I answered.
Almost without thinking, I gave her a hug . She held on me and said, "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy." | middle3542.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "ride on the bike"
},
"options": [
"go to school",
"ride on the bike",
"practise riding",
"carry your things"
],
"question": "Before you learn to ride your bike well, you can't _ .",
"question_type": "cloz... | Most people like bikes. Perhaps you ride a bike to school. Riding a bike can be great of fun.Do you know how to ride a bike safely?
Careful boys and girls learn to ride their bikes well before they go out on the road.How can you tell whether you are a good _
If you can ride a bike in a straight line,you can ride well .If you can't ,you should practice riding a in a safe place.
To be safe on a bike, you need to use both hands and both feet. Keep your feet on the pedals and your hands on the handle bars.
You know that your bike is only for one person. It's not safe to carry anyone with you. Keep yourself safe when you ride on a bike.Watch where you are going all times. | middle819.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "At Jack' s home."
},
"options": [
"At their home.",
"At Jack' s home.",
"In a library.",
"In a school."
],
"question": "In the photo, where are Sam and his family?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},... | Look at this photo! It is a photo of Sam' s family and Jack' s family. They are at Jack' s home. They have a party there.
Sam and Jack are good friends. Jack and his family will go on a round-the-world journey . They will start from their home in America, and they will go to Japan, China, India, Australia, Egypt, England, etc. Jack and his family have the party to say goodbye to their friends.
Jack' s son Nick is only 8. Sam's son, William, is Nick's good friend. He can't see Nick for a long time. He gives Nick a nice pen. He says it can help Nick remember good things on their journey
. | middle7724.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "fruit and vegetables"
},
"options": [
"fruit and fish",
"vegetables and mutton",
"tom",
"fruit and vegetables"
],
"question": "You should eat _ three or four times a week.",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | It's important for us to be healthy.But how can we keep healthy? First,you should eat fruit and vegetables three or four times a week.Then eat sonic tofu every day because it's good for people,both the young and the old Milk is also necessary ,especially for women.So you should have milk twice a day.It can help you to be strong Next,doing more exercises is better.You can do morning exercises or evening exercises.After supper you should take a walk. | middle59.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the culture and customs"
},
"options": [
"the people and the food",
"the culture and customs",
"the language and people",
"the behavior and conversations"
],
"question": "You should learn about _ of the coun... | To save yourself from embarrassment , it's good to read a few books or research online about the culture and customs of the country you plan to visit.
Clothing: Wearing shorts in public is generally not acceptable in most parts of the world, including some European countries.
Greetings: Handshake is a usually accepted form of greeting, although in some countries, like Japan, a traditional bow is preferred. Be careful how you talk with someone; don't use first names unless you are invited to do something.
Language/Gestures: learn some polite expressions (hello-goodbye-thank you) and relax. English is pretty common worldwide, especially in tourist areas and you can always use body language to get your message across. However, some Americans gestures have different meanings in other countries. For example, in Bulgaria, shaking your head usually means "yes"; shaking it "vertically" means " no".
Food/Drink: you may find yourself looking down at a local delicious snake soup in china, sheep's eyes in Saudi Arabia... and wonder what to do; especially you are guests in someone's home. Be brave, take small bites, and pretend it tastes like something you like. Remember that some Buddhists don't eat beef, and Muslims don't eat pork. If you are eating with Muslims, never touch food with left hand (the left hand is for bathroom use).
Conversations: if you know the history and culture of the country, you will be confident. The French are angry at the classic American question: "What do you do for a living?" and so on. | middle1355.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Three hours or more."
},
"options": [
"Half an hour.",
"Two hours and a half.",
"Only a day.",
"Three hours or more."
],
"question": "How long did the writer spend studying every day?",
"question_type": "fac... | The summer vacation is over. It's true that time flies.
In the vacation, the weather was very hot, but I enjoyed myself.
I did my homework in the morning. I got up at 6:30a.m. and took a walk in the garden for half an hour. After breakfast I began reading English and Chinese and did some math exercises. It usually took me three hours or more. I worked quite hard and I made great progress .
I spent the afternoon outside. I went swimming and it was fun. I would not go home until it was about five or six o'clock. Sometimes my friends came to see me and we spent some time listening to music.
In this way I spent my vacation happily. I not only studied hard, but also became a good swimmer. Now I'm in good health and high spirits . | middle2674.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "thanks"
},
"options": [
"wishes",
"support",
"help",
"thanks"
],
"question": "Allison writes the letter to show _ to her parents.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answe... | Saturday, March 20, 2010
Dear Mom and Dad,
The time has come: I'm graduating, and I thank you both for all your help during these 15 years. I still remember when you used to say, "You can be whatever you want". I'm so glad you are my parents, especially when I hear kids say they don't get on well with theirs. I'm glad that you support me when I decide to do anything. You always try to help, and that's important to me.
Dad, I remember when you first took me fishing. I loved going even though I never caught anything. I also remember when you would get angry with me. I realize you were only trying to show me the right way. When I would cry, you would always be there to try to cheer me up. That's what I call a good, loving, caring dad. Sometimes you and Mom don't agree with me, but you are there by my side in anything that I do, and that's why I love you both so much.
Mom, I enjoy going out with you and having our happy time every Friday night, and I hope that never changes. I love telling you everything; the best part about you is that you listen. I'm glad we do a lot together. You love to have fun, and _ You always give me your opinion and I listen.
Thank you for bringing me up.
Love always,
Allison | middle4205.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "January 20th"
},
"options": [
"January 19th",
"January 20th",
"January 21\nst",
"January 22nd"
],
"question": "Cindy's birthday is on _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | I'm Cindy. Today is January 20th. It's my birthday. I get up at 7:30am. My parents say"Happy birthday!" to me.
Today I get lots of gifts from my parents and my friends. My father gives me a book. My mother gives me a blue skirt. Ben, one of my good friends, gives me a basketball. There is a green note on my table. It says," I'm your gift, and I'm behind your schoolbag." Aha, it's a radio! It's from my brother, Jim.
I'm a very happy girl. I love my family and my friends very much. | middle6412.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Twice a week."
},
"options": [
"Never.",
"Once a day.",
"Twice a week.",
"Four times a week."
],
"question": "How often does the writer send e-mails?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | 6 June ,Saturday
I read an article about people living in the e-age yesterday .It talks about different ways of communicating like chatting online ,sending e-mails ,sending different kinds of messages and keeping an online diary .
The article says that people nowadays send e-mails at least once a day .I do not agree with this because I send e-mails only twice a week .However ,I do check my e-mails once a day .I like receiving e-mails.
About chatting online ,the article says that it is becoming more and more popular among teenagers .I think this is true .Whenever I arrive at home ,I turn on my computer and log on to chat online with my friends .I prefer chatting online to calling a friend .because I can chat with many friends at the same time .But I like using mobile phones. When I don't have my computer with me ,I can send short messages to my friends . I also like keeping in touch with them in this way .
I keep an online diary four times a week .I like telling others what has happened to me .I think I am one of the people living in the e-age . I can't live without computers or mobile phones . | middle4563.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Walking to school."
},
"options": [
"Watching TV.",
"Turning on a light.",
"Driving a car.",
"Walking to school."
],
"question": "Which of the following does not send greenhouse gases into the air?",
"questi... | The Earth has warmed by about half a degree(0.50degC)over the last 100 years. It could be getting warmer on its own, but many scientists think that people are making the Earth warmer by making a greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is important. Without it, the Earth would not be warm enough for us to live on. But just a little warmer than it is now could cause problems for humans, plants and animals.
Many of the things we do every day can change the Earth's temperature by sending greenhouse gases into the air. We send greenhouse gases into the air when we watch TV, turn on lights, dry hair, play video games, wash or dry our clothes or drive cars. The rubbish from factories and homes also produces greenhouse gases.
Even a small change in temperature can affect our weather. This can cause changes in the sea levels, the air, flooding, and our fresh water.
The change in the temperature can also cause changes in the living places for animals and plants, endangering many animals.
Global warming is a big problem, and every little bit we do can help. We can save electricity. We can save energy in other ways such as by taking buses or walking rather than driving cars. We can recycle to reduce the rubbish and save natural resources such as trees, oil and metals. We can buy products that don't do bad to the environment and we can turn to solar energy. Remember the little bit that you do will bring a better world. | middle2112.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because she wanted to take photos but was afraid of the animals."
},
"options": [
"Because she wanted to sleep.",
"Because she wanted to take photos but was afraid of the animals.",
"Because it's easy to see the elephants.",
... | On a hot African morning, Leila was lying on her stomach and an elephant was walking towards her. Leila waited. Then she pushed the button on her camera. "And I got my best photo of an elephant ever, by lying under my car," Leila explained. "I wanted to get close to the elephants, but of course this was dangerous; they had their babies with them. So every morning I used to park my car in the open near the path . They used to take the same path every morning when they left the water hole. After a week, they were used to seeing my car. So the next morning, I lay under it and got my photo!"
Many of the best wildlife photos come from good planning. In Africa, photographers set up their hides near water holes. They also set up hides near forest paths, as animals use the same paths every night. For bird-watching, many lakes have hides. Inside the hides, bird-watchers can watch all day in the shade out of the wind and rain.
Good wildlife photos are needed for books, postcards, magazines and newspapers. But a success rate of 1 in 20 is good. | middle3218.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "terrible"
},
"options": [
"exciting",
"interesting",
"boring",
"terrible"
],
"question": "From the story, Nian seemed to be _ long, long ago.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Chinese people call the Spring Festival"Nian". But do you know that Nian was once the name of a monster ? A long time ago, the monster Nian lived in the mountains. It ate animals. But in winter, it could not find food. So it came to villages and ate a lot of people. People were so afraid of Nian that they locked their doors before evening came during the winter. One day, an old man came to a village. He told people there that Nian was afraid of three things----the color red, fire and noise. He told people to play drums and gongs, make big fires and set off fireworks to make Nian go away. On a moonless, cold night, Nian went to the village again. As soon as it opened its big mouth, people made loud noises and made fires. Nian was really afraid and ran away. wherever it went, there was noise and fire. When Nian was tired and could not run anymore, people killed the monster. After that, on the coldest day of winter, people beat drums and gongs, and set off fireworks to celebrate the death of the monster of Nian. They put up red lanterns and have a big dinner without sleeping during the night. In the morning people greet each other happily. So now we have the Spring Festival. | middle4577.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "on the playground"
},
"options": [
"in the classroom",
"in the tree",
"on the playground",
"near the door"
],
"question": "Some students are having a match _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | What do you usually do after class? When class is over , most students in my class go out of the classroom, We have 20 minutes' rest between classes. Look! Most of us are playing during the rest time. Some students are on the playground . They are having a basketball match. Oh, a boy is running with a ball and another boy is trying to stop him. They are so cool. And some girls are watching the match. Some students are still in the classroom. They are talking. A few of them are reading and doing homework. A girl is looking at the birds in the trees, and she has a _ on her face. She is very happy.
Where are the teachers? Some of them are working in the office, and some are talking with students. We are all busy and happy. | middle5669.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they could fight against the fate and longed to live on."
},
"options": [
"they were very strong.",
"they could fight against the fate and longed to live on.",
"they were not hurt.",
"they lost fathers and mothers."
... | April 20th is an ordinary day in 2013, it is in this day that shocking earthquake happened again in Sichuan province, China. The earthquake was terrible. We can't describe the scene what we saw with any words. Thousands of people were injured even died. And thousands of children became such unlucky ones who lost fathers or mothers. _ longed to have families to continue their lives. I am sympathetic to their fate! But I believed that we can fight against the fate and change it. For example, there are many people keeping living without food or water for about 100 hours during the earthquake!
What an unbelievable thing it is! Their great spirits showed the powerful life vitality of humans! However, they must keep fighting against the death. Many schools were destroyed and there were many students and teachers who left us forever. Sadness, hopelessness and different kinds of danger spread out here and there!
But, fortunately, love is around us: the Communist Party helps us, the army helps us, the people all over the world help us. They offer us money, goods, love and so on ! With the help of such a large love, we will overcome the damage of the earthquake and face our beautiful future! | middle2106.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A, B and C"
},
"options": [
"he can travel around the world",
"his parents will be proud of him",
"his cousin is a pilot",
"A, B and C"
],
"question": "Wei wants to be a pilot because _ .",
"question_type... | Dear Sir,
Good day! I want to become a pilot , because my cousin is a pilot . I think he is great. He is cool when he wears his pilot uniform. If I become a pilot , my parents will be proud of me and I can travel around the world . I am in the third grade in a university. I'm tall with medium build; I'm quite healthy and strong. I like playing sports .If I have a chance to become a pilot, I will have a great time flying in the blue sky. I believe I can be a good pilot .The problem is that I can't afford my dream .You know, to be a pilot needs a lot of money. My parents are both workers. They don't have much money. Could you help me find a sponsor ( ),sir?
And how can I get a scholarship ?
I am _ your help, sir?
If you have time, you can e-mail me at www,cn,com . Your help will mean a lot, sir.
Once again good day and thank you.
Yours Wei | middle6360.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "from Cuba"
},
"options": [
"a girl",
"from Cuba",
"three years old",
"a toy"
],
"question": "My dog is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answ... | I have a dog . It's a girl dog. She is two years old. Her ears and eyes are big. But she has a small nose and a small mouth. Her hair is long. She has four long legs, too. Does she have mum and dad? Yes! They come from Cuba. What's her name? Can you guess? Her name is Juzi, because she is orange. Wow, she is my toy dog. | middle7718.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Almost every child in big cities"
},
"options": [
"Almost every child in the world",
"Almost every child in China",
"Almost every child in big cities",
"Almost every child in small villages"
],
"question": "_ ... | Almost every child in cities has the chance to go to school, but not all children in the countries are so lucky.
There is a girl called Xiao Fang. She is eight years old and lives in a small village in Guangxi. When she was young, she wanted to go to school. But she could not, because her family was too poor to afford the school fees for her, so her parents had to keep her at home. Instead of studying, Xiao Fang worked in the fields with her parents every day. Then Hope Project heard about Xiao Fang. It agreed to help Xiao Fang to go to school. Her wish of study came true, and now she is studying in a school.
Unluckily there are many thousands of children who can not go to school. You can join in Hope Project and help these children. You know all the good work needs money. Hope Project needs your help.
If you give Hope Project Y=300 each year, it can pay for one child to go to school for a whole year. With more money, Hope Project can build new schools, buy good desks, chairs, blackboards and books. let's help the children together and give them a chance to have a good start in life. | middle825.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because he had no ears."
},
"options": [
"Because he heard nothing.",
"Because he had only an ear.",
"Because he had no parents.",
"Because he had no ears."
],
"question": "Why did the kids laugh at the boy?",
... | "Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When she saw the baby, she was surprised. The baby was born without ears.
As time went by, the baby grew up. There was nothing wrong with his hearing. But some kids laughed at him because he didn't have ears. The baby was very sad, but his parents did nothing but felt sorry for him.
The boy's father talked with a doctor. "Could nothing be done?" the father asked. " I believe I could give him a pair of outer ears, if they could be got." The doctor answered. So they began to look for a person who would like to give his or her ears.
Two years went by. Then the father said, "You are going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have found someone and it will give the ears you need. But it's a secret, "said the father. The operation was very successful. Several years later, he got a good job.
One day, he told his father " But I must know who gave so much to me. I want to do something for him or her." "I am sorry, but I can't tell you." Said the father.
The secret was kept for years, but the day did come. For the boy it was one of the darkest days. He stood with his father over his mother's coffin.
Slowly, the father raised her thick brown hair to show that his mother had no outer ears. "Your mother said she was glad that she never let her hair be cut," he said, "and nobody ever thought she was less beautiful, did they?" | middle65.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "In 1860"
},
"options": [
"In 1860",
"In 1953",
"In 1961",
"In 2000"
],
"question": "When did we first know why we look like other people m our family?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"ans... | On June 26, 2000, two scientists, called Francis Collins and Craig Venter, told the world that they could read the whole "map" of the human body: DNA. DNA is something that everybody has, and it tells the body what to do. DNA is the reason that we look like our mother and father, because we get some of their DNA to make our own.
People have been trying to understand the human body for a long time. In 1860, Gregor Mendel discovered a special reason why we look the same as other people in our family. It is because of small things named "genes" in our body. In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick made another discovery and found out that those small parts are real messages written in the DNA with a special language.
In 1961, Marshall Nirenberg and Johann Matthaci found a message in DNA showing how DNA tells the cell to build its parts. Scientists have now found all the words in the DNA map, but we still do not understand what they all do. By understanding what just one "word" means, we can help save more people from several illnesses.
Most people hope that this will help make better medicine and help sick people. Other people worry that when people begin to know more words and find out lots of other information, we might use it in a wrong way, just to make people more attractive, or stop sick people from getting jobs. Man would have to meet a lot of trouble if DNA technic wasn't limited in use. | middle1369.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "their life in the future"
},
"options": [
"their school life",
"some interesting information",
"their life now",
"their life in the future"
],
"question": "Tom and Fred are talking about _ .",
"question_t... | Tom and Fred are talking about the year 2020. "What will our world be like in the year 2020?" asks Tom.
"I don't know," says Fred.
"What do you think?" asks Tom.
"Well, no one knows, but it's interesting to guess," says Fred.
"In the year 2020 everyone will carry a pocket computer. The computer will give people the answer to all their problem. We will have telephones in our pockets, too, and we will be able to talk to our friends," says Tom.
"A lot of people will live and work under the sea. Machines will do most of the work, and so people will have more holidays. They will be able to fly to the moon by spaceship and spend their holidays there," says Fred.
"And I hope I will be able to live under the sea," says Tom. "Won't that be very interesting? Just like a fish." | middle2660.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The advice column in the school newspaper is very popular."
},
"options": [
"The school newspaper has an advice column.",
"Tommy wrote to the school newspaper to ask for advice.",
"Sara finds it difficult to make friends.",
... | What Should I Do?
One of the most popular items in the school newspaper advice column . No one know who writes it. The students think their teacher does, but it might be a student using a false name. The students enjoy thinking up problems for the advice column. Here are some of them and their answers.
ASK THE WISE OWL
Q: I'm always late for school. I try not to be, but I can't help it. Please advise me what to do. Tommy.
A: You are probably late for school because you don't really like school. My advice to you is try and enjoy school more, then you won't be late so often.
Q: I find it difficult to make friends. What do you think I should do? Sara.
A: I can't advise you until I know about you. Your problem may be that you are shy. On the other hand, it may be the opposite. You may be too bold . Write and tell me more about yourself.
Q: I'm always at the bottom of the class. What do you advise me to do? Molly.
A: I advise you to concentrate on improving your grades in one subject to start with. If you can do this, you should move a little way up from the bottom. Next, try to improve your grades in another subject, and so on. If you concentrate on one subject at a time, by the end of the year you should be quite a long way up from the bottom in all your classes. The Wise Owl. | middle4211.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A Wii."
},
"options": [
"Many pants.",
"A Wii.",
"Christmas cards.",
"An iTunes gift card."
],
"question": "What present does the writer want most?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer... | Dear Santa,
Thank you for all of the great gifts you give me this Christmas.
My parents can't seem to decide whether you gave the presents directly, or if you just helped them and my grandma pick out the right presents. So, if you are advising her, please tell her next year that I do not own a Wii.
I don't remember asking you for so many pairs of pants, but thank you for giving me the chance to try them on in the front of my whole family. I enjoyed them so much that I continued to wear them, with the tags still on.
My mom and the holiday movies are always quick to remind me that Christmas isn't about the presents. It's about togetherness. But without the presents, there's nothing to do to fill up this long, long day. So I think Christmas is about the presents, and I'm sure you agree.
If you do, I have some suggestions about ways that you could make the present part of the day last longer: using packing tape to wrap presents instead of Scotch tape . It took, like, ten minutes to open just one present.
My final suggestion is pretty simple: more presents! If it took the whole day to open all of the presents, then I wouldn't have that terrible time, because my mom says it's wrong to go play video games in my room, but there's nothing else to do outside of my room.
Anyway, thank you again and I look forward to seeing you next Thanksgiving. It's an iTunes gift card for you and hope you like it.
Merry Christmas! | middle5090.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "In March."
},
"options": [
"In March.",
"In April",
"In May",
"In June."
],
"question": "When is the Wild Food Festival held in the town of Hokitika every year?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | When travelling.you are sure to try some exciting new kinds of food.The Wild Food Festival,in the town of Hokitika,the west of Coast of New Zealand,gives you the chance to try some strange food.It is a celebration of the areas special lifestyle and food.And it celebrates food that most people might not want to eat.It is held in March every year.
At the festival you will find huhu grubs and beetles on your plate.The festival also celebrates Maori food. the food of the traditional native people of New Nealand And visitors will eat the wild food with plenty of famous West Coast beer.What's more,there are three stages at the festival,where there is live music and entertainment an day long.
If you have the chance to travel to Hokitita during the Wild Food Festival,you should book a hotel before it begins.or you can choose to stay at local schools.A number of local schools become camping grounds over the weekend of the festival.You can also stay in Greymouth,because there are buses from Greymouth to the festival. | middle7687.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Anyone."
},
"options": [
"A teacher.",
"A parent.",
"A friend.",
"Anyone."
],
"question": "Who can be a difficult person to someone else?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | They are out there. They may be your friends, your teachers or your parents. Anyone can be a difficult person to someone else.
It is important to see if you are with a difficult person. The first solution to any problem is that you realize the problem. Most of the time, difficult people do not realize they are difficult. They think what they do is just normal. But do you know how to cope with difficult people?
The best way is not to care what they said.
If this does not help, think about the following:
*Difficult people are easy to be very angry, and you just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
*Difficult people do not even hear the words you say, but are only guessing the meaning of your words according to their own thought.
So when you really look at it deeply, it is not wise to take things personally. | middle762.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "\"Thank you. I'm happy to hear it.\""
},
"options": [
"\"Yes, I'm always beautiful.\"",
"\"No,not at all.\"",
"\"Do you think so?\"",
"\"Thank you. I'm happy to hear it.\""
],
"question": "When people say to an ... | English - speaking people say many"thank you"every day. Early in the morning when a teacher asks a student,"Good morning. How are you?", his answer should be."I'm fine, thank you. And you?" This is the first "thank you" of a day.
When you hear "Your skirt is nice." you say"Thank you. I'm happy you like it." At your birthday party, When people give you something and say"This is for you. Happy birthday!",you
also answer, "Thank you."
When your friend helps you clean the classroom after school, you say"thank you" to him.
When you hear people say to you "Your English is very good." , how do you answer it? | middle6599.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A bag of wheat"
},
"options": [
"A bag of coins",
"A bag of wheat",
"A bag of rice",
"A bag of apples"
],
"question": "What did the poor farmer take to town?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | One day a poor farmer was taking a bag of wheat to town. Suddenly the bag fell off his horse onto the road. He did not know what he could do about it because it was too heavy for him to lift by himself. He only hoped that someone would soon pass by and lend him a hand.
Just at his moment, a man riding a horse came up to him. But the farmer felt disappointed when he saw who he was. It was the great man who lived nearby. He thought the great man wouldn't help him, and hoped another farmer would come up. But to his surprise, the great man got off his horse as soon as he came near, "I see you need help," he said, "I'm here just at the right time. " Then he took one end of the bag and the farmer took the other, They lifed it together and put it on the horse.
"Sir," asked the farmer, "how can I pay you?"
"It's quite easy," the great man answered, "when you see anyone else in trouble, do the same for him. " | middle1590.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Theyweretoldtogobackhome."
},
"options": [
"Theyweretoldtogobackhome.",
"Theywerewearingtheuniformstoschool.",
"Theyfollowedtheschooldresscodes.",
"Theydidn'tknowitwastimeforschool."
],
"question": "What happene... | It's time for school! But on May 14th, 170 students at Duncanville High School in Texas, US, were told to go back home.Why? Because they were wearing the wrong clothes to school. Schools in the US don't always ask students to wear uniforms. But they have dress codes . For example, Duncanville High School tells students to wear belts, shirts without logos .Schools' most-hated clothes are different.
In 2011, the saggy ( ) trousers law was passed in Florida. It stops students from wearing trousers that show body parts.
Now, "the favourite new target ( ) of the school dress code" is leggings( ), reported the Associated Press. Some schools don't allow leggings. Other schools ask students to wear a shirt or a skirt over leggings.
Some students complain that schools are going too far. But schools say dress codes help protect students' safety and make sure they grow up with good taste."We want to teach them that they must meet the expectations not only here in school, but also outside school," said Andre Smith. | middle3387.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "friends"
},
"options": [
"sisters",
"teachers",
"friends",
"brothers"
],
"question": "Peter and I are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answ... | Peter and I are good friends. Peter is an American boy. I am a Japanese girl. He is thirteen. I am twelve. We are in the same class,Class Two.
Peter has a nice clock. He likes it very much. He puts it on his desk. Every morning it wakes him up . I have a new watch. It looks beautiful. I wear it every day. It tells me the time. | middle2099.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "15"
},
"options": [
"10",
"15",
"100",
"150"
],
"question": "The underwater hotel is about _ meters below the surface.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3... | With the development of science and technology, our dailylife is becoming more colorful and more convenient.
An Underwater Hotel
It looks like a spaceship but it is actually a picture of an underwater hotel. A company plans to build the hotel in the sea which is about 15metres below the surface .The whole building is underwater and you can get to it by swimming and diving.
Google Glass
Google Glass is a pair of glasses with a battery hidden inside the frame . It can perform many of the same tasks as smart phones. The glass has hidden camera and a tiny screen. It is designed to take hands-free photos or videos of anything people are doing.
A New Kind of shirt
Hate washing clothes? You're going to love this kind of shirt made by an American clothing company, Wool Prince. This shirt can be worn for 100 straight days without washing! The Wool Prince shirt never needs ironing .
The Digital Library
Can you imagine walking into a library and finding all books have turned into companies? The first bookless public library is planned to open in San Antonio, Texas, America. Computers will take the place of books soon. | middle3393.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "good food"
},
"options": [
"oranges",
"bananas",
"ice cream",
"good food"
],
"question": "It's important to eat _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Do you eat good food every day? It's important ! You need oranges and bananas, but you don't need ice cream. You need salad and broccoli, but you don't need French fries. Write a list of the food you eat. Is it good food? Do you eat right? (Like an egg. )Every day? | middle776.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Five"
},
"options": [
"Two",
"Three",
"Four",
"Five"
],
"question": "How many old and famous buildings in London are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | An American architect was visiting London.He wanted to see all the famous buildings there so he stopped a taxi and asked the driver to take him to all the old and famous buildings in London.
The driver drove him to the Tower of London.
"This is the Tower of London.It was a prison in the old days," he said.
"It is so small.In America we could build this in a day." said the American.
The taxi driver took the American to Westminster Abbey.He said,
"This is a famous church.Kings and queens get married here.
The American looked at the old building and said,
"Huh... we could build this in two days."
The driver decided to take the American to a bigger church so he drove him to St Paul's Cathedral.He stopped outside the church and said,
"This is the most famous church in England.The great architect Christopher Wren built this church."
The American got out of the taxi and looked at the church.
"Huh.We could build this church in three days," he said.
Next the driver took the American to the House of Parliament.
"This is where British politicians meet..."
"Huh." The American said, "We could build this in four days."
The driver said nothing and drove past Buckingham Palace, the home of Queen Elizabeth.As the taxi passed the palace, the American said,
"Hey! What is this building? I have never seen such a beautiful one."
The taxi driver looked at the palace and said,
"I don't know.It wasn't there this morning." | middle5084.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "at times hated it when her parents fixed old things"
},
"options": [
"thought highly of her parents' habits",
"often helped her parents fix old things",
"often threw things away without being noticed",
"at times hated i... | I grew up in the 1950s with very practical parents. My mother washed aluminum foil after she cooked in it, and then she reused it. She was the earliest recycle queen before people had a name for it.
My father was no different. He preferred getting old shoes fixed to -buying new ones. Their marriage was good and their dreams were focused .Their best friends lived just a wave away. Though my parents have passed away, I can see them now - Dad in trousers, a T-shirt and a hat and Mom in a house dress, lawnmower in one hand and dishtowel in the other.
It was the time to fix things -a curtain rod ,the kitchen radio, the screen door, the oven door, and so on. They fixed all things we had. It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing and renewing made me want to scream.1 wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant being rich. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be more. I often thought like that.
But then my mother died, and on that clear summer night, in the warmth of the hospital room, I learned that sometimes there isn't any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away and it will never return. So, while we have it, it is the best that we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and cure it when it's sick.
This is true for marriage, old cars, children with bad report cards, dogs with bad hips and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it and because we are worth it. | middle2933.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the rivers or lakes"
},
"options": [
"his uncle's",
"the rivers or lakes",
"school",
"the lakes with his father"
],
"question": "Tom often goes to _ on Sundays.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | My name is Tom. My father, Mr. Read works on a farm, and my mother works in a factory. My father and my mother work six days a week and I am at school from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays we all stay at home. We often go out in a car on Sundays. We often go to the rivers or lakes. Dad likes fishing and I like swimming. Mum sits there and watches us. Dad is very good at fishing. He often catches a lot of fish. Then we take them home for supper. We often have a good time.
Sometimes we go to see my uncle. He has a son, Jim. We often play football together. My uncle and Jim like meat very much. My mother cooks meat for them. I often help her. I like cooking meat and eating, too. | middle986.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "His early hard life made him so."
},
"options": [
"His mother taught him to be so.",
"He wanted to be really cool.",
"His friends told him to be so.",
"His early hard life made him so."
],
"question": "According... | Allen Iverson, the 31-year-old man, has become the most exciting player in the NBA. At 1.83 meters tall, he is as fast as lightening and no one can stop him. However, Allen used to be the trouble maker that the NBA did not want.
Born to a single mother, Allen had a very hard childhood. He grew up on dangerous blocks in the US. Sometimes his house had no electricity, hot water or lights. He sometimes stayed with his friends in his teenage life and a couple of times he even stayed in a shelter . Because of his terrible childhood, Iverson became as tough as his friends .
Allen was always a trouble maker. When he was in high school, he was once put in jail for throwing a chair to a white girl. Later on, he was put in jail a second time because of fast driving. When he was on the school basketball team, he didn't like practicing and even laughed at his coach. Because of the troubles he had made, the NBA at first didn't want him.
He was a talented basketball player but with bad behavior. Allen realized that he wouldn't win any championship or be the top if he didn't change himself. He looked at himself in the mirror and asked, "Who is Allen Iverson?" In this way he changed himself. Over the years, he has changed and become a leader. "If you're getting older and not getting smarter, something is wrong," said Iverson. On November 6, he was named the Eastern Conference Players of the Week . Now he has become many people's idol. "I've become matured ," he said. " _ " | middle7863.txt |
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