questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A fridge"
},
"options": [
"A table",
"A fridge",
"A window",
"A billboard"
],
"question": "Which of the following can you choose to cover yourself during an earthquake?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"... | March 28 is China's National School Safety Day. Earthquakes happen all the time all around the world. It is necessary to know safety tips for earthquakes. Here is the Drop, Cover and Hold ways for personal safety during an earthquake.
DROP: Drop down to the floor.
COVER: Take cover under or beside a piece of furniture . Protect your head and neck with your arms. Stay away from windows, mirrors and tall furniture.
HOLD: If you take cover under or beside a piece of furniture, hold on to it until the ground stops shaking.
School tips
Stand beside a wall. This will protect you from falling things. Don't stand near windows or under lights.
Public area tips
When you are in a bookstore or shopping mall, get down beside the counters or in the corner. Protect your head with your arms or bag.
Stay away from big billboards .
Home tips
If you're in the kitchen, move away from the fridge and lights. When you leave, don't use the lift; take the stairs. | middle5906.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a doctor"
},
"options": [
"a doctor",
"a wife",
"a nurse",
"a husband"
],
"question": "This story is about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | In a small town, there lived a doctor. He was good and kind. He was ready to go and help people. People always went to him when they were ill.
Many years later, the doctor began to forget things. The people were afraid and little by little, they stopped going to him. The doctor saw his business wasn't as good as before. He thought, "Well, if I were the patients(people who don't feel well), I'd be afraid to go to me too. Maybe it's time for me to stop being a doctor. But if this town has no doctor, what will the people do when they become ill?"
His wife heard him talking to himself and said, "Why don't you find a young doctor _ ? Then people will have another good doctor to take care of them and I will get my husband back."
The doctor did as what his wife said. He found a very good young doctor to help the people. The doctor and his wife then had time to take long walks together, go dancing, go traveling and spend the rest of their days together. | middle7877.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Three."
},
"options": [
"Nine.",
"Six.",
"Three.",
"Two."
],
"question": "How many kids are interviewed about QQ?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text"... | What is your favourite English letter? Many of you may say Q. Why?Because so many of you chat with your friends on QQ. What do you like about QQ? What do you talk about? The CCTV reporter, Miss Wang, interviews three kids. Let's listen to what they say.
When do you chat on QQ? What do you talk about?
Lin Yuhan, Xi'an: On weekends. We talk about homework and chat with each other.
Tang Xuting, Shanghai: At weekends and when I don't have much homework. We exchange test answers and chat.
Yang Yuhang, Dalian: Our class goes online together at 4----6 pm on weekends. We complain about homework, chat and talk about computer games.
What do you put on your QQ blog ?
Lin: I put good articles I have found online on my blog. I also write articlesmyself. They are about funny things that have happened in my class.
Tang: I put pictures on my blog. Not my own photos, but pictures from myfavorite Japanese cartoons like Tennis Prince and Conan.
Yang: I put DV films on my blog. I shoot them during sports meetingsand school parties. The most popular one is about a dancing teacher. Itis so funny that everyone watches it.
How do you like QQ?
Lin: It's a good place for us to make a record of our lives, of both good timesand sad times.
Tang: My friends and I may not have time to chat at school. But we can doit on QQ. It's very helpful to our friendships.
Yang: If you chat with friends on the telephone, your parents sometimeslisten in on your conversation. There's no such problem with QQ. Youcan relax and talk freely. | middle1235.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "fifteen"
},
"options": [
"fifteen",
"sixteen",
"seventeen",
"eighteen"
],
"question": "Today Kate is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answe... | Kate lives in London with her parents. She is a schoolgirl. Today is Kate's birthday and she's fifteen years old. Her father's name is Smith. He works in a hospital. People think he is a good doctor. Kate's mother is a nurse. She is a very good nurse. Kate has two brothers and a sister, and they study in China. Her elder brother speaks Chinese very well and has many friends there. He is a college student. But her younger brother and sister are middle-school students. Both of them are studying Chinese very hard and want to be teachers of Chinese in their country . | middle979.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She can't find a right way to learn math well."
},
"options": [
"She has no time to study math.",
"She doesn't want to learn math.",
"She can't find a right way to learn math well.",
"She can't get good grades in the ex... | Dear Mary,
I'm sorry to hear that you didn't get good grades in math mid-term exam. And you said you spend a lot of time studying math. However, it is difficult for you to learn it well. I think you should find a right way to learn it. Here is my advice for you.
During the class
* Listen to the teacher and be sure to write down everything the teacher puts on the blackboard.
* If you don't understand a step or how to get the answer to the question, ask the teacher or a classmate for help right now.
* Underline key points while taking notes.
After the class
* Recopy each day's notes into a new notebook clearly.
* Do your homework every day carefully. And don't copy other students' homework.
* If a step is unclear or you don't know how to do it, ask for help soon. _
* Look for useful examples of how this kind of difficult problem is used in your textbook or other materials
Before exam
* Review all of your notes quickly and find out every missing problem at times.
* Work examples in the text each several times until you can do them quickly. This will help you improve the speed needed for the exam.
If you do as I said, I think you will get good grades in the final exam. Come on! Mary. | middle7644.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the air"
},
"options": [
"other plants",
"the air",
"the roots",
"other objects"
],
"question": "The air plant takes in moisture from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | The air plant has wonderful and amazing features. It takes in moisture from the air through its leaves.Although it is seen growing on another object or plant to support itself.
To prevent the roots from being too wet,avoid planting it in soil. Keep the roots in a well--ventilated environment. Air plants can grow well hanging from fishing lines. They can also be hung from seashells, teacups or even on wood.
Water the air plant once in a while. Simply let the water fall from the roots. The roots will take in the water for the air plant. The air plant can live between 0degCdeg and 51 degC. It does not need to be in the light all the time. However, sunlight(morning and evening only)helps it to reproduce faster. When it flowers,it turns a colorful pink, red or orange.At most 8 young plants can grow from the air plant.When these grow to half the size of the parent plant, simply pull them away gently from the parent plant and plant them in another place.
The lifespan of an air plant _ the care it gets and the environment it is placed in. Generally, all air plant can live for many years.
Because they are so beautiful and easy to take care of, air plants are excellent as birthday gifts or housewarming gifts. | middle5053.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Locusts can change their colors to protect themselves"
},
"options": [
"locusts are big animals",
"Locusts are easily found by birds",
"Locusts are dangerous to their enemies",
"Locusts can change their colors to protec... | Do you know why different animals or pests have their special colors? Colors in them seem to be mainly used to protect themselves.
Some birds like eating locusts , but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colors with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change into the same brown color as crops have. Some other pests whose colors are different form plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves for lives and appear only at night.
If you study the animals' life, you'll find the main use of colors is to protect themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be easily seen by hunters because their colors are much like the trees.
Colors are useful not only on the land, but also in the sea. A kind of fish in the sea can give out a kind of black liquid when the fish face danger. The liquid spreads over quickly, so they cannot be found by their enemies and can quickly swim away. That is why they live safely though they are not strong at all. | middle5735.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "rapidly"
},
"options": [
"slowly",
"carefully",
"rapidly",
"to change one's speed fast to slow"
],
"question": "A tale about fairies should be read _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | If you want to become a better reader, here are four important points to remember about rate or speed of reading:
First, knowing why you are reading and what you are reading to find out will often help you to know whether to read rapidly or slowly.
Second, some things should be read slowly. Examples are directions for making or doing something; arithmetic problems, science and history books. They are full of important information. You must read such things slowly to remember each important step and understand each idea.
Third, some things should be read rapidly. Examples are simple stories for enjoyment, news, letters from friends, items or bits of news from local or hometown paper, telling what is happening to friends and neighbors.
Fourth, in some of your readings, you must change your speed from fast to slow, and slow to fast, as you read. You'll need to read certain pages rapidly and then slow down and do more careful reading when you come to important ideas which should be remembered. | middle1553.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they fly here and there"
},
"options": [
"they can be found easily",
"they fly here and there",
"there are many kinds of them",
"they can fly"
],
"question": "We know mosquitoes very well because _ .",
"q... | We know the mosquito very well. Mosquitoes fly everywhere. They can be found almost all over the world, and there are more than 2,500 kinds of them.
No one likes the mosquito. But the mosquito may decide that she loves you. She? Yes,she. It's true that male mosquito doesn't bite and only the female mosquito bites because she needs blood to lay eggs. She is always looking for things or people she wants to bite. If she likes what she finds, she bites. But if she doesn't like your blood,she will turn to someone else for more delicious blood. Next time a mosquito bites you,just remember you are chosen. You're different from the others!
If the mosquito likes you,she lands on your body without letting you know. She bites you so quickly and quietly that you may not feel anything different. After she bites,you will have an itch on your body because she puts something from her mouth together with your blood. By the time the itching begins,and she has flown away.
And then what happens? Well,after her delicious dinner,the mosquito feels tired. She just wants to find a place to have a good rest. There,on a leaf or a wall, she begins to lay eggs,hundreds of eggs. | middle7136.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "10"
},
"options": [
"5",
"10",
"15",
"17"
],
"question": "At the age of _ , my father had to care for his brothers and sisters.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | Choose the best answer (,)
Suppose you are 17 and live alone with no money. Years ago, that was my dad. His father died when he was 10, and as the oldest of five, he had to take care of his brothers and sisters. When his mother remarried, my dad had to leave home. With few choices, he joined the army, and worked as hard as he could for a job, a nice house, and a family. Having a dad like him has made me different from other people; with his help and advice, I set and meet my goals.
When I wanted to play basketball, my dad said, "Don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't do." People thought I was too small to play, but he let me know I could. Looking back now, I know why my dad said this to me: it was something his father and mother never told him.
Time flew by. It was time for me to look for a job. A department store offered me a job as cart assistant. For the whole day, I pushed shopping carts. It was so cold that I couldn't move my hands. But my dad wouldn't let me give up, even though I wanted to. He kept saying it would get better, and he was right. I've worked there for a year now and I do much more than just push carts.
My dad helped me grow into the person I'm becoming. When I was younger, I was small. The other boys called me " _ Nicky". I hated it. I went to my dad for a help. He encouraged me and helped me make an exercise plan and I got to work.
In my life, there are different roads. My dad helped me get on the one I continue on today. I know I am just at the beginning. There will be difficulties. But there will always be my dad. Even when he is not physically here for me, his words won't leave my mind. | middle6228.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Sally."
},
"options": [
"Sally.",
"Jack.",
"Anna.",
"We don't know."
],
"question": "Who will do business if he / she gets five million?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | What will you do if you get five million ? Different people give different answers. Sally If I get five million, I want to do business. I will do a lot of things for my family. For me nothing is more important than my family. I will buy a new house for them and travel around the world.
Joe If I have five million, I will use the money to do everything I like. First, I will use two million to open my own shop. And I will use another two million to buy some new houses. In the future, the houses which I buy will become more expensive, and I will sell them to other people. Finally, I will use one million to buy some presents for my family and my best friends.
Anna If I have five million, I will put three million in the bank and spend two million. I will visit Paris, London and New York. I will eat delicious food, play games, and build a house with a swimming pool.
Jack I will buy an island if I have five million. Then I will be the king of the island. I will invite my friends to my island.
,. | middle1547.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "saving her students"
},
"options": [
"saving her students",
"waiting for a bus at a bus stop",
"waiting for a bus alone",
"taking a walk with her students"
],
"question": "Zhang Lili was hit and run over by a sc... | Zhang Lili, a Chinese language teacher at No.19 Middle School of Jiamusi in Heilongjiang Province, has recently been considered to be "the Most Beautiful Teacher" in China.
At 8:38 pm on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012, Zhang Lili and her several students were waiting for a bus at the school gate when suddenly a school bus lost control and rushed towards them. When she realized the danger, she pushed two students to safety, but she was hit and run over. The 29-year-old teacher lost her legs.
"She is a backbone teacher in our school. She works very hard," said the headteacher.
The heroic teacher was the most popular teacher among the students. "Her students love her a lot. Her room is always full of students when she is free," said another teacher.
Zhang Lili was also very _ . "My son has lost his father. Every month, Zhang secretly put 100 yuan in his desk from her own salary to support his studies," said a boy's mother, who was waiting outside the emergency room for hours to express how grateful she felt towards Zhang.
Two weeks later, Zhang Lili came out of her coma . She wrote a letter to her students, wishing them good luck on their entrance exams for high school. Her letter, 200 words long took her three days to write. | middle5721.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "About four hundred and thirty-five."
},
"options": [
"About four hundred and five.",
"About four hundred and thirty-five.",
"About four hundred and fifty-five.",
"About four hundred and forty-two."
],
"question"... | Do you know Open Farm Sunday? It is a new day in Britain. It is the fourth mayional open day for the farming industry .Now it is setting more and more popular among people, especially among young people.
It is said that about 435 farms opened their gates to the public. The farmers invited people to their farms. Many people help the farmers work on the farms. They can do many things over there,such as water the crops and gather the crops. People could find pleasure of farming.
Open Farm Sunday is a good chance to enjoy the life of countryside,especially for people living in the cities.If you come to the farm,you will fall in love with the country life.Here you can listen to the birds,enjoy the beautiful _ of countryside breathe the fresh air and watch the crops grow.You can also work with the farmers and taste the produce,such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
One farmer said,"Welcome children to our farms. We will show you where your food comes from." | middle2728.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Canada"
},
"options": [
"America",
"China",
"Canada",
"Canadian"
],
"question": "James Naismith came from _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answ... | James Naismith was a Canadian. He invented basketball in 1891. At that time. He was a P.E. teacher a Springfield College,. In the USA.. He invented an indoor game for his students so that they could play it even in bad weather.
Do you know how to score points in the game? Well, just put the ball into the other side's basket. You can throw the ball into the basket from any part if the court. And you can throw it with one hand or both hands. But you must follow the rules.
Now, over a century later,. More and more people play basketball ..In the USA. ,the NBA is very popular. People from all over the world like to watch and play basketball. They love this game.
,A, B, C, D,. (10) | middle1221.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he didn't have enough sleep"
},
"options": [
"he didn't have enough sleep",
"it wasn't time for him to get up",
"he didn't want to go to school",
"he wanted his mother to wake him up"
],
"question": "The 10-year... | Expert say that students usually need eight to ten hours' sleep at night, but most Chinese students do not get enough sleep. Some Chinese parents are usually glad to see their children studying late. They will think their children work very hard, but not all parents are happy about this. Once a mother told us tat every morning her 10-year-old boy put up one finger with his eyes still closed, begging for one more minute to sleep. Like thousands of students " early birds" in China, he has to get up before six every morning.
A report shows that without a good night's sleep, students seem to be weaker than they should be. Many students have fallen asleep during class at one time or another. Too much homework is not the only reason why students stay up late. Some watch TV or play the computer games late into the night.
Experts have ever said that the students should develop good study habits. So some clever students never study last, they are able to work well in class. | middle7888.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A great teaching plan."
},
"options": [
"A great teaching plan.",
"A new way of cooking rice.",
"A farming class for farmers.",
"A famous teacher from a small town."
],
"question": "What is the article about?",
... | Seven years ago, a small town in Changhua started to grow healthy rice. What surprised us was that the "farmers" were not really farmers. They were students from a small middle school. Now everything on the farm goes well. And there are stories behind rice, too.
The idea of growing rice came from the school teachers decided to teach students how to grow healthy rice on the school land . They wanted the students to be close to(......) the land and learn to help each other outside the classroom.
The students and the teachers ate the rice. The school made money by selling the rice and giving farming classes to the community. With the money, the school could help some students go to foreign countries some day.
Today _ comes true--the students are flying to Japan to share their special farming stories, and have fun over there, of course! "We all feel very happy that even students from a small town can make themselves stars," said one of the teachers. | middle7650.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "chocolates are bad for Tom's teeth"
},
"options": [
"Tom is a good boy",
"chocolates are bad for her teeth",
"chocolates are bad for Tom's teeth",
"Tom doesn't like chocolates"
],
"question": "Tom's mother think... | Tom likes chocolates very much,but his mother doesn't give him chocolates , because they're bad for his teeth,she thinks. But Tom has a very nice grandfather. The old man loves his grandson very much and sometimes he buys Tom some chocolates. Then his mother lets him eat them,because she wants to make the old man happy.
On Sunday evening,it is Tom's birthday. He says,"Please,God ,let them give me a big box of chocolates for my birthday."His mother says,"God can't hear you. Don't shout.""I know,"says the clever boy with a smile."But Grandfather is in the next room,and he can." | middle4371.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"two",
"four",
"three",
"one"
],
"question": "There are _ seasons in years in China.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"ans... | There are four seasons in a year in China. February, March, and April make the spring season. .May, June and July make the summer season. August, September and October make the autumn season.. November, December and January make the winter season..
Near the North Pole there are only two seasons. They are winter and summer. The nights in winter are very long. For more than two months you can't see the sun, even at noon. In summer the days are long. For more than two months the sun never sets, and there is no night.
In the tropics there are also two seasons: a rainy season and a dry season. | middle2700.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To say goodbye to his friend."
},
"options": [
"To give a gift to his friend.",
"To give a gift to his parents.",
"To say goodbye to his friend.",
"To say goodbye to his parents."
],
"question": "What did the pe... | A peacock and a tortoise were good friends. One day, a bird catcher caught the peacock and was going to sell him on the market. The peacock asked the bird catcher to allow him to say goodbye to his friend the tortoise. The bird catcher agreed.
The tortoise asked the bird catcher to let the peacock go, but he refused. The tortoise then said, "If I give you a nice gift, will you let my friend go?" "Certainly," answered the bird catcher.
So the tortoise jumped into the river and after some time, he came up with a big pearl . The bird catcher was so surprised. He was so happy that he let the peacock go.
A few days later, the bird catcher came back to the tortoise. He thought he didn't get enough for letting the peacock go. He told the tortoise that he would catch the peacock again unless he got another big pearl.
The tortoise knew his friend the peacock went to a safe place. "Well," said the tortoise, "please return the pearl that I gave you and I will come back with two."
The bird catcher thought for some time and gave the pearl to the tortoise. Then the tortoise swam away and said, "I am not so stupid to take one and give two!" The bird catcher could only stand by the river and feel sorry for being greedy . | middle7678.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "forty-seven"
},
"options": [
"thirty",
"about forty",
"forty-seven",
"37 years old"
],
"question": "When Clinton became the 42nd U.S.president, he was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Bill Clinton took office on January 20, 1993 and became the 42nd U.S.president .He is the first U.S.president who was born after World War II .He is also one of the youngest of all U. S. presidents.
Clinton was born in a poor family in 1946.Three months before he was born, his father, William Blats, died.When he was small, his mother remarried Norger Clinton, so the boy's family name was changed.
In the summer of 1963, Clinton was asked to visit the city of Washington.During his visit, he met President Kennedy in the White House.At that time, he wanted to become a president, and then, he was! | middle945.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It's Sue's."
},
"options": [
"It's Kate's.",
"It's Sue's.",
"It's Amy's.",
"It's Lily's."
],
"question": "Whose birthday is it?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Sue is an English girl. She is twelve years old today. She has a birthday party now. Her friends Amy, Lily and Kate come to her home.
Sue: Sit down and have a cup of tea.
Her friends: Thank you. Happy birthday, Sue!
Amy: Here is a cake for you. I'm sorry it's too small. The shop doesn't sell the big ones and Lily likes it very much.
Lily: Here is a card for you. Happy birthday to you, Sue!
Kate: Sue, this hat is my gift for you. Do you like it?
Sue: Thank you very much. I like all of your gifts for me. Let's sing and eat the cake.
A little dog on TV: Happy birthday! Do I smell birthday cake?
"Ha! Ha! Ha!" They jump with joy and begin the birthday party. Sue is blowing out the candles on the birthday cake. And all her friends are singing, "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday..." | middle6200.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "work in the garden and watch TV"
},
"options": [
"clean their rooms",
"cook their meals",
"work in the garden and watch TV",
"go fishing"
],
"question": "Some westerners like to _ at home during their vacati... | The westerners have more vacation days than us. Some people like to stay at home during their vacation. They work in the garden, visit their friends, read books or watch television. Many families take their lunch to a park or somewhere far from the city. They like to eat under some trees or near a nice lake. If they live near the sea, they often go to the seaside. There they can fish, swim or enjoy the sun.
The westerners like travelling. They think travelling and outdoor activities are the parts of their lives. They work hard to save money, but their main purpose is to travel.
Most western students often make use of their vacation to camp. There are thousands of camp interesting bases in western countries. They can swim, go fishing, attend lectures, and take part in many other recreational activities there. It can help them wrest from the secrets of nature, train their viability , and teach them how to be self-reliant . | middle2066.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "science"
},
"options": [
"science",
"English",
"Maths",
"music"
],
"question": "The mother doesn't like _ though it is important.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | My daughter Eyen is ten years old. She is in Grade Three in a primary school. She is a cute girl though she has some interesting ideas sometimes.
One day she asks me, "Mum, what is your favourite subject?" I think for a while and answer, "It is difficult to tell. I love singing, so music is my favorite. And I am good at English. My history teacher also says I am excellent. Well, I can say I don't like science. But science is important for us, you know. So you must do well in it. What is your favourite subject, Eyen? Tell me something about your subjects, dear."
"I like Chinese. It is easy. I like English because my English teacher likes me very much. I can't stand Maths. It is serious and sad."
"Do you mean your Maths teacher is serious and sad?"
"No, it is Maths, not the Maths teacher."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because Maths has so many problems ! Isn't it sad all day?" | middle5709.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "By selling all the apples on the apple tree."
},
"options": [
"By helping the apple tree.",
"By eating the apples.",
"By cutting the apple tree.",
"By selling all the apples on the apple tree."
],
"question": "H... | There is an apple tree, it loves a little boy, the boy also loves to come and play around it. One day, he needs a toy, but he has no money, so the tree asks him to sell all the apples. At last, the boy gets the toy happily. Then the boy grows up ,he becomes a man. But he doesn't go to see the tree for a long time. The tree is very sad. One summer day, the man returns and the tree is very happy "Come and play with me!" the tree says. "No, I have to work, because I must buy a big house. Can you help me?" the man asks." Sorry, I have no house, but you can cut all the brunches on me, you can _ the house with them ." the tree answers. So the man gets the house. After many years, the man becomes older, and he comes back again. "I only have the dying roots ,but you can have a remember to love your parents at any time! | middle4417.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "sunshine"
},
"options": [
"wood",
"food",
"sunshine",
"air"
],
"question": "Trees can't give man _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_tex... | We can see trees here and there. Trees are important in the world. They are useful to man in three important ways.
First, they give man food, wood and clean air. Trees give man food and they give many animals food, too. If there are no trees, many animals can't live. And it's not easy for man to live.
Second, trees can give us _ . On a hot summer day, children would like to relax under the shade of a tree after they play for a long time.
Third, trees can help to stop bad weather. But in many places , people cut down a lot of trees. And then the weather gets bad. | middle3378.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Rose"
},
"options": [
"Jane",
"Rose",
"Peter",
"Love"
],
"question": "Who is the e-mail from?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He... | Hi Jane,
I hope you and your family are all well. I'm e-mailing you to tell you about my new hobby, surfing.
My brother, Peter, is at home from college for the summer holiday. He is very good at surfing. We go to the beach every day and Peter teaches me to surf. I don't do well in it but it's fun. Most days we bring a picnic and stay on the beach all day. Surfing is a good exercise and an interesting way to get a suntan ! All my friends think it's a great new hobby.
Bye for now.
Love,
Rose | middle2072.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Watching soap operas."
},
"options": [
"Doing some brain games.",
"Eating dark chocolate.",
"Having cold meat for breakfast.",
"Watching soap operas."
],
"question": "According to the book, which of the followin... | Have you ever trained your brain ? Now there are some new suggestions, such as eating dark
chocolate and having cold meat for breakfast. You should also avoid watching soap operas, spending time with people who complain or follow fat-free diets, according to a new book on getting "brain-fit".
Many of the suggestions in Teach Yourself Training Your Brain are surprising. The book says to read out loud while holding a baby. Writers Terry Horne and Simon Wootton say their advice is from the latest research by experts around the world.
"For years we have thought our brain capability is decided by our genes . But it's now clear that it depends on our lifestyle. What we eat and drink, how we learn at school and what type of feelings we have are all important," said Horne.
The book talks about the most up-to-date thinking in science about how diet, the environment, stress and other sides of modern life affect our brain capacity. It also offers advice and exercises. _
Horne believes that people need to make changes to their lifestyles to increase their brain capacity Happiness, confidence and an optimistic nature help the brain, he added.
"So mix with people who make you laugh, or share the same interests as you. And avoid people who complain," said Horne. "People who are negative will make you sad, which means you won't achieve things." | middle4403.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "they want to design fashion clothes"
},
"options": [
"they want to design fashion clothes",
"they like your clothes",
"they want to buy the clothes you wear",
"your clothes are ugly"
],
"question": "Clothes desi... | Sheep always follow each other and never really think about where they are going. Perhaps fashion makes us into " _ ". Maybe we should find our own way and not follow the crowd. Everyone wants to wear top brand clothing. However, we should remember that clothes designers study what ordinary people wear on the street. Then they make clothes like ordinary people's for everyone. Therefore, fashion really starts with individual finding a new look. Then a company uses that look and then it becomes fashionable! That doesn't mean you will. That is to say, a model might look perfect in a shirt but that doesn't mean you will.
The same goes for mobile phones. Young people are always asking me when to change my mobile phones. Mobile phone companies are always putting new functions on their phones but do we really need all these extra functions? I use my phone to call people and to send messages to my friends. I don't need a camera, Internet surfing or a calendar on my phone. Again, if you buy the latest phone, it will only be the latest phone for a month or so. Then something new will come out and you'll be unfashionable again. You can't keep up with fashion all the time, so you don't need to follow the fashion. | middle6214.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "usually works for his family"
},
"options": [
"is short with brown hair",
"likes sports and music",
"usually works for his family",
"gets a present every week"
],
"question": "From the passage, we know David _... | David is a twelve-year-old boy. He is tall and strong with short blond hair. He likes sports and reading. Every week David gets ten dollars from his parents. This money is his weekly pocket money. It's not a present. David must work for the family to get the money.
On Monday, David must sweep the floor and walk the dog after he finishes his homework. On Tuesday, David must take out the rubbish bags in the morning and clean the garden after school. On Wednesday, he should wash the dishes and clean the kitchen after dinner. On Thursday, he helps his mother do some cooking. Sometimes he has to go to the supermarket to buy some food and drinks. On Friday, he should water (...... ) the flowers in the garden after school. On Saturday and Sunday, David doesn't need to do the housework, so he goes to the cinema with his classmates or does some shopping in the shopping mall.
David wants to buy a new football, but he doesn't have enough money. He is looking forward to getting more pocket money. | middle6572.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "tell us a truth about our lives"
},
"options": [
"tell us a truth about our lives",
"tell us what life was like before",
"show why such a thing happened",
"show that we face big problems"
],
"question": "The wri... | "Life is speeding up . Everyone is getting unwell." This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an unknown person wrote it.
Inventions can change our lives. But have all these things really improved our lives? Imagine this. You're doing your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings and the noise from the television is getting louder and louder. Suddenly the computer is turned off and you lose all your work. How do you feel? Inventions have speeded up our lives, but they often leave us feeling tired.
One family in England went "back in time" to see what life was like without these inventions. The grandparents, with their daughter and grandsons Ben 10 and Tom 7, spent nine weeks in an old house. They had no computers or mobile phones. The grandmother, Linda, said, "The more things you have, the harder life becomes." And Ben also noticed that his grandmother had changed. She cooked delicious food for them!
,. | middle951.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "tell us a truth about our lives"
},
"options": [
"tell us a truth about our lives",
"tell us what life was like long time ago",
"point out what causes such a thing to happen",
"point out some problems we will meet in th... | "Life is speeding up. Everyone is getting unwell."
This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an unknown person who lived in Rome in AD 53 wrote it.
We all love new inventions. They are exciting, amazing and can even change our lives. But have all these developments really improved the quality of our lives?
Picture this. You're rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings, a QQ message from your friend appears on the screen, the noise from the television is getting louder and louder. Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work. Now you have to stay up all night to get it done. How happy do you feel?
Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave up feeling stressed and tired. Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have no telephones, no cars, not even any electricity often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they live simpler lives.
One family in the UK went "back in time" to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today. The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10 and Thomas, 7, spent nine weeks in a 1940s house. They had no washing machine, microwave , computer or mobile phones.
The grandmother, Lyn, said, "The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes." The boys said they fought less. Probably, they said, because there was less to fight over, such as their computer. Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had changed from being a "trendy , beer-drinking granny", to one who cooked things. | middle2714.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "sunlight and water"
},
"options": [
"sunlight and water",
"glucose and energy",
"water and CO2",
"sunlight and CO2"
],
"question": "The leaves turn yellow because they are short of _ .",
"question_type":... | Do you want to know how and why a fall leaf changes color? We first have to understand what leaves are and what they do.
Leaves are the world's food factories. Plants take water from the ground through their roots and take CO2from the air. Plants use sunlight to turn water and CO2into glucose , a kind of sugar. Plants use it as food for energy and growing.
A chemical called _ in the leaves gives plants their green colour. As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter, and trees "know" to begin getting ready for winter.
During winter, there is not enough sunlight or water. Trees rest during this time and live on the food they store during the summer. They begin to shut down their food-making factories. As the green chlorophyll disappears from the leaves, we begin to see yellow and orange leaves.
The bright reds and purples we see in leaves are made mostly in autumn. In some trees, like maples , sunlight and the cool nights of autumn turn the glucose in the leaves into a red colour. And we can enjoy the beautiful red leaves during autumn. | middle4832.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "went to college at an old age"
},
"options": [
"went to college at an old age",
"became a professor later",
"once worked in a hospital",
"died before college graduation"
],
"question": "From the passage, we can ... | The first day of school, our professor introduced an old lady Rose to us.
"Why are you in college at such an age?" I asked her. She replied, "I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" We became friends quickly.
At the end of the term I invited Rose to make a speech to our football team. I'll never forget what she taught us. She said, "There are some secrets of staying young and being happy. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You must have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you will die. There is a huge difference between growing old and growing up. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't need any _ or ability. To grow up, you must always find the opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The people who are afraid of death are those with regrets."
At the end of the year, Rose finished her college. One week after graduation, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. We would always remember the great woman. | middle3185.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he didn't want the kids to get cold"
},
"options": [
"he was in a hurry",
"he forgot to do it",
"he didn't want the kids to get cold",
"he thought he would be back in a minute"
],
"question": "Why didn't the dri... | A primary school bus driver stopped the bus in a gas station in Ohio because he had to use the bathroom. Instead of turning off the engine and taking the key with him, the driver left the bus running. And he forgot to set the brake because he was in a hurry. "It was cold outside, and I didn't want the kids to get cold while I was using the bathroom," he told a police officer.
The bus slowly started moving away from the gas station. As the bus picked up speed, the kids began shouting and crying. Ten-year-old Jake ran forward to the driver's seat and held the steering wheel . He pressed hard on the brake pedal and managed to stop the bus as it came nearer to a river bed. Jake turned off the engine at last. After the police arrived at the scene, they praised Jake for his great effort.
"That is one cool kid," said the police officer. "I told him he would make a great police officer when he grew up."
Jake wasn't impressed with what he had done. "Stopping the bus," he said, "was easy compared to playing Grand Theft Auto III," his favorite action video game. The bus driver was taken to the police station. He was at first charged with "leaving a child alone while motor is running." The lawyer said he hoped to _ the charge because of the number of children (twenty) on the bus.
"Whatever he is charged with," the police officer said, "I will see that he never drives a bus again." | middle1792.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "For eight hours."
},
"options": [
"For four hours",
"For six hours",
"For eight hours.",
"For ten hours"
],
"question": "How long can we read books on Monday in the library?",
"question_type": "factiod_quest... | New Library Rules
1. Open time: 8:30am.-4:30pm. From Monday to Friday. 2. No talking.
3. No eating any food. 4. No listening to music. 5. No taking photos.
6. No taking books out if you don't ask the people here.
7. Keep the library books for only one week.
8. Give the books back on time. 9. Renew books on time.
10. Pay for the lost books. | middle6943.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "More money should be paid a you live in host families in city center."
},
"options": [
"Learning languages at school is much better than that in homestays.",
"All the homestay family members used to be good teachers in the past",
... | Most students , who are learning a foreign language . like to choose Homestay when they 6tudy abroad. Others also prefer homestay even if they go on a visit or a holiday in another country. Presently, homestay has become a form of accommodation( ) which is very popular all around the world. If you want to stay at a comfortable and home-like house and experience the life of local people, you can book a homestay on the Internet before you go abroad. It is easy for you to pick out a host family that you want to live with from all over the world. So what is homestay? And what makes it so popular nowadays? Homestay means living with a foreign family or "host family" as we 8tay abroad. It is usually called a home away home. There are three ways of doing it :
Choose to learn English in a language school near your homestay where you live ;
Have your English classes in the house with a member of family who is a qualified teacher;
Don't have any classes at all when you visit a foreign country-a popular choice if you want to be a tourist far example. Even in the busy summer period the organization that provides the homestays will always try to place you with the most suitable host family to meet your needs. With the help of the or organizations. you don't worry about where you live, your interests, your language level. eating habits. medical care and anything else you may have during the homestay.
Though the price of homestay is ,mainly depended on your needs, high- quality homestay accommodation can be relatively economical . And if you want your homestay in or near the city center, you may pay for an extra amount of money. Even if you 8tay further out. you can expect your journey into the center not to Go beyond 30 minutes.
Not only does homestay accommodation represent value for money, it also gives you an excellent opportunity to practise the foreign language with your host family. This is a very important extra for students who like t0 8peak as much language as possible. Bui if you plan io learn English . why not have your English classes in your host family? There's no better way to learn languages than this because it makes learning and accommodation together as well as the cultural experience ! | middle7485.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The Grey."
},
"options": [
"Brave.",
"The Grey.",
"Chimpanzee.",
"Mirror Mirror."
],
"question": "Which movie lasts the longest time?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | Brave
Type: 3D cartoon Comedy Running time: 95 minutes
Merida, a princess, refused to marry a person that she dislikes. This causes trouble for her family and the whole country. Merida turns to a witch for help. In doing so, her family and the country are in danger. Merida must save her family and the country before it is too late.
The Grey
Type: Action Running time: 117 minutes
The Grey is based on the short story "Ghost Walker" written by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers. It's about a number of oil men who are in trouble in Alaska after a plane crash . They have to fight against grey wolves that threaten their lives.
Mirror Mirror
Type: Comedy Running time: 106 minutes
You must know the story of Snow White. Would you like to see this story again? Come to see Mirror Mirror. It's a comedy about Snow White. Lily Collins and Julia Roberts are the main actresses in this interesting movie.
Chimpanzee
Type: Documentary Running time: 78 minutes
This movie is directed by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield. It's a 2012 nature documentary film about a young chimpanzee named Oscar. He is alone in the African forests until he is raised by another chimpanzee. The chimpanzee takes care of Oscar like his own child. | middle5292.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "No, she doesn't"
},
"options": [
"Yes, she does",
"Yes, she has",
"No, she doesn't",
"No, she hasn't"
],
"question": "Does the girl have any friends at the new school?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | A girl comes back from school. She doesn't look happy. Her grandma asks,"What's wrong, my girl?"
"Everything is wrong. The new school is far from home. I don't have any friends at the new school. I can't answer the teachers' questions in class. I don't like the school lunch," the girl answers.
Grandma smiles and says, "Don't be sad, my girl. Would you like something to eat?"
"Good. What can I have?" the girl becomes happy.
"Here, have some cooking oil ."
"No, I can't eat that."
"What about some raw eggs?"
"No. Nobody eats raw eggs."
"Would you like some _ then?"
"Grandma, I can't eat these things."
"Then what about a cake?"
"Good. I like that."
"Cooking oil, raw eggs and flour are not nice to eat. But when you put them together in the right way and bake them, they will make a wonderful cake. Life is just like baking a cake." | middle4198.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "mobile phones"
},
"options": [
"electric lights",
"mirror technologies",
"mobile phones",
"shopping programs"
],
"question": "According to the passage,nowadays a smart home can lock the door through _ .",
... | When you're not at home,many worries may start to crowd your mind.Did I turn the coffee maker off?Did I lock the door?Are the kids doing their homework or watching television?With a smart home,you can quiet all of these worries.
A smart home is a home with a communication network.This network connects devices ,such as lights and TV sets,and allows them to be controlled from far away through electrical wiring,mobile phone communication or WiFi over the internet.
More and more people may start to consider owning a smart home,because it makes life much more convenient.It can help keep your room at a certain temperature.It can record what happens inside the home and send the video to your phone.When you are on vacation abroad,you can use a smart home controller to switch on or off the electricity when necessary.Some smart homes can receive a visitor,allowing him to come in and offering him a drink.They can even feed the cat and water the plants.
Besides,smart homes are easy to fix.Most smart home technology and devices are wireless and can be set up with a minimum of tools,using only the guiding information.When a problem appears,you can deal with it yourself without paying a professional.
However,for home-users,the smart home technology is far from perfect.It can be rather expensive to own the technology and the devices.Also,because the smart home system allow its owner to get home information from anywhere,it leaves the home easy to be attacked by hackers ,who may secretly use or change the information in the system.
Now,many scientists are excited at the future of smart home technology.Imagine being able to get fashion advice from your mirror,or receive food shopping suggestions from your refrigerator.While there are others who worry that those smart devices will make people lazier and lonelier.Whatever it is,one thing is for sure---smart home technology will change the way we live and work. | middle5286.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "girls have entered colleges"
},
"options": [
"boys are cleverer than girls",
"boys can't go to school",
"girls have entered colleges",
"girls begin to study at school"
],
"question": "China Youth says that more ... | China Youth says that more and more girl students have entered colleges to study in recent few years. As we know, once the number of boys was larger than that of girls, and the boys did much better than girls in our country for a long time. Now things have changed a lot.
In recent years, the proportion of girl students is growing fast. In 1998, about 39.7% of college students were girls. In 2000, it was 41.07% and in 2001, the number was 42.14%.
There are several reasons for this.
Firstly, there is little difference between boys and girls in their intelligence . That's to say, girls are as clever as boys. And boys have more interests than girls, so they may not do well in their study.
Secondly, girls are more careful and more sensible than boys. They work harder at school and they do better in all exams.
Another reason is that with the development of society, people pay more and more attention to girls' education. | middle574.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because he wanted Corky to be patient."
},
"options": [
"Because he didn't feel well.",
"Because he wanted Corky to leave.",
"Because he wanted Corky to be patient.",
"Because he thought Corky needed a good rest."
]... | Corky was a brave young man and he dreamed of becoming the best fighter in the world.
To become stronger and get better fighting skills, he went to many schools. One day, he went to the best school in the world. Before entering the gate, he was made to hand in all his weapons .
"You won't need those any more. Here you'll get better ones," said the guard. Corky handed his weapons to him. A serious old teacher took Corky to his room. Before he left, he said to Corky, "In a hundred days the training will start." A hundred days! At first Corky thought that was a joke, but he soon realized the old teacher had been serious. Corky felt nervous during the first days and he tried many ways to try to get the teacher to start the training. However, it didn't work. At last Corky waited patiently and enjoyed each day in the school.
"You've already learned how to use your main weapon - patience," said the old teacher. Corky could hardly believe it, but he really understood that the teacher was right. Finally, the lesson began. "Now it's time to learn how to win every fight," said the old teacher. That sounded good to Corky until he found himself tied hand and foot. Many villagers tried to hit him because they were told that Corky was a dangerous man. The same thing was repeated for days, and Corky knew he had to do something. He realized that the only way would be to deal with the villagers' anger . In the following days, Corky kept talking to them until he managed to make them believe that he was not an enemy. In the end, the villagers made friends with Corky.
Finally, Corky knew what the most powerful weapon was. He said thanks to the teacher and left. | middle6957.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because they ate too much."
},
"options": [
"Because they ate too much.",
"Because they were too hungry.",
"Because Simon didn't like them.",
"Because Simon didn't change water."
],
"question": "Why did the gold... | Daniel: Hi, Simon. How are you these days?
Simon: Not bad. But I just feel a little sad.
Daniel: What's wrong?
Simon: You see, I bought some goldfish last week. But now they all die.
Daniel: I'm afraid you forgot to change water for them.
Simon: No. I just gave them a lot to eat. I think they like eating.
Daniel: Oh,I see. It's the food that killed your goldfish. You know goldfish can only remember things for 3 seconds.
Simon: So what?
Daniel: So they always forget they have already eaten food. They just keep eating if you feed them.
Simon: You mean my goldfish die of eating too much?
Daniel: That's right.
Simon: Oh,my poor goldfish.
Daniel: Don't be sad. Why not have a cat or a dog as your pet?
Simon: Oh, no. I don't like them. Cats and dogs always make much noise and they will make my room dirty. Besides that I should take good care of them.
Daniel: Well,why don't you try an e-pet? It's modern and cute. And it's easy to look after because they don't need food and water. The most important thing is that you can control it freely.
Simon: That's good! I want to have an e-pet.
Daniel: That will cost you a lot of money.
Simon: Oh, my God! I think I will just have it in my dream. | middle7491.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "scared"
},
"options": [
"scared",
"happy",
"proud",
"comfortable"
],
"question": "The dewdrop became _ as it started to move towards the edge of the leaf.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | As the sun rose, a dewdrop woke up. There it sat on a leaf, catching the sunlight. Proud of its simple beauty, it was very happy. Around it were other dewdrops, some on the same leaf and some on other leaves. The dewdrop was sure that it was the best, the most special dewdrop of them all.
Ah, it was good to be a dewdrop.
The wind blew and the plant began to shake, tipping the leaf. The dewdrop became frightened as it started to move towards the edge of the leaf. Why was this happening? Things were comfortable. Things were safe. Why did they have to change? Why? Why?
The dewdrop reached the edge of the leaf. It was sure that this was the end. The day had only just begun and the end had come so quickly. It seemed so unfair. It seemed so meaningless. It tried hard to do whatever it could to stay on the leaf, but it was no use.
Finally, it fell. Below there was a mirror. A reflection of the dewdrop seemed to be coming up to meet it. Closer and closer they came together until finally.., the small dewdrop became a part of the great pond . Now the dewdrop was no more, but it was not destroyed.
It had become one with the whole. | middle212.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "was of similar size"
},
"options": [
"1ooked like an animal",
"1oved games",
"was of similar size",
"was good at sports"
],
"question": "The writer thought Amery \"a fair game\" because the boy _ .",
"ques... | I first went to Harrow in the summer term.The school had the biggest swimming pool I had ever seen.It was a good joke to come up behind a naked boy, and push him out the pool. I made quite a habit of this with boys of my own size or 1ess.
0ne day I saw a boy wrapped in a towel on the side of the poo1.He was no bigger than 1 was,so I thought him _ .Coming secretly behind,I pushed him in,holding on to his towel so that it would not get wet.1 was surprised to see an angry face come out from the water, and being of great strength making its way by face strokes to the shore.I fled,but didn't succeed.He overtook me,pulled me hard,and threw me into the deepest part of the poo1.I soon climbed out on the other side,and found myself surrounded by a crowd of younger boys."Do you know what you have done? " They said."It's Amery:heis in Grade Six.He is champion at gym.he has won his football award."
1 was frightened and felt ashamed.How could I tell his position when he was wrapped in a bath towel and so small.He didn't seem pleased at all.so I added in a most brilliant word."My father.who is a great man.is also small."At this be laughed,and after some general words about my rude behavior and how I had better be careful in the future,expressed all was over. | middle4826.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In the last century the USA introduced many new crazes."
},
"options": [
"All crazes in the world come and go quickly.",
"Skateboards are not allowed in most areas of America.",
"In the last century the USA introduced many ne... | When something becomes fashionable very quickly , we say that it's a "craze". The latest craze is sometimes a style of clothes or a hairstyle. Sometimes it is a game or a TV programme.
In the 20thcentury a lot of crazes started in the USA and then became popular in the USA andthen became popular in other parts of the world. American youth culture has spread through tourism , TV , films, magazines and music videos.
One of the biggest crazes was the hula hoop . Hula hoops are not popular now, but in the1950s they were a _ . An American company called Wham-O started to make plastic hoops toys, and in the USA the company sold 100 million hoops in a year.
Frisbees were another Wham-O product . Some people say that the idea
started in the factory of the Frisbee Baking Company in Connecticut. Workers there threw metal pans to each other during their breaks. Two businessmen made a plastic type of the flying pans, and sold their products to Wham-O. They became a big business.
So businesses usually help to produce a craze. Yoyos were another example. In the Philippines, where its name means "comeback", the yoyo was a popular toy in the 1920s. But it didn't become a global craze until an American called Donald Duncan bought the idea and sold it to the world. Around 100 million people bought yoyos in 1962 and 1963.
Most crazes come and go, but sometimes they survive. When the big skateboard started in California in 1965, many parents and governments said that the boards were dangerous, and they were not allowed in some areas. But the boards became popular again and they are still an important part of youth culture today. | middle3191.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "5"
},
"options": [
"2",
"3",
"4",
"5"
],
"question": "_ people in the family went to Disneyland.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": ... | When my two children were young, we took a trip to Disneyland with their grandma. Although the park is about an hour car ride from our home, we decided to spend the night in a hotel, so we could spend more time in the park. In the evening, the famous Disneyland Parade started. My husband took our daughter and ran to have a look, leaving me with grandma and our son who was in a stroller .
Because I am short, and grandma is shorter, we couldn't see them, and didn't know where they were. Grandma decided to find them. I told her not to, because I didn't want to lose her. But she walked off, and was soon lost. I made my way to the exit , because I thought everyone would get there, and they did. Then we waited for the hotel bus ----it never came. So we called them. They told us that there was something wrong with their bus, and that we have to take a taxi. We finally got back to our hotel.
Today when I think of Disneyland, I think of that day. | middle1976.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Be careful of unhealthy drinks."
},
"options": [
"Energy drinks keep us awake.",
"Cola is bad for our bones.",
"Energy drinks can be very helpful.",
"Be careful of unhealthy drinks."
],
"question": "What does th... | Bad teeth, a heavier body? And now, weaker bones. Last week, American scientists found another bad thing about cola: It's bad for our bones, especially women's bones.
Well, if cola is bad for us, you may want other popular drinks , for example, energy drinks . Energy drinks look cool. Their makers say they give you energy and make you better at sports. So, many students drink them before exams to help them stay awake.
But wait. To keep you awake, most energy drinks have a lot of caffeine . They are like a strong cup of coffee or tea. If you drink a lot of them, your heart will beat faster. You will feel nervous . You could also have sleeping problems and find it hard to live without them.
Amanda Smith is a 16-year-old US junior high school student. She drinks one or more energy drinks every day. She started to do this a year ago before dance class. But now, Smith says, "I drink them whenever I feel weak or before a test. I cannot help drinking them."
The energy you get from the drinks helps for only a short time. You may feel good for an hour or so, but then you'll feel worse than before. | middle3807.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They didn't get their tickets."
},
"options": [
"They didn't join the QQ group.",
"They didn't search the Internet.",
"They didn't find the order number.",
"They didn't get their tickets."
],
"question": "What h... | Hundreds of people did not get their train tickets through the online train ticketing service after paying the money.
The China Railway Customer Service Center said that it would try to solve the problem and return the money in 15 working days.
The service center said changes would be made to the online booking system which limited each purchase which is finished in 30 minutes. Many people said that they failed to book tickets because of the time limit in purchase.
People who paid without getting their tickets have formed groups on QQ. As many as 400 people had joined the QQ group by Thursday and the group continues to grow.
The ticket buyers said their money had been returned through online banks but they didn't get confirmation from the online booking system.
They are afraid that they will not be able to get refunds because they don't have the order number given to those who have succeeded in booking. People also said they were unable to inquire through the booking hotline 12306, because it is almost always busy.
The China Railway Customer Service Center Website suggested that the online banks didn't return the payment information to the online booking system because of network problems.
The online railway booking service was made by the Ministry of Railways on Dec. 21, in order that people can easily buy train tickets during the Spring Festival. | middle3813.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A popular singing show."
},
"options": [
"A popular singing show.",
"A popular story",
"A popular movie",
"A popular song."
],
"question": "What is Don't Forget the Lyrics?",
"question_type": "factiod_questi... | What do you think of singing? If you love it, you will like the TV show Don't Forget the Lyrics. It is a popular singing show in America. This program started from July 11th, 2007.
So how does this new singing show work? The _ need to have much knowledge of lyrics. In the show, the contestants have to sing the songs with right lyrics. When he finishes a song with wrong lyrics, he can't sing again. If he finishes all ten songs with right lyrics, he is the winner and he can get a very good prize.
You may say, "I can't sing well, but I remember many lyrics of beautiful songs. Can I join it?"
Don't worry!
The show says, "You don't have to sing it well. You just have to sing it right." Every music lover can join it. | middle1962.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Four"
},
"options": [
"Three",
"Four",
"Five",
"Six"
],
"question": "How many places of interest are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | In April, 2013, I visited Yangzhou.
Ge Garden is very beautiful and peaceful. The ticket has a map on the back of it that I didn't noticed until I had already left. But to be honest, I don't think that map is very useful because it isn't very clear an tailed. In my opinion, it's better to improve it. Compared with He Garden, the map on the back of the ticket for He Garden is much clearer, more detailed and more useful. However, in the room that has the picture of the family members, there is only Chinese, no English, so my advice is to add English in interesting places. I got lost in the Slender West Lake. I spent about 30 minutes just trying to get out of one area. I think they need more signs posted along the trails. I like the Slender West Lake best, as she is so pretty! The ladies that were sweeping were very sweet. They always smiled at me and said hello, so it was nice.
Taking a taxi is the most efficient and quickest way to get around Yangzhou. I didn't have a problem getting to the places which I'd like to go to while using a taxi. The driver was very friendly. The fare isn't too high, either. But I didn't enjoy taking the bus. The bus ride to the Mastixia Bay took long although I only had to pay one yuan. It was also hard finding where Bus 32 was. I tried asking some people in English but they couldn't understand me, so I had to ask in simple Chinese that I only know buy that still didn't work. I spent about one hour walking around the city to look for Bus 32. The tricycle was nice, but it was a little too expensive for a small distance. Maybe I was _ by the guy who rode for me, but it was an enjoyable ride. I felt like I was part of the garden city more.
Over all I am satisfied with Yangzhou and will recommend it to others. | middle1751.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "does hurt us"
},
"options": [
"holds us back",
"forgets us",
"doesn't like us",
"does hurt us"
],
"question": "According to the passage, we might get angry when someone _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | Is there someone you hate? Well, maybe you don't really hate them. But
you get really angry every time you think of them. If you don't let this anger go, it can turn into bitterness
Bitterness appears when we can't forgive someone who has hurt us or made us angry. Someone might say or do something that hurts us. But Instead of controlling the anger, we keep it deep inside. Before long, a bitter feeling begins to grow. We may think we're hurting that person by criticizing him or her often, but we're really only hurting ourselves.
Bitterness can not only lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, but also hurt our relationships with friends and family members. No one enjoys being around an anger person for very long.
If you see bitterness in your life, here are some ways to deal with it.
Accept it
Instead of trying to
your anger, make it clear to yourself and accept it. See your anger for what it is and quickly deal with it.
Stop making excuses for it
You may feel you have a right to be anger. You may think you're right and the other person is wrong. You may even secretly enjoy making the other person look bad. But in the end, bitterness hurts you much more than the other person. The bitterness will hold you back, and the other person will go on with his or her life.
Forgive and forget it
You probably can't completely put the anger out of your mind. But you can decide to forgive the other person. Forget it and move on. You'll enjoy better health and peace of mind.
,, | middle8013.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "In 2012."
},
"options": [
"In 2002.",
"In 2008.",
"In 2007.",
"In 2012."
],
"question": "When did the scientists make sure they found a new species of monkey?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | The animal kingdom has a new member. On September 12, 2012, researchers made a report to the world that they discovered a new species of monkey. It is called the lesula. And it is only the second monkey species discovered in 28 years.
Scientists first saw the lesula in June, 2007 in Congo, a country in Africa. The lesula lives in the rain forests. The monkey was first found as a pet in a local family. When researchers found it, the family told them that they caught the monkey in the wild and then kept it as a pet.
The scientists have compared the lesula to the owl-faced monkey. The owl-faced monkey gets its name for having a long nose and a face that looks like an owl . The lesula and the owl-faced monkey are similar in size and both have a stripe on their nose. This shows the lesula and the owl-faced monkeys are close relatives, but different species. Scientists say the lesula usually weighs about twelve pounds. It has long blond hair. It eats like a vegetarian .
Scientists say it is important to protect African rain forests because there may be other new species like lesula to be discovered in the future. | middle4629.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the traffic goes on the left"
},
"options": [
"you'd better go by bus",
"the traffic goes on the left",
"the streets are very busy",
"there are many cars and buses on the road"
],
"question": "When you are in En... | In England, traffic keeps on the left.Cars, buses and bikes all move on the left side of the road.But the traffic keeps on the right in China.So when you are in England, you must be very careful in the street.Before you cross a street you must stop and look both ways.Look right and look left and look right again.If the traffic lights are red, the traffic must stop.Then the people on foot can cross the road.If the traffic lights are green, the traffic can go.People on foot mustn't cross.
In the morning and in the evening, when people go to or come back from work, the streets are very busy.Traffic is very dangerous .
When you go by bus in England, you have to be careful, too.Always remember the traffic moves on the left.If you don't have a look first, you will go the wrong way.
In many English cities, there are big buses with two floors.You can sit on the second floor.From there you can see the city very well.It's very interesting.
,. | middle5537.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They do their homework."
},
"options": [
"They get a good rest.",
"They get a nap.",
"They chat with each other.",
"They do their homework."
],
"question": "What do many of Lin Dehua's classmates do after lunch ... | Lin Dehua, boy, 13
School should make our lunchtime longer. Now, our lunchtime is short. Many of my classmates have some homework to do after lunch . But if they do not get a good rest, they won't have enough energy for the afternoon. So I would like to have some time to take a nap after lunch . That way we will learn well in the afternoon.
Zhang Huilin, girl,13
Food in our dining hall is not nice at all. There is always pork, fish, and cabbages. The soup is always cold. I think we should have different kinds of food every day. And why can't we have hot soup every day ? I am _ what we eat !
Zheng Chuyu, boy,14
We want more time for sports activities. Students all need time for ball games. But there are only two hours for us to play ball games a week. I think school should be over before 4.30 p.m. every day and then we can go to the playground. I like badminton. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy ! | middle2258.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "We should thank them gratefully in return"
},
"options": [
"We should thank them gratefully in return",
"We should do nothing",
"We just go away at once",
"We should give them money"
],
"question": "According to... | There is an old Chinese saying, " _ That means if someone helps you a bit, you should remember it and thank them gratefully in return.
We should live in a world of gratitude. We should prove it with actions, not just words. We thank people who hurt us, because they teach us important things. We thank people who give us up, because we learn how to be independent. We thank people who selfish ,because we learn the importance of being kind. Of course, we should thank people who help us. We should thank people who teach us. We should thank people who care about us.
We thank our parents. They work hard all the time in order to give their sons and daughters a better life. They cook meals for us, they do the chores for us, they always give us food and clothes, they teach us what is right and what is wrong.
We thank our teachers who give us dreams. They teach us a lot of things but they ask for nothing from us. We are well-educated of them.
There are a lot of people that we should be grateful to in our life. We should find a way to thank them. | middle5251.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "learn things quickly and remember them easily"
},
"options": [
"learn things quickly and remember them easily",
"do things quickly and remember them easily",
"read books quickly before forget them easily",
"write words ... | All students need to have good study habits .When you have good study habits, you will learn things quickly and also remember them easily. Do you like to study in the living room? This is not a good place because it is usually too noisy. You need to study in a quiet place, like your bedroom. A quiet place will help you only think about one thing. When you study, don,t think about other things at the same time. Only think about your homework. If you do so, you will do your homework more quickly , and you will make fewer mistakes.
Good study habits are very important. If you do not have them, try to learn them. If your study habits are already good, try to make them better. | middle6980.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It smells the new place."
},
"options": [
"It travels a long way.",
"It smells the new place.",
"It finds its way in the dark",
"It follows something it knows."
],
"question": "What is the first thing a pet does... | How does a young dog or cat get to know a new home? The animal uses its nose. Right away it smells its new places. Then it makes wider and wider circles, smelling all the time. Before long it can find its way home very well, even in the dark. It simply follows something it knows well.
Stories happen about animals who found their way across land they had never smelled before. Take the case of Smoky, a small white cat. Smoky had some funny red hair around its right ear. One day Smoky and his owner began a long journey. They were moving from Oklahoma to Tennessee. When they were just eighteen miles from their Oklahoma home, Smoky jumped out of the car. Then he found his way back to the old house. There he _ around outside for many days. Finally he disappeared.
A year later Smoky meowed at the door of a house in Tennessee. A man opened the door. "Is that you, Smoky?" he said in surprise. At first he couldn't believe it. Then he saw the red hair around its right ear. It was Smoky! | middle7446.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Four"
},
"options": [
"Three",
"Four",
"Five",
"Six"
],
"question": "_ pieces of advice about learning are mentioned in this passage.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | No one knew how to study when he or she was born. You need to learn to do some things first. Then it will be easy for you to learn and do well in class.
Pay Attention in Class
Paying attention is good for learning. It can help you know what your teacher says, and it will help you learn more and faster.
Take Good Notes
Taking good notes can make it easier to study. Be sure to write down all the important things that your teacher says or writes on the blackboard, and then read them after class.
Plan Ahead
Don't study on Thursday night for Friday's test . Planning ahead can help you get good points. You can plan what to do and how much to do each day.
Ask For Help
What should you do if you are _ about something? Be sure to ask your teacher for help. You can also ask some other people, like your classmates and your mom or dad.[:Zxxk.Com] | middle6758.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "after summer"
},
"options": [
"in spring",
"before autumn",
"in the winter",
"after summer"
],
"question": "Canda geese have to flly south _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Canada geese are large blue and white birds .When autumn arrives ,they have to fly south where the weather is warmer .The winters are so cold in Canada that the birds will die if they stay there .
Last spring ,Bill Lishman found sixteen young Canada geese on his farm "They had lost their parents , "Bill thought . "These young birds won't know what to do in the autumn .
Bill had a small plane and he decided to teach the birds to follow him .All through the summer ,he went on short trips in his plane and the young geese flew after him ."
When the cold weather arrived in autumn ,Bill flew to Virginia in the United States ,600 miles south from his home in Canada .The geese follwed him all the way .Bill flew to Virginia and returned home .
This spring ,Bill was waiting for the birds to come back .They didn't arrive ,so Bill flew to Virginia to get them .He looked for them for two weeks but he couldn't find them .
When he arrived back home ,Bill found the geese waiting for him .Then had found the way home without him ! | middle1037.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A seller."
},
"options": [
"An engineer.",
"A doctor.",
"A housewife.",
"A seller."
],
"question": "What is the mother's job?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | My mother only had one eye. I hated her, as she was such an embarrassment for me. She ran a small shop at a market, selling anything for the money we needed.
One day, my mom came to my school. I threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day, my classmates shouted, "Your mom only has one eye! '' and they _ me. My face turned red.
I wished that my mom would just disappear from this world, so I said to her, "Mom, why don't you have the other eye? You make me a laughingstock." She didn't say anything. Maybe it was because my mom hadn' t punished me, so I didn' t think that I had hurt her feelings very badly. I decided to study hard so that I could leave her for the rest of my life. I made it at last. Now I'm living happily as a successful man in another country.
Many years later, I received a letter, which said, "I think my life has been long enough now, but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to visit me once in a while? I' m sorry that I am an embarrassment for you. You see, when you were very young, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye, so I gave you mine. I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye. I was never angry with you for anything you did. I miss the time when you were still young around me. You mean the world to me. I love you." I can't help crying with the letter in my hand. | middle6994.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He is eating something."
},
"options": [
"He is playing games.",
"He is drinking tea.",
"He is eating something.",
"He is listening to the radio."
],
"question": "What is the young man doing by the road?",
"... | A young man is sitting by the road eating something. A policeman is coming over. At once ,the man gets up quickly and runs down the road. The policeman runs after him. The man runs very fast. But the policeman runs faster. After a few minutes, the policeman catches him. 'Where are you going?' says the policeman. 'You must be a criminal if you run like that when you see a policeman.' 'No, no,' says the man, 'I'm not a criminal. I'm just too fat, you see. The doctor says to me that I must always run fast after eating.' 'I see,' says the policeman, 'You are running to help to lose some weight .' | middle7452.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "China"
},
"options": [
"America",
"Austria",
"Russia",
"China"
],
"question": "Ma Yan's diary has been published in France, Italy, Germany, Japan and _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | Ma Yan is not really a writer, but this 15-year-old girl has written a book that has moved many people around the world. Ma Yan's diary tells us about Ma's life. She lives in a poor village called Zhangjiashu in Tongxin, Ningxia, and she has no money to go to school. However, she is brave and wants to go to school very much.
Her mother gave her diary to a reporter, Pierre Haski when he went to Zhangjiashu in 2001. Now, Ma Yan's diary has been published in France, Italy, Germany, Japan and China.
Ma Yan is now a Junior Three student at Yuwang Middle School in Tongxin. Before this, she had to drop out of school twice. She had to stop going to school the first time, because her mum told her there was no money for her to go to school. She worked for 21 days and saved 13 yuan. With this money, she went back to school. The second time, her family told her she had to leave school while her two brothers could stay.
"I want to study," Ma Yan wrote in her diary. "Why can boys study but girls can't? It would be wonderful if I could stay at school forever."
Ma Yan loves school so much because she wants to have a better life.
"My parents work hard in the fields but they are still poor. They have no knowledge . Most girls in my village leave school early and get married young. I don't want that kind of life," Ma Yan said.
After her story became known, many students sent money to her. She hopes to go to Tsinghua University and become a reporter. "Then, I can find poor kids like me, and help them," she said. | middle1023.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "All of the above."
},
"options": [
"Living an exciting life.",
"Becoming a rich man.",
"Being loved by thousands of fans.",
"All of the above."
],
"question": "Which of the following is the reason that many youn... | Many young people want to become pop-stars. It is their great ambition in life. They think pop-stars earn a lot of money, they lead interesting and exciting lives, thousands of fans love them, and they become famous!
Yes, but first they must become stars. Most performers star life with a group. This is the pattern nowadays. But there are many groups and competitions are hard. Groups appear and disappear almost overnight. Only a small number survive. Almost without exception they have to work very hard before they reach the top.
And very few reach the top and stay there. In England there are perhaps thirty or so groups at the top. Most of these do not earn so much money, perhaps 500 pounds each time they perform. What's more, they have quite a lot of expenses . They have to pay a manager, for example. He is the key person in their lives and takes about 20% of their earnings-perhaps more. Then there are their clothes, their instruments and their van. Sometimes they are still playing for the last two items.
And don't forget, they have to travel a great deal-sometimes 2,000 miles in one week. At times they even sleep in their van instead of a hotel, just to save money.
So now, what do you think? Are pop-stars so rich? And do they have such exciting lives? | middle5245.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "friends"
},
"options": [
"friends",
"brothers",
"sisters",
"parents"
],
"question": "Many teenagers think that _ can understand them better.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members don't know them as well as their friends do. In large families, it's quite often for brothers and sisters to fight with (...)each other and then they can only go to their friends for some ideas. It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or a group of friends in their lives.
Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among(......) them on the phone. This communication is very important in children's growing up, because friends can discuss something. These things are difficult to say to their family members in fact.
However, parents often try to choose their children's friends for them. Some parents even stop their children from meeting their good friends. Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who choose your friends? Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you? Have you got a good friend your parents don't like? Your answers are welcome.
Choose the best answers:(. ) | middle3634.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to serve them tea and food"
},
"options": [
"to offer them some warm clothes",
"to serve them tea and food",
"to sell them some old papers",
"to show them how rich she was."
],
"question": "The writer let the tw... | Two children stood outside the door with old coats. "Any old papers, Lady?" asked one of them.
I was busy. I wanted to say no, but I saw that their shoes were broken and wet. "Come in and I'll make you a cup of hot tea." They came in, saying nothing. Their shoes left snow on the floor.
I gave them tea and bread to protect them against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started my housework again.
The silence in the front room surprised me. I looked in.
The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked me in a low voice, "Lady, are you rich?"
Am I rich? Oh, no! I looked at my old things in my room.
The girl put her cup back in its saucer carefully. "Your cups match your saucers."
They left then, holding their papers against the wind. They hadn't said thank you. They didn't need to. They had done more than that. The blue cups and saucers were simple. But they said that they matched. The potatoes and meat before me, a roof over our hands, my husband with a job--these things matched, too.
I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The prints of their small shoes were still wet on my floor. I let them be. I wanted them there to remind me how rich I was. | middle3152.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the different achievement"
},
"options": [
"students'family background .",
"the different achievement",
"students'ideas about way of life .",
"the school a student is from ."
],
"question": "The US College pay s... | Last month when I was taking part in a US college interview, I was asked, " what makes you special ? " In fact I had answered questions likes this many times since I decided to go to college in the US .college paid special attention to different achievement . For example, a person who is very good at math can go to a famous college but also can be a good football player .
This experience made me think again that I must try to find where my own interests might lead me . To be honest, it was not easy . However, I never felt sorry to choose this way because it helped me understand myself . If I took the College Entrance Examination,as we call it gaokao in China, it could never possibly do .
When I entered high school, I took gaokao seriously because it seemed to me a great way to show how good at my lessons . However,as I grew older, I realized gaokao did make me work hard at my lessons, but the pressure also pushed many other activities out of my life, like guitar--playing . Although I had no time for it, I will still get to it in the future .
No doubt, gaokao provides a way of choosing those who are successful in their studies . But it is really important for all of us to rethink what " talent " really is today . This is because we now live in a world in which all of our other human qualities ( )are needed for success, not just the high grade .
Ken Robinson once said, " the society depends on different kinds of talents . " However, gaokao pays too attention to a person's grades but little to his other qualities. And it is these qualities that makes life colorful and fun .
As high school students, we can not change the present situation of eduction, but we are always free to think outside of the box . Although good school grade is still useful, I hope one day we will see our education also welcomes the amazing possibilities in different people . | middle1745.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It stops half way."
},
"options": [
"It has a fire accident.",
"It stops half way.",
"It is turned off by the writer.",
"It moves fast up to the top floor."
],
"question": "What happens to the lift?",
"quest... | I live on the twelfth floor of a building. One afternoon I am coming home from a friend's house. It is just after four o'clock. I get quickly into the lift and press Button 12.
The lift starts to go up, but very slowly. And then, half way up, it suddenly stops between two floors. I couldn't understand it. I press an all the buttons from 1 to 14. I call for help very loudly. But nobody answers.
Then suddenly the lights go out, and I am alone in the dark. I start to cry and beat the walls of the lift. I cry and cry until I have no voice left. Then, I feel hopeless, and press all the buttons with my open hands. And all at the same time, there is a bell far away. It rings and rings. It is the fire alarm . I think the whole building is on fire. I say to the God quietly, "Just get me out of here. I'll never be bad again."
Just then, I realize the lift is moving very slowly. On the ground floor it stops, and the door opens. A man is standing there. "How long have you been there? It is good that you press the alarm bell. But haven't you learned to read at your school? " He points at a small piece of paper on the wall beside the lift. It says: "Attention : This lift will be stopped for repairs between 4 pm and 5 pm on Thursday, March 13." | middle7334.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "rich people have expensive cars"
},
"options": [
"big people drive small cars",
"old people drive new car",
"poor people have expensive cars",
"rich people have expensive cars"
],
"question": "My grandmother thi... | There are many kinds of cars in the world. My grandmother thinks that is because cars are like their drivers. She says, "Rich people have expensive cars, big people have large cars, and old people have old cars," But I don't agree with her.
My neighbor, Mrs. Hill, is 82 years old. She drives only on Tuesday, and she drives only to the bank. She never drives more than 30 kilometers an hour. Do you think Mrs. Hill has a very old and small car? No! Her car is new. It is very large and it can go 200 kilometers an hour! My friend Mike is an artist. He draws beautiful pictures with a lot of colors. But his car is black! Mrs. Bates has a very old car. It often has engine trouble. Does she have that kind of car because she is very poor? No, she has four factories and two million dollars in the bank. My aunt Mary has a car. Every Sunday, she drives to the country with her husband, her three children , her mother and their dog.
Now you read about my friends and their cars. Do you agree with my grandmother? | middle8007.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "there are thirteen people"
},
"options": [
"there are thirteen people",
"there are fourteen people",
"they don't like Mr. Brown",
"they don't like the baby"
],
"question": "Everybody's face turns white, because ... | Some people don't like the number 13. They don't think 13 is a _ or good number. For example , they don't like to live on the 13th floor .
My friend Mary is one of them. She asks some friends to her home. All of her friends get to her home. They sit at the table. Then Mary counts, "One, two, three ...oh, my God! There are thirteen people here!" Everybody's face turns white, but Mr. Brown doesn't. He says, "Don't worry , dear friends! We have fourteen people here. My wife will have a baby next week. _ is in the family way now. "
All of them become happy again. "Congratulations !" they say to Mr. and Mrs. Brown. They enjoy the nice food and have a good time this evening. | middle2264.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "see them better"
},
"options": [
"protect them",
"see them better",
"feed them",
"save them"
],
"question": "In the past, zoos kept animals in cages so that people can _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questi... | Years ago, as we know, zoos kept animals in cages. Cages made it easy for visitors to see the animals, but a small cage is not a good place for an animal to live in.
Today animals live in open areas. There are usually plants and a little lake around, like the animals' habitats. Visitors usually stay in the bus to see the animals outside.
Zoos help to protect all kinds of animals. They protect animals in the zoo as well as animals in the wild. How do they do this? Zoos tell people how animals live in the wild and how to help protect their environment.
The number of many kinds of plants and animals is becoming smaller and smaller. Mammoths, which are related with Asia elephants, are now extinct(.Scientists say that 74 different kinds of living things are disappearing a day!
Zoos are working together to help animals-our friends. | middle6764.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To recognize certain positive functions of gossip."
},
"options": [
"To encourage us to spread gossip about others.",
"To prevent us from spreading gossip about others.",
"To make a comparison between good gossip and bad goss... | "Mind your own business." we're told."Don't talk about others behind their backs."The problem with this advice is that,not only is it unrealistic,it's also counterproductive .
Common sense holds that gossip hurts people's feelings and damages relationships.But recent research shows the opposite--that strong communities and relationships between people would be impossible without gossip.
Gossip is a way for people to let you know the limits of social behavior."If you move into a community and your neighbor tells you how the former homeowner never dealt with his rubbish properly,his gossip is letting you in on something,"says Dr.Ralph Rosnow of Temple University."Gossip says:these are the boundaries and you are crossing them.You're not _ the rules and you'd better get back in line." Seen this way,gossip is a way to communicate criticism without conflict ,giving you a chance to change your behavior without losing face.
On the other hand,what about ill-willed gossip,the kind that puts other people down? Gossip is hearing something we like about someone we don't and,in nearly every country in the world,gossip magazines have huge numbers of readers.According to researchers,however,this kind of gossip also has a good side because it helps us put our own problems in perspective ."If we read bad news about well-known people,or get the frightful details of our neighbors' bad situation over a cup of coffee,our own problems begin to pale in comparison ,"says Dr.Jack Levin of Northeastern University.
However,that doesn't mean that gossip is necessarily a good thing,either.Researchers found that people who gossip a lot tend to feel like they're under a lot of stress.This might be because while they're busy talking about other people,they're also busy thinking what other people are saying about them. | middle2502.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the world"
},
"options": [
"the world",
"the nation",
"the UK",
"the USA"
],
"question": "100 studentsfromaround _ will join the BBC Kid Reporter team.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | Do you dream of being a reporter? Are you a good English writer who loves the news? We're looking for 100 students from around the world. They will join the BBC Kid Reporter team for the 2015-2016 school year.
In the past, BBC Kid Reporters have:
Interviewed leaders and other people.
Written news stories for BBC For Kids.
Talked about their work on television.[
Next year our team will continue to report local news stories for BBC For Kids magazine and bbcforkids.com.
How to Enter
Visitwww.bbcforkids.comand fill in the entry form . Be sure to read the rules and share them with your parents, who must sign your form. Entries must be done by June 19, 2015. You must be OVER 13 years of age. Good luck! | middle5279.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It is the biggest man-made satellite."
},
"options": [
"It is a big city in space.",
"It is the biggest man-made satellite.",
"It is a real moving star.",
"People can't see it with their eyes."
],
"question": "W... | If you watch the sky for about an hour after the sun goes down , you may see some " moving stars". But they're not really stars. They're man--made satellites . And the biggest of all is the International Space Station(ISS). From May to July is the best season to watch the ISS flying over the earth. And people can see it with their eyes.
The ISS is the biggest satellite and scientists want to live on it. They think that the best way to learn more about space is to live there.
When the space station is finished , it will be like a city in space. People will stay and study there with many of the things they have at home. Laboratories, living rooms and power stations are being built. The ISS is the most expensive space program. Billions of dollars are being spent on it every year.
Scientists hope that the ISS will be _ for future space exploration . "The ISS will help us understand the human body better, explore space and study the earth. It can help us make life on the earth better, " said Kathryn Clark , an ISS scientist.
Sixteen countries are part of the program: the US, Russia, Canada, Japan, Brazil and 11 European countries. China isn't an ISS country , but it has helped with some of the experiments. In 2003 , China sent some rice up to the ISS to find out what space would do to it.
,. | middle3608.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "bananas"
},
"options": [
"bananas",
"meat",
"beef",
"chicken"
],
"question": "You had better eat _ before games.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Today people are paying more and more attention to improving their health through sports and exercise. But some of them have some wrong ideas about it.
A plate of chicken is a good meal before games because it has much energy.
In fact, the best meal before games should have carbohydrates . Foods like potatoes, bread, bananas are rich in it, chicken and meat are not. Carbohydrates are the best and most easily used forms of energy. The energy that you get for today's game is from what you ate yesterday.
The best time to exercise is early in the morning.
Morning is a good time to exercise, but it may not be suitable for you. If an afternoon or evening period suits you, and you enjoy the feeling of getting healthier, you can choose any time to exercise. There is no fixed time for you to exercise.
If you drink water when you exercise, you'll get headaches and feel tired.
The fact is that you must have some water during breaks when you exercise. And after exercising, you must have enough water. If you don't drink enough water, then you'll probably get headaches and feel tired.
Exercising the same body part every day is the fastest way to improve strength.
False! Exercising the same body part every day is the fastest way to cause problems. To improve strength, you want to work your muscles hard, but then you need to give those muscles a day of rest. Too much exercise can cause serious problems to muscles.
Girls who do strength training will make their muscles big.
Wrong! We usually connect those big muscles with bodybuilders , but girls don't have enough male hormone to make their muscles big like men. Strength training is a good way to make their muscles strong for girls. | middle6770.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Islamabad."
},
"options": [
"Karachi.",
"Lahore.",
"Islamabad.",
"Bangkok."
],
"question": "Which city is the capital of Pakistan?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answe... | Although most of Pakistanis live in the countryside, still many Pakistanis live in cities. Karachi has over 5 million people and Lahore has over 3 million people. Islamabad was built to be Pakistan's capital. The rich city people live in large, air conditioned houses.
Pakistan has 121,000 miles of roads. Bus services and minibuses are available to the public. The trains are still the most common transport of long-distance travel for Pakistanis. Pakistan also has an airline that operates domestic and international flights.
It is difficult to identify Pakistani food because the country shares food traditions with its neighbour, India. The main difference between Pakistani and Indian food is that Pakistani food is less spicy . Pakistani dishes are often made with yoghurt , which reduces the effect of the hot spices used in cooking.
Wheat is the main food for most of the people. It is eaten in the form of bread named chapattis or roti, together with vegetables in season. Sweet tea, milk, or lassi, a drink made from yoghurt, makes the meal perfect. Those who can afford to buy it eat meat, although in the countryside these are usually festival foods. Goat meat is a favourite. Pakistanis will not eat pork by the way. | middle1779.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A doctor"
},
"options": [
"A leader",
"A teacher",
"A doctor",
"A nurse"
],
"question": "What is Kangkang's father?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | Kangkang's father is a doctor. When SARS, a kind of serious disease, spread in Beijing, he took an active part in the battle against it. He left his wife and his son to work in the Xiaotangshan Hospital. He cared for the patients day and night. He couldn't go home and he could only talk with family on the telephone. "Do you miss your family?" asked a reporter. "Yes, of course. It's my duty to save the patients," Doctor Lee answered. | middle6016.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "recommend good books"
},
"options": [
"sell books for long hours",
"recommend good books",
"like Mark Twain's books",
"take one book home and read it"
],
"question": "\"do the same\"\" _ \" .",
"question_t... | Jack sells books at a bookstore. He needs to sell books for 10 hours every day and 6 days every week. But Jack doesn' t think it's a long time, because books are his favorite things.
When Jack is not busy, he likes reading books at the bookstore. His favorite book is Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Every week Jack can take one book home and read it. Jack loves selling books also because he can meet book lovers there. Jack recommends good books to them and they do the same to Jack.
Jack gets about 300 dollars every two weeks. Now he has about 2, 400 dollars. He wants to buy a car . After about 3 months, Jack can buy his first car. | middle7308.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The smell of food."
},
"options": [
"The alarm clock.",
"My mom.",
"The noise upstairs.",
"The smell of food."
],
"question": "What wakes \"me\" up in the morning?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},... | I do not need a calendar to tell me when it is winter. All I need is my nose. When I wake up in the morning and smell the tasty treats my mom is cooking downstairs, I know winter has arrived.
The first one is the smell of chocolate. During the holiday season (from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day) my mother makes her special hot chocolate. She always adds a peppermint candy cane to the drink and tops it with cream.
The hot chocolate gets me out of bed, but it is my mother's chocolate fudge that makes me run downstairs. It is a thick chunk of chocolate that tastes like heaven. My mother adds nuts. That gives it more texture .
But my mother isn't done yet. She also makes a treat she calls "window panes ". She takes a few different colored marshmallows and melts them together with chocolate. The final product looks like a colorful church window, so we call it "window panes".
These tasty holiday treats are usually eaten after a meal as a dessert. But don't tell Santa Claus because I secretly eat them all day long. | middle2270.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Three"
},
"options": [
"Three",
"Four",
"Five",
"Six"
],
"question": "How many churches did Jay go to in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_t... | Jay, an American, wanted to write a book about famous churches around the world. Firstly, Jay bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Columbus, Ohio, USA, thinking that he would start by working his way across the USA from East to West.
On his first day he was inside a church taking photos when he noticed a golden telephone on the wall with a sign that read "$10,000 per call".
Jay was _ so he asked a priest what the telephone was used for.
The priest told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God. Jay thanked the priest and went along his way.
Next stop was in Des Moines, and there at a very large church, he saw the same looking golden telephone with the same sign under it. A nearby nun told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God.
Jay decided to travel to Australia to see if they had a similar phone. He arrived at Western Australia, and again, in the church he entered, there was the same looking golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read "40 cents per call."
Somewhat surprised, Jay asked the priest about the sign. 'Father Brian, I travelled all over the world and I saw this same golden telephone in many churches. I know it is a direct line to Heaven, but in all of them price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?'
Father Brian smiled and answered, 'My son, you're in Australia now - this is Heaven, so it's only a local call.' | middle2500.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Four of the"
},
"options": [
"All",
"Many of the",
"One of the",
"Four of the"
],
"question": "_ soldiers answer the general's question.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | One day a great general asks his soldiers , "What is the strongest power in the world?" Four of his soldiers put up their hands. They want to answer the question.
The general asks the first man to speak. The first man is youngerst, and he is not strong. He says, "My gun is the strongest . It can kill anyone." "Thank you. Next, please." The second man is very strong. He says, "I don't think so. Soldiers use guns. So the soldier is the strongest."
The third man says, "Soldiers use guns, but our general gives orders . So I think our general is the strongest."
The fourth man is the oldest. He says, "Love is the strongest. For love, people don't use guns." The general says noting. He takes out a medal and gives it to him. | middle1009.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "On children's clothes."
},
"options": [
"At a cinema.",
"On children's clothes.",
"On the wall",
"In the park."
],
"question": "Where can we find Hello Kitty?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | The most popular idol among girls is a white kitten .She is kind,friendly and cute. Who is she? She's Hello Kitty. This sweet kitten has won the hearts of people of all ages from all over the world. Hello Kitty was created by a Japanese company in 1974 which is now making thousands of Kitty products. In the beginning, Kitty was a greeting-card character, and the company quickly used her logo into children's things, such as clothes and bags. Now we can see Hello Kitty on clothes, bags or toys. It is famous all over the world.
Hello Kitty has no mouth, but she keeps buying toothpaste. Hello Kitty has no mouth, yet she speaks the truth. Hello has no mouth, but she says "Hello". We all know Kitty has no mouth, but why? There are countless different guesses for that. Among them, the most popular answer is because Kitty should be an international character. If she speaks a certain language, people who don't speak the same language will feel disappointed. So that's the reason why she has no mouth and never speaks. | middle6766.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Three"
},
"options": [
"One",
"Two",
"Three",
"Four"
],
"question": "How many Frank's friends are there in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer... | Frank, the dog, is very friendly. He loves meeting new people and going out with his friends. He has a lot of friends!
One of his very good friends is a blue robot named Bob. Bob is a nice robot. A long time ago, Bob saved the world. But now, he lives a quiet life.
Another great friend of Frank's is Hops,the rabbit. Hops is special( ) because he is good at every subject, especially math and science. He likes teaching others what he knows, and he's always making all kinds of inventions.
An old friend of Frank's is Ted. Ted and Frank are both dogs, they're a little different. Frank is always trying new things-sometimes silly things! Ted, However, likes doing sensible things more than doing fun and crazy things. But both he and Frank love learning and care about doing what's right more than anything. So to them, their differences are small. | middle7478.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Students can have different activities in a boarding school."
},
"options": [
"Only white children were allowed to attend the earliest boarding schools.",
"Students in a boarding school are looked after only after school hours.",
... | There are over 800 boarding schools in the UK with students from home and foreign countries. Boarding schools started hundreds of years ago in the country. But the earliest boarding schools were set up for white, rich boys only. Now both boys and girls can go to boarding schools from the age of 7 to 18.
What to do
In the UK, boarding schools have three terms in a school year, with about 13 weeks in each term. Students study and live together. They can't go outside if they are not allowed to. In some schools, each student has his or her subject plan. Besides the usual classrooms and laboratories, the boarding schools have lots of other _ for their students, including music rooms, boats, swimming pools, cinemas and theatres. Most boarding schools have a "light out" time. So when it's time to go to bed, all the lights in the bedrooms are turned off. There are house-masters to take care of students all the time, especially after school hours.
What to wear
Nearly all students at boarding schools wear a school uniform. Boys usually wear a shirt and a tie, and girls wear a white blouse, sometimes also a tie and a skirt. As students get older, the rules become less strict.
_
In the UK, boarding schools provide students with delicious food. They can choose to have a full English breakfast or simply bread. They can also choose between a meal with no meat and another meal at lunch and dinner. And there is always self-service for salad , other side dishes and a dessert. Students can also make themselves something to eat at any time in a kitchen, or drink tea or have a snack between meals. | middle2266.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "About six hours a week."
},
"options": [
"About six hours a day.",
"About six hours a week.",
"About six hours a month",
"About six hours a year"
],
"question": "How long do the kids spend doing homework?",
... | According to a recent report, kids in primary school spend about six hours every week doing their homework.. So kids hate homework. However, their parents hate homework, too.
Is it good for kids to do homework? Of course, a great number of researches do show that kids can remember what they have learnt in class better by finishing their homework on time and homework itself plays an important role in developing their learning shills, such as independent thinking and creativity.
But for parents, the result is not the same. After a day of hard work, most of them feel like they're going through school a second time when they sit down with their children each night to help with their homework. And a recent survey found that 46 percent of parents feel like they don't spend enough quality time with their children, because they spend too much time doing the housework or helping with homework. And another 29 percent of parents have arguments with their kids often when they have different answers to the same question.
Now several education scientists strongly advise parents to stop helping. They say it will give their kids more independence and give parents back their free time. At the same time, the number of homework - connected arguments will be less at home. Katy Smith, an education scientist, says, " You don't have to know everything. Children need to put their hands up for help and so do parents. Use your resources - online teachers, or even your neighborhood - just ask." | middle5509.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "in a cool room"
},
"options": [
"in a small room",
"in a big room",
"in a cool room",
"below 5oC"
],
"question": "According to the passage you should use your computer _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questio... | Many young people use computers, but few of them know how to look after them. Remember the following when you use your computer.
*Keep your computer in a cool room. Too much or too little heat is bad for computers. Most computers work best at a temperature of 5 oC--30 oC.
*Don't let people smoke cigarette near your computer. Smoke of all kinds is very bad for many parts of a computer and can cause many problems.
*Don't eat or drink when you are near your computer. Pieces of food and a little water in the keyboard can also cause many problems.
*Make sure the screen is the correct distance from your eyes. If you wear glasses, make sure these glasses are correct for using with the computer. Some people use a different pair of glasses when they use a computer.
*Keep your screen clean and don't have it too bright. A dirty screen can hurt your eyes. A very bright screen can also be bad for your eyes. | middle3178.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In a hospital."
},
"options": [
"In a school.",
"In a hospital.",
"In a factory.",
"In a company."
],
"question": "Where does Simon's father work?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | There are four people in Simon's family. They have different habits.
* Simon's father is a doctor. He works in a hospital. He likes reading books very much. There are many books in his bedroom. He doesn't like going to the cinema.
* Simon's mother is a music teacher. She likes listening to music, but she has no time to go to concerts.
* Simon's brother is seven years old. He likes watching cartoons. He usually watches cartoons when his parents aren't at home.
* Simon is a middle school student. He likes playing football. He often plays football with his friends after school. He likes playing computer games at home. But he doesn't like watching TV. | middle2272.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "office"
},
"options": [
"school",
"hotel",
"office",
"hospital"
],
"question": "Mr Green works in a(an) _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"an... | Mr Green works in an office . Every morning he has breakfast with his wife at 7:30, watches TV, drinks tea and then leaves his home at 8:00 to take a bus to his office.
Now he still sits comfortably at the breakfast table and watches his news on TV at 8:05. He doesn't hurry and asks his wife for another cup of tea.
"Another cup?"she says in surprise ."Don't you need to go to the office today?""The office?" he says. "I think I'm at the office!" | middle4603.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "drive and get a job"
},
"options": [
"vote and drive",
"drive and get a job",
"drink wine and smoke",
"go into nightclubs"
],
"question": "In the United States, age sixteen marks the time when you can _ .",... | In the United States, sixteen, eighteen, and twenty-one are important ages in a person's life. There are no special celebrations for these birthdays, but each is a time when a person can do new things to mark their transition into adulthood.
After turning sixteen a person can work, get a driver's license and leave home. Many high school students learn to drive and get part-time jobs soon after celebrating their sixteenth birthday.
At the age of eighteen a person in the United States can vote and smoke, but they are prohibited from going into nightclubs, buying wine or gambling until they are twenty-one.
In many Latin cultures, a young woman's fifteenth birthday is important. At this age, she is regarded as an adult. To mark this special day, families with teenage daughters have a celebration called a Quinceanera. The day begins with the young woman and her family going to church. Later, there is a party and many guests are invited.
In Japan, young people became adults at twenty. At this age, they can legally vote, drink wine and smoke. The second Monday in January is a national holiday called "Coming of Age Day". On this day, twenty-year-old celebrates by first going to church to pray with their families. Later, they listen to speeches given by city and school leaders. Afterward, they may celebrate with family or friends late into the night.
In some countries, birthday celebrations continue through adulthood. Some people celebrate their fortieth and fiftieth birthdays, or their retirement year, with a huge party. | middle8039.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "three hours"
},
"options": [
"one hour",
"two hours",
"three hours",
"four hours"
],
"question": "How long will the cruise take?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | Hong Kong Harbor Night Cruise
Enjoy the delicious dinner on the ferry
and watch the beautiful city lights
Time : 6:30 p.m.- 9:30 p.m.
Price : Adults : HK$ 180 Children under 12 : HK$ 100
Start / Finish : Kowloon Public Pier
Tel : (852) 2853 3888
E - mail:enquiry@chinatravel1.co | middle6014.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Australia"
},
"options": [
"Australia",
"France",
"the United States",
"the UK"
],
"question": "Bill is from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Bill is from Australia. He lives in Sydney. He can speak French and English, but he can' t speak Chinese. He has a pen pal in the United States. Her name is Lisa and she lives in New York. Bill' s favorite sport is basketball and he can play the guitar. Lisa' s favorite sport is tennis. She can't play the guitar, but she can play the piano and sing very well. | middle589.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In his school."
},
"options": [
"At home.",
"In his school.",
"On the playground.",
"Under the tree."
],
"question": "Where is Ben writing to Henry?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answe... | Dear Henry,
How are you? I'm writing to you in my school. It's a middle school. Our school is very nice. There are about 2000 students and 150 teachers in our school. There are three grades and in each grade there are ten classes. I'm in Class Two, Grade Seven. I go to school from Monday to Friday. There are five classes in the morning and two in the afternoon. We play games every afternoon after class. I like playing soccer very much. I often play it with my classmates.
I have three good friends. One of them is Li Lei. He is a Chinese boy. He often helps me with my Chinese. I help him study English. The others are twins. They are Lucy and Lily. They come from England. We often sing and dance together. We are very happy!
Please write soon.
Yours,
Ben | middle6772.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Jenny Brown"
},
"options": [
"Linda Brown",
"Jenny Brown",
"Jenny Green",
"Jenny Smith"
],
"question": "The writer is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | Hello, my first name is Jenny and my family name is Brown. I am a girl. I am 11. My telephone number is 025-7658.
I have two friends. One is a boy. His name is Mike Green. He is 10. His telephone number is 636-7654. Linda Smith is my friend, too. She is 9. Her telephone number is 356-7890.
,. | middle4165.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A black bird."
},
"options": [
"A big black bird.",
"A black bird.",
"An old black bird.",
"A big old black bird."
],
"question": "What's in the tree?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"ans... | There is a big tree in front of my house. A black bird lives in the tree. Every day I take some food to the tree. The bird sees me and comes down. The food is in my hand. The bird comes to my hand and eats it. After that it goes back to the tree.
I give some food to the bird every day. And so the bird knows me. I like the bird and the bird likes me. We are good friends. | middle2514.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The writer didn't try to escape because he had two homes on the island."
},
"options": [
"The writer made himself a smaller canoe in his sixth year on the island.",
"The writer made fields with high fences to keep many wild goats i... | During all this time, I never stopped thinking about escape . When I travelled across to the other side of the island, I could see the other islands, and I said to myself, "Perhaps I can get there with a boat. Perhaps I can get back to England one day."
So I decided to make myself a boat. I cut down a big tree, and then began to make a long hole in it. It was hard work, but about six months later, I had a very fine canoe . Next, I had to get it down to the sea. How silly I was! Why didn't I think carefully before I began to work? Of course, the canoe was too heavy. I couldn't move it! I pulled and pushed and tried everything, but it didn't move. I was very unhappy for a long time after that.
In my sixth year on the island, I did make myself a smaller canoe, but I did not try to escape in it. The boat was too small for a long journey, and I did not want to die at sea. The island was my home now, and I was just happy to be alive. A year or two later, I made myself a second canoe on the other side of the island. I also built myself a second house there, and so I had two homes.
I kept food and tools at both of my houses, and also wild goats. There were many goats on the island, and I made fields with high fences to keep them in. They learnt to take food from me, and soon I had goats' milk to drink every day. I also worked hard in my corn fields. And so, many years went by. | middle6982.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "He is for it."
},
"options": [
"He is for it.",
"He is against it.",
"He doesn't care about it.",
"The article doesn't tell us."
],
"question": "What is the author's attitude towards protecting intellectual pr... | You wouldn't steal a car. You would never rob a bank or pick someone's pocket. But you may be another kind of thief.
If you have ever bought a disc for 15 yuan or less, then you have helped to rob artists or musicians of their intellectual properly rights .
Last Thursday was World Intellectual Property Day. Activities to tell people about intellectual property rights were held around the country.
Intellectual property includes inventions, literary and artistic works, names, and pictures. They are of little value if they are not read, seen and used.
While the cost of copying discs is very small, authors, singers and actors have to spend a lot of money and time making a new product. That's why they have the right to make money from their work.
So buying pirated music of Jay Chou and Jolin Tsai is like stealing from them, paying them no respect for their hard work.
If Jay Chou cannot make money from his work, he may not make anything else. But those who make pirated goods are becoming rich without doing any hard work.
The authors should ask for a fair price for their work. Earlier this year there was much talk about how much KTV clubs should pay the music companies for using their songs.
The copyright fee also should be fair to the users. That's good for the music's popularity and society as well. | middle3622.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "choose a good life"
},
"options": [
"solve fewer problems",
"choose a good life",
"be good family members",
"provide hard things"
],
"question": "According to the passage, a good job choice probably makes people... | Making a good job choice is almost as good as choosing a good life. So, choosing a job is one of the most important decisions to make in life.
For my job, there are three important things that I will consider:
The first one - that I must work in an area I like - is most important to me. Someone once said if you find a job that you enjoy, then you won't have to work another day. I would like to work in an area where I can be more creative. I would like to be the most valuable member there. All this is possible only if I like what I do.
The second one is that the area of my work must lead me to solve some new and hard problems. I would like to stay in the same area for a long time. In order for this to happen, the work must provide enough problems. More than just working to live, I enjoy making a difference and trying my best for the whole progress. I would also like to be well _ for my hard work, so I can lead a comfortable life with this hard-won money. Then I can provide the best for my family.
The third important thing is that I would like to work in an area that would help other people. The work in my mind is in fields such as the army, training or management. In such areas, I can help to develop the abilities of others and bring out their best. It would be a most satisfying job to help young people to become the best that they can be. When I become old, I would like to look back with a great sense of satisfaction that thousands of people have become better persons through my work.
I accept the idea that no one should make a choice of a job suddenly or quickly. He should decide what he wants to be in the long run. Then, he should decide how he works towards it. He should study the proper courses, read the books and speak to knowledgeable persons in that field before making a job choice. A good choice will most probably lead to a better life. | middle5253.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because Internet service fees are too high."
},
"options": [
"Because they can't use Internet without WI-FI.",
"Because they can communicate with their families.",
"Because they want to download movies.",
"Because Inter... | If you are not happy with China's high Internet fees and slow speed, you are not alone.So is Premier Li Keqiang.On April 14, he said in a meeting that the government should speed up the Internet and lower the fees.
"The first question people ask at a new place is 'Is there WI-FI' because Internet service fees are so high," said Premier Li.According to a recent survey by CCTV, the average cost of 1GB mobile Internet data per month in China is 100 Yuan, while it is only 60 Yuan in the US and 40 in Japan.
However, high prices don't necessarily mean good service.The average Internet speed in China was 4.25Mbps in late 2014.South Korea had the fastest average Internet speed-25.3 Mbps.People can download a 1 GB movie within 6 minutes in South Koreas, but in China it would take half an hour.
To improve Internet services, the key is to build more fiber networks.Through them we can send text, pictures and videos globally in less than a second, which offer high speed Internet.Besides, the lack of market competition is another problems. _
,. (2,10) | middle5535.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "we haven't had enough fresh water"
},
"options": [
"man has not enough food to eat.",
"we haven't had enough fresh water",
"only 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water.",
"more water is sent into the sewer sys... | (C)The earth is not only, but also thirsty for water. This may seem strange to you. because nearly 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water. But about 97% of that is sea water, or salt water. Man can only use the other 3%--the fresh water from rivers, lakes, and other sources. And we can't even use all of that, because some of it is in the form of icebergs and glaciers . Even worse, some of it has been polluted.
However, as things stand today, the fresh water is still enough for us. But our need for water is becoming larger and larger quickly--almost day by day. We should take steps to do with this problem now and in this way we can get away from a serious world-wide water shortage later on.
We all have to learn how to stop wasting our _ water, one of the first step is to develop ways of reusing it. Today in most large cities, water is used only once and then sent out into a sewer system , from there it returns to sea or runs into underground places.
But even if every large city reused its water, we still would not have enough. All we'd have to do to make use of sea water in the world is to remove the salt. | middle3144.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "twelfth"
},
"options": [
"fifth",
"twelfth",
"eleventh",
"eighth"
],
"question": "Philip decided to give up eating meat on his _ birthday.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Philip is a school boy. On his twelfth birthday, he decided to give up eating meat. "I don't think it's right to eat animals," he said. "They live on the Earth just like us and they are our friends." Philip's parents were not happy about that. "You are a growing boy," his mother said. "You need meat. Do you want to stay short and be weak?" His mother put some beef, rice and carrots in front of him. "I want you to eat all your food now," she said. "Don't leave anything." Philip didn't want to make his mother sad. But he ate only the rice and the carrots.
"You're a silly boy!" said his father. "I'm getting very angry at you." "I'm sorry, Mum and Dad," answered Philip. "I don't want you to be sad or angry. But I really don't want to eat any meat." "Then have some fish, dear," said his mother. "Oh no, I can't!" cried Philip. "Fish are living things too." "Well, you can't have anything to eat at all if you don't eat any meat or fish," said his father.
The next morning Philip got up hungry. His father walked to the school with him and asked to see the teacher. "Is this what you teach the students at school?" he asked the teacher. "Philip refuses to eat meat at home. He doesn't listen to what I say." "I don't agree with Philip," replied the teacher. "But I think he's brave to do what he thinks is right. We teach the students to do that." | middle7322.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "One"
},
"options": [
"One",
"Two",
"Three",
"Four"
],
"question": "How many meals do most children in the UK have at school?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | In the UK, most children have their lunches at school, but in some schools, parents can choose what their children eat. The children can have a school dinner-a hot, cooked meal; or they can take a packed lunch with them, which usually includes cold food like sandwiches.
Often parents know what their children want. Cath, a mother of three children, told us, "My children have packed lunches because they say they don't like to have school dinners. So I make three packed lunches every morning."
However, another mother, Susan, made a different choice. She said, "My daughters have a always had school dinners. I think they probably get healthier food at school than a few sandwiches I make for them."
But how healthy are school dinners? Kaz, a father, thought poorly of them. He said, "Fizzy drinks were offered and I think there were a lot of chips."
Jamie Oliver spent a year working in a school kitchen. He was worried about the unhealthy food which included burgers, pizzas and chips. So he tried to cook healthy food such as good stews and curries for the children instead.
So Jamie improved the school dinners, and trained the dinner ladies to cook healthy food in that school. Then he advised the government to improve school food across the country. And it seems that the changes have begun.
Anna, a pupil, told us, "We used to have a fast food window where you got chips and coke, but they stopped that this year. There's a salad restaurant, which is good, so it's healthier than it was."
,. | middle8011.txt |
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