questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Puya raimondii."
},
"options": [
"The bamboo.",
"The watermeal.",
"The Puya raimondii.",
"The Caucasian lime."
],
"question": "Which of the following plants needs the longest time to grow flowers?",
"que... | Without flowers, many plants would not be able to reproduce and many insects would not be able to get enough food to live. Here are some interesting facts about flowers plants.
* Most plants grow flowers each year, but some take much longer. The century plant grows only one flower and then it dies! Even more amazing is a plant from South America called Puya raimondii. It doesn't grow a flower until it is 150 years old, and after that it dies, too.
* The smallest flowering plant in the world is thought to be the common watermeal . Its leaves are only 1mm across!
* Bamboo has amazing flowering habits. There are many different kinds of bamboo in the world. And they have different flowering habits. A few flower each year, but most wait much longer. What is amazing is that all bamboo of the same kind will flower almost at the same time, where it is 6 growing! Nobody knows why.
* The white flower of the Amazon water lily is the size of a football, and the flower turns purple after it has been pollinated .
* The Caucasian lime can grow in Britain. Its flowers are _ to bees. If they touch the flowers, they will die. | middle3970.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "quietly and slowly"
},
"options": [
"quickly",
"suddenly",
"quietly and slowly",
"easily"
],
"question": "Bad habits come _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | It is easier to go down a hill than to climb up a hill, so it is to fall into bad habit than into good ones.
Bad habits do not come suddenly. They come little by little while people do not notice their danger. Some schoolboys first pick up bad habits in school and on the streets. When they cannot finish their lessons, they copy from their classmates. If they see bigger boys smoking, they also want to learn to smoke. When they are older, the habits become so strong that they can never get rid of them. From copying, they fall behind, then learn to steal, and smoking is bad for their health. At last they become worse and worse.
How necessary it is that we get rid of the bad habits at the very beginning. | middle6808.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "will work hard"
},
"options": [
"will work hard",
"will become heroes",
"will follow her",
"will achieve her goal"
],
"question": "Joyner-Kersee hopes that young people _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | Much has been said and written recently about heroes, mainly because many people think we have too few of them. There are many different kinds of heroes, but they all seem to have two things in common. First, heroes, by their actions, show the great possibilities of human nature. Second, heroes can also stand the test of time, and their achievements will not be easily forgotten. Because of these good points, we need to choose our heroes carefully.
Olympic sports star Jackie Joyner-Kersee, who is believed to be a hero, warns young people to be careful of making athletes heroes. She hopes that if someone tries to copy her, it will be because she has achieved her goals by working hard. Joyner-Kersee says that a hero should be someone who has an influence on another person's life.
Poet Maya Angelou believes that a hero encourages people to treat others well and to be concerned about the greater good. A hero should show politeness, courage, patience, and strength all the time. A hero should encourage others to follow him with actions that improve the world, even if only in small ways.
Author Daniel Boorstin suggests that, " _ are people who make news, but heroes are people who make history." Thus, if a person is truly worthy to be called a hero, he or she will not be soon forgotten.
We all need heroes. We need to be able to respect people who have been there, done that, and succeeded. Many times the greatest heroes are the people we deal with every day -- relatives , friends, and neighbors -- who will keep going when it is easier to give up. The parent who puts her or his family ahead of herself or himself, the teacher who will make more money at another job but chooses to help others -- all these people can be considered as heroes. A hero quietly and continuously sets a good example, an example that inspires others to follow. | middle4979.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It will grow a new one."
},
"options": [
"It will die.",
"It will lose its way.",
"It will grow a new one.",
"It will have seven legs forever."
],
"question": "What will happen if a spider loses one leg?",
"... | Spiders are not insects as many people believe. They belong to a class of animals called arachnids . Spiders have eight eyes, four pairs of legs, and can grow a new leg if they lose one. A spider's body is divided into two sections: the abdomen and the thorax .The legs, eyes, and mouthparts are in the thorax section.
Most spiders have poison glands and sharp teeth. They use their sharp teeth to force poison into the insects they catch for food. This poison can make an insect lose the ability to move, and the helpless insect is then _ by the spider.
Spiders usually have silk glands under their abdomen. They produce a liquid that is thicker than water from their glands. When the liquid comes into the air, it dries into silk. Many spiders use this silk to form webs to catch insects and to make cocoons that protect their eggs. This amazing silk is also used to create lines that spiders hang onto as they travel to new areas.
Spiders live in almost everywhere on earth. The only places where there are no spiders are the coldest places, the highest mountains and the seas. | middle5454.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he was the one that prayed for the ship"
},
"options": [
"the second man didn't like him",
"the second man didn't want to leave",
"he was the one that prayed for the ship",
"the second man's prayers were all answered"
... | A ship met a storm at sea and only two of the men were able to swim to a small, deserted island. Not knowing what else to do, they agreed to pray to God on opposite sides of the island.
Of course, the first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit tree on his side. But there was nothing on the other man's side.
Later the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more food. The next day, all of these things were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship so that he could leave the island, and the next morning he found a ship.
The first man decided to leave alone. As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice, "Why are you leaving your friend on island?"
"My
gs are mine alone, since I was the one that prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered."
"You are wrong!" the voice said. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of our blessings."
"Tell me", the first man asked, "what he prayed for?"
"He prayed that all your prayers would be answered."
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of others' prayers for us | middle8170.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "be a volunteer"
},
"options": [
"be a volunteer",
"offer them jobs",
"buy shoes for them",
"help them with chores"
],
"question": "According to the passage, if you want to help the poor, you can _ .",
"qu... | There are a lot of things you can do to help in your community, whether with your mom's chores, or if a friend is upset. Here are some little things you can do to give a helping hand.
Be a volunteer. Being in charitable organizations is a great way to help the poor, like giving away food or money. You can also donate money on some charitable website like Tencent Charity.
Put yourself in another person's shoes. It can give a strong reason to help someone else if you show your sympathy. It is the best way to show people that you really care about someone. Try to offer first. When people need your help, they'll probably ask you first. But if you have the chance, try to offer to help before they ask you. This will show that you are willing to help from the start.
Think about what might happen if you don't help. More people will feel sad if you just leave them when they need you, you don't want to see people unhappy, do you? It's always nice to lend a hand. | middle7243.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The old man could see nothing."
},
"options": [
"The old man was deaf.",
"The old man could see nothing.",
"The old man took care of flowers every day.",
"The flowers was very beautiful."
],
"question": "The you... | An old man lived in a nice house with a large garden. He took care of his flowers all the time, watering and fertilizing them.
One day a young man went by the garden. He looked at the beautiful flowers, imagining how happy he could be if he lived in such a beautiful place. Then ,suddenly he found the old gardener was blind. He was very surprised about this and asked,"You can't see these flowers. "Why are you busy taking care of them every day?"
The old man smiled and said ,"I can tell you four reasons. First, I was a gardener when I was young, and I really like this job. Second, although I can't see these flowers, I can touch them. Third, I can smell the sweetness of them. As to the last one, that's you."
"Me? But you don't know me."said the young man.
"Yeah, it's true that I don't know you. But I know that flowers are angels that everybody knows. We enjoy the happiness these flowers have brought us."
The blind man's work opened our eyes and pleased our hearts, which also made his life happier. It was just like Beethoven, who became deaf in his later life and wrote many great musical works. Beethoven himself couldn't hear his wonderful music, but his music has encouraged millions of people to face their difficulties bravely. Isn't it a kind of happiness? | middle1632.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Tony. He went to school at 9:50 0n the morning of June 22."
},
"options": [
"Nancy. She wore her sports shoes on June 22.",
"Richard. He did not have breakfast before the exam.",
"Wendy. She forgot to take an English dictiona... | Here is an examination notice . Mrs. Dickson gave it to her students last week.
To the students of Class 3
* Examinations start on January 22 and end on June 23.
* The time for each of the subject is:
English June 22 9:30 A.M.- 10:30 A.M.
Math June 22 11:00 A.M.- 12:00 A.M.
History June 22 2:30 P.M.-3:30 P.M.
PE June 23 8:00 A.M.-10:00 A.M.
Music June 23 1:00 P.M.-3:00 P.M.
* For the PE test? go to the playground. For the music test, go to the Piano Room. All else are written tests. They will be held in Classroom 3.
* No student can get into the examination room more than 15 minutes after the exam starts.
* No food or drink during ANY test.
* No dictionaries during the English exam.
* Wear pants and sports shoes for the PE exam.
* If you have questions, go to the Teacher's Office before the tests. | middle1154.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "attitude"
},
"options": [
"hard-work.",
"knowledge",
"money",
"attitude"
],
"question": "The writer thinks _ is the most important thing in a person's life.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | What's the most important thing for you to have in your life? Somebody thinks it's hard work, others think it's knowledge , love and luck...
If you arrange the 26 English letters in order and use numbers to represent each of them, for example, 1 for a, 2 for b, 3 for c ......26 for z, you can change an English word into a number. So hard work becomes 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11="98," meaning 98 is its mark ;Z-X-X-K]knowledge: 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5="96;" love: 12+15+22+5="54," and luck: 12+21+3+11="47," a smallmark. None of these words can give one a full mark. What about money? It can't, either.
Then what else? Don't be worried. You can always find an answer to a problem in your life, when you change your way of looking at things or doing things, or your attitude . Yes, attitude is the word. See for yourself; attitude: 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5="100," a full mark.
Different attitudes lead to different kinds of life. Most time people hope for a better life. They will have a better life if they change their attitudes. When you become friendly towards others, you will meet more smiling faces. In the same way, if you take a positive attitude towards failure, you'll find it's also helpful though it has made you lose lots of things. | middle7525.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "try to have the perfect shape"
},
"options": [
"aren't healthy enough",
"don't make enough money",
"look down on themselves",
"try to have the perfect shape"
],
"question": "According to the father, some girls b... | Dear daughter
You are a wonderful person and your mother and I love you. It will not be long before you leave school to make your way in the world. Can I give you some friendly advice? Here are some things that you should never do.
1. Never get upset with your looks.
We think you look great. Please be happy with the person you are and the body you have. Eat well, take exercise and be healthy. Some girls become upset because they try to lose weight or get the perfect shape. You look fine.
2. Never spend money more than your income .
Never spend money more than your income and save a little every month. Don't borrow others' money if possible.
3. Never look down on yourself.
You are great of achieving great things so believe in yourself. When things go badly, never stop believing. Some girls get upset and lose confidence, and then all kinds of problems can follow.
4. Never give less than your best.
We are very proud of what you have succeeded so far. You should be proud too. Keep doing well. Keep trying your hardest at everything you do.
5. Never forget that your parents love you.
Whatever happens in life, your family will still be your family. Whatever difficulties you have, you can always talk to us and we will try to help. We are here for you.
Love
Dad | middle3743.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "for the weekend"
},
"options": [
"for a week",
"for a day",
"for the weekend",
"for a month"
],
"question": "Li Ming is staying with the Wang family _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | Li Ming is staying with the Wang family for the weekend.Today it is warm and fine.The family are having dinner in the garden.They often have dinner in the garden on a warm and fine spring day.Now Mr and Mrs Wang are sitting at the table with Li Ming under a tree.
"It's great to have dinner out here on such a lovely day,"Mrs Wang says."What's the weather like in your hometown,Li Ming?"Mr Wang asks."It's not very warm in spring.But I like the spring there best,"Li Ming says."Help yourself to some cakes,Li Ming,"Mrs Wang says."Thanks,"says Li Ming."The cakes are very nice.I enjoy the dinner very much." | middle5332.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Every week."
},
"options": [
"Every two weeks.",
"Every week.",
"Every day.",
"Every three weeks."
],
"question": "How often does Lily write to Alice?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Lily has a pen friend in America. Her name is Alice. They write to each other every week. They tell each other about their lives. Here is a letter from Lily.
Dear Alice,
Thank you for your letter and telling me about your best friend. In this letter, I'm going to tell you about my friend. Her name is Cathy. She has long brown hair and blue eyes. She is the same age as me, but a little taller .She is always happy. We sit together in class and help each other with our homework. We always play together after school and play computer games for an hour. Cathy thinks quickly and does better than me. She is learning to play the piano .I am learning to play the piano, too. We play together every day. It's fun. We always have a good time.
Please write to me soon.
Love,
Lily | middle3757.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "She didn't pay enough attention to them"
},
"options": [
"The flowers were not beautiful enough",
"She was always too busy",
"She wanted her sister to dig them",
"She didn't pay enough attention to them"
],
"que... | When spring comes, some wildflowe come out in the ditches along the highway where I travel daily to work., I've noticed one special blue flower. It blooms only in the morning hours. For the afternoon sun is too hot for it. Every day for nearly two weeks, I see those beautiful flowers.
This spring, I started a wildflower garden in our yard,. I can look out of the kitchen window while doing the dishes and see the flowers.
Every day I drove past the flowers thinking "I'll stop on my way home and dig them." "See. I don't want to get my good clothes dirty." Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them.
One day on my way home from work. I was sad to see the pretty blue flowers were gone. I thought to myself. "You wanted too long. You should have done it when you first saw them blooming this spring."
A week ago we were shocked and sad to learn that my oldest sister-in-law was badly ill. She is 20 years older than my husband and unfortunately, because of age and distance, we haven't been as close as we all would have been.
I couldn't help but see the connection between the pretty blue flowers and the relationship between my husband's sister and us. I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some wonderful memories that will bloom every year for us.
And yes, if I see the blue flowers again. You can bet I'll stop and transplant them to my wildflower garden. | middle4038.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "their interests and schedules are different from their parents'"
},
"options": [
"they are always causing problems",
"there's no way to make them happy",
"they don't want to travel with their parents",
"their interests ... | Anyone who has ever traveled with a teenager knows that the teenager can make the vacation good or bad for the entire family. As a travel agent, Lynda Maxwell said, "If teenagers are happy, everybody is happy."
Teenagers are often interested in travelling, but their interests and schedules often aren't the same as their parents'. It means that when the parents start to look for a place of interest in the early morning, their teenagers may be sleeping soundly!
The thing makes travelling with teenagers very difficult, but it isn't impossible. The experts said, "The keys to success is what parents do before they travel."
For many families, the hardest part may be finding a vacation time that is right for everyone. Be sure to sit down with everyone else in the family before setting a date.
"After setting a date, ask teenagers where they would choose to go," suggested Maxwell. It is possible that they'd like nothing more than to sit on a beach for a week. "Maybe there's a compromise ," said Maxwell.
"Most teenagers like using the Internet now, so parents can ask them to think up the ideas about what to see and do," said Brad Anderson. "I find teenagers are excellent at making great suggestions." | middle2449.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "hobby"
},
"options": [
"freedom",
"love",
"a true friend",
"hobby"
],
"question": "What is not mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answe... | What do you like most when you can get one of such things: freedom, true friends, love, honesty and so on? Here are some choices of students:
Chen Cheng, 14, Jiangsu: I think I need a true friend. I had some friends before. However, it seemed that they didn't treat me well. I told them my secrets but they didn't share theirs with me. What's worse, they told my secrets to others, which made me very unhappy. I hope to find a true lifelong friend who can share happiness and sadness with me and keep my secrets.
Gan Xiaoning 14, Heilongjiang: Freedom is what I want most. I am a bird in two cages. In school, I have to follow the school's rules and listen to teachers. At home, my parents don't allow me to do what I like, either. I have to do everything that they tell me to do: study, study and study some more. So, freedom is the only thing I really want!
Yuan Siyu, 15, Guangxi: I am a boy from a poor family. My father works very hard but only makes a little money every month to support the family. I want to go to a key university so that I can find a good job in the future. Then, I can _ enough money to get my family out of poverty and offer my parents a happy life.
Qu Yi, 15, Hebei: I want a complete family. My parents got divorced three years ago. Since then, I have had no chance to be together with both of them any more. Now, I am living with my mom and get her love, but I also want my dad's love. I am envious of my classmates who live with their parents. So, I would have a complete family if I could. | middle1140.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because she hoped she could be ill in this way."
},
"options": [
"Because she had no money to buy a pair of shoes.",
"Because she thought it interesting to walk without shoes.",
"Because she was ill and forgot to put on her s... | I have tried many ways to be ill. I don't wear a sweater when I should, and two days ago I walked in the rain without my shoes. But so far nothing has happened. Debbie once told me about a boy in her class who liked being away from school. He would rub the end of the thermometer until it went up to 39degC. Then he'd put it in his mouth and his mother would think he was really ill.
This morning I tried doing that but it never went above 35degC and I rubbed it for ten minutes. So I held the thermometer next to the light on my desk and it went up to 40degC. I thought I'd put it in my mouth and walk downstairs like that. Then my mother would take it out and she would be worried when she saw that I was rather ill.
The only trouble was I didn't know the thermometer would be so hot. As soon as I put it into my mouth, it burnt my tongue! I spit the thermometer out. It fell on the floor but it didn't break.
I will have to think of a better way to get my mother and father back together. | middle7531.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "take care of his baby at home"
},
"options": [
"watch the door",
"take care of his baby at home",
"welcome his friends",
"stop the strangers"
],
"question": "The Prince told the dog to _ when he was leavin... | More than seven hundred years ago, the Prince of Wales had a very big and brave dog called Gelert.
One day the Prince wanted to go hunting with his men. He told his dog to stay at home and look after his baby son. The baby was in a small wooden bed.
When the Prince came back from hunting, Gelert ran out to meet him. He wagged his tail and jumped up to put his paws on the Prince's chest. Then the Prince saw the blood on his head. He rushed into his house and found the bed lying on its side on the floor. The clothes were torn and there was blood on them.
The prince thought the dog had killed his son and took out his sword, killing the dog. Just as Gelert was dying, he managed to bark. Then the Prince heard a baby call to the dog. The Prince ran out of the house and saw his son lying on the ground unhurt. Near him was a dead wolf.
The Prince ran back into the house but it was too late. Gelert was dead. The Prince was very sad indeed. Tears ran down his face when he realized he had killed his
friend. The Prince carried the body of his brave dog to the top of a mountain and buried him there. After this, the Prince never smiled again.
If you go to Mount Snowdon in Wales, people will show you where Gelert is buried. There is a sign by his grave. It reminds people of a brave and faithful dog. | middle8164.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "things to do for the weekend"
},
"options": [
"visiting teams",
"famous players",
"things to do for the weekend",
"prices to pay for the riders"
],
"question": "The passage is to give information about _ .",
... | Bicycle Tour and Race
A bike tour and race will be held on August 26 and 27 (Sat. & Sun. ) at 5:30 a.m. The riders will leave Tian'anmen Square and ride the first 35 kilometers as a training leg. Then the next 55 kilometers leg, from Yanjiao to Jixian, will be the first competitive part of the tour. The riders will be taken from Jixian to Changli. The second racing _ of the tour will be from Changli to the seaside of Nandaihe, covering about 20 kilometers. On Saturday night the riders will stay at Nandaihe for supper. Sunday morning is free for playing at the seaside. At noon all the people and their bikes will be taken back to Beijing.
Cost: Y=200 Telephone: 010--60875678 | middle7257.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "slim"
},
"options": [
"tall",
"slim",
"fit",
"strong"
],
"question": "The word \"skinny\" means too _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer... | * You'll never be good at Maths.
It's generally accepted that boys are good at Maths and girls aren't. The fact is that it isn't true.
When girls reach their teens, most of them lose their interest in Maths. They think they are females. They want to stay away from things that are boys' things, and Maths is still thought of to be a boy's thing. The Maths class is hard, but if you give it a chance, you could be great at Maths, especially because you are a girl.
* Being skinny is good.
Lots of websites tell visitors that losing interest in eating is a beautiful thing. They are lying. Losing interest in eating is a disease, not a healthy thing. It can kill you.
* You are not supposed to make as much money as a guy.
It's said that in 2014 women who work full-time earn about 23 percent less than guys earn. Once you see real women successful in cool jobs, you'll truly get that you're worth just as much or more than any guys.
* Caffeine will help you study better.
Caffeinated soft drinks have long been advertised as must-haves for women when you have to work very hard. But if you want to do your body a big favor, you'd better give up caffeine. | middle6149.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "pairs of figure skating"
},
"options": [
"pairs of figure skating",
"short track speed skating",
"women's curling",
"long track speed skating"
],
"question": "Shen Xue won the gold medal in the _ event at the... | It was an exciting moment for Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, a retired married _ from Harbin, China. It was also a great moment for China because it was the country's first gold medal in the pairs figure skating competition at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games.
Everyone was very quiet when Shen and Zhao were skating onto the ice. They were expecting something wonderful to happen. As soon as the music started, Shen and Zhao skated around the field quickly with beautiful style; every move was perfect. When the music stopped, all the people cheered. In the end Shen and Zhao won the Olympic gold medal.
In China, winter sports are not as popular as they are in America and Northern European countries. So China sent only 90 athletes to Vancouver to take in a few, carefully chosen sports. Such a good decision also led to Wang Meng and Zhao Yang winning gold medals in the little known, but exciting sports of short track speed skating.
China did not win a lot of medals at these Winter Games. Most of the events are still very new to China and need to be developed. But Chinese athletes learn very quickly. For example, China's women's curling team only began in 2003, but they were No. 1 at the 2009 World Women's Curling Championship.
This means that with hard work and a bit of luck, China's winter stars could soon shine on the world stage. | middle1626.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he lost his way and he wished the farmer who would show him the way"
},
"options": [
"he was friendly to everyone",
"he saw an old man in the country",
"he lost his way and he wished the farmer who would show him the way",
... | A man from a big city with a new cart and a beautiful pair of horses was driving along a country road . He did not give much attention to where he was going. Very soon he knew he lost his way, but he kept on driving hoping he would meet someone or find his way back.
It was a long way. For many hours he kept on driving. When it was almost dark he saw a farmer who was working in a field. He stopped and shouted, "Hello, farmer!" "Hello, yourself!" the farmer answered, still working.
"Where does this road go?"
"I have never seen it go anywhere. It always stays where it is." said the farmer, without stopping his work.
"How far is it to the next town?" said the stranger, with a little louder voice.
"I don't know. I've never measured it ." Answered the farmer.
By the time the city man was getting angry. "What do you know? You're the biggest fool I've seen."
The farmer stopped and turned and looked for a while at the man. Then he said, "Maybe I do not know much, perhaps I'm a fool. But at least I'm not lost." | middle4986.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Joyce had never got the dream doll from her parents."
},
"options": [
"Amy dreamed to have all kinds of lovely dolls.",
"Amy Iooked like a doll when she was a little girl.",
"Joyce received a lot of lovely dolls from her pare... | Amy was looking for a gift for her little daughter.Suddenly she stopped before a store of dolls."Girls like dolls,"she thought as she stepped into it.Looking around,she saw a grandma doll...one with gray hair and a pair of glasses.In her mind appeared Joyce,her mother.
When Amy was a little girl,she got her first doll from Joyce for her birthday.Then the second,the third...A doll a year never arrived late.
" Why always a doll? " This question had been in Amy's mind until one day her father gave the answer.
Little Joyce dreamed to have a doll.Her parents promised one for her fifth birthday.Sadly ,they both died in a traffic accident before it arrived.The never-received gift was the most precious in her eyes.
Her mother's story being recalled,Amy got an idea. It was Joyce's birthday.A package was sent to her with a card that read:
Dear Joyce ,
I forget to send you the package that you should have received on May 20,1 956,your fifth Birthday.The gift inside has aged ,but I thought that you might still wish to have it.
Love ,Angel of Joy
Joyce opened the package and saw a lovely grandma doll.She clasped the doll that she had waited so many years for ,crying softly.The doll given by "Angel of Joy",made her the happiest "child" in the world. | middle5440.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because his parents wanted him to do better in his math."
},
"options": [
"Because he could eat well there.",
"Because he could earn more about nuns.",
"Because his parents wanted him to do better in his math.",
"Becaus... | Little Tommy was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything--tutors , cards, special learning centers--in short, everything they could think of. Finally they took Tommy to a catholic school.
After the first day,little Tommy came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn't kiss his mother hello. Instead,he went straight to his room and started studying. Books and papers were spread out all over the room and little Tommy was hard at work. His mother was surprised. She called him down to dinner and as soon as he finished eating, he went back to his room, without a word. In no time he was back _ as hard as before. This went on for some time,day after day while the mother tried to understand what was happening.
Finally,little Tommy brought home his report card. He quietly put it on the table and went up to his room and hit the books. His mom looked at it and to her surprise, little Tommy got an A in math. She could no longer hold her curiosity . She went to his room and asked,"Son, what was it? Was it the nuns ?"
Little Tommy looked at her and shook his head,"No."
"Well then,"she asked again,"WHAT was it?"
Little Tommy looked at her and said,"Well, on the first day of school,when I saw that man nailed to the plus sign ,I knew they weren't joking." | middle3031.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "On a bus."
},
"options": [
"On a train.",
"At school.",
"In a park.",
"On a bus."
],
"question": "Where is Peter?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | It is early in the morning, about seven o'clock. Peter is on the bus. He's going to school. There are many people on the bus and it is a bit hot. Peter is sitting by a window with a book in his hands. The bus driver is driving slowly . Most people on the bus are using their mobile phones. A girl in a red sweater is standing near Peter. She looks very happy. She is reading some funny things on her mobile phone. A fat boy behind him is busy playing games on his mobile phone. A tall man is Jack. He is listening to music on the mobile phone. He's about thirty years old. They are all busy and happy. | middle6161.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "football and basketball"
},
"options": [
"Basketball and swimming",
"football and basketball",
"Football and swimming",
"Reading and swimming"
],
"question": "What are Ivan's hobbies?",
"question_type": "fac... | Let me tell you my pen friend Ivan. He is 12 years old. He likes playing football. He usually play football with his friends at weekends.
Ivan lives with his father and mother in a city in France. They have a dream home with five rooms, a swimming pool and a garden. They often have a party in the garden at weekends. They like to help their neighbours. His home is not near his school, so Ivan takes a bus for an hour and then walks for 10 minutes to school. There is a Basketball Club near his school. He likes play basketball in the club.
Ivan's father is a worker. He is busy. Ivan's mother is a doctor. She is nice to the patients. Ivan wants to be a teacher when he grows up. I want to be a teacher, too. Every month Ivan writes two letters to me. He'll come to Suqian next year. We'll meet then. | middle2307.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because he didn't like the family rules"
},
"options": [
"Because his parents didn't love him.",
"Because he didn't like the family rules",
"Because he didn't have mother.",
"Because he didn't finish his homework."
... | A teenage boy couldn't stand his parents' family rules, so he left home. He wanted to be famous, but he had poor education and several years later, he had to ask for food on the street for a living. Now his mother has died. His father is an old man. But he is still looking for his son. He has been to every corner of the city. Everywhere he goes, he puts up a big photo of himself on the wall. At the lower part of the photo he writes, "I still love you... , come back home !"
One day, the son saw one of the photos. The face was familiar . "Is that my father?" He moved closer and read the words: "I still love you..." He cried. When he got home, it was early morning. He knocked at the door. The door opened itself. He rushed to his father's bedroom. His father was sleeping. He woke his father up, "It's me! Your son is back home!" The father and the son held each other, full of happy tears. The son asked, "Why is the door not locked? A thief could get in." The father answered softly, "The door has never been locked since you left."The door of parents' love for their children will never be closed. | middle5468.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Professor Joseph Forgas"
},
"options": [
"sad participants",
"happy participants",
"Professor Joseph Forgas",
"Forgas' friends"
],
"question": "The study was completed by _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | Are you in a bad mood? Don't worry! According to a new Australian study, a bad mood can actually be good for you. The study showed that being sad could help people to judge others more correctly and was also good for the memory.
The study was carried out by Professor Joseph Forgas at the University of New South Wales."People in a bad mood paid more attention to the people and things around them than happy people .Happy people were more likely to believe anything they were told,"said Forgas
For the study, Forgas and his team did a lot of experiments. During the experiments, they made the participants feel happy or sad by watching films and thinking about good or bad things of the past.
In one of the experiments, happy and sad participants were asked to judge whether some wrong things were true or not. The results showed that people in a bad mood were less likely to believe that these things were true.
People in a bad mood were also less likely to make mistakes when they were asked to remember the things that they saw.
The study also showed that sad people were better at talking about their thoughts in written style. In fact, the study said that a slightly bad mood could help to make communication more successful. | middle3019.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "you may do more jogging"
},
"options": [
"you may do more jogging",
"you may not do more jogging",
"you are very healthy and needn't do more jogging",
"you may just do more walking"
],
"question": "If you are no... | One of the easiest ways to keep fit is to do jogging. Jogging is the name for a very gentle running--it is just a little faster than walking.
Start slow jog 20 meters, then walk 20 meters. Little by little, if you are not feeling very tired, you may do more jogging and less walking. Finally, jog the whole way. It will be easy for you to start jogging for 15 minutes twice a week, slowly, increase this to 20-30 minutes every day. The longer you join in jogging, the more you enjoy it and the healthier you will become. Some people like jogging alone, and others enjoy doing it with friends. Jogging in groups makes more people keener , because you just can not stay in bed while there is a group of friends waiting outside. If you want to start jogging, prepare a pair of comfortable shoes and a _ mind.
,. (5,2, 10) | middle4010.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "15."
},
"options": [
"13.",
"14.",
"15.",
"16."
],
"question": "How old is Alice Green?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They go ... | Dear friend,
I am an American ( ) girl. My name is Alice Green. I am a middle school student. I am fifteen. I have two brothers. They are middle school students, too. We go to school from Monday to Friday. We don't have any classes on Saturdays and Sundays. My father and mother are teachers. They always say China is great. I like reading. I am reading a Chinese book. I think it's very interesting. My brothers and I like playing football and basketball. What sports do you like?
Let's be good pen pals , OK? Please write to me soon.
Yours,
Alice Green | middle2461.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "by opening the door with his key"
},
"options": [
"with his wife's help",
"by knocking at the door",
"with his child's help",
"by opening the door with his key"
],
"question": "When Mr King came back very late f... | The King lived a small house near New York with their child . Sometimes Mr King came back from work very late. When his wife and the child were asleep, he opened the front door of his house with his key and came in very quietly.
But one night when he was coming home late, he lost his key. So when he reached his house , he rang the bell. Nothing happened. He rang it again. Again nothing happened. Nobody moved inside the house. Mr King knocked at the bedroom window. He spoke to his wife, he shouted, but she didn't wake up. At last he stopped and thought for a minute. Then he began to speak like a small child. "Mum," he said, "I want to go to the toilet." He spoke quietly, but at once Mrs King woke up. Then he spoke to her, and she opened the door for him. | middle1168.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a happy face with tears"
},
"options": [
"a common word",
"a sad face",
"a boy's name",
"a happy face with tears"
],
"question": "The Word of the Year for 2015 is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Each year, the famous Oxford Dictionaries chooses its Word of the Year. The word is carefully chosen depending on how popular it is and how well it explains the year. However, this year they didn't actually choose a word at all. Instead, they chose a "face with tears of joy" emoji .
This was the world's most used emoji in 2015, according to research done by the Oxford University Press. It made up 20 percent of all emojis used in the UK and 17 percent of those used in the US.
Emojis started from Japan in the 1990s. Through the years, the simple, small pictures have changed the way people communicate online. According to New Yorker magazine, a survey in 2013 showed that 74 percent of people in the US and 82 percent in China had used emojis. About 6, 000,000,000 emoji pictures are flying around the world every day through messages. Although some worry that emojis will make people's language skills weak, fans say they are fun and help them express their feelings more easily.
"Emojis are no longer just for sending messages to teenagers. Instead, they have become a kind of expression, which can cross language barriers ," Oxford Dictionaries said in a statement, explaining their uncommon choice. "Emoji culture has become so popular that emojis have their own way and stories."
Some even think emojis can take the place of words. Fred Benenson, an American data engineer, translated American novel Moby Dick into Emoji Dick. The book has even been kept by the US Library of Congress . | middle6607.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "China"
},
"options": [
"America",
"China",
"Asian Nations",
"European countries"
],
"question": "In the Unites States, the products in Wal-Mart are mostly produced in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questio... | The label, Made in China, is one that is becoming increasing popular in shopping centers all over the world.
In the United States, shoppers at Wal-Mart, the nation's largest retailer , have a wide selection of products mostly produced in China. The large amount of Chinese imports have created a large selection of goods in other countries as people begin to buy more and more products made in China. These goods are even widely available in other Asian nations, where Chinese-made goods are quite popular. Chinese _ names are also becoming more well-known outside China, such as Gree,Media and Huawei.
When Chinese Americans visit family and friends in their homeland, gifts from the U.S. are a must. But TVs and fashionable clothes aren't rare any more, and anything 'Made in China' shouldn't be considered in any case. "When I decide to visit my family members in China, I will have a big headache. What should I buy for them? They may not all speak English, but everyone in China knows those three words," a Chinese American said. "When they see the label 'Made in China,' they will think, 'Why do you send me this?' "
The development of China has surprised the world with its growth. As a result, the other countries are beginning to try to reduce Chinese goods with the use of taxes and import restrictions . However, the development on the Chinese economy still affects the world in many ways. | middle7519.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "viruses"
},
"options": [
"bad weather",
"viruses",
"chill",
"your friends"
],
"question": "Colds are caused by _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Different from popular thoughts, colds are not caused by bad weather. Colds are caused by viruses in the body, and you are better out on the snowy day than you are in a warm room, with your friends, who just may be passing the virus around. If you feel a chill when you are coming down with a cold, you are already sick. A chill is an early sign of the cold.
The virus can spread through air when a cold - sufferer coughs or sneezes. Surprisingly, this is not the most usual way of spreading, Many studies have now shown that most colds are " caught " by hands. A cold - sufferer rubs her nose, so spreading the virus to her hand. Then a friend comes to visit her. They shake their hands. The friend then gets something to eat by hand, and several days later she catches a cold. Although some parents pick up their children's tissues and carefully throw them away, they fail to wash their hands. They'll catch the colds, too.
Cold viruses can also be spread by objects, for example, telephones, plates. The cold - sufferer as well as other members of the house, by washing their hands often, will stop the viruses from spreading in a way . | middle6613.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he doesn't want to have a Maths test"
},
"options": [
"he wants to stay at home",
"he wants to watch TV",
"he is ill",
"he doesn't want to have a Maths test"
],
"question": "Jack doesn't go to school today becau... | "Can I stay home from school today? I'm ill," he tells his mum. His mother touches his head.
"OK, but you will have to look after yourself. I am going to work now," she says.
After the front door closes, Jack springs out of bed. He takes off the three warm sweaters he is wearing and puts on a T-shirt and shorts.
Then he runs for the kitchen . He is very hungry.
After breakfast, Jack turns on the TV. He watches some cartoons and a VCD all the morning.
At eleven he calls his friend Tom, who is "ill" too. Tom says he will come over after lunch.
The two boys play computer games all the afternoon. Tom has to leave at 4 o'clock, as his mother usually gets home early.
Next day, Jack says he feels much better and goes to school. Their Maths teacher Miss Clark says with a smile, "We are having the Maths test now, class. Too many students were at home yesterday." | middle4004.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "fish"
},
"options": [
"meat",
"fish",
"desserts",
"antipasto"
],
"question": "Italian families celebrate the Christmas Eve meal with different kinds of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | The Christmas Eve meal is very important in most European countries. While other Christian families around the world celebrate this great meal with different kinds of meat, it is a tradition for Italians to eat seven different kinds of fish. Such a meal is called the "Feast of the Seven Fishes". It's also considered traditional that there may be nine, eleven, or even thirteen fishes for the meal. This kind of celebration is held to remember the birth of the baby Jesus.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes was held just by southern Italians as a custom at first, but today Italians all over the world hold it. Although the Feast of the Seven Fishes has been regarded as an Italian custom, no one _ knows the meaning of it. There are lots of explanations for it. Some people believe that seven fishes are served because it took God seven days to create the world. Other explanations mention the Seven Hills of Rome.
For the Feast of the Seven Fishes, it's not certain that which kinds of fish should be served. At the Feast of the Seven Fishes, the meal usually begins with antipasto and ends with delicious desserts.
The Feast of the Seven Fishes has been a tradition since ancient times, and it will continue or even change as life changes. However, for Italians all over the world, the cultural meaning of the tradition is more important than anything else. | middle2475.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "take the train home"
},
"options": [
"find a job",
"take the train home",
"sell the ticket",
"take the train to Taibei"
],
"question": "Tom came to the station to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Last year when Tom graduated from school, he came to Taibei. He didn't like to work on his father's farm and hoped to find a job in a big city. He went from one company to another but no one wanted him. With little money left, he got to the station, sad and tired. All he wanted to do was go back to his small town. It was very late at night and the station was full of people. They were waiting to buy tickets of the last train. He bought the last ticket, and he was very happy.
At that time, a woman with a crying baby walked to him and asked him to sell her the ticket. He gave her the ticket because he thought they needed it more than he did. After the train left, he sat on the bench and didn't know where to go. Suddenly, an old man came and said, "Young man, I have seen what you did to the woman. I am the owner of a big company. I need a good young man like you. Would you like to work for me? | middle2313.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "spend one year abroad as volunteers"
},
"options": [
"go to university abroad",
"spend one year abroad as volunteers",
"go to work for money",
"start work in schools or hospitals"
],
"question": "Some young peop... | Every year thousands of young people in England finish school and then take a year off before they start work or go to university. Some young people go to other countries and work as volunteers . Volunteers give their time to help people. For example, they work in schools or hospitals, or they do something helpful for the environment.
Pauline Jones, 18, lives in Cardiff, Wales. Next year she is going to university to study Chinese, but now she's living in Belize. Pauline says, "I'm working with other people here to save the coral reefs in the sea near Belize. The reefs here are beautiful, but if the sea water is very polluted, the coral will die. I'm helping to do research on the coral and the fish that live around the reefs. All over the world, coral reefs are dying. We need to do something about the problem before it's too late."
"I'm staying with a family here and I help do some housework. I don't get any money, but
that's OK. I love my work here, and I'm learning a lot about the people of Belize--and myself!
After I finish my work, I want to stay here for another three months. I want to travel around
Belize and Central America." | middle4762.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "By ship"
},
"options": [
"By air",
"By underground",
"By train",
"By ship"
],
"question": "How can we get to Mona Island from the island of Puerto Rico?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"a... | Are you looking for a fun vacation spot? Do you like to sleep in a hotel, go shopping, and eat fancy meals? If so, Mona Island might Not be the place for you! That's because Mona Island has no hotels, no museums, no shops, and no restaurants. None at all!
But if you like nature , Mona Island is an amazing place to take a vacation. Some of the animals living there are not found anywhere else in the world. There are beautiful beaches and caves to explore. The sea around the island has colorful fish. There are many things that make Mona Island an unusual place.
Mona Island is very small, On a map it looks like a tiny green lima bean floating in the big blue ocean. the only way to get there is by taking a long boat ride from the island of Puerto Rico.
The government of Puerto Rico takes care of the island and has made it a natural reserve. That means the island's animals and plants are protected from being harmed by people. Mona Island is different from most places because people are not allowed to live there. Only a few park rangers are able to stay.
The park ranger's job is to keep Mona Island safe and beautiful. They insist that rules be followed. One rule is that only 100 people at a time can visit the island. That way, the park rangers can make sure the land and animals remain safe.
B. | middle6175.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a teacher has more questions"
},
"options": [
"a teacher has more questions",
"a student has more questions",
"a teacher has no questions",
"a student has no questions"
],
"question": "The great learned man beli... | "Who has more questions, a teacher or a student?"About this question a great learned man told his students that nobody does but a teacher.
The students got puzzled. With a smile, the teacher drew the circles."Within the larger one is my knowledge of things and within the smaller one is yours. Out of the circles is still unknown to both of us. Since mine is larger, as you can see, the line that marks out the circle is longer. That makes it clear that who has more chances to face something still unknown." | middle99.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because there are more and more cars on the roads."
},
"options": [
"Because there are not enough ways of transportation.",
"Because there are fewer speed rules.",
"Because there are more and more cars on the roads.",
"... | With more and more cars on the road, the traffic _ will happen. How do we see it and how can we solve the problem?
We know that the traffic jam happens in many places, especially in big cities. What are reasons for the problem? On one hand, some people think that they should have a car when they have enough money, and then it's easy to go out and they can feel comfortable. On the other hand, a growing number of people hope to use their cars to show off . What's more, years of research has shown that one of other reasons for the traffic jam is the driving habit. For example, many young people enjoy driving very fast, so they can feel excited. At last, most of them hardly care about the speed rules.
Many governments are working at how to make the traffic better. In my opinion, firstly, the governments should educate those people who have cars or plan to buy cars. The governments must make them know that the traffic jam is very serious, and set up a much more perfect traffic system to solve the traffic pressure. | middle1395.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A student"
},
"options": [
"A teacher",
"A student",
"A parent",
"A manager"
],
"question": "Who was the speech made by?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | Head teacher, teachers, grandparents, parents and classmates, I'm very proud that I have been chosen to speak to you all today. I'm a bit nervous as I've never made a speech before to so many people, so please forgive me if it shows! www.xkb1.com
As we all know, this is the school leavers' party, and it's time to say goodbye to everyone. We're sorry to leave you at the end of our junior high school education, and we promise that we'll never forget the happy times we have spent in these buildings with you all.
I'd like to thank three groups of people for the three things I've learnt while I've been a pupil at our school. The three things are friendship, love and knowledge.
The first group is my friends, and what I've learnt is the importance of friendship. We've worked hard together, we've even shared some difficult times together, but we've also had a lot of fun. Many of us will go to new schools and we may not see each other so often in the future. Others will go on to senior high school and continue their close friendships. But friends don't have to see each other all the time. Sometimes the friends you treasure most are the friends you see less often. A life without old friends is like a day without sunshine. We'll always stay in touch.
The second group is our parents and grandparents. We thank you for the love you have shown us during our years at junior high school, for making a home where we feel both safe and relaxed, and where we can prepare ourselves for our school days. We also thank you for your help with our homework. How many of us owe our good grades to the suggestions you have made during those long evenings?
And finally, the third group is our teachers. We can never pay you back for your kindness, your patience, and gift of knowledge which you have offered us; sometimes you've made us work very hard. But you have always been fair and you'll always be our role models. There's a saying from Ireland which is a favourite of mine: Strangers are only friends you haven't met yet.
I couldn't say it better myself. So from the bottom of my heart, I thank you all and wish you success for the future. | middle2844.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "plane"
},
"options": [
"plane",
"ship",
"bus",
"train"
],
"question": "The writer went to America by _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answe... | Like most English children, I learned foreign languages at school. When I made my first visit to the United States, I was sure I could have a nice and easy holiday without any language problem. But how wrong I was!
At the American airport, I was looking for a public telephone to tell my friend Danny that I had arrived. An American asked if he could help me. "Yes," I said, "I want to give my friend a ring."
"Well, that's nice. Are you getting married?" he asked.
"No," I replied, "I just want to tell him I have arrived."
"Oh," he said, "there is a phone downstairs on the first floor."
"But we're on the first floor now," I said.
"Well, I don't know what you are talking about. Maybe you aren't feeling too well after your journey," he said. "Just go and wash up, and you will feel a lot better." And he went off, leaving me wondering where on earth I was: At home we wash up after a meal to get the cups and plates clean. How can I wash up at an airport?
At last we did meet. Danny explained the misunderstanding: Americans say "to give someone a call", but we English say "to give somebody a ring". When we say "to wash your hands", they say "to wash up". And Englishmen start numbering from the ground floor so the first floor is the second for Americans. | middle3582.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to help look after their families"
},
"options": [
"find jobs they enjoy",
"achieve their dreams",
"to help look after their families",
"make money to go to university"
],
"question": "Some students would like t... | We all dream about things that we would like to do and things we hope to achieve in the future. But are everybody's dreams the same? Here are some of the findings of a survey about hopes and dreams,and thousands of students across China took part in it.
_
We received several different answers to the question:What would you like to do after finishing your education? It seems some students would like to start work as soon as possible, so that they can help provide better lives for their parents. Other students hope to continue studying after finishing school and to go to university. Although money is important, many teenagers said they want to do jobs they enjoy. According to the survey, the most popular choice of job is computer programming.
_
Teenagers have all kinds of dreams. Some are more realistic than others. For example, many students said they would like to be volunteers if Beijing could hold the World Cup, maybe working as translators or tour guides. And quite a few said they dream of going to the moon one day. According to the survey, less realistic dreams are also common, but many students reported that they were willing to work hard to achieve their dreams. Quite a few dream of becoming famous, perhaps famous sports people or singers. Some said they'd like to go on exciting trips; one student said she'd love to sail across the Pacific Ocean. And then there are dreams that are impossible; three students said they'd like to be able to fly!
_
It was clear from the survey that teenagers have similar hopes. It seems that most students hope to have a good education and find a good job. Besides,students dream of very different things:good things, and even crazy things. It is very important to dream, so hold on your dreams; one day they may just come true. | middle7082.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "white"
},
"options": [
"white",
"purple",
"brown",
"golden"
],
"question": "According to the passage, _ marigold is unusual.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | One year, a college in the Unites States announced that it would offer a lot of money for the pure white marigold . The high reward attracted so many people, but in the nature, besides golden, the marigold is brown, and it is not easy to get the white one. So after they were excited for a time, many people had forgotten the announcement.
One normal day after 20 years, the college received a letter and 100 seeds of pure white marigold. It turned out to be an old woman of over 70 years old. Some experts in the college doubted it , but in order not to let her down, those seeds finally took root in the earth. The miracle appeared after one year: the field was covered by pure white marigold. Therefore, the old woman who was always unknown to the public became a new _ .
The old woman was a flower-lover. When she read the announcement 20 years ago, she got very excited like others. But her right children were totally against her decision. After all, a woman who never knew the seed genetics couldn't complete what the experts could never do, so her thought was only a day dream.
Still, the old woman didn't change her mind and went on working. She planted some of the most common seeds and took good care of them. A year later, when the marigold came out, she chose one faintest from those golden and brown flowers and get the best seed. The next year, she again grew them and chose.... Day after day, year after year, through many seasons, the old woman's husband died, her children flew far and high, a lot of things happened in her life, but only the desire to grow the pure white marigold took root in her heart.
Finally, after 20 years on the day we all know, in the garden she saw a marigold which was not nearly white, but as white as sliver or snow.
A problem even experts couldn't deal with was solved by an old woman who didn't understand genetics. Wasn't it a miracle?
To take root in the heart, even the most common seed can grow into a miracle! | middle7096.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because their living place is less and less."
},
"options": [
"Because visitors watch them.",
"Because many of them died.",
"Because people have less and less place.",
"Because their living place is less and less."
... | Zhalong is a nature reserve in Heilongjiang in northeast China. It is one of the world's most important wetlands*. The reserve offers food and places to live in for wildlife. It is an _ home for different kinds of plants, fish and birds.
Many birds live comfortably in Zhalong Nature Reserve all year round, but some only stay there for a short time. There are many fish in the wetlands, and the birds can easily catch them for food. Zhalong Nature Reserve is an important living area for red-crowned cranes*. There are not many red-crowned cranes in the world. Some of them live in Zhalong.
Some people want to change the wetlands to make more space for farms and buildings. This means there will be less and less space for wildlife.
More and more birds are in danger because they do not have enough living space. Many of them died. The Chinese government wants to protect these endangered* birds, and they can be safe in Zhalong.
Every year, a lot of visitors go to Zhalong to watch birds. This year, members of our Birdwatching Club are going to study the different kinds of birds in Zhalong and the changes in their numbers.
We do a bird count* once a year. We are now inviting middle school students to help. We need more people to help us count and do something to help the birds. Many people do not understand the importance* of the wetlands. We hope this information will help them understand and make them do something to protect wildlife. | middle6388.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Chimps have better memories than humans."
},
"options": [
"Chimps can remember all of their friends.",
"Chimps have better memories than humans.",
"Chimps do things to improve their memories.",
"Chimps can do many thing... | Do you have a good memory? Maybe you remember better than all of your friends. But even if you have a short-term memory, it's better than a chimpanzee's , right? Well, you may be wrong.
Tetsuro Matszawa, a scientist from Kyoto University, Japan has showed how chimps have far better memories than humans. "We learn that chimps have great memories by doing tests," he told The Guardian "You can do things to improve your memory."
How do chimps have better memories than us? Scientists tested four chimps and human volunteers. They showed them five numbers on a computer screen. Chimps and human volunteers had to remember the numbers correctly. But to make it hard, the numbers disappeared after seven tenths of a second. Then they will reduce the time to two tenths of a second. While humans began to make mistake after mistake, the young chimps still did very well.
Why do they have better memories? We share 98.8 percent of our DNA with chimps. But during evolution , we lost some of our shared abilities. As humans learned new skills, like language, we had to lose some of our memory skills to make room in our brains. "To get something, we had to lose something," said the scientist.
Chimps need good memories to survive . When a chimp looks up at the big tree and pick a banana, he must remember where he saw it as he fights off competition from other animals. | middle5681.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It couldn't work fast"
},
"options": [
"It was not big.",
"It couldn't work fast",
"It was very cheap.",
"It was no useful"
],
"question": "How was the first computers?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"... | Today almost everyone knows computers and the Internet. If I ask you "What is the most important thing in your life?" may be you will say "Computers and the Internet".
The first computer was made in 1946. It was very big but it worked slowly.. Today, computers are getting smaller, and smaller, but they work faster and faster. What can computers do? A writer has said, "People can't live without computers today."21cnjy.com
The Internet came a little later than computers. It is about twenty-five years later than computers. But now it can be found almost everywhere. We can use it to read books, send e-mails, do some shopping, play games or make friends. 21*cnjy*com
Young men, especially the middle school students like the Internet very much. They often go into the Internet bars as soon as they are free. They make friends on the Internet and maybe they have never seen these friends. They don't know their names, ages and sex . They are so interested in making the "unreal friends" that they can't put their heart into study. Some of them play the games in the Internet bars all day and all night. Many of them can't catch up with others in many subjects because of that.
Now the government has done many things. Some gangster Internet bars have been banned . But that's not enough. The teachers and parents are still worrying about their students and children.
We can use computers and the Internet to learn more about the world. But at the same time, we should remember that computers and the Internet could not do all the things.www-2-1-cnjy-com | middle2688.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Stay below strong objects"
},
"options": [
"Rush out quickly",
"Sit in the kitchen",
"Stay below strong objects",
"Go down the stairs"
],
"question": "What should you do if you are in a building when an earthqua... | Disasters happen all the time somewhere in the world. Are you ready if one hits your neighborhood next week? Find out what you need to do now before it is too late. Let's take an earthquake for example.
During an earthquake, get under a strong object like the kitchen table. Don't leave the building during the shaking, or you might be hurt by falling objects from the outside of the building.
When you are in bed during the night and an earthquake happens,simply roll off the bed. There will be a safe void around the bed.
If you are watching TV and you cannot easily run away by getting out through the door or window, then lie down and curl up next to a sofa, or a large chair.
Never go to the stairs. The stairs are likely part of the building to be broken. Even if the stairs are not destroyed by the earthquake,they may fall down later when people run down.
Try to get into an open area away from trees,buildings,walls,advertisement boards and power lines if you are outdoors.
If you are driving when an earthquake suddenly happens,just stay in your car until the shaking ends. However, if the footbridge falls and breaks your car,get out of it and sit or lie next to it. All the broken cars have voids 3 feet high next to it. | middle7928.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "After getting up."
},
"options": [
"Before getting up.",
"After the work.",
"After getting up.",
"Before going to bed."
],
"question": "When do we usually have breakfast?",
"question_type": "factiod_question... | We usually have three meals. We have breakfast, lunch and supper. We often have more time for lunch and supper, and we eat a big lunch or supper. But a good breakfast is very important . It's easy for you to understand it. You don't eat anything for about twelve hours from the last supper.
One good breakfast should be rice or bread, an egg and milk. On a cold morning a cup of hot drink is necessary . Get up a little early and you can have enough time to eat breakfast. A good breakfast helps you to study well. It helps you to work well and play happily. You will be fun for a day after you enjoy a good breakfast. | middle615.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "write down what they do every day"
},
"options": [
"complain about parents and homework",
"share diaries and show pictures of theirs",
"offer support to each other",
"write down what they do every day"
],
"quest... | It's cool, it's hot, and everyone is doing it. People talk about _ often,and friends tell other friends how good they look. Sound like a fashion? It's actually trend : "blog". What's a blog? A blog is a personal online diary. The word "blogger" means a person who writes diaries online.
Many bloggers are teens who've been logging onto sites to talk about anything in their lives. Many of today's teenagers are not afraid to openly discuss everything in their lives. Teens complain about parents and homework. They share diaries, post songs from the latest bands and show pictures of theirs. They write their own poems , say something about their girlfriends or boyfriends and complain to each other or offer support. But mostly they just write down what they do every day.
However, many parents are afraid of these young bloggers. Parents see the kids talking about how they got drunk last weekend and how they don't like studying. They are using language that is surprising to their parents. Besides hearing from their friends, teen bloggers also get messages from strangers. Most of the time, it's older men asking to meet teenage girls. "These strange men are dangerous for my kids. They sometimes teach my kids bad words," said Cara Cabral, a mother of two.
Many teens and young adults know it's not safe to use blogs on the Internet. They know they are putting information about themselves in a place they can be seen by anyone. But teens are unlikely to give up these new communication tools that have become a way of life for many of them.
Are you a blogger? What do you think of the blog? | middle2878.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Sovereign Hill"
},
"options": [
"Cook's cottage.",
"Westfield Centerpoint",
"Sydney Tower",
"Sovereign Hill"
],
"question": "Where can you spend the night in a tour?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"ans... | The Best Shopping In Sydney
Sydney is one of the world's biggest cities and has something for everyone when it comes to shopping. You will find excellent Australian products alongside the best that the world has to offer. At the bottom of Sydney Tower, you can shop in 160 of Sydney's favorite stores including 16 jewelry stores and many gift and fashion shops. It's all at Westfield Centerpoint.
Tel: 9231-9300
SOVEREIGN HILL
This prize-winning living museum is where Australia's history comes alive! Visit daily or stay for the night and experience life of the Fold Rush days. A wonderful nightly sound and light show, Blood on the Southern Cross, tells the story of the famous Eureka Uprising. Enjoy shopping along with real life character and entertainment. 4-star hotel and breakfast.
Tel: 5331-1944
ANCHORAGE RESTAURANT
Come and enjoy our delicious Cantonese seafood right on the water's edge in the historic fishing port of Williamstown with views of the city center across Port Phillip Bay. Open 7 days a week.
Lunch: Sunday to Friday11:00am--2:00pm
Dinner: Monday to Saturday 5:00am--10:30pm
Tel: 9397-6270 or 9397-7799
COOK'S COTTAGE
Built by James and Grace Cook, parents of Captain James Cook, Cook's Cottage stands proud in the Fitzroy Gradens as a reminder of life in the eighteenth century, and as a celebration and commemoration of the life and travels of Captain James Cook.
Open 9:00am--5:00pm daily, and until 5:30 pm during the summer.
Information: 9419-4677 | middle7900.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Hard-working."
},
"options": [
"Patient.",
"Dishonest.",
"Hard-working.",
"Kind."
],
"question": "What was Edward Henry's mother like?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | An excerpt from The Card
Edward Henry Machin first saw daylight on the 27thof May, 1867, in Brougham Street in Bursley, the oldest of the Five Towns. Brougham Street goes down a hill to the canal .The rent for one of these houses was not high -- only about twenty-two pence a week.
Edward Henry's mother (his father was dead) lived by making and washing clothes for fine ladies. She did not often laugh. She was a woman of few words, and saved time every day by calling her son Denry, instead of Edward Henry.
Denry did not work hard at school, and boys who were lazy and not very clever usually just found jobs in the potbanks. Luckily, at the age of twelve, he won a place at the best school in Bursley. It happened like this. On the second day of the examination, Denry arrived a little early. As he walked around the examination room, he came to the teacher's desk, where he saw a list of names with marks for the first day of the examination. The highest possible mark was 30, but next to his name he saw the number 7. The numbers were written in pencil, and the pencil was on the desk. He picked it up, looked around the empty room, and at the door, and them wrote a 2 in front of the 7. Of course, this was not honest, but how many truly honest schoolboys are there? Denry was no worse than most of them. | middle5871.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "want to be different from others"
},
"options": [
"worry about their looks",
"want to be the ugliest",
"don't care for their study",
"want to be different from others"
],
"question": "It is common that young stu... | Many kids think they are too common. They think they are not the prettiest and smartest. Sometimes kids don't know how special they are. When they see outstanding athletes or cool stars, they often think: Am I outstanding? What am I going to be when I grow up ?
Growing up means understanding what you can do and what you can _ to the world. When you are young, you don't see that. But when get older, you may know that by being yourself, you do offer something to other people.
Maybe you aren't the best, but that doesn't make you "not special" Think about your friends. Write down some things that you like about them. Think about why you are friends. You are going to know that in the end, though they aren't the smartest or the prettiest or the most talented, they are great in their way. And they feel just the same as you.
In fact it is great to be the best at something, but it's OK if you can't. If you just live our life and try hard, you are still pretty amazing .And you can make your dream come true. | middle5865.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Molly finding a new manager"
},
"options": [
"Molly and her children",
"Molly finding a new manager",
"the baby-sitter and the kids",
"Molly making a change about her business"
],
"question": "The passage is mai... | Molly Boylan is one of the most successful business women in Canada after setting up her cosmetic company Blazes in 1992. Though she is very successful, she says that she finds it harder every year in balance her business with her family life. She sometimes feels that her two children know more about their baby---sitter than they do about her.
Molly employs around eighty people in her factory and warehouse, and ten others in her two new fashion stores, but her newest employee is the most important one for her. After years of worrying about her business more than her family, she has decided to make Sally Pamonte new general manager in her company. Molly will still _ decision- making, and she's going to stay in touch with the people who work for her, but Sally is going to look after day-to-day running of the business so that Molly can spend more time with the kids.
The new arrangement is going to start on Monday, and both of them are already excited about it. Sally says, "I'm very nervous, actually, but I'm sure Molly will help me a lot in the early days, even though I hope she feels she can trust me not to make too many mistakes."
Molly, on the other hand, seems quite relaxed about the whole thing. "I know that Sally's going to be a very nice manager." she says, "She's only been here a couple of days and she's already shown me how to work out a few problems we were having. The best thing though is that I feel a hundred times happier than I've been in years. I mean, I honestly can't remember the last time I felt as relaxed as this, and my kids are really excited about my being at home more. To be honest, I wish I had made this decision years ago." | middle5130.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "embarrassed ( )"
},
"options": [
"thankful",
"surprised",
"fair",
"embarrassed ( )"
],
"question": "When the writer's family was given the money for the poor , she probably felt _ .",
"question_type": "c... | That Easter day ( ) I found out we were so poor . The minister brought us the money for the poor family , so we must be poor , I thought . I didn't like being poor . Everyone there probably already knew we were poor ! I thought about school . I was in the ninth grade and at the top of my class over 100 students . I wondered if the kids at school knew that we were poor .
We sat in silence for a long time . Then it got dark , and we went to bed . All that week ,we girls went to school and came home , and no one talked much . Finally , on Saturday , Mom asked us what we wanted to do with the money . What did poor people do with the money ? We didn't know . We didn't want to go to the church on Sunday , but mom said we had to . Although it was a sunny day , we didn't talk on the way . Mom started to sing , but no one joined in .
At church we had a speaker . He talked about how churches in Africa built schools and houses for the poor people , but they needed more money to buy foods . The speaker said ," Can't we all give away some money to help those poor people ?" We looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week .
Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope . She passed it to Darlene , Darlene gave it to me , and I put it into the offering .
When the offering was counted , the minister _ that it was a little over 500 dollars . The speaker was excited . He hadn't expected such a large offering from our small church . He said ," You must have some rich people in this church ." Suddenly it struck us ! We had given 420dollars of that " little over 500 dollars ."
We were the rich family in the church ! Hadn't the speaker said so ? From that day on , I've never been poor again . | middle3541.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "have done well in the movies"
},
"options": [
"are good friends of Margaret Herrick",
"like seeing movies very much",
"have done well in the movies",
"pay the Academy a lot of money"
],
"question": "The Academy ... | One of the most famous movie prizes in the world is the Oscar. Every year in the United States, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science gives Oscars to people who have done well in the movies. There is an Oscar for the best movie of the year, another for the best actor, and Oscars
for doing many other things well in movies.
Oscars are very important because people want to see movies that have won them. They also want to see actors who have won Oscars. This means movies that have won Oscars make a lot of money. The Academy first gave prizes to movies in 1927, but they were not called Oscars then. That happened four years later. Most people think that Oscar was someone famous in the movies, but he wasn't. He was
someone that a woman called Margaret Herrick knew. She worked for the Academy and one day she saw the prize on a table. She said, "He looked like my friend Oscar." From that time on the prizes were called the Oscars. | middle7727.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he is wearing his old clothes"
},
"options": [
"he doesn't come by car",
"he is wearing his old clothes",
"he is old",
"he is wearing his new clothes"
],
"question": "Mr. King goes to the dinner party, but peopl... | Mr. King goes to a dinner party. He is wearing old clothes. He comes into the room. But people in the room do not look at him. They don't ask him to sit at the table.
Mr. King goes home and puts on his good clothes. He goes back to the party. Everyone in the room stands up and smiles at him. They give him the very good food to eat.
Mr. King takes off his coat, and puts it in the food and says, "Eat, coat!" The other people ask, "What are you doing?" He answers, "I'm asking my coat to eat the food. I am wearing my old clothes. You do not look at me. You do not ask me to sit down. Now, I am in these clothes. And you give me very good food. Now I see, you give the food for my clothes not for me!" | middle6439.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "change their colors to protect themselves"
},
"options": [
"are small animals",
"are easily found by birds",
"are dangerous to their enemies",
"change their colors to protect themselves"
],
"question": "From the... | Do you know why different animals or pests have their special colors? Colors in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.
Some birds like eating locusts. but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colors together with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown color as crops have. Some other pests with different colors from 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 animal life, you'll find the main use of coloring is protecting themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be seen by hunters. This is because they have the colors much like the tree.
Have you ever noticed an even more strange act? A kind of fish in the sea can send out a kind of very black liquid when it faces danger. While the liquid spread over, the enemies cannot find it. And it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it isn't strong at all.
, . | middle1356.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it can help us a lot"
},
"options": [
"our country asks us to learn it",
"it can help us a lot",
"we can use it to play games",
"it can help us to find jobs"
],
"question": "Why do we say the computer is a usefu... | Computers are useful machines. They can help people a lot in their daily life. For example, they can help people to save much time to do more work, and they can help people to work out many problems they can't do easily. Our country asks everyone to learn to use computers before the twenty-first century, except the old people.
Today more and more families own computers. Parents buy computers for their children. They hope computers can help them improve their studies in school. However, many of their children use computers to play games, to watch videos or to sing. The teachers and parents complain that computers can not help children to study but make them fall behind. So computers are locked in boxes by parents.
In some other countries, even some scientists also hate computers. They say computers let millions of people lose their jobs or bring them a lot of trouble. Will computers really bring trouble to people or can they bring people happiness?
It will be decided by today's students themselves! | middle1430.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Kate"
},
"options": [
"Kate",
"Jenny",
"Jenny's father",
"Kate's mother"
],
"question": "Who is in Beijing now?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Dear Jenny,
I am in Beijing, China now, but my parents are in the USA. I live with my brother Peter. Beijing is big and great. There are many beautiful places and much delicious food here. I like Beijing very much.
Peter and I are in the same grade, but we are in different classes. We live far from the school and it takes us a long time to go to school. We have to get up at 6:20 in the morning, and then at 6:30 we ride bikes to the bus stop. It takes us about 20 minutes. At about 7:00, we take the bus to school. We get to school at about 7:30.
We have four classes in the morning and two in the afternoon. I think Chinese is too difficult, but Peter thinks it is easy. He can speak Chinese very well and he often helps me with it.
How is everything going with you in the USA? Write to me soon.
Love,
Kate
,. | middle7041.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Nine"
},
"options": [
"Only one",
"Eight",
"Ten",
"Nine"
],
"question": "According to the report, how many themed attractions are there in Suzhou?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | SUZHOU-Jinji Lake has become the latest Chinese landmark to enjoy global fame.
The lake was ranked one of the most popular Chinese scenic spots for its highest search rate during the Labor Day holiday, according to statistics revealed by China Central Television. During this year's Labor Day holiday, Jinji Lake attracted 287,400 visitors.
Located in Suzhou Industrial Park, the lake is China's largest urban lake and is home to a great number of cultural, entertainment, commercial and business facilities.
Jinji Lake has earned high praise around the world. In 2013, it received about 9.77 million tourists, increasing by 47.76% from the year before and ranking first among major attractions in Suzhou.
The lake area was designed by EDAW, a United States architectural firm that has worked with Disney theme parks, as well as eight other themed attractions in Suzhou, including Harmony Times Square, the Ferris Wheel Park, the musical fountain, Ligongdi, Linglong Bay, Lakeside Street, the water corridor with art and culture facilities , and Jinji Lake Bridge.
A tourism app for Jinji Lake, providing information about transportation, food, accommodation and other resources in the area is available to the public. | middle3227.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "made a telephone call to"
},
"options": [
"visited",
"met",
"made a telephone call to",
"found"
],
"question": "Mike _ David one day.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"... | "Would you tell me which way I should go from here?" asked Alice.
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get," said the Cat.
"I really don't care where" replied Alice.
"Then it doesn't much matter which way you go," said the Cat.
--- from " Alice in Wonderland "
My name is David. And I have a brother called Mike.
One day, my brother called me and asked me for some advice. He was trying to decide between two job offers:
Job 1 - The first job was your typical 40 hour a week "office" job.
Job 2 - The second job was more of a career in the insurance industry , where he would start at the bottom, and after many years and many long hours eventually rise to the top (if he was good).
The second job did not pay as well as the first job (at the beginning), but the pay-off of the second job (in the future) was much greater than the first job. So which job should my brother take? Well the answer is...it depends.
Just like the Cat was trying to tell Alice, which road you take depends a great deal on where you want to end up.
Begin with the End in Mind
I asked my brother what was his life's purpose. He said his purpose was to "teach," but he wanted to make a lot of money first. I told my brother to forget about the money, and I advised him to focus on his purpose. I then asked him which job best supported his end result of "teaching." He said the first job best supported his goal because he would only have to work 40 hours a week, which would give him spare time to teach. He continued on to say, "but if I take job number two, I can work hard and make more money, then I can retire early and "teach" later in life." I again advised him to "focus" on his purpose, not money. Things don't end wrong, they begin wrong!
You Can't Ride Two Horses Well
It would be very difficult to have a successful teaching career while you're working 70-80 hours a week in the insurance business; no one can ride two horses well. As they say, you can do anything, but not everything. I advised him to get started today by choosing the job that best supported that decision.
Tomorrow Never Comes
My brother was thinking that he could always start teaching later in life, but the reality is, tomorrow never comes. Unless you decide right now to follow your feelings, they will probably never be completed. You only live once, don't go to the end of your life with one regret.
The Money Will Come
My brother seemed to be overly concerned with making money. I told him not to be anxious about making money. You will always have greater money when you're doing what you love.
In a word, whenever you're at a cross-road, be sure to make the decision that best supports the goal of your life. If you do, then you will be well on your way. | middle8.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "three"
},
"options": [
"five",
"two",
"three",
"Four"
],
"question": "There are _ children at the age of 12.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"... | Here are four of my friends. Get to know them and their interesting experiences.
I'm Mark. I'm 12. I have learned a lot about cycling and cycled about two hundred miles with my friends. We all felt very excited.
My name is Sam. I'm one year older than Mark. I have entered a competition. At last, I won it and the prize was a seven---day holiday to my favourite country --America.
You can call me Linda. I'm the same age as Mark. I have been to Hong Kong Disneyland with my parents. I was excited to see so many cartoon characters because I often dreamed about them.
John is my name. I'm one year younger than Sam. I have learned to ride a horse because I thought it was exciting. Before I learned it, I fell off the horse many times. But that was very interesting for me. | middle5656.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Five."
},
"options": [
"Four.",
"Five.",
"Seven.",
"Ten."
],
"question": "How many holidays do you know on the first day of a month in America?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | Each year, we celebrate many holidays here in America.
On January 1, we welcome the coming of a new year like many people in other countries. And we have another four holidays on the first day of a month: April Fool's Day, May Day, Friendship Day (Aug.1) and Grandparents Day (Sep. 1).
The most important holiday for the young people comes in February. It is Valentine's Day. Lots of boys give red roses to girls as a present.
People celebrate some holidays for their family members. We say thanks to our mother in May and celebrate Father's Day in the following month. In November many people return home for Thanksgiving Day, so the whole family can stay together.
There are also some interesting holidays for children. For example, Halloween comes at the end of October. Children often play with pumpkin lanterns and put on all kinds of masks.
Of course, the most important festival is Christmas. After a year of work and study, people can enjoy a long holiday, eat big meals, and visit family and friends. | middle2139.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "get money from others"
},
"options": [
"wait for some people",
"get money from others",
"make the writer help him",
"hold up a sign"
],
"question": "A blind boy sat on the steps of a building in order to _ .",... | A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said, "I am blind, please help."
There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy heard his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
What he had written was, " Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it." Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course, both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat. The second sign told people that they were able to enjoy the beauty of the day, but the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind.
The first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. | middle5642.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the head teacher of a boy's school"
},
"options": [
"a kind teacher",
"a teacher, and he gives presents to his students.",
"the head teacher of a boy's school",
"a boy at a school. In that school, everyone was afraid of... | My grandfather is a teacher. He is the head teacher of a school for boys between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. I know that he is a kind man, because he gives me presents , and let me sit on his knees , and tells me stories. But I believe the boys at his school are afraid of him. At school, when he walks into a room full of boys, they will be quiet at once . When he looks at a boy with a certain look in his eyes, that boy's face goes red, and looks down at his shoes. If a boy brings careless work, my grandfather will pick up the boy's book and throw it across the room, shouting , "Do it all again, and bring it back the first thing in the morning!" if the boy is late, or if he forgets to bring the work, he has to do it again, and again and yet again. | middle1424.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He neither liked nor disliked him."
},
"options": [
"He liked him.",
"He disliked him.",
"He thought his stepfather was a good man.",
"He neither liked nor disliked him."
],
"question": "How did Bradley like his... | Zach has a stepson, Bradley. One day, Zach drove over to meet Bradley. Bradley was a student in a high school. He neither liked nor disliked Zach, even though he had known Zach for three years. Zach was still trying to get along with Bradley. He told Bradley that he was coming over. Bradley said OK. When Zach got there, he asked if Bradley wanted to drive his car. Bradley had a driver's _ . Bradley said all right. Zach told him not to drive too fast, but he could drive anywhere he wanted. Bradley got on the 210 Road and headed northwest. Zach gave Bradley a few driving tips: Don't drive next to big cars; don't drive behind trucks with goods...
On their way back, Zach suggested that they stop at the golf course . He wanted to show Bradley how to play golf. But Bradley didn't like it; he liked his video games. However, Bradley soon found that playing golf was fun and he did very well. The next day, Bradley, for the first time, called Zach. Bradley asked if Zach would come the next Saturday, so they could take a drive and go to the golf course again. Zach said yes, with a happy feeling in his heart. | middle7055.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He plays the piano so well and has a good international image."
},
"options": [
"He played in the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony in 2008.",
"He usually plays with the world's top orchestras.",
"He tries to introduce Chinese... | His talent and charm have made him the No.1Chinese classical artist in the world. And he played in the grand Beijing Olympic opening ceremony in 2008, watched by a TV audience of 5 billion.
Lang Lang, 26, is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world's top orchestras ,making his first appearance at the Carnegie Hall in New York at 18, while still a student.
Lang's charm and fondness make him a natural fit to represent China's new international image. According to the British newspaper the Times, "The Lang Lang effect" drives 36 million Chinese children to learn the piano.
Now in China, children are learning Chopin and Western orchestras are playing sold-out tours across Chinese cities. But can China ever introduce its own music to the West? Lang is trying. His cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestra this month includes a performance of Dragon Songs, an album of traditional Chinese classics.
Behind the success , however, is a surprising story of a gifted child. Lang grew up with his father's own musical ambition and high expectations. It is not hard to imagine how boring it must be to practice the piano every day. Lang said that he once hated his hands and the piano. He got his right hand hurt six years ago and had to rest. "That was the best month," he says. | middle7733.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Four."
},
"options": [
"Only one.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five."
],
"question": "How many ways are mentioned to start a conversation in the reading?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | A new term might be the best time to make new friends, but it can be hard to begin the first conversation. Below are four useful ways. Take a look.
Search for common interests. Talking about shared interests, such as sports and popular talent shows, is the easiest way to make a successful talk with someone.
Welcome the silence. In fact, sometimes silence is needed in order to continue a conversation. Remember that if you say something, the other person may need time to understand it.
Keep it positive . To make great small talk, you should keep things fun. You should be cheerful and able to laugh over things that aren't very interesting. These will make the other person want to keep talking to you.
Take it as a learning experience. Every time you meet someone from other places, it's a good chance to learn something new. You can learn more about their cultures and nations. These make you a more interesting person to talk to as well. | middle5124.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The writer didn't find enough time to talk to her father all these years."
},
"options": [
"The writer arrived in Florida before her father passed away.",
"The writer didn't find enough time to talk to her father all these years.",... | Once my father asked me to hold his hammer while he repaired something, so we could have some time to talk to each other.
For 22 years, after I left home for college, he called me every Sunday at 9 am. He was always interested in my life and how my family was doing, and I never once heard him complain about his own life.
Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours a day painting it for three days. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked for was a glass of iced tea and for me to hold a paint brush for him and talk to him. But I was too busy.
Five years ago, at age 71, my father spent five hours putting together a swingset for my daughter. Again, all he asked was that I get him a glass of iced tea and talk to him. But again, I was too busy.
Four years ago, my father drove all the way from Denver to Topeka, with an eight-foot Colorado blue spruce in his trunk, so that my husband and I could have a part of Colorado growing on our land. I was preparing for a trip that weekend and couldn't spend much time with him.
Then, one day, my father telephoned me as usual, this time from my sister's home in Florida. We talked about the tree he had brought me, "Fat Albert", but that morning he called it "Fat Oscar", and he seemed to have forgotten some things. I had to get to church, so I cut the conversation short.
The call came at 4:40 pm that day: my father was in hospital in Florida with an aneurysm . I got on a plane immediately, and on the way I thought of all the times I had not taken the time to talk to my father. I realized that I had no idea who he was or what his deepest thoughts were. I promised that when I arrived, I would make up for lost time.
I arrived in Florida at 1 am. My father had passed away at 9:12 pm. This time it was he who did not have time to talk to me. | middle2893.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Mothers"
},
"options": [
"Reporters",
"Teachers",
"Mothers",
"Children"
],
"question": "_ wrote the passages.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"a... | Mrs Mark: I got what I wanted that day. My son gave me a book of poems. He wrote it himself. My daughter bought a scarf for me and wrote me a Mother's Day card. They also made me bread for breakfast. My husband took us to the movies.
Mrs Judy: _ However, I was wrong. My husband gave me a day off! He did the dishes, took care of the children and played with them. In the evening, he took us out for a delicious dinner. They gave me 4 hours of computer playtime. I felt very warm.
Mrs Jane: My one-year-old son and I went to my mother's house on Mother's Day. After a nice lunch, we spent half the day driving. When we got home, my husband made me dinner. He set up a picnic on the living room floor. It was with candles, cold wine and Mother's Day cards from both him and our son, Jackson. It was a very nice Mother's Day for me!
Choose the best answers(, A,B, CD) 5% | middle3555.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "jeans"
},
"options": [
"Levis Strauss",
"young people",
"clothes' history",
"jeans"
],
"question": "The story is talking about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | Look in the bedrooms of young people in the world. Maybe you will find a pair of blue jeans in each room. Jeans are very popular all over the world.
Jeans give you the feeling of comfort , youth and energy . Every person likes them very much.
Levi Strauss is an American company. It first made blue jeans. The company was founded in 1853 by 24-year-old Levi Strauss. Twenty years later, he made first blue jeans in the world. The jeans were used as working trousers for the cowboys of American West. During the Second World War, American soldiers brought blue jeans to Europe and Asia. People there began to wear jeans. Little by little, they become cool.
People from different countries like different styles of jeans. Americans like to wear simple and single-colored jeans, but many Chinese people like to wear jeans with lots of different colors.
Now we can see jeans everywhere. However, in many places, it's not always good to wear jeans. No matter how good they may look, or what color they are, it's often not right to wear jeans in formal places. But when you are out, relaxing or having fun, jeans are the best choices. | middle6405.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "having a long walk"
},
"options": [
"running a long way",
"having a long walk",
"talking with best friends",
"communicating with parents"
],
"question": "From the passage, we can control our feeling by _ .",
... | These days, when the world seems to be hard to control, walking can make you feel peaceful. It gives you a chance to slow down, to relax and to appreciate yourself and your life in general. It helps you slow down enough to breathe deeply, to calm your thoughts, and to research the natural world filled with wonders. And yes, to love yourself more.
Try to spend one day for a long travel on foot--far from the requirements of work and family. First, choose a date and mark it as your "relaxing day". Next, choose a place that you want to visit on foot. If you enjoy being out in nature, head to a wide and open place. Try to choose a place that's no more than 15 minutes from your home. You want to spend your time walking, not driving.
Walk at an easy speed so you can walk longer and farther. If you normally walk two miles a day, go for four to six miles. Wear comfortable clothes. If it's warm, wear a hat to protect your face. And don't forget your sunglasses-- not only to protect your eyes but also to give you a sense of privacy while you walk.
Before you go out, get up early so you can spend a few minutes relaxing. Relaxing is something few people spend in their spare time, but it leaves you feeling much lighter and less annoyed. Read something relaxing before you leave home, and it'll put you in a different condition of mind. And, of course, eat a healthy breakfast and drink plenty of water. Then pick up your backpack and head out. And enjoy yourself. | middle66.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "making"
},
"options": [
"making",
"asking for",
"borrowing",
"using"
],
"question": "American children love _ money by themselves.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answe... | Audrey is a Chinese-American student. She has found many value differences between the Chinese and Americans.
About money
* The American children love to make money by themselves. Chinese children always ask their parents for money.
* American parents don't think it is useful to send their children to an expensive university. Chinese parents would do anything to send their children to good universities even if it could make them very poor.
About school
* Many American girls take part in sports, dancing and singing groups. Many Chinese girls take part in academic groups.
* American students usually feel happy when they get B in an exam. Chinese students feel sad when they get B.
American parents and Chinese parents
American parents allow their daughters or sons to go out with their friends if they come back home at the certain time. Chinese parents usually don't allow their children in middle school to go out with their friends at night.
American teachers and Chinese teachers
During parent-teacher meetings, American teachers will always find good things to say to
The parents, even to those with the worst grades. But Chinese teachers often tell the parents the mistakes that their children made at school. | middle4212.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a newspaper"
},
"options": [
"a newspaper",
"a story book",
"a science book",
"a guide book"
],
"question": "The above job ads are probably from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Do you want a job?Here are some positions for you. Please have a look!
*A WANTED
Are you hardworking? Do you like to meet people? If your answer is "Yes", and then we have a job for you as a waiter. Call AL Hotel at 556779!
*SUMMER JOB
Do you like to talk with people? Do you like to write stories? If you want to work for our magazines as a reporter, please call Karen at 558366.
*HELP WANTED
Do you like babies? Can you look after one baby for two days? If you are sure to take good care of it, call us at 766588. Hurry!
*CLEANER WANTED
Can you make a large house clean and tidy? If you hope to get the job paid at $20 a time, call us this evening 18:00-20:00. Tel: 633800. | middle2105.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "4"
},
"options": [
"2",
"3",
"4",
"5"
],
"question": "China won _ gold medals in the women's short track speed skating.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | When you see the girl for the first time, you may think she is a boy. She is very outgoing . Who is she? Wang Meng, the Chinese top skater.
On the evening of February 26th, 2010, Wang Meng first got to the finishing line in 1 minute and 29.213 seconds in the women's 1000 meters short track speed skating final at the Vancouer Olympic Winter Games . After she succeeded in the 500-meter and 3000-meter races, she won her third gold medal this time. With this one China won four gold medals in the women's short track speed skating. That helped China first win the team gold medal in Winter Olympics history.
Just before the final race Wang Meng caught a bad cold and coughed terribly. With the words of "You can, you can do!" she won at last. She said, "I really feel these three gold medals belong to my team, to China. It was with the help of my team that I won the prize."
Though Wang Meng is only twenty-four, she has been the most successful Chinese skater. Chinese are proud of her and her team. We hope she will be faster in Sochi Olympics in 2014. | middle198.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Get in touch with other people."
},
"options": [
"Get in touch with other people.",
"Stay at home",
"Only surf the Internet.",
"Often make telephone calls to others."
],
"question": "How can we have more friends... | It's hard to make friends if you stay at home alone all the time. Get out of house and do things that will put you in touch with other people. It's easier to make friends when you have similar interests.
Don't be afraid to show people what you're really good at. Talk about things you like and do best. People will be interested in you if there is something interesting about you.
Look at people in the eyes when you talk to them. That way , they'll find it easier to talk to you.
Be a good listener. Let people talk about themselves before talking about "me ,me, me"
Try to make friends with the kinds of people you really like, respect and admire ,not just with those who we are easy to meet. Be friends with a lot of people .That way ,you 'll have a bigger group of people to choose and have more chances for making friends. | middle1418.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "play in the national team"
},
"options": [
"play in the national team",
"practice hard",
"always be confident in himself",
"have strong determination"
],
"question": "Jordan's father advised him to do the follow... | With six NBA Championships and many more achievements, Michael Jordan is the greatest player the world of basketball has ever seen.
Jordan's dream of becoming a basketball player began in his childhood. When he was 9 years old, Jordan finished watching a basketball game in the Munich Olympics on TV,and said to his mother:"One day, I will take part in the Olympic Games and win the gold medal for the US!"
His father once told him that practice, confidence and determination were the things that would make a real basketball player. Since then, Jordan practiced very hard and became more and more confident and determined.
At the University of North Carolina, Jordan was a familiar name. He made the game- winning shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship. He saw it as the turning point in his basketball career .
In 1984, Jordan led the US Men's Basketball Team to win the gold medal in the Olympic Games and made his childhood dream come true.
Jordan entered the NBA in 1984. During his 15 years there, he won every possible award. Jordan was also the greatest clutch player ever. On the basketball court, " _ " means making the last shot when time is almost up. The shooter needs to have great confidence to make the last shot and take away the win. Jordan had 28 clutches in his careerthe most in NBA history.
Being confident is what makes Jordan the most famous basketball star ever. In his Hall of Fame Speech in 2009, Jordan announced confidently to the world: " There will never be another Michael Jordan." | middle6377.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "In Grade 6"
},
"options": [
"In kindergarten",
"In high school",
"In Grade 3",
"In Grade 6"
],
"question": "When did Bessy fall in love with English?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answ... | I'm Bessy. I began to learn English in Grade 6,not like most of my friends who have been learning English since kindergarten( ) or at least in Grade 3.I fell in love with this foreigner language at once. As an old saying goes, "Interest is the best teacher." I began to be crazy about English. I learned words and grammar, made sentences, wrote essays and read English storybo oks as many as I could.
Some of my friends find it easy to forget the words they learned the other day. So do I! You can't remember words well without using them often. So you should turn to a dictionary for help when you meet new words and want to know their other meanings and usages. Then make your own sentences from time to time.Another way to keep new words in mind is reading articles. You can easily remember new words through _
As for spoken English, I'm lucky to have some foreign friends. So I have more chances to improve my spoken English. If you want to communicate with foreigners, don't be shy, and just practice with anyone who knows English. | middle4560.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "think about the new year"
},
"options": [
"plan for the last year",
"fail to make big changes",
"try to lose their ideas",
"think about the new year"
],
"question": "At the end of December, people usually _ ... | If you have failed in the past to try to make big changes in life, try again now, one tiny step at a time.
Every year it's the same. As December comes to an end, you think about the new year and all the ways you want to improve your life. But as you start to write down your hopes for the new year, you think about the last year. You excitedly write down all the changes you are going to make, but by the end of January those ideas get lost in your busy life.
Here's a suggestion: Forget the too big, hard-to-achieve goals and just think about the small ones. "We often think that we have to do everything in big steps, even though it's so hard for us to reach it." said Robert Maurer, who recently wrote the book One Small Step Can Change Your Life. "What we try to do is to begin with such a small step that we can't find any excuse not to do it."
"Kaizen", a Japanese word, is used to mean to change behavior and attitudes . During World War II, American factory managers were able to _ by trying small, continuous improvements instead of sudden changes. After the war, the idea was brought to a rebuilding Japan. It made Japan develop fast. The Japanese called it "kaizen", which means "improvement".
Maurer studied the idea and did some experiments with it. "Kaizen" could possibly help people succeed in doing everything. | middle2111.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "dolphin performance"
},
"options": [
"tiger performance",
"bear performance",
"dolphin performance",
"lion performance"
],
"question": "If you are travelling in Dalian , you can see the _ -",
"question_t... | Tiger and horse performance
You can see the terrible tigers and gentle horses at Fuzhou Zoo. Keep away from the tigers . Sometimes they aren't friendly enough .You can ride the horse and take photos .
Time :Feb .1--Feb .3 Tel : 87324568
Adult : 60Y= Child : 30Y=
Bear and lion performance
You can see fat black bears and scary lions at Chengdu Zoo. They will perform many activities. If you are not brave enough , you shouldn't come to see them . (children under 6 aren't allowed to come )
Time ;Feb. 2 _ ----Feb . 5 Tel : 85897043
Adult : Y=50 Child :Y=25
Dolphin performance
You can see lovely dolphins at Dalian Zoo . The dolphins will jump out of the water and give you a performance . If you can swim , you are also allowed to come into the water and play with them with the help of the trainers .
Time : Feb .4 _ Feb.8 Tel: 83126094
Adult :Y=80 Child :Y=4o
,. | middle2677.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "we may gain quite a few advantages of talking to ourselves"
},
"options": [
"almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves",
"talking to ourselves always gives us courage",
"we may gain quite a few advantages of tal... | A popular saying goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." However, that's not really true. Words have the power to cheer us up or let us down. It doesn't matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves -- the positive and negative influences are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We're usually too shy to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn't be because more and more scientists believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This "self-talk" helps us make ourselves active, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. It is said that as much as 77% of self-talk is likely to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. _ . The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying "Good job!"
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the influence they will have. But we should realize that our words cause certain influence in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the salesperson will probably answer in a similar manner. Otherwise you may get into trouble.
Words have power because of their lasting influences. Many of us feel sorry for something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn't pass this test, then it's better left unsaid.
Words have power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-confidence and encourage others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to cure? The choice is ours. | middle5118.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "China"
},
"options": [
"Japan",
"America",
"China",
"Canada"
],
"question": "Where is S.H.E. from?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text"... | Do you know S.H.E.? It is a singing group from Taiwan, China. Three girls are in it. They are Seilina, Hebe and Ella. Their Chinese names are Ren Jiaxuan (Seilina), Tian Fuzhen (Hebe) and Chen Jiahua (Ella).
Look! Here is a photo. Silina is very nice. Her hair is long. She is not short and not tall. Ella looks like a boy. She is medium built . She has short hair. She is cool! Hebe is a nice girl. She isn't tall. She is medium build, too. Her hair is not long. | middle3569.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "buy something"
},
"options": [
"buy something",
"get on a bus",
"see a doctor",
"study English"
],
"question": "What is Mike going to do? He is going to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | It's Sunday. Mike does not go to school. But he is not at home. He is now sitting on a bus. He is going shopping.
An old woman gets on the bus. Mike stands up and says to her,"Come and sit here, please."The old woman goes over and sits down. She says,"Thank you very much, dear little boy."
The bus stops near the shop. Mike says"Goodbye"to the old woman and gets off the bus. The old woman smiles and says"Goodbye"to him, too. | middle832.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a famous movie company"
},
"options": [
"a very large park",
"a busy London street",
"a famous movie company",
"an old Hollywood movie"
],
"question": "From the passage, we know Universal Studios is _ .",
... | Where in the world can you take an hour's train ride, and pass a forest, a London street, a scene from the Wild West, and a burning building that never burns down? There's only one place, and that's Hollywood, in California. The scenes you see from the tourist train are film sets in the Universal Studios, one of the oldest and largest movie companies in the USA.
A visit to Universal Studios brings back memories of great days of Hollywood, the films and the stars. But they are only memories. Hollywood isn't quite the same as it used to be. Costs have gone up and confidence has gone down. Movie-makers are afraid to spend their money on expensive new ideas. Instead, they repeat old ones.
The film industry is changing fast. Teenagers still go out to the movies. The theatre is a good place to meet friends away from home. But older people mostly stay home to watch series, like Dynasty have become as important to Hollywood as expensive movies. These "soap opera", as they are called, show rich, powerful families living in beautiful homes and wearing beautiful clothes. But the actors and actresses are nearly all middle-aged, like many of the people who watch them.
Though it is soap operas that are keeping the film-makers of Hollywood in Business, big films are still being made in America. But more and more of them are made outside Hollywood. New York is the most important new center, but there are many others as well. Movie-makers have realized that they don't need Hollywood any more. Modern cameras and real houses instead of expensively made copies in a studio. Other states, especially Florida and Texas, are working hard to take the film business away from California. They are offering better working conditions and lower cost.
But Hollywood is fighting back. The state of California is trying hard to keep its best-known industry. | middle72.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a dog"
},
"options": [
"Bob's brother",
"a dog",
"Bob's classmate",
"a cat"
],
"question": "Paul is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer... | Hello, everyone! My name is Bob. I have a good friend. His name is Paul. He is a yellow dog. I like him very much.
Every morning Paul runs with me, and we play in the park every afternoon. Paul is very fat. He likes eating beef hamburgers for breakfast. For dinner, he likes fish. Paul likes red. He has two red hats. Look! They are on my bed.
But Paul is lost now. Please help me. My telephone number is 312-3216. My E-mail address is _ . Thanks. | middle6411.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "protecting the planet"
},
"options": [
"showing the culture",
"killing the animals",
"harming the plants",
"protecting the planet"
],
"question": "According to the passage, our meat eating habits are a question ... | It is not a question of culture, it is not even a question of killing animals. Even a carrot dies when pulled out of the ground. It is a matter of the protection of the planet
because our meat eating habits might be stressing (......) our ecological (
) system.
It's no longer --might||, we are destroying our planet.
Most of the meat that we eat comes from livestock, which is about 23 billion in population and causes the waste of our natural resources. Every second of every day one football field size rainforest is destroyed, and much of it is used to farm and raise livestock.
Raising the animals also requires huge quantities of water, mostly to grow
the grains fed to them. It takes over 2,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, which can be used for a seven-minute shower every day for a minimums of four months. Take your pick: four months without a shower or a hamburger.
Meat has to be cut, cleaned and processed. One doesn't just buy a cow and start eating it. According to David Pimentel from Cornell University, it takes 20 times more energy to produce beef than tofu, and both have the same good sources of protein ( ).
The waste from the animals is one of the main causes of water and air pollution. The animal waste cannot be used in the fields because it can spread diseases to humans. In 1995, 25 million gallons of animal waste flowed into the New River in North Carolina, killing 10 million fish and destroying 364,000 acres of coastal ( ) wetlands.
Animal farming also produces larger quantities of greenhouse gases, such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). If your next Christmas is unusually hot or especially cold, blame the steak you ate the night before.
I am not saying that everybody needs to stop eating meat right this minute. I don't think we can produce enough corns, fruits, and vegetables. I am just saying we need to
cut our meat consumption , 70 grams per day is okay if we want normal weather,
clean air and drinking water. | middle7848.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "brother"
},
"options": [
"name",
"sister",
"brother",
"father"
],
"question": "My _ is Paul.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "o... | My name is Jenny . I have a sister and a brother, Rose and Paul. We like apples very much. Rose and I like hamburgers. But I don't like salad. Paul doesn't like broccoli. But Rose does. My parents like tomatoes and French fries. | middle775.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A few months."
},
"options": [
"Two or three days.",
"A few days.",
"A few months.",
"A few years."
],
"question": "So far, how long will it take us from the earth to Mars by spaceship?",
"question_type": "f... | Now, it may be difficult to predict the future, but many people believe that we will live on Mars by the year 2100. Our own planet, Earth, is becoming more and more crowed and polluted. Well, what problems will we need to solve before we prepare to go to Mars?
First of all, transport should be much better. At present, humans need to spend months going to Mars by spaceship. However, by 2100, spaceship can travel at half the speed of light. It might take us two or three days to get there!
Secondly, humans need food, water and air to live. Scientists should develop plants that can be grown on Mars. These plants will produce the food, water and air that we need. However, there is no answer for all the problems now.
There is also a problem for us to live on Mars. Mars attracts us much less than the Earth does. This will be dangerous because we could easily jump too high and fly slowly away into space there. We will have to wear special shoes to make ourselves heavier.
In some ways, life on Mars may not be better than that on the earth today. Food will not be the same --meals will probably be in the form of pills and will not be as delicious as they are today. Also, space travel will probably make many people feel very uncomfortable. | middle5087.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "cats"
},
"options": [
"pandas",
"elephants",
"chicken",
"cats"
],
"question": "Many people keep _ as pets.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"an... | Many people like animals such as dogs and cats and keep one or more of them as pets. If you keep a dog or a cat as a pet, you must know how to look after it.
A grown-up dog needs two meals a day --not more. It can eat meat, fish, rice and some other things. Dogs like large bones , but you can't give them chicken bones. Remember to give them much clean water.
A dog should have a clean, dry box for sleeping. Washing it once a week is good for its health. If it is ill, take it to a doctor. A healthy dog will bring you more pleasure.
Be careful when you choose a cat. A cat has two meals a day with some meat or fish. It drinks a little milk every day. Sometimes you can give it vegetables to eat. Don't forget that it needs clean water to drink.
Take good care of your pets, they will be your good friends. Maybe they can give you some help when you are in need. | middle5939.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Ice"
},
"options": [
"Rain",
"Gas",
"Stone",
"Ice"
],
"question": "What is the solid of water?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "g... | Water can be a liquid, a solid or a gas. When it is a solid, it can be as hard as stone. When it is a liquid, it can run through your fingers. When it is a gas, you may not see or feel it.
Water can change from a solid to a liquid or to a gas easily. This is why we always have fresh water. Now let us find out how it does. The heat of the sun turns liquid water into gas from the oceans, seas, rivers and lakes. The heat also turns liquid water into gas from the ground, the plants and the animals. Water in the gas rises and turns into clouds in the air.
When the clouds come near a mountain, they rise high. As the clouds rise, they get cooler. The higher they rise, the cooler they become. Then more and more water gas turn into water drops. In this way, the drops of water in the clouds get bigger and bigger. Then they fall to the earth as rain.
, | middle1587.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "cheap"
},
"options": [
"beautiful",
"long",
"cheap",
"soft"
],
"question": "Karki wanted to use human hair because it is",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | A Nepalese teenager had made a PS 23 solar panel ( ) using human hair.
Milan Karki, who is 18 years old and lives in a village, used human hair to replace silicon, which is a common but expensive part of solar panels. By using hair as a replacement, Karki says that solar panels can be produced for around PS 23.
Karki got the idea from a Stephen Hawking book, which explained how to create energy from hair. The device that Karki has showed can produce 18w of energy -- plenty to _ a mobile phone.
"Half a kilo of hair can be bought for only 16p in Nepal and last a few months; but a pack of batteries would cost 50p and last a few nights," according to The Daily Mail.
The solar panel is easy to service as the hair is easy to replace. Karki has now sent out several devices to other places near his home for testing. He said, "First I wanted to provide energy for my home, then my village. Now I am thinking for the whole world." | middle3384.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "she wrote them a note"
},
"options": [
"she wrote them a letter",
"she gave them a kiss",
"she gave some flowers to them",
"she wrote them a note"
],
"question": "Every time the writer packed lunches for her chi... | From the time each of my children started school, I packed their lunches. And in each lunch I packed, I left a note. The note might be a thank-you for a special moment, or a few words of encouragement for the coming test or sporting event.
When they were little, they loved their notes. And when I went back to teaching, they even put notes in my lunches. As they grew older, my elder son, Marc, told me that he no longer needed my daily notes. Telling him that he no longer needed to read them but I still needed to write them, I continued the tradition until the day he graduated.
Six years after high school graduation, Marc called and asked if he could stay at home for a couple of months. He had spent those years well, and he was very successful. He lived far away from home. With his younger sister leaving for college, I was especially looking forward to seeing Marc at home.
Since I was still making lunch every day for his younger brother, I packed one for Marc, too. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from my 24-year-old son, complaining about his lunch.
"Did I do something wrong? Aren't I still your kid? Don't you love me any more, Mom?" he asked.
I laughingly asked him what was wrong.
"My note, Mom," he answered. "Where's my note?"
This year my younger son will be in high school. He, too, has said that he is too old for notes. But like his elder brother and sister, he will receive those notes till the day he graduates. | middle5093.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a photo taken by oneself"
},
"options": [
"a person with a smartphone",
"a smartphone which can take photos",
"a photo taken by oneself",
"an English dictionary"
],
"question": "According to the story, a \"selfi... | What is the hottest English word of 2013? It's "selfie", according to Oxford dictionaries. Selfie is a photo that one takes of oneself, according to the Oxford online dictionary. People usually take selfies with a smartphone and send them to a social media website.
The word was first used in 2002. In the past 12 months, its frequency in the English language has increased by 17,000 percent, said Oxford dictionaries. Now, almost everybody knows it.
"Almost every day, I take a photo of myself at school, and save it in my Qzone (QQ)," said Huang Xu, 13, from Hunan. These photos record her happy and sad moments.
Pop stars also take a lot of selfies. Li Chunping, 14, from Harbin, is a big fan of Yang Mi. "She has used many selfies to tell us what's going on in her personal life," said Li.
What makes people love selfies? Some people say it's narcissism . "The rise of the selfie is a perfect symbol for our narcissistic culture. We're crying out: Look at me!" said US psychiatrist Carole Lieberman.
Young people are using selfies to make friends online, Jonathan Freedland wrote in The Guardian. "The usual purpose of taking a selfie is to share online. They express a human need to connect with others," wrote Freedland.
Huang Xu agrees with that. "During summer vacation, my classmates and I shared many selfies online. Hair or clothes were not our interests. Through these photos, we got to know each other's holidays and feelings," said Huang Xu. | middle2924.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to have dinner"
},
"options": [
"to have dinner",
"to meet the film-makers",
"to celebrate April Fool's Day",
"to play a magician"
],
"question": "James came to the restaurant _ .",
"question_type": "cloz... | James and his wife went to Beijing Restaurant for dinner at 7:00 pm. On April 1st, 2005, while they were eating, a waitress came to tell them that the two men at the next table were film-makers and that they would like to have a talk with James.
James agreed. One man came to sit down next to him and said that they were making a film named "The Magic Gloves." The story was like "Harry Potter" and they were looking for an actor to play a magician. They would like to invite James to have a try.
James was excited, "Many people think I look like Patrick Steward." However, as he was going to leave China in 3 days, he wanted to try out after dinner. The man agreed.
At 9:00 pm, when James asked for the bill so that he could go with the film-makers, the manager of Beijing Restaurant said sorry to him with a smile, "It's April Fool's Day joke! Your meal is free. Thank you."
James completely forgot about it but when he found that he was fooled, he didn't leave at once. The waitress asked him if he needed some help. James said, "I was fooled once. I'm afraid the meal is not free. I am waiting for the bill to see if it is another joke." | middle7684.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They want to get right answers."
},
"options": [
"They're clever but lazy.",
"They often ask easy questions.",
"They are good at subjects.",
"They want to get right answers."
],
"question": "What do we know abou... | Do your kids ask a lot of questions? If they do, that's great. Because that's how children learn. Some of these questions may be easy to answer. Others may be hard. And they want to get the right answers. Do your kids ask such questions?
*Why is the sky blue? Why is the sunset red?
*Why are leaves green?
*Why do leaves change color in autumn?
*How do airplanes fly?
Can you answer these questions? If not, don't worry. Though Science Made Simple can't help with all of life's important questions, it can help with those. In this fast changing world, the more your children know about science, the better.
Get the help you need now, and every month you can get Science Made Simple online for only $11.95 for 10 issues . Click here: questions @sciencemadesimple. Com for more information. Remember, if you are not happy with your first issue, we will give back all your money. | middle761.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Elephants."
},
"options": [
"Monkeys.",
"Tigers.",
"Elephants.",
"Lions."
],
"question": "Which animal likes bananas best?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"ans... | In our town, there is a big zoo with a lot of animals in it. There are some beautiful tigers and two old lions. They eat a lot of meat every day.
There are also two big elephants and one baby elephant. The elephants are kind animals. They eat a lot every day. They like children. Children often give them bread and bananas. Elephants like bananas best.
In our zoo there are also brown bears , black bears and white bears. They stand on their hind legs,hold up their fore legs and ask for food. They like cakes very much.
There's also a children's corner in our zoo. Children ride horses and donkeys and watch the monkeys there. The monkeys are very funny. They climb up ropes and jump down again and play with each other(,) like small children.
,. | middle749.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It is one of the most famous soap operas."
},
"options": [
"It is the most popular sitcom in America.",
"It is a very popular sitcom in China.",
"It is one of the most famous soap operas.",
"It is the first soap opera o... | Soap operas and sitcoms are two kinds of popular TV shows. What are the differences between them?
A soap opera is usually very long and has many episodes .All the episodes of a soap opera are _ The first soap opera was on radio in the late 1930s. One of the most famous soap operas is Friends.
A sitcom, or a situation comedy, is a set of funny stories. These stories all happen in a small place, like a house or a workplace. Sitcoms are different from soap operas. Each story in a sitcom can be a different one and sitcoms make people feel happy. There is a very popular sitcom on TV in China. Everyone likes it. Do you know it? It is Home With Kids. | middle7874.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She has a heart of Stone."
},
"options": [
"She has a strong heart.",
"She has a heart of Stone.",
"She has a broken heart.",
"She loses her heart."
],
"question": "If the person who won your heart does not love... | There are many expressions with heart.One of them is "lose your heart to someone".When that happens,you have fallen in love.But if the person who "won your heart" does not love you,then you are sure to have a "broken heart".In your sadness,you think that the person you loved is "hard-hearted",and in fact,has a "heart of stone".
You may decide to "pour out your heart" to a friend.Telling someone about your personal problems can often make you feel better.
If your friend does not seem to understand how painful your broken heart is,you may ask her to "have a heart".You are asking your friend to show some sympathy for your situation.Your friend "has her heart in the right place" if she says she is sorry for how you feel.
If your friend says,"My heart bleeds for you",she means the opposite.She is a cold--hearted person who does not really care about your situation.
When you are feeling afraid,"your heart is in your mouth".You might say,for example,that your heart was in your mouth when you asked a bank to lend you some money to pay for a new house.
If that bank says no to you,do not "lose heart".Be "strong-hearted".Sit down with the banker and have a "heart to heart" talk.Be open and honest about your situation.The bank may have a "change of heart" and agree to lend you the money.Then you could stop worrying and "put your heart at rest". | middle5905.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "fifteen"
},
"options": [
"eight",
"ten",
"thirteen",
"fifteen"
],
"question": "Freddy Adu was _ years old when he became the youngest ever allstar team player.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Born in Ghana,West Africa,in 1989,Freddy Adu has become one of the most promising young soccer players in the world.Soccer fans have been crazy about him since 2003,when he became the youngest player to join a professional sports team in the United States.The next year,he became the youngest athlete ever to play in an allstar game,a match in which the best players from many professional teams compete.
As a child,Adu did what many children in Ghana love to do--play soccer.His mother recognized her son's talentand encouraged it by providing soccer balls,which were expensive for them.Since he had soccer balls,other children always came looking for him and played together.
Education was very important to Adu's mother,and she wasn't sure that her son could receive a good education in Ghana.So she tried hard and moved to Maryland,U.S. in 1997,when he was eight years old.His new school friends soon noticed his talent for soccer,and the parents of one friend encouraged him to join a soccer club.This was his first time playing organized soccer,and he helped his team from the Potomac Soccer Association win a tournament in Italy in 2000.One professional Italian team was so impressed by Adu that they offered him $750,000 to play for them.Adu's mother refused the offer and thought that her eleven-year-old son needed to finish school first.
Adu did finish high school at the age of 14.Nowadays,he is playing professional soccer and living with his mother in a house he bought for her.His salary with the D.C. United team is $500,000 a year,and Adu is also paid to advertise products such as sports shoes and drinks.Adu is happy that his mother no longer has to work at two jobs,and his fans are happy that they can watch him play their favourite sport for many years to come. | middle5911.txt |
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