questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they hope that can bring them good luck"
},
"options": [
"that reminds them of their happy life",
"they hope that can bring them good luck",
"they think that they look beautiful in white",
"that's what they have to do d... | A Christina from Spain
On the last day of the year, the 31stof December, people wait till 12 pm. Everybody must have 12 grapes to eat at midnight. At each sound of the clock, we must eat a group. But we can't ever finish eating the grapes on time! Usually when people still have some grapes in their mouths, they look at each other and start to laugh. This tradition started in Spain long ago. One year, when there were a lot of grapes, the king of Spain decided to give grapes to everybody to eat on New Year's Eve.
B Cordon from Britain
On New Year's Day in Britain, people have parties. At 12 o'clock, the music stops, and we listen to the radio. On the radio we hear Big Ben, the famous clock in London. Then everybody sings a song about friendship and kisses their friends. We say "Happy New Year" to each other. It's lucky if a tall man with dark hair is the first person to come to the house in the new year. So I go and visit as many friends as I can. They all give me a drink.
C Angela from Brazil
In all cities in Brazil, we have a big party on New Year's Eve, especially in Rio de Janeiro. People in this city go to the beaches to watch fireworks . We put flowers in the sea and think about things we want for ourselves or others. We usually wear white clothes for good luck during the New Year. | middle437.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a rich man"
},
"options": [
"a rich man",
"a poor man",
"an old man",
"a clever man"
],
"question": "One day _ meets Sam.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index"... | One day a rich man meets Sam. The rich man asks, "I hear you're very clever and nothing is difficult to you. Can you tell me why you are so clever?"
Sam answers with a smile, "Oh, I am not clever. Instead , you are too foolish ." The rich man becomes very angry.
Sam says, "Please don't be angry. If you don't believe me, now let me ask you a question. If you put together one group of sheep and another group of sheep, how many groups of sheep do you have?"
"Why! That's an easy question. One and one is two, and anybody knows that. I have two groups of sheep."
Sam laughs and says, "You are wrong. When two groups of sheep are put together, there is still one group. That's the easiest question in the world." | middle6814.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He had an accident."
},
"options": [
"He dreamed a terrible dream.",
"He was hurt by Jimmy.",
"He had an accident.",
"He fooled his mom with his friend."
],
"question": "What happened to the writer on the April ... | April Fool's Day is supposed to be a day to play jokes on others in hopes of getting a good laugh and making one feel like a fool. However, the April Fool's Day of 2014 was quite different for my mom and me.
That day my friend Jimmy and I were playing a game. I had dropped down from a bar many times in the past without ever having a problem, but that day the simple act of dropping to the ground became a nightmare . I broke my arm.
Jimmy's dad heard my crying and rushed out to see what was going on. When he saw the problem he quickly put me into his truck and went inside to telephone my mom and let her know he would take me to hospital. As that day was April Fool's Day, Mom was not buying it and really thought all this was a big joke. Mom was finally convinced by Jimmy's mom. When she saw me, she broke down in tears because she felt so bad -she originally thought this was just a big prank .
I guess one could compare this to the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Since I had pulled pranks before, it is no wonder that my mom didn't believe it. I as well as my mom was made to look like a fool that day. We both learned a valuable lesson. | middle4965.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a dinner party"
},
"options": [
"a birthday party",
"a dinner party",
"an English party",
"a movie"
],
"question": "One day Mr Smith went to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answe... | One day Mr Smith went to a dinner party. He was wearing very old clothes. He came into the room, but people in the room didn't look at him. They didn't ask him to sit at the table. He wasn't happy. But he said nothing.Mr Smith went home quickly and put on his best clothes. He went back to the party. Everyone in the room stood up and looked at him. They gave him good food to eat.Mr Smith took off his coat, and put it on the food and said, "Eat, coat!"
The other people were
and asked, "What are you doing? Why do you do that?"Mr Smith answered, "I am asking my coat to eat food. When I wore old clothes, you didn't look at me. You didn't ask me to sit down. Now I am wearing these nice clothes. And you give me good food. Now see, you give the food to my coat, not to me." | middle8187.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "spoken highly of him"
},
"options": [
"shared the treasure with his family",
"suffered from the sad news",
"been involved in a case with Apple",
"spoken highly of him"
],
"question": "Hearing of Steve Jobs' deat... | Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of US technology giant Apple, has died at the age of 56. Mr Jobs had announced he was suffering from cancer in 2004. Apple said he had been "the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives" and had made the world "immeasurably better".
Tributes have been made by technology company bosses and world leaders, with US President Barack Obama saying the world had "lost a visionary ". "Steve was among the greatest of American innovators ---- brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it," said Mr Obama.
A statement from Mr Jobs's family said they were with him when he died peacefully on Wednesday. "In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he loved his family deeply," they said, requesting privacy and thanking those who had "shared their wishes and prayers" during his final year.
Apple said the company had "lost a visionary and creative genius and the world have lost an amazing human being". Tim Cook, who was made Apple's CEO after Mr Jobs stood down in August, said his predecessor had left behind "a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple". Flags are being flown at half mast outside the Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California, while fans of the company have left tributes outside Apple shops around the world.
The heads of other leading technology companies have also paid tribute, including Microsoft boss Bill Gates, who said "For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it's been a great honour. I will miss Steve very much."
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg thanks Mr Jobs for "showing that what you build can change the world" while Sony Corp president and CEO Howard Stringer said: "The digital age has lost its leading light." South Korea's Samsung, which is involved in a case with Apple over patents , admired Mr Jobs for his "Completely new and different changes to the IT industry". | middle351.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "left hand wave"
},
"options": [
"left hand down",
"left hand wave",
"right hand wave",
"right hand up"
],
"question": "If you wave your right hand, you can see your _ In the mirror.",
"question_type": "clo... | Look into the mirror and what do you see? You see yourself. But when you move. you do everything backward in the mirror! If you wave your left hand, your right hand waves in the mirror. If you wink your right eye, your left eye, your left eye winks . Try to read a page in the mirror .The words will be backwards.
What is really happening? You do not see through the glass of a mirror as you do through a window. The glass of a mirror has a silver coating on the back. The light from the sun or a bulb bounces off you ,goes into the mirror ,and bounces straight back out to you again.
Mirrors have been used for thousands of years. The earliest were round pieces of shiny metal. Glass mirrors came late. The ancients thought that a mirror was magic. They did not understand how it worked. They thought they saw their spirits in a mirror and breaking a mirror brought bad luck.
Today mirrors have many uses .For example, they can make rooms look bigger and prettier. They also show us if our hair is combed well and our faces are clean. On cars, buses and trucks, mirrors help drivers see traffic behind them. Mirrors are also used in telescopes and searchlights .
Fun houses use mirrors. They make people look funny. Some mirrors are _ to make people seem short and round or tall and tin They make people laugh at themselves. | middle1809.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Korean culture"
},
"options": [
"Korean TV dramas",
"Korean culture",
"Korean language",
"Korean actors"
],
"question": "What does the Korea Wave refer to? It refers to _ ..",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | Korean culture is really exciting right now. The Korean Wave is sweeping Asian countries including China. Young people are going crazy about Korean TV dramas, Korean pop songs, taekwondo and the Korean language.
The Korean Wave started a few years ago with the TV series "Winter Sonata". This love story is still popular. People, especially girls, like the beautiful story and handsome actors like Bae Yong Jun .
In the music world, Korean girls are making themselves heard in China. You can often find big Korean names like Baby Vox, S. E. S and Finkle at the top of the Chinese music charts .
The Korean Wave has also made young people want to try the clothes and hairstyles of pop stars, too. Not only that. Now some girls in China are having plastic surgery to change the way they look. People say some beautiful Korean stars have had plastic surgery. These stars don't make plastic surgery look shameful .
Are all the faces of beautiful Korean girls not real? Find out for yourself when you next visit South Korea. | middle8193.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "change the reading speeds as he needs"
},
"options": [
"read at 1,000 WPM",
"read as fast as he can",
"change the reading speeds as he needs",
"spend more time reading"
],
"question": "The writer thinks that a g... | A good reader is very much like a driver. He must change his reading speed to fit what he is reading and what he is reading for, just as a driver does to fit the road situation.
A good reader may read at 1,000 WPM(... )when he looks for something for a report in the library. But once he finds what he needs, he may slow down to 100 WPM. A good reader may read newspapers and story books at 600 WPM. But he may read his science or maths books at 150 WPM. Just as a driver has a wide change of driving speed, so a good reader has a wide change of reading speed. | middle345.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "had different holes"
},
"options": [
"were made from different materials",
"had different sizes",
"had different shapes",
"had different holes"
],
"question": "All the toys that the teacher showed _ .",
"q... | A teacher showed three toys to his students and asked them to find out the differences. All the three toys seemed to have the same shape, size and material. After looking at them carefully, the students discovered holes in the toys. The first toy had holes in the ears. The second toy had holes in its ear and mouth. The third toy had only one hole in one of its ears.
Then the teacher put a needle in one ear hole of the first toy. The needle came out of the other ear. For the second toy, when the needle was put in its ear , it came out of its mouth. And for the third toy, when the needle was put in, it did not come out.
So the teacher explained to his students," The first toy represent those people who seem to be listening to you and caring for you. But they are just pretending to do so. After listening, as the needle comes out from the next ear, the things you said to them are gone. In fact, they don't care for you at all."
"The second toy represents those people who listen to you and care for you. But as in the toy, the needle comes out from mouth, these people will use what you tell them to fight against you. They tell others what you said and tell your secrets for their purposes."
"As for the third toy, the needle does not come out. It represents those people who will keep the trust you put in them. They are the ones that you can believe." | middle4971.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the workers could not repair the machine"
},
"options": [
"he had nothing to do in the factory",
"there were no other people in the factory",
"the workers could not repair the machine",
"the workers asked for too much m... | Once there was something wrong with a machine in a factory. The workers could do nothing but turn to a German engineer for help, who drew a line on it and then said, "Take off the part where the line is and change it for a new one. "The machine, with a new line on, began running well again. The engineer then asked for $30,000 for what he had done. The following were what he wrote on a bill, "The new part only costs one dollar, and knowing where the problem with the machine is costs $29,999."
One dollar for changing a new part sounds reasonable but the $29,999 is exactly the value of wisdom and knowledge. | middle3978.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Both A and C"
},
"options": [
"taking every possible note",
"spending all his time playing",
"asking a chemistry teacher for help",
"Both A and C"
],
"question": "Dou Yi, from Beijing, works hard on chemistry by... | Here comes the last term of Junior 3. Terrible! The big exam is coming in less than two months. You still have a lot to do. How will you spend it? We invited three students to share their stories.
Dou Yi, 15,Beijing
My chemistry used to be poor in the past. I got scores of around 40 on every test. During the last term, I decide to beat chemistry. I will start to work hard. In class I take every possible note. After school, I spend most of my time studying chemistry. My parents also ask their friend, a chemistry teacher, to help me . Finally in the latest exam, I got 65! How happy I am!
Wang Zhaolin, 16, Chongqing
My foot got hurt a week before the big PE exam . Luckily, I recovered in time. For PE , all you need is to practice. Sports can also help you relax. Be careful not to get hurt as I did.
Wang Feixuan, 15, Xi'an
My experience is that for Junior3, every minute of the last term is important. Don't waste any of them. I try to remember English words while waiting in line to get my lunch. I read textbooks on the bus to and from school. I work hard at home and sometimes stay up late studying. Want to have fun? Leave it for the summer holiday after the big exam! | middle423.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because she also had shiny black hair and a big smile."
},
"options": [
"Because she looked like Donna.",
"Because she also had shiny black hair and a big smile.",
"Because she was from Washington Heights.",
"Because sh... | My 10-year-old Donna said, "Mom, I made a new friend at school today. Can she come over tomorrow?" Donna was a shy girl and I wanted her to make some friends _ .
"Sure, honey, that sounds great." I said, thinking back to my own best friend, Lillian. We lived across the street from each other in Washington Heights, New York. We met at the age of 10, too. Like my daughter, I was shy, but Lillian drew me out. She was one of the friendliest people in school, with shiny black hair and a mile-wide smile.
In senior high school, Lillian went on a trip to Florida. This was the first time we had to be away from each other for a few days. "I'll be back soon." she told me. But three days later, Lillian's sister told me that she had fallen into a river and hadn't come out any more. Soon, my family moved to New Jersey. Whenever I thought of her, tears came into my eyes.
The next day Donna brought her new friend home. "Hi, Mrs. Loggia." the little girl said. Her hair was so shiny and black and she shot me a big smile. "My name is Laura."
My daughter's new friend was so much like Lillian. I was still puzzled when Laura's mom came to pick her up later that afternoon. I opened the door to let her in. "Judy!" she cried. "It's me, Lillian's sister, from Washington Heights." Yes, my daughter's friend looked familiar . She was Lillian's niece. | middle6800.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "work hard at"
},
"options": [
"are good at",
"work hard at",
"don't like",
"spend little time on"
],
"question": "Most young Japanese people _ English.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | Japanese people work very hard at studying English. They start studying English at the age of 12. Most young Japanese people spend a lot of time and work hard at studying English, but Japanese people are not good at English. Here are the reasons:
There are few people from English-speaking countries in Japan. They don't have enough chances to speak with them.
Japan is an island country and they feel that other countries are far away. So they don't use English very often. And the Japanese feel that it is strange to talk to each other in English.
The Japanese education doesn't always follow the educational trends in the world. It puts a lot of importance on grammar and vocabulary, and less on speaking, listening and reading skills.
Many Japanese students' English becomes worse after they go to university .They have to learn English again if they work in English-speaking countries.
Sometimes the Japanese feel shy about speaking wrong or broken English. | middle1808.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "keep the law of this country"
},
"options": [
"go shopping",
"keep the law of this country",
"go sightseeing",
"visit some fantastic sights"
],
"question": "When you come to visit Singapore,you should remember t... | Singapore: A
City
Singapore welcomes tourists. When you come to visit Singapore, please keep the laws of this country. Here are some points that you must remember.
SMOKING: Cigarette smoking is a danger to health. It is not allowed in lifts, cinemas, theaters, all government offices and on buses. If you break it, you have to pay fines of up to $ 1,000. LITTER: Singapore is the Garden City of Asia---clean and green. Dropping litter in public places is not allowed. You can be fined up to $ 500 for dropping litter ---even if it only a piece of waste paper or a cigarette end.
EATING OR DRINKING: In Singapore, when you take a subway or a bus, you are not supposed to eat or drink anything, or you'll be fined up to $ 500.
RIDING: When you ride a bike across an underpass , please push your bike across the underpass, or you have to pay $ 1,000 for riding your bike.
JAYWALKING*: You must always use the pedestrian(, )crossing. You can be fined $ 50 for crossing the street less than 50 meters from a crossing. These laws are also for children who are old enough to be in the street on their own. | middle8192.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "by car"
},
"options": [
"on foot",
"by car",
"by bus",
"by train"
],
"question": "Mr Green's children usually go to school _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | Mr Green has a car. In the morning he takes his children to school in his car. Then he drives to work. Mr Green and his children do not have lunch at home, but Mrs Green does. She does not go to work. She stays at home and does some shopping and cleaning in the morning. In the afternoon she usually goes to see some of her friends, has tea and talks a lot with them. Then she cooks supper for her family. Mr Green comes back home much later than his children. They do not come back in their father's car. They take a bus home. They usually come back home before five. | middle6801.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "hurts us"
},
"options": [
"holds us back",
"forgets us",
"doesn't like us",
"hurts us"
],
"question": "According to the passage, we might get angry when someone _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}... | Is there some one you hate? Well. Maybe you don't really hate them. But you get really angry every time you think of them. If you don't let this anger go, it can turn into bitterness .
Bitterness appears when we can't forgive someone who has hurt us or made us angry. Someone might say or do something that hurts us. But instead of controlling he anger ,we keep t deep inside . Before long, a bitter feeling begins to grow. We may think we are hurting that person by criticizing him or her often ,but we are really only hurting ourselves.
Bitterness can not only lead to serious health problems such as heart disease ,but also hurt out relationships with friends and family members .No one enjoy being around an angry person for very long .
If you see bitterness in your life ,here are some ways to deal with it .
Accept it
Instead of trying to _ your anger ,make it clear to yourself and accept it .See your anger for what it is and quickly deal with it .
Stop making excuses for it
You may feel you have a right to be angry .You may think you are right and the other person is wrong . You may even secretly enjoy making the other person look bad .But in the end ,bitterness hurts you much more than the other person . The bitterness will hold you back . and the other person will go on with his or her life .
Forgive and forget it
You probably can not completely put the anger out of your mind .But you can decide to forgive the other person . Forget it and move on .You'll enjoy better health and peace of mind . | middle422.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "inside your head"
},
"options": [
"inside your head",
"outside your head",
"in your inner ears",
"in your outer ears"
],
"question": "The sound of your voice begins _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | Have you ever heard your own voice? "Of course," you say. Has anyone else ever heard your voice? Again you say, "Of course."But that's not quite true. Nobody else has ever heard your voice--the way you hear it. When you talk, you set up sound waves . The air outside your head carries the sound waves to your outer ears. But, of course, the sound of your voice begins inside your head. The bones of your head pick up the sound waves, too. They carry the sound waves straight to your inner ears. You get the sound from the outside and the inside too. Other people get just the sound waves from the outside. That's why they don't hear your voice the way you do. | middle3979.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Voice of China."
},
"options": [
"Around the world.",
"Animal World.",
"The Voice of China.",
"The Disneyland."
],
"question": "What is the name of the programme?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | The Voice of China
Many Chinese like watching The Voice of China, because the songs sound really good. My daughter, my wife and I like it, too. We watch the programme every Friday. Some famous singers like Wang Feng, Zhang Huimei, Na Ying, Harlem Yu are the _ . The coaches listen to the songs, and find their favorite singers. They can listen to the singers , but they can't watch the singers sing . Then they teach their favorite singers. The singers sing songs again. The Voice of China is to find the best voice. | middle6815.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they can work on computer"
},
"options": [
"they work in large group",
"they can work on computer",
"the teachers are interesting",
"math questions are easy there"
],
"question": "Students in Yat Sen Middle Scho... | Most middle school students find it boring to learn English. But students in Yat Sen middle school in New York, US, don't think so. Why? Because they are in the school of One Program, which asks students to work on their own or in small groups on computers to have math lessons.
"The program gives the students a new learning style. No traditional classroom can compare with it. We give each lesson according to the students' interest and their strong and weak points," said JoelI. Klein, the school's head teacher, "we're looking for a new way that interest students children."
Students enjoy these math lessons, especially lessons with video games. They must find out the answers to math problems to get through the game. One such game is Dimension M. As students move through mazes with their keyboards, some questions come up.
Caleb Deng had to answer the question: What is 5+ (6x3)? He _ on paper quickly because there was just a minute left to play.
" I was right," said Deng, 14, as he ended the game with a high score . "this really makes math lessons more exciting, since we are fighting to learn better." | middle436.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a star was speeding away very fast."
},
"options": [
"a star was speeding away very fast.",
"a stars was moving away very slowly.",
"some stars were not real.",
"some stars were not in the Milky Way."
],
"questi... | Think stars don't move? Think again! When you look at the sky at night, the stars may appear to stay in the same place. But stars are always on the move--they are just so far away that the movement is hard to see.
But some stars move in ways that appear to be strange to be real. In 2005, astronomer Warren Brown found one of these space oddities . It was located on the outer edge of the Milky Way, the galaxy we live in. The star was speeding away like nothing he'd ever seen. "It seemed unbelievable. No star in the galaxy has a speed like that," Brown remembers. "I thought, oh my goodness, I have something kind of special here."
No one had ever seen a star like this one. What does a scientist do when the results don't make sense?
Brown didn't give up. Instead, he kept looking. And he kept finding more of these strange and speedy stars, called _ stars. Hyper means "above" and velocity has to do with speed. He and his team just found six more of these "above speed" stars, bringing to the total of 16. And, he says, he's found even more, and is just waiting for the scientific community to confirm them. | middle350.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "why people have tears"
},
"options": [
"what makes people blind",
"why people have tears",
"why people cry when they are sad",
"what tears are"
],
"question": "The story tells us _ .",
"question_type": ... | When you feel sad, tears will come down from your eyes. When you are happy, especially when you laugh hard, tears will also come down from your eyes. But tears have a more important job than showing your feelings.
Tears keep your eyes clean and healthy. They wash away dirt and germs just like bath. Your eyes also need tears to keep them wet. And eyes must be wet so that they can move smoothly. Your eyes are busy looking here and there all day long. They move quickly from one thing to another. If you didn't have tears, your eyes couldn't move, and soon you would be blind.
Maybe you don't like tears, but your eyes can't do without them. | middle8186.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "If there are no written records, there is no history."
},
"options": [
"\"Remembered history\" is less reliable than written history.",
"Written records of the past play an important role in our learning of the human history.",
... | If we are asked exactly what we were doing a year ago, we should probably have to say that we could not remember. But if we had kept a book and had written it in an account of what we did each day, we should be able to give an answer to the question.
It is the same in history. Many things have been forgotten because we don't have written account of them. Sometimes men did keep a record of the important happenings in their country, but it was often destroyed by fire or in a war. Sometimes there was never any written record at all because the people of that time and place did not know how to write. For example, we know a great deal about the people who lived in China 4,000 years ago, because they could write and leave written records for those who lived after them. But we know almost nothing about the people who lived even 200 years ago in central Africa because they had not learnt to write.
Sometimes, even if the people cannot write, they may know something of the past. They have heard about it from older people and often songs and dances and stories have been made about the most important happenings, and those have been sung and acted and told for many generations , for most people are proud to tell what their fathers did in the past. This we may call "remembered history". Some of it has been written history because words are much more easily changed when used again and again in speech than when copied in writing. But where there are no written records, such spoken stories are often helpful. | middle4964.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Five"
},
"options": [
"Three",
"Five",
"Six",
"Seven"
],
"question": "How many kinds of healthy foods are mentioned in this passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,... | Most children like chocolates, candies and other kinds of sweet food. Sometimes they put a lot of sugar into their food. They don't know that sugar is bad for their teeth. Children also like fast food. It is _ delicious than home cooking, and children can take it away and eat it anywhere. Other children like to eat too much meat. Fast food or too much meat doesn't help _ a strong and healthy body.
Children grow fast. They need to eat more eggs, milk, corn ,fruit, vegetables and other healthy things. Eggs and milk are good for their bones. Corn gives them energy. Fruit and vegetables give them vitamins . Children should eat an egg, and have about 200ml of milk every day. It's best to drink milk after eating bread in the morning. They should eat 150g of corn to give them energy, too. They should also eat an apple or some other fruit with their breakfast. Eating enough vegetables is important for lunch and supper. | middle6183.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "9"
},
"options": [
"64",
"21",
"9",
"19"
],
"question": "How many seats did the minibus in Gansu province have before it was turned into a school bus?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao promised that the country would take actions to improve school bus safety on Sunday, a day after China saw its second terrible school bus accident in November, 2011.
"School buses should be safe mobile campuses for students," the premier said at a national meeting on women and children, "Society should remember in mind that children should be the first to enjoy all kinds of social caring and the last ones to suffer from any disaster."
School buses have become a hot topic in China since the deaths of 21 people, including 19 pre-school students, in a traffic accident between a truck and a school-owned minibus in Gansu province on Nov. 16, 2011. The nine-seat minibus was carrying 64 people at the time of the accident, according to the reports.
The second accident, in which a school bus in the northern province of Liaoning _ on Friday, left 35 people injured, according to China Daily.
"In recent days, a series of big accidents involving school buses has led to great anger among the people. These accidents have also made me uncomfortable," said Mr Wang, an old teacher from Jiangsu. And he also thought that school bus safety must become a serious problem for schools and the government.
Premier Wen has already asked the government to develop new safety standard for school buses and made sure to help local government with safe buses for school-age children. | middle378.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because many visitors will come to Beijing."
},
"options": [
"Because the services in Beijing used to be very poor.",
"Because many people can't find jobs in their hometown.",
"Because many visitors will come to Beijing.",
... | China is the first developing country to host the Olympic Games in modern Olympic history. It hopes to learn from other countries that have held Olympic Games. As well as new buildings, the government wants more people to work in all the services in Beijing. There are a lot more people in the city, because of all the visitors to the Olympics. The city also need more places to eat and drink, because visitors eat out a lot.
The government says the Beijing Olympics are "green", "hi-tech" , and "the People's Olympics". They want everyone to feel part of the Olympics. So the Chinese people have prepared for the Olympics too. Many people learn English to work as guides in 2008.
The Beijing organizers make sure everything that is built for the Olympics can be used after the Games are over. So the Chinese people work for the Olympics and they can benefit from the Olympics too. When the Olympics are over, the people of Beijing can use the swimming pools and other Olympics sports centers. | middle3945.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "she didn't expect the examiner would ask such a question"
},
"options": [
"she didn't like the job",
"she didn't expect the examiner would ask such a question",
"she didn't want to answer the question",
"her parents wou... | A famous foreign company in China wanted a Clerk for its public relation department .
A beautiful girl with a master's degree went through a lot of challenges and her name was on the list. In the final stage she faced an interview together -with another girl. Both of them were outstanding , not only in looks but also in education.
The girl was successful in the interview. It seemed that she would get the chance. At last the examiner asked her, "Can you come to the office next Monday?" Shocked by the unexpected question, the beautiful girl couldn't make a decision at the moment, so she said, "I have to talk with my parents before I give an answer. " The examiner felt surprised but said calmly, "If so, let' s wait till you are ready. "
The next day, the girl came to tell the examiner that her parents had agreed to let her begin work next Monday. But the examiner said regretfully , "Sorry, another suitable candidate has got the job. You had better try another place. "The beautiful girl was surprised. She asked for an explanation and was told, "What is needed here is a person who knows her own mind. "
That was how a good opportunity _ a beautiful girl ran away. | middle6829.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because Korea wants to make students become more interested in English studies."
},
"options": [
"Because Korea is rich.",
"Because Korea wants to make students become more interested in English studies.",
"Because robot teac... | In order to make students become more interested in English studies,21 elementary schools in southeastern Korea have started to use robot teachers.
The robot teacher is called Engkey. She was developed by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. She is about one meter high and is white,egg-shaped. She takes a display panel
as her face. She can move around the classroom while she speaks to students. She can also read books to students and dance to music by moving her head and arms.
Now,21 robot teachers have been used to teach English. They are controlled by English teachers in the Philippines. There is a camera in each of the robot teachers. With the help of the cameras,English teachers in the Philippines can see and hear the students. At the same time,the facial expressions of these English teachers. This is very interesting.
Besides helping students to become more interested in English,the robot teachers can also help children in poor areas without English teachers.
Robot teachers have many good points. For example,they needn't have a rest because they don't get ill. | middle3951.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He saw a man leaving a house"
},
"options": [
"He saw a man going to a park in a hurry",
"He saw a man bringing a pipe out, through a window.",
"He saw a man leaving a house",
"He saw a man trying to go up a pipe"
]... | "It's 8:15 on a Sunday morning," said the officer, Tidwell, "and this sort of thing seems an unlikely adventure at such a time. Would you mind explaining?"
The man was astonished at the voice from behind. He turned about and said, "I know what you're thinking, officer, but it isn't true. It's a very funny mistake."
"I think you've just left this house in a manner rather than the usual one. That may be quite all right, but I'd like to make sure." Tidwell took out his notebook and a pen. "Name, address and occupation and then, please tell me your story."
"Charlie Crane, lorry driver, from Nottingham, 51 Brecon Street. My story?"
"Yes, What were you doing like a fly on that wall, Mr. Crane?"
"Well, I had a breakdown yesterday and had to stay the night here. The landlady's name is Mrs. Fern. She gave me breakfast at seven, and I was out of here in the right way and down at the lorry park by half past seven. It was only when I felt around for a cigarette that I realized I'd left $80 under the pillow here. It's a habit I've got into. I even do it almost every day."
"I see. Why didn't you miss it when you meant to pay Mrs.? What's her name?"
"I paid her last night. You've got to pay when you take the room, see? So I came rushing back, but it's Sunday, and she'd gone back to bed. I rang the bell and banged on the front door for ten minutes before I came round here. Up I went this pipe and the money was still there. You know the rest, and I hope you believe it because...."
"Mr. Crane, whatever are you doing here? I thought you'd gone an hour ago." It was Mrs. Fern. | middle2497.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to be healthy"
},
"options": [
"to be healthy",
"to study well",
"to enjoy learning",
"to like color pictures"
],
"question": "Why does everyone need to eat well ? It can help people _ ?",
"question_typ... | Food is very important . Everyone needs to eat well if he or she wants to have a strong body. Our minds also need a kind of food. This kind of food is knowledge .
When we are very young, we start getting knowledge. Young children like watching and listening . Color pictures especially interest them. When children are older, they enjoy reading. When something interests them, they love asking questions.
Our minds, like our bodies ,always need the best food. Studying on our own brings the most knowledge. If someone is always telling us answers, we never learn well. When we study correctly and get knowledge on our own, we learn more and understand better. | middle3789.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "find your reading purpose"
},
"options": [
"pay attention to the price",
"find your reading purpose",
"ask your friends for advice",
"find a library"
],
"question": "Before reading a book, you should _ .",
... | For a student, reading ability is very important in our study. How to read faster and understand better? Here is some advice for you.
1. Find Your Purpose for Reading
Before you start reading, ask yourself why you are reading this book. Most people read for two main reasons---pleasure or knowledge. Being clear about your reading purpose not only helps you to stay away from books that you don't need to read. It also reminds you why reading the. book is important to you when you are reading it. You can easily keep reading and finish the book faster.
2. Read Only What You Are Interested in
Whether you're reading fiction or nonfiction, it's important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may share books they love, but those books might not be the ones you enjoy.
3. Give up Books That You Don't Enjoy
You may have chosen books that agree with your purpose. You may have chosen books that you are interested in. But when you are reading them, there may still be some books that you won't enjoy reading, Whenever you realize that you aren't enjoying the book you are reading, give it up. Remember reading shouldn't be a chore. 4. Give Yourself a Deadline to Finish Each Book
Before you read each book, ask yourself when you need to finish this book by. What I find interesting is that I read books that I borrow from libraries faster than the books I bought. The reason is the books I bought don't have a due date! I don't need to return those books, When you don't set a _ to finish your book. There isn't a sense of urgency . And when something isn't urgent, you will like to put it off. | middle4780.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The person had been in a motorcycle accident."
},
"options": [
"The bad weather had broken the motorcycle.",
"The bad weather had stopped the person from going outside.",
"The person had bought a new motorcycle.",
"The ... | Have you ever woken up feeling that something was wrong?
It was a day like that for me.
I sat up in bed.
A little later I opened the curtains.
It was terrible weather--the rain was pouring down.
Then I looked down into the yard.
Yes! There it was--the motorcycle.
It was just as broken as last night.
And my leg was starting to hurt. | middle4958.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "1200 yuan"
},
"options": [
"300 yuan",
"1200 yuan",
"600 yuan",
"2,400 yuan"
],
"question": "You will pay _ if you want to stay in the English club for half a year.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Sunny English Club
For students
Open Time: 16:00--18:00 Every Saturday
Tickets: 200 yuan a month
Address: 9 Zhouyu Street
Tel: 3785290
Foreign teachers, English songs and films and more!
Ocean Museum
Open Time: 9:00--17:00 From Thursday to Sunday
Ticket: 50 yuan
Address: 132 Xueyuan Street
Tel: 5439871
Show you a full picture of sea lives!
Health Centre
Time: 9:00-- 17:30
Address: 16 Yongle Street
Tel: 3801451
Free examinations for those over 70. Give you good advice to keep healthy! | middle7289.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because they don't think English is easy."
},
"options": [
"Because they are easy to catch a cold.",
"Because it's often very cold",
"Because they think English is easy.",
"Because they don't think English is easy."
... | I often hear some students say English is difficult, and it gives them a headache. But English is very easy for me. I'm good at it. I'm very glad to tell you something about how I study English.
First, I think an interest in English is very important. When I learned English first, it was fresh for me. I was interested in it, so I worked hard at it. Soon we had an English exam and I got a very good mark. How happy I was! After that, I learned English harder and harder. Our English teacher often teaches us English songs, and the songs sound nice. I often think how interesting English is!
Second, I think English is a foreign language. I should learn it well in the following ways: Listen to the teacher carefully, speak bravely, read aloud and have a good vocabulary. Then practice again and again, never be tired. And I also have a good habit: Asking whenever I have a question. I must make it clear by asking our English teacher. How happy I am when I understand!
Besides this, I often read English stories, jokes and easy novels. They help me understand a lot of things. So to do more reading is an important way to learn English well. And I also write English diaries. English has become a close friend of mine. | middle1820.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She likes to ask questions."
},
"options": [
"She likes to visit the city.",
"She likes to ask questions.",
"She likes to play with her uncle.",
"She likes to answer her teacher's questions."
],
"question": "Wha... | Mary is four years old. She likes to ask questions. Her questions are often funny.
One day Mary goes to see her uncle with her father. Her uncle lives in _ city. The city isn't near their city, so they take a bus to go there.
After many hours, they get to Mary's uncle's city. He is very happy to see them. The next morning, Mary's uncle takes her and her father out and shows them around . "Look at that big house," says her uncle. " It's the oldest house in the city." "How old is it?" her father asks. "It is about 2100 years old," her uncle answers."How can that be?" Mary says. "It's only 2015 this year!"
,. | middle7262.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "understand better"
},
"options": [
"get the ideas",
"save time",
"understand better",
"learn well"
],
"question": "The main reason for reading fast is that you can _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"... | Do you know that a fast reader can get the ideas better than a slow reader can? Of course, you save time by reading fast, but this is not the main reason for fast reading. The main reason is that you understand better what you are reading when you read fast.
As your eyes move along the line of point, they make fixations or pauses . It is important that you see several words at a fixation. It is also important that your eyes leave a group. The numbers of letters or words that you see at a fixation are called your eye span . Pay more attention to improving your rate of reading. With practice you can learn to read faster than you usually read.
The way in which you read always depends on what you are reading and for what purpose. You should know the different ways of reading so that you can apply whatever method is necessary. Here are four ways of reading:
(1) Skimming is an important kind of reading. This method can be used when you wish to review something that you have forgotten. You can skim to get the main points.
(2) Rapid first reading and then rereading certain parts carefully is important. You may use this type of reading to study a science lesson or a history lesson.
(3) You need to do careful reading and rereading sometimes. This type of reading is necessary for making an intensive study of your school subjects, solving math problems or reading directions.
(4) Rapid reading is used when reading stories for enjoyment. You may also do rapid reading when reviewing materials that you already know well. | middle1613.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "May I carry him on my back for a run?"
},
"options": [
"May I carry him on my back for a run?",
"Could you be my daddy, too?",
"Would you join us in our game?",
"Could I be friends with your son?"
],
"question":... | Once there was a little orphan who always wished that he could fly like a bird. It was very difficult for him to understand why he could not fly.
There was another little boy who was _ . One day the orphan came to a park, where he saw the little crippled boy playing in the sand alone.
He ran over to the little crippled boy and asked him if he had ever wanted to fly like a bird.
"No," he said. "But I've been thinking about what it would be like to walk and run like others."
"That is very sad," said the little orphan. "Do you think we could be friends?"
"Sure," said the little crippled boy.
The two little boys played for hours. Neither of them felt as lonely as they had been before. Then the little crippled boy's father came with a wheelchair to pick up his son. The little orphan ran over to him and said something into his ear.
"That would be OK," said the man.
The little orphan ran back to his friend and said, "You are my only friend and I wish I could do something to make you walk and run like others. Unluckily, I can't. But there is something that I can do for you."
The little orphan boy turned around and told his friend to slide onto his back. Then he began to run across the grass. He ran faster and faster, carrying the little crippled boy on his back.
The father began to cry with tears as his son shouted at the top of his voice, "I'm FLYING! Daddy, I'm FLYING!" | middle387.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because he has no ears."
},
"options": [
"Because he was very short.",
"Because he was very foolish.",
"Because he has no eyes.",
"Because he has no ears."
],
"question": "Why was the boy laughed at at school?",... | One day a doctor said to the boy's father that he could graft a pair of ears for his son, if they could be offered. Two years went by. Then, "You are going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will _ the ears you need. But it's a secret," said the father.
The operation was a brilliant success. Later the boy married and entered the diplomatic service . "But I must know who gave so much to me. I could never do enough for him." "But the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet," said the father. The years kept their secret, but the day did come... one of the darkest days that ever passed through his son. Slowly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to show... that the mother had no ears.
"Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," he whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?"
Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what that can be seen, but what that cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what that is done but not known. | middle5475.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "warm"
},
"options": [
"hot",
"cold",
"warm",
"dry"
],
"question": "The weather in Tahiti is usually _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_... | Tahiti is the largest island of the French Polynesia in South Pacific. It covers 1,045 km and has a population of 183,600.The weather there is neither too hot nor too cold. It's always warm and humid.
Tahitian people are very friendly and welcoming. They welcome visitors with music, dance and flowers. The Tiare Tahiti flower, which can only be found in Tahiti, is used for greeting arriving visitors and returning family, It's popular for women and men to wear the flowers behind their left ears.
In Tahiti, there are always a lot of things to do and to see. Around the island are hundreds of places perfect for diving. In the waters, you can meet all kinds of colorful fish and many other living things that you can't name. Feeding sharks is another exciting popular activity. You can stand in the water behind a safe rope to watch a shark trainer hand--feed the sharks, or enjoy this fantastic scene from the boat. If you want to find a place to swim, have a sun bath or admire the beautiful sunset, Pointe Venus Lighthouse, a black sand beach, is a great choice.
In the evening ,you can have Tahitian food, Chinese food and French--style dishes at To'ata, a square with many small restaurants. All kinds of fruit juice from coconut milk to pineapple juice can be found everywhere. Some hotels in Tahiti are built above the waters. Beautiful fish swimming below can be seen through the glass floor or coffee table. They are really wonderful places to relax and refresh you.
Tahiti, an amazing place to do everything or nothing at all, is waiting for you. | middle3004.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A singer."
},
"options": [
"A singer.",
"A football star.",
"A film star.",
"My brother."
],
"question": "What's Jay?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_t... | I think lots of students like the pop singer named Jay. I also like him very much.
Do you know as a boy, Jay was called _ . But his mother noticed that the quiet, shy boy seemed to dance well when he heard the Western pop music. His mother sent him to a piano school when he was four. When he grows up, he has an ability for playing the piano beyond his years. I learned to play the piano from 7 years old to 13 years old. I often feel bored when I practice playing the piano. But Jay was always crazy about playing the piano. I think he really likes music. He is my hero..
I admire Jay. The real reason is when the others all denied him, he never gave up. He tried his best to change his life. I think it is good for everybody. I hope that everyone can learn from him--try our best to do everything. Then I think we will be the winners. | middle3762.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "strong"
},
"options": [
"ugly",
"strong",
"friendly",
"shy"
],
"question": "Some ants in America can be very _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | There are many kinds of ants in America.One kind of ants is very strong.People are afraid of them and the other animals are afraid of them,too.
These ants are often in big groups .They eat all the animals on their way.They can kill and eat elephants.And they can eat horses,too.Sometimes they can even kill people and eat them.When the ants come near,people leave their homes.But people are sometimes happy after the ants pass by.Because they can see no insects or snakes. | middle5313.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "English."
},
"options": [
"Math.",
"Physics.",
"English.",
"Chinese."
],
"question": "What test did Mark have in his first month in the middle school?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Last summer, Mark became a middle school student. He took an English test in the first month. Mark was a good student and he worked hard. He finished the questions easily until he read the last one: "Everyone sees our school's cleaner every day. What's her first name?" Of course, this question is a little special. Mark saw the woman some times. She was tall and her hair was dark. But Mark didn't talk with her and didn't know her first name. The test was over. Then one student asked the teacher, "Is the last question very important in this test?" "Yes," said the teacher. "In our life, we meet many hard-working people. They are important. You should care about them. You should smile at them or say 'hello' to them." Mark never forgot that question. He also learned that woman's first name. It was Kathy. | middle1175.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "discuss with other students"
},
"options": [
"discuss with other students",
"sit in the classroom",
"push desks together",
"teach a lesson"
],
"question": "It was easier for Wu Liang to _ in class after the ... | One morning, Wu Liang discovered that her classroom had changed. She found that the desks were no longer in rows, but pushed together to make eight bigger desks. She was so excited about it for the first two days that she couldn't listen to the teachers carefully. But soon she and her classmates got used to this new classroom arrangement . "Now our class is quieter," said Wu. "What's more, we can come up with our own ideas and learn more through discussion. It's a better way to study."
Li Yu liked it, too. "Group members first discuss," he said, "and then present to the whole class. It makes us believe in ourselves." This was part of a reform at Li's school. The school made this reform because they wanted to offer students easier ways to study and more chances to discuss. "Our school hopes to improve students' abilities to study by themselves and work in groups." said Zhang Ming, an English teacher.
However, the reform has demanded more from teachers. Now they have only 15 minutes to give a lesson that would have been taught in 45 minutes before. It is difficult to teach in such a short time. The teachers have to find better ways to teach more effectively.
"The reform demands more, but I'm sure it is helpful." added Zhang Ming. | middle7504.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "learn about another culture"
},
"options": [
"learn about another culture",
"practice spoken English",
"discuss the international situation",
"share your happiness and sadness"
],
"question": "According to the p... | The high school years are a key period. The things we learn during this time really shape our lives. Liu Changrning, principal of Beijing No. 4 High School made 18 suggestions for students just starting high school on how to get the best out of high school. Here are ten of them.
1) Read 50 books. But choose them from ten different fields.
2) Help a person. Look for a classmate, an elderly person, in fact anyone who could benefit from your help. You'll find you benefit too!
3) Research. Research a particular area, such as science, history or art.
4) Make a foreign friend. Try to be friend someone from a foreign country. It's an ideal way to learn about a foreign country.
5) Publish an article. Whether it appears in a newspaper, your school magazine or in your own blog, an article will be something to look back on in pride in later years.
6) Take up a new sport. Choose one you've never played before. If you find you like it, you'll have a hobby for life.
7) Join a club. Working hard in a club or other activities will give you a life outside of your studies.
8) Find a part-time job. Try and do the job for at least a month.
9) Find a person to learn from. Choose someone with unusual experience or special talent. Try to learn all you can from him or her.
10) Learn to cook four Chinese dishes. Learning how to cook is not only a practical skill but a way of building a bridge to other people. | middle1161.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "14"
},
"options": [
"6",
"14",
"16",
"18"
],
"question": "The writer may be _ years old.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "can ke... | I think that I am very lucky because I have a lot of friends. My best friend is Mai. She is 16 years old. She is 2 years older than me. We live in the same village. She is my neighbor and we are now classmates, so we have been friends for so long. Mai is tall and thin. With long black hair, she has got an oval face with big bright eyes, a high nose and a small mouth. Mai is very beautiful, especially when she smiles.
She is always helpful, polite and honest . When her friends have difficulties, she always tries her best to help them. Although we have the same hobbies and interests, we have different personalities . I am sociable and enjoy telling jokes. My classmates think that I'm rather outgoing .Unlike me, Mai is quite serious and prefer quietness to noise.However, we can keep secrets together, so we are close friends. Mai is one of the best students in my class and she works hard. I like doing homework with her. She always tries her best to help me with my studies. I think as time goes by, our friendship will be deeper and deeper. | middle7510.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She goes to school by bike."
},
"options": [
"The girl's parents are both cleaners.",
"Her parents gave her 30 yuan to buy books.",
"She goes to school by bike.",
"Now she types fastest in her class."
],
"questi... | How much pocket money do you get from your parents every month--200 yuan? Some may need more to buy birthday presents, fast food lunches, ice cream or cartoon books.
But for Zhou Li, 30 yuan a month is enough. The only thing she buys is lunch--1.5 yuan each day. "My favorite is fried potato slices and rice," said Zhou, "meat is too expensive for me."
Zhou, 14, is a Junior 1 student at Hongzhi Experimental School in Beijing. Her parents are migrant workers . They came to Beijing from a village in Luohe of Henan two years ago. Her father now works as a cleaner and earns 500 yuan every month. Her mother has no job.
Every day, Zhou gets up at 5: 30 a.m. and rides 20 minutes to school. She studies hard, and even reads books during breaktime. Her favorite subject is computer."I'm learning typing now. I hope to be the fastest in my class."said Zhou. Like many teens, Zhou has a lot of homework. It usually takes her at least one hour to do it every day. But that is not all her work. She helps her mom cook. On weekends, she helps wash clothes."I could cook when I was eight. Father said sometimes I cooked better than mom!"
Zhou said she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up."I watched TV and found that there were many people with AIDS in Henan. Some are kids. They need help."said Zhou. But she is afraid of having to leave school."I hope I will always be in school," said Zhou. "Dad works hard to make money. I promise him I will study hard to be a good student at present and a good doctor in the future." | middle3776.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in the school"
},
"options": [
"in the school",
"at home",
"in the boat",
"on the playground"
],
"question": "The students are _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | It's seven thirty in the morning. The students are coming into the classroom. A girl is opening the windows. Some of the students are laughing and talking. Some others are listening to them. Some are
reading books. Some are doing their homework. Miss Zhao is standing behind the teacher's desks. She is writing on the blackboard. Sue and Lily are wearing their new dresses today. Ann is cleaning her desk. Mike is helping her. They all look happy. What are Bill and Jim doing? Oh, dear! They are still playing basketball on the playground. | middle4019.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "gets home"
},
"options": [
"goes home",
"leaves home",
"gets home",
"at home"
],
"question": "What's the meaning of\"comes home\"in the sentence\"So when Sam comes home\"?",
"question_type": "factiod_questio... | Sam likes fish very much.He often buys fish in the shop and takes it home.But when his wife sees the fish,she says to herself,"Good!Now I can ask my friends to have lunch,and we can eat this fish.They like fish very much."
So when Sam comes home in the evening,the fish is not there and his wife always says,"Oh,your cat ate it."And she gives Sam some bread for his supper.Sam gets very angry.He takes the cat and his wife to the shop near his house and weighs the cat.Then he turns to his wife and says,"My fish weighs one kilo .This cat weighs one,too.My cat is here,you see.Then where's my fish?" | middle5307.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "get an education"
},
"options": [
"learn several subjects",
"make a living",
"get an education",
"learn from teachers"
],
"question": "People go to school to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Many people go to school for an education. They learn languages, history, politics, geography, physics, chemistry and mathematics. Others go to school to learn a skill so that they can make a living.
School education is very important and useful. Yet, no one can learn everything from school. A teacher, no matter how much he knows, can not teach his students everything they want to know. The teacher's job is to show his students how to learn. He teaches them how to read and how to think. So, much more is to be learned outside school by the students themselves.
It is always more important to know how to study by oneself than to memorize some facts or a formula . It is actually quite easy to learn a certain fact in history or a formula in math. But it is very difficult to use a formula in working out a math problem.
Great scientists before us didn't get everything from school. Their teachers only showed them the way. Edison didn't even finish primary school. But they were all so successful. They invented so many things for mankind. The reason for their success is that they knew how to study. They read books that were not taught at school. They would ask many questions as they read. They did thousands of experiments. They worked hard all their lives, wasting not a single moment. Above all, they knew how to use their brain. | middle2468.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "March 1"
},
"options": [
"March 1",
"March 2",
"March 3",
"March 5"
],
"question": "The accident happened on _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Thoughts on Shenzhen Airport Traffic Accident
March 1 was a very sad day for everyone.
On that day a huge traffic accident happened at the Shenzhen Airport. Nine people lost their lives and 23 people were injured. For those people, it was a night- mare!
To learn a lesson, we must know who caused the accident and why.
The answer looks obvious. It's the car owner's fault because she drove her car into the people. However, is that true? Is that her fault? What about the dead and injured people? Did they have their own faults as well? The answer is yes.
According to news reports, at that time, many people were standing in the turning section of the viaduct watching the airplanes take off and land. Suddenly, a car appeared. Maybe the car owner got nervous, so she mistakenly stamped on the accelerator instead of the brake pedal, which caused the accident.
In my opinion, of course the driver should be blamed because she caused the accident. However, for those dead and injured people, although we feel sorry for them, they have their own responsibilities as well. They should have been aware of their own safety. They shouldn't have been standing in a dangerous place to watch the airplanes take off and land. | middle5461.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Australia."
},
"options": [
"Japan.",
"The UK.",
"Australia.",
"China."
],
"question": "Where is Mr Brown from?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Mr Brown is our English teacher at school. He is a popular teacher and I like him very much.
There are many other foreign teachers in our school. Some are from English-speaking countries and some from Asian countries. I like Mr Brown best. He is a very interesting teacher and he teaches us very well.
Mr Brown comes from Australia. Though he is the oldest teacher of our school. he is very strong. All the students like him very much. During his class, no one sleeps. After class, he often tells jokes to us or does sports with us.
Mr Brown likes music very much. We learn a lot of English songs from him. He is also fond of sports. He takes exercises at least three times a week. He is good at swimming, so you know why he looks so strong. | middle8145.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "children couldn't go to big cities to study"
},
"options": [
"the air was flesh",
"the water was clear",
"cars and buses ran in the streets",
"children couldn't go to big cities to study"
],
"question": "In the ... | I live in a town. In the past, the air wasn't fresh. There was a river. People put rubbish in it. The water went bad. The fishes in the river died. There was much rubbish in the streets which weren't wide. It smelt terrible. People lived in low old houses with trees all around and had a terrible life. The children couldn't have many chances to go out to cities, not to say, have a good education. Farmers worked only with their hands. They worked very hard all year round. They planted crops with the help of animals. The poor people went anywhere on foot, and only some rode bikes. Few visitors came here to spend their holidays.
At present, things have been greatly changed. People have moved into big bright houses or beautiful buildings. There is a big factory. Many people work in it. They are getting richer. Different kinds of cars and buses are running in the big streets. It is faster and easier to travel. People plant many fruit trees and get much money. People plant crops with the help of machines which can save lots of work. Students can study in a modem school. People pay more attention to the environmental protection. The mountains are becoming greener, water much cleaner. What around us is the clearer sky and greener water. As a result, many visitors come here to spend their holidays. People enjoy their modern life. But with the development of the industry, we have fewer trees. Air and water pollution is becoming more and more serious. We must do something to stop pollution to make our town more and more beautiful. | middle7276.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "boy"
},
"options": [
"girl",
"boy",
"friend",
"teacher"
],
"question": "Zhao Ming is a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "No. ... | I'm a boy. My name is Zhao Ming. I am in No. 34 Middle School. I am in Class 1. My English teacher is Mr Wang. My Chinese teacher is Miss Wu. They are good teachers. I love them. I have a good friend. His name is Tom. He is an English boy. | middle6168.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Parents' cars."
},
"options": [
"School buses.",
"Parents' cars.",
"Public transport.",
"Students' bicycles."
],
"question": "For high school students in Germany, which is NOT the common transport to school?",
... | In Germany there are different kinds of high schools. Some prepare students for workers, others prepare them for college. All schools are great places for making friends and learning German.
Short days
Most high schools in Germany begin at about 8:00 a.m. and end at about 3:30 p.m. This means your morning will be busy with classes. You will have time to do homework and take part in private clubs after school.
Formal setting
In Germany, teachers and students' relationship is more formal than you might be used to. Teachers are _ and students must use the formal "Sie(,)" when talking to teachers.
Getting to school
Most students take public transport to school or ride a bicycle. Some areas have school buses. It is not common for parents to drive students to school.
Private clubs
In many countries, schools offer official sports and after-school activities. This is less common in Germany. After-school activities are usually organized through private clubs. There are clubs for things like soccer, dance, choir, theatre and almost everything else. Once you are in Germany, ask around at school and talk to other students to find out what private clubs are in your area and meet your interests.
Different states, different schools
Each of Germany's 16 states has its own slightly different school systems. The school system in Brandenburg will be a little different from the system in Bavaria for example. Where you live, your knowledge level and your age will decide what school you can attend. | middle1607.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "hurt"
},
"options": [
"improving",
"lost",
"getting worse",
"hurt"
],
"question": "From the letter we can know that Grandma's leg was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Dear Grandma,
How are you? I hope you are feeling well and your leg is improving. Can you walk a bit now? Is your neighbour, Mrs Lu, bringing you enough books to read? I hope so. You'd love our school library, Grandma. There are so many books on all kinds of subjects. The other day I found a book about engineering. I couldn't really understand it but I hope to learn more about this topic sometime. This term I have three new subject classes, so I think I'll tell you about them.
I study biology. It is a very interesting subject. I'm learning all about the human body, where everything is and what it does. Did you know that we have a kissing muscle? It's called 'orbicularis' and it's a circle muscle that closes your mouth and moves your lips forward. I love biology. It's so interesting! Another new subject is religion . I didn't think I would like this one, but actually it is very interesting to hear how different people worship . We are learning about lots of religions from all over the world, not only Asia. My other new subject is Spanish. It's really difficult to learn a new language but I know it will be useful for me in the future, if I want to travel around the world. Spanish is one of the official languages of the European Union and the United Nations. I've learnt that Spanish is not only spoken in Europe but in South America too. Countries like Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Mexico also speak Spanish. You know I've always wanted to go to Mexico, so if I can speak Spanish it would be really useful.
Did you study these subjects when you were at school? I suppose subject choice changes over time, doesn't it? I'll come to visit you again in the next holiday, which I think is in eight weeks' time. I'll bring you some of my new books if you like. I hope you can write back soon and tell me all the village news. I miss you very much.
Lots of love,
Sara | middle5449.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because they could work quickly."
},
"options": [
"Because they could work quickly.",
"Because they could spend less money.",
"Because they could paint a smaller area.",
"Because they could express themselves clearly."
... | Graffiti is a common feature of most Western cities. The word _ was from the Greek word, graphein, which only meant writing. These days, however, the word means drawing or writing on the walls of buildings, or the public transportation, such as trains or buses.
Graffiti, as a form of expression, was born in New York during the 1960s and 1970s. At that time, a new modern culture about city life appeared. Graffiti was a written form of expression of that life. Later, it was mixed with a musical form called hip-hop that was another expression of the city life.
At first, graffiti artists used pens. But then, with the development of graffiti, they became experienced. They turned to using spray paint . Spray paint allowed them to draw a greater area. And it also allowed them to work quickly.
At present, different people have different ideas about graffiti. Some people say it makes the cities dirty. It isn't allowed by many local governments in America. The governments spend more than a million dollars a year cleaning graffiti. The money, they say, could be better spent on health or education. Other people think it is a form of art. In fact, the works of some famous graffiti artists can be found in museums, galleries, and art books. | middle3038.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in June"
},
"options": [
"in June",
"after June",
"before June",
"in May"
],
"question": "School children usually have exams _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | The final exam comes with June. When the exam ends , the summer vacation begins. Boys and girls have about two months to relax. The summer vacation is the best part of the year for most children. The weather is usually fine. They can swim, go to summer camp or visit other places with their parents.
Of course, the beaches are good places for relaxing. Some children are lucky to live near the sea. They can enjoy the sea anytime . But for the children far from the sea, they go to the beaches for one or two weeks with their parents.
Why do children like spending their summer vacations on the beaches? It is because they like the sand , the sun, the cool wind and the sea water. There are lots of new things to see, nice things to eat, and exciting things to do.
,. | middle6140.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because she was outgoing and life-loving."
},
"options": [
"Because she was old enough.",
"Because she was outgoing and life-loving.",
"Because she was always lonely.",
"Because she was beautiful and easy-going."
],... | Thelma was such a life-loving and easy-going person that she was always full of energy and never felt sad. When she was at the age of 75, her husband passed away. Her children were afraid she was lonely and suggested that she move to a "Senior living community ". Thelma thought that was a good idea and decided to do so.
Shortly after moving in, Thelma became many activities' director. She loved to organize all kinds of things for the people in the community. So quickly she became very popular and made many friends.
When Thelma turned 80, her new friends showed their appreciation by throwing a surprise birthday party for her. When Thelma entered the dining room for dinner that night, she was greeted by a standing ovation and one of _ led her to the head table. The night was filled with laughter and entertainment, but throughout the evening, Thelma could not take her eyes off a gentleman sitting at the other end of the table.
When the party ended, Thelma quickly rose from her seat and rushed over to the man "Pardon me," Thelma said, "Please forgive me if I made you feel uncomfortable by _ at you all night. I just couldn't help myself from looking your way. You see, you look just like my fifth husband."
"Your fifth husband!" replied the gentleman. "Forgive me for asking, but how many times have you been married? "
With that, a smile appeared on Thelma's face as she replied, "Four."
They were married shortly after that. | middle6626.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they can get what they want, and more love from their parents"
},
"options": [
"they won't be bullied, hit, kicked or pushed by a sibling",
"they needn't worry about name-calling and having their belongings stolen",
"they nee... | Only children are happier than those with brothers or sisters, according to a new research which shows _ rivalry can have a serious effect on a child's emotion.
Over half of the children surveyed said they had been bullied by a sibling, and one in three said they had been hit,kicked or pushed by a sibling, others complained of name-calling and having their belongings stolen.
Other reasons for only children being much happier include not having to compete for parents' attention or share bedrooms with a sibling, said Gundi Knies, a researcher on the project.
Dr. Ruth Koppard, a child psychologist, said, "In an average home, the more children, the less privacy for each child. Some love sharing a bedroom with a sibling but they would rather choose to do it than have to do it".
Homes with just one child make up nearly half of all families in Britain.
The study, to be published on Friday, questioned 2,500 young people. It also found that seven out of 10 teenagers are "very satisfied" with their lives. | middle7538.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "difficult"
},
"options": [
"easy",
"convenient",
"impossible",
"difficult"
],
"question": "From the passage, it's _ to make friends for most people.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Making friends might seem to come easy for some persons, but it's maybe very hard for most persons. No matter how many friends you might already have, it is always a good idea to make new friends.
Being shy keeps a lot of people from making friends. Also, making friends might need a person to step outside of their comfortable places, which are hard for a lot of people, whether they are shy or not. However, overcoming the shyness to step out of your box is an important step in making friends.
There are lots of ways to meet new friends. First of all, remember that a good friendship is based on interests, so if you are ready to make friends, start to join clubs or go places where you have interest. For instance, if you like to play sports, join a sports team or after school sports club. If you have interests in music or writing, join clubs or organizations that you are interested in. When you see someone in a place like that, and you think that they look nice, it is always a good idea to go up to them and introduce yourself and ask interesting questions so that you can start a conversation. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, and remember that friendships don't always happen quickly.
Some friendships happen right away, and you'll be able to tell if someone will be a great friend right after you meet them. Some friendships take a long time to develop. Anyway, the friends that you meet are going to be worth it. If a friendship develops quickly, it doesn't mean that it is extra valuable, and if a friendship takes a long time to develop, it doesn't mean that it isn't worth it because it's too hard.
Making friends might be a bit difficult for you, and the friends you will make may not look anything like you. However, even though it might be scary to start conversations, you are worth doing it. All friendships start with a single hello. | middle4031.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "at. 8:00"
},
"options": [
"at. 8:00",
"at7:30",
"8:30",
"6:30"
],
"question": "From the passage we know the students always have the class _ in the morning.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Some school officials want to change class time from 8:00 a. m. to 9:00 a. m. What do you think ? Here are some students' ideas.
Jill : I think it's a good idea ! I usually get up at 6:10 and it's difficult for me . At night I have to do lots of homework and I like to watch TV . I go to bed at about 10:00 p. m. I usually can't catch the bus at 7:30 in the morning . I am often late for school
Sally : I don't think it's a good idea . I always get up at 5:30 in the morning . it's the best time of the day . First I do some morning exercises . Then I read and have breakfast . So I will be happy if class begins at 8:00
Bill: I get up at 6:30 . I always go to school without breakfast . A morning class is not good for me . I hope I can go to school after 8:30.
, | middle2440.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because he thought it was unlucky."
},
"options": [
"Because he thought it was lucky.",
"Because he disliked a black cat.",
"Because he was afraid of the cat.",
"Because he thought it was unlucky."
],
"question"... | Ben Jones was walking home from school one day when he saw a black cat. It was walking across the
srteet in front of him.Ben stopped, turned around, and walked down a different srteet to go home. Why did he do that?
"It's unlucky when a black cat crossed the street in front of you," says Ben, "I did not want to walk down that street!"
Many people think that some things bring bad luck or good luck. For example, some people think that 13 is an unlucky number. They never invite 13 people to a party.
"I never walk under a ladder ," says Ben. "And I never open an umbrella inside the house. They both bring bad luck."
And what brings good luck? "We have a horseshoe over the front door of our house for good luck," says Ben."And when I find a peney on the ground, I always pick it up. That brings me good luck all day!" | middle4025.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Japanese"
},
"options": [
"Russian",
"French",
"English",
"Japanese"
],
"question": "In this passage, Mr. Smith learned _ from one of his friends.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answe... | Mr. Smith had a hotel near the biggest train station in London. A lot of foreigners stayed there for the night. Mr. Smith only knew English, so he found it not easy for him to understand the people from other countries such as Russia, France and Japan. He thought Russian was boring but Japanese was interesting. So he asked a friend of his who knew Japanese to teach him. He studied hard and happily. At first he learned some, but soon he found that it wasn't easy to remember Japanese words. His friend asked him to write down the useful words on his notebook so that he could use them. He did as he was told. He found it helpful for him to do so.
One evening, there were a lot of people in the dinning room of his hotel. They were all busy eating something, but a Japanese was walking up and down there. He seemed to be waiting for someone. Mr. Smith thought to himself, " Maybe the man is hungry and wants to eat something, but he doesn't know any English. I'll try to help him."
Because Mr. Smith knew only a little Japanese, he had to take out his notebook and showed the sentence " I am very hungry" to the Japanese.
To his surprise, the Japanese took a look at it and gave him two dollars, and then left the hotel.
,. | middle3992.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "rich"
},
"options": [
"blind",
"rich",
"successful",
"kind"
],
"question": "The old woman is very _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_te... | A rich woman begins to learn painting . When she is sixty years old, she loves it very much. She paints and paints. After ten years, there are lots of pictures in her workroom, and she thinks they are very good.
One day, the old woman is badly ill in bed, but she doesn't forget her pictures. She says to his grandson, Hand, "I want to give my pictures to a school, then the students will remember me. But which school do you think is the best, my dear?"
"Well," says the little boy, "You'd better give them to the blind school!" | middle2454.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "many photos and pictures about the Long Match."
},
"options": [
"many articles written by famous writers.",
"260 things used by the Red Army.",
"many photos and pictures about the Long Match.",
"many books on the Long M... | SPECIAL EVENTS!
Long March exhibit
The Shanghai History Museum is putting on an exhibition to remember the Long March . On show are more than 220 photos and 40 other things that explain with pictures how the Red Army went through all the difficulties in Jiangxi Province and fought its way to northern Shanxi province in the mid-1930s. The show will end on November 20.
Time: 10:00 am--4:00 pm.
Address: 1286 Hongqiao Road
Admission: 20 yuan each and half price for students
Thai elephants
Eight elephants from Thailand are entertaining visitors at Changfeng Park by riding bikes, playing basketball, balancing on a beam, dancing and blowing a mouth-organ. People are encouraged to have a tug-of-war with the animals or lie on the ground and have the elephants walk over them, The elephants give three shows a day at 9:30 am,3:30 pm and 8:00 pm and there is an additional show at l:30 pm at weekends.The show will end on November 15.
Address: 189 Daduhe Road
Admission: 10 yuan
Dancing dolphins
Dolphins jumping from the water to touch a ball, swaying their bodies to music, kissing people and doing maths by tapping their tails have made the dolphinarium in Peace Park an attraction for children. Seals and sea lions also perform.
Hours: 10:30 am, 4:00 pm, and 7:30 prn
Admission: 10 on weekdays 20 yuan on weekends | middle8179.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Brown"
},
"options": [
"Peter",
"Brown",
"Green",
"White"
],
"question": "Peter's last name is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_tex... | This boy is Peter Brown . His first name is Peter . His last name is Brown . He is in No.3 Middle School . His school ID card number is 279-4856 . His English teacher is Miss White . Miss White is a good teacher . Jack is his good friend at school . They are in the same school and the same grade . Mrs. Green is Jack's mother . She is an English teacher , too . She is in this school , too . But Peter does not know it . | middle6154.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "twins"
},
"options": [
"sisters",
"twins",
"friends",
"brotherandsister"
],
"question": "Cara and Ben are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"... | Cara and Ben are twins . They are ten. This is their room. It's a nice room. Two beds are in the room. The yellow bed is Cara's and that green one is Ben's. The twins have one desk and two chairs . Cara's
English book is on his bed. Ben's CD is on his chair. Their clock and pencil boxes are on the desk . Their schoolbags are on the chairs. | middle2332.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "school holidays"
},
"options": [
"weekdays",
"every morning",
"every afternoon",
"school holidays"
],
"question": "Young people in the USA volunteer to spend _ helping others.",
"question_type": "cloze_q... | Young American Volunteers
If you have no special plans for your holiday, why not spend your time helping others? Don't listen to people who say that young people today often think only of themselves. It's not true at all. More and more young people in the USA volunteer to spend their school holidays working for others. And they don't do it for money. Here are some of their stories.
Alice Hamilton, 17 I'm going to help the Forest Center build new hiking paths in the mountains. It's going to be terrific - I'll spend the whole summer living in a tent and breathing the clean mountain air. I'm going to sleep under the stars. It will be a nice sport, and I'll be able to do something good at the same time!
Jason Moore, 18 This summer, I'm going to volunteer with Special House Program. They build good, low-cost houses and sell them to the families that are not very rich. They'll teach me what to do, so I'll help people and also have a chance to learn how to build houses.
Trish Anderson, 16 I'm going to teach kids who have trouble reading. I'll work for a program called Reading For Life. Every day, I'm going to help kids choose and read books that they like. I want to be a teacher and I love children and reading, so this is going to be a great experience for me.
. | middle4743.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because they can do nothing but wait."
},
"options": [
"Because they can't join in their parents' talk.",
"Because the dessert isn't served in time.",
"Because they can do nothing but wait.",
"Because the food there isn... | Nearly all kids have had the same experience. They are eating in a restaurant with their parents. They finished the spaghetti minutes ago. Now, they are bored. Their little brother is kicking them under the table. He is also complaining about the desserts . Yet their parents are still eating and talking...and talking...and talking.
"Be patient." One parent says. "We'll have dessert soon."
All kids know what happens next. After dessert, their parents drink coffee. Then they talk some more. Again, the children must wait. They have been in school all day and would rather be running and playing. Instead, they must sit in a chair and stare at a wall.
Going to a restaurant doesn't have to be this way. Many restaurants say they are "family-friendly". Family restaurants, such as fast-food restaurants should play areas for children. At these restaurants, almost every play area is a big room full of climbing equipment. The room is usually, packed with happy kids. Parents can eat while the children play. Everyone is happy.
The real problem begins when families want to eat a fancier meal . The parents don't want to hurry through the meal but talk to each other. They do not have bored children pestering them about leaving. That's no fun for kids either. For them, going to a nicer restaurant means just one thing: sit still and be quiet.
On family blogs across the Web, dozens of parents post the same question all the time; are there any nicer restaurants with play areas for kids? Research shows that some nicer restaurants do have play areas. In warmer cities, it is easier for restaurants to build play areas outside. For example, at one restaurant kids can sail tiny little motor boats in a small, shallow pond. Parents can sit on a beautiful yard and watch the kids play. Some nicer restaurants even have indoor play areas. Research also shows that these restaurants serve more than just burgers, chickens and fries.
So, it's possible for a restaurant to provide both food and a place where kids can play. These restaurants seem to be popular, too. For some, families must have reservation days in advance. For others, families might be forced to wait in long lines. Clearly, quality food and safe play areas are both good for business. | middle2865.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Buying things on the internet for the people who can't use the internet."
},
"options": [
"Buying things in a common store.",
"Buying and selling things on the internet.",
"Buying things on the internet for the old.",
"... | Online shopping has become something very common for young people, however, it's not easy for the old people to buy things on the internet. Therefore, offline Daigou stores, or buy-for-you stores, are becoming popular among the old.
64-year-old man Li Hui'an is searching for his favorite CD in an offline Daigou shop. He says, "It's very convenient to buy things online, however, I can't use the internet. After I happened to find this buy-for-you shop, I decided to try, as I wanted to buy an opera CD. Finally I got one I'd searched for several years. I was so happy. I have become crazy about offline shopping. "
The store owner Liu Min says in order to meet the need of people who want to buy things online but can't use the internet, she started the business of offline buy-for-you. In only about ten days since the start of the business, she has received more than 20 orders from customers . Liu Min is not the only one who finds the large need of offline buy-for-you business in the market. In Dalian city, northeast China, more than 300 such stores opened their doors only in April.
In order to attract more customers, they have opened their shops in residential communities . And they charge a suitable service fee. For example, when buying things that cost less than 200 Yuan for customers, they usually charge 5 Yuan as service fee.
Though the offline buy-for-you service makes it easier for certain people to shop online, what if there is any problem with the ordered thing, let's say, like a quality problem? The shop owners say they will deal with any quality problems that may happen when using their Daigou service. | middle146.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Growing up."
},
"options": [
"Doing their homework.",
"Having exams.",
"Going to school.",
"Growing up."
],
"question": "According to the passage, what is not easy for students in Mount Logan School .?",
"qu... | Have you ever thought about your life after you grow up? It is not easy --- that's what some US students say after they try out adult life at school.
Mount Logan Middle School, Utah, has an activity called Reality Town. Each student gets a "job" and some money. The higher the grade , the better the job they can get. Then, they have to pay for different things in the real world, such as transportation and groceries . Some of them have a "husband " or a "wife" and maybe a few "kids". Student Jason Peisley, 13, became a father with a 5-year-old girl. The hardest part for him was paying taxes ."I make $90,000 (571,000 yuan), but after I pay my taxes, I only have $66,000 left," he said. " _ " "It's a _ for these students," said Greg Aullman, a teacher at Mount Logan, "to learn how much it costs to live. So, they'll study harder than before and love their parents more. " | middle5878.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "you pay your money and you don't have to think about anything at all"
},
"options": [
"you have a package with you when you travel",
"you can travel everywhere and stop where you want",
"you pay your money and you don't have ... | Many people like traveling during their vacation. They go to mountains, seaside, or forests. Some people like history so they like to visit old castles , museums and monuments (, ). In many foreign countries, the travel agent can help you plan your holiday. You can tell the travel agent what kind of holiday you like, how much money you want to spend, and the travel agent will give you a lot of information about where to go, how to get there, where to stay, and what kind of activities you can do there. One of the holidays is called "package holiday". That is, you just pay the money, and the travel agent will plan everything for you, the ticket for the train or plane, the hotel, the activities, etc. | middle152.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a farmer expert cares for his orange trees"
},
"options": [
"a farmer expert cares for his orange trees",
"the different uses of computers",
"growing oranges in Florida's changeable weather",
"different ways of frost pr... | Farmer Ed Rawlings smiles as he looks at his orange trees. The young oranges are growing well in Florida's weather. Warm sunshine and gentle rains, along with Ed Rawlings' expert care, will produce a good crop of oranges this year.
However, Ed has to guard against Florida's changeable winter weather. In January and February, temperatures can destroy Ed's entire orange crop. Having farmed in Florida for the past 35 years, Ed is prepared for the frost . When temperatures drop below freezing, Ed tries to save his crop by watering his orange trees. The water freezes and forms a thin layer of ice around the trees. Strange as it may sound, this thin layer of ice actually keeps the fruit warm.
What happens is simple. When the trees are watered, the water loses heat and becomes ice. The warmth of the heat it loses is taken in by the fruit and keeps its temperature at a safe level. Ed has effectively used this method to save many orange crops.
But Ed still faces difficulties. The trees must be watered at the exact moment the temperature drops to the freezing point. Also, just the right quantity of water must be used. Too much water can form a thicker layer of ice that will break the tree's branches . Another difficulty is that wind blows away the heat, so Ed has to worry about not only when but also how often his trees should be watered, and how much water should be used.
Computer technology may help Ed with some of these worries. With equipment , air and soil temperatures and wind speed can be measured. The information is fed into a computer which can calculate when the temperature will drop below freezing. The computer can correctly decide the quantity of water to be used and how frequently( ) the trees should be watered. Ed finds looking after his orange trees a lot easier with the help of a computer, and, his customers will have the benefits of computer--age oranges. | middle7909.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "provide people with more healthy fruit"
},
"options": [
"have some fresh fruit for themselves",
"make some money by selling fruit",
"provide people with more healthy fruit",
"buy some cheap fruit from their neighbors"
... | Kelly Christopher, a student at Lutheran High School in California, US, loves oranges. One day last week, she used a pole to pick oranges off trees and collect them in baskets. It's the first time in her 15 years she's picked fruit from trees.
"This is quite different from buying oranges in the supermarket," said Christopher. "Every time I eat an orange, I'll remember this experience."
Christopher was one of the 30 student volunteers at Soil Born Farms. She volunteered as part of a project which was set up in 2009 to help homeowners in South Land Park pick oranges and other fruits out of their backyards. Before, the fruit would rot on the ground or get eaten by animals. Now the fruit is donated to those who need it.
"It is good for many people", said Randy Stannard, who works for the project. "The homeowner gets fruit picked and more people can have healthy food."
"Two harvests ( ) were organized in 2009 and volunteers picked 3,000 pounds (1,360kg) of fruit", Stannard said. In 2010, the number was 20,000. This year, Soil Born Farms hopes to get 40,000 pounds. They will harvest every weekend from January to April.
Shannon Galloway, Christopher's science teacher, brought her students into the project this year.
"You're making use of a _ that might be wasted," she said. "I think it's meaningful to everyone."
Donato Frazier, 15, always climbs up a ladder and gets on the top of the tree.
"Standing on the treetop is pretty cool," Frazier said. "I can see clearly that many baskets are filled up, and even see that many people are eating healthy fruit because of our volunteer work." | middle634.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Flying kites."
},
"options": [
"Eating peaches.",
"Feeding swallows.",
"Flying kites.",
"Going to competitions."
],
"question": "What activity is very popular in spring?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions... | Spring is a good time for kite flying -- a popular activity in China. On a sunny day with a good breeze , you'll see hundreds of colorful kites flying in the sky. They have all kinds of shapes like swallows and peaches. Some of the shapes have special meanings. For example, swallows mean good luck and peaches bring you a long life.
The city of Weifang in Shandong is the home of the kite. The city holds an international kite festival in April every year. There are competitions for kite-flying skills and new styles of kites. The most famous is the competition for the "Kite King ". Thousands of kite fans from more than 30 countries visit the city to take part in the competitions, or to just enjoy this colorful event .
The largest kite in the world is a big "octopus ". It's about 1,100 square meters, twice as big as a basketball court. Li Jingyang, a kite fanin Jilin, spent eight months making it in 2008.
The kite was invented by Chinese people over 2,000 years ago. According to historical record, kites were first used by soldiers to send news to their friends. In the Tang Dynasty, flying kites became a popular game played by everyone.
As it was introduced to the West in the ll00s, the kite brought a great influence on Western life.
In 1782, the lightning rod was invented with the help of a kite. Modern aircraft came from kites, too. At the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, a board reads: "The earliest man-made aircrafts were the kites and missiles of ancient China." | middle2871.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "online libraries"
},
"options": [
"online libraries",
"city bookstores",
"school libraries",
"borrowing books"
],
"question": "Guo Liqin depends on _ for free reading.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Guo Liqin, 24, works as a primary school teacher in a distant area in Yunnan Province. The Internet offers him the latest news and entertainment from the outside world. And many people like him also depends on the online libraries for the free literature reading.
A survey in China last year found the online literature is the biggest growth area of Internet entertainment.
Reading for free is also popular in other countries. See what solutions other countries are taking.
Public Libraries
In countries such as Germany, Canada, and the UK, governments pay the authors to have their books in public libraries.
The pay is different from country to country. Some pay according to how many times a book has been borrowed; others pay according to whether the library has bought the book or not.
Google Books
Google Books allow users to see some free parts before buying them.
The author can choose to make from 20% to 100% of the book's content for free reading . But you can see a full view of books that are out of copyright .
E-magazines
E-magazines are usually about pop culture, and make money through advertisements. The writers are usually paid by the numbers of words they write.
Digital Library
There are many free online libraries of books which are no longer in copyright.
American and European websites offer classic literature and non-fiction texts like dictionaries for download in different languages. | middle7921.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "You might do better"
},
"options": [
"You're sure to fail",
"You will forget everything",
"You might do better",
"You are sure to do better"
],
"question": "Someone believes _ if you 'have butterflies in the... | Expressions cover all parts of our life. They may be around your ears every day. You may know a lot of Chinese expressions that describe how you feel. Here are some English ones for your enjoyment.
Have Your Heart in Your Mouth
This expression means that you're really afraid or anxious about something. When your heart starts beating so much that you can feel a thumping in your throat, it may feel like you "have your heart in your mouth".
Have Butterflies in the Stomach
How did butterflies get in your stomach? Well, those really aren't butterflies in there. It is a way of describing those nervous feelings you might get before a test or a very important decision.
These stomach flutters are normal and happen to many people. Some people believe having a few butterflies might even help you perform better.
Sick as a Dog
If you've ever been very sick, you may have used this expression. Because dogs eat just about anything they find, they often get sick. So it's all right to describe someone who's not feeling well as being "sick as a dog" .
Under the Weather
When it's rainy all day outside, how would you feel? This expression comes from the idea that bad weather might hurt a person's health and mood . | middle2681.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "August 22"
},
"options": [
"August 20",
"February 19",
"August 22",
"September 18"
],
"question": "Deng Xiaoping's birthday is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Do you know the late leader of China, Deng Xiaoping? He was called the"chief architect of China's reform and opening-up ". August 22 is the 110 anniversary of his birth. President Xi Jinping held an important meeting for the event on August 20 , 2014 in Beijing. Senior leaders Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli also attended the event.
Deng was born on Aug, 22, 1904 in the southwest China's Sichuan Province. He also had the name Deng Xiaosheng. His father , Deng Wenming , was a middle-level landowner . His mother died early in Deng's life. He has three brothers and three sisters. Deng's first wife , one of his schoolmates from Moscow , died when she was 24, a few days after giving birth to Deng's first child, a baby girl, who also died. His second wife left him in 1933. His third wife, Zhuo Lin, was the daughter of an industrialist in Yunnan Province. She married him in 1939 in Yan'an. They had five children:three daughters and two sons.
Deng was sent to private primary school at the age of five. In the summer of 1919, Deng Xiaoping graduated from the Chongqing School. Then he went to study and work in France in the 1920s. His father strongly supported him, the night before going to France, Deng's father took his son aside and asked him what he hoped to learn there. He repeated the words he had learned from his teachers:"To learn knowledge and truth from the West in order to save China."He joined the Communist Party of China in 1924. In late 1927 , Deng left Moscow to return to China. He joined the army to save China. He died on February 19 , 1997. | middle5688.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "At school."
},
"options": [
"At the bus stop.",
"At school.",
"At home.",
"At the drawing club."
],
"question": "Where are Brian and Jenny now?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | "Hi, Jenny!"
"Hi, Brian! What class do you have next?"
"I have art next," says Brian. "It's my favourite. I draw six pictures every week."
"You are a good painter ," says Jenny. "I see some of your pictures. They are beautiful. I like art too, but I am not good at it. I am not going to be a painter when I am older!"
"I tell you, Jenny," says Brian. "Art is interesting for everyone. You don't need to be good at it."
"You are right, Brian," says Jenny. "And I like our art teacher. He teaches us a lot. I am much better at art this year.
"Yes. Mr. Smith is good. He looks like a great painter too, with his long hair and big beard ."
"When do you have art lesson, Jenny?" asks Brian.
Jenny looks at her timetable. "I have art tomorrow morning," she says.
"What class are you going to now?" asks Brian.
"I'm going to music class. It's one of my favourites! We are learning a new song this week. I love to sing. What's the time, please?"
Brian looks at his watch. "Oh, no! It's 2:13! There are only two minutes!"
"Hurry, Brian!" says Jenny. "We don't want to be late for class! See you later."
"Okay. I am going to art class. See you after school!" | middle5850.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "At 6:30 a. m."
},
"options": [
"At 5:00 a. m.",
"At 5:30 a. m.",
"At 7:00 a. m.",
"At 6:30 a. m."
],
"question": "What time does Jodie usually get up?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Jodie is a good student. She usually gets up at 6:30 in the morning. She has breakfast at home. Then she reads English from 6:30 a. m. to 7:00 a. m. She goes to school at 7:15 a. m. She has four classes in the morning. She usually has lunch at school, but on Sundays she has lunch at home with her family. She has three classes in the afternoon. She goes home at 5:00. She usually has dinner at home. Then she does her homework. She doesn't watch TV in the evening.
,A, B, C, D. (5) | middle4596.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "see lion and dragon dances"
},
"options": [
"do a lot of shopping",
"see lion and dragon dances",
"decorate the house for good luck",
"eat turkeys"
],
"question": "During the Chinese New Year, tourists can _ ... | We spoke to three students from around the world about different national holidays. There are different customs for each festival .
Tan Xiaodong, 15, Hong Kong, China
"It'll soon be Chinese New Year. Before it, we'll clean the house and decorate it for good luck. Every shop is going to close for a few days and we'll go out a lot to celebrate in the streets. We might go and see the lion and dragon dances in the city center. I love this festival. "
Wendy, 16, Sydney, Australia
"Australia Day is on 26thJanuary and it's an important holiday here. We always have a Monday off, so we celebrate for three days. My parents and I go to the countryside for a picnic and friends always come over. Many people go to beach parties or street parties and there's lots of music and dancing. What fun!"
Amy, 14, New York, USA
"The first Thanksgiving Day was hundreds of years ago when Europeans who came to America thanked God for his help. It's still a very important day for families to be together. This year we're going to visit my grandparents and we'll eat a delicious meal of turkey. Thanksgiving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November every year. " | middle6381.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "student"
},
"options": [
"ruler",
"doctor",
"student",
"scientist"
],
"question": "According to the passage, the writer might be a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | These days, more and more Chinese people enjoy sending and receiving messages on the phone. It can help them to get the latest news and communicate with friends. But I think I should read more books besides the textbooks, the more, the better. It can open my eyes and improve my language skills. Of course, it can also help me to get good grades at school. Do you know how to read more and learn more? Here are some tips for you.
Clear your purpose for reading
Before you start reading, ask yourself why you are reading this book. Most people read for two main reasons, pleasure or knowledge. Clearing about your reading purpose can not only help you choose the books you really need to read, but also remind you why reading the book is important to you, so you will keep reading and complete the book faster.
Read only what you are interested in
No matter what you are reading, it is important to enjoy what you read. Whenever you realize that you aren't enjoying the book you are reading, give it up. Remember reading shouldn't be a chore.
Set a reading goal
It is interesting that I read the books borrowed from libraries faster than those I bought. The reason is the books I bought don't have a _ ! I don't need to return those books. Having a reading goal helps you work out how much reading you need to do in a week or even a day. Before you read each book, ask yourself what time you need to complete this book by.
,. | middle5844.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "twenty-one"
},
"options": [
"twenty",
"twenty-one",
"twenty-two",
"twenty-three"
],
"question": "From the passage, we know Lucy was _ years old in 2010.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | Do you know Pretty Little Liars ? It is one of the most popular American TV series right now. It is about the life of four girls after their best friend was killed. Lucy, one of the four girls, has more than a few secrets.
Lucy knew from a very young age that she would be a star, and she loved singing most. At the age of eight, she started to take singing and acting lessons.
She was born on June 14 ,1989 .She has dark brown hair and brome eyes. She is afraid of flying, snakes and spiders. It makes her happy to go shopping, dance and hang out with friends in her free time.
Lucy joined a talent show for teenagers when she was 14 .She was among the top five. Quickly, Lucy began to act on different TV shows. All of these small roles led up to the biggest role for her in 2010 _ she got a lead part in Pretty Little Liars, She has won the Teen Choice Award for her role as Aria for three years, from 2010 to 2012 .
So what's nest for Lucy ? She is recording an album because music is always her "first love" | middle4582.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the left side of the road"
},
"options": [
"the same side in Beijing as",
"the right side of the road",
"the left side of the road",
"both sides of the road"
],
"question": "People drive on _ in London.",
... | Dear Peter
How about your study? It's Sunday today. I'm writing a letter to you. I'm going to tell you something in Beijing.
Beijing is different from London. In our country, we drive on the left side of the road, but here people drive on the right side. Most people go to work by bus or by bike. The rush hours are from seven to nine in the morning and five to seven in the afternoon. People in China work around eight hours a day, five days a week. They usually begin to work at eight in the morning, and rest on Saturday and Sunday.
I have Chinese classes every morning from Monday to Friday. The students in our class are from many countries. We're all working hard and friendly to each other. The Chinese students are ready to help us with our Chinese. We also help them a lot with their English. We are getting along very well.
That's all for today. Please write to me soon.
Yours
Susan | middle2695.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It's on the dresser."
},
"options": [
"It's on the dresser.",
"It's under the bed.",
"It's on the bed.",
"It's in the drawer."
],
"question": "Where is the math book?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | Dear Jenny,
Please take these things to your brother: his math book, baseball, notebook, CDs, and video tape. The math book is on the dresser. The baseball is under the bed. The notebook is on the bed. The CDs are in the drawer. The video tape is on the table. Thanks!
Mom | middle608.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "an interview"
},
"options": [
"a conference",
"a visit",
"education",
"an interview"
],
"question": "Paul would go to New York for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"... | Paul had just left college and was offered an interview for a position in a company in New York. As he needed to move from Texas to New York if he got the job, he wanted to talk about the decision with someone before accepting it. But his parents had died. He remembered that his father had suggested he should turn to an old friend of his family if he needed advice.
The older man said, "Go to New York and have the interview. But I want you to go on a train and I want you to get a private compartment . Don't take anything to write with, anything to listen to or anything to read, and don't talk to anybody except when you order the meal. Call me when you get to New York and I will tell you what to do next."
At first, Paul followed the advice closely. The trip took two days. As he had brought along nothing to do, he quickly became bored. He realized he was being forced into quite time - he could do nothing but think. About three hours outside New York City he broke the rules, asked for a pencil and paper and kept writing down the thoughts until the train arrived in New York.
Paul called the family friend from the train station.
"Thank you, Uncle I know what you wanted. You wanted me to think. And now I know what to do.""I guessed you could understand my idea, Paul," came the reply, "Good luck."
Now, years later, Paul runs a company in New York. And he always spends a couple of days being alone with no phone, no television and no people to think quietly. | middle7935.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "her mother for a box of Smarties"
},
"options": [
"her mother for a nice toy",
"her mother for a box of Smarties",
"where she could find a box of Smarties",
"her mother if she could had enough money"
],
"questio... | Yesterday my son, daughter and I went to the grocery store. In front of us in line was a little girl with her mother. The little girl was asking her mother for a box of Smarties. The polite way she was asking almost broke the mother's heart, "I'm sorry, Honey, but we have no money to buy it."
My son was watching that dialogue. By the way, he had been raking leaves our garden to raise himself some money to buy a bike. As he watched the mother and daughter leave the store, he ran to the candy counter and bought a box of Smarties with the money .
He turned to look at me and I just nodded. He ran out after the little girl and her mother and he gave them the box. He came back and told me what he told them. "Every kid should have a pack of Smarties because they can make you smart."
I was so excited that I bought a pack of Smarties for my son. I told him that I was proud of him, and that was for his act of generosity because he gave his own Smarties to others. Quickly, he replied, "But you do nice things for people and you never get anything for it."I explained, "When you do something nice for someone, you shouldn't expect to get anything. When you get something you should be very thankful." | middle7706.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "forty thousand"
},
"options": [
"thirty thousand",
"forty thousand",
"four million",
"fourteen thousand"
],
"question": "More than _ people have caught hand-foot-mouth disease this year.",
"question_type... | Recently hand-foot-mouth disease has spread across China. In the past three months, there have been about 41,846 cases in 30 provinces and regions. The number is increasing. Eighteen Chinese children have died of the disease so far this year.
What causes the disease and why is it dangerous?
Hand-foot-mouth disease is a common childhood illness. It mainly affects children under the age of 10. It gets its name from the rash that develops on the hands and feet. It can also cause blisters in your mouth.
A child who has the disease will usually have a fever, a runny nose and sore throat. He or she doesn't want to eat or drink because of pain in the mouth.
Hand-foot-mouth disease is mostly not serious. The fever and rash clear within a few days. But in some cases, the virus affects the heart, lungs or brain. This puts the child's life in danger.
A virus causes hand-foot-mouth disease. The disease spreads easily where a lot of young children are together, such as in a child-care center. Sometimes it can also affect teenagers and adults.
In order not to pass on the virus, good hygiene is important. We should wash our hands as often as possible. Especially we should wash our hands before meals and after going to the toilet. | middle6418.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "smaller than"
},
"options": [
"larger than",
"smaller than",
"as big as",
"as small as"
],
"question": "The size of most American families is _ that of other countries.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"... | Most American families are smaller than the families in other countries. Most American families have one or two parents and one or two children each.
Children in the US will leave their parents' home when they grow up. They usually live far from their parents because they want to find good jobs. They often write to their parents or telephone them. And they often go to visit their parents on holiday.
Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs. Americans think it important for young people to decide on their lives by themselves.
Children are asked to do some work around their house. And in many families, children are paid for doing some housework so that they learn how to make money for their own use. | middle1377.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Simon"
},
"options": [
"Amy",
"Sandy",
"Jack",
"Simon"
],
"question": "Who wears a T-shirt today?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text":... | Hello, I'm Simon. I wear a blue and yellow T-shirt for the show. I borrow the T-shirt from my cousin Jack.
Hello, I'm Sandy. I wear a pair of long red boots, a red blouse and a black skirt for the show. They are the clothes from the 1990s. And I borrow the boots from my mother.
Hello, I'm Daniel. I wear a purple scarf, a purple shirt, and white trousers today. They are my father's. They are smart.
Hello, I'm Amy. I don't like the clothes today. The black trousers and the white blouse don't match very much. But my grandmother likes them very much. They are from the 1970s! I want to have a pair of white boots and a pink one-piece dress. Maybe that will be popular in the 2010s. | middle5111.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Important."
},
"options": [
"Unwelcome.",
"Hopeless.",
"Harmful.",
"Important."
],
"question": "What did the class teacher think of hobbies for children?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | The class teacher thought that hobbies were important for children. So she encouraged all her students to have one, and sometimes she arranged hobby shows for their parents to see as a result.
One morning the teacher told the class to have a holiday and get their hobby things to school before 5 p.m. A hobby show would be held the following afternoon.
So in the afternoon, the students with nothing to show did their lessons at school as usual, while the lucky ones had a holiday to go home for their hobby works.
When the afternoon lessons began, the teacher was surprised to see that Tommy was not there. "I don't believe Tommy has a hobby," she thought. However, at a quarter to five. Tommy arrived with a beautiful collection of butterflies in glass case. The teacher liked the samples very much and put them on a desk in the classroom. But, to her surprise, Tommy picked them up again and began to leave.
"What are you doing, Tommy?" she asked. "Those things must stay here until tomorrow afternoon. That's when the parents are coming to see them. "
"I know that," answered Tommy, "and I will bring them back tomorrow, but my big brother doesn't want them to be out of our house at night. "
"But, aren't the butterflies yours?" asked the teacher.
"No," answered Tommy. "They are my brother's."
"But Tommy, you should show your own hobby here, not somebody else's. "
"I know that," answered Tommy. What surprised her most was the answer. "My hobby is watching my brother collecting butterflies. " | middle3560.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The writer's parents believed he could get improved in his speech ability."
},
"options": [
"The writer's parents believed he could get improved in his speech ability.",
"The new school was not far away from where they lived.",
... | Before I even started school, people felt that I was not going to _ . At the age of four, I started speech lessons because even I could not speak well enough to be understood.
First grade was a struggle. I not only had difficulty speaking, but I was expected to learn to read and I just couldn't do it. My parents grew more and more frustrated. They bought books and offered great rewards if I could read one of them from start to finish to them. Well, with my speech problems and now my reading problems, I did not like to do reading and so refused to do it whenever possible.
Second grade was not much better. It was in the second grade that the teacher decided that I needed special education. I remember the days of taking the physical exams. However, after all that, they decided that I did not qualify for special education.
It was in third grade that a new school was built close to where I lived. I remember going there with my parents and helping to get the school ready so that we could transfer . It was a happy day that we started school at Vandalia. However, things did not get better as my parent expected.
It was now time for fifth grade. Mrs. Wakefield was my teacher, and if ever there was a teacher that deserved a gold star, it was her. She did not make me feel upset. Instead, she helped me in so many ways and built my self-confidence so that I actually did believe that I could do something special. And that is just what I did.
For the past 22 years, I have been a fifth grade teacher. Because of Mrs. Wakefield's influence in my life, I am now encouraging students who have had difficulties in their lives to believe that they can overcome and become someone. I have won a large number of awards but I know that all of them belong to one fifth grade teacher who believed in me and challenged me to be all that I could be.
I still have a class picture of her with her fifth grade class hanging on the wall of my office, encouraging other teachers to reach out to their students. | middle3206.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "keep healthy"
},
"options": [
"eat much",
"keep healthy",
"run fast",
"make friends"
],
"question": "Many people enjoy running because they want to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | Running is becoming popular these days. Many of us run for health. Doctors say many health problems come from these bad habits: eating and drinking too much, smoking and not taking enough exercise. Doctors tell us. "Eat and drink less, don't smoke, and exercise more."
Running is a good way of exercise because it helps to build a strong heart. It also helps most people lose weight. One 68-year-old woman runs three times a week. "I love to eat." She says. She runs to lose _
Running is good for health in other ways, too. Many runners say running keeps colds and other small health problems away. "Running is my doctor." says one man.
Running can also help people to relax. So today men and women of all ages enjoy running. | middle4569.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "teenagers"
},
"options": [
"teenagers",
"parents",
"policemen",
"teachers"
],
"question": "The members of School Watch are probably _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Hello,everyone.Because of the high rate of school violence in some areas,teenagers'safety becomes a serious problem.We are planning to set up an organization named School Watch to make sure that students have a safe school environment.Please be part of our plan!
What is School Watch?
School Watch is a volunteer project in our school.It helps us stop violence and improve the quality of school life.It will keep yourself and your schoolmates safe.The other members of School Watch care for you and your classroom and you do the same for them.
Is it for everyone?
Anybody can become a member of School Watch because everyone has something to offer.
What else can it do?
School Watch makes it possible for us not only to help each other but also to make friends with each other.Some members may offer to help schoolmates who have problems with their homework.
Who is the Best School Watcher?
Our school will look for the Best School Watcher and give him or her lots of prizes.You could be the one!
How do you start?
To be part of this plan,the only thing you need to do is to talk to the director of the plan in your grade.If you want to get more information, check the official website at www.schoolwatch. com. | middle185.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "In the woods."
},
"options": [
"In big cities.",
"In a place of interest.",
"In a modern hotel or a restaurant.",
"In the woods."
],
"question": "Where do people in the United States like to go camping according... | In the United States, people like going camping for vacation. They do everything for themselves to relax in the woods instead of staying at a modern hotel or a restaurant. They enjoy themselves far away from the noisy cities for a few days.
What should you prepare if you want to go camping like them? When you are camping, you make all of your own food. Barbeques are very necessary while camping. You can bring bread, drinks, meat and vegetables to the camp. You'd better bring some wood and a lighter to _ . Remember to put stones around the fire to make sure it won't get too big and dangerous. When the fire is ready, you can cook food over it.
Children really like this activity at night. The whole family sit around the fire, eat their favorite food. Certainly they can sing songs and dance together. What a pleasant and exciting moment.
Camping is a fun activity for the family to do. Vacation does not have to mean going to visit a place far away. It could be as simple as setting up a tent in the nearby woods. | middle1411.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they don't return friendship to each other."
},
"options": [
"there are too many people who want to make friends",
"they don't know friendship is something serious",
"those who give others friendships receive friendships from... | Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don't give friendship back. That is why some friendships don't last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest; be generous;be understanding.
Honesty means being honest. It is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you don't tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven't been honest, you may lose your friend's trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.
Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You don't have to give your friend your lunch money or your clothes, or enjoy your hobbies and interests together. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them, you help your friend know you better.
Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve . Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend, you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend's place, so you can understand the problem better.
No two friendships are ever exactly alike . But all true friendships have three things in common . If you plan to keep your friendships, you must practice honesty,Generosity and understanding. | middle7060.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "more than one hundred years ago"
},
"options": [
"last century",
"in the twentieth century",
"more than one hundred years ago",
"in 1914"
],
"question": "There were many cape lions in North America _ .",
"... | In the past 300 years, more than 130 species of animals have become _ . One of these extinct species is the passenger pigeon . At one time there were millions of these birds in North America, but now there are none. The last one died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. Another extinct animal is the cape lion . The animal has been extinct since 1860.
What cause animals to become extinct? Too much hunting is one cause; pollution is another.
Governments around the world have begun to protect wild animals in danger. In the United States, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for endangered animals. It has listed nearly 200 species of endangered animals in North America. | middle1405.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he worked too hard and became ill"
},
"options": [
"he was worried about his homework",
"he worked too hard and became ill",
"he didn't finish doing his lessons",
"there was a lot of noise there and he couldn't have a r... | A young man worked very hard at his lessons. He was too busy to have a rest. At last, he became ill, so he couldn't go to sleep. Every night, when he went to bed, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But he always stayed awake and couldn't fall asleep.
After some days, he decided to see a doctor. "I just can't go to sleep at night. What should I do? Could you please help me?"
"I have a suggestion ,"said the doctor. "Try counting numbers. By the time you reach one thousand, you'll be asleep. I'm sure of it."
The next day the man returned to the doctor's office. "Well," said the doctor, how are you today? Did you try my suggestion?"
The man still looked tired. "Yes," he said, "I tried counting one, two, and three-- up to one thousand. But when I reached five hundred and sixty-nine, I began to feel sleepy. I had to get up and drink some tea so that I could go on counting up to one thousand. But then I still couldn't fall asleep." | middle191.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Husband and wife."
},
"options": [
"Friends.",
"Mother and son.",
"Husband and wife.",
"Father and daughter."
],
"question": "What's the relationship between the man and the woman?",
"question_type": "factio... | Long long time ago,the Creator created a man and a woman,they lived together very happily for a time.But then they began to get angry with each other,and at last the woman left and started off to the Sun land in the east.
The man followed alone and felt very sad,but the woman kept on ahead and never looked behind,until the Creator,took pity on him and asked him if he was still angry with his wife.He said he was not,and the Creator then asked him if he would like to have her back again.He answered yes.
So the Creator created a patch of the finest ripe tomatoes along the way in front of the woman,but she passed by like seeing nothing at all.Later,he put a patch of beautiful flowers but again she refused to notice.Until suddenly she saw in front of her a patch of large ripe strawberries.They looked delicious.
She stopped to pick a few to eat,and as she ate them she turned her face to the west by accident,and at once she remembered her husband and she found herself unable to go on.She sat down,but the longer she waited,the more she missed her husband,and at last she took a lot of the best strawberries and started back along the way to give them to him.He met her kindly and they went home together. | middle7074.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "will change us in some way"
},
"options": [
"all know where to find us",
"serve us on no purpose",
"won't become our neighbor",
"will change us in some way"
],
"question": "The people we meet _ .",
"questi... | Sometimes people come into your life and you know at once that they were sure to be there. They serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help find out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be: your classmate, neighbor, teacher, long-lost friend or even a real stranger. But you know that every moment they will affect your life in some serious way.
Sometimes things happen to you. At the time they may seem terrible, painful and unfair. But later you realize that without getting over those difficulties you would have never realized your further ability and strength. Everything happens for a reason and nothing happens by chance or with good or bad luck.
The people you meet affect your life, and the successes and failure you experience, create who you are. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most _ and important ones.
Enjoy every day even every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people you have never talked to before, and really listen. You should set your sights high, hold your head up, tell yourself you are a great one and believe in yourself.
You can make your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it.
,A, B, C, D. | middle3212.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "teacher"
},
"options": [
"teacher",
"worker",
"doctor",
"driver"
],
"question": "My grandpa was a _ in the past .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | "Basketball is not only for young people," my grandpa often says.
Grandpa is a retired teacher. He likes basketball. He isn't tall or strong. And he can not run fast. But he is a member of a basketball team.
"I play for 15 minutes in every game," says Grandpa. "I can score 10 points for my team." He is right. He is really good at basketball. I learn a lot from him.
Grandpa plays basketball with his friends. They play for about an hour every time. Sometimes their team comes to our school. And they play with our school team. Then the young students and the old people can have fun together.
"What is sport? Sport is a game to make people healthy and happy," Grandpa tells me. | middle5663.txt |
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