questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "1956"
},
"options": [
"1990",
"1985",
"1963",
"1956"
],
"question": "Wang Guozhen was born in the year _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer... | Wang Guozhen, a poet, died of cancer at the age of 59 0n April 26, 2015, one month before his latest book was to be published c), according to Beijing News.The poet's death has started heated discussions online.
He was a graduate of Jinan University in Guangzhou, where he majored in literature. Wang began to write poems in 1985, when his works often appeared in news-papers and magazines.
His books sold so well in 1990 that the people in the publishing business called it"The year of Wang Guozhen". In the following ten years he had written over 50 books.His works such as Going the Distance and Beyond Yourself have influenced a large number of readers born in the 60s and 70s and some of his poems are still often quoted by famous people and writers.
During a speech at the 2013 APEC CEO Summit in Indonesia, Chinese President Xi Jinping quoted a sentence from Wang's poem, saying "There is no mountain higher than man, and no road longer than his feet", which made Wang's works more popular.
"I was inspired by his poems and copied every sentence down on my notebooks, Wang Ling, a Sina wei bo user, wrote "I still miss the time when I had the patience to read poems and really believed in the world built by his words. | middle5215.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "At 13:35."
},
"options": [
"At 13:35.",
"At 13:45.",
"At 14:20.",
"At 14:30."
],
"question": "If Sara wants to take part in the trip,when should she arrive at the Perse School gate?",
"question_type": "facti... | Bury trip--June 18th,2016
We will be leaving the Perse School at 13:45.Please be at the school gate 10minutes early.If you are late,you may miss the bus and not be able to go!If you miss the bus,you won't get your money back.The bus is planned to arrive in Bury at 14:30,although this depends on traffic.You will have free time to walk around and we will meet at the same location where we arrived at 17:15to return to the Perse School by about 18:00.
Things to do Visit the Abbey
The Abbey is the min of a church which was built more than 1,000years ago.There are many nice gardens in it.And next to the Abbey,there is a big new church.
Have a drink in the Nutshell
This little bar is famous in Britain because it is officially the smallest bar in the country.Good things are put in small bags,and the Nutshell serves some of the area's finest beer,as well as fascinating photos.
Have a look at a beer shop
At the Greene King shop you can taste and buy some of the local beer,as well as food such as potato chips.There are also clothes available to buy.
Several places are listed,but feel free to plan your own visit. | middle7402.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Plants."
},
"options": [
"Animals.",
"Plants.",
"Animals and plants.",
"All living things."
],
"question": "Which living things can use the sun's energy directly?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | All living things on the earth need other living things to live. Nothing lives alone. Most animals must live in a group, and even a plant grows close together with others of the same kind. Sometimes one living thing kills another, one eats and the other is eaten. Each kind of life eats another kind of life in order to live, and together they create a food chain . Some food chains are simple, while others are not. But all food chains begin with the sun, and all food chains become broken up if one of the links disappears.
All life needs sunlight to live on. But only plants can use sunlight directly. Plants are 'factories'. They make food from sunlight, water and things in the soil and air. Plants feed all other living things. Animals can only use the sun's energy after it has been changed into food by plants. Some animals feed directly on plants, others eat smaller animals. Meat-eating animals are only eating plants indirectly.
What about humans? We are members of many food chains. We eat rice, vegetables, and fruits and so on. We also eat meat and drink milk. But we often break up the food chains. We kill wild animals and also make rivers, lakes and seas polluted. When these rivers, lakes and seas are polluted, the fish in them can not be eaten. If we eat the fish, we will get strange illnesses.
Each form of life is linked to all others. Breaking the links puts all life in danger. | middle1073.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "lion"
},
"options": [
"tiger",
"elephant",
"lion",
"giraffe"
],
"question": "Molly is a(n) _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "M... | My name's Molly. I'm a lion. I am three years old .My favorite food is meat and I like to eat little animals .I like the forest ,but I live in the zoo now, I live in a big cage. I can't run and I can't see my parents,I don't like the zoo or the cage. Every day I get up in the cage ,I have breakfast,lunch and dinner in the cage. I sleep in the cage .I really want to run in the forest and live with my parents. | middle1715.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In the zoo."
},
"options": [
"At home.",
"At School.",
"In the zoo.",
"In the library."
],
"question": "Where does Jack like to spend time on weekends?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"an... | My name is Jack. I come from the United States. Now I'm in China with my grandparents. There is a big zoo in our neighborhood. I like to spend time there on weekends.
On weekends, I often go to the zoo with my friends. We like different kinds of animals. I like elephants a lot because they are very smart. They can remember very well. Elephants can also draw very well. And elephants can do a lot of things for people. Lucy likes koalas. She thinks they are cute and interesting. Kate likes giraffes. She thinks they are smart and friendly. Bob likes lions. He thinks lions are exciting but scary.
We often spend all the day in the zoo and watch the animals. We sometimes take photos of them. They're our good friends. | middle7364.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Football."
},
"options": [
"Football.",
"Basketball.",
"Volleyball.",
"Rugby."
],
"question": "Which of the following sports is loved most by Italians?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | Compared with other European countries, lifestyle in Italy is slower and more relaxing in its own way. Italians love to chat over a cup of coffee, go out for a walk in the middle of the day, and enjoy long lunches and dinners.
Family is important to Italians. They can't think of spending a day without asking about their parents or children, and a weekend without a family lunch or dinner. Italians living outside their country also miss their family a lot.
Italians like simple life. Their days start and end with a cup of coffee. A cup of coffee after every meal is a must. Italians love to spend time over a hot cup of coffee and even hotter conversation with friends. Topics are usually about family, football and politics .
Sport is a very important part in the lives of many Italians. Football is their favorite sport. There are hundreds of football clubs with top soccer teams in Italy. Also, many top players from all over the world play in Italy. Volleyball is also popular and so is rugby , with the top rugby team playing for the European Challenge Cup.
Every Italian province, city, town and street has a historical even that took place there and the Italian calendar is filled with national holidays that they love to celebrate . | middle8057.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "tell us Amy Chua how to give children education."
},
"options": [
"tell that Tigers are terrible animals, but a cat is a cute animal.",
"tell us Amy Chua how to give children education.",
"tell the book Battle Hymn of the Tig... | Tigers are terrible animals, but a cat is a cute animal. As a mother, the Chinese-American writer Amy Chua is just a tiger . Her book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (<<>> ), tells us how she gives her two children education. She says that being strict is the only way to train a child's talent. Her kids had to obey the following rules. To begin with, her kids weren't allowed to watch TV or play computer games. Then, they were not allowed to " hang out " with other kids after school. They had to be the top students in their class. And they had to practice the piano and the violin for hours every day. Of course, she believes this has brought a lot of problems for herself and her kids. But she doesn't mind because her kids have become great. Chua says, like her, most Asian mothers are tigers because they believe their children can achieve a lot if they're pushed hard enough. She says American mothers are really cats. They care more about their children's self-respect . They don't want to be strict with their kids because this may hurt their feelings. With soft words and understanding, they encourage their children to choose for themselves. So is a tiger mom better than a cat mom? It may also depend on the child. | middle3102.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "from her jacket"
},
"options": [
"from her jacket",
"the girl's own money",
"from their home",
"from the chair"
],
"question": "Cathy thought the money in the girl's hand was _",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | I was in the park with my elder sister, Cathy, on Friday. My sister left her jacket on a chair while we talked to some friends. When we went back to the chair, a girl in a red T-shirt was sitting there. She had some money in her hand. When she saw us, she stood up and walked away.
I asked my sister, "Did you have any money in your jacket?"
She said, "Yes, Anna, I did."
I said, "Look in your jacket quickly."
Cathy looked in her jacket, but her money was not there.
"That girl stole it!" I said, and we both ran after her. We caught her quickly.
My sister was very angry and she said, "Give me the money." The girl gave the money to Cathy and ran away. We both ran after her, but we lost her.
Then we went home. But before we could tell our parents, my mother said to Cathy, "You left your money at home. It's on the table in the sitting room. You must be more careful with money."
So the girl in the red T-shirt was not a thief! She probably thought we were thieves! We felt terrible.
Please telephone us if you know this girl! We are very sorry for our mistake. We would like to say sorry to her and give the money back to her.
Our number is 512667. My name is Anna. | middle3672.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "on the bus"
},
"options": [
"at home",
"on the bus",
"in the supermarket",
"behind the bus"
],
"question": "Betty and her mother are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | It is a very nice morning. Betty and her mother are on a big bus. There are many people on the bus. Some are from America. Some are from England and some are from Japan. They are friends. They are going to the International Trade City . There are two Chinese on the bus. They are a young man and a young woman. They can speak English. The Chinese young man is the driver of the bus. The woman is talking about the Commodity Fair . The others are all listening to her. They like the city. | middle5203.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "be careful not to be fooled"
},
"options": [
"spend too much",
"always believe the advertisements",
"never believe the advertisements",
"be careful not to be fooled"
],
"question": "If you want to shop online, y... | More and more advertisements appear on the Web. You have to be careful not to be fooled or tricked by the advertisements on the Internet. Something is said to be a bargain,but it isn't always cheap. And some socalled new things just have a new outside.
However,shopping online is a kind of fashionable thing today. I love to buy things of everyday use,so I often get lots of information about them on Websites online. For example,if I want an MP3,I can choose my favorite one,and look for what the users like or don't like about it,and then decide whether to buy or not. And at the same time,you don't have to go to a shop or walk around a crowded shopping area,so you don't have to waste much time. The Internet is really useful for shopping,but be careful not to spend too much. | middle7414.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Tea"
},
"options": [
"Coffee",
"Tea",
"Both coffee and tea",
"Neither coffee nor tea"
],
"question": "_ is grown in Yang Lin's hometown.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Many young Chinese people drink coffee when meeting with friends. Yang Lin lives in the U.S. but comes from an area in China famous for growing tea. She used to only drink tea while in China. But now, she says, she drinks both and for different reasons.
"I would say ... I was a tea drinker when I was in China. But now, you know, with the influence of different holiday drinks ... I think I like coffee as well as tea now."
Yang Lin says that drinking coffee for her is a social event. She and her workmates like to sit in a cafe and talk over a cup of coffee.
Tea, she says, is more about family memories. She grew up in Fujian Province -- an area known for its tea. Ms. Yang says that as a child, her family would get together in the evening and talk about the day's events over a pot of tea. So now, even the smell of Fujian tea brings back these warm family memories.
Voyo is another Chinese woman who now lives in Washington D.C. She says that after moving to the U.S. her tastes changed. We would call her _ , someone who now chooses to drink coffee.
"I used to be a tea drinker before I came to the United States. But now I am a coffee drinker and actually getting to be a very heavy coffee drinker. Like I go from one cup a day to three cups a day and if I stop one day I will have a headache." said Voyo. | middle7372.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "in England"
},
"options": [
"in Madrid",
"in Spain",
"outside his country",
"in England"
],
"question": "Nat always spent his vacation _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Nat lived in a small town in England. He always stayed in England for his vacation, but last year he thought, "I'm never outside this country. All my friends go to Spain , and they like it very much. So this year I'm going there, too."
First he went to Madrid and stayed in a small hotel for a few days. On the first morning he went out for a walk. In England people drive on the left, but in Spain they drive on the right. Nat forgot about this and when he was crossing a busy street, a bike knocked him down.
Nat lay on the ground for a few seconds and then he sat up and said,
"Where am I ?"
An old man was selling maps at the side of the street, and he at once came
to Nat and said, "Map of the city, sir ?" | middle8041.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"three",
"four",
"six",
"five"
],
"question": "Li Li's family has _ people.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text":... | My name is Li Li. I'm eleven. I'm from China. My mum and dad work in a big factory. They go to work every day but rest two days. I have a sister. We look like each other very much and we like to help each other. She is a middle school student and comes home in the afternoon. Everyone in my family likes to look after me.
My sister and I are in the same school. I'm a good student in my class. There are forty-two students in our class, twenty boys and twenty-two girls. We have our lessons from eight o'clock in the morning to four o'clock in the afternoon. My teacher of English, Miss. Green is from England. She is a good teacher. We go to school from Monday to Friday .We have five English classes a week. Now we can say a hundred words, and play games in English. We like English. We like our English teacher. | middle297.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "mother"
},
"options": [
"father",
"mother",
"son",
"daughter"
],
"question": "From the passage, we can know the writer is a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | There is no doubt that mothers play an important leading role in the lives of their children. But what about a father's role? I believe that fathers play just as important a role as mothers.
Fathers give us support. They are the shore we swim to when our arms and legs feel increasingly tired. They are the strength we rely on as we take our first steps into the world. Fathers can be gentle and powerful, but they probably have the simplest love we ever know.
_ , the father is their first hero and possibly the only man they will ever feel comfortable loving.
For daughters, the father is the first man they admire and the first man whose eyes shine with happiness when they look at them. He is the first man to fall in love with them.
For mothers, the father of our children is the person we can believe in to watch over the babies as closely as we would. We are protectedin the knowledge of their love. A father is the person on the planet with whom we can do whatever we want ... one who will be just as interested and never feel bored in the face of our devotion.
Without fathers, we wouldn't be mums. I would like to thank them from all our hearts for this honor and for being our partners in the business of raising children. | middle1703.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a girl"
},
"options": [
"his mother",
"the king",
"a girl",
"his friend"
],
"question": "The boy took the flower for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index"... | Once upon a time two friends lived in a palace . They both worked for the King . One of them liked a girl and wanted to give her a present .
One day , he was walking with his friend in the main palace hall , and he saw a big vase filled with the loveliest flowers he could imagine . He decided to take one to the girl , thinking that no one would see him to so . He did the same thing the next day , and the next .... until one day , the King noticed how few flowers were left in the vase . He was so angry that he called everyone in the palace to assemble .
When they were all before the King , the boy wanted to tell the truth . However , his friend told him to be quiet . But when the King came near , he decided to _ .
As soon as the boy said that he had done it , the King was angry . But on hearing what the boy has done with the flowers , the King said , " I couldn't have thought of a better use for my flowers . "
From that day , the boy and the King became great friends . They went to take two of those wonderful flowers , one for the girl and the other for the Queen .
Overcoming fear to tell the truth is difficult , but in the end it isn't so bad . | middle5565.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"three",
"four",
"five",
"six"
],
"question": "There are _ people in Sanchez's family.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"an... | Music can be a great power to change people's lives. Regina del Carmen Sanchez, 14, always believes this. The girl from Kansas City, US, leads a hard life. She lives in a small house with her mom and grandparents. Her mom gets a very low pay.
But it doesn't stop Sanchez's love of music. She wrote her first song Keep Your Head Up when she was 12. It described the bad situation at her home, but it also sent the message of hope: "My house is old and poor, but it beats being homeless... Love yourself and never give up. You'll see a better life if you keep your head up..."
It took Sanchez several months to finish the song. Sometimes during a break in class, when lyrics came into her head, "I would have to write them down right then," she told the local newspaper The Kansas City Star.
Jeremy Lillig was a spokesman for Bright Futures, a charity fund. When he saw the video of the song, he was _ He shared it through social media . The fund has provided money for poor students in Kansas City.
Now Sanchez often plays the song in public. "I want to help people understand what is happening in the world in an easy way," she said. | middle3114.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "three"
},
"options": [
"two",
"three",
"six",
"eight"
],
"question": "Rose is _ years older than Peter.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answe... | Rose has four cousins.They are Ann, Betty, Peter and Bill.Pose is the oldest of them.Betty is thirteen years old.She is two years younger than Pose and one year older than Peter.Bill is nine.Ann, the youngest is seven.
Betty and Peter are good at running.But Peter runs faster.Pose and Ann like to play basketball.Rose plays better than Ann.Bill is the best singer of them five.Rose an Betty study in a middle school.Ann, Peter and Bill study in a primary school.These five children all work hard at their lessons.But Betty works the hardest. | middle5571.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "easily hurt emotionally"
},
"options": [
"popular at school",
"rather weak physically",
"easily hurt emotionally",
"confident in themselves"
],
"question": "According to the passage, \"vulnerable young people\" ... | Big Brothers Big Sisters is based on the simplicity and power of friendship.It is a program which provides friendship and fun by matching _ (ages 7-17) with a volunteer adult who can be both a role model and a supportive friend.
Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life--married, single, with or without children. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are not replacement parents or social workers. They are tutors: someone to trust, to have fun with, to talk and go to when needed.
A Big Sister and Little Sister will generally spend between one and four hours together three or four times each month for at least twelve months. They enjoy simple activities such as a picnic at a park, cooking, doing sports or going to a football match. These activities improve the friendship and help the young person develop self-respect, confidence and life direction.
Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations can be found throughout the world. It is the largest and most well-known provider of tutor services internationally and has been operating for 25 years.
Emily and Sarah have been matched since 2008. Emily is a 15-year-old girl who has experienced some difficulties being accepted by her schoolmates at school. " I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me."
Emily's mum came across Big Brothers Big Sisters and thought it would be of benefit to Emily by "providing different feedback about herself other than just depending on schoolmates to measure her self-worth.
Sarah wanted to get involved in a volunteer program. "I googled it and found out how to be a part of it. I thought it would be fun for me to get involved in making time to do something because sometimes it is all work and no play."
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been of great benefit and enjoyment to both Emily and Sarah. They love and look forward to their time together and the partnership has certainly helped Emily be more comfortable in being the wonderful and happy girl she is! | middle3100.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It's across from a big park."
},
"options": [
"It's across from the People's Library.",
"It's on Bridge Street.",
"It's across from a big park.",
"It's between the post office and the pay phone."
],
"question": ... | My name is Mike. I'm a student of No. 14 Middle School. Our school is on Guangming Street. It's next to the People's Library. There is a big park across from our school. The pay phone is between our school and the post office. I live near the school. I often walk to school. It takes me five minutes.
There are three buildings in our school, the students' building, the teachers' building and a library building. The teachers in our school are very good and friendly. Our school is very beautiful.
If you come to our school from the airport , you can take a taxi. It takes about thirty minutes to get to our school by taxi. Now let me tell you the way to our school. First, go along Bridge Street and turn left when you see Guangming Street. Go along Guangming Street, you can see the People's Library on your left. Our school is next to it. If you can't find it, you can call me at 010-89864578. | middle7366.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "260 kilometers"
},
"options": [
"260 kilometers",
"65 kilometers",
"450 kilometers",
"130 kilometers"
],
"question": "If you drive this kind of little cars for four hours, you can probably go _ at most.",
... | A kind of little cars may be seen in the streets in the future. People will like this kind of small cars better than the big ones. The car is as small as a bike. But it can carry two people in it. Everybody can drive it easily, just like riding a bike. Even children and old people can drive them to schools or parks.
If everyone drives such cars in the future, there will be less pollution in the air. There will be more space for all the cars in cities, and there will also be more space for people to walk in the streets.
The little cars of the future will cost less money to buy and to drive. These little cars can go only 65 kilometers an hour, so driving will be safer. The cars of the future will be fine for going around the city, but they will not be useful for a long trip.
This kind of cars can save a lot of gas. They will go 450 kilometers, then they have to stop for more gas.
They are nice cars, aren't they? | middle8055.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "top brand means high quality"
},
"options": [
"top brand means high quality",
"top brands' advertisements are fun",
"it's cool to own top brand products",
"the spokesmen of top brand products are his favourite"
],
... | Do you know some world famous brands , such as Nike, adidas, Kappa...? What do you think of them? Do you use their products ? Here are some students' opinions:
Sam: I am a Nike fan. Many of Nike's advertisements are fun and its products are great! I have a pair of Nike basketball shoes.
Joe: In my eyes , top brand means high quality, So I love top brand products though they're very expensive. I was glad Mum bought me a Kappa T-shirt last month.
Sally:The logos of famous brands are usually unique and nice. It's cool to own products with those logos. Sometimes I wear my adidas coat.
Jack:Many top brand products are advertised by spokesmen . I love the spokesmen of many top brand products. I've got many Nike socks.
Susan: I know it's popular for young people to have famous brand products these days. But my parents both lost their jobs. I have no interest in following the fashion. I only choose the products that are not expensive.
Adam: As a student, I don't earn money myself. It's not easy for my parents to support me. So I only use some ordinary products. I don't agree students use the famous brand products. | middle1717.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "study the law in college"
},
"options": [
"avoid the job shortage",
"face the cultural differences",
"start his life in a new place",
"study the law in college"
],
"question": "The writer moved to Auckland to ... | When I began to move to Auckland to study the law, my mother was a little worried about the uncertainty of living in a place that was so different from India, where we lived. She worried about the shortage of jobs and the cultural differences that I would face.
I came to New Zealand in July 2013. I found the people were very nice and supportive. Soon after I arrived, I realized the importance of getting a part time job to make a living.
Deciding to do this on my own, I spent a whole day going from door to door for a job. However, I received a little or no reply. This became my daily activity after college for a few weeks.
One afternoon, I walked into a building to ask if there were any job chances. The people there were very surprised, and advised me not to continue my job search in that way. As I was about to leave, a secretary in the building came up to me and encouraged me to stay confident. He then offered to take me to the Royal Oak area to search for a job.
Along the way, I realized I had run out of copies of my resume . The man stopped at his friend's office to make me 15 extra copies. He also gave me tips on dressing and speaking. I handed out my resume and went home. The following day, I received a call from a store in Royal Oak offering me a job.
It seemed that the world always gives back to you when you need it. And this time, it was a complete stranger who turned out to be a real blessing . | middle7400.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "five"
},
"options": [
"seven",
"six",
"five",
"four"
],
"question": "A working American has to work _ days a week in his working time.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"... | Americans think a great deal about time. From childhood they learn to value time. As children, they are taught to be on time to go to school, to do work and to do everything. When they are having a good time, they say that time flies. When a person is dying, they say he is living on borrowed time. Time is money. Time is knowledge. Time is everything in America. A working America has to work hard for 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. This is the working time. In his free time, he also works hard for more money. Even Saturday and Sunday are filled with activities. In the street you can hardly see a man who walks slowly. They walk very fast. In fact, they are running. They love time because time brings them money, comforts and progress. But sometimes they also hate time, for they feel they have become servants of the clock. | middle4109.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "are the same thing"
},
"options": [
"are the same thing",
"are different games",
"are not held in winter",
"are held in summer"
],
"question": "The White Olympics and the Winter Olympics _ .",
"question_t... | People call the Winter Olympics the White Olympics. At this time, they publish many stamps to mark the great games. The first stamps came out on January 25th, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on , publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympics, people published a group of stamps in November 1936. They drew five rings of Olympics. It was the first time that the rings appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950s,the stamps of this kind became more colorful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as non-host countries published stamps to mark those games. China also published four stamps in February 1980 when the Chinese sportsmen began to take part in the White Olympics.
In Asia, Japan was the only country to hold the White Olympics. They sold 14,500 million stamps during the Olympics.
People drew different kinds of sports on these small stamps, and they enjoyed the wonderful sports and some excellent players. | middle3666.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he can buy what he really wants"
},
"options": [
"he can try it on quickly",
"the shop sells very cheaply",
"the sales man quickly finds it",
"he can buy what he really wants"
],
"question": "The shopping deal f... | Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman. A man goes shopping because he needs something. All men simply walk into a shop and ask for what they want If the shop has it, the salesman quickly finds it, and the business of trying it on continues at once. All being well, the deal can be and often is completed in less than five minutes.
For a man, small problems may begin when the shop does not have what he wants. Then, the salesman tries to sell the customer something else. "I know this jacket is not the style you want, sir, but would you like to try it for size? It happens to be the color you mentioned." Few men have patience with this treatment, and the usual reply is, "This is the right color and maybe the right size, but I should be wasting my time and yours by trying it on."
However, a woman does so in the opposite way. Her shopping is not often based on(... ) need, and she is only "having a look around". She is always open to persuasion, really she believes in what the saleswoman tells her. She will try on any number of things. Most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes. They are always on the lookout for the unexpected sale. Faced with a roomful of dresses, a woman may easily spend an hour going from one room to another, often going back over again, before choosing the dresses she wants to try on. It is always tiring, but obviously enjoyable. Most dress shops provide chairs for the waiting husbands.
,. | middle5217.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "More than 69."
},
"options": [
"69.",
"120.",
"More than 69.",
"189."
],
"question": "How many people died in the industrial accident?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | An explosion( ) from a factory in Kunshan killed at least 69 people and more than 120 people got hurt. China had its worst accident in industry on a Saturday in 2014.
The accident happened in Kunshan city, Jiangsu Province in China. And the explosion was from Zhongrong Metal Products Company, who makes car wheels for the U.S. The Kunshan government told us 264 workers were there when the explosion happened and 44 died at once. "We heard a really loud explosion at about 7 a.m. this morning, so we rushed out of our rooms, " said Zhou Xu, a 26-year-old worker at that company. Another worker said, "First the ambulance came and then many wives rushed to the factory to see if their husbands were okay."
Now, Shanghai government is sending doctors to Kunshan to save the wounded. And the doctor said the number of the dead may increase.
Chinese government is looking into the cause of the disaster. And President Xi also paid special attention to it. He said, " Those who are found responsible must be punished." | middle6736.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Life and Health"
},
"options": [
"Fashion Time",
"Chinese Cuture",
"Life and Health",
"Time and Space of Sports"
],
"question": "We can read this article in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | There are many types of tea. They have their own functions.
Green tea is the best choice for office workers
People who always work in places with air condition may face skin problems such as easily dry skin. Among all the drink, green tea is the best choice. Because there are important things in green tea and they are often called catechins . Moreover, drinking more green tea can prevent computer radiation.
Winter is the season to drink black tea
Chinese medicine believed that different people should drink different tea based on the different characteristics and tastes of each kind of tea. Black tea can warm the stomach and quicken digestion . Therefore, drinking warm black tea in the cold winter is a most suitable choice.
Do not drink strong tea
Strong tea may make the body far too excited and can badly _ the cardiovascular as well as the nervous system. For a person who has problems with these parts, to drink overly strong tea cause heart and blood pressure illness, or even make the old illness much worse.
Do not drink too much tea when you are eating
Drinking too much tea or strong thick tea may not be good for taking in many constant elements and trace elements .Also, people should not drink tea with milk or other milky food. | middle7428.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "friends"
},
"options": [
"in Class Seven",
"in Grade Two",
"teachers",
"friends"
],
"question": "Alan and Helen are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | Alan is in Class Two,Grade Seven.He is l2.His English teacher is Mr. Smith.He is English.His daughter is Helen.She is l3.Alan and Helen are good friends.They like English.This is Helen's school ID card.Its number is A-270789.Is that Alan's school ID card? No.He can't find his school ID card.If you find it,please call Alan at 346--2828.Thank you! | middle3896.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Black."
},
"options": [
"Green.",
"Black.",
"Brown.",
"White."
],
"question": "What color are Lucy's trousers?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"... | Look at the clothes line in the twins' bedroom. There are some clothes on it. You can see a green blouse, a yellow skirt and a pair of trousers. The trousers on the clothes line are black. They are not new but clean. Are they Lily's clothes? No, they are Lucy's. Lily's clothes are on a clothes tree near the window. Her trousers are brown. Her blouse is white and her skirt is blue. There is a new hat on the clothes tree, but it's not Lily's, it's Lucy's. Lucy's jacket s are on her bed. There are no clothes on Lily's bed. | middle5559.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "before the writer's family moved away"
},
"options": [
"at the age of 13",
"before she got married",
"after they moved to new homes",
"before the writer's family moved away"
],
"question": "The writer went to pi... | Linda Evans was my best friend--like the sister I never had. We did everything together: piano lessons, movies, swimming, horseback riding.
When I was 13, my family moved away. Linda and I kept in touch through letters, and we saw each other on special time--like my wedding and Linda's. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back, stamped "Address Unknown. " I had no idea how to find Linda.
Over the years, I missed Linda very much. I wanted to share happiness of my children and then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.
One day I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman -- Linda's married name. "There must be thousands of Wagmans," I thought, but J still wrote to her.
She called as soon as she got my letter. "Mrs Tobin!" she said excitedly, "Linda Evans Wagman is my mother. "
Minutes later I heard a voice that I knew very much, even after 40 years, laughed and cried and caught up on each other's lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there's one thing that Linda and I know for sure: We won't lose each other again!
,. | middle2236.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"five",
"four",
"ten",
"no"
],
"question": "How many cousins does Xing Fei _ ?",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_te... | Hello, everyone, I'm Xing Fei. I'm from China. My family name is Xing. I live in Bei Jing. My family is very large. In my family, my grandfather's father is the oldest one. He is now ninety-nine years old. My grandfather is eighty years old. And my grandma is eighty-two years old. They have four children, my uncle, my father, and my two aunts. I'm their grandson. My parents have two children, my sister and me. And I have four cousins. Now, I'm a student in No. 10 Middle school. And my sister is only five years old. My parents are both teachers. They love my family very much. So they work hard. We go to the park every morning. My mother says that it can help us keep healthy. | middle4647.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "watch movies"
},
"options": [
"grow vegetables",
"make emoney",
"buy things",
"watch movies"
],
"question": "According to the passage, people can't _ in the game.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}... | A computer game is very popular today. Many young office workers and students like playing it. People can "farm" on a piece of "land", and "grow vegetables, flowers and fruits" on the Net. They can make some emoney to buy more things.Here are different ideas about it.
Henry: I don't like any computer games. I think it's a waste of time.
Laura: I live in the city and I long for the life on the farm. So I like this game very much.
Allen: I often play this game with my friends. We have fun playing it.
Ivy: I'm a student. I think we students can use computers to do many useful things. But why do some of us choose to play computer games? It's bad for our studies. | middle6050.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He hoped to join the army."
},
"options": [
"He hurt his ear.",
"He hoped to join the army.",
"He wanted to get some medicine.",
"He was unhealthy."
],
"question": "Why did the young man take a medical examinati... | Last year Jim was going to join the army( ) and had to take a medical examination . The doctor was sitting at a desk when he went in. He said to the man, "Take your coat and shirt off, and sit on that chair."
Jim did so. The doctor looked at him for a moment without getting up from his chair and then said, "All right. Put your clothes on again."
"But you haven't examined me at all." the young man said in surprise.
"There is no need to do so," the doctor said with a smile. "When I told you to take your coat and shirt off, you heard me all right, so there is nothing wrong with your ears. You saw your chair, so your eyes are good. You could take your clothes off and sit on the chair, so you must be in good health. | middle8069.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Kevin's"
},
"options": [
"Danny's",
"Sally's",
"Millie's",
"Kevin's"
],
"question": "The pencil is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_... | Danny. . Danny:
The pencil is green. It's not mine. It's my friend Kevin's. The eraser is not Kevin's. It's Sally's. She has three erasers. The red pen is Millie's. The ruler is Millie's, too. The blue notebook is not Millie's. It's John's. What's mine? The key is. It's not in my schoolbag. It's in my jacket. Thank you, Kevin, Sally, Millie and John. | middle6044.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "both A and B"
},
"options": [
"learn things quickly",
"remember things easily",
"think about one thing",
"both A and B"
],
"question": "When you have good study habits, you will _ .",
"question_type": "cl... | All students should have good study habits. When you have good study habits, you can learn things quickly. You also remember them easily .
Do you like to study in the living-room? This is not a good place because it is usually too noisy. You should study in a quiet place, like your bedroom. A quiet place will help you only think about one thing, and you will learn better.
Before you begin to study, do not forget to clean your desk. A good desk light is important, too .You'll feel tired easily if there is not much light . | middle2222.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a lot"
},
"options": [
"a lot",
"a few",
"many",
"some"
],
"question": "People know quite _ about the moon now.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | The moon looks bigger than stars at night. But in fact, it is smaller than any stars. The moon looks big to us, because it is closer to us than the stars. The moon goes round the earth. It makes one trip about four weeks. The moon is round and looks beautiful. Now people know quite a lot about the moon. There is no air or water on the moon, so there are not any trees or animals or people on it. The moon gets its light from the sun, but some places on the moon are quite dark. It's very cold at night. | middle4653.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "at Mr. Johns' house"
},
"options": [
"at David's house",
"at Mr. Brown's house",
"in the office",
"at Mr. Johns' house"
],
"question": "A small party will be held _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Mr. Johns and Mr. Brown worked in the same office. One day Mr. Johns said to Mr. Brown, "I'm going to have a small party at my house next Wednesday evening. Would you and your wife like to join us?"
Mr. Brown said, "Thank you very much. That is very kind of you. We are free that evening, I think. But I will telephone my wife and ask her. Maybe she wants to go somewhere else that evening." So Mr. Brown went to the other room and telephoned. When he came back, he looked very sorry.
" What's the matter?" said Mr. Johns, "Did you speak to your wife?"
"No," answered Mr. Brown, "She wasn't there. My small son answered the telephone. I said to him, 'Is your mother there, David?' and he answered, 'No, she is not in the house.' 'Where is she then?' I asked. 'She is somewhere outside.' 'What is she doing?' 'She is looking for me.'" | middle4135.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Joan's friends visit her more often than she can accept"
},
"options": [
"Joan lives in a happy family and she has a lot of friends",
"Joan's friends visit her more often than she can accept",
"Joan doesn't like the parties a... | Dear Mr. Expert,
I grew up in a abusive home, I always promised myself that I'd get out as soon as possible. Now, at age 20, I have a good job and a nice house of my own, and I'm really proud .
Here's the problem: some of my friends who still live with their parents spend the weekends with me. But now they make mine theirs. They bring boy friends over, talk on the phone, etc.
I enjoy having my friends here sometimes -it makes the place feel comfortable and warm, but this is my home, not a party house, what shall I do?
Joan
Dear Joan,
If your family didn't pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.
And if you've gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family, you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of _ that you grew up in. You need to understand that in true friendship it's okay to put your own needs first from time to time.
Be clear about the message you want to send to your friends. For example, "I really love you, but I also need some personal space. So please call me before you come over ."
Edward | middle6722.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "mom and dad"
},
"options": [
"friends",
"mom and dad",
"classmates",
"brother and sister"
],
"question": "The most important people in your life are your _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Mom and dad are the most important people in your life. They have been looking after you since you were born, so you should always love them. You should also get on well with them. But some children don't know how to do this. Here are some ways to help you.
Spend more time with your parents. Don't spend too much time playing computer games or watching TV. Ask your parents to play with you. Talk or go outside with them.
Be kind to your parents. You can make them happy with a smile when you come home. You can send your mother a card on Mothers' Day or tell your father a joke on his birthday. You can also clean your room by yourself.
Work hard. If you do your best in your studies, your parents will be proud of you. | middle6911.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "important"
},
"options": [
"exciting",
"interesting",
"relaxing",
"important"
],
"question": "It's _ to make someone happy.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | "Now, children," she said. "Do any of you ever make someone else glad?"
"Yes, teacher," said a small boy. "I made someone glad yesterday."
"Well done. Who was that?"
"My granny."
"Good boy. Now tell us how you made your grandmother glad. "
"Yes, teacher. I went to see her yesterday, and stayed with her for three hours. Then, I said to her: "Granny, I' m going home," and she said: "Well, I' m glad!" | middle532.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Mei Lanfang's friends."
},
"options": [
"Mei Lanfang.",
"Mei Lanfang's students.",
"Mei Yanfang's students.",
"Mei Lanfang's friends."
],
"question": "Who did Li Yugang once learn from according to the passage?"... | A) LiYugang dresses like a woman and sings like a bird. He won the third prize in CCTV's Star Road in 2006. He sings folk songs. However, he seems to have the spirit of Mei Lanfang. In fact, the young man had learnt something from Mei Lanfang's students. People in China usually don't like cross-dressing . But people are really surprised at Li's beauty and _ when he sings and dances.
B) Do you know who invented QQ? It was Ma Huateng. He was born in Guangdong in 1971. He chose computer science when he entered Shenzhen University in 1989. He worked as a computer programmer for a company in Shenzhen for five years after he graduated in 1993. Later he left the company and started his own company in 1998.
C) Yue Fei was a famous hero of Southern Song Dynasty. He was born in a poor family in Henan Province. He was very brave and won many battles with his soldiers. But Qin Hui killed Yue Fei for Mo Xuyou. Later a temple about Yue Fei was built in memory of him at the foot of Qixia Ling by the West Lake, in Hangzhou. | middle3869.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "on foot"
},
"options": [
"on foot",
"by bus",
"by bike",
"in a car"
],
"question": "Tom passed the shop _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"ans... | The day was like any other day in his life, Tom walked past the shop on the street corner. He stopped to look at the front row of shoes, and he felt happy to see that the pair of shoes he wanted very much was still there. Looking down, he felt sorry for himself. He really wanted to have them for his birthday.
He sadly walked away and thought how to tell his mother about it. He knew she would give him anything he liked if she could. But he also knew very well she had little money. He decided not to go home at once, as he looked worried and his mother would notice it. So he went to the park and sat on the grass. Then he saw a boy in a wheel chair . He noticed that the boy moved the wheel with his hands. Tom looked at him carefully and was surprised to see the boy have no feet. He looked at his own feet. "It's much better to be without shoes than without feet, "he thought. There was no reason for him to feel so sorry and sad. He went away and smiled, thinking he was happier | middle4860.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "in the restaurant"
},
"options": [
"far away from the city",
"in the shop",
"in the restaurant",
"in the village"
],
"question": "Tom meets some old people _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | A very young boy, Tom, lives a long way from the city. One day he goes to the city to visit his friend, Jack. Jack asks Tom to have lunch together. They go into the restaurant and sit down at a table. Tom looks around and he sees some old people put eye glasses on before reading their books, so after lunch he goes to a shop to buy some glasses, too. He walks along the road, and soon finds a shop. The man in the shop makes him try on a lot of glasses, but Tom always says, "No, I can't read with these."
The man in the shop becomes more and more puzzled . At last he says, "Excuse me, but can't you read at all?"
"No, I can't." Tom says, "If I can read, do you think I come here to buy glasses?" | middle254.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "friend"
},
"options": [
"sister",
"brother",
"friend",
"cousin"
],
"question": "Kathy is Lucy's _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_tex... | My name is Lucy Smith.Lucy is my first name.Smith is my last name.I'm 13.My favorite color is purple.I'm in No.1 Middle School.I'm in Class2,Grade 7.
Kathy is my friend.She is 12.Her favorite color is blue.She is in my class,too.She is a good girl.Her telephone number is 828-6785.
Mr. Black is my English teacher.He is English.I often ask him for help.I often call him at 843-0018.Helen is his daughter.She is in China now.Her favorite color is red.Kathy and I are her friends.We all like her. | middle1918.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He was born without feet."
},
"options": [
"He can't see and hear anything.",
"He always gives trouble to his family.",
"He was born without feet.",
"He often argues with his partners."
],
"question": "What's wr... | When your dream is to become a footballer, nothing should get in your way--even if you have no feet.
Gabriel Muniz, an 11-year-old Brazil kid, was born without feet. Although his family thought he would have serious difficulties living a normal life, he started walking before he was one year old. His mother would go after him, expecting him to keep falling, but he never fell. It took him a while to make the jump from walking to playing football, but he did make it. And, in fact, there's nothing he loves more than playing football. In his school, the skillful youngster is not only the best player in his school team but also the captain of his gym team.
He knows that his disability means he'll never be able to play for a professional football team. So Gabriel is hoping that football will one day become a Paralympics sport. He proved to everyone there he could go head to head with any other boy. Watching him play is unbelievable. He's fast and he's got a big bag of tricks--he's very skilled and he does everything he can to copy his hero, Messi so much that he is invited to go to Spain to meet his hero Messi and show his talent in the Barcelona Football Club.
His coach says he is proving the disability only exists inside our heads and he is challenging the social
. | middle8082.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the university basketball team"
},
"options": [
"the university basketball team",
"the NBA",
"his high school at first",
"the Chicago Bulls"
],
"question": "He began to become famous in _ .",
"question_ty... | Michael Jordan is the most famous basketball player in the world. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. He didn't like to talk to other people about himself. He was also very short. He didn't play very well when he joined the basketball team in his high school at first. But the next year things changed greatly for him as he grew much taller.
Michael Jordan became famous when he joined the university basketball team in North Carolina. Michael used his speed and strength to reach the basket again. He played so well that people called him "Air Jordan".
After college, Michael became a basketball team member in the Chicago Bulls. The NBA was very surprised at this high-flying player. He was named "Rookie" of the year in 1985 and "Most Valuable Player" in 1987. He once set a record by getting 63 points in one game. | middle240.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "5"
},
"options": [
"4",
"5",
"6",
"7"
],
"question": "The writer gives us _ pieces of advice on healthy eating.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Healthy eating doesn't just mean what you eat, but how you eat. Here is some advice on healthy eating.
Eat with others. It can help you to see others' healthy eating habits. If you usually eat with your parents, you can find that the food you eat is more delicious
Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry. Have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty---sometimes you are just thirsty, you need no food. Stop eating before you feel full.
Eat breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After you don't eat for the past ten hours, your body needs food to get you going. You can be cleverer after eating breakfast.
Eat healthy snacks like fruits, yogurt or cheese. We all need snacks sometimes. In fact, it's a good idea to eat two healthy snacks between your three meals. This doesn't mean that you can eat a bag of chips instead of a meal.
Don't eat dinner late. With our busy life, we always put off eating dinner time. Try to eat dinner at least 3 hours before you go to bed. This will give your body a chance to
most of the food before you sleep. | middle8096.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "study English"
},
"options": [
"study English",
"visit friends",
"have fun",
"find a job"
],
"question": "They went to another country to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Here are three students' stories about studying in another country.
Mariko Okada - Tokyo
My year in the USA was full of fun. I like speaking to others, so I got lots of speaking practice. I also learned lots of interesting things about America. When I got home, my friends said I was better! I hope to go back to America again in the future.
Carla Fonseca - Rio de Janeiro
I spent last year studying English in London. There were so many people to talk to there, but I always felt bad about my English. I missed my family very much. I think it was great to study in London, but I'm glad to be at home!
Alvin Chen - Hong Kong
Studying in New Zealand was lots of hard work! I had English classes six hours a day, five days a week. I also kept a diary. I like writing, and I wrote about many things in my diary every day. On Saturdays, my homestay family took me to lots of interesting places and showed me so many wonderful things. I was really glad to stay there for a year! | middle6905.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"three",
"four",
"five",
"six"
],
"question": "Tom's parents invite _ people to Tom's birthday.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3... | Tom's tenth birthday is on this Sunday. His parents give him a birthday party on Saturday. They help him invite Mike, Simon and two other friends. The party is at Tom's home.
Tom's father buys nice food on the morning of Saturday. Mike brings Tom some interesting books. Simon buys a volleyball for Tom. Others give Tom some CDs. They have lunch at twelve thirty in the afternoon. After lunch, the boys and girls sing and dance happily. The party is over at four o'clock in the afternoon. | middle2593.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "took part in a surfing competition"
},
"options": [
"had his first music album",
"took part in a surfing competition",
"had his first concert",
"become popular all over the world"
],
"question": "In 1992, Jack ... | Jack Johnson is one of the most popular singer-songwriters in the world. Jack was born on May 18, 1975 in Hawaii. Being the son of a famous surfer, Jack naturally has an interest in surfing. Most of his life lessons were learned in the water. At the age of 17, Jack entered the finals of the Pineline Masters---the world's most famous surfing competition. Everyone thought Jack would become a professional surfer like his father. Unluckily, one month later, he had a deadly accident while surfing and was seriously hurt.
Life is like a revolving door. When it closes, it also opens. Jack started to practice playing the guitar and write songs when he was staying in hospital. At first, his father thought Jack only did it for fun, but soon he was surprised at the great progress his son had made.
When studying in the university, Jack didn't stop practicing his guitar skills. He played the guitar for school parties. He wrote songs and sang for his teachers and friends. They liked his songs. His first music album Brushfire Fairytalescame out in 2001. It was a great success. His second album,On and On, was much like his first one. They were filled with sweet, easy-going songs that everybody liked listening to. Later, Jack had lots of concerts in and out of America. He became popular all over the world.
Jack had five albums by 2010 and more than 15 million copies of them were sold. His music doesn't fit into any of the popular music styles like pop, rock, R&B or hip-hop. It is more like fold music, played with a guitar and beautiful voice. When listening to his songs, you feel like lying on the beach enjoying the warm sunshine.
Jack is a talent, though he himself says he is only a surfer who loves music. In his songs we can find his secret of success: Whatever happens in our lives, we have to accept it and do the best we can. | middle268.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a saleswoman or a manager"
},
"options": [
"a worker or a teacher",
"a nurse or a doctor",
"a saleswoman or a manager",
"a model or a driver"
],
"question": "Suzy wants to be _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_... | Suzy---I'm really good at selling things and communicating with others. I also love helping people. I hope to work for the sales department in a big company. I think I can be a good saleswoman or a manager.
Daniel---I really like making things with my hands. I also enjoy searching for something better or different. I don't enjoy working in the same place every day, and I hate being in noisy places. I think I'd like to be an artist or a computer engineer.
Billy---I'm good at talking and I really like children. I also want to keep people healthy. I'm patient and I'm willing to work extra hours. I think I can make a good doctor or a teacher.
Maria---I'm really interested in meeting people, and I enjoy wearing different clothes every day. I'm not so good at organizing time and computers. I am going to be a model or a social worker.
Millie---I enjoy helping people, but I _ working at nights or weekends, I think it's the time for me to relax. I want to be an accountant or a shopkeeper. | middle6093.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "three"
},
"options": [
"two",
"three",
"four",
"five."
],
"question": "The writer mentions _ main factors to make a news story really great.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | To write a great news story , you have to make sure it is correct , relevant and fresh..
For a start, all the information in a story must be correct. Not only the spelling and grammar, but also the facts.
Any mistakes that appear in a story can get a newspaper into big trouble.
For example, if a newspaper said that Yang Liwei was the first man to go into space, it would be wrong. He wasn't the first. The newspaper would probably lose lots of readers because of that mistake.
A news story is not only correct ,but also relevant to its readers . People are mostly interested in news that happens near to them . That is why you care more about what happens at your school that at American schools. It is also why newspapers in Beijing don 't talk about much news in Shanghai or Hong Kong.
Finally, news must always be fresh . When you pick up your evening newspaper, you want to read about news that happens that day. You don't want to read about news from last week !
So, now you know what makes a good news story . Have a good look at our newspaper and see if it is full of good news .you can try writing a news story for our newspaper like a real reporter. | middle1924.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "September 22nd"
},
"options": [
"February 2\nnd",
"June 5th",
"July 5\nth",
"September 22nd"
],
"question": "The first No Car Day fell on _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | No Car Day was first started by 34 cities in France on September 22,1998.It was started to protect the environment.By now,more than 1,000 cities around the world have had a No Car Day.
The first No Car Day in China was in Chengdu in 2001.Other cities,including Taipei,Shanghai and Wuhan,also support the day.
In Beijing,more and more people are joining the campaign.It asks drivers to leave their cars at home for one day each month and walk or ride a bike to work.It also calls on Beijingers not to use cars on June 5(World Environment Day).The _ for the day is,"If we drive for one less day,we can have one more nice day."
So far,more than 200,000 drivers have shown their support."We can't control the weather,but we can choose not to drive,"said Wu Zonghua,a car club chairman.Beijing is trying to have 238 blue sky days this year.In the first quarter of 2012,Beijing only had 52 blue sky days.This was 11 days less than the number for the same period the year before.Much of the dust comes from the desert,but cars cause most of the air pollution.We must do more for No Car Day. | middle4684.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "By airplane"
},
"options": [
"By train",
"By bus",
"By airplane",
"By ship"
],
"question": "How did Mr.Green want to go to London?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answe... | One afternoon Mrs.Green's husband wanted to catch the 3:30 flight to London to have an important meeting. She was very surprised when he telephoned her at 5 o'clock and said that he was still at the airport.
"What happened to you?"asked Mrs Green.
"Well," said Mr. Green, "Everything was going fine. I got my ticket, checked my luggage and waited in line at the gate. I walked across the runway to the airplane and I saw my friend Jack Scott, who was an airplane engineer. I shouted to him and a policeman caught me."
"Why did he catch you?"
"I don't know,"said Mr.Green, "As soon as he heard my shout, he ran towards me and caught me."
"What did you shout to your friend?"
"All I said was 'Hi, Jack'. You know that's the usual way we say hello to our friends."
"But you don't know the sentence 'Hi,Jack' also means to take control of a plane by force." | middle1930.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Good schooling."
},
"options": [
"A good school.",
"Good schooling.",
"Doing much homework.",
"Having evening classes."
],
"question": "What do people in Singapore always think is the ticket to success?",
"q... | How much do you know about school life in Singapore?
In Singapore, many middle school students spend a lot of time on their studies. People there always think that good schooling is the ticket to success . So, many of these students try their best to get good results in their exams. They have a lot of homework every day and exams are usually a big problem to them. Sometimes, a few even have to go to evening classes after school.
Schools have many activities outside school hours. The students can join in sports and games, music and dance, swimming and rock-climbing. They also join in community service.
In their free time, most students like to listen to pop music. Hollywood movies, Hong Kong and Singapore movies are very popular, too. Some of them also spend their free time searching the Internet, e-mailing their friends, playing computer and video games.
They sometimes go to cafes, fast-food restaurants, shopping centers and big bookstores.
So life for middle school students in Singapore is not easy but rich and colorful. | middle7399.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Africa."
},
"options": [
"Europe",
"America",
"Africa.",
"Asia"
],
"question": "Tom and Joseph went on a trip in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Tom and Joseph are best friends. They spent their summer vacation in Africa. When they were walking through the desert , they started to argue about something. Tom became very angry and slapped Joseph in the face.
Joseph felt hurt, but he didn't say anything to Tom. Then Joseph wrote in the sand : "Today my best friend slapped me in the face."
They kept on walking until they found a small lake. They decided to have a bath . But when Joseph got in the water, he started to sink . Tom jumped in after him and pulled him out. His friend saved his life.
After he became well again, Joseph wrote on a stone : "Today my best friend saved my life."
Tom couldn't understand it. "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand. Now you write on a stone. Why?" he asked.
_ " Joseph answered. "But when someone does something good for us, we must write it on stones so that no wind can ever take it away." | middle3699.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "strange"
},
"options": [
"strange",
"angry",
"excited",
"bored"
],
"question": "The writer felt _ when seeing a boy sitting on the stairs at the beginning of the story.",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | One year ago, I worked at a Chinese traditional medicine store. Business was not bad. Every day we mixed medicinal herbs for patients, so the store was always full of a strong herbal smell. After I had worked there for a time, a boy of 13 or 14 started coming and sitting on the stairs outside the store for a while every day. It seemed strange to me.
"Do you like the herbal smell?" I asked him one day.
"I grew up with this kind of smell," he said. He told me that his mother took herbal medicine for years, so he could mix herbs for his mother when he was very young. He mixed the herbs with deep love, hoping his mother would get better as soon as possible.
"Is your mother well now? I asked.
He shook his head. "My mother passed away three years ago." Looking up into the sky, he went on: "When I first passed by here and smelled the herbs, I thought of my mother. It is comforting to remember those days when she was alive. So I come here every day to sit for a moment. When I sit around this smell, I feel as if my mother is still alive and is waiting for her medicine in her room. | middle4479.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "when Diana didn't get Vivien's sandwich"
},
"options": [
"because she was too good for anyone",
"when Diana didn't get Vivien's sandwich",
"though she asked the writer to forgive",
"so Diana walked away"
],
"q... | It is a very usual thing for a person to have a good friend. My good friend is Diana. She is a rich and proud girl. She often thinks that she is too good for anyone.
One day after school, I was waiting for Diana when Vivien came up to me. She gave me a cake, I got it. We talked and joked. From then on, I began to spend more time with Vivien than Diana. However, I also began to feel a little uneasy.
After a few days, I went to see Diana with some snacks and at that time Vivien came and sat with me. She gave me a sandwich. She also gave one to Diana, but Diana didn't get it. She walked away. I was angry with Diana for being so rude.
"Never mind," Vivien said , " I'm used to it."
After school, I tried to catch up with Diana. When we walked home, I tried to correct her attitude , but she would not listen to me. She said, "Go and join your 'dear' Vivien. I know you make new friends and forget the old ones."
For the next few weeks, we did not talk to each other. Then, one day, Diana came to Vivien and me, saying, "I'm really sorry about what I did. I'm a spoiled girl, but I also need good friends just like you. Would you please forgive me? Vivien and I looked at each other and smiled. From then on, Diana, Vivien and I are best friends. | middle5767.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "science and nature"
},
"options": [
"having medical classes",
"the work of a minister",
"sailing around the world",
"science and nature"
],
"question": "Darwin was very interested in _ .",
"question_type"... | One of the most famous scientists to study adaptations was Charles Darwin . He was born in England in 1809. He wasn't the best student in his school, but when he was 16, his father sent him to a medical school. Charles liked spending time outdoors observing nature more than having medical classes. He dropped out without graduating.
Next, Charles' father sent him to school to become a minister . This time he made it to graduation, but he didn't want to do the work of a minister. His friends encouraged him to follow his interest in science.
Luckily, Charles was invited to sail on the Beagle as an unpaid scientist after graduation. The Beagle was to travel to South America and then around the world. Their task was to make maps of the places they visited.
On December 27th, 1831. Charles Darwin sailed from England on the Beagle. The trip was planned to last two years. In fact, it lasted five. During this time, he saw many amazing things. He collected lots of plants and animals and took them back to England to begin his scientific study.
Twenty-three years later, Darwin published a scientific paper with another man named Wallace. Darwin described how some animals have adaptations that help them survive. _ are passed on to offspring . Darwin's ideas about adaptations are still very important to the study of living things. | middle1501.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "in the street"
},
"options": [
"in a club",
"in the street",
"at home",
"in a training center"
],
"question": "Ding Junhui's father usually played snooker ---When Ding Junhui was young.",
"question_type": "... | Snooker is a big sport in China.It is said that there are 300 million snooker players in China, so it's not surprised that some of the world's best players come from China.Ding Junhui is one of them.
When Ding Junhui was eight years old, there were not many snooker clubs.His father often played with his friends on a table in the street,and one day Ding Junhui played with one of his father friends and beat him.His father,a shoe salesman,discovered that his son was talented at snooker.He then took Ding Junhui to China's nation snooker training center in Dongguan,Guangdong Province.There.they lived in a room of five square meters.When they ran out of money.Ding's father phoned his wife and told her to sell their house.
After years of hard training,Ding turned professional in 2003 and became China's No.1.In 2005.more than 100 million people watched Ding Junhui win the 2005 World Snooker China Open.Since then, snooker has become more and more popular in China.
"When I was a small boy, snooker was not in the top 10 favorite sports in China,"Ding says."Table tennis was top, followed by soccer, basketball and badminton.Now,basketball is top,but snooker is surely in the top five." | middle8243.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Traveling to space."
},
"options": [
"Visiting a movie sat.",
"Living in Brazil.",
"Traveling to space.",
"Seeing her favorite band."
],
"question": "What is No.1 at Lindsay's bucket list?",
"question_type":... | Have you ever wanted to see the Great Wall of China, or win an Oscar for Best Director, or swim with dolphins ? If so, you are not alone. We all have things we want to do or achieve. These are part of our "bucket lists". A bucket is a list of things that someone wants to experience in his or her lifetimes. These things can be big or small. Have you ever thought about what is on your bucket list?
Lindsay, 15, created her bucket list when she was 14. She has given her list serious thought. "I've always wanted to travel into space," she says. "I don't really want to be an astronaut. But I do want to go to space as a tourist. I want to see the Earth from above." Other things on her list include being on TV, seeing her favorite band in concert, learning how to speak Portuguese , and living in a foreign country. "I've always wanted to live in Brazil. As part of my bucket list, I want to attend Carnival in the capital of Brazil," she says.
Jose, 16, recently created a list of things he wants to achieve. It changes sometimes he adds and takes away things because he wants to keep the number of the things at seven. One thing has stayed at number one, though: he wants to visit a movie set . He would like to see the Harry Potter of The Hobbit movie sets. Other things on the list include being on TV, meeting his favorite sports star, living in a foreign country, skateboarding down a mountain, attending the World Cup, and backpacking across Europe. He would like to spend two months visiting Eastern Europe with his best friend Adam. "Maybe after I graduate from college," says Jose.
Carrie, 14, also has a bucket list. She first created it when she was 12. She would like to live in a foreign country for at least two years. She also wants to learn as many foreign languages as possible. But the number one thing on her list is to see her favorite band in concert. She also wants to go on a trip and to visit a movie set. Her favorite movies are the Hunger Games and Star Wars. Carrie is confident she will do most or all of the things on her bucket list. "I'm only 14," she says, "I have my whole life ahead of me!" | middle7170.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The father used his invention to stop children watching too much TV."
},
"options": [
"The father used his invention to stop children watching too much TV.",
"It was very bad for the drivers to blow into a bag before their driving.... | There are some very good inventions which, for one reason or another, don't become popular. These inventions should be better known, even though I think that some of them are crazy. Let's have a look at some of these inventions and see if you agree that they should be more successful.
The Australians had a great idea to stop people from drinking and driving. The idea was that if a driver wanted to start the car, she or he would have to blow into a bag first. If there was too much alcohol in their breath, the car wouldn't start. It sounded like a great idea to me, but people said that they might need to drive the car in an emergency even if they had drunk too much alcohol. Another idea I liked was an invention by a scientist who thought his children watched too much TV. He connected the TV to an exercise bike so that the electricity to power the TV was produced by the bike. If the children wanted to watch a lot of TV, they had to pedal very hard. I found another invention on the Internet which encouraged good habits. Believe it or not, this invention was an ashtray which spoke to you when you lit a cigarette! The "voice" of the ashtray was started by the heat from the cigarette and reminded you how dangerous it is to smoke.
One of the strangest inventions I have come across is a bicycle which can cross rivers! The idea was that when you came to a river, you could _ a huge plastic ball all around the bike. You would then get into the ball which would float on the river while you pedaled the bike inside the ball! Why not use a bridge instead? A friend of mine at school once bought a strange pair of football shoes. On the bottom of the shoes there was a rotating pad of studs . The idea was that you would change direction more quickly if the studs rotated with you. The problem was that every time you stopped you changed direction whether you wanted to or not! I think he wore those shoes twice! One thing I would like is a baseball cap with a built-in radio so you can listen to sport all day with your hands free. While we are on the subject of sport, the Americans invented a kind of robot for sports fans. If you were watching your team on TV on your own, you could press a button and the robot would do "high fives" with you! Fantastic! I wonder if you have any good ideas for inventions like these. | middle7616.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "ask her mother for help"
},
"options": [
"give up",
"be nervous",
"ask her friends for help",
"ask her mother for help"
],
"question": "The writer used to _ when she had something difficult to do.",
"quest... | What will you do when you have something difficult to do? I used to ask my mother for help. But she always said, "Do it yourself, dear." or "God helps those who help themselves , girl." I was not glad at all. I thought she was the laziest mother in the world.
For example, one day, I decided to invite some friends to my home. My bedroom was not in order. Books were everywhere. And I didn't make the bed. I asked my mother to help me to clean it, but she still said, "Do it yourself, girl."
Because of my"lazy mother", I have to wash my clothes and clean my room. I have to help my parents do some housework. I even have to go to the dentist by myself. It is really hard for me to do everything well, but I have learned a lot.
As time goes by, I come to understand my mother. She makes me clever and active! What a great mother! | middle6508.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "run to each base in order and touch it with his foot"
},
"options": [
"run to each base freely",
"touch the home plate first",
"touch all the bases with his hands",
"run to each base in order and touch it with his foot"... | American English is full of colorful expressions. One such expression is to touch all bases.
There are four bases in baseball - first, second, third and home plate. When a baseball player hits the ball, he must run to each base - in order - and touch it with his foot. It is the only way to get a point. If the player hits the ball and fails to touch all the bases, the point will not be counted.
The importance of touching all the bases was shown at the start of the 1974 baseball seasons.
Hank Aaron was a player with the Atlanta Braves team. He was trying to find the record for hitting the most home runs . Aaron needed just one home run to be well matched with the record held by Babe Ruth, the greatest hitter in baseball history. Aaron got that home run the very first time he had a chance to hit the ball. That gave him 714 home runs - the same as Babe Ruth. After that day, baseball fans held their breath every time when it was Hank Aaron's turn to hit. When would he hit home run number 715?
The wait was not long. In the second week of the season, Aaron again hit the ball over the wall. He had beaten Babe Ruth's record. But first, he had to run around the four bases. The other players on his team watched carefully to make sure he touched each one.
So, to touch all bases means to do what is necessary to complete an activity.
The expression is used to business and politics. No business deal or political events are really complete until you discuss all the problems involved. Or, as it is said, until you touch all bases. | middle5001.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She helped Bach keep his works."
},
"options": [
"She helped Bach keep his works.",
"Many of Bach's works were for her.",
"She gave Bach a lot of good ideas about music.",
"Her money helped Bach write music."
],
... | Welcome to your favorite show-"Music Land" ! This month we are going to have some special shows on Bach, the Father of Music.
Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Germany in 1685. During his life, Bach wrote a lot of music for the church and for his students, but he himself did not keep his own works carefully. Luckily, his second wife saved them for him, so today we can still remember Bach through his music.
Bach married twice in his life and had 20 children. He loved his family very much. He wrote music for one of his daughters to tell her that too much coffee was bad for her health. I am now going to play a song for you from this interesting Coffee Cantata. And we will hear more about Bach after this song. | middle3470.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She was unable to speak good English."
},
"options": [
"She was unable to speak good English.",
"She was often treated unfairly.",
"She was not clearly heard.",
"She was not very polite."
],
"question": "Why was... | When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother's Chinese English. Because of her Chinese English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother realized that she was poor at English. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was made to ask for information or even to shout at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker . I said in an adolescent voice that was not very certain, "This is Mrs. Tan." My mother was standing beside me saying, "Why he doesn't send me check, already two weeks late." And then, in perfect English I said: "I'm getting rather worried. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived." My mother then talked more loudly. "What he want? I come to New York to tell him in front of his boss." And so I turned to the stockbroker again, "I can't accept any more excuse. If I don't receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week."
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother's broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother's English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped me see things, express ideas, and _ the world. | middle5015.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "just one customer could get free goods once a week"
},
"options": [
"customers could buy things at lower prices once a week",
"the customer who bought the least goods didn't have to pay",
"just one customer could get free goo... | A new supermarket put on a notice inside the entrance. It said, "Remember, once a week, one of our customers gets free goods(things that cost nothing). This may be your lucky day!" All the housewives who went to the supermarket had one great hope: to be the lucky customer who didn't have to pay for her shopping.
For several weeks Mrs. Blake hoped to be the lucky customer. Unlike many other customers, she never gave up hope. The cupboards in her kitchen were full of things she did not need. She dreamed of the day, when the manager of the supermarket would come and say to her, "Madam, this is your lucky day and everything in your basket is free."
One Friday morning, after she finished her shopping and had taken all the things to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy tea. She went to the supermarket, got the tea and went towards the check-out. As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket come to her. "Madam," he said, "congratulations! You are our lucky customer and everything in your basket is free!" | middle3464.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "On April 20,2013"
},
"options": [
"On April 28,2013",
"On May 12,2008",
"On April 20,2013",
"On May 20,2013"
],
"question": "When did the 7.0-magnitude earthquake happen in Lushan Sichuan Province?",
"questi... | (By CCTV correspondent Vanessa Duffy 04/28/2013 08:36)
It's been eight days since a 7.0-magnitude strong earthquake hit China's Lushan Ya'an Sichuan Province.How the earthquake has affected one of Sichuan Province's special residents --pandas.How are the animals living? And do they have enough food to eat?
There are more than 80 pandas living here at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Base .The quake was felt strongly in Chengdu.Fortunately,all of the pandas here were out on the grounds when the earthquake hit,so they were very safe.
Several days have passed and the earthquake seems to have made no negative impact on the pandas.These two baby pandas Chengshuang and Chengdui are playfighting with each other and climbing trees.When they climbed too high,the breeders have to _ them from the trees.
The quake zone is not only the home of these pandas,it's also the source of their food.Fortunately,enough bamboo has been stored away in five bamboo storehouses for the pandas,so there are no worries about food supplies.
Wu Kongju,Breeder,Chengdu Panda Breeding Base,said,"When the Wenchuan earthquake happened on May 12,2008,we were unprepared and had a shortage of bamboo.But we've been able to handle this earthquake event more smoothly.There are no problems with the food supply." | middle1515.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Purple."
},
"options": [
"Purple.",
"Black and white.",
"Blue and read.",
"Orange."
],
"question": "What color is the pencil box?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | Hi, I'm Tom.I have a pencil box.It's big and it's purple.It's my good friend.It's from my mom.What's in the pencil box? My ruler is in it.It's blue and red.That is a pencil.It is black and white.It's not my pencil.It's Cindy.She likes black and white.You can see a green pen and an eraser in it, too.The pen isn't mine.I find it in the classroom this morning.It's Tim's.His name is on it.He isn't at school now.Tim's telephone number is 8069--4725.I can call him.The nice eraser is my sister ,Linda's. | middle7164.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the photos of elephant"
},
"options": [
"a visit to a zoo",
"an elephant expert from India",
"the photos of elephant",
"an old friend who lived in India"
],
"question": "Chris got the idea to make a trip around ... | Chris Jones recently completed a very unusual journey. Our reporter Mary Owen met him at
his home in the south of London and be told her all about the trip.
Reporter: What gave you the idea to make a trip around India on an elephant, Chris?
Chris: Well, it all started the idea two years ago when I was planning a trip to India. I visited a
photo exhibition of elephants and I realized that the only enjoyable way to make a trip around
India was on an elephant.
Reporter: What did you do next?
Chris: I flew to New Delhi and started looking for an elephant, I needed an elephant trained to
carry people. I didn't know anything about elephants, so I asked an expert for help. He
taught me how to ride an elephant. He also helped me find an elephant.
Reporter: How long did it take to find a suitable elephant?
Chris: Not too long. I bought a female elephant called Tara for about 6, 000 dollars.
Reporter: Can you tell me about the journey?
Chris: Tara and I set off from New Delhi a week later. We were going to Sonepur in northern
India. There is a big elephant market there and I could sell Tara easily. And what a ride! Elephants
can travel at about 6 miles an hour and Sonepur is more than 1, 200 km away. It took us 64 days to
complete the journey.
Reporter: Did you have any problems on your journey?
Chris: Yes, a few. But nothing serious. On the third day, Tara hurt her foot. Btu that got better
quickly. Also, there was a lot of heavy rain during the first week and we got very wet!
Reporter: What happened when you reached Sonepur?
Chris: My plan was to sell Tara. But I was very fond of her. I couldn't take her back to Britain
and I didn't want to sell her at the market. I happened to meet some people who wanted an
elephant for their national park in southern India. I knew that Tara would be safe with them, so I
gave her to them. I was very sad to say goodbye. | middle3302.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"four",
"five",
"three",
"six"
],
"question": "There are _ people in David's family.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"ans... | My name is David. I am an English boy. My families are in Beijing. My father and mother work there. I have a sister, but no brothers. My sister and I are students of a middle school in Beijing. We love China. We have a nice house in Beijing. My room is big. There is a bed, a desk and a computer in it. My books are on my desk and next to my computer. There are some pop singers' pictures on the wall. I like them. | middle6252.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "On foot."
},
"options": [
"By car.",
"On foot.",
"By bus.",
"By bike."
],
"question": "How did the little girl go to school every day?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0... | A little girl walked to and from school every day.Though it was not fine and clouds appeared in the sky that morning, the little girl made her daily trip to school as usual. When school was over, winds became stronger and it began to rain.
The mother of the little girl felt worried that her daughter would be afraid when she walked home from school and that lightning might make her child scared. Following the bright light of lightning, the mother quickly got into her car and drove to her child's school.
As the mother drove along the road, she saw her little girl walking alone in the rain. To her great surprise, she found that when a lightning came, her daughter stopped, looked up and smiled. Another lightning came and then another followed. With each lightning, the little girl stopped, looked up and smiled.
Inside the car, the motherasked her daughter, "What were you doing? Why did you look up and smile when the lightning came ?" The little girl answered with a smile, "Mum, you know, God was looking at me. Each time I felt a little afraid walking in the rain.God would take a picture of me. I knew he was playing a game with me''. | middle4445.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It is important to keep your eyes healthy."
},
"options": [
"It is important to keep your eyes healthy.",
"People seldom pay attention to eye health.",
"It is necessary to give your kids carrots.",
"All the eye disease ... | If your mother told you to eat carrots so you'd be able to see in the dark, she was right. It turns out that feeding kids carrots is just one of a number of things to keep eyes healthy. Other things include regular eye exams, and sunglasses or hats are also very helpful, experts say.
While eye disease is sometimes hereditary , some are still preventable , said Dr. Ron Weber, an Atlanta-based ophthalmologist. For example, nearsightedness, "not only has a genetic component but is also influenced by how kids use their eyes during childhood," he told Reuters Health by phone.
He said that extended close work, such as reading, has long been thought to cause nearsightedness. Recent support has come from a study in which people with a higher level of education were more likely to have nearsightedness, because they spend more time reading or working on computers. Another study showed that children who spend more time outdoors are less likely to become nearsighted.
But these findings don't mean kids should be stopped from reading or working on the computer. Instead, Weber suggests, make sure a child's environment is bright enough while they are doing close work. Parents should also help kids get into the habit of holding their reading material at the perfect distance - about 18 to 22 inches, he said. Finally, taking a break every five minutes or so, to let the eyes relax and focus on an object in the distance, will also help.
One of the most important things a parent can do to help _ eye disease and vision problems is to make sure their child gets regular eye exams, beginning early in life. "The majority of vision problems in children are preventable and treatable," said Dr. Ida Chung. | middle5983.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "flying"
},
"options": [
"diving",
"flying",
"swimming",
"catching fish"
],
"question": "Penguins can do the following except _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | Penguins are lovely animals. Most people like them. But now as many as 10 of the 17 kinds of penguins are in danger of disappearing. The number of penguins has decreased by ( ) 30% since 1987.
Penguins are black and white birds that live in the southern part of the world. They are common in the Antarctic Continent ,New Zealand, Australia and South America. Many live near cold waters . But some live near warm waters in Galapagos Islands. Penguins cannot fly, but they are fine swimmers. The shape of their body helps them to survive. Penguins eat fish and krill . They have short wings that help them to dive up to 900 feet to catch larger fish. They can swim 10-15 kilometers an hour which lets them protect themselves. They also have lots of body oil that helps in keeping them dry in the water.
The warming of the earth is the reason for the decrease in the number of penguins. The hotter and hotter air has caused ocean waters to become warmer. Higher water temperature has decreased the fish and krill. Some years later these birds are completely unable toreproduce. And many adult penguins die of hunger.
Too much fishing, exploration for oil and oil leaks also make penguins be in danger. Poisonous things in ocean waters are another danger. Penguins also have their enemies, including sharks, seals and sea lions. | middle2034.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Making sure if what she reads is true."
},
"options": [
"Refusing to read.",
"Reading more poems.",
"Writing letters to experts.",
"Making sure if what she reads is true."
],
"question": "What new habit does Li ... | Li Siyi, a student from Jinan Foreign Language School, takes up a new habit. She refuses to believe everything that she reads. "Not everything in books is true," she said.
Many other students in her school think the same thing as Li. They learned this through finding a mistake in their Chinese textbook. They learned a Tang poem, Ci Beigu Shanxia, last year. There was a picture that showed a boat in full sail on a river. "But according to the famous line from the poem, feng zheng yifan xuan, the sail shouldn't be spread ," said Zhang Jiayi, Li's classmate.
To get the right answer, the students turned to their Chinese teacher, Liu Yan. Liu and the students looked up books, searched on the Internet and made sure that the People's Education Press had really made a mistake about the picture.
The students wrote a letter to them about the mistake. "I think my students did a right thing but I never expected a reply," said Liu. "I took it as a way of letting them know the importance of spirit of questioning."
To their surprise, one month later, they got the reply from Gu Zhenbiao, the expert of Chinese textbooks in middle schools. Gu said sorry for the mistake and he also said he really thinks the students are very great.
When Liu read the letter loudly to all the students, everyone was excited. "We are very happy we have our own ideas!" said Li. | middle4323.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "by bus"
},
"options": [
"by bike",
"by bus",
"by car",
"by trolley"
],
"question": "I am going home _ now.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"an... | It's time to go home now. I am on a bus on a rainy day, and a woman with a dog gets on the bus. It is a big dog and its feet are not clean.
I don't want the dog to sit near me. But the woman says to the conductor . "Oh, I pay for my dog. Can he sit here like the other people?"
The conductor looks at the dog and says, "Yes, madam, but he must not put his feet on the chair." | middle917.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "On a Sunday morning."
},
"options": [
"On a Sunday afternoon.",
"On a Sunday morning.",
"At noon.",
"In the evening."
],
"question": "When did the story happen?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer":... | It was Sunday and Tom was staying home. After breakfast he went out into the garden and played quietly by himself. There were no kids around and he was used to playing alone quietly. He played with Bobby, the dog. He climbed up and down the trees. Sometimes a bird would come down to perch on top of the doghouse.
Then Tom would have the greatest fun by throwing a stone or something at it. Though he never made it, he did like doing this kind of things.
Now Tom had been in the garden for half an hour. Suddenly a crack was heard and the little boy began crying.
"What's the matter, Tom?" his mother looked through the kitchen window.
Tom ran into the kitchen.
"Mum," he sobbed , "I broke Bobby's plate. I didn't know it was so fragile ."
His mother put her arms round him and said, "Don't feel too bad, Tom. We have other plates for Bobby. But how did you break that one?"
"I throw this at a bird but missed, and it went straight to the plate." In Tom's hand was his father's gold pocket watch. ! | middle903.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "1930"
},
"options": [
"1920",
"1930",
"1940",
"1950"
],
"question": "Tu Youyou was born in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": ... | Tu Youyou, aged 85, is a medical scientist at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.she has just become the first Chinese woman to win a Nobel prize, for helping discover artemisinin,a new kind of medicine known as "Qing-hao-su" in Chinese in 1971 and dihydroartemisinin, used also to treat malaria .
The discovery of "Qing-hao-su" and its use in treating malaria are regarded as the most important breakthrough in tropical medicine in the 20th century. It is also a major health improvement for people in developing tropical countries in south Asia, Africa, and South America.
This is the first time her work has been widely recognized in China, and it also marks the first time China has won a Nobel prize in the sciences.The last time a Chinese national won a Nobel Prize was in 2012, when Mo Yan got the literature award.
Tu also received several medical awards in the past including the 2011 Lasker Award in Clinical Medicine for the same achievements.Tu was the first native Chinese who was educated and works in China to win the Lasker award, too. | middle6520.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "key"
},
"options": [
"house",
"car",
"sleeping bag",
"key"
],
"question": "Mike will leave a _ to his neighbor at No.2 1",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | Dear John,
I'm very happy about your coming to Chichester next week.The day after tomorrow is Monday and I have to go away on business for three days.I'11 leave a key to my neighbor at No.2 1.So you won't have to wait before l come back.Now let me tell you how to get here.
Walk up Star Road until you come to the first set of traffic lights and then turn right.
Walk along the road and then turn left at the first turning.Go straight,and Landsdowne Road is the second on the right.There you can find my house,the door at No.22.
Oh !I nearly forget the most important thing--please bring a sleeping bag because we may go camping.Well,I must go now.1 have to go and take the car from the garage on
Land Road.My car is in the garage because there is something wrong with its front lights.
Hope to see you soon
Yours,
Mike | middle5029.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "parents' bad sleeping habits"
},
"options": [
"too much homework",
"pressure from parents",
"TV and computer games",
"parents' bad sleeping habits"
],
"question": "Scientists worry that _ may cause children t... | In America, most people don't get enough sleep. Children aged 5 to 12 are advised to sleep 10 to 11 hours every night, but most of them can't sleep that long. A study found that about 41 million American workers got less than six hours of sleep every night. Scientists worry that parents are passing their bad sleeping habits down to their children.
In the study, Reut Gruber and some other scientists either added or reduced on hour of sleep for healthy children aged 7 to 11. They watched the children for five nights. They wanted to know if the amount of sleep can affect a child's behavior.
Before the study began, students were asked to sleep the same amount of hours as usual. Their teachers were asked to record their behavior. After five nights of the records, scientists found that those who slept one hour less behaved worse than those who slept one hour more. Students with less sleep were more likely to feel sad and had more problems paying attention.
The scientists chose to study children in their homes instead of in a laboratory, because they wanted to find out how everyday changes might affect children's behavior at school. "In the study, nobody became a talent, and nobody became crazy. But small changes in children can really make a big difference," says Gruber. | middle2746.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "London"
},
"options": [
"David",
"Paul's friend",
"Shanghai",
"London"
],
"question": "The letter is from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"a... | Dear David,
How are you? I'm fine. I'm in London , at a school of English. I'm in Class Seven. It has eight students. They are from different countries ----Spain, Japan , Argentina, Switzerland and Thailand. Our teacher's name is Henry Briscall. He's very nice. He's a good teacher.
I live with an English family, Mr. and Mrs. Brown. They have two sons and a daughter. Thomas is fourteen, Catherine is twelve, and Andrew is seven. They are all very friendly to me, and we are good friends.
London is very big and very interesting. The weather is good and the parks are nice! Hyde Park, Green Park and St. James' Park are all in the city center .
English food is OK, but the coffee is not good!
Are you all right at home in Shanghai? Is everything OK? Write to me.
Love,
Paul | middle4337.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She felt worried."
},
"options": [
"She felt excited.",
"She felt happy.",
"She felt worried.",
"She felt wonderful."
],
"question": "How did Mrs. White feel when she saw her son playing late?",
"question_ty... | "Tom? Are you in bed yet?" called Mrs.White. There was no answer. Mrs. White put down her book and went to her 14-year-old son's room. Tom was sitting in front of a bright computer screen on which a motorbike was running fast.
"Oh, Tom. You're still playing on that computer game. You must stop now, it's half past eleven. If you don't go to bed soon, you'll be very tired tomorrow, " said Mrs. White."But I've nearly won the game, " Tom said to Mrs. White. She could see the excitement on his face. She sat down beside him."You're always playing on the computer. You spend more time on this machine than on your homework. "
Today more and more families have computers. Parents hope computers can help their children improve their study at school. But many of their children use computers to play games and watch videos instead of studying. We often see that computer net bars are crowded with people, especially young boys. They spend a lot of money competing with the computerized machines. The more they lose, the more they want to win. The result is that they don't want to work or study.
In some countries, even scientists hate computers. They say computers cause millions of people to lose their jobs or cause them a lot of trouble. Computer game addiction is a serious problem in social life. Something has to be done to solve the problem. | middle4451.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "at the counter"
},
"options": [
"in the middle",
"in the centre",
"at the counter",
"in the front"
],
"question": "Mr Black sits _ of the teashop one morning.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Mr Black goes into his usual teashop one morning, and sits in one of the seats at the counter . Many other people also come in, but none of them stays long.
About fifteen minutes later, a young man and a young woman come in. There are only two empty seats at the counter, one on Mr Black's left, and the other on his right. The woman sits on one seat, and the young man sits on the other, but Mr Black immediately asks to change seats with the young man so that he and the young woman can be together.
"Oh, that isn't necessary," the young man says, but Mr Black insists . When the young man and the young woman are side by side, he says to her, "Well, this old man is very kind. He wants us to sit together. May I introduce myself? My name is John. What's your name?" | middle6246.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "school clubs"
},
"options": [
"school clubs",
"school life",
"new friends",
"favorite sports"
],
"question": "Grace wants to know Jane's _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | Dear Grace,
How are you? Thank you for your last e-mail. You want to know about my school clubs, right ? Well, it's time for us to join the school clubs now. There are many clubs in my school, like the English club, the art club, the music club and the sports club. I have two good friends, Jack and Lisa. We all want to join the school clubs.
I want to join the music club, because I can play the guitar. I can't speak English well, but I also want to join the English club.
Jack likes sports. He can play soccer and basketball. He is in the school soccer team . He wants to join the sports club. He can play the guitar, too. But he doesn't want to join the music club.
Lisa likes drawing. She wants to join the art club. She also speaks English very well. I think she can be in the English club. But she can't be in the music club. She can't play any instruments .
Are there any clubs in your school? What club are you in?
Please write an e--mail and tell me about your school clubs.
Yours,
Jane | middle1529.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "We found a new home in another planet by the year 2400."
},
"options": [
"Only a few people changed their lifestyle in the 20th century.",
"There was no clean water for people to drink by the year 2200.",
"All the fish died b... | Ladies and gentlemen, I returned to this year in a time machine. In the year 2500, we are able to travel through time to any year in the history of the earth. This year is your last chance your lifestyle to save the earth.
Beginning in the middle of the 20th century, a few people were worried about polluting the earth's water and air, but most people did not change their way of life. Instead, they continued to pour dangerous chemical and other waste into lakes and seas, to drive more and more cars and trucks, and to cut down trees.
By the year 2200, the earth's water was completely polluted. People could no longer drink water, and they had to use other types of liquids . Scientists said that in the future there might be too many people on the earth. But not enough was done.
So by the year 2300, there were so many people that food became scarce. There was no water to grow food and all of the fish in lakes and seas died because of pollution. Terrible wars broke out between the rich and the poor. Scientists were working very hard to find another planet in space where humans could live.
By the year 2400, the air was too polluted for humans to breathe. So we had to leave the earth. But only the rich were able to leave. Where did we go? Nowhere. And everywhere. You see scientists did not find another safe planet, so now we must travel around the universe in our space ships. We are still looking for a place to call our home.
So it is up to you to change history. There is still hope. You must change your lifestyle now, before it is too late. | middle7158.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "1928"
},
"options": [
"1914",
"1928",
"1967",
"1982"
],
"question": "Garcia Marquez was born in the year _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"a... | Gabriel Garcia Marquez ,who was awared the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982,passed away at the age of 86 on April 17,2014. The world paused to remember the cultural giant .
Garcia Marquez was born in Colombia ,but he spent most of his adult life in Mexico City . As one of the most famous writers ,he was widely regarded as "a giant of 20th-century literature " . Garcia Marquez wrote in a style called "magical realism "In such works,people live a daily life in a certain period of time in history . But meanwhile ,magical things happen to them .
Garcia Marquez is best known for his 1967 novel ,One Hundred Years of Solitude ,which has sold about 50 million copies . It tells the tale of the small and _ town of Macondo which was separated from the outside world -of its founding and its troubled history over a hundred years . The story is a metaphor for the development of Colombia since the 19century . As Colombian President Juan Manuel Santons said , Garcia Marquez wrote about "the very essence of the Latin American beings " . | middle2975.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"three",
"four",
"five",
"six"
],
"question": "In the first photo we can see _ people.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"a... | Hi, I am Grace. I have some nice photos.
The first is the photo of my family. The boy is my brother, Bill and the girl is me. And these are my parents. Now we are in Bill's room. We can see his model phone on the bed. His brown trousers are also on it, under his phone.
The second is photo of my friend. Her name is Helen. She's 14. And we are the same age. Helen has hat. But the hat is on the floor. It looks like my black cat.
In the third photo is my cousin, David. He is in the library. He has some books on the desk. They are all about dogs. Do you know why? | middle7819.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he was in great fear of it"
},
"options": [
"he didn't want to read any more",
"he was in great fear of it",
"he wanted to praised her daughter",
"he hated snakes"
],
"question": "Father jumped up when her daugh... | Sarah ran in, shouting, "Look what I found!" Over the top of the paper I was reading; came a terrible thing that caused me to jump. It was a snake skin found in our garden.
"Isn't it beautiful?" said my seven-year-old daughter.
I opened my eyes widely and looked at the snake skin in fear . I didn't think it was beautiful, but I learned never to appear nonchalant with children. Everything they see for the first time is important to their sense of beauty; they see only excellence in the world.
"Why does it do this?" Sarah asked.
"Snakes shed their skins because they need to renew themselves," I explained.
"Why do they need to renew themselves?" Sarah asked.
"We often need to shed our skins, those coatings that we cover ourselves with," I said to my daughter. "We leave some things and find other thing unwanted or unnecessary. This snake no longer needs this skin. It is probably too little for him, and he probably doesn't think he looks as smart in it as he once did. "
As we talked, I knew that she began to understand. Although she couldn't understand clearly, she would know that renewal is part of progress; that we need to take a good look at ourselves, our rooms, schoolwork and spirit, and see what we need to keep and what we need to leave. I was careful to tell that this is a natural way, not one to be forced.
"Snakes don't peel off their skins when they like them. "I explained. "It happens as a natural thing of their growth. "
"I see, Dad," said Sarah as she held the snake skin, and then ran off.
I hoped she would remember this; we need to throw some away because they are worthless or unnecessary. Then we can store them as memories in our deep hearts. | middle2961.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "America"
},
"options": [
"England",
"America",
"American",
"English"
],
"question": "Where is John from?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer... | My name is John Smith. I come from America. I am 12 years old. I live in Shanghai with my parents. I am a student. I am in Class Three Grade Seven. My English teacher is Linda. Mr Zhang is my Chinese teacher. He is from Wuhan. Wuhan is a beautiful city. Li Hua is my best friend. He likes playing basketball. My favourite colour is blue, but Li Hua likes red best. Do you want to make friends with me ? My QQ number is 609183317. | middle5968.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Eating sugar"
},
"options": [
"Not brushing teeth",
"Not changing toothbrush",
"Eating sugar",
"Not flossing teeth"
],
"question": "What is the major cause of tooth decay? _",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | Teeth are important. Strong , healthy teeth help you chew foods that help you grow. They help you speak clearly. And yes ,they help you look best. Here are some tips for you to take care of you teeth:
1. Brush your teeth the right way.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day - after breakfast and before bedtime. If you can, brush after lunch or after sweet snacks, too. Brush all of your teeth, not just the front ones. Spend time brushing teeth along the sides and back of your mouth. Spend at least three minutes each time you brush. Play a song you like to help pass the time. Get a new toothbrush every three months. When you buy toothbrush, be sure it has soft bristles .
2. Learn how to floss your teeth..
Flossing is a very important way to keep your teeth healthy. Food may hide between two teeth. Flossing can help get rid of it. You'll need to floss your teeth at least once a day.
3. Have good eating habits.
You need to be careful about what you eat and drink. Eating sugar is a major cause of tooth decay . Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink water instead of soda . | middle5798.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in the school"
},
"options": [
"in the school",
"in our room",
"in the library",
"in the classroom"
],
"question": "The new store is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Hi, boys and girls! A new Mama store is in No. 1 Middle School now. Come and see at our great sale! We have bread for 3 yuan. Xiangpiaopiao milk tea is on sale for 2 yuan. Vegetable hamburgers are only 3 yuan. Do you need notebooks? They are only 6 yuan for three. We also have pens in all colors, only 1 yuan each . Some students want to buy socks. We have black socks for only 10 yuan for 3 pairs. For girls, we have socks in pink and purple, they are very nice. Come and buy your things at our great sale. | middle4486.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Kick the ball."
},
"options": [
"Throw the ball.",
"Catch the ball.",
"Touch the ball with their hands.",
"Kick the ball."
],
"question": "What can soccer players do?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | Do you like to play outside? Do you like to run? Do you like to play with a ball? You can do all of these things if you play soccer.
Soccer players cannot throw and catch the ball. They cannot touch the ball with their hands. Soccer players can only kick the ball.
Soccer is played with two teams. There is a goal for each team. Players on one team want to kick the ball into one goal. Players on the other team want to kick the ball into the other goal. Players score when the ball goes into the other team's goal. They make one point.
Lots of people play soccer. You can be young or old, big or small. Soccer is easy to play. All you need is a ball and a place to play. Then find enough players to make two teams. | middle5940.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The style of the coffee stores seems the same."
},
"options": [
"The coffee in these places was too expensive.",
"The style of the coffee stores seems the same.",
"People like to drink coffee at home with friends.",
"Th... | Although people everywhere seem to enjoy drinking coffee, they don't all have the same coffee culture. In Europe, for example, coffee shops are common places for people to meet friends and to talk while they drink coffee. On the other hand, places like this were not as common in North America in the past. Instead, people in North America liked to drink coffee in their homes with friends. The coffee culture in the USA changed when Starbucks coffee shops spread across the country.
The first Starbucks coffee shop opened in 1971 in downtown Seattle, Washington, in the USA. It was a small coffee shop that cooked its own coffee beans. The coffee shop's business did well, and by 1981 there were three Starbucks stores in Seattle.
Things really began to change for the company in 1981.That year, Howard Schultz met the three men who _ Starbucks. Schultz worked in New York for a company that made kitchen equipment. He noticed that Starbucks ordered a large number of special coffee makers, which caused his great interest. Schultz went to Seattle to see what Starbucks did. In 1982, the original Starbucks owners hired Schultz as the company's head of marketing .
In 1983, Schultz traveled to Italy. The special environment of the espresso( ) bars there caught his eyes. Back in the USA, Schultz created an environment for Starbucks coffee shops that was comfortable and casual, and customers everywhere seemed to like it. Starbucks began opening more stores across the USA. Then the company opened coffee shops in other countries as well. Today, there are more than 16,000 Starbucks coffee shops all over the world.
However, that does not mean Starbucks has not had problems. In fact, many Starbucks stores have closed over the past few years. On the one hand, this is because there were too many coffee shops competing for business in one small area. On the other hand, stores in some countries closed because the coffee culture there did not match with the "feel the same everywhere" environment offered by Starbucks. | middle6291.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "pancakes"
},
"options": [
"bread",
"dumplings",
"pancakes",
"hamburgers"
],
"question": "The passage tells us how to make _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | Whole Wheat Apple Pancake
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
2 large apples
1 cup of butter
DIRECTIONS:
Stir the flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour eggs and oil in. Mix the apples in.
Heat a large pan over a medium heat. Put a large teaspoon of batter onto the pan and cook until the batter is dry. Then flip the pancake and cook until it is brown on the other side. When both sides have a light brown color, the pancake is ready. Heat the butter over a medium heat and add it to the pancake. It makes the pancake taste more delicious. | middle7831.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "an English teacher"
},
"options": [
"a Chinese teacher",
"very old",
"an English teacher",
"not good"
],
"question": "Miss Liu is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | Miss Liu is an English teacher. She is very young. She works very well and the students all like her. There are twenty-six boys and twenty-four girls in her class. Now some of them are playing on the playground. Jim and Bill are jumping. Sam and Mike are running. Lucy and Simon are singing. The other girls are playing games with their teacher. They're happy. | middle1298.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Few"
},
"options": [
"All",
"Most",
"Some",
"Few"
],
"question": "_ U.S workers don't always take all of their vacation days.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | It's so beautiful outside that spending the day in the office would be very boring. So why not take the vacations off? A new survey found that 31%of U.S workers don't always take all of their vacation days. Americans have 12 vacation days on average each year, but they give back an average of 3 vacation days each year.
So why don't they use up their vacation days? Some say they would rather get money back for their unused days; some busy workers say they just can't leave their work. Americans have fewer vacation days than workers in any other country surveyed.
The French take their vacations seriously. French workers get an average of 39 vacation days, and 40% plan to take at least one there-to-four-week vacation.
Workers in Sweden receive an average of 25 vacation days a year, but they can't find time to use them all. More workers there return vacation days than any other country surveyed.
British workers have the longest working week in Europe ,with 23 vacation days --the shortest vacation. So they feel overworked.75% say their weekends or vacations are too short and 40% would _ a day's pay for one more vacation day. | middle2949.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Sick children in Children's Hospital"
},
"options": [
"Sick children in Children's Hospital",
"Doctors in Children's Hospital",
"Mrs. Weeks and her students",
"Toys made by the boys and girls"
],
"question": "Wh... | Mrs Weeks was reading a newspaper story to her class. The story said:
Were you ever in a hospital when you were small? How did you feel? The doctors in Children's Hospital are asking for money for children's toys. Some children in the hospital must stay in bed for many weeks. Toys are needed to keep these sick children happy and quiet. Money for them can be sent to the hospital.
After Mrs. Weeks read the story, she said,"This story gave me an idea."
"You want us to bring some money for the toys.""We could bring some of our own toys for the children in the hospital, "said the boys and girls one after another.
"Well, your ideas would be nice, "Mrs. Weeks said,"but mine is different."
Mrs. Weeks smiled. "Do you think you could make toys?" she asked.
"Yes, yes," the whole class answered.
"Great! Let's begin to make toys tomorrow," said Mrs. Weeks.
On Saturday afternoon, Mrs. Weeks took the children to the hospital with the toys made by her students.
The children in the hospital felt very happy to see the toys. The children in the class felt happy, too. A few days later, Mrs. Weeks read another newspaper story to the class:
Some school pupils brought toys to Children's Hospital last week. The toys were made by the pupils of Grade Three in Green Street School. The doctors said, "We have never had so many wonderful toys. Our children are very happy with them. They say, 'THANK YOU, GRADE THREE'" | middle2791.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Thomas Sullivan."
},
"options": [
"An English tea seller.",
"Chinese.",
"Lipton.",
"Thomas Sullivan."
],
"question": "Who invented the tea bag?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | Tea bag drinking is most westerners' favorite way of drinking tea. Do you know how it came about?
The tea bag was invented in 1908 by Thomas Sullivan, an American tea seller. He was sending out free tea in silk bags for people to try. People put the bags together with the tea leaves into the cup and added hot water. The tea tasted good, and people thought it was easy to clean the cup. They were not happy when Sullivan started sending them loose tea again.
Sullivan realized that he had a hot new thing in his hands, and he built a machine to pack the bags. As tea bags became popular, they were changed from silk to gauze and later paper. In 1952, Lipton Tea made the tea bag even more popular with its invention of the four-sided tea bag. _ , and today 85% of the tea in the UK is packed in paper bags.
However, many people still prefer loose-leaf tea. This is because some tea companies put not very good tea in their tea bags. But for most drinkers, tea bags are still the easy, tasty way to go. | middle2785.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "495 years."
},
"options": [
"About 100 years.",
"About 400 years.",
"More than 500 years.",
"495 years."
],
"question": "How many years earlier was paper made in China than in Japan?",
"question_type": "fact... | Paper was first made in the year 105. It was made by a Chinese named Cai Lun.
People in Japan learned of paper around the year 600. As years went by, people in other places began to make paper.
The lead pencil is not made of lead. It is made of graphite . People found graphite in 1564. They thought it was a kind of lead. Today we still call pencils "lead pencils". The first pencils were made by putting strings around sticks of graphite.
The first wooden pencils were made by Kasper Faber from Germany in 1761.
Erasers like those we use today were first made in France by a man named Magellan in 1752. It was Hyman L. Lipman who first put eraser on the ends of pencils. And that is how the pencils come to be. | middle7825.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "reporters write different kinds of news"
},
"options": [
"reporters write different kinds of news",
"teenagers get interested in newspapers",
"readers can read newspapers in better ways",
"readers can't read different n... | Some teenagers think that newspapers are boring and only for adults. But that's not true. There are many interesting stories in the paper. _ "I spend about half an hour reading newspapers every day," said 15-year-old Gao Ming from Beijing. "I'm interested in things happening at school." School news is just one kind of news story in newspapers. There's also world news: from international problems to pop stars.
Read the newspaper carefully, we'll find different types of articles on the pages:
News stories -- these stories are about events. Reporters try to show all points of a story to help readers understand what happened. Reporters try to speak to as many people as possible. They also use pictures and numbers to show the readers that the stories are true. The newspaper Teenagers has lots of news stories on the news page and front page. When we read them, we learn more about the facts, not the writers' ideas.
Opinion writing -- opinion writing is usually about something happening right now. But it isn't just facts. Here writers add their own opinions to the news. Writers pick only the facts that help back up their ideas. They make readers believe that they are telling the truth. This is usually the kind of story that gets people thinking. Go to "Speak Out" on Page Two for an example of opinion writing in Teenagers.
Advertisement -- Don't get happy too early when you read them. Those sweet words and lovely pictures are just ways to get us interested in their products! People have to pay to put advertisements in newspapers! | middle718.txt |
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