questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "sleepaway camp is more exciting"
},
"options": [
"no kid likes going to day camp",
"sleepaway camp is more exciting",
"day camp is a safer way to camp",
"going to sleepaway camp is hard"
],
"question": "The writ... | Many kids go to day camp during the summer. They can have a lot of fun, but the _ is almost the same. You start camp in the morning and go home in the afternoon. Sometimes, a bus takes you there or you might get a ride there. It might take you some time to like the place, the camp teacher, and the kids. But you go home every night, just like what you do during the school year.
Sleepaway camp makes you feel more excited because you'll be there all day. It's a kind of holiday, but without your parents. You'll sleep in adormitory with other kids of the camp. You'll eat together in a large dining hall and you'll share the bathroom with other kids.
Some sleepaway camps are coed. That means there are both boys and girls at the camp. Some camps are just for girls or just for boys, but often these all-girl and all-boy camps meet up for dances and parties. | middle6280.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Watching TV and playing computer games."
},
"options": [
"Watching TV and climbing mountains.",
"Playing computer games and reading books.",
"Watching TV and playing computer games.",
"Fishing, reading books and playing... | Hi, I'm Harry. I'm fourteen years old. I live in Taipei, Taiwan. I am a second grader in a junior high school. I'm interested in playing computer games and watching TV. My favorite food is pizza.
Hello, my name is Dolly. I was born on January 12th. There are four people in my family -- my mother, my father, my sister and me. My favorite food is green tea. Now, I am a junior high school student. My hobbies are watching TV and climbing mountains. My best friend Tom lives in Canada. Maybe some day, you will be her friends, too!
My name is Eric. My hobbies are fishing, reading books and playing computer games. My favorite subject is History, because my dad is a History teacher and I read a lot of books about history. I'm very bad at English, because it's hard for me. My favorite sport is ping-pong. I play ping-pong with my dad and my cousins every weekend. | middle5789.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "9"
},
"options": [
"10",
"12",
"9",
"19"
],
"question": "Zhang Lin is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "oranges"
},
"o... | My name is Zhang Lin. Today is my birthday. I am nine years old. Mom and Dad get a big cake for me. I like it very much. It is on the table now. There are some other things on the table, too. Such as apples, oranges, juice, chicken and some fish. I'm thirsty now. I want a bottle of orange juice. My friends Li Fan and Bing Jie are coming.
They are knocking at the door. I have no time to drink. I must open the door now. | middle5951.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "South Korea and Singapore"
},
"options": [
"the US and Canada",
"the UK and the US",
"South Korea and Singapore",
"Australia and Canada"
],
"question": "The students from _ performed best in the test.",
... | Asia tops the OECD solving skills test
QUESTION: Can you quickly learn to set a thermostat ?
Don't look down upon such a task. It shows your ability to solve problems in creative ways, said the OECD . The OECD recently gave a problem-solving test to 85,000 students. They were all 15 years old, and from 44 countries.
The test give each student four to eight everyday problems to solve. For example, they had to set a thermostat, and find the quickest way to a place. Students from Singapore and South Korea did the best job, said the OECD. They were quick learners, curious and able to solve problems that they were not familiar with. Students from Japan and China were also among the _ groups. They did a better job than those from countries like the US, Canada, Australia, the UK and France.
Problem-solving skills are important, said the OECD. "Today's 15-year-olds with poor problem-solving will become tomorrow's adults struggling to find or keep a good job," said Andreas, acting director of Education and Skills at the OECD. "The world economy no longer pays you for what you know. Google knows everything .The world economy pays you for what you can do with what you know," he said. | middle4497.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he can go to lots of different places"
},
"options": [
"he can meet many film stars",
"he makes a good living",
"he works on the railway for 28 years.",
"he can go to lots of different places"
],
"question": "Ca... | Our English teacher, Tom Jackson, has some good neighbors. They are Carl, Ann, Joe and Mary. Here's some information about them.
Carl is a train conductor. He works on the railway for 28 years. It is always a good job for him because he likes meeting people. Carl is very helpful and tries to make the passengers comfortable. He often stops to talk with the passengers. He likes his work because he can travel to many different places.
Ann is a kind woman in a small town. In a hospital, she works as a nurse for four years. She likes her work very much. This month she is helping mothers with their new babies.
Joe is a taxi driver. He drives a taxi for 22 years. Most of the time Joe likes his work. He takes many film stars to the airport. He is cheerful and smiles a lot and his passengers like him. He makes a good living and _ a family of four.
Mary is a teacher in a high school. She teaches French. She has 33 students in her class, 15 boys and 18 girls. She likes her students, and her students like her. She is very kind and helps them a lot. She is always happy to be a teacher. | middle2958.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He did not so well as bofore in math ."
},
"options": [
"He used to get high marks .",
"He did well in math .",
"He did not so well as bofore in math .",
"He had no time to study math ."
],
"question": "What pro... | Top student Lin Yijian had a problem recently . The 14-year-old boy from Xiamen used to get marks of over 110 points (out of 120 possible points)on his math tests . But during last semester's final exams , his math score was only 90 points .
It was a shock . "I didn't know what happened , "said Lin , who kept feeling nervous and frustrated about math during the following month. .
Like Lin , many of us have setbacks in life . What would you do to deal with these setbacks ? Would you just let them be and give up ?
Lin chose to face his problem . His parents and teacher also gave him help . After some hard work he now gets marks between 100 and110 points on his math tests . Although he still isn't at his original level , Lin doesn't panic anymore .
"Don't be scared by setbacks ,"he said . "You will beat it . "
Chen Xingzhu in Shenzhen also has a story to tell . The 15-year-old girl is not good at doing sit-ups ,which is necessary for the coming high school PE entrance exam . One has to do at least 35 sit-ups in a minute to pass the test . Most of Chen's classmates can do 40 . However , Chen could only do 20 .
Feeling worried , Chen decided to do something . She did sit-ups for half an hour every day after school . Now , after a month , she can do 30 sit-ups a minute .
"I finally found what made me slow through continuous practice and then improved little by little , "said Chen . "I believe next month I will be able to do 40 !" | middle2780.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because she was seriously ill"
},
"options": [
"Because she was seriously ill",
"Because she had no friend.",
"Because her life changed",
"Because she had a cold"
],
"question": "Why was Linda feeling bad for se... | Linda was a sixteen-year-old girl in Canada. She was feeling bad for several days. Her mother took her to a hospital and the doctors found out that she had cancer .
Linda's life changed. She began to go to the hospital often for treatment and she also became _ .
The hospital and the doctors were good, but Linda did not have hope herself. Linda's mother called a flower shop close to the hospital. "I want some beautiful flowers for my daughter. She is a teen girl with cancer." She told the shop owner.
Later, the flowers arrived. Then Linda saw something unusual. It was a card. It read:
Linda,
I own this flower shop. I had cancer when I was fifteen years old. I am 24 years old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you.
Yours,
Alice
Linda smiled. She finally felt some real hope. She found the will to live.
Little things make a big difference. All of us can give little things like kindness, encouragement and hope to others. | middle7820.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "what is right and what is wrong"
},
"options": [
"how they can study well",
"what they should do at school",
"what is right and what is wrong",
"how they can pass an exam"
],
"question": "The new school rules wi... | New rules and behavior standards for the middle school students came out. Middle schools are going to use a new way to decide who the top students are. The following are some of the new rules.
You should not be allowed to dye your hair, smoke or drink. You should not copy others' work in an exam. Don't do it again if you did it!
Good students love animals and care for other people. Being kind to animals is being kind to ourselves. Be friendly to the people around you. Try to think of others, not only yourself.
Don't look down on new ideas. Everyone's ideas are important. You should welcome them, because new ideas make life better for everyone.
Learn to protect yourselves. If you have to go home late, you should let your mother or your father know.
Use the Internet carefully. The Internet can be very useful for our studies. But some things on the Internet aren't good for teenagers, so try to look at web pages that are good for you. | middle1289.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "order some flowers"
},
"options": [
"have a rest",
"help the girl",
"buy some food",
"order some flowers"
],
"question": "The man went to the shop to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | It was Mother's Day. A man stopped his car at a flower shop to order some flowers. He wanted the shopper to send the flowers to his mother, who lived two hundred miles away.
As he got out of his car, he found a young girl sitting on the road crying.
He asked her what was wrong and she replied,"I want to buy a red rose for my mother, but I only have seventy-five cents. A rose costs two dollars."
The man smiled and said, "Come into the shop with me, and I'll buy you a rose.'
He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother's flowers. As they were leaving, he offered to drive the girl home. She said, "Yes, please! You can take me to my mother." She brought him to a cemetery , where she placed the rose on the grave.
The man was moved. He returned to the flower shop, picked up the flowers he ordered, and drove two hundred miles to his mother's house.
Today is the day for your mother. Send a flower to your kind and beautiful mother. | middle735.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "eat something from each of the seven kinds of food every day"
},
"options": [
"eat three times a day",
"eat cooked food",
"eat dinner at 4 o'clock",
"eat something from each of the seven kinds of food every day"
],
... | Scientists say there are seven kinds of food that people should eat every day. They are: (1) green and yellow vegetables of all kind; (2) citrus fruits and tomatoes; (3) potatoes and other fruits and vegetables; (4) meat of all kinds, fish and eggs; (5) milk and foods made of milk, like cheese and ice-cream; (6) bread or cereal , rice is also in this kind of foods; (7) butter, or something like butter, with fat .
People in different countries in the world eat different kinds of things. They also eat in different kinds the day. In some place people eat once or twice a day; in other countries, people eat three or four times a day. Scientists say that these differences are not important. It doesn't matter if a person eats dinner at 4 o'clock in the afternoon or at eleven o'clock at night. The important thing is that every day a person must eat something from each of the seven kind of food. The most important thing is that we must find some way to help the hungry people and make the people have right kinds of food , make them
and healthy | middle8285.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "astronomers"
},
"options": [
"astronomers",
"farmers",
"singers",
"drivers"
],
"question": "Seth Shostak and Alexandra Barnett are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"... | Is there intelligent life on other planets? For years, scientists said "no." or "we don't know." But today this is changing. Seth Shostak and Alexandra Barnett are astronomers . They believe intelligent life exists somewhere in the universe. They also think we sill soon contact these beings(;).
Why do Shostak and Barnett think intelligent life exists on other planets? The first reason is time. Scientists believe the universe is about 12 billion years old. "This is long enough for other planets to have intelligent life," say Shostak and Barnett. The second reason is size--the universe is huge. "Tools like the Hubble Telescope have shown that there are at least 100 billion galaxies," says Shostak. "And our galaxy, the Milky Way, has at least 100 billion stars. Some planets going around these stars might be similar to Earth."
In the past, it was hard to look for signs of intelligent life in the universe. But now, powerful telescopes allow scientists to discover smaller planets--the size of Mars or Earth--in other solar systems. These planets might have intelligent life.
Have beings from space already visited Earth? "Probably not," says Shostak. "It's a long way away. However, intelligent beings may contact us in other way, such as radio signals . In fact, they may be trying to communicate with us now, but we don't have the right tools to receive their messages. However, this is changing. By 2025, we could make contact with other life forms in our universe and we might help each other." | middle5979.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In 1967"
},
"options": [
"In 1955",
"In 1967",
"In 1976",
"In 1981"
],
"question": "When did Mo Yan leave school to work on the farm?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature . He is the first Chinese who lives and works in China to win the prize.
Mo Yan, the pen-name for Guan Moye, was bom in 1955 and grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in eastern China. His parents were farmers. He left school to work at the age of 12, first on the farm, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the PLA and during this time he began to study literature and writing. His first short story was published in 1981.
He has written many famous books about his childhood and his hometown. The novel Honggaoliang jiazu is one of them. It tells five stories that took place in Gaomi during the 1930s and 1940s. The book was published in 1987 and translated into English in 1993. It was made into a popular movie in 1987 by the well-known director Zhang Yimou.
Besides his novels, Mo Yan has published many short stories and essays . He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in China. Many of his books have been translated into English, French and many other languages.
The Nobel Prizes were set up by Alfred Nobel, a great Swedish inventor, in 1895. The winner will win a medal, a diploma and a cash award of 8 million Swedish Kronor (about 7 million yuan). | middle2964.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "At a quarter past five in the afternoon,July 23rd."
},
"options": [
"At a quarter past five in the afternoon,July 23rd.",
"At a quarter to five in the afternoon,July 23rd.",
"At a quarter to ten in the morning,July 25th.",
... | Today is July 20th.Mr Smith is going to have a trip.This is his travel plan.
Dep.="depart;" leave arr.=arrive
21 July dep. New York 12:25
23 July dep. Ottawa 14:20
arr. Toronto 17:15
25 July dep. Toronto 09:45
arr. Tokyo 15:10
29 July dep. Tokyo 14:20
Arr. Sydney 20:05
2 August dep. Sydney 08:20
Arr. New York 16:25 | middle4252.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Father"
},
"options": [
"Mother",
"Father",
"I",
"I don't know"
],
"question": "Who like apples very much ?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"ans... | We do the shopping on Sundays . I often go to the supermarket with my mother on Sunday morning in a car . Father likes fruit very much. We buy some red apples for him. Mother likes yellow bananas , but they're green. "Look! The strawberries are very nice, mum. Do you like them?" I say to Mum. "Yes, I like strawberries very much . " Mother buys some for herself. The oranges are very nice. Mother buys some for me . I like orange very much.
We need some vegetables . The vegetables in the supermarket are very good . We buy some tomatoes, carrots and broccoli . I don't like broccoli, but my parents like it . I like carrots very much. We buy lots of carrots. After shopping , mother and I have some French fries, milk and ice cream. And then we go back home with the fruit and vegetables . | middle2623.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "student"
},
"options": [
"teacher",
"student",
"worker",
"soldier"
],
"question": "Mary is a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text":... | Marry is eight years old now. This autumn she begins to go to school. She likes her teachers and has some friends. She studies hard and is good at her classes. So we think she's a good girl.
It's Sunday today. It's fine and after breakfast the girl and her parents are going to the zoo. She likes to watch the animals very much. Now they're standing at the bus stop and waiting for the bus. She sees her friend Jim and his grandpa there.
"Good morning, grandpa!" says the girl. "Are you going to the zoo, too?"
"Yes, we are," says the old man. Then he says to Mary's father, "You have a polite daughter. How old is she?"
"Eight, grandpa." answers the girl.
"Eight?" the old man says with a smile. "But you're shorter than my stick!"
"How old is your stick, then?" says the girl. | middle7983.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "to make a lot of money"
},
"options": [
"to pass exams and get good jobs",
"to win important competitions",
"to be a sportswriter",
"to make a lot of money"
],
"question": "Most businessmen want _ .",
"que... | Most people have ambitions.An ambition is something we want to do,want to be or want to have.A student's ambition,for example,might be to pass his or her exams and then get a good job.An athlete's ambition could be to win an important competition.A businessman's ambition is usually to make a lot of money.
Not all ambitions are about success at work,however.Some people just want to be good people,have a family or help others.
Ben's ambition is to be a sports writer.He writes the sports reports for his class newspaper.He likes most sports,but swimming and football are his favourites.Trudy's ambition is to be a concert pianist.She is very serious about it and practises every day with her best friend Lily.It is very important to her.
Harry's ambition changes every day.One day he wants to be an astronaut .The next day he wants to be a pop singer.The next day he wants to drive a racing car.His mother would be happy if his ambition was to get up in time for school every day. | middle6445.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "can buy everything you need easily"
},
"options": [
"often forget to buy what you need",
"have to stand to pay for the things",
"can buy everything you need easily",
"can't go back to buy what you forget"
],
"qu... | Click and shop
Do you always go shopping at the supermarket or often forget to buy something? If you do forget something,we believe you never want to go back for it.But with Webshop,our new Internet shopping service,you won't have to.Also avoid standing so long to pay for what you get.Start shopping online now!
Eat what you like
Do you usually want to avoid eating any spicy food? Do you always regret drinking t oo much fizzy drinks? Well,now it's time for you to hold a chance to change the things.You'd better try taking our Gasgo and begin to feel the difference!
24 hours to success
Do you regret not working harder at school? Do you want to improve your languages? With Polyglot's system ,you can learn to speak any language in 24 hours! Try following our system and see how different it is from the rest.Why not make an early start in a class today?
You're never too old to surf
Do you want to surf the Internet but think you're too old to start learning new skills? If so,why not take a course at Compu Wiz? We promise to make you master a computer whatever your age.Don't forget to call us before July 1st at 2819 0818,and receive a 50% lower price on lessons. | middle2145.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "5%."
},
"options": [
"5%.",
"50%.",
"95%.",
"30%"
],
"question": "How many people among 100 people use their left hands better?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | Hands play an important part in our daily life. But do you know which of your two hands you use more? Very few people use both hands _ well .Most of us are right-handed. Only about five people out of a hundred are left-handed. New-born babies can take hold of things with either of their hands, but in about two years they usually use their right hands. Scientists don't know why this happens.
Monkeys are our close relatives in the animal world. Scientists have found that monkeys like to use one of their hands more than the other, but it can be either hand. There are as many right-handed monkeys as left-handed ones. Next time you visit a zoo, watch the monkeys carefully, you will see that some of them will use their right hands and others will use their left hands. But most of the people use their right hands better and this makes life difficult for those left-handed people. We live in a right-handed world. | middle4534.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "have a wonderful voice"
},
"options": [
"have a good-looking",
"have special talent",
"have a wonderful voice",
"dance and sing well"
],
"question": "If you want to be the winner of The Voice of China, you must ... | The Voice of China was hot during the summer of 2012!
The Voice of China is the large music show in China. This show is also the only one which regards the Voice as the only ruler. It premiered at 21:15 on July 13, 2012, on the Zhejiang Television. It has attracted great attention. _ .
The first season used "Real voice, real music" as its slogan. As a mentor , singers like Liu Huan, Na Ying, Yu Chengqing and Yang Kun will be responsible for seeking world-shaking voices of China in the following three and a half months, through four stages, namely, "blind choosing", "selecting", "team PK" and "yearly grand ceremony".
It is really a miracle that The Voice of China can stand out in the flood of today's talent shows in China and attracts the audience. A great many of audience said this will be the best television show in this summer. They were all proud for these good voices of China.
The students' beautiful voices moved everyone. Xu Haixing, a girl from Chengdu, sang "Self" to realize her father's dream and Liu Huan was moved to tears by her song. Huang Yong sang "In Spring" showing his persistence on his dream and Yang Kun cried for this. The blind girl Zhang Yuxia, a busker from Taiwan, played while singing. She was praised as "Deng Lijun No.2" for her unique voice, and her sincere feelings touched everybody. Na Ying went to the stage to sing with the students together for two times.
The Voice of China casts off magnificent clothes and wonderful dancing. It regards "inspiration" and "professionalism" as the ruler of music. The singer uses their songs to tell their real stories and the happiness of life. | middle2151.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "You should remember what you have to say and when to stop."
},
"options": [
"You can speak as long as you like.",
"You should avoid contacting with audience.",
"You should remember what you have to say and when to stop.",
... | We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don't do a very good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.
So, you have to give a speech and you're fearful. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long and you bore your audience. Later you think," Thank goodness, it's over. I'm just no good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again."
Cheer up! It doesn't have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion ? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of time doing your research. Then spend plenty of time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible and use pictures, charts and graphs if they will help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience. Don't talk over their heads so that they can understand what you say. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Just remember: Be prepared. Know your subject, your audience and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.
If you follow these simple steps, you'll see that you don't have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You're not sure yet. Give it a try and see what happens. | middle7029.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a salesman or a detective"
},
"options": [
"a worker or a teacher",
"a nurse or a doctor",
"a salesman or a detective",
"a model or a carpenter"
],
"question": "Larry wants to be _ .",
"question_type": "cl... | I'm Larry. I'm really good at selling things. I also love helping people. But I'm not so good at solving problems. I think I'd like to be a salesman or detective .
I'm Anita. I really like doing things with my hands. I also enjoy working with wood. 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 a factory worker or a carpenter .
I'm Jill. I'm good at explaining things and I really like children. I can't stand working long hours. I think I'd like to be a doctor or a teacher.
I'm Maria. I'm really interested in meeting people, and I enjoy wearing different clothes every day. I'm not so good at organizing my time and I can't stand computers. I am going to be a model.
I'm Jim. I enjoy helping people, but I can't stand working nights and weekends. I want to be a nurse or a social worker. | middle6337.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "925 million."
},
"options": [
"6 million.",
"925 million.",
"200 million.",
"725 million."
],
"question": "According to the UN report, how many hungry people were there in 2011?",
"question_type": "factiod_q... | Almost every Chinese person can recite the two lines of the famous poem, " _ ". But sadly, many of us don't actually get the real meaning of these lines: Don't waste food.
A CCTV program reported that the food Chinese people throw away every year is enough to feed 200 million people for a year. Do we have too much food? Absolutely not. According to the UN World Food Program, there were 925 million hungry people around the world in 2011, especially in developing countries. Six million children die of hunger every year.
Chinese people are well-known for being friendly and generous. Many even feel that they lose face if their guests have eaten all the food on the table. Luckily, a number of people have realized the importance of saving food. What should we do in our daily lives to waste less food?
1. Don't order too much in a restaurant. Only order as much as you want to eat. If you cannot eat all the food you ordered, take the rest of it home.
2. Don't leave any food in your bowls while having meals.
3. Keep an eye on what food you have at home. Don't buy too much, especially for vegetables and fruit. | middle1458.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "failed in the exams"
},
"options": [
"often went to school late",
"did well at school",
"did a good job at school",
"failed in the exams"
],
"question": "According to the first report card, Karl _ .",
"qu... | My teenage son Karl became withdrawn after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried , the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes. In this way he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
* One night I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as a head teacher. " I want to talk to you about Karl's absences ." Before he could say another word I choked up . And said sadly, " I love my son. I've tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It's out of my hands." For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The head teacher seriously said, " Thank you for your time."
* Karl's next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. He was even on the list of the best students at school. In his fourth year, I took part in a parent-teacher meeting.I noticed that his teachers were surprised at the way he had turened himself around. On our way home, he said, " Mum, remember that call from the head teacher last year?" I nodded. "That was me. I thought I'd play a joke but I heard what you said, It really hit me how much I was hurting you.That's when I knew I had to make you proud."
, . (5) | middle7997.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "30 dollars."
},
"options": [
"40 dollars.",
"15 dollars.",
"50 dollars.",
"30 dollars."
],
"question": "How much is the dress?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Mrs. White likes shopping. Today is Sunday. She wants to buy a new dress for herself. Now she is in a clothes store and has a look at a red one. She asks the salesgirl , "How much is it?"
"It's thirty dollars." the salesgirl answers.
"Can I _ , please?" she asks.
"Yes, you can. The dressing room is over there. This way, please." the salesgirl says.
After Mrs White comes out of the dressing room, the salesgirl says to her, "You look ten years younger in this red dress."
Hearing that, Mrs. White says, "I will not take the dress, because I don't want to look ten years older after I take off the dress." | middle6451.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Eight."
},
"options": [
"Three.",
"Five.",
"Eight.",
"Nine."
],
"question": "How many kids got new schoolbags in Hebei Province?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | How was your Children's Day? What kind of gifts did you get?
Eight third graders in some poor places in Hebei Province got new schoolbags as Children's Day gifts. They were very happy. There were pencils, pens, exercise books and many other school supplies in the schoolbags.
These schoolbags are from students in Beijing Zhongguancun Fourth Primary School. They are in Class 5, Grade 3. They raised money by themselves. They printed out their writings. Their head teacher Mrs Hou helped them to make books. They sold the books at their school to make 800 yuan.
Chen Hongsheng, 9 years old, is one of the students. "We use 800 yuan to buy eight schoolbags at the post office. The post office workers give us a list of the kids. These kids live in poor places. We can choose eight kids by ourselves and post these schoolbags to them," she said very proudly. "These schoolbags are gifts of our class. This summer vacation, I'll send out a schoolbag by myself. I hope the kid with my schoolbag can go to school happily like us in the new term." | middle32.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "active and happy"
},
"options": [
"sad and unhealthy",
"active but bored",
"active and happy",
"healthy but sad"
],
"question": "John was _ two years ago.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | John is 14 years old. He is a student of Grade Eight. He was a very active and happy boy two years ago. But everything changed after he started to play computer games. He never plays basketball or football with his friends any more. And when he sits in the classroom, he can't listen to the teachers. He sleeps in class. And he spends less and less time in studying. So he gets bad marks in tests. But he is very different after school is over. He stays in the net bar until it is closed. Ah, he loses himself in computer games. His parents can do nothing to stop him. Every morning in the school, when we see that he is so tired after a night's "busy working", we really feel sad. He is too tired! | middle872.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "often stay at home in the evening"
},
"options": [
"often stay at home in the evening",
"often go out in the evening",
"often go out to have supper",
"often go to the cinema in the evening"
],
"question": "Mr. a... | Mr. and Mrs. Jones never go out in the evening, but last Saturday Mrs. Jones said to her husband , "There is a good film at the cinema tonight. Shall we go and see it?"
Mr. Jones was quite happy about it. So they went, and both of them enjoyed the film very much. When they came out of the cinema, it was 11 o'clock. They got into their car and began driving home. It was quite dark. Mrs. Jones said," Look, a woman is running along the road very fast and a man is running after her. Can you see them?" Mr. Jones said, "Yes, I can."
He drove the car slowly near the woman and said to her, "Can I help you?" "No, thanks," said the woman, but she did not stop running. "My husband and I always run home after the cinema. Because whoever gets home late are going to do the dishes." | middle3529.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "loves her job"
},
"options": [
"hates to teach English",
"is a teacher of Chinese",
"loves her job",
"is angry with the headmaster"
],
"question": "Miss Wang _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Miss Wang is a young teacher of English in a middle school in Chongqing. She loves teaching very much. One day when she was giving an English lesson, she found Mr. Li, the headmaster, sitting at the back of the classroom. After class, Mr. Li told her that he came to her class to find out how much English and Chinese she was using in class. The result was about half English and half Chinese. She was using Chinese when she gave instructions and explained some grammar rules to her students. Mr. Li suggested that she should use English as much as she could in class.
So Miss Wang made the following plans:
Join an English club and practice speaking English.
Learn more English teaching expressions by heart.
Have a five-minute talk with students in English before class.
She used body language to make herself understood if students could not follow. One year later, she found she could speak English _ in class.
,. | middle4246.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "her mother always asks her lots of questions"
},
"options": [
"she is sad about the person at the concert",
"she doesn't like or care about her mother",
"her mother always asks her lots of questions",
"her mother doesn'... | Dear Dr. Smith,
My mom always keeps asking me, "What's going on?" If I want to go to a concert, she asks who I will go with. I think that's my own business . Sometimes it looks like she doesn't trust me. It makes me very sad. How can I get her to stop?
Dear Katie,
Many young people have the same problem as you. If you don't talk much with your parents, they might feel they need to ask you questions to know about your life. It seems to you that your mom is getting into your business, but I think she's just trying to keep a close relationship with you. In fact, some experts often tell parents to stay close to their kids by asking them about what's going on in their life.
Some parents do this better than others, of course. But, unluckily, some parents ask questions because they don't trust their kids. So start by trying to trust your mom. She is probably just trying to stay close to you because she loves and cares about you. You can have a talk with her about it.
Of course, that doesn't make the questions less boring. If you're tired of so many questions, tell your mom about your feelings the day before she asks. If you _ more information, conversations with your mom won't seem like she's just asking you too many questions!
If you do this, I'm sure you can get on well with your mom.
Dr. Smith | middle5158.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "More than ten years."
},
"options": [
"Twenty years.",
"Over thirty-eight years.",
"More than ten years.",
"About seventeen years."
],
"question": "How long may people still be able to use fossil fuels?",
"q... | Since the first Earth Day started on April 22, 1970, people around the world have been encouraged to protect the environment and natural resources.Gaylord Nelson started this holiday.On the first Earth Day, 20 million people took part in Earth Day events.
Earth Day activities can include learning something about technology like cars that are more environmentally friendly and special houses that save energy and water.An organization called the Earth Day Network encourages people to use clean energy which doesn't pollute the environment.Most of our energy comes from fossil fuels that are found underground. Coal, oil and natural gas are examples of fossil fuels.Fossil fuels come from plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Burning fossil fuels to create energy pollutes the air and water. Many scientists think that burning fossil fuels also increases the temperature of the earth. To reduce the use of fossil fuels. scientists are experimenting with hydrogen-powered cars. These cars don't pollute the air like gas-powered cars.
Some scientists guess that by 2025, fossil fuels will run out.When people can no longer use gasoline, they may use fuel cells instead. Fuel cells use hydrogen to create energy. People do not need to worry about hydrogen running out, because it is renewable and replaceable.
In Washington, D.C., a few people drive cars that run on fuel cells. When these cars need more energy, drivers can go to a hydrogen pump.The first hydrogen pump for the public opened in November 2004, marking an important step toward a cleaner environment. | middle2637.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "smaller than"
},
"options": [
"larger than",
"smaller than",
"as big as",
"as small as"
],
"question": "The size of most American families is _ that of other countries'.",
"question_type": "cloze_questio... | Most American families are smaller than the families in other countries.Most American families have one or two parents and one or two children each.
Children in the US will leave their parents' home when they grow up.They usually live far from their parents because they want to find good jobs.They often write to their parents or telephone them.And they often go to visit their parents on holiday.
Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs.Americans think it is important for young people to decide on their lives by themselves.
Parents ask children to do some work around their house.And in many families, parents pay their children for doing some housework so that hey learn how to make money for their own use. | middle1316.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "There are too many people"
},
"options": [
"Shenzhen has not enough water.",
"There are too many people",
"Shenzhen is developing very fast",
"Shenzhen is too small"
],
"question": "According to the passage, whi... | Shenzhen's fast development has made it become China's most crowded city! There are about 15 million people living on its 1991square kilometers. On each square kilometer averagely live 7500 people. It is 1080 more than that in Hong Kong, and nearly 800 more than that in Guangzhou.
Besides, Shenzhen owns 2 million local vehicles, and about 300000 vehicles from other places also run on the local roads every day. The total length of the city's road is 6041 kilometers. It means each resident only owns 0.58 meters of road!
As a result, the city is facing serious environmental and resource problems. One of the problems is water shortage. The amount of fresh water for each person of the city is only 25% of the country's average. What's more, most of the water drunk by Shenzhen people comes from other areas. | middle682.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He was too busy to read books"
},
"options": [
"He didn't like reading",
"He was too busy to read books",
"He liked the life in the center of the town",
"He wanted to write a cookbook himself"
],
"question": "Wh... | Mr. Green once worked in a big company.He was quite busy so that he couldn't do any reading.So he gave up his job and opened a bookshop in the center of the town.It wasn't big but all the books were nice and most people liked to buy some there.When the shop was closed,he could read at home.He knew a lot and many learned people were glad to make friends with him.
It was Sunday and it was cold outside.Mr. Green was very busy.At nine in the evening all the buyers left,but a woman was still there.She was dressed up and seemed to be waiting for somebody there. Standing by the shelves,she looked over the books one after another,and made them in a terrible mess .Mr. Green came up to her and asked," Excuse me,madam.What can I do for you?"
"Your books are not interesting at all,"said the woman,"I want a delicious one."
"That's easy," Mr. Green smiled.He brought out a cookbook and said,"Here you are,madam." | middle6479.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It's not as large as China."
},
"options": [
"It's the largest country in the world.",
"It's as large as Shanghai.",
"It's not as large as China.",
"It's the largest island in the west of the earth."
],
"questio... | Do you know Australia? Australia is the largest island in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is in the south of earth. When China is in autumn, it's spring in Australia. Australia is big, but its population is not large. The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai.
The government has made enough laws to fight pollution. The sky is blue and the water is clean. You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers. Plants grow very well.
Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in western Australia, and went to a wild flowers exhibition. There we saw a large number of wild flowers we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers. In spring every year Perth has the wild flowers exhibition. After visiting Perth, we spent the day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves. Suddenly we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill. What we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path.
Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos. After a short drive from the town, you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep. Sheep, sheep everywhere. | middle7767.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He fell onto the roof."
},
"options": [
"His truck broke down.",
"He was late for work.",
"He fell onto the roof.",
"His ladder fell down."
],
"question": "Which of the following things did NOT happen to the wor... | The worker I hired to repair my house had just finished a difficult first day on the job. A broken wheel made him an hour late; his ladder( )fell down when he was painting the roof and now his old truck wouldn't start. With each problem he shouted angrily more at himself than at his things. As I drove him home, the man didn't say a word.
I tried talking to the man to kill time. I managed to find out that he had come up from Blue Hills in Victoria with his family six months ago to find a job. This was his first job since moving here. I now knew why his price was lower than any other worker I could find in the local newspaper. He really needed the job. His clothes told me as much.
On arriving, much to my surprise, he invited me to meet his family. As we walked through his front garden he suddenly stopped at a small tree and placed his hands on it. Then , when he opened the door he completely changed. Instead of his troubled face, there was now a warm smile, hugs for his two children and a kiss for his wife.
The following day, I asked him about the tree.
"That's my trouble tree," he answered. "Work troubles aren't welcome at home with my wife and children. So I hang them on that tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again."
"And you know what else?" he said smiling, "The next morning I find that there aren't as many as I remember hanging up the night before." | middle3501.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "tell that laptops can help improve students' school performance"
},
"options": [
"show the problems schools are faced with today",
"prove that a school without high enrollment can do well",
"express the importance of computer... | Carmen Arace Middle School is situated in the pastoral town of Bloomfield, Conn., but four years ago it faced many of the same problems as inner-city schools in nearby Hartford: low scores on standardized tests and dropping enrollment . Then the school's hard-driving headmaster, Delores Bolton, persuaded her board to shake up the place by buying a laptop computer for each student and teacher to use, in school and at home. What's more, the board provided wireless Internet access at school. Total cost: $2.5 million.
Now, an hour before classes start, every seat in the library is taken by students who cannot wait for getting online. Fifth-grade teacher Jen Friday talks about different kinds of birds as students view them at a colorful website. After school, students on buses pull laptops from backpacks to get started on homework. Since the computer arrived, enrollment is up 20%. Scores on state tests are up 35%.
Indeed, school systems in rural Maine and New York City also hope to follow Arace Middle School's example. Governor Angus King had planned using $50 million to buy a laptop for all of Maine's 17,000 seventh-graders - and for new seventh-graders each fall.
In the same spirit, the New York City board of education voted on April 12 to create a school Internet portal , which would make money by selling ads and licensing public school students. Profits will also provide e-mail service for the city's 1.1 million public school students. Profits will be used to buy laptops for each of the school system's 87,000 fourth-graders. Within nine years, all students in grades 4 and higher will have their own computers.
Back in Bloomfield, in the meantime, most of the _ have been worked out. Some students were using their computers to visit unauthorized websites. But teachers have the ability to keep an eye on where students have been on the Web and to stop them. "That is the worst when they disable you," says eighth-grade honors student Jamie Bassell. The habit is rubbing off on parents. "I taught my mom to use e-mail," says another eighth-grader, Katherine Hypolite. "And now she's taking computer classes. I'm so proud of her!" | middle2179.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "new and beautiful"
},
"options": [
"new and beautiful",
"old and beautiful",
"clean and new",
"old and clean"
],
"question": "The park near Andy's home is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | There is a new park near Andy's home. It's fine today. Andy and his family are in the park now. On their left, there is a cafe. On their right, there is a big lake. There are many flowers and trees around the lake. There's a small hill behind the lake. Near the lake, there are two signs. One says, "Don't swim in the lake!" The other says, "No fishing!" But you can go boating on the lake. There is a beautiful garden in the middle of the park. There are green grass and beautiful flowers in it. There are some small shops between the lake and the garden. The park is so nice. Andy and his family like it very much. | middle5616.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He was there for his first date."
},
"options": [
"He got there much too early.",
"He was there for his first date.",
"He wanted to be more polite.",
"He enjoyed watching people there."
],
"question": "Why was t... | It was 8:40 in the evening and I was at Starbucks -- Plaza Singapura,the place we are going to meet.I was 20 minutes before meeting time.It is not polite to be late for a date for the first time anyway.I waited,looking at the people coming and going.I was daydreaming about today's soccer match I played and started thinking about life and soccer.Life is like soccer.You never know when you are going to get hit by the ball in your face.You have to live!
As I was trying to relax myself,I felt her appearance -- the smell,I can never forget.I looked up and saw her smiling and making her way towards me.She was pretty-looking and she was in fashion .I stood there watching her coming.A bright color T-shirt with a beautiful skirt.Wow,I really love girls wearing skirts.It makes them look more attractive and natural.
"Sorry I am late."
"No,it's OK.I am just early myself."
"So what film are we going to see?"
"It's OK,we will check it out later,and anyway what matters most is whom I am going to see it with,not the show." | middle4508.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "People"
},
"options": [
"Children",
"Fathers and mothers.",
"Lucy and Lily",
"People"
],
"question": "_ like to go to the park.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | There is a park near my home. People like to go to this park after work. Some of them go to the park every day. Look! That is Mr. King. He is sitting on a chair and watching the children. Some children are playing a game. Some boys are playing soccer. Lucy and Lily are standing under a tree. They are talking. There is a small river in the park. We can see some boats on the water. Some children are sitting in the boats with their fathers and mothers. Listen! A girl is singing. This is really a nice park. I come here after school every day. | middle3267.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "blueberry"
},
"options": [
"carrot",
"blueberry",
"apple",
"vegetable"
],
"question": "Billy's uncle hadn't made _ juice before.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | Billy always loved blueberries. They were his favorite fruit. Today he was going to make juice with his uncle. His uncle liked to make juice out of everything. He made carrot juice, apple juice, vegetable juice, and more juices. He had never made blueberry juice before though!
First, Billy and his uncle went to a blueberry farm. They were each given a basket. They picked for an hour and got several pounds. It was hard work picking the little berries from the trees. Now Billy understood why they were expensive in the store.
Next, they had to wash the fruit. Some of them still had leaves. Those had to be pulled off. Then the bad berries had to be thrown away. They washed the berries and made them air-dry.
After that, they pushed the blueberries through a strainer . The strainer caught most of the seeds and skins, and only left a small glass of dark purple juice to _
When they tasted the juice, it wasn't very sweet. Billy's uncle didn't want to add white sugar to the juice. It was better to use a naturally sweet juice, like apple juice, pear juice, or grape juice. They used grape juice as a sweetener , because grapes had a similar color to the blueberries.
Finally, they could drink it. It was a lot of work to make juice, but it sure was refreshing! | middle7001.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "class monitor"
},
"options": [
"PE monitor",
"cleaning monitor",
"class monitor",
"studying monitor"
],
"question": "Da Peng is the _ for this term.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Dear Da Peng,
Thanks for your email. And thank you for introducing your Chinese friend Li Fang to me. You are the class monitor for this term. That's good. Work hard! Try to help your teacher.
My classmates choose me as the PE monitor in our class because I run very fast. My PE teacher and my classmates like me. They also want me to _ the PE Club. I think that is a good idea. We can play basketball or football at weekends.
Please send some of your photos to me.
Yours,
Mike | middle7015.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "talks to her friends"
},
"options": [
"talks to her friends",
"plays with her friends",
"looks at the dogs in the window",
"takes a bus"
],
"question": "Before class begins, Jane usually _ .",
"question_t... | Jane always goes to school early. She likes to talk to her friends before class. After school she does not go home early. She is always late. Jane stops to see the animals in the pet shop. She likes to see the dogs. One of them is a little white dog. She watches the little dog play in the window of the shop. She watches for a long time, so she comes home late.
One day her father and mother ask why she is late, and she tells them about the little dog in the pet shop.
Jane is not late the next day. She stops to look in the window of the shop. But she doesn't see the dog, and she is very sad. She is also very happy, today is her birthday.
Mother shows her a big birthday cake and Father gives her a birthday surprise . He gives her the little white dog from the shop. Jane is very happy. The next day Jane does not come home late. She runs home to play with the white dog. | middle1464.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "John Brown"
},
"options": [
"John Hall",
"Susan Brown",
"John Brown",
"Susan Hall"
],
"question": "The boy's name is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | His first name is John.His last name is Brown.His phone numberis seven-four-five,six-six-zero-five.
Her first name is Susan. Her last name is Hall.Her phone number is five-zero-five,seven-one-one-seven. The girl found a baseball in the lost and Found .The boy lost a baseball.The girl calls the boy at his phone number. | middle5602.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "to help protect nature by selling posters or prints"
},
"options": [
"to help people plan their birthday parties",
"only to provide information about nature",
"to tell people how to buy birthday presents",
"to help prot... | Daniel likes to do something to protect the environment in his daily life. Next Sunday is his friend's birthday. He is going to buy some gifts online for his friend. Now he is visiting the following website for some information about gifts.
Welcome to Nature Posters - the world's largest collection of nature posters and fine art prints!
We make a donation to help the environment when each nature poster is sold through this website!
Please tell your friends about us, and remember us when you are gift shopping.
Daniel chose the following two beautiful pictures as gifts from the website:
Parrots in Blue: $5.99 Sharks: $7.99 | middle3273.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "funny and educational"
},
"options": [
"ugly and terrible",
"funny but terrible",
"ugly and dangerous",
"funny and educational"
],
"question": "When the writer was a kid, he thought that the cartoons then were ... | When I was a kid, I never had any problems watching some cartoons. It was so much fun and a great education too. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Tom and Jerry were my idols . Even now I really feel that they are worth watching at any age.
The problem I've found is the cartoons at present. Some of them contain something ugly. Most of the time, they show such many terrible characters with violence that you wonder what they really mean. Cartoons are supposed to be funny but they aren't. If you are expecting to teach your kids good manners and behavior, then they are the worst for your kids to watch.
Kids often imitate what they see in cartoons. If your kid is a fan of such cartoons, he or she will follow his or her favorite cartoon character and try to do something extremely dangerous.
Therefore, try not to let your kids watch too many today's cartoons. Make sure to keep an eye on what they are watching. | middle5164.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they are unhealthy food"
},
"options": [
"they don't like them",
"they are not delicious",
"they are unhealthy food",
"they are too expensive"
],
"question": "Some schools have banned cupcakes because _ .",
... | When kids at Archisha Singh's school in Loudoun County have a birthday, no parents buy them birthday cakes.
Some schools are worried that children might become fat or eat unhealthy food, so they have banned cupcakes altogether.
What do kids do? Birthday kids can donate a book. The headmaster of their school will then read it to their class. The headmaster also hands out birthday certificates , special pencils, and makes sure the kids' names are read out in the school's morning news.
Parents can send stickers , pencils and other things to students. None of the things can be food. If a child donates jump ropes or other sports equipment, that child may get his or her name on a certificate. It will then be displayed at school.
Archisha really misses cupcakes, especially those her mother used to make for her kindergarten class, but her school's way is fun, too. "I like both ways," she said.
The headmaster says it's important that the school should be not only teaching, but offering healthy choices to kids. "There is a better life without cupcakes. If you eat a cupcake, then it's gone in two seconds, but a book lasts a lifetime. The sports equipment lasts, and the kids can use it day after day." | middle696.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A Chinese- style hospital."
},
"options": [
"A Spanish hospital.",
"A Chinese- style hospital.",
"A TCM hospital.",
"A western medicine hospital."
],
"question": "What hospital is Spain going to build according ... | According to Spanish business newspaper, Spain is planning to build the largest traditional Chinese medicine hospital in Europe. It's an important practice agreement between China and Spain. Barcelona will provide land for its construction and the new hospital is expected to cost 80 million euros ($88.6 million). This center will be the first of its kind outside Asia. The agreement also includes the teaching and studying of TCM (traditional Chinese medicine). The hospital will develop a joint --- research program among the scientists from both of the countries. The agreement makes it possible for doctors of TCM to work in Barcelona.
So far, China has been making efforts to _ TCM outside the country, pushing the ancient medical science to the world.
Calduch, a spokesperson for the Spain -based European Foundation of TCM, said the plan to build Europe's largest TCM hospital shows China's great dream.
"Not only will it help us learn more about this ancient medical science, but it will also bring help to Spanish patients." said Calduch.
It's reported that 23.6 percent of the country's population has used natural remedies , and TCM is the most popular. | middle7773.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "what to do while visiting your friends"
},
"options": [
"where to find a friend in need",
"what to do while visiting your friends",
"how to make friends",
"when to visit your friend"
],
"question": "The passage ... | An American friend has invited you to visit his family. You've never been to an American's home before, and you're not sure what to do. Should you take a gift? How should you dress? What time should you arrive? What should you do when you get there? Glad you asked. When you're the guest, you should just make yourself at home. That's what hospitality is all about: making people feel at home when they're not.
The question of whether or not to bring a gift often makes guests squirm . Giving your host a gift is not just a social _ in some cultures-it's expected. But in American culture, a guest is not necessary to bring a present. Of course, some people do bring a small present to their host to show their thanks. The right gifts for the host might be flowers, candy, and you can bring toys if the family has small children. _ | middle7940.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In 1997."
},
"options": [
"In 1996.",
"In 1997.",
"In 1998.",
"In 2000."
],
"question": "When did One Piece come out in Japan?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | In Japan, Luffy is more popular than Harry Potter.Luffy is the main _ of One Piece .The book came out in 1997.
One Piece tells the adventures of Monkey D.Luffy, a 17-year-old boy.He gets supernatural abilities by eating fruit.Luffy's dream is to find the world's biggest treasure, One Piece.Then he wants to become the next Pirate King.
To make his dream come true, Luffy has to reach the end of the most dangerous ocean: the Grand Line.Luffy travels with a group of pirates called the Straw Hats.On his way, more people join the group.It even includes a cook, a soldier and a musician.They also help Luffy fight with other pirates on the way.
Many Chinese teenagers are One Piece fans.Yang Peiqi, 14, of Shenzhen, says he thinks reading One Piece is great fun and also he likes the themes of the story-dreams and friends. | middle6486.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "At 6:40."
},
"options": [
"At 5:45.",
"At 6:10.",
"At 6:40.",
"At 7:00."
],
"question": "When does Nick have breakfast?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1... | Hi, I'm Nick. I am very busy from Monday to Friday. In the morning, I always get up and take a shower at six ten. After half an hour, I have breakfast. After I finish eating, I get dressed and go to school by bike. It takes me about twenty minutes to get to school.
After school, I go to the English club. Because my English is not very good, I join the English club at school. The students in the club get together to practice speaking English at half past five. We can talk in English and we can tell English stories in the club. It is good for us to improve our English. | middle2838.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "bag"
},
"options": [
"mother",
"teacher",
"bag",
"keys"
],
"question": "If you go outside with a \"smart bag\" but forget your keys, your _ will tell you.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | It's 8:00 a.m. and you are running out of the door. You walk outside and your handbag suddenly says, "Wait! You forgot your keys!" A talking handbag? Yes, it's true. This "smart bag" can "talk" to the things you often bring with. If you forget your keys or drop your purse, for example, the bag will tell you.
How does it work? There is a "smart chip" in the bag. You put other chips on your phone, purse or keys. Then the bag and the others can "talk" to each other--and you!
SMART CLOTHES
These clothes change colors--while you are wearing them! Is it hot outside? Watch your jacket change from dark blue to a lighter color to protect you from the sun. Did you spill coffee on your white trousers or shirt? No problem. These smart clothes never get dirty! | middle3298.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "his alarm clock didn't ring"
},
"options": [
"he couldn't find hid shoes",
"his alarm clock didn't ring",
"he washed and dressed slowly",
"his car went wrong on the way"
],
"question": "Tony arrived at school la... | Have you ever had an embarrassing experience? Last week we asked readers to tell us about embarrassing experiences. We received thousands of letters! Here is a selection.
Tony:
My most embarrassing experience happened when I had just left university. I had just started teaching in a Liverpool middle school. One morning my alarm clock didn't ring. I woke up at half past eight and school began at nine. I quickly washed, dressed, jumped into my car and rushed to school. When I arrived, the students had already gone into class. I didn't go to the office, but went straight into class. After two or three minutes the students began laughing, and I couldn't understand why! Suddenly I looked down and understood. I had put on one black shoe and one brown shoe!
Henry:
The most embarrassing experience I've ever had happened two years ago. After seeing a film, my wife and I had lunch in our favorite restaurant in town. Then we decided to take a walk along the street. The street was very busy and we started holding hands. Suddenly my wife saw a dress that she liked in a shop window, and stopped. I started looking at some watches in the next window. After a minute or two I reached for my wife's hand. There was a loud _ , and a woman slapped my face. I hadn't taken my wife's hand. I'd taken the hand of a complete stranger ! | middle2186.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "excited"
},
"options": [
"sorry",
"angry",
"excited",
"happy"
],
"question": "When we have success in a school play ,we may feel _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | At school many things happen to us .We may feel excited when we have success in a school play.We may feel sorry if we lose an important game .We want to keep the memory for the rest of our lives .
How to keep the memory ?Our English teacher ,Miss Wang ,has taught us a good way of remembering things to make our own yearbook .What is a yearbook ? A yearbook is a kind of book which is used to keep the memory of exciting moments .It's usually made at the end of the year .
Last December ,we began to make our yearbook .First we chose the persons who had done something special ,then some students interviewed them ,some wrote down their stories ,others took photos of them .Every one in our class had something to do .Finally our teacher helped us to put the things together .We had our first yearbook .
All of us put a lot of love into making the yearbook .It is so wonderful that not only the students but also our parents and teachers will remember the special time forever . | middle5825.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she didn't know how to stop his son surfing the Internet"
},
"options": [
"she often asked others for help",
"she thought she was a great mother",
"she didn't know how to stop his son surfing the Internet",
"she didn't ... | Dear Annie,
I have never written a letter to a newspaper before, I have just never felt the need to do such a thing. I have always felt I was quite able to do everything by myself. But now I know I was wrong.
Sometimes you really need help in life, I guess. And that's why I'm writing this letter to you.
I have a happy family. I love my children and they love me . I'm a mother of three children. I know well how to bring up children, and two of them are already over twenty, so it is nothing new for me.
But now I have a serious problem: the Internet problem. My little son is just sixteen, and I feel he should do a lot of homework now , but he doesn't seem to be interested in it . He can happily spend six or eight hours at a time on the Internet every day , He chats with people that he has never met before , but speaks little to us .He does lots of useless things on the Internet. And he sees red if you ask him to do his homework.
I just want him to be a good student . Now he seldom does his lessons at home. I'm afraid he will drop behind in his class soon. His father is a doctor , a very kind man . He never seems to be afraid of his father.
What can I do ?And don't tell to talk to him. We've tried that and it didn't work. But this is really a big problem in our family. I have tried everything I can think of . I
wonder how the Internet is so attractive .You're my last hope. Please tell me what I can do!
Yours,
Ellen Smith | middle2192.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "eye health"
},
"options": [
"tooth health",
"physical health",
"eye health",
"heart health"
],
"question": "People get a good chance to care about their _ on June 6thevery year.",
"question_type": "clo... | June 6this National Eye Care Day. It is a good chance for us to improve our eye health. What are common eye problems we have today? How can we protect our eyes? Read on to find out the answer.
Eyes are important in our everyday life. We use them to read books, see colors and view the wonders of the world. But sometimes, we use them too much and it hurts them.
In the past, nearsightedness was a common eye problem among children. This is mostly because of their bad eye habits, such as watching TV too long and reading books in bed.
However, today's technology is changing the way we live. Children spend more time working and playing in front of computers, smartphones and iPads. US children spend more than 42 hours a week in front of electronic screens , US' ABC news reported.
This has caused a new problem for our eyes: digital eyestrain . People with digital eyestrain may get headaches, dry and red eyes, eye pain, watering and other eye problems.
But don't worry. The following tips can help you protect your eyes. Try them out.
Screen advice:
1. When you are watching electronic screens, keep them at least 30 cm from your eyes. Try not to use your smartphone in direct sunlight.
2. Blink more often when you are looking at the screen. This can help to stop dry eyes.
3. Remember to take a 20-20-20 break: every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet (about 6 meters) away.
4. Spend less time in front of screens. One to two hours a day is OK for your eyes. | middle4285.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "lamp; girl"
},
"options": [
"lamp; man",
"picture; lamp",
"lamp; girl",
"newspaper; shop owner"
],
"question": "In the advertisement, there was a _ and a _ on the bicycle.",
"question_type": "cloze_q... | Tom saw an advertisement in a newspaper for a beautiful bicycle. It cost 55 pounds. So he went to the shop and asked to see one of the wonderful bicycles.
The owner of the shop was harpy to show one to Tom. Tom examined it carefully, and turned to the owner and said, "There isn't a lamp on this bicycle. hut there was one on the bicycle in your advertisement."
"Yes, Sir, "answered the man." But the lamp isn't included in the price of bicycle."
"Not included in the price of bicycle?" Tom said angrily. "But that's not honest. If the lamp is in the advertisement, it should be included in the price.""Well, Sir," answered the shop owner coldly. "There is also a girl on the bicycle in the advertisement. but we cannot give you a girl with the bicycle, either." | middle7954.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "when it's powdered"
},
"options": [
"when it's mixed with water",
"when it's mixed with oil",
"when it's powdered",
"when it's put in the fridge"
],
"question": "In outer space, food can be stored for many years... | There's no pizza on Mars, but scientists have found a solution to this problem for hungry astronauts: a pizza printer! NASA, the American space agency, has developed a machine that "prints" food. They showed a model of the printer in Austin, Texas last month.
How does it work? Cartridges filled with powdered dough , cheese, sauce, water and oil put the ingredients layer by layer onto a printer bed. The printer bed, which gets hot from below, cooks the food as it's being printed.
Since most of the ingredients are powdered, they can be sent into space and stored for many years without going bad. Water makes food go sour, so the food powders are mixed with water and oil only when they are being printed.
"Long-distance space travel requires more than 15 years of shelf life for food." says Anjan Contractor, whose company developing the printer. " We take water out, and in that form, food will last maybe 30 years."
In outer space, there are far fewer choices for astronauts for dinner. Most of their foods--even things like beef or shrimp--are eaten from bags as powders . Scientists hope the new food printer can be used to make more delicious food in outer space, keeping astronauts healthier and happier.
But the printer is not limited to use in outer space. Scientists think it could be useful on Earth, too. It could allow personal meals to be made at the dinner table, according to each person's different needs.
"Let's say someone is an athlete in the family, and he needs more protein ," says Anjan Contractor, founder of Systems and Materials Research Corp, the company developing the printer. "We can design recipes for him and print out more protein-nutritious food for him." | middle6492.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because there are many big squares and nice museums."
},
"options": [
"Because riding bicycles is very easy and fun.",
"Because there are many big squares and nice museums.",
"Because there are many bicycle rentals.",
"... | Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful cities in Holland . It is the capital of Holland. There are many big squares and nice museums. Hundreds and thousands of people from all over the world visit there every year.
Riding bicycles is a fun and easy way to get around Amsterdam. Most students go to school by bicycle. People ride their bicycles to work. Even the policemen work on bicycles. There are many roads and traffic signs for bicycles in Amsterdam. There are also many places for bicycle parking.
If you travel in Amsterdam, you don't need to take a bus or a taxi, just ride a bicycle. You can reach more places by bicycle than by any other way. It is also fantastic to go for a ride. There are a lot of bicycle shops in Amsterdam. You can buy yourself a nice bicycle at a good price in the shops. If you don't wants to buy a bicycle, you can go to a bicycle rental . You can find one in almost every place of the city. You'd better find a guide when you are travelling in Amsterdam. Because he would take you to some of the city's most beautiful places.
Riding bicycles in Amsterdam is great fun and relaxing. But there is one thing you must keep in mind. You should always follow the traffic rules. | middle2804.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because the pain didn't seem to get better."
},
"options": [
"Because the doctor in the village had been unable to save him.",
"Because he had a fever.",
"Because he suffered from a pain in the head.",
"Because the pain... | A farmer who lived in a small village had a bad pain in the chest. This never seemed to get any better. The farmer decided that he would go to see a doctor in the nearest town. But as he was a miserly person, he thought he would find out how much he would have to pay the doctor. He was told that a sick person had to pay three pounds for the first visit and one pound for the second visit. The farmer thought about this for a long time, and then he decided to go to the doctor in the town.
As he came into the doctor's room, he said, "Good morning, doctor. Here I am again." The doctor was a little surprised. He asked him a few questions, checked his chest and then took the pound which the farmer insisted on giving him. Then the doctor said with a smile, "Well, sir, there's nothing new. Please go on taking the same medicine I gave you the first time you came to see me." | middle899.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Happy Farm"
},
"options": [
"The farmer",
"Happy Farm",
"The Chinese website",
"The Doctor"
],
"question": "According to this passage, what is very popular in China?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"ans... | Happy Farm is an online game. It is very popular among people in China. The game offers you a piece of empty land and some seeds at first. You are like the farmer. If your land is small, you can spend some money to make it big. And you must harvest your things on the farm on time, or some other farmers will steal your fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs and so on. Of course, you can steal theirs. If you want to make money, you must sell your things out.
Some Chinese websites have offered this game to its users. So far, it is said that about 16 million Chinese people are playing this game. Some people were so crazy that they even get up in the midnight to harvest their crops and steal others'.
Happy Farm brings happiness to people. It is really a fascinating game. But it also brings many problems. It is reported that a baby died in a hospital just because the doctor didn't give him timely treatment. Do you know what the doctor was doing? He was playing Happy Farm! There are many stories like this. | middle127.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It was struggling to get out of its cocoon."
},
"options": [
"It was trying to make a cocoon for it self.",
"It was crawling around quietly on the ground.",
"It was flying among the trees in the forest.",
"It was strugg... | One day a man found a cocoon of a butterfly in the forest.He sat there for several hours and watched the butterfly.Suddenly, a small opening appeared and the butterfly made its great effort to force its body through that little hole.Then it seemed to stop making any progress.It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further.(, ).
So the man decided to help the butterfly.He cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that the butterfly would come out easily.But to his surprise, the butterfly got a heavy body and very small wings when it came out of the cocoon.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that the body would grow smaller at any moment and the wings would become larger and be able to fly.But neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a heavy body and small wings.It was never able to fly.
The man was in his kindness, but he didn't understand the nature rules.Before the butterfly came out of the cocoon, fluid from its body must be forced into its wings, and then would be ready for flying.It must have a hard struggle to get through the small opening to get its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.If God allowed us to go through our life without any difficulties, it would make us fail.We would not be as strong as we could have been, we could never fly. | middle5819.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They are better than foreign ones."
},
"options": [
"They have little interest.",
"Our writers seldom know children's needs.",
"Most of them are the same",
"They are better than foreign ones."
],
"question": "Ab... | The new bookHarry Potter and the Half-Bloodis warmly welcomed by the children in China. It sells well across China. You can see and hear the advertisements about the book here and there.
Why is the book so attractive to children? After reading it, I was attracted by the magic world. I can not help asking: where is our ownHarry Potter?
China has a long history and colorful culture. With a large market of teenagers, China published many popular books among children. However, why are the present books not as good as those foreign ones?
Firstly, quiet a number of children's are of strong sense of teaching, and they have little interest. Reading them, children often have a feeling of being "educated". Certainly, they don't like them. Secondly, fewer children like the same stories, but most Chinese books are usually much the same. One knows the ending as early as in the beginning. Finally, the writers seldom think about children's needs.
_ for children should be interesting, and written in their language. | middle133.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "confidence is important for one to be successful"
},
"options": [
"people who failed are not lonely",
"animals can help people sometimes",
"nature will help if we are hard--working",
"confidence is important for one to ... | In one way, it may be thought that failure is a part of life. In another, failure may be regarded as a step towards success.
The "spider story" is often told as an example of this. Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a hole on a hill from the English. He watched a spider making a web . Bruce is said to have got confidence from this and to have gone on to beat the English. Edison, too, the inventor of the light bulb , made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one.
So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were you in high spirit then? What can you change so that things will go right the next time?
Second, is the goal you are trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goal may be. Think about this question: If I am successful in this, where will it get me?" This may help to prevent failure in the things you shouldn't be doing anyway.
The third thing to remember about failure is that it's a part of life. Learn to "live with yourself!" even though you may have failed. Remember, "You can't live with them all." | middle655.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "doesn't work sometimes"
},
"options": [
"never works well",
"always tastes terrible",
"doesn't work sometimes",
"always makes patients feel worse"
],
"question": "The medicine given by doctors _ .",
"quest... | Now and then we all get ill. Then we usually go to see a doctor. Doctors know a lot about what makes us ill. They may give us something to take. The medicine often makes us well again.
But sometimes the doctor's medicine doesn't work. A sick person does not get well. The pain doesn't go away. There was such man. He was in hospital, but he wasn't well. Then he found a new "doctor" inside himself. This "doctor" was his own sense of humor . He saw funny films. He read funny books. And he liked to learn something interesting. Laughing took away his pain. Then he was able to sleep and rest. His own happy feeling helped him to feel well again. And he told his story in a book. He said that laughing was his best "medicine". His doctor thought so, too.
Another man was ill, and he had a terrible pain in his back. The doctors could not stop it from hurting. So the man began to "picture" his pain. In his head he "drew" a picture of a dog. He imagined it as a real dog. And it was biting his back. It was hurting him. Then the man talked softly to the dog. He put his hand on the dog's head. He made friends with the dog. And his pain went away!
These stories may surprise you. But more and more people are getting well in this way. So call on the "doctor" inside your own head. And stay happy and well! | middle7968.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He told her to write down all her \"enemy\" had said about her."
},
"options": [
"He agreed with her \"enemy\".",
"He let her continue to put up with her \"enemy\".",
"He told her to write down all her \"enemy\" had said abou... | When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings . Sometimes she said I was thin. Sometimes she said I was lazy. Sometimes she said I wasn't a good student. Sometimes she said I talked too much, and so on. I tried to put up with her as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, "Are the things she said true or not? Mary, didn't you ever wonder what you're really like? Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said."
I did as he told me and to my surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true.
I brought the list back to my dad. He refused to take it. "That's just for you," he said. "You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. When something said about you is true, you'll find it will be helpful to you. Don't shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you think is right."
Many years have passed. The situation often appears in my mind. In our life we often meet with some trouble and we often go to someone and ask for advice. For some advice you will treasure all your life! | middle3059.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "go to bed early and get up early"
},
"options": [
"work at night",
"eat well",
"go to bed early and get up early",
"get up late"
],
"question": "We will be healthy if we _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | Early to bed, early to rise , makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
This is an old English saying. Have you heard it before? It means that we must go to bed early in the evening and get up early in the morning. If we do, we shall be healthy. We shall also be rich (wealthy) and clever (wise).
Is this true? Perhaps it is. The body must have enough sleep. Children need ten hours' sleep every night. If you do not go to bed early, you cannot have enough sleep. Then you cannot think properly and you cannot do your work properly. You will not be wise and you may not become wealthy!
Some people go to bed late at night and get up late in the morning. This is not good for them. We must sleep at night when it is dark. The dark helps us to sleep properly, When the daylight comes, we must get up. This is the time for exercise. Exercise means doing things with the body. Walking, running, jumping, swimming, and playing games are all exercise. If the body is not used, it becomes weak. Exercise keeps it strong. Exercise helps the blood to move around inside the body. This is very important. The brains in our heads also need blood. We think with our brains. If we keep our bodies healthy, and take exercise, we can think better.
Our bodies also need air to breathe. Without air we die. We must have a lot of clean, fresh air to breathe if we want to be healthy. | middle4736.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "every one or two days"
},
"options": [
"every one or two days",
"once a week",
"every four or five days",
"three times a month"
],
"question": "According to the passage,we should wash our hair _ .",
"quest... | Are you taking good care of your hair and using the right products? Could your shampoo be damaging your hair? Should you brush your hair more or less? The following are a few tips to help you keep your hair healthy and shining.
A balanced diet will help you have nice-looking hair. Try to eat more green vegetables, eggs and beans every day.
Wash your hair every day, or every two days. Always use cool, clean water to wash the shampoo out of your hair.
Use shampoo that is specially designed for your hair type (dry, oily, etc.).When using shampoo, be sure to massage your hair, including the roots, softly.
Allow your hair to dry naturally whenever possible. Hair is at its weakest when it is wet, so never brush or comb your wet hair hard, and use a wide-toothed comb.
Give your hair a good brushing before going to bed. Do this by bending over so that your head is hanging down, and brush from back to front. This will help remove the dirt from your hair.
Strong sunlight is bad for your hair. So remember to wear a hat to protect it on hot summer days. | middle5428.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "plastic bags"
},
"options": [
"computers",
"mobile phones",
"plastic bags",
"TV"
],
"question": "The following can become e-waste EXPECT _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Have you ever heard of e-waste ( electronic waste, ) ,which can be produced every day? How do you deal with your computers, MP4 players and mobile phones when they're broken or you want a new one?
Most people just throw them away. With the development of electronic industry, e-waste pollution has become a serious problem. According to the United Nations, in 2014, people around the world produced 41.8 million tons of e-waste and only recycled 6.5 million tons. The US was the biggest waster, producing 7.1 million tons. China came second , with 6 million tons.
It's important to pay attention to e-waste. It can either be valuable or harmful ,depending on how we deal with it. E-waste is a valuable urban mine . The value of the metals, like gold and silver in the waste around the world, is amazing. And the metals can be refused. But if people throw them away, the toxic chemicals can get into the earth or air, _ the environment and people's health.
Apple, for example, now recycles people's used products in China when they are buying new ones. The company will test and repair the used ones and sell them at lower price. To help reduce e-waste , we can buy longer lasting electronic products. If you have unwanted electronics find a new home for them. You can also take computers and phones to see if companies offer reveling programs. | middle6121.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "two and a half hours"
},
"options": [
"two and a half hours",
"five hours",
"six hours",
"five and a half hours"
],
"question": "How long were the students training every day?",
"question_type": "factiod_que... | Watch for us on TV
THIS summer, many Beijing middle school students had a different kind of vacation. Instead of hanging out with friends or traveling, they were training hard for the National Day celebration.
To mark the special anniversary of China this year, the students performed a group dance in a big parade on Tian'anmen Square on October 1.
Students were training from 7:30am to around 10:00am or from 4 pm to 6:30pm. It was to avoid the summer heat.
They wore white hats, T-shirts and dark-blue trousers. The hats and T-shirts were printed with a red logo, the number '60".
The first week of training was PE. Students practiced standing and squatting . Then they moved on to practice the group display. The use colored sheets in the shape of flowers as a prop . When we watch the parade on TV we will see them making colorful patterns with them.
What do the students think of their unusual summer?
"Sometimes we find it a bit tiring." says Lu Wenqi,13."But most of us think it's a great honor to take part in such an important celebration."
Li Hui, 15, thinks the same as Lu. She says her classmates are seldom late for training.
"It's a wonderful chance for us,' says Li. "When my parents were in college, they also took part in a national day celebration. Now it's my turn!"
By Wang Min
21st Century Teens staff | middle1896.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "There will be more self-driving cars in use in the future."
},
"options": [
"It is too difficult for people to make self-driving cars now.",
"Self-driving cars will be first put on the market in 2020.",
"There will be more se... | You know how much your telephone has changed over the past 10 years? Your car will change even more than that in the next 10 years. One of the biggest changes is that cars will drive themselves.
"We certainly have the technology for it now."says Andrew Poliak of automotive technology supplier QNX."We expect self-driving cars to be a mainstream thing between 2020 and 2025."
The American company Google has been working on self-driving cars for years. These cars are already on the roads in the United States and are truly self-driving. They have to steering wheels or pedals . Last week, the police ordered one of Google's cars to stop for driving too slowly on a public road. The car was not breaking any law, so no one was punished.
Another American company, Tesla, added an "Autopilot" feature to its cars last month. With the Autopilot turned on, the vehicle drives itself. The car will speed up, slow down, _ and drive by itself. You can take over driving any time by turning the steering wheel or touching a pedal. The car uses sensors to know when driveway changing is safe and whether it should speed up or slow down.
Tesla Autopilot is made for cross-country driving. It keeps you in the driveway and helps you avoid hitting other cars. It does not work well on local roads, for it will not stop at a red light or stop sign.
Reporter Carolyn Nicander Mohr tried the Autopilot feature of a Tesla earlier this month. She had a hard time trusting the car to do what it should do. She thought about disabling the Autopilot feature many times during her trip. She wanted to take control at every bend in the road and hit the brake when the car in front of her slowed down. Yet the car drove perfectly.
Other companies are working on self-driving cars, too. Marcedes-Benz, Audi, BMW.Volvo and Toyota all have plans for such vehicles.
,A, B, C, D. | middle7559.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "his home is far from school"
},
"options": [
"he has no bike",
"he likes his dad's car",
"he doesn't like walking",
"his home is far from school"
],
"question": "Jack goes to school by car because _ .",
"... | Hi! I am Jack. I am thirteen years old. I'm an English boy. Now I'm in China with my parents. I go to a middle school in Tianjin. This is my school day.
I get up at half past six. I go to school at seven o'clock and I go to school in my dad's car. I want to walk to school, but the school is far from my home. I usually eat breakfast in the car. School starts at half past seven in the morning. We have five lessons in the morning and we have four lessons in the afternoon. I go home at six o'clock. I eat dinner at seven o'clock. I do my homework at half past seven. After that, I play the guitar. I go to bed at nine thirty.
This is my school day. It is happy! | middle6647.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a town of nearly 500,000 people"
},
"options": [
"a very big city",
"a small village beside the sea",
"a town of nearly 500,000 people",
"a small village at the foot of Roland Hill"
],
"question": "Horlton was ... | Dear sir,
I read your story (of the 4thFebruary) about the cost of living in the country rather than in the town, and I agree with most of your opinions.My husband and I lived in the middle of Horlton until two years ago a seaside town of nearly five hundred thousand people.When my husband stopped working, we moved to our present house in a small village at the foot of Roland Hill, and there is no doubt that our costs are higher now.
I have to do my shopping in small shops, where the food is more expensive than in city supermarkets; it costs more to travel by bus; and because the men who come to mend the television or the washing-machine, have to come further, we have to pay them more.
But it does not cost us much to enjoy what is beautiful in the country; and peace and quiet are cheap.It takes many people a lot of time and money to drive into the country to enjoy the simple things of life; yet we can enjoy them just by going out of the front door.It costs more to live here than it did in Horlton, but now life really is worth living.
Yours faithfully,
Edith Randall (Mrs) | middle1128.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "take a submarine"
},
"options": [
"drive a car",
"take a bus",
"take a submarine",
"swim"
],
"question": "Maybe people in the future will _ to work on the ocean floor.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | Where do you think people will live in the future? Can you predict people will work and live in the sea? But how will people go to work then? By submarine!
Some scientists believe that some day submarines will be as many as today's cars. A famous French driver says, " One day, man will work on the ocean floor as they do on the street!"
If people want to live in the sea, they have to solve a lot of problems first. Some of these problems, similar to those of living on the moon, are lack of oxygen and weightlessness . Many questions are hard to answer. For example, what will happen to our bodies if we live in the sea for a very long time? Scientists are looking for answers.
Maybe in 50 years man will be able to live in the sea, away from the crowded and noisy cities on land. Man will find it fun and interesting to live in the sea. And life in the sea is more comfortable. Don't you think so? | middle4050.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "at 11:00 am on Wednesday"
},
"options": [
"at 9:00 am on Sunday",
"at 6:00pm on Monday",
"at 11:00 am on Wednesday",
"at 2:30pm on Friday"
],
"question": "You can go to the Science and Technology Museum _ .",
... | Science and Technology Museum
Opening hours
Saturday-Wednesday 10:00 am-17:30 pm
Charge
Adult :Y=10 Student: Y=5 Under 12: Free
What's on
Ancient Technology - the ground floor
Modern Technology -the first floor
Space - the second floor
The Silk Road: Trade and Travel - the second floor
Shop - the third floor
Please note
The museum is closed for 3 days during Spring Festival every year.
Contact us
Information desk: 73238299
Email: information@scienceandtechnologymuseum | middle4044.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The shopkeeper."
},
"options": [
"The cat",
"Mr. Black",
"The shopkeeper.",
"Mrs. Black's daughter"
],
"question": "_ tells Mrs. Black how to cook the fish.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Mrs. Black goes to buy a fish with her daughter. She doesn't know how to cook it, so she asks the shopkeeper to write down the way of cooking it on a note. She puts the note in her daughter's pocket and then they leave the shop with the fish.
On their way home, a black cat sees them and follows them. Suddenly the cat jumps at her, takes the fish away from her quickly and runs off at once. Mrs. Black runs after it, but she can't run faster than it. At last she stops, not knowing what to do. But she suddenly remembers _ . She laughs and shouts at the cat, "You don't know how to cook it. The note is still in my daughter's pocket!" | middle6653.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "remember nobody is perfect"
},
"options": [
"compare yourself with others",
"have a perfect appearance",
"remember nobody is perfect",
"think you are the same as others"
],
"question": "The writer thinks it is i... | It is very normal for people to compare themselves with others. Everyone does it, but it is important to remember that no one is perfect. Other people may look confident, but everyone feels insecure once in a while, even the famous people like Yao Ming. When he was young, he probably felt insecure about being too tall! Other kids in his class probably laughed at him because he was different, although I don't know if I would have laughed at Yao Ming since he is so much bigger than me! Now, Yao Ming is rich and successful because of his height.
When I was young, I had a friend named Annie. Everyone used to call her "toothpick" because they thought she was too thin. Now, everyone is jealous of her because she is thin and beautiful, and they have to always exercise to keep from getting fat. What makes you feel insecure and different may actually be a gift and help you in life. We should celebrate what makes us special and not be afraid to stand out in the crowd. | middle6135.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A burning desire."
},
"options": [
"A burning desire.",
"A good motivation.",
"Secrets to success",
"A good accomplishment"
],
"question": "What do you need to succeed according to this passage?",
"question_... | The motivation to succeed comes from the burning desire to achieve a purpose. Napoleon Hill wrote, "whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve."
A young man asked Socrates the secrets to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. When they meet, Socrates asked the young man to walk with him towards the river. When the water got up to their necks, Socrates took the young man by surprise and pressed him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy stared turning blue. Socrates pulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked, "What did you want the most when you were there?" the boy replied. "Air." Socrates said," That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it. There is no other secret."
A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment . Just like a small fire cannot give much heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results. | middle1882.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "winter"
},
"options": [
"spring",
"summer",
"autumn",
"winter"
],
"question": "The Indians wants to know the weather in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | It is autumn, and the Indians ask their new chief what the weather is going to be like this winter. The chief looks at the sky and says it's usually cold, and he tells the villagers to collect wood for the winter. As a good chief, he goes to call the weatherman and asks, "Is the coming winter going to be cold?"
"It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold," the weatherman answers.
So the chief goes back to his people and tells them to collect more food. A week later he calls the weatherman again.
"Is it going to be a very cold winter?"
"Yes," the weatherman answers again. "It's going to be a very cold winter."
The chief again goes back to his people and tells them to collect every piece of wood they can find. Two weeks later he calls the weatherman again.
"Are you sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"
"Yes," the weatherman answers again. "It's going to be very very cold."
"Why are you so sure?" asks the chief.
The weatherman answers, "Because the Indians are collecting wood
!" | middle8118.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the Great Wall"
},
"options": [
"America",
"England",
"Canana",
"the Great Wall"
],
"question": "Ann and his mother are going to _ by bus .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | It is a fine Sunday morning .Ann and her mother are on a big bus .There are many people on it . Some of them come from America ,and some come from English and Canada. They are going to the Great Wall .
There are only two Chinese on the bus .One is the woman .She is driving the bus .The other is a young man.He is their guide and can speak English very well. Now he is talking with an Ameican girl .Other people are listening to them .They are very interested in the Great Wall.They want to see it very much. | middle4722.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because he was ill."
},
"options": [
"Because he was ill.",
"Because he walked so fast.",
"Because he was too old.",
"Because the subway station was so crowed."
],
"question": "Why did Mr Hollopeter fall on the ... | It was 12:45 pm on January 2, 2007. 50-year-old Wesley Autrey was waiting for the train at a subway station in New York. His two daughters, aged four and six, were with him.
Suddenly, a sick man fell down on the platform . The man, 20-year-old Cameron Hollopeter, got up, but then fell again--this time, onto the track between the two rails . A train was coming into the station. It was a frightening moment.
But Mr Autrey wasn't frightened. He looked at the man and the space that the man was in. It was about half a meter deep. And he thought, "The train is going to travel over this man. If he tries to get up, the train will kill him. But if he lies on the ground and doesn't move, he'll be OK." So he got an idea.
He jumped down and kept Mr Hollopeter down on the ground. The train driver saw them. He was terrified, but he couldn't stop in time. The train traveled over the two men before it stopped.
The people on the platform were surprised. When Mr Autrey heard them screaming, he shouted, "We're OK down here, but I've got two daughters up there. Let them know their father is OK."
In an interview on a TV show, Mr Autrey said, "The only thing that happened to me was my blue hat got dirty." | middle1672.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "at a well-known hospital"
},
"options": [
"at the library",
"in a classroom",
"at a well-known hospital",
"in a medical school"
],
"question": "The medical students were having a lesson _ .",
"question_typ... | A doctor was once teaching a class of medical students at a famous hospital in Edinburgh. An injured man was brought in, and the doctor turned to one of his students and asked him, "What's wrong with this man?"
"I don't know, sir," the student answered. "Shall I examine him and find out?""There's no need to examine him," said the doctor. "You should know without asking questions. He has hurt his right knee. Didn't you notice the way he walked? He hurt it by burning it in the fire. You see his trouser leg is burnt away at the knee. This is Monday morning. Yesterday was fine, but on Saturday the roads were wet and muddy. The man's trousers are muddy all over. The man fell down on Saturday night."
The doctor then turned to the man and said, "You had your pay on Saturday and went to a public house and drank too much. You got muddy and wet on the way home. Because you had drunk too much, you fell on the fire and burnt your knee. Is it right? " "Yes, sir," said the man. | middle7203.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Thirty-six."
},
"options": [
"Fourteen.",
"Twenty-one",
"Twenty-nine.",
"Thirty-six."
],
"question": "How many homes altogether were destroyed in the storm last Friday?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"... | Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories , destroying fourteen homes. Seven others were so badly destroyed that their owners had to leave them, and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs. One person was killed, several were badly hurt and taken to hospital, and a number of other people received smaller hurt. Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm.
A farmer, Mr. Tan, said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour.
"I was eating with my wife and children," he said, "when we heard a loud noise. A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us. We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing. I went back inside and found him safe but very frightened."
Mrs. Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving. She ran outside at once with her children.
"There was no time to take anything," she said, "A few minutes later, the roof came down."
Soldiers helped to take people out of the water area and the welfare government brought them food, clothes and some other things. | middle8130.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "formal"
},
"options": [
"formal",
"direct",
"different",
"funny"
],
"question": "According to the passage, we learn that our letters are more _ than the e-mails.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},... | Before you hit 'Enter' on MSN, read this
It is often said that the language we use online is less formal than that we use in a letter, or in direct speech sometimes. This is true, but it can also make us in trouble sometimes.
The thing about online communication is that you have no idea what the person who is reading your messages is feeling. For this reason, it is always a good idea to be polite and cautious when writing e-mails or messages to your friends.
Chinese can be a direct language, but in English, people often talk about a subject in another way. So instead of saying "Please meet me here" or "Do this for me now", English speakers usually go for indirect phrases like "Would it be possible", "if you have time" or "It would mean a lot to me if..."
If you have a close friend, you may still run into trouble because of your jokes. If you have asked someone to do something and they need a bit more time, you might joke with him: "What? You still haven't done it yet? What's wrong with you?" While this seems funny to you, your friend may feel unhappy.
If you have foreign friends in different countries, the time difference can also be a factor. While you are waking up for class on Friday morning, they may be having a party on Friday night. You will be serious and they will, probably, be excited. So don't be angry if they seem not to care about you. Just try to message them at the proper time. | middle3065.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to have a rest"
},
"options": [
"to swim",
"to have a rest",
"to drink something",
"to make a bet"
],
"question": "Mr Baker went to the sea _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": ... | Mr Baker worked in a big factory. He was busy all the time and had little time to rest. One summer, he decided to go to the sea to spend his holidays.
One afternoon, it was very hot. Mr Baker came into a restaurant, sat at a table and wanted to drink. Just then, an old man came up to him and said, "How do you do, sir?" "How do you do?" Mr Baker asked the old man to sit next to him. "Have you been here before?" "No, I haven't." "You look lonely, don't you?" said the old man. "Let's have a bet, shall we?"
It interested Mr Baker, "But what shall we bet on?" "I can bite my left eyeball," said the old man, "I can bet you five dollars."
Mr Baker didn't believe and passed $5 on the table.
The old man took out his glass eyeball, put it into his mouth and bite it. Mr Baker had to give his money.
"It doesn't matter young man," the old man said. "I'll give you a chance to win the money back. I can also bite my right eye. I'll bet you $10."
"I'm sure he's able to see. And I must win his money," he thought. So he took out ten dollars from his wallet.
But he was very surprised, the old man took out his false teeth and bit his right eye with it. Then he put the money into his pocket and went away quickly. | middle3703.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Two"
},
"options": [
"Two",
"Three",
"Four",
"Five"
],
"question": "_ kinds of flying cars are mentioned in the passage.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | A science fiction flying car looks like a normal car, but it is an aircraft that anybody can fly directly from any place to another without using roads or runways. Science fiction writers have written about flying cars for a long time. But now flying cars will soon fly out of the world of science fiction into our real world. And the dream of the science fiction writers will soon come true.
The first-known sky car is the FSC-1. The FSC-1 looks like an expensive sports car. You can drive the FSC-1 on the road like a normal car. If you touch a button, its wings and propeller fold out and then it can take off, fly and land as an airplane. The owners of the FSC-1 can choose if they want to drive or fly.
Another flying car or sky car is the Moller Skycar M400. Although you can't drive it on the roads, it is small and easy to fly and can take off and land like a helicopter . Urban Aeronautics' X-Hawk is another type of sky car. It is expected to be available for about $3 million.
Just like any new technology, flying cars have taken a long time to be developed. But some experts think the technology is far from what people imagine when they are sitting in traffic. It still needs to be improved. | middle7565.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Jenny"
},
"options": [
"Leo",
"Gary",
"Lily",
"Jenny"
],
"question": "Who will take fried chicken to the party?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | Dear Jenny,
Gary is having a _ party after Month Exam! He invites all of us to come! Since it is a potluck party, I think I will bring some beef noodles. As I know, Lily will take care of the drinks and Gina will bring a big homemade chocolate cake. Can you ask your mom to buy us some KFC fried chicken? You know it is too far for all of us to ride a bike there, but your mom often drives there. We can pay the bill together. Just think about how surprised our classmates will feel when they see what we prepare! Isn't it great?
The party will start at noon on March 25, so be sure to be at Gary's place around 11:30 to prepare for the party. By the way, don't forget to invite Amy, who is good at music. If you have any other questions, just call me or write me back.
Take care!
Leo | middle480.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Five."
},
"options": [
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five.",
"Six."
],
"question": "How many people are mentioned in the story?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | A taxi hit a truck. A policeman spoke to the taxi driver and to the truck driver. He also spoke to Tom. He was a witness . This is what they said.
TRUCK DRIVER: I was driving from the airport to Newton. A car crossed the road, so I slowed down. I did not stop. A taxi hit the back of my truck. Nobody was badly hurt but both cars were damaged.
TAXI DRIVER: I was driving behind a truck a few kilometers from Newton. The truck stopped suddenly. The driver did not give me a warning. I was driving very slowly. I could not pass the truck because there were two cars coming near from Newton. My taxi hit the truck, and some glass cut my left hand.
TOM: I was watching the traffic about a kilometer from the airport. A truck was going to Newton. It was not going very quickly. There was a taxi about two hundred meters behind the truck. It was going fast. When the truck slowed down, the taxi hit it. The taxi driver was not looking at the truck. He was looking out of the window at something. My friend saw the accident, too.
Tom's friend spoke to the policeman and agreed with Tom. | middle1114.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "People like traveling more than buying material things."
},
"options": [
"Spending money in a clever way makes people happy.",
"People like traveling more than buying material things.",
"Material things may cause jealousy.",
... | Money can make you happy, only if you spend it in a clever way.
Buying a new car makes you happy. However, you will forget this feeling when the car gets old. But if you spend a week traveling, it's more possible that you'll remember the great experience, and you'll remember the feeling for a long time. A new study has found that spending money on experiences makes people happier than on _ things.
For material things, it's possible that you'll care about every little thing. If you buy a nice pen, and someone else buys one with less money, it's possible that you may be unhappy because you spend so much money. When it comes to experiences like trips, you won't think like that. If the experience is generally good, you will be happy with the price.
Material things can be compared more easily. If you buy an MP3 and then see a more suitable one, you may regret buying the first one. However, if you have a nice dinner at one restaurant, and then learn about another better restaurant, you'll not regret the first meal.
Material things can cause jealousy .For example, if you buy a new toy and find that your friend has a better toy, you'll feel unhappy. Instead, if you travel to a beautiful place, then no matter where your friends have gone, it won't make the memory of your trip less happy. | middle7571.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "on 9th November"
},
"options": [
"on 20th October",
"on 7th November",
"on 9th November",
"in 2005"
],
"question": "Xianning 1st International Hotspring cultural and Tourism Festival ended _ .",
"question... | As part of the first International Hot Spring Culture and Tourism Festival in Xianning, Hubei Province, Miss Friendship International 2009 was held in Wuhan, Hubei, China from 20th October 2009 to 9th November 2009 with 70 gorgeous contestants gathering from across the world.
The city is a popular travel spotlight, known for its hot springs and red tourism.
Beginning in 2005 in New York, Miss Friendship International is an international beauty contest, with the theme "beauty promotes international friendship which leads to world peace."
From 2:40pm to 3:42 pm on November 7th, 7 top hot spring hotels and scenic areas in Xianning, Hubei province began an activity called "Tens of thousands of people bath in the hot spring together". 450 female university students from Xianning College formed the shape of the Arabic number"10000"in the big bath. | middle1100.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "an old man"
},
"options": [
"a young man",
"an old woman",
"an old man",
"a young woman"
],
"question": "Kitty saved _ from a burning house.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Last Thursday, a young woman saved an elderly man from a burning house on Garden Road. The young woman's name is Kitty and she works in a clothes shop. The elderly man, Daniel, lives just opposite the clothes shop. On Thursday afternoon, Kitty looked out of the window. She saw some smoke coming from Daniel's house and rushed over to see what was happening. The house was on fire and Daniel was inside. Kitty quickly called the fireman on 999. Then, she ran into the house to save Daniel. She found Daniel in his bedroom and he was frightened. Kitty helped Daniel out to a safe place. Five minutes later the fireman arrived and they put out the fire. No one was hurt.
The next day, Daniel said,"I am so grateful to Kitty. She saved my life."Daniel also said,"In the future, I will be more careful. I don't want another fire in my house." | middle494.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "sleeping"
},
"options": [
"eating",
"playing",
"sleeping",
"exercising"
],
"question": "Our bodies grow most while we are _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | During the day we work and play, and at night we sleep. Our bodies rest while we are sleeping. In the morning we are ready to work and play again. When we are asleep, our bodies grow most. When children feel tired and angry, they usually need more sleep. We can get our lessons better, and we feel better, too, when we have enough sleep. Boys and girls, eight or nine years old, need ten hours of sleep every night. Our bodies need plenty of air when we sleep. If we do not get enough fresh air we wake up feeling tired. While in bed we must not cover our heads. If we do, our lungs will not get enough fresh air. If we open our windows at night we can have plenty of fresh air. Cool air is better than warm air. Boys and girls must get plenty of sleep if they want to grow and be strong. | middle4078.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to eat once"
},
"options": [
"to eat once",
"to wear twice",
"to read once",
"to use six times"
],
"question": "Mrs.Green drove her small car to the shops to get something _ a week.",
"question_type": "clo... | Mrs.Green was eighty,but she had a small car,and she always drove to the shops on Saturday and bought her food.She didn't drive fast because she was old,but she drove well and never hit anything.
Sometimes her grandchildren said to her,"Please don't drive your car,grandmother.We can take you to the shops."
But she always said,"No,I like driving.I've been driving it for fifty years,and I'm not going to stop driving."
Last Saturday she stopped her car at some traffic lights because they were red and then it did not start again.The lights were green,then yellow,then red,then green again,but her car didn't start.
"What am I going to do now? "she said.
At this time a policeman came and said to her kindly,"Good morning.Don't you like any of our colours today? " | middle3717.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In 2008."
},
"options": [
"In 2003.",
"In 2009.",
"In 2008.",
"10 years ago."
],
"question": "When did the writer leave for London?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | It was the Greek shopkeeper who taught me about the power of being kind.
In 2008, I left Spain to study alone in London. My parents had to bring up my three younger sisters and two younger brothers, so I found three part-time jobs to pay for my studies. I worked early mornings and late nights, so I was tired, really tired, all the time.
Unluckily, I got a cold and had a very high fever. Because I was new in London, I had no friends. Besides, I was too shy to talk with others and ask others for help. After sleeping on the bed for two days, I went out to get some food. Usually, I went to the supermarket, but this time I went into the Greek shop, a small corner shop, because it was closer.
I picked up some food and gave it to the shopkeeper, who asked me, 'You look terrible, my boy! You are not feeling well, right?'
I said YES in a low voice.
She pointed at the salami and bread I was buying and offered, 'I can make you a sandwich, so you don't have to do it yourself.'
I nodded without saying a word.
So, she made the sandwich and asked me to wait a moment. She went into the back room and came again with a bowl of hot soup.
'It will warm you up,' she said with a friendly smile.
What really warmed me up was not the soup. It was her smile that told me she cared me. Her kindness made me think of my mother.
I was quite shy, but from that day on, I did not let shyness stop me from talking with and being kind to others. Now I work in a children's hospital in Africa. I love my work and people around me. I always bring my smile and kindness to them. | middle5400.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to spend time helping other"
},
"options": [
"to write about kindness.",
"to be kind to strangers",
"to spend time helping other",
"to go out to raise money"
],
"question": "The professor's homework was to ask h... | Chuck Wall teaches management and human relations at Bakersfield College. He walked into class one day and told his students that their homework was to perform one act of random kindness. His students did not understand the homework and didn't know what to do, but the professor would not answer their questions. He encouraged his students to work it out for themselves.
One week later, the students entered the classroom excited to share their stories. One student told of giving away blankets to the homeless. Another reported on helping a dog to find its owner, and another student had been trying to find a long, lost friend. Students were energized by the homework assignment and wanted other people to be kind too. With the support of local businesses, the students made stickers to put on cars that invited people to do something kind for others. They sold the stickers and decided to donate the money to a center for the blind---not surprising as Professor Wall is blind.
Since then, similar kindness activities have been started in schools around the world. Many schools organize a Random Acts of Kindness Week, around November 13th, to celebrate World Kindness Day. Some schools use each day of Random Acts of Kindness Week to perform a different kind act, such as making a new friend, helping someone, doing community service, or raising money for a charity. Students learn to consider other people and thank about how small actions can make the world a better place. | middle1666.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "was very tired"
},
"options": [
"was very tired",
"saw his friend",
"lost his watch",
"didn't know the time"
],
"question": "The driver stopped his car on a street side because he _ .",
"question_type": "... | A driver stopped his car on a street side to have a rest.As he lay down in the seat and closed his eyes, a person came up and knocked at the window to ask the time. The driver opened his eyes and looked at his watch. "It's five past eight." he said. Then he went to sleep again. But soon he was waken up again because a second person was knocking at the window."Excuse me, what time is it now?"he asked. The driver looked at his watch again, and told him it was half past eight.
In this way, the driver thought he couldn't have a good rest, so he wrote a short note and stuck it on the window for all to see. It said,"I don't know the time."Again, he lay down in the seat for his sleep. A few minutes later,a third person came and began to knock at the window, "Hey, sir."he said, "It's a quarter to nine." | middle6109.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In a big hotel."
},
"options": [
"In a small hotel.",
"In a big hotel.",
"In a small cabin.",
"In a room."
],
"question": "Where're they going to stay in Toronto?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | I'm going to have a great weekend. I'll go across Canada with my parents by car. We'll drive seven or eight hours a day.
In Toronto, we'll stay in a big hotel. The food is very delicious. There's a big swimming pool and a lot of game rooms. I think I'll play there happily. But there'll be lots of people in the hotel, so I think we'll sleep in one room. And it's expensive.
Then we are going to stay in a small cabin in the mountains. I really love it. The cabin is clean and quiet. We'll have two rooms, so I can get up late in the morning. But we have to get up early because we want to go swimming. There is a beautiful lake near the cabin. We also can go fishing and cook food outside. | middle7217.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "generous"
},
"options": [
"brave",
"lonely",
"serious",
"generous"
],
"question": "According to the passage, the writer's father is _ on Christmas.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answe... | My five brothers, my sister and I lived in Toronto with our parents. My father worked in a factory, and my mother stayed at home. Each year my father would dress up as Santa Claus and go through the streets sharing joy and candies with the children there. He loved it as much as they did!
But around Christmas in 1970, my father was out of work. In fact, there was no money for Christmas and my parents weren't sure how they'd provide for us.
That Christmas Eve, however, as usual, my father left the house dressed as Santa Claus. He knew that even though our Christmas would be hard, he could not make the other kids in the neighborhood disappointed.
As my father left the house and went downstairs, another Santa Claus was walking up, with a great bag of gifts for us! He said nothing, only smiled a sweet smile at my father, and wished him a merry Christmas. The _ man handed the bag and walked away down the block.
We never knew who showed us great kindness on the snowy Christmas night. We do know, however, that without him we would have had nothing under the tree. His kindness gave my parents hope and showed us in a very real way the true meaning of Christmas.
Our family has never forgotten this kind stranger and his generosity . Each year we tell the story of the mysterious Santa Claus and try to repay his gifts by giving help to others in need. | middle319.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "All the animals and plants"
},
"options": [
"Some of the animals",
"All the things",
"Some of the plants",
"All the animals and plants"
],
"question": "_ need air.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},... | Air is always around us. It is around us when we walk and play. From the time we are born, air is around us. When we sit down, it is around us. When we go to bed, air is also around us. We live in air.
All the animals and plants need air. Living things can't live without air. We can live without food or water for a few days, but we can not live for more than a few minutes without air. We breathe in air. When we are walking or running, we need more air. When we are asleep, we need less air.
We live in air, but we can't see it. We can only feel it. We can feel it when it is moving. Moving air is called wind. How can we make air move? Here is one way. Hold and open a book in you hand in front of your face. Close it quickly! What you feel is the air. | middle2384.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "stupid"
},
"options": [
"clever",
"stupid",
"beautiful",
"angry"
],
"question": "In England, if people point to their heads, it means they think someone is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | We always use body language in our daily life. When we have a talk with someone, we may use more body language than words. However, the same body language may mean different things in different countries. That's why people sometimes do not understand each other correctly. Pointing to one part of the body can mean differently in different cultures. For example, in the USA people point to their heads when they think someone is clever. However, in Europe it means "He or she is stupid or something is wrong with his or her head" .In China, nodding heads means "Yes" and shaking heads means "No". However, in parts of Greece and Turkey, they mean just the opposite. In England or the USA, when you raise your hand and make a circle with the thumb and the second finger, it means "Everything is OK." However, if you do this in France or Belgium, it means "You're worth zero." In Greece or Turkey, you should not make this gesture, or you are thought to be very rude.
The meaning of gestures can also change over time. In the 1960s, the V sign meant "peace". However, during World War II, it meant "victory". In Greece, it is a very insulting sign.
Though the meaning of body language is different, there are some expressions having the same meaning throughout the world. | middle4093.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He wanted to be alone."
},
"options": [
"The writer didn't help him beat Tommy.",
"He felt no love from the family members.",
"He hurt himself when rushing up stairs.",
"He wanted to be alone."
],
"question": "W... | One night, I was sitting in my room half listening as my 15-year-old brother Tommy fought with my 12-year-old brother Kevin. I didn't pay attention when Kevin rushed up the stairs with the hurt on his face.
About 20mintes later, as I was walking up-stairs I heard Kevin crying inside the bathroom. I knocked on the door and asked, "Hey, Kevin, do you want to talk?"
No answer.
I tried again, "Why don't you come out of there?"
Again, on answer.
I tried again, "Why don't you come out of there?"
Again, on answer.
So, looking around, I grabbed a stack of cards and a pencil and wrote, "if you don't want to talk, we can write notes to each other.."
An hour later, I was still sitting on the floor outside the bathroom with two stacks of cards in front of me. One was blank and one was cards from Kevin on which he had translated all his _ feeling into words for me. As I read one of Kevin's notes, tears came to my eyes. It said, "No-body in this family cares about me. I'm not the youngest, and I'm not the oldest. Tommy thinks I'm silly and Dad wishes he had the other Kevin as a kid because he's better at basketball. And you're never around to even notice me."
Tears came to my eyes as I wrote back to him. "You know Kevin, I really do love you and I'm sorry I don't always show it . I am here for you and you are loved in this family."
There was no answer for a while, but then I heard a tearing sound coming from inside the bathroom. Kevin, who had run out of words wrote on a torn paper cup. "Thanks."
I wrote back, "For what?" It returned to me with "Loving me." On it.
Since then, I try my best to never only half-notice my family members any more. Kevin and I have a closer relationship now. And sometimes when one of us notices that the other is upset, we'll smile and say "Write it on a paper cup."
,. | middle3924.txt |
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