questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because she wants to find the lonely children."
},
"options": [
"Because She is looking for the popular student.",
"Because she is looking for a new seating chart.",
"Because she wants to help her students learn math.",
... | A few weeks ago, I went into Chase's class for help. I e-mailed Chase's teacher one evening and said, "My son keeps telling me that the thing you're sending home is math -- but I'm not sure I believe him. Help, please." She e-mailed right back and said, "No problem! I can help Chase after school anytime." And I said, "No, not him. Me. Hegets it.Help me."
And that's why I stayed with Chase's math teacher. We talked about teaching children. We agreed that subjects like math and reading are not the most important things that are learned in a classroom. We also talked about something else ---- kindness and bravery.
And then she told me this.
Every Friday afternoon Chase's teacher asks her students to take out a piece of paper and write down the names of four children with whom they'd like to sit the following week. She also asks the students to nominate one student who they think is the most popular student that week. They needn't write down their names on the paper.
After the students go home, she takes out those pieces of paper, and studies them.
In fact, Chase's teacher is not looking for a new seating chart or "popular students." She is looking for lonely children. She's looking for the ones who are unwilling to connect with others. She is discovering whose gifts are not noticed by their classmates. Then she gets to know who needs help.
After watching Columbine the wise woman realized that all violence comes from loneliness. So she decided to start fighting violence early and often, and what she is doing is SAVING LIVES.
And she finds the lonely kids through those lists and tries to help them. It's math to her. All is love - evenmath. | middle7000.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the Human-body Phone"
},
"options": [
"the Packet",
"the Cobalto",
"the Human-body Phone",
"the Paper Phone"
],
"question": "When we miss someone very much, we can save photos of him or her with _ .",
"qu... | Mobile phone technology is developing rapidly. What will the future mobile be able to do and what will it look like? Take a look at the following mobile phones, and you'll find that some amazing phones are now coming our way.
Packet
The packet has five touch screens with different usages . When folded, the Packet is in a simple square shape. You can see the time and any messages you've received. Once you open it, the five screens will _ .
Cob alto
It has taken only two years for touch screen mobile phones to be used worldwide. Why not the 3D phones then? With an almost all-glass design, the Cobalto phone can make Google Maps even more useful, as shown here.
Human-body Phone
We often save photos of someone we love. When we miss them, we can see the photos. And now, Japanese scientists' human-body phone is more than just photos. With a human body shape, it's coated with a material just like human skin. When you're holding the phone, it feels as if you're holding someone you miss.
Paper Phone
How many times have you wanted to smash your phone when talking to annoying people? With the Paper Phone, you'll soon be able to do it. As the world's first flexible mobile phone, it can be bent freely while you're making calls, reading e-books and playing music. | middle4509.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "America"
},
"options": [
"England",
"China",
"America",
"Japan"
],
"question": "Einstein lived in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_t... | One day Einstein is walking in a street in New York . His friend meets him and says to him, "Einstein, you should buy a new coat. Look, your coat is very old." But Einstein answers, "It doesn't matter . Nobody knows me here."
After a few years, Einstein becomes a famous scientist . But he still wears the old coat. His friend meets him again and asks him to buy a new one. But Einstein says, "I don't need to buy a new one. Everyone knows me here." | middle5617.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Lifelong Friendship."
},
"options": [
"Unforgettable Experiences.",
"Unbelievable Imagination.",
"Touching Companions.",
"Lifelong Friendship."
],
"question": "What is the best title for the passage?",
"ques... | When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who has wings of their own and who will fly with me.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and "too serious" about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say, "Let's start with a train whistle today." We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social persons and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend. He was in despair and I was in despair, too. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not travel over this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. _ .
For almost four years I have had a great friend whose imagination brightens mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other's dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist, who will only fill up the healing silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be with my own best friend. | middle2178.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to get something they want"
},
"options": [
"to buy gold",
"to get something they want",
"to buy shells",
"to buy something expensive"
],
"question": "People usually use money _ .",
"question_type": "cloze... | People use money to buy food, books and hundreds of other things they need. When they work, they usually get paid in money.
Most of the money used today is made of metal or paper. But in the time long ago, people used to use all kinds of things as money. One of the first kinds of money was shells.
In China, cloth and knives were used as money. Elephant tusks , monkey tail and salt were used in some parts of the world. Rice was also a kind of money used by the people in some islands. Some animals were used as money, too.
The first copper coins were made in China. They were round and had a square hole in the center. Different countries have used different metals for their money. Later, some countries began to make coins of gold and silver . But gold and silver were heavy to carry when people needed a lot of coins to buy something expensive. The Chinese were the
first to use paper money. The first paper money looked more like a note from one person to another than the paper money used today.
Money has had an interesting story from the days of shell money till today. | middle1459.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In New York."
},
"options": [
"In Paris.",
"In New York.",
"In Tokyo.",
"In Cape Town."
],
"question": "Where did street art begin?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Street art is very popular around the world. You can find it on buildings, street signs and trash cans from Tokyo to Paris, from Moscow to Cape Town. Street art has become a global culture and even art museums are collecting the works of street artists.
People have different opinions about street art. Some think it is bad, but others think it is a very beautiful new culture.
Street art began in New York in the 1960s. This style of drawing and writing became know as graffiti. Graffiti art showed that young people wanted to rebel against the rules. They traveled around cities to make paintings that everyone could see.
One well-known New York street artist is Swoon. She cuts paper pictures of people and puts them on walls. Swoon didn't start as street artist. She studied art but, later, got bored with the works she saw in museums. Then she fell in love with graffiti. The people in New York enjoy Swoon's style. Some museums have already bought some of her works.
Street artists do their work for some reasons. A number of them choose street art because it is closer to the everyday life.
Nowadays the Internet has a big influence on street art. Artists can show their pictures to people around the world. Many people in the city, however, say that seeing a picture on the Internet is never as good as seeing it live . | middle6336.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "How to eat."
},
"options": [
"What to eat.",
"Where to eat.",
"How to eat.",
"When to eat"
],
"question": "What's the passage about?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Healthy eating doesn't just mean what you eat, but how you eat. Here is some advice on healthy eating.
Eat with others. It can help you to see others' healthy eating habits. If you usually eat with your parents, you will find that the food you eat is more delicious.
Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry. Have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty, sometimes you are just thirsty, you need no food. Stop eating before you feel full.
Eat breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After you don't eat for the past ten hours, your body needs food to get you going. You will be smarter after eating breakfast.
Eat healthy snacks like fruit, yogurt or cheese. We all need snacks sometimes. In fact, it's a good idea to eat two healthy snacks between your three meals. This doesn't mean that you can eat a bag of chips instead of a meal.
Don't eat dinner late. With our busy life, we always put off eating dinner until the last minute. Try to eat dinner at least 3 hours before you go to bed. This will give your body a chance to _ most of the food before you rest for the next 8-10 hours. | middle7028.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He didn't have a computer or an e-mail."
},
"options": [
"He didn't pass the test.",
"He didn't do well in the interview.",
"He didn't get on well with the manager.",
"He didn't have a computer or an e-mail."
],
... | A jobless man applied for the position of "office boy" at Microsoft, The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test.
"You are employed," he said. "Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the application form to fill in, as well as the date when you may start."
The man replied, "But I don't have a computer or an e-mail."
"I'm sorry,"said the HR manager, "If you don't have an e-mail, that mean you do not exist. And the one who doesn't exist cannot have the job."
The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do. With only $10 in his pocket, he decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10kg tomatoes. He then sold the tomatoes from door to door . In less than two hours, he succeeded in making his money double. He repeated the
operation three times, and returned home with $60.
The man realized that he could survive in this way, and started earlier and returned late.
Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day. Shortly, h e bought a cart, then a truck and then he had his own _ to send food . Five years later, he became one of the biggest food sellers in The US.
He started to plan his family's future, so he called an insurance broker to Have a discussion. When the conversation was over, the broker asked him for his e-mail. The man replied again,"I don't have an e-mail."
The broker answered in surprise, "You don't have an e-mail, and yet have succeeded building an empire. Can you imagine what you could have been if you had had an e-mail?"
The man thought for a while and replied, "Yes, I would be an office boy at Microsoft
,. | middle4521.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Chongqing, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo"
},
"options": [
"Chongqing, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Ningbo",
"Fuzhou, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Ningbo",
"Chongqing, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo",
"Ningbo, Fuzhou, Chongqing, Hangzhou"
],
... | This summer, Liu Hongcan, a 30-year-old Chongqing woman, had to say goodbye to her daughter again. She sent her little girl to Guizhou province to stay with her daughter's grandparents for the summer vacation _ in Chongqing.
A list of "hottest cities" in China came out last month. Chongqing is No.1 on the list. Fuzhou and Hangzhou take the second and third place.
The list is based on a "heat index" .It uses temperature and humidity date 1981 to 2011.The scientists tried to learn how hot the weather was over a period of time, and find out how people feel.
High humidity will stop heat leaving the body. It makes people feel worse on high-temperature. Dryness, on the other hand, can allow heat to leave the body.
In July this year, Chongqing saw 25 days of high temperature (over 35degC). Forty-eight people in the city had heatstroke from the start of April to the middle of August, the local health bureau said.
Chongqing people have to look for different ways to cool down. Throwing themselves into water is a good choice. Lin Jing, a worker at the Caribbean Water Park has received more guests this summer than before. About 15,000 people have visited the park a day during this year's hot season. | middle2150.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Chen Chusheng became a successful singer because he worked hard"
},
"options": [
"Chen Chusheng wasn't very lucky",
"Chen Chusheng's parents wanted him to be a singer",
"Chen Chusheng became a successful singer because he wor... | Have you ever heard the song called "Is there anyone who told you"? It may be impossible for you not to know the song and its singer.It is sung by the famous "Happy Boy" Chen Chusheng, who appeared on Hunan Satellite TV.He caught everyone's attention. Before the competition he was just a farmer's son who had never got professional trainings of any kind. As a child, Chusheng wasn't a good student, but he was very interested in music. He liked to listen to and sing his favorite songs again and again. Like many other parents, his parents also wanted him to go to college,but he failed.Chusheng had no choice but to help his brother repair bicycles and motorbikes.In Sanya, a small city in Hainan Province, Chen worked during the daytime while singing in different bars in the evening. He lived like that until the year 2000.
In 2000, Chen went to Shenzhen.He never expected that his first job in this new place would be _ food.He went on working in the daytime while singing in the evenings.His life was hard at that time.In the bar called Star-making Factories he met many famous local musicians.In the following several years, Chen, with his musical dream, attended many music contests throughout the country, winning prizes many times. Today,when we think about his success, we cannot help thinking that if one wants to be successful, he should work harder than others. | middle2636.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "needed a lot of practice"
},
"options": [
"cost a lot of money",
"needed a lot of practice",
"was difficult for a five-year-old girl",
"would make Susie have no time to study"
],
"question": "Mom didn't let Susi... | Five-year-old Susie loved to listen to her older sister, Emma, play the piano. Susie wanted to play it, too. But every time Susie asked to play, her mother would tell her how much work it needed to learn to play the piano well. Susie was sure she could learn to play it. She decided to make her mother believe that she was ready to learn to play the piano, so Susie helped her mom do the dishes and clean the house.
"Mom, can I start taking the piano lesson?" asked Susie.
"Susie, if you take the piano lesson, you must practice every day," said her mom.
Susie was so excited. She could not wait to learn how to play her favorite songs!
Susie was excited for her first piano lesson. When she was finally in class, she was surprised: her teacher had flashcards and a book for her. Susie didn't know there were so many other things to know about the piano first. During that first lesson, the teacher didn't let Susie play the piano.
The next day, after Susie got home from school, she ran outside.
"Where are you going?" asked her mom.
"Outside to play volleyball," said Susie. "Bye, Mom!"
"You must study your piano flashcards," said her mom. "Susie, this is what you wanted, now you have to do it." | middle5159.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a wonderful paper-cutting work"
},
"options": [
"a wonderful paper-cutting work",
"an ancient cave painting",
"a Chinese-made spaceship",
"a dream for many years"
],
"question": "Ding Xiang got the gold award be... | Do you like traditional Chinese paper-cutting? Ding Xiang, a student at Nongsishi Middle School in Xinjiang, is really good at it. At the eighth National Excellent Talents Competition last month in Beijing, the 15-year-old girl got the gold award for her paper-cutting skills.
At the competition, Ding cut a piece: Millennium Dream . The piece has two papers. One shows an ancient cave painting and the other a Chinese-made spaceship. The two papers form a sharp contrast . Ding said she wanted to show three things with the piece: China's long history, China's rapid development, and her hope for the future of paper-cutting. This piece helped Ding walk away with the gold award.
"I was very surprised to get the award." Ding said in an interview with Yili Daily, a Xingjiang newspaper. "I should thank paper-cutting for bringing me the award."
All the hard work has paid off. In two years, Ding's skills have improved a lot, and she has the gold award to prove _ .
Ding said she has learned a lot from paper-cutting. "I have learned to observe things carefully," Ding told Yili Daily. "I have become more confident, too. It is a great help in my studies. Also, I have learned a lot of history from the art." | middle4247.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "before he got on the train"
},
"options": [
"after he got on the train",
"before he got on the train",
"when the conductor told him to buy one",
"when he found he had no ticket with him"
],
"question": "The old ... | Once there lived an old man in a town. He always forgot a lot of things. So his wife always had to say to him,"Don't forget this."
One day he went on a long way alone. Before he left home,his wife said,"Now you have all these things. You need them on your way. Take care of your things on the way." He went to the station. He bought a ticket and got on the train with it.
About an hour later,the conductor began to see the tickets. He came to the old man and said,"Will you please show me your ticket?" The old man looked for his ticket in all his pockets but he could not find it. He was very worried."I can't find my ticket. I really bought a ticket before I got on the train "said the old man.
"I think you are right. I believe you bought a ticket. All right,you don't have to buy another ticket "said the conductor kindly. But the old man still looked worried and said sadly,"You don't know why I'm worried. If I don't find my ticket,I can't remember my station. Where am I going? " | middle3528.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the Great Pyramid was built as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu"
},
"options": [
"Giza is the modern capital of Egypt",
"there are only three pyramids in Egypt",
"the Pharaoh Khufu built the Great Pyramid by himself",
"th... | Among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the oldest one is the Great Pyramid of Giza. There are three large pyramids at Giza, outside the modern capital of Egypt, Cairo. The largest and most famous one is called the Great Pyramid. The workers built it as a tomb for the Pharaoh Khufu .
It took more than twenty years to build the Great Pyramid. When it was built, the pyramid was about 146.5 metres high. Over the years it has lost about eight metres off its top.
The pyramid is made of large stone blocks -- 2,300,000 of them! Each of these blocks weighs over 2,000 kilograms. The ancient Egyptians did not have any modern machines. How did they build the pyramid? The pyramid shows that the ancient people were _ and had great skills.
People once thought that the Egyptians made slaves do all the work on the Great Pyramid. But in fact, they used farmers. | middle873.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "White."
},
"options": [
"Blue.",
"Black.",
"White.",
"Green."
],
"question": "What color is the pencil box?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Som... | Hello, I am a box. I am big and I am green. I have many things. Look! This is a pencil box. It's white. It's Jack's. He likes white very much. What are in the pencil box? Three pens are in it. What is that? It's an orange. It's Linda's. Oranges are her favorite fruit. Some baseballs are in me, too. They are John's and Mary's. They lost them on the playground. Whose keys are these? They are Anna's. She lost them in the library. A boy found _ . You can see an English book in me, too. Whose book is it? I don't know. Who am I? I am the Lost and Found box. | middle6450.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "white snow cap"
},
"options": [
"great height",
"extinct volcano",
"rainforests",
"white snow cap"
],
"question": "The writer is worried about Mount Kilimanjaro's _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and one of the largest free-standing mountains in the world, and some say, the most beautiful place on the earth!
The mountain towers 15,000 feet above the plains. Mount Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania and it covers an area of 60 miles long and 40 miles wide. Kilimanjaro is an extinct volcano , with 3 peaks. Kibo is the highest one in the center.
Because of Kilimanjaro's great height, the mountain influences its own weather. Winds incoming from the Indian Ocean are stopped upward by the mountain and drop their moisture as rain and snow. People have planted coffee, corn, and other crops on the lower slopes .
Mount Kilimanjaro now attracts many thousands of walkers each year. Because of a temperature rise in recent years, the beautiful snow cap of Kilimanjaro is retreating fast. A research said that the white snow on the mountain might be gone in 15 years. What a pity! | middle33.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "pronouncing words correctly"
},
"options": [
"talking to people",
"understanding words",
"learning grammar quickly",
"pronouncing words correctly"
],
"question": "Reading aloud while learning a foreign language ... | Learning a foreign language is difficult for many learners. The following tips may help you learn a foreign language quickly.
Reading aloud
When you start learning a foreign language, you should read aloud. Reading aloud instead of reading lowly only to yourself helps you in remembering. It helps with pronunciation, too.
Building your vocabulary
You'll have to make a few word lists, you have to memorize and review them regularly. You may review the word lists at least once a day for two weeks.
Learning grammar
Learning the grammar of a foreign language is a dry and boring task. But it can speed your language learning. Don't jump to learn tenses , it's better to be done after you've learned some of the language. The most important thing is that you shouldn't worry about the mistakes you'll make when you start. If you do like this, you'll learn the language better.
Watching TV and movies
This is a wonderful way to learn a foreign language quickly. You can watch TV shows in the language you are learning. They'll help you a great deal with the vocabulary as well as catching what others say and also your pronunciation.
,,(5) | middle7996.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a doctor"
},
"options": [
"a soldier",
"a doctor",
"a teacher",
"a peasant"
],
"question": "Li Shizhen's father was_.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Li Shizhen was born in 1518. His father was a poor doctor. Li Shizhen often saw that people fell ill. He decided to study medicine so that he could be able to help people. Li Shizhen read many books about medicine. He found many of the old medical books to be full of mistakes. So his wish was to write a new one.
He did his best to study medical science. He studied not only the herbs in his own garden, but also the wild ones. He set out many times on long journeys to collect herbs and talk with old farmers. He learned a lot from the working people.
After many years of hard work and study, Li Shizhen finished his great work "Ben Cao Gang Mu" . At that time he was sixty. His book is now one of the greatest contributions of the Chinese people to the medical science of the world. | middle27.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "European people love bicycles."
},
"options": [
"European people love bicycles.",
"More bicycles are sold in Europe.",
"Bicycles need their own ways.",
"New rules are made for cyclists."
],
"question": "Which of... | Cycling isn't always easy. Busy streets and few bike lanes and parking areas can make it a battle. But not even these difficulties can stop Europeans' love for cycling. According to Reuters, more bicycles have been sold than cars in 26 of the European Union's 28 states this year.
In some European countries, people really love bicycles. "People ride to work and take their bikes to the grocery store", Bill Strickland, editor of Bicycling magazine, told the reporter from Reuters.
So what has led to cycling's growing popularity in Europe? Cycling is "a safe, clean, healthy, inexpensive way to get around town," the Daily Star concluded. "It not only reduces traffic problems and pollution, but also contributes to public health."
Bike-friendly rules have also been made. Dozens of cities have joined a European Union initiative to make bicycles a form of city transport, like cars. Quite a few cities such as Stockholm, London, Florence and Munich now offer special bike lanes. Copenhagen takes it a step further by keeping bicycles and cars separated as much as possible. On these _ , traffic lights are designed to the rhythms of bicycles, not cars. For people living far from city centers, getting to work by bicycle alone may take too much time. That's why many European countries now allow cyclists to bring their bicycles onto subway trains. Europeans are also creative in solving parking problems. Amsterdam has come up with a high-tech solution: you lock your bike to a rack , which then goes underground. When you want your bike back, it is brought back to the surface. | middle6444.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They have to do a lot of homework."
},
"options": [
"They play computer games.",
"They watch videos late.",
"They have to do a lot of housework.",
"They have to do a lot of homework."
],
"question": "Why do most... | A student newspaper reports that most students go to sleep at 1:30 am. Even if that's an overstatement , it's close to the truth. Scientists say teens should sleep nine hours each night. But that's hard. Some are even "pulling all-nighters" . These students must hand in their homework the next day but they haven't done it. In the morning they don't look healthy and you can tell who's been doing it. One of my classmates did a survey on the topic. She found that most kids pull all-nighters to finish homework, but some do it for other reasons, such as playing computer games!
Maybe our lack of sleep is because of laziness -- I think I'm a rather lazy student -- or maybe it's because we have too much to do in American high schools. I usually go to bed around midnight. If I stayed up past 1:30 am, I wouldn't get any work done. I'd be falling asleep at my computer. My classes begin at 7:30 am. I'm partly awake in my first class. By the second, I'm a little sleepy. By my third class, I'm sleepy. By midday I'm finally fully awake. But by 3:00 pm, I'm slowing down again. Yet I get more sleep than usual students.
Most American high schools seem to have a similar problem with sleepy students. High school classes start at 7:30 am, so students have to get up one and a half hours before that to get ready and catch the bus. It's believed that lack of sleep can be bad for both grades and health. Some schools are paying attention. Classes in those schools start at 8:30 am. | middle7982.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "pay more attention to their strong points"
},
"options": [
"work hard at everything we do",
"enjoy the best share of everything",
"look for treasure in order to be successful",
"pay more attention to their strong points... | For a long time being happy was considered something that just happened, and there was nothing special about it. Now we know that getting along with other people is something that we can work at. It is possible to act in such a way that other people will like us better. One way is being unselfish, not wanting everything from our friends. Another way is to look for good points, not bad points in other people. It is surprising how successful this treasure hunt can be.
You do not have to be spineless in order to be popular. In fact, you will be liked or loved if you are not afraid to stand up for your rights . But do it politely and pleasantly. Being friendly and polite to your group, to other people and to strangers and especially to those who do not look important or do not interest you is one way to develop a good character.
You cannot expect to be perfect, and you must learn not to be unhappy when you make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, and no one is to be blamed if he does not refuse to learn from them. Many young people become discouraged when they know in themselves qualities that they do not like--selfishness, laziness, and other unpleasant qualities. Just remember that we all have some of these faults and have to fight against them.
At the same time, it is important to remember that while you are probably no worse than others, the best way to be happy is to think yourself above other people. When something is wrong, it is good sense to try to make it right. Perhaps you do not like a teacher or a classmate. Try to see why, and look at yourself, too, to be sure that you are not doing anything to make that person dislike you. Some day, things may turn out all right when you have to learn to get along the best with the situation, without thinking too much about it. Worrying never helps in a situation you cannot change. | middle2622.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Attitude."
},
"options": [
"Hard-work.",
"Knowledge.",
"Money.",
"Attitude."
],
"question": "In the writer's opinion, what is the most important thing in a person's life?",
"question_type": "factiod_question... | What's the most important thing for you to have in your life? Somebody mentions hard-work, others suggest knowledge, love and luck.
If you arrange the 26 English letters alphabetically and use numbers to represent each of them, for example, 1 for a, 2 for b, 3 for c..., you can change an English word into a number. So hard-work becomes 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11="98," meaning 98 is its mark; knowledge: 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5="96," while love: 12+15+22+5="54," and luck: 12+21+3+11="47," a small mark. None of these words can give one a full mark. What about money? It can't , either.
Then what else? Don't be worried. You can always find an answer to a problem in your life, when you change your way of looking at things or doing things, or your attitude. Yes, attitude is the word. See for yourself: attitude:1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5=100,a full mark.
Most times people hope for a better life. It is possible if you will have a change for the better after you have changed your attitude. When you change your manner and become friendly to others, you'll meet more smiling faces towards you. | middle2144.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The teenage smoking has become a serious problem in China."
},
"options": [
"The teenagers think smoking is a symbol of being an adult and independence.",
"The social environment encourages the teenagers to smoke.",
"The teen... | Wang Bing's father began smoking when he was a freshman ( )in college. His friend passed him his first cigarette. He has now been smoking for more than 30 years.
It's a classic example of how young people are introduced to cigarettes, except that nowadays smokers develop their habit at an even younger age.
It has become a major concern in China that many teenagers begin to smoke. A survey showed that 22.5% of the middle school students questioned had tried smoking and 15.8% of them smoked regularly.
For many teenagers, smoking is a symbol of being an adult, independence, maturity and attractiveness because the images who they love best often smoke on screen.
The social environment also plays an important role in attracting teenagers to smoking. They are used to seeing their elders, especially male family members, smoking at home. Many of them _ adult behavior and become new smokers.
To increase the price of cigarettes is an effective way to reduce the number of young smokers, as teenagers have limited money to spend on them.
Another way is to educate the teenagers to voluntarily refuse cigarettes. A survey shows that 92.5% of the students know smoking will be bad for their health. If we persuade them in a proper way, most of them may give up smoking.
All in all, the society, the government, the school and the family should join together to take the responsibility for an anti-smoking campaign aimed at teenagers, _ | middle720.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The pet duck."
},
"options": [
"The target.",
"A rabbit.",
"The pet duck.",
"A pet dog."
],
"question": "What did Jackie hit with the slingshot at last?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"a... | Jackie visited his grandparents on their farm. And he was playing with a slingshot in the woods. He practised in the woods but he could never hit the target. As he was walking back, he saw Grandma's pet duck. Without thinking, he shot, hit the duck in the head, and killed it. He was very afraid. He knew Grandma loved the duck. She would be sad or even angry if she knew that her duck was killed. He then hid the dead duck under a tree. His sister Susan saw it all, but she said nothing.
After lunch that day Grandma said, "Susan, let's wash the dishes." But Susan said, "Grandma, Jackie told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn't you, Jackie?" And then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Jackie did the dishes.
Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, but Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Susan to help clean the house." But Susan smiled and said, "Well, that's all right because Jackie told me he wanted to help." and she whispered again, "Remember the duck?" So Susan went fishing with Grandpa and Jackie stayed.
These "remember the duck" went on for many days. Then finally Jackie _ it any longer. He came to Grandma and told her that he had killed the duck. She gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. But I just wanted to see how long you would let Susan make a slave of you. " | middle7809.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "nice"
},
"options": [
"small",
"old",
"nice",
"bad"
],
"question": "The school looks _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "trees ... | This is my school. There are many trees and flowers in it. It's very beautiful. The teaching building is big and tall. There is a big playground in our school. After 4:30 in the afternoon, many students come to the playground to play football and some students play table tennis in the table tennis room. There are 1,200 students and 25 classes in our school. The students all like to study. The teachers in our school are very good. They help the students to study and the students like them, too. | middle734.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Six"
},
"options": [
"Three",
"Four",
"Five",
"Six"
],
"question": "The author gives _ suggestions to the shoppers in the passage.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"ans... | Never go into a supermarket hungry! This is a good piece of advice. If you go shopping for food before lunchtime, you'll probably buy more than you plan to. Unfortunately, however, just this advice isn't enough for shoppers these days. Modern shoppers need an education in how and how not to buy things at the store. First, you check the weekly newspaper ads. Find out the items that are on sale and decide if you really need these things. In other words, don't buy anything just because it's cheaper than usual! Second, never let "New and Improved!" or "All Natural" on the front of a package influence you. Instead, read the list of contents on the back. Third,compare prices: that is, you should examine the prices of both different brands and different sizes of the same brand.
Another suggestion for shoppers is to buy ordinary items instead of famous brands. Ordinary items in supermarkets come in plain packages. These products are cheaper because producers don't spend much money on packing or advertising. However, they are still of high quality. In the same way, in buying clothes, you can often find high quality and low prices in brands that are not famous. Shopping in discount clothing stores can help you save a lot of money. Although these stores aren't very attractive, and they usually do not have individual dressing rooms, not only are the prices low, but you can often find the same famous brands that you find in high-priced department stores.
Wise shoppers read magazine ads and watch TV commercials ,but they do this with one advantage: knowledge of the psychology behind the ads. In other words, will-informed shoppers watch for information and check for misinformation. They ask themselves questions: Is the advertiser hiding something in small print at the bottom of the page? Is there any real information in the commercial, or is the advertiser simply showing an attractive image? With the answers to these questions, shoppers can make a wise choice. | middle2971.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "sleeping with the dog"
},
"options": [
"patting the dog's head",
"sleeping with the dog",
"talking to the dog",
"taking the dog on his knee"
],
"question": "The man liked the dog. He did a lot except _ .",
... | A man had a little dog, and he was very fond of it. He would pat its head, and take it on his knee, and talk to it. Then he would give it little bits of food from his own plate. A donkey looked in at the window and saw the man and the dog. "Why does he not make a pet of me?" said the donkey. "It is not fair. I work hard, and the dog only wags its tail, and barks, and jumps on its master's knee. It is not fair."
Then the donkey said to himself, "If I do what the dog does, he may make a pet of me." So the donkey ran into the room. It brayed as loudly as it could. It wagged its tail so hard that it knocked over a jar on the table. Then it tried to jump on to its master's knee. The master thought the donkey was mad, and he shouted, "Help! Help!" Men came running in with sticks, and they beat the donkey till it ran out of the house, and they drove it back to the field.
"I only did what the dog does," said the donkey," and yet they make a pet of the dog, and they beat me with sticks. It is not fair." | middle5978.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "go to bed early and get up early"
},
"options": [
"eat more",
"sleep more",
"play more",
"go to bed early and get up early"
],
"question": "If we want to be healthy, we must _ .",
"question_type": "cloze... | There is an old English saying.It tells us that we must go to bed early and get up early in the morning.Then we shall be healthy.We shall also be rich and clever.This is true.The body must have enough sleep to be healthy.Children of young age should have ten hours' sleep every night.Children who do not have enough sleep cannot do their work well and they may not be healthy.The body also needs exercise.Walking, running, jumping and playing games are all exercise.Exercise keeps the body strong.Exercise also helps the blood to move around inside the body.It is very important.Our blood moves to all parts of our body.The head also needs blood.Exercise helps us to think better. | middle8284.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Money is important,but not the most important."
},
"options": [
"Money is everything.",
"Money isn't necessary.",
"Money is important,but not the most important.",
"With no money,with no success."
],
"question":... | In today's world many people seem to be hungry for money. Some of them even lose their lives for it. Money does have its most useful effect on the poor,but once a person has a rich life,a lot more money doesn't mean more happiness.
If money was everything,all millionaires would have true love, true friendship,good health and a long life. However,this is not always true.
Nothing else is more pleasant than the three words which are "I love you". But can love be bought?I'm afraid not. Love means to give,not to take. To every person,health and long life are probably the most precious things. Well,can health and a long life be bought with money?The answer is "No".
Of all the longest living people in the world, few of them are millionaires. True friendship can't be bought either. In a word,Where money is worshiped ,money can cause brothers to quarrel,lovers to hate,strangers to fight and so on. No matter how much money you have,it is still not enough to make you a happy person if you have no one to laugh with,no one to cry for. | middle4496.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because they don't have lots of money."
},
"options": [
"Because they have nothing to do.",
"Because Mother Hen wants her children to work.",
"Because they want to play out.",
"Because they don't have lots of money."
... | Mother Hen's family is very poor. They don't have lots of money to buy food. Mother Hen often takes her children out to look for food. On a sunny day, Mother Hen plays with her children on the grass. She finds a grain of wheat . So she asks her children to plant it in the garden. But her children don't do it. Mother Hen has to do it herself.
A few months later, they get a lot of wheat. She asks her children, "Who would like to take the wheat to the store and get some _ ?" But her children don't want to do it. So she takes the wheat to the store and brings the flour home.
After getting home, she asks, "Who will make some bread with the flour?" They all say,
"I'm not free."
When she makes the bread, she says to her children, "Who wants to eat the bread?"
"I do," they all say.
"No, you can't. You don't do anything before I make the bread. You must know 'No pains,
no gains .' She doesn't give any bread to her children and she eats the bread herself. | middle5950.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In the 1960s, in New York, young people wanted to say no to the rules through graffiti art."
},
"options": [
"Young people all think street art is very beautiful new culture.",
"Swoon enjoys working indoors and the people in New Yo... | Street art can be found on buildings, street signs and even dustbins from Tokyo to Paris to New York City. This special kind of art can take the form of paintings, sculptures, cloth or even stickers. Street art has become part of a culture which can be seen around the world. Now, even art museums and galleries are collecting the works of street artists.
People have different thoughts about street art. Some think street art is bad, but others see this art as a rich form of non-traditional cultural expression. Street art began in New York City in the 1960s. Young adults would use paint in special cans to spray their "tag" on walls and train cars around the city. This tag was a name they created to show off themselves and their artwork. This style of drawing and writing became known as graffiti . Graffiti art showed that young people wanted to rebel against the rules. They traveled around cities to make paintings that everyone could see.
Street artists do their work for some reasons. A number of them choose street art because it is closer to the everyday life. What they enjoy most is the freedom of expressing themselves which street art permits . One well-known street artist is Swoon. She cuts out paper images of people and puts them on walls. Swoon didn't start her career as a street artist. She studied art but, as time went on, got bored with the works she saw in museums. Then she fell in love with graffiti. The people in New York enjoy Swoon's strong and interesting style. Some museums have already bought some of her works.
Nowadays street art has become part of a world-wide culture. It is supported by websites, artist groups, books and magazines. | middle5788.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They like to write to newspapers and magazines."
},
"options": [
"They like to ask their friends.",
"They like to write to newspapers and magazines.",
"They like to ask their parents.",
"They like to write to the people... | Most Americans don't like to get advice from their family. When they need advice, they don't usually ask people they know. They often write letters to newspapers and magazines. And these newspapers and magazines can give advice on many different subjects such as family problems, language learning and how to buy a house and so on.
Most newspapers publish letters from readers with problems. And they would also publish the answers to the letters. There are many writers giving advice to newspapers. Some of these writers are doctors, and some are teachers or lawyers . One of the best writers is a woman. Although she doesn't have special learning for this kind of work, experience helps her a lot to give advice. She is named Angel. She started writing advice for newspapers at the age of ten. Her advice to young readers now is in acolumn called DEAR ANGEL in the Philadelphia Bulletin. | middle6281.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Hot dogs and hamburgers."
},
"options": [
"Meat and fruit.",
"Hot dogs and hamburgers.",
"Hot dogs and sugar.",
"Bread and hamburgers."
],
"question": "What do the students like best for lunch at school?",
"... | In junior high school in America, kids study English, writing, math, physics, biology, music and art.
At 12 o'clock, the students eat lunch at school. They have meat, vegetables, fruit, bread and a drink, but they like hot dogs and hamburgers best. American kids like sugar, and after the meal they can have a small piece of cake.
Students sleep for a short time after lunch. They begin classes at 1:30 in the afternoon. They go to school on weekdays and have classes for six hours every day and then return home.
Parents let their kids play or watch TV until dinner at 6:00 p. m. After dinner, they do their homework. Sometimes kids and their parents have a family activity after dinner. | middle1288.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She had few words."
},
"options": [
"She wasn't a good student.",
"She wasn't good at her lessons.",
"She had few words.",
"She liked reading."
],
"question": "Jenny was not sure if(=\"whether)\" Mrs. Smith coul... | Dear Mrs. Smith,
I was a students of yours in Grade Six, and I hope you still remember me. I'm writing this letter because I want to let you know that the school year with you was important and special to me.
It made a big contribution to my life.
I know I was very quiet in your class, and you never said much to me. But you did something that made a big difference in my life. You see, all through my first year in school, I hated to read. Books were just words that had very little to do with me, and I was bored by them. I'll never forget the first day of Grade Six when you took out a thick book and began to read the story to our class. Your voice seemed to change with the people in the story, I couldn't wait until after lunch when you would read to the class. You read us all kinds of wonderful books.
During the summer after my year in your class, I missed hearing the stories you would read. So one day I picked up a book and read it all on my own. I found out that I could make the words interesting, too. I love to read! Thank you for opening the world of books for me.
Yours,
Jenny | middle7821.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Paul's grandfather gave him a blanket"
},
"options": [
"Paul's grandfather gave him a blanket",
"the blanket made Paul think of his mother",
"a few years later the blanket was still new",
"Paul's grandfather died when P... | As a young child, I was quiet and shy. I was also sick for a long time. My parents worked, and I spent a lot of time at my grandparent's home. While my grandmother cleaned the house and cooked, my grandfather played with me.
I was six when my grandfather died. A few months before he died, he gave me a beautiful blue and white blanket . I loved the blanket very much because it made me think of my grandfather. But after a few years, the blanket didn't look very good. It had holes and was dirty. I didn't want to throw the blanket away, so my mother made the blanket into a book bag. I was proud of the book bag, and I used it to carry my books to school every day for a few years. Then the book bag was broken. I begged my mother to make something out of it. She made it into a pencil-box. After a few months, the pencil-box was broken, too. By then I could sew , and I made the pencil-box into a small wallet.
I used it for three years, but one day I lost it. I felt sad. My friends and family said, "Forget about it, Paul. You can't make something out of nothing."
I thought about it for a while. I decided my friends and family were wrong. There was a way to make something out of nothing. I wrote down the story of my grandfather's blanket. | middle2781.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "On April 22, 1970."
},
"options": [
"On April 22, 1970.",
"On April 22, 1962.",
"On April 22, 1971.",
"On April 22 every year."
],
"question": "When was the first Earth Day?",
"question_type": "factiod_quest... | Every year on April 22, People all over the world celebrate Earth Day. It is a time to work to keep our earth clean. People plan projects to clean up the land, air and water.
U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson first thought of the idea for Earth Day in 1962 when he saw polluted rivers and cities with smoke. He needed to get support from Americans to clean up the earth. Finally, on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans celebrated the first Earth Day! Now many countries around the world celebrate it, and you can, too.
How can you celebrate Earth Day? Here are a few ideas:
Join a clean-up project------Clean up your street or a favorite beach.
Save energy------Turn off the lights when you leave a room, and use public transportation.
Use less water.
Reduce / Reuse/ Recycle ------ Practice the three Rs: First, reduce how much you use. Then reuse or recycle what you can.
You can make a difference on Earth Day and every day! | middle2959.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "she would learn more form failure"
},
"options": [
"success is boring though it can bring us something good",
"she would learn more form failure",
"it's impossible to do everything successfully",
"he wanted her to be st... | Last week, my granddaughter started primary school. And I wished her every success. But part of me didn't. I really wanted her to fail in some ways because I believe that failure can be good for us to grow up. Success is that you can do something that you already know you can do, or doing something correctly the first time. First -time success is usually a luck. First-time failure, in fact, is supposed to be the natural order of things. Failure is how we learn.
I make my living by writing articles for a daily newspaper. Each week I thought that the article that I write would be the worst. I try my best every day. A successful article usually means that I am discussing the subjects I know well, writing in the way I am used to or saying the same things as anyone else but in an excellent way.
My younger daughter is a trapeze artist.she spent three years putting together a show, and she did it successfully for years. There was no reason for her to change it but she did anyway. She was afraid to be bored. She met failure when she tried some new ways in her show. But she did his only in order to feed her soul.
My granddaughter is a perfectionist. She will feel her failures, and I will want to _ her. But I will also, I hope, remind her of what she learned, and how she can do better next time. I hope I can tell her, though, that it's not the end of the world. With luck, it is the beginning. | middle2795.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Sichuan Province"
},
"options": [
"Sichuan Province",
"Jiangsu Province",
"Hunan Province",
"Yunnan Province"
],
"question": "The three girls are from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Liu Xiaohua is 12 years old. She is from Mianyang, Sichuan Province. When Premier Wen Jiabao visited people in the Jiuzhou Gymnasium, he met Liu Xiaohua. Premier Wen held her hand and told her not to cry. He also encouraged her to live on.
Ren Siyu is 6 years old. She is from Beichuan, Sichuan Province. She was buried under the rubble for two days and nights and her legs were trapped. When people came to save her, she sang the songTwo Tigers. She said singing the song could lessen the pain .
Li Yue is 12 years old. She is also from Beichuan, Sichuan Province. Li Yue likes dancing, but she can't dance any more. Doctors had to cut off her two legs to save her. She was buried with her classmates. She told them to be quiet when people saved them. | middle708.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "nine"
},
"options": [
"six",
"seven",
"eight",
"nine"
],
"question": "There are _ people in Tony'sfamily.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answ... | I have a big family. My name is Tony Brown. I'm English. My father and mother are teachers. They teach English in No.1 Middle School. I have a sister. Her name is Mona. We are students in N0.1 Middle School. My grandfather's name is David, My grandmother's name is Sue. They are retired , they are at home. Paul is my uncle. He is a worker . Paul's wife --Jane, is a doctor . They have ason. His name is Jeff. He's only three. | middle7835.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Chinese"
},
"options": [
"Chinese",
"English",
"Korean",
"Japanese"
],
"question": "The sign at a Korean university is written in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | There is a sign at a Korean university asking tourists not to step into the grass to take photos. The sign is not written in Korean or English; it is written in Chinese.
These signs, and signs in other countries warning Chinese tourists about their behavior, have shamed many Chinese who worry about the image of the country.
Over 70 million Chinese tourists made overseas trips last year and spent $102 billion, more than the $84 billion spent by American and German tourists. For many Chinese tourists, it was their first trip abroad and they didn't know about foreign ways. And some of these tourists took their bad habits from China with them.
Wang Yang, a Chinese deputy prime minister , said, "They(the tourists) speak loudly in public, carve words or numbers on tourist attractions, cross the road when the traffic lights are still red and spit anywhere. It damages the image of the Chinese people and has a very bad influence."
Before you travel to a foreign country, it's important to learn some things about the country and its culture. You are guests in the country and it's important to respect your hosts. As more and more Chinese visit foreign countries, their behavior will certainly change and those shameful signs will, hopefully, disappear. | middle6295.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "seem much harder"
},
"options": [
"become a bit hard",
"seem much harder",
"look very easy",
"go to so much trouble"
],
"question": "If we wait very late in the evening, our work will _ .",
"question_type... | Never try to work when you are very hungry. If you decide to do your homework right after school, you may get something to eat before going to work. Always do your homework before you get too tired. Don't wait until very late in the evening, or your work will seem much harder than it really is.
If you have more than an hour's work, give yourself a break after an hour. On the other hand don't break it up so much that you can't get anything down. You should be able to work at least a half at a time without stopping.
Don't put it off until the last minute. If you put off doing your homework, you will have it on your mind, and you won't enjoy your free time so much. If you put it off until the end of the week or until before a test, you will have too much catching up to do. A little bit each night, enough to keep up with what is happening each day in school, will take the fear out of tests and keep you on top of it all.
Do your homework at the same time every evening. This will help you make it a _ . It will make it easier to do, and it will make your free time more enjoyable as well. | middle4482.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Pink."
},
"options": [
"Yellow.",
"Pink.",
"Black.",
"Red."
],
"question": "What colour does Rose like best?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"an... | Hello, everyone! Today I want to introduce my best friend to you. Her name is Rose. Rose is an outgoing girl. She is not tall. She is very thin. She has a round face and two big eyes.
Her hair is short. She often wears a pink dress, because pink is her favourite colour. She always has a smiling face. Everyone likes her very much. So she has many friends.
Rose is a clever girl. She's our monitor. She works hard at school every day. She is good at English and Maths. She always does her best to help others with their study. She likes asking teachers questions. Her homework is always clean and tidy. Her handwriting is very beautiful. She is a top student in our class.
Rose is a versatile girl. She can play the piano. She can draw pictures well. She can play table tennis. She can swim. She can do many things very well.
Rose has a pet. It is a small dog. Its name is Xiao Xiong. They are good friends. I like it, too.
Do you like my best friend, Rose? Can you tell me about your best friend? | middle5944.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "We want to be healthy"
},
"options": [
"No person wants to be healthy.",
"We want to be healthy",
"We are important",
"Eat more chocolate."
],
"question": "Which is right?",
"question_type": null
},
{
... | Everyone wants to be healthy. Food is very important. There are a lot of healthy food. You can eat more apples, bananas, oranges and tomatoes because fruits and vegetables are good for your health. But don't eat too much chocolate. It's not healthy food. Healthy food can make you grow and make you strong and happy. Remember there is a saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away". Sports can also keep you healthy. Get up early and play sports every day. Don't be lazy! You will be healthy and happy. | middle2018.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "she was a baby"
},
"options": [
"she was a baby",
"she went to college",
"her teacher came to her home",
"she was very old"
],
"question": "Helen Keller got blind and deaf when _ .",
"question_type": "clo... | Helen Keller lived in the U.S.A. She was a great woman. When Helen Keller was a baby, she got very sick. After many weeks, the doctor said, "She is better, but now she can't see and she can't hear." Her mother and father were very sad.
After a few years, things got worse. There was no way for Helen to speak to other people. She heard nothing. She saw nothing. She didn't understand anything.
Then one day a teacher came to live with Helen and her family. The teacher helped Helen learn about words. Helen was a bright child and soon she learned to spell her first word. When she was older, she went to college.
Helen was very famous. She helped many blind and deaf people. She traveled around the world and helped many people.
Helen was a very old woman when she died. The world remembers her today as a brave and wonderful person. She was blind and deaf, but she found a way to see and hear.
,. | middle5777.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a son and a daughter"
},
"options": [
"a son and a daughter",
"three children",
"Tom and Kate's sister",
"a family of five"
],
"question": "Mr. and Mrs. White have _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | This is a photo of Mr. White's family. The man with glasses is Mr. White. The woman is Mr. White's wife. They have a son and a daughter. The son is behind (......) Mr. White. His name is Tom. He's 13. Kate is Tom's sister. She is 11. Tom and Kate are in the same school, but they are in different grades. Tom is in Grade Three and Kate's in Grade One. They are good students.
,.(2) | middle4469.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "How to feel relaxed and happy under the stress of study and work."
},
"options": [
"Don't work or study too hard.",
"Learn relaxing activities.",
"Getting enough sleep,exercising often and eating healthily are very important.... | Learn how to relax
Learn to relaxi. Overwork is the main reason why so many students feel tired and stressed.Cut down some of the jobs and focus on the most important things.Leave time for activities that are relaxing and fun.This might mean reading a good book,listening to music,going for a walk or taking a relaxing bath.
Get a good night's sleep.Getting enough sleep will help you keep your body and mind in the best state.
Exercise often and eat well.Don't rush through your meals.Eat less junk food or fast food.Eat healthy food instead.
Get to know pleasant people. Some people are _ ,while others are not.Choose optimistic people as your friends and spend more time with them and you'11 be as happy as them.
Learn to be calm when you face any problem.Knowing that you'are able to solve problems is a good way to build up your self-confidence .
Have a happy attitude . Your attitude decides the way you see things.Is your cup half full or half empty?Learn to think more positively about the difficulties you face. | middle3306.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "blue"
},
"options": [
"white",
"blue",
"Black",
"yellow"
],
"question": "What colour is the sky today?It's _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Today is fine.The sky is blue.Now it'snine o'clock in the morning.There's a sports meeting in the forest on the big mountain.
Look,a horse,a panda and a cat are running.Over there a dog and two tigers are jumping.Two monkeys are climbing the trees.Four birds are flying around and singing.
There's some other animals there, too.The elephants are standing.A monkey in sitting on an old elephant.The monkey has a flay in his hand.polly is sitting in the tree.A fox, ababy panda and some small animals are sitting under the tree.They are all watching. | middle1511.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Kirsty Young."
},
"options": [
"Kirsty Young.",
"Trevor McDonald.",
"All the news presenters.",
"Some journalists"
],
"question": "Who sits on the desk to read the news?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions... | There are 5 channels on British television and each channel has several news programs all day long. Some programs are only for 3 minutes but some are one hour long. The people who read the news are called news presenters and because they appear on television every day, they are very famous.
This is a popular news presenter in England called Trevor McDonald, in the news studio. He presents a program called "News at Ten"every Monday to Friday evenings.
Another popular news presenter is Kirsty Young. She has a more modern style of reading the news, as you can see, she sits on the desk not on a chair!
Television news presenters need to have worked as journalists because they have to write most of the news that they read. Sometimes an important new event happens after the program has started, so the presenter has to be able to read something without looking at it first. They must always keep calm even when there are many changes during the program. At the end of "News at Ten"Trevor McDonald says "And finally...". Then he reads an unusual or interesting item. It's a famous saying in England now. | middle1277.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "at home"
},
"options": [
"at home",
"at the cinema",
"at work",
"out"
],
"question": "Mr. and Mrs Jones were often _ in the evening .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | Mr. and Mrs Jones seldom go out in the evening , but last Sunday Mrs Jones said to her husband , " There is a good film at the cinema this evening . Can we go to see it ? "
Mr. Jones was quite happy about it . So they went there and they enjoyed the film . They came out of the cinema at 11 o'clock , going into the car and began to drive home . It was quite dark . Then Mrs Jones said , " Bill , look , a woman is running along the road very fast and a man is running after her . Can we help her ? ''
Mr. Jones said , " Yes , I can .'' He drove the car slowly near the woman and said to her , " Can we help you ? " " No , thank you , " the woman said , but she didn't stop running . " My husband and I run home after the film , and the last one will wash the dishes at home ." | middle6518.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "poor family"
},
"options": [
"educational family",
"teacher's family",
"rich family",
"poor family"
],
"question": "Beethoven was from a _ in a small city near the Rhine in Germany.",
"question_type": "clo... | Beethoven was born in a small city near the Rhine in Germany. His father always drank and his mother was a maid . They lived a poor life.
Beethoven was a talented child in music. People at that time thought he was as clever as Mozart. His father wanted to make money from his talent, so he told him to practice and play all the time. If he didn't do that, his father would be angry with him and beat him.
Beethoven was very short and ugly. He couldn't hear well from the age of 22 and later he heard nothing, but all these unhappy things didn't make him dislike music. He began to write sonatas at 12, and later he became a great musician.
His life was so short that he didn't leave many works. But people think he was one of the best musicians in the world.
,A, B, C, D,. | middle7606.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Africa"
},
"options": [
"Asia",
"Africa",
"America",
"Germany"
],
"question": "The story of Animals United took place in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | Animals United
Animals United is a 3D German cartoon which is directed by Reinhard Klooss and Holger Tappe.It is a story about animals that get together to find water.Along their journey, lots of funny things happen, and of course, they have a lot of adventures.
The animals in the grasslands in Africa are waiting for the coming flood.However, this year's flood seems to come later than in other years.The animals become upset and worried.At the same time, some animals from other places come to the grasslands to look for peace.However, the situation seems worse because the water is becoming less and less.So they decide to look for the river.
Finally, they find the reason why they don't have any water to drink.A dam has been set up so that humans can have a better life.After a long fight with humans, they let the world know that animals are in danger.
This film is about environmental matters.The humans are the bad and the animals are the good.This film is to give humans a warning that they must not destroy the homes of animals or damage nature in order to improve their own life.Humans should know that animals also have their own world. | middle3460.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Chang'e-3"
},
"options": [
"Chang'e-1",
"Chang'e-2",
"Chang'e-3",
"Yutu"
],
"question": "Which is the first spacecraft landed softly on the moon in China?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | The Chang'e-3, named after a Chinese goddess, is China's first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the moon. It includes a lander and a moon rover called Yutu. The Chang'e-3 spacecraft is the second phase China's lunar rogramme, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth. It follows the success of the Chang'e-1 and Chang'e-2 spacecraft in 2007 and 2010. The launch of Chang'e-3 was successful.
The Chang'e-3 is one of the most difficult tasks in China's space programme, the news says. The news adds that exploring the universe and seeking peaceful use of space are dreams of Chinese for thousands of years.
With a lander and the moon rover Yutu, Chang'e-3 soft-landed on the moon at 9:11 p.m. Saturday. Yutu later separated from the lander and ran to the moon surface earlier Sunday.
China has chosen the name Yutu for its first moon rover, after a worldwide online vote attracted people to come up with names.
In Chinese folk tale, Yutu is the white pet rabbit of Chang'e, the moon goddess. Chang'e took her pet and flew towards the moon. She became a goddess and has lived there with the white animal ever since. | middle5011.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "his/her blood type"
},
"options": [
"his/her blood type",
"his/her nationality",
"his/her age",
"his/her address"
],
"question": "From an ID card, we can tell the person's following information EXCEPT _ .",
... | An ID card is the most important proof of identity for each person. It shows one's name, date of birth, address, nationality, photo and ID number.
China's top legislature added something new to the Resident Identity Card Law. It passed the suggestions of recording Chinese citizens' fingerprints when they apply for or change ID cards.
Fingerprints would make it easier to recognize the people who own the cards. It can stop people from making fake ID cards.
Li Xiao'ou, a bank worker in Beijing, said fingerprint data will make bank business safer. "No two people have the same fingerprints," he said. "The new card can better protect their private information. It will prevent their identity from being used by others when people want to do banking."
As ID cards will contain more personal information, many people worry that some institutions may let their information out. The amended law tries to better protect it. Government offices and other public institutions, like banks and hospitals, could face a fine of 500,000 yuan if they give out citizens' personal information. | middle7612.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "We have to choose a good book before we start to read."
},
"options": [
"Madame Curie doesn't like reading at all.",
"We shouldn't ask teachers about what books to read.",
"Reading books can give us little knowledge.",
... | What do you usually do in your free time? Play sports? Watch TV? How about reading books? You must know the Chinese saying: " _ " .Books are important in our life. Reading books is good for us. It can help us know and understand the world better. It can help us get a lot of knowledge . It brings us a new and different world that we have never been before. Almost all the great men like reading, like Chairman Mao and Madame Curie.
In a word, books are treasure and we must love them. But before you read, remember to choose a good one. Ask your parents or teachers about what books to read. Be sure you are interested in them. There are many different kinds of books. I like biography because I can learn something from the characters .
What about you? Young friends. Please love books and read them. They are very helpful to you. | middle7174.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "well paid"
},
"options": [
"tiring and dangerous",
"easy and free",
"well paid",
"done outdoors"
],
"question": "According to the text, the author's work was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | My husband and I had just opened up a pet sitting business earlier that year. Our customers had slowly risen from three to thirty a month. We were busy through those hot summer months, driving between visits. Our work was strictly done at the pet owner's home. It was almost too busy for the two of us, but we were making good money!
We asked pet owners new to our business to phone two weeks ahead so we had enough time to meet the owners and pets at their homes and make any following meetings before the owner leaves.
One day, we decided to take on a new customer just two days before they would leave. We met the family, filled in a form, and spent some time with their dog, Hercules. He playfully jumped on us and touched our hands and arms using his tongue. The family laughed as he did this, showing us that he was very loving.
Two days later I appeared at the house, alone. I came up to Hercules and said hello happily. I filled up his water bowl and cleaned any messes he made. Meanwhile, he was so lovely sitting beside. I thought this would be the good picture to send to the owners as usual. After the light and "click" sound went off, Hercules rushed at me. I didn't know what had just happened until I noticed the drops of blood. I ran out and did the only thing--calling my husband.
Then I went to neighbors for help. My husband arrived after ten minutes. The helpful neighbor and my husband led Hercules back into his pen . Then my husband and I took off to the hospital.
I must have looked like I was shot when I walked into the hospital. The nurses quickly moved me to a room. I asked the doctor in a weak but playful manner, "Am I going to die?" He replied, "Finally." | middle3312.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "enjoy the sunrise"
},
"options": [
"go shopping",
"play water sports",
"go to the beach",
"enjoy the sunrise"
],
"question": "In Thailand Polly did the following activities EXCEPT _ .",
"question_type": "c... | Dear Amy
How are you? Mum, Dad and I went to Thailand last week. We had a great time!
We arrived at the airport early on Friday morning. I chose a window seat on the plane. I could see the clouds clearly from the window. They looked soft and shiny. Four hours later, we landed in Thailand.
We stayed at a hotel in Pattaya on our first day. We went to the beach. We played different water sports there. We had so much fun! We were tired when we got back to the hotel.
On the next day, we went to Bangkok. We visited two temples there. They looked like golden bells with pointed tops. We took some photos outside the temples and had a walk in the gardens. In the evening, we had dinner at a restaurant next to a lake. The food was very _ so I kept drinking cold water!
On the last day, we hung out at a shopping mall. Mum bought a beautiful tea set. Dad bought some T-shirts and I bought some dried mangoes . We went to the airport after lunch. I was lucky because I got a window seat again. This time I could see the beautiful sunset .
We enjoyed the trip very much. I hope we will go on another trip again soon.
Love
Polly | middle6242.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "sounds"
},
"options": [
"pictures",
"words",
"waves",
"sounds"
],
"question": "Dolphins show their feelings with _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | Can dolphins talk ? Maybe they can't talk with words ,but they can talk with sounds . They show their feelings with sounds .
Dolphins travel in group . We call a group of them a "school ". They don't study , but they travel together.
Dolphins talk to other dolphins in the school .They give information . They tell other dolphins when they are happy or sad or afraid . They say "welcome "when a dolphin comes back to the school . They talk when they play .
They make a few sounds above water . They make many more sounds under water . People can hear these sounds because they are very high .
Sometimes people catch dolphins for large aquariums . People can watch the dolphins in a show . Dolphins don't like to be in the aquarium , being away from their school . They are sad and lonely if they do so .
There are many stories about dolphins . They help people . Sometimes they save someone's life . Many people believe that dolphins can bring good luck . | middle2024.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "four"
},
"options": [
"two",
"three",
"four",
"five"
],
"question": "Many English people eat _ meals a day..",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"an... | In many English homes people eat four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. People have breakfast at any time from seven to nine in the morning. They eat porridge, eggs or bread, English people drink tea or coffee at breakfast.
Lunch comes at one o'clock. Afternoon tea is from four to five in the afternoon and dinner is at about half past seven. First they have soup, and then they have meat or fish with vegetables. After that they eat some other things, like bananas, apples or oranges. But not all English people eat like that. Some of them have their dinner in the middle of the day. Their meals are breakfast, dinner, tea and supper and all these meals are very simple.
. | middle4455.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "before she went to school"
},
"options": [
"before she went to school",
"after breakfast",
"with the help of Mr Zimmerman's car",
"on the way to school"
],
"question": "Jane delivered her papers _ .",
"que... | It was just three degrees above zero."That's cold", thought Jane as she got ready to deliver her morning papers . Jane had 50 customers ,and on cold mornings when she couldn't ride her bicycle , it took her more than an hour to make her rounds.
As she collected her papers and put them into a big canvas bag , Jane regretted that she hadn't finished her maths homework the night before . There was still time . She would hurry with the papers and finish the maths before breakfast.
Less than an hour later Jane nearly finished. She had only five customers to go.
She could then go home to finish her maths homework while her Mom cooked breakfast . As she rounded the corner , she saw a car in the middle of the street . It was Mr Zimmerman , the elderly man who walked with a walking stick . His car was out of gas .
"I'd like to help Mr Zimmerman," thought Jane ,"but if I do , I won't have time to do my homework." She hated to think what Mr Robert would say if she didn't finish papers.
"It's his own fault for running out of gas," Jane talked to herself. "The station is only a half mile down the street . Surely Mr Zimmerman can walk that far, even on a cold morning like this...can't he?" As she walked down the street , Jane still wondered what to do. | middle5993.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "carnations are cheaper than roses"
},
"options": [
"carnations are nicer than roses",
"John buys all the roses.",
"roses are cheaper than carnations",
"carnations are cheaper than roses"
],
"question": "The shop... | It is Mother's Day. John is busy with his work during the day. When he passes by a flower shop in the evening, he thinks, 'I'll send Mum some roses .' While John is looking at the flowers, a young man comes inside. 'How many roses can I buy for only five dollars , madam?' he asks. The shopkeeper tells him that a dozen of roses is forty dollars. Maybe he can buy some carnations . They are much cheaper.
'No, I only want to have red roses,' he says. 'My mum was badly ill and I didn't spend much time with her. Now I want to give her something special, it must be roses because rose is her favorite.'
After hearing it, John says he can help him pay for the rest of the money. The shopkeeper is moved and says, 'Well, lovely young men, thirty dollars a dozen, only for you.' Taking the roses, the young man almost jumps into the air and runs out of the shop. Then John pays for his dozen of roses and tells the shopkeeper to send them to his mother.
As he walks out, he feels nice. Suddenly he sees the young man crossing the street and going into a park. But soon John knows it is not a park but a cemetery . Crying, the young man carefully puts down the roses, 'Mum, oh, Mum, why didn't I tell you how much I loved you? God, please help me find my mum and tell her I love her.'
Seeing this, John turns and quickly walks to the shop. He will take the flowers home himself. | middle4333.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "in the northeast of China"
},
"options": [
"only in Heilongjiang Province",
"in Jilin Province or Jiangsu Province",
"in the northeast of China",
"in the southeast of China"
],
"question": "Northeast Tigers can ... | There are many kinds of tigers in the world. The largest tiger is Northeast Tiger. Most Northeast Tigers live in the northeast of China, like Heilongjiang Province and Jilin Province. Because there are many forests, the tigers usually like living there. In the forest, there are not many people getting out and coming in. So the tigers are very free. They can _ each other and eat some small animals.
The Northeast Tigers are different from other tigers. The Northeast Tigers can swim very well, but can't climb the trees. They can hear very well.
The number of the tigers is smaller and smaller, we should try our best to protect the tigers. | middle2742.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "December"
},
"options": [
"January",
"June",
"October",
"December"
],
"question": "Christmas is in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_... | Here are four famous festivals aroud the world .Are you familiar with all of them?
Christmas is on 25 December.On the night before the festival ,young children hang up their stockings for the gift that Santa Clause gives .This festival is for the birth of Christ.All the people like this festival.
In North America ,Halloween is on the last day of October . Families make lanterns from pumpkin .In the evening , children dress up well and go form house to house to ask for sweets or have parties at home.
Mid-autumn Festival is a Chinese festival in the autumn . People wait to see a big around moon in the night sky . They eat moon cake and light lanterns .
The longest day in the northern hemisphere is on 21 or 22 June each year .
This is the middle of summer .There is a flower festival for four days each June in California , USA .There is a parade and people go to flower fields to look at the flowers. | middle6524.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "not so strong as his father"
},
"options": [
"the leader of the island",
"as strong as his father",
"not so strong as his father",
"good at killing dragons"
],
"question": "Hiccup, a Viking teenager is _ .",
... | The story happens on an island called Berk. Hiccup, a Viking teenager, lives with his tribe on the island. The Vikings are strong and good sailors . They often go on adventures . Fighting dragons is one of their traditions. Hiccup's father, Stoick the Vast, is the leader of the island. He hopes his son will become as strong as him and be the leader one day.
But it does not seem to go well for him. Hiccup is nothing like his father. He is weak. People say he is not suitable to be the future leader. But Hiccup is smart and has a great sense of humor.
Now Hiccup and other Viking teens are in Dragon Training. Hiccup will have to show others that he has what it takes to be a fighter.
One day Hiccup hits a dragon with a stone cannon . He finds the hurt dragon named Toothless. Hiccup sets Toothless free and the two became friends.
But his new friendship goes against the village's tradition. He has to stop others from killing the dragon!
Will Hiccup be able to save his friend? What difficulties will he have to face? Go to see How to Train Your Dragon, a Hollywood 3D cartoon film. You'll find the answer. The film comes out on March 26. | middle6530.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "comedies"
},
"options": [
"active movies",
"comedies",
"thrillers",
"documentaries"
],
"question": "Zhang Qiang and Guo Peng both like _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | I am Zhang Qiang. On weekends I often watch TV with my friend, Guo Peng. My favourite movie star is Baotian Lee .He is a great actor. He has a movie, Magical Doctor Xilaile(<<>> ).It's a very successful comedy. I think it's great fun. Guo Peng likes Michele Yan best. He likes her famous movie , Sleepless Night. It's a thriller. I don't think it's great. In fact, it's boring. Guo Peng also likes comedies. He often tells me, "Comedies are really fun!" My father likes them, too. He even wants to be a comedy artist! | middle913.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Visiting their old university professor."
},
"options": [
"Visiting their old university professor.",
"Seeing each other.",
"Complaining about their stress in work and life",
"Showing each other's success."
],
"... | A group of old classmates, who have succeeded in their work, got together to visit their old university professor. The conversation soon turned to complaining about the stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and many cups-china , plastic and glass, some plain looking, some expensive and some lovely. The professor told them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said, "Can you notice all the nice looking expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones? While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress."
"What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you went for the best cups and were eyeing each other's cups."
"Now think about this: life is the coffee, and the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life, and do not change the quality of life. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cups, we fail to enjoy the coffee. So don't let the cups drive you, enjoy the coffee instead." | middle3448.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A monkey"
},
"options": [
"An elephant",
"A tiger",
"A giraffe",
"A monkey"
],
"question": "Which animal is funny?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Visiting Jiaixng Zoo
Come and see big elephants from Yunnan and tigers from the northeast. The Africa giraffe are waiting for you. Clever monkeys are going to make you laugh. A lot of other animals you have never seen are waiting to meet you.
Tickets: Grown-ups : Y=5.00
Children: Y=2.00
Under six: Free
Opening time: From Monday to Friday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
Keep the zoo clean. Do not give food to or go near the animals. | middle4327.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "clocks"
},
"options": [
"flowers",
"clothes",
"food",
"clocks"
],
"question": "According to the passage, _ must never be given to Chinese people as presents.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | Different countries have different customs in giving presents.
In China you must never give a clock to a Chinese person, because the sound of the word for "clock" is similar to the sound of "death". Also, don't wrap(......) a present in white, black or blue paper, because they are the colours for funerals . Don't give a knife, because something sharp can cut a friendship.
In Russia if you give flowers as presents, you have to give an odd number of them (one, three, five, etc.) because even numbers of flowers are for funerals.
In Germany if you are invited to dinner, flowers are good presents to take to your dinner hostess , but don't take her red roses because it means you are in love with her. Don't take thirteen of anything because it's an unlucky number. Don't take an even number of anything, either. Don't wrap your presents in white, brown, or black paper. | middle5039.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "All of them."
},
"options": [
"None of them.",
"Only one.",
"Half of them.",
"All of them."
],
"question": "How many students passed the exam at last?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
}
] | It was the last day of the final examination in a university. A group of students entered the classroom happily. This was their last exam. They knew it would
be easy. The professor had said that they could bring any book or note they wanted. The only requirement was that they couldn't talk with each other.
The professor handed out the papers. They were glad to find there were only five questions. Three hours passed. The professor asked, "How many of you have finished all the five questions?" None of the students answered.
"How many of 3'ou have finished four?" No answers again.
"Thee? Two?" The students moved restlessly in their seats.
"One, then? Certainly somebody has finished one." But the class remained silent.
"That is exactly what I expected," the professor said. "I just want to teach you a lesson--although you have completed four years of study, there are still many
things you don't know about." Then be added, "You will all pass the exam, But remember: even though you are graduating from college, your education has just begun." | middle2030.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the USA"
},
"options": [
"the USA",
"Canada",
"England",
"Australia"
],
"question": "The story happened in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Mr and Mrs Smith have just opened a small restaurant. In order to _ , they put a notice in front of the restaurant, which said " Meals on the House for Three Days."
A foreign student who didn't know much English happened to pass by the restaurant on the second day. It was lunch time and he felt very hungry. "Well, here is a restaurant. I am going to have something to eat." He walked towards the restaurant when he saw the notice. " American people are really strange. They even eat dinners on the house! But how can I get up to the top of the house?" he said to himself.
He looked around and found a ladder against a tree nearby. He was very glad. But as he reached the top he heard someone shouting at him. " Hey, what are you doing up there?" Mr Smith was looking at him angrily and beside him was a policeman.
" Don't your notice say " Meals on the House for Three Days"? Is it just a joke?" the foreign student answered.
On hearing this, both Mr Smith and the policeman laughed. " Don't you know what ON THE HOUSE means? Look it up in the dictionary," the policeman said. | middle4441.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "meet the need of printing"
},
"options": [
"help people read out loud",
"meet the need of printing",
"guide the way of writing",
"mention the spoken words"
],
"question": "All punctuation rules were discovered a... | When punctuation began, it was mainly to help people read out loud. Until a few hundred years ago, not many people were taught to read, so there was a lot more reading out loud by the few people who could.
To help those reading out loud in the old days, sign known as "points" were added to pages of writing. Punctuation comes from the Latin word punctus, meaning "point". These points told readers when to pause or take a breath, and what to emphasize .
In Europe from the early centuries AD, these points were widely used although not everybody used the same points for the same thing. When printing was invented, printers had to be made more clearly about what to put where, so that everyone was doing the same thing. Since that point, all sorts of punctuation rules have been discovered and invented.
Speech marks "..."
Speech marks or quotation marks are used to show that someone is speaking. The sort we have in English today began to be widely used during the 18th century. Before that readers simply understood from the way a sentence was written that someone was speaking although sometimes spoken words were underlined.
Comma , colon: period(full stop).
All three of these sorts of punctuation marks were given their Greek names by Aristophanes, a librarian who lived in Byzantium in the 2nd century BC. They were marks on the page, each with a message to the reader. Comma meant a short pause. Colon meant a medium sized pause. Period meant a long pause.
Exclamation mark!
In the early days of punctuation, if you saw this sign, you were supposed to pause. Some people think the exclamation mark began as what the Greek word IO looked like if it was turned 90 degrees. This word means "Oh, gosh!" With the I on the top and the O under it, the sign as we know it today was developed.
Question mark?
In the middle age, a squiggle above a full stop was sometimes used to show the sentence was a question and that a person's voice should go up at the end. By the 17th century it had turned into what we call a question mark. The shape may have come from the letter Q short for that Latin quaestio, meaning "question".
Writers make choices about punctuation because they think differently about sentences and words. It's part of the personality of their writing. Some writers hate punctuation, but others love punctuation. So whether you love or hate punctuation, the best advice may be to just enjoy it, play with it, think about it and use it. It belongs to the language and it belongs to you. | middle7148.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "by talking with others"
},
"options": [
"by calling others",
"by talking with others",
"by using body language",
"by using signs"
],
"question": "The most common way to communicate is _ .",
"question_type... | People communicate in many different ways. The most common way is by talking with others. Except for talking, we can also use body languages. When we use body languages, we need to use body to show what we mean. Sign language is a kind of body language. Let's see more about it.
Sign language is popular among _ people who are unable to speak or don't want to speak. If you want to communicate with a foreigner ,but you can't speak his language and he can't speak Chinese, what can you do ? Maybe you can communicate by making signs. Now let's learn some signs Indians often use.
When they are hungry, they move their right hands back and forth in front of their stomachs.
When they mean " Let's eat", they put their right hands and move them up and down in front of their mouths.
When they have had enough, they part their thumbs and first fingers, and move their hands from their chests to chins.
If they have a stomach ache, they put both hands on their stomachs, and move them back and forth. | middle6256.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "31"
},
"options": [
"18",
"33",
"31",
"25"
],
"question": "Liu Yang worked as an astronaut when she was _ years old.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,... | On June 6th, 2012 Tiangong-1 welcomed its first guests, the Shenzhou IX manned spacecraft . The Shenzhou IX has two male astronauts and one female astronaut. At that time, Liu Yang, a thirty-three year-old woman, became the first Chinese woman in space.
Joining the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force in 1997, Liu Yang became an experienced pilot after flying safely for 1,680 hours. In 2010, she became an astronaut because of her good job.
"When I was a pilot, I flew in the sky. Now that I am an astronaut, I will fly in space. This will be a much higher and farther flight. I always couldn't help wondering: What would the Earth look like from outer space?" Liu said.
In June 2012, Liu took Shenzhou IX to the space as China's first female astronaut. "I have full confidence," Liu said before the task. "There are many foreign female astronauts that have been into space. Men and women have their own advantages in carrying out space tasks. They can encourage each other and better complete their task.
However, the difficulty of her training has not affected her life's pleasure. "I love children and I love life. I love reading, especially novels and history books. I am also a great cook. To be with my family is one kind of happiness, but to fly is another kind that people can't experience."
"I am grateful to the motherland and the people. I feel honoured to fly into space on behalf of millions of female Chinese citizens. " Liu said after coming back to the Earth safely. | middle1539.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "grandfather"
},
"options": [
"grandfather",
"father",
"mother",
"neighbour"
],
"question": "Jim's _ gives Jim the drum.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1... | It's Jim's birthday today. He is five years old. He gets many nice birthday presents from his family and one of them is a big drum .
" Who gives him the drum?" his father asks.
" His grandfather does." answers Jim's mother.
Jim likes his drum very much. He makes a noise with it, but his mother doesn't say anything about it. His father is not at home. He is working in a school. So he doesn't hear the noise.
But one of the neighbours doesn't like the noise at all. So one morning she takes a knife and goes into Jim's room. Jim is making a noise with the drum. She says to him, "Hello, Jim, Do you know there is something nice in your drum? Here is a knife. Open the drum and let's find it." | middle522.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "14 hours"
},
"options": [
"2 hours",
"12 hours",
"14 hours",
"16 hours"
],
"question": "How long is the supermarket open every day?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | There is a supermarket called Shopping Center near my house. It's open from 8:00am to10:00pm.The supermarket is very new and big with four floors. If you want to go shopping, please come to this supermarket. You can buy all kinds of things. Look! On the first floor, you can buy vegetables, meat, eggs, juice, and so on. If you want to buy gloves, scarves , T-shirts, shoes and all kinds of clothes, you can come to the second floor. There are all kinds of TV sets and fridges on the third floor. Children like the fourth floor a lot, they can buy their favourite books, CDs and beautiful toys.
The things in the supermarket are not expensive , sometimes the things are on sale, so there are always a lot of people. The workers in it work hard. They are very friendly and helpful. | middle6901.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The soccer game ended."
},
"options": [
"Dave met Miguel.",
"The boys ate lunch together.",
"Dave went to the locker room.",
"The soccer game ended."
],
"question": "What happened first in the story?",
"ques... | "Whoosh!" The ball flew into the net and the game was finally over. This game had gone into overtime twice. Until the last goal was scored, no one had any idea which team would win.
Dave felt so bad because his team had lost. He liked playing soccer, but he liked winning even more. Now the two teams should have a picnic together. Dave did not want to eat lunch with the other team. The other team would probably brag by talking about how they won the game.
Dave went to the locker room to change out of his soccer clothes. There the coach talked to the team about what they had done well. They also talked about how they could improve. Then everybody walked outside towards the picnic table.
One of the players from the other team was standing near the picnic table. He handed Dave a paper plate. "Hi, I'm Miguel," he said.
"Hi," Dave replied, looking down at the ground.
"You played great," Miguel said. "I didn't think we were going to win."
Dave was surprised. Miguel was not bragging at all.
"Thanks," Dave said to Miguel. "You played great, too."
Dave felt happy. Dave promised himself that the next time his team won a game, he would not brag to the other team. It was wonderful to win, but it was even more important to be a good winner. | middle3879.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "will give Tom two dollars"
},
"options": [
"will give Tom two dollars",
"will pay three dollars",
"will pay five dollars",
"will give Tom six dollars and a half"
],
"question": "At first the owner of the shop ... | Tom walks into a shop. It has a sign outside: " Second hand clothes bought and sold ." He is carrying an old pair of trousers and asks the owner of the shop. " How much will you give me for these?" The man looks at them and then says, " Two dollars." " What!" says Tom, " I think they are worth at least five."
"No," says the man, "They aren't worth a cent more than two dollars."
" Well," says Tom. Taking two dollars out of his pocket, " Here's your money. These trousers are hanging outside your shop. The list price of them is six dollars and a half. But I think that is too much money, so I want to find out how much they are really worth."
Before the shop owner can think of anything, Tom walks out of the shop with the pair of trousers. | middle4870.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "both A and B"
},
"options": [
"learn things quickly",
"remember things easily",
"learn things slowly",
"both A and B"
],
"question": "When you have good study habits,you will _",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | All students need to have good study habits.When you have good study habits,you can learn things quickly.You also remember them easily.
Do you like to study in the living-room?This is not a good place because it is usually too noisy.You need to study in a quiet place,like your bedroom.A quiet place will help you only think about one thing,and you will learn better.
Before you begin to study,do not forget to clean your desk.A good desk light is important,too. You are feeling tired easily if there is not enough light.
. | middle1908.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Kangaroos."
},
"options": [
"Lions.",
"Zebras.",
"Kangaroos.",
"Elephants."
],
"question": "Which baby animals don't open their eyes for at least five months?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | Animals grow up in different ways. They have lots of lessons to learn.
Some animals are born helpless but their mothers protect them. A newborn kangaroo is the size of a bee. She stays in her mother's safe pouch. She doesn't open her eyes for at least five months. A newborn monkey cannot walk. He is carried by his mother.
Other baby animals can walk soon after they're born. They learn to run with their mother when danger is near. A baby zebra can run an hour after she is born.
Some baby animals are born in a place that is safe. Other baby animals are born in the open. Baby wolves are born in large holes. A baby elephant is born on open, grassy land. Other elephants make a circle to protect her.
Animals that drink their mothers' milk are called mammals. A mother bear's milk is fatty and rich. Baby bears need lots of fat to keep warm in winter. They have milk for six months. Baby zebras drink milk for six months or more! As baby animals grow they need solid food. Baby lions eat what their mother can catch. | middle250.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The tooth itself was serious ."
},
"options": [
"The doctor want to make more money.",
"The tooth itself was serious .",
"The tooth wanted to come out .",
"Daniel wanted to save some money."
],
"question": "Why ... | David hated spending money. When he had to buy something in a shop, he always tried his best to knock down the price, even for the cheapest things. If he wanted to buy a bottle of orange, for example, and the shopkeeper asked for $2, David would say, "Make it $1.90 and I'll buy it." Sometimes the shopkeepers agreed to _ their prices a little. "What's ten cents?" they asked themselves. "If it makes this man happy, it won't hurt me very much." In this way David saved a few cents here and a few cents there, and by the end of the year he had saved several hundred dollars.
One day he had a very bad toothache and had to go to the dentist. The dentist looked at the tooth and said, "This tooth will have to come out. It's too serious to save." "How much must I pay you to take out a tooth?" David asked. "Forty dollars," the dentist said. "How long will it take you to pull out the tooth?" he asked. "About two minutes," the dentist answered. "Forty dollars for two minutes' work!" he shouted, "That's robbery ." The dentist smiled. "You're right," she said. "Thank you for telling me. I'll pull your tooth out very slowly. How about if I take half an hour?" | middle536.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "1812"
},
"options": [
"1810",
"1812",
"1814",
"1916"
],
"question": "England fought with America in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer... | Do you know what the White House is? Perhaps some of you do,while others don't. The White House is a house in Washington. The president of the U.S.A. lives in it. It's really white. But do you know why the White House is white? The story happened in 1812. That year England was at war with America. The British army got to Washington and set the president's house on fire. In 1814 in order to hide the marks of the fire,the stone walls of the president`s house were painted white and it has been the "White House "ever since. | middle6915.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "by bus"
},
"options": [
"by bike",
"by bus",
"by car",
"by jeep"
],
"question": "I am going home _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_tex... | It is time to go home now. I am on a bus on a rainy day, and a woman with a dog gets on the bus. It is a big dog and its feet are not clean.
I don't want the dog to sit next to me. But the woman says to the conductor, "oh, I pay for my dog. Can he sit here like the other people?"
The conductor looks at the dog and says, "yes, madam. But like other people , he must put his feet under the chair." | middle3845.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "for dinner"
},
"options": [
"for his bag",
"to see a doctor",
"for dinner",
"for his pen"
],
"question": "Tom Brown went to the restaurant _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | Once a great boxer , Tom Brown, went to a restaurant for dinner. He put his bag near the door, but he was afraid that someone would take it away. So he got out a pen and a piece of paper and wrote on it, "The great boxer, Tom Brown, left his bag here and he will be back in a few minutes." He put the paper on his bag and went to have his dinner. When he came back, his bag wasn't there. But he found a piece of paper on the ground. It said, "A great runner took away your bag, and will not be back." | middle1934.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "water"
},
"options": [
"river",
"water",
"earth",
"weather"
],
"question": "Miss Hua was telling the children what _ is like.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | The students were having their Chemistry class. Miss Hua was telling the children what water was like. After that, she asked her students, "What's water?" No one spoke for a few minutes.Miss Hua asked again,"Why don't you answer my question?Didn't I tell you what water is like?"
Just then a boy put up his hand and said, "Miss Hua, you told us that water has no colour and no smell. But where to find such kind of water?The water in the river behind my house is always black and it has a bad smell. "Most of the children agreed with him.
"I'm sorry, children."said the teacher,"Our water is getting dirtier and dirtier. That's a problem. | middle6083.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "in the holes"
},
"options": [
"in the sand",
"in the holes",
"in the wood",
"in the grass"
],
"question": "The woodchucks live _ under the ground.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | We people have homes.Animals have homes,too.
Some animals live under the ground.The woodchuck lives in the holes under the ground.His home has two doors.If someone comes in through one door,he will go out through the other door.Some birds live in the holes in the trees.They come out for food during the day and go back to sleep at night.But most birds live iust in the trees.It's very interesting that turtles usually carry their homes on their backs.Bees always work hard to make their homes.Cats,dogs and some other pets live in people's homes.And we can see many kinds of animals in the zoo,so the zoo is also a big home for animals. | middle4694.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "1.9 centimeters"
},
"options": [
"1.9 centimeters",
"2.6 centimeters",
"6.2 centimeters",
"9.1 centimeters"
],
"question": "How wide is the smallest dictionary?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | When you don't know an English word, you may need a dictionary. A dictionary is a very useful tool when you learn English. It plays an important role in your study. Do you know the smallest English dictionary in the world?
Let's have a look at what it looks like. It is 2.6 centimeters long. It is 1.9 centimeters wide. It is the smallest English dictionary in the world.
The small dictionary has 384 pages. It has many thousands of words. When you open its case, you can also find a _ . The dictionary is so small that we need to use the lens to read it.
The smallest English dictionary came out in Glasgow, UK in 1890. Graham is the owner of the dictionary. He found it in a bookstore. Altough it was very expensive, he still bought it. He paid lots of money for the dictionary. | middle4858.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "15."
},
"options": [
"12.",
"13.",
"14.",
"15."
],
"question": "How old is Rachel Barrett?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Becau... | For many girls, having long beautiful hair is something to beproud of. Rachel Barrett, 15, recently cut her long hair and lookedlike a boy. But she was also proud of herself. She donated herhair to a charity and raised a lot of money.Barrett is a middle school student in Britain. On Nov. 16 at her
school's talent contest, Barrett had her hair cut off in front of around 300 students. The hair would be used to make wigs for children with cancer. She has raised several thousand pounds and the money will help people with breast cancer .
Barrett got the idea when she visited her friend's mom with cancer. "All of her hair had fallen out, and it really made me want to do something," Barrett said.
When she found out that the charity Little Princess Trust could make wigs for children with cancer, she decided to donate her own hair, even though she loved it.
"I saw how sad it was for my friend's mom to lose her hair. So if my hair can go to help a young child with cancer then it's worth it," she said.
Cath Stanton, a teacher, felt proud of the girl. "She's always been very well groomed , so for her to cut all her hair off really moves us," she said. "She has done a moving job." Many students were moved by her courage and donated money. | middle4680.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "hoped to learn Chinese language and culture further"
},
"options": [
"hoped to learn Chinese language and culture further",
"wanted to do a research on the Chinese daily life",
"would like to make friends with Chinese familie... | Jay Kohl, an American student, posted an online advertisement two weeks ago searching for a Chinese family to stay with so that he can learn the language and culture.
"I'm a clean, non-smoking, and warm-hearted American man looking for a homestay in the Wudaokou area to improve my Chinese language skills," he wrote. "I'm willing to offer help with English tutoring and even can help you with applying for foreign universities."
He still hasn't found a suitable home.
"Most of the families that contacted me seem to be interested in doing business instead of cultural exchange," he said. "I think I might have to rent an apartment in the end."
Kohl isn't the only foreigner finding it difficult to find a homestay in Beijing. Michael Benson, who wants to come to Beijing in September, has also faced the same problem.
Why is finding a homestay family so difficult? Beijing Today _ a Chinese teacher, Jessie Xi, who has been teaching foreign students at the University of International Business and Economics for more than six years.
Xi has accepted many homestays, and from her own experience and what she's been told, she said there were four major problems visitors may meet when applying for homestays.
Problem 1:Having too high expectation for language improvement.
Problem 2: Considering oneself as a guest instead of a family member.
Problem 3: Not making clear what a family's rules are beforehand.
Problem 4; Overly high demands for the living environment. | middle7389.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "American"
},
"options": [
"Chinese",
"English",
"Japanese",
"American"
],
"question": "Mary is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text"... | Mary is an American girl. She is now in Beijing with her parents. Mary doesn't know much Chinese, but she is studying it. She often speaks Chinese with her Chinese friends. Sometimes they can't understand her, because she can't speak Chinese very well.
It's Saturday morning. She goes out. She is walking in the street. She wants to go to the zoo to see the elephants and monkeys, but she doesn't know how to get there. She asks a Chinese boy the way. The boy can't understand her. Then she takes out a pen and a piece of paper. She draws an elephant on it, and shows the picture to the boy. The boy understands, and shows her the way to the zoo. | middle1920.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a handshake"
},
"options": [
"a warm hug",
"a handshake",
"a kiss on the cheek",
"two kisses on the cheek"
],
"question": "In Britain, people usually greet each other with _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | Did you know that about 55% of communication is unspoken, so in fact, our bodies are actually saying more than our words. I find that the key to a successful conversation in any language is to speak to people not only in their spoken language but also with the body language they know best.
Britain, along with much of Northern Europe, has a non-touch culture, so personal space is very important. In a formal situation, we would usually greet each other with a handshake. Informally, but not so often, my British friends and I would greet with a hug. Hardly ever would we greet with a kiss on the cheek, let alone a hug and two kisses on the cheek![:||]
Here in the south of Italy, and in many different parts of the world, both men and women greet with two kisses on the cheek, use a lot of hand signs and often touch each other. In other words, little personal space is left between people when communicating.
At university, I have learnt to successfully communicate in spoken Italian. And since I moved to live with the local people, I have also started to pick up their body language. Sometimes, I find myself not knowing what hand signs to use when expressing myself. However, what I know for sure is that I would miss the opportunity to fully put myself in the Italian culture if I keep my personal space unbroken.
Here are 5 body language tips in Italy;
* Use different signs; head, arms and hands.
* Use facial expressions. Always smile at people! It is said that smiling is the most powerful unspoken way to communicate friendliness.
* Use eye contact , because "the eyes are the window to the soul."
* Don't worry about personal space. Italians are a people who like to use the sense of touch, so moving away or keeping your distance may be considered as being unfriendly.
* Touch. When meeting and leaving, always shake hands. | middle6929.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Work hard every day in a year."
},
"options": [
"Work hard every day in a year.",
"Work hard many days in a year.",
"Work hard most of time in a year.",
"Work hard only a few days before the examination."
],
"qu... | A good way to pass an examination is to work hard every day in the year. You may fail in the examination if you are lazy for most of the year and then work hard only a few days before the examination. If you are taking an English examination, don't learn only rules of grammar. Try to read stories in English and speak in English whenever you can. A few days before examination you should start going to bed early. Do not stay up late at night studying and learning things. Before you start the examination, read carefully over the examination paper. Try to understand the exact meaning of each question before you pick up your pen to write. When you have at last finished your examination, read your answers, correct any mistakes that you see and make sure that you have not _ anything _ . | middle2597.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a newspaper"
},
"options": [
"a newspaper",
"a story book.",
"a science book",
"a guide book"
],
"question": "The above job ads are probably from _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer... | Want ads
(1) Wanted :"Are you hard-working ?" Do you like to meet people? If your answer is "Yes", then we have a job for you as a waiter, call AL Hotel at 556779!
(2)Summer Job: Do you like to talk with people ? Do yu like to write stories? If you want to work for our magazine as a reporter. Please call Karen at 558366.
(3)Help wanted: Do you like babies ? Can you look after one baby for two days ? If you are sure to take good care of it, call us at 766588. $80 or more. Today ! Hurry !
(4)Cleaner wanted: Can you make a large house clean and tidy? If you hope to get the job paid at $20 once, call us this evening 18:00-20:00 Tel : 633800. | middle3851.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "People take photos of food and post them before eating."
},
"options": [
"People talk about their Weibo or WeChat.",
"People learn from each other how to cook dishes.",
"People like taking photos with friends or families.",
... | We can't remember clearly since when we started to take our mobiles to a dinner table.This happens a lot,especially when we eat out.Once a dish comes,instead of lifting our chopsticks,we take out our mobiles and click.Later,we post the photos onto Weibo or Wechat,waiting to be"liked".Then we check our mobiles from time to time during the meal,to see whether we get"liked"or not.We just cannot leave our mobiles for only a meal.
Does that sound familiar to you?Do you do that often?If not,how do you feel when others do that when having dinner with you?
A recent study suggests that what we are used to doing is not so good.Spending time taking photos of food makes the food less pleasant.To test this,some researchers did an experiment.Some people were asked to take photos before they could enjoy food.As a result,it showed that the more photos they took, _ .So,why not stop taking photos and just enjoy the food in front of you?
Besides the scientific result,there are also some other bad influences of taking photos of food before meals.After posting the photos onto the Internet,one will not be able to control himself and check his mobile many times."Does everyone like my photos?I hope a lot of people like them!"It seems that your mobile secretly calls your name all the time,even when you are with real people.
So,next time you go out to have dinner with your family or friends,how about not taking photos of food?Let the food be delicious as it is and share your life with people around you.Trust me,it will be a wonderful time. | middle7404.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "too different"
},
"options": [
"too long",
"too many",
"too different",
"too easy"
],
"question": "It is difficult to remember names all over the world because names are _",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | Everything has a name. All people, places and things have names.Cities and towns have names,too.Schools and office buildings also have names. Names are important.
We use names every day.When we meet a new person, we usually ask"What's your name?" It's important to learn a person's name. Most people have two names. Some have more names. Names are different all over the world, so it is very difficult to remember all of them.
In the USA, most people have a first name, a middle name and a last name. Parents choose the first name and middle names for their babies.There are names for boys and names for girls. For example, John, Peter, Tom and Mike are all names for boys, Elizabeth, Bonnie, Susan and Mary are all girls' names. The last name is the family name. Usually it is the father's family name. | middle287.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "you will take a test in the first class for level decision"
},
"options": [
"people with different skill levels pay differently.",
"you will take a test in the first class for level decision",
"you will pay the fee before pra... | This course is for those who want to learn to type, as well as those who want to improve their typing. The course is not common. You are tested in the first class, and begin practising at one of eight different skill levels. This allows you to learn at your own speed. Each program lasts 20 hours. Bring your own paper.
Course fee: $125 Materials: $25
Two hours for each evening for two weeks. New classes begin every two weeks.
This course is taught by a number of professional business education teachers who have successfully taught typing course before.
UNDERSTANDING COMPUTERS
This twelve-hour course is for people who do not know very much about computers, but who need to learn about them. You will learn what computers are, what they can or can't do and how to use them.
Course fee:$75 Jan 4,7,11,14,18 Wed.&Sat. 9:00---11:30 a.m. Equipment fee:$10
David is a professor of Computer Science at Beijing University. He has over twenty years of experience in the computer field.
STOP SMOKING
Do you want to stop smoking? Have you ever tried and failed? Now is the time to stop smoking using the latest methods. You can stop smoking, and this twelve-course will help you do it.
Course fee:$30 Jan 2,9,16,23 Mon 2:00---5:00 p.m.
Dr. John is a practicing psychologist who has helped hundreds of people stop smoking. | middle1713.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "chocolate ice cream"
},
"options": [
"chocolate candy",
"chocolate cake",
"chocolate cookies",
"chocolate ice cream"
],
"question": "There are some different kinds of foods. Which is not mentioned in the passage... | Chocolate is one of the most popular foods in the world. Many people choose it as a birthday gift. When a child gets a box of chocolate as a gift, he may feel happy. It is popular among people, especially among children.
Chocolate tastes nice. People eat chocolate candy, chocolate cake and chocolate cookies. They also drink hot chocolate.
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans. Here are some interesting things about cocoa beans.
In the past, the Mayas and the Aztecs used cocoa beans as money because they were small, easy to carry, and not easy to find. A turkey cost ninety cocoa beans and a small rabbit cost thirty cocoa beans. They also cooked the beans and mixed them with water. Sometimes they added corn or hot pepper. They did not add sugar. The drink was very expensive. Only rich people could buy it. | middle7362.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "ask people to take action to protect wetlands and wildlife"
},
"options": [
"attract more visitors to pay a visit to Zhalong Nature Reserve",
"ask people to take action to protect wetlands and wildlife",
"prevent people from ... | Zhalong is a nature reserve in Heilongjiang in north-east China. It is one of the world's most important wetlands. The reserve covers an area of 210,000 hectares. The area provides food and shelter for wildlife. It is an ideal home for different kinds of plants, fish and birds.
Many birds live comfortably in Zhalong Nature Reserve all year round, while some only stay there for a short time. There are many fish in the wetlands, and the birds can easily catch them for food. Zhalong has long been called "the home of the crane". There are 15 crane species in the world. 8 of them are in China and there are 6 species in Zhalong area. It is an important living area for the rare red-crowned cranes. There are not many red-crowned cranes in the world. Every spring and summer, red-crowned cranes lay and hatch their eggs in Zhalong.
Some people want to change the wetlands to make more space for farms and buildings. This means there will be less and less space for wildlife. More and more birds are in danger because they do not have enough living space. Many of them died. The Chinese government wants to protect these endangered birds, and they can be safe in Zhalong.
Every year, a lot of tourists go to Zhalong to watch birds. This year, members of our Bird-watching Club are going to study the different kinds of birds in Zhalong and the changes in their numbers. The study begins next month.
We _ once a year. We are now inviting secondary school students to help. We need more people to help us count and do something to help the birds.
Many people do not understand the importance of the wetlands. We hope this information will help them understand and make them actively take action to protect wildlife. | middle3104.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Green."
},
"options": [
"Brown.",
"Red.",
"Green.",
"Yellow."
],
"question": "What's Alice's favourite colour?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"... | I'm Alice. Today is Children's Day. I get many presents from my family. Do you want to have a look?
I like toy bears very much. I have five different bears in my room. My mother buys another brown bear for me today. It's very cute;
My uncle gives me a new pencil case; It's so nice. There's an interesting picture on it. My uncle buys it in Canada.
My sister buys a red toy car for me. I like cars very much. My sister is so nice. Green is my favourite colour. But I like the car best.
The diary book is from my grandmother. I like writing a diary in the evening. I want to be a writer when I grow up. | middle5575.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "common"
},
"options": [
"common",
"impolite",
"boring",
"surprising"
],
"question": "For Americans, the question \"what do you do?\" is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Speaking English is not only about using proper grammar, but also about understanding the culture. Here is some important advice to remember when speaking English in the United States.
*Americans have difficulties understanding foreign accents. Many Americans are not used to foreign accents. This requires patience from both of you.
*Talk about places: Americans love to talk about places. When speaking to a stranger, ask them where they come from and then say something about that place. For example: "Oh, I have a friend who worked in Los Angeles. He says it's a beautiful place to live in." Most Americans will then willingly talk about their experiences of living in or visiting that city or place.
*Talk about work: It is common for Americans to ask "What do you do?" It's not considered impolite as in some countries and is a popular topic of discussion between strangers.
*Talk about sports: Americans love sports! However, they love American sports. When speaking about football, most Americans understand "American football", not soccer.
*Be careful when expressing ideas about race, religion or other sensitive topics:The United States is a society with different cultures. Americans are very sensitive to other cultures and ideas. | middle3110.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "9"
},
"options": [
"16",
"12",
"9",
"7"
],
"question": "If you are thirteen years old, you need at least _ hours of sleep.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | Sleep is very important. A person who does not sleep dies faster than a person who does not eat. We spend about a third (1/3) of our lives sleeping. That's about 121 days a year!
How much sleep do we need? We are all different. A baby needs 16 hours of sleep every day. Children 6 to 12 years old need an average of 10 to 12 hours of sleep. Teenagers need 9 to 10 hours of sleep. An adult needs an average of 7 to 8 hours a night. There are some people who need only 3 hours of sleep. Others need 10 hours of sleep. After the age of 50, the average sleep time goes down to 6.5 hours a night. We need less sleep as we get older.
About one in three Americans has a problem with sleep. Many of these people can't fall asleep. The name of this problem is _ . Some people say, "I didn't sleep all night." But that's not really true. They may sleep lightly and wake up several times. In the morning, they only remember the times they were awake , so they think they were awake all night.
This is not a new problem. Many famous people in history had insomnia. Some of these people had special ideas to make them sleep. Benjamin Franklin had four beds. He moved from one to another to fall asleep. Mark Twain had a different way. He lay on his side across the end of the bed! | middle5561.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They wanted to meet the president of Harvard."
},
"options": [
"They wanted to see their son.",
"They had an important meeting",
"They went to Harvard just to start a university",
"They wanted to meet the president of H... | A lady in an old cotton dress and her husband, dressed in an old suit, stepped off the train in Boston, and walked into the president of Harvard's outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such country people had no business at Harvard. She frowned . "We want to see the president," the man said softly. "He'll be busy all day," the secretary said coldly. "We'll wait," the lady replied.
For hours, the secretary didn't talk to them, hoping that the couple would finally become tired and go away. They didn't. And the secretary finally decided to disturb the president. "Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him. He frowned too. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them.
The president walked toward them unwillingly. The lady told him, "We had a son that attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard, and was very happy here. But he was accidentally killed. And my husband and I would like to set up a memorial to him somewhere on campus. " The president was so surprised that he shouted sharply, "We can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. This place would look like a cemetery .
"Oh, no" the lady explained, "We don't want to build a statue. We thought we would give a building to Harvard." The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at their plain clothes, and said with surprise, "A building! Do you have any idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here at Harvard."
For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. He could get rid of them now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly. "Is that all it costs to start a university? Why don't we just start our own?" Her husband nodded. Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they set up the university with their name, Stanford University, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about. | middle1707.txt |
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