questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Young people"
},
"options": [
"Old people",
"Young people",
"Men",
"Women"
],
"question": "_ are more and more interested in plastic surgeries.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {... | These days, more and more young people wish to be more beautiful, So they turn to plastic surgery (
) for help. They spend thousands of yuan on these painful surgeries to fix their nose, to fix their eyes or to be thinner.
In fact, most people are not happy about the way they look. Even the most beautiful actresses often wish they could fix something about their looks.So we should believe that we are as beautiful as others. A smile is beautiful on any face, being kind is much more beautiful than a pretty look.
So, let's feel happy that we all have beautiful and healthy bodies that do not need surgeries! Today, I wish you to make a small _ believe yourself! smile and be kind to others. If you do these, you will be happy, beautiful, and popular everywhere you go. | middle1842.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a hotel"
},
"options": [
"a restaurant",
"a hotel",
"an airport",
"a shop"
],
"question": "\"The Plaza\" here is the name of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | There are three airports in New York. When you arrive at one of them, you can take a bus or taxi to any place in New York.
Public transport . In New York there's a good bus and subway service. If you are planning to use the subway a lot, you should buy a subway ticket for ten journeys because it's cheaper. But you don't have to use public transport, because there are lots of places you can go to on foot, like The Empire State Building , 5thAvenue and Central Park. The New York taxis are a part of the city experience , so you should take at least one taxi during your visit!
Hotels. There are lots of good hotels in New York. The best is _ on 5thAvenue but you don't have to pay a lot to stay in the city; there are lots of small hotels.
Eating out. There are many kinds of food in New York and you shouldn't eat at McDonalds every day. There are good restaurants in Little Italy and Chinatown, for example.
Shopping in New York is fun. There are big shops on 5thAvenue. They are open seven days a week. But be careful when you look at the prices; you have to pay a special 8% tax on everything you buy in New York.
Places to see. Finally, there are a lot of places to see in New York -- Times Square, the Statue of Liberty. And you shouldn't go home without climbing the Statue of Liberty. | middle6693.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a theme"
},
"options": [
"a plae",
"a date",
"a cake",
"a theme"
],
"question": "The writer advises us to decide on _ first for a birthday party.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | It is that time of year again. _ There is so much to do to get ready for the party. Planning a child's birthday party is necessary. It can be fun, exciting and sometimes busy. When planning a child's birthday party, there are many important details( ) to remember:
First, you should decide on a theme. It is very important to plan a successful party. Without a theme there would be no party to plan. If the child is old enough, he can choose what theme he wants to have. He can also choose invitations, decorations, cake design, and even games.
Next it is time to decide on a date, a place, and the time to have the party . Most people have the child's party on the weekend for conveniece of the parents' schedule . When you have already decided on a date and time, you need to choose a place to have the party. It should be a place your child will enjoy, such as a favorite park, a nice restaurant or your own home.
Another important detail to keep in mind is the guest list. Always be sure to only invite people that your child knows and likes. Let the child help you write out the guest list. This helps avoid unwanted guests. | middle468.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The owner of a hotel."
},
"options": [
"His friend.",
"The owner of a hotel.",
"An editor.",
"His father."
],
"question": "Whom is Mr Hector Bradley probably writing this letter to?",
"question_type": "facti... | Dear Sir,
I am writing to you about my stay at your hotel. My wife and I arrived on Saturday, 15thMay and stayed for a week. Though we were treated well and found the service excellent, we think there are one or two matters we should bring your attention.
1. We had hoped for a nice holiday from our busy work lives, and your advertisement said "comfortable and quiet". We want to have a chance to enjoy ourselves. However, we were always waken up by the noise every morning. Is it really necessary for the workers to start their repair work so early?
2. We had hoped to swim in your "wonderful pool". To our disappointment , we found that it was closed for the whole time of our stay.
I hope you do not mind my writing to you about these things, but I would be happy if you could give me some explanation. As I said at the start, it is a pity, and your service is so good in other fields.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours sincerely
Mr Hector Bradley
, . | middle3933.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "family"
},
"options": [
"family",
"friends",
"students",
"teachers"
],
"question": "According to the passage, the best way to have a healthy lifestyle is to have a good lifestyle with _ .",
"question_type"... | To stay healthy sometimes isn't difficult.
Have a healthy lifestyle. It's the best way to have a good lifestyle with family. When your family do the same activity, you can _ each other to keep going. If you make your family enjoy doing exercise and eating healthily, you can also be healthy.
When you go shopping, buy healthy food. Buy more vegetables and fruit. Try different kinds of healthy food and try to eat at home every day. But many people like eating out for fun. If you are eating out, try to eat healthy food.
Don't think of having food as a fun activity. It's good for us to do many fun activities around food. For example, we may often meet our friends for lunch. In fact, there are many other activities you can do with friends. How about meeting friends for a sports game? You can eat, but the activity doesn't have to focus on food.
Looking after your health should not be boring. Start now! | middle4090.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because Mr Dodd was Mrs Black's family doctor."
},
"options": [
"Because Mr Dodd was Mrs Black's friend.",
"Because Mr Dodd was a funny man.",
"Because Jake believed Mr Dodd.",
"Because Mr Dodd was Mrs Black's family do... | One day Mrs Black visited her family doctor, Mr Dodd. Mr Dodd was an old funny man with a beard. "What's the problem ?" the doctor asked her. "I am very worried about my son, Jake," Mrs Black said, "I can't stop him from betting. He spends all his money betting on horse races. And even worse he'll bet on everything. It doesn't matter what it is." The doctor said, "I've saved many people from gambling before. Send him to me."
The next day Mrs Black sent her son to see the doctor. While they were talking , the boy was looking at the doctor's beard. Suddenly he said, "I bet you $ 50 that your beard is not a real one." "Oh, no, " the doctor said. "Can I pull your beard and find out ?" the boy said. The doctor thought this is a good way to teach him a lesson; so he said, "Ok, if my beard is real , you will have to pay me $ 50." The boy pulled it and soon found out it was real. The doctor laughed.
Two days later the doctor telephoned Mrs Black, "I think I've saved your son." He told her the story. But Mrs Black said, "You're wrong. You've made him worse." "How can that be ?" the doctor asked . "Before he went to see you, he bet me $ 100 that you would ask him to pull your beard !"
,. | middle3927.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It's on the day before All Saints Day."
},
"options": [
"It's on the day before All Saints Day.",
"It's on the children's New Year's Eve.",
"It's on October 30.",
"It's before Children's Day."
],
"question": "Wh... | Halloween is a festival on October 31. The name of the holiday means "hallowed" because it happens the day before All Saints Day.
Before the festival, people paint homes, shops and classrooms in the traditional Halloween colours, orange and black. Some people make costumes and masks at home. Some people buy them in shops. People also make decorations for the festival. These decorations look like witches, black cats, ghosts, skeletons and jack-o-lanterns. Jack-o-lanterns are pumpkins that are cut to look like faces.
People think that Halloween is the children's New Year's Eve. They dress up in special costumes and masks. They eat too much, and go to bed too late celebrating. They go from one door to another saying "trick or treat". People give them candies, cookies, fruit or money.
Adults and older children also celebrate Halloween with parades , festivals and costumes parties. One kind of the parties welcomed by children is dunking for apples. Apples are put in tubs full of water. People try to get the apples using only their months; they cannot use their hands. | middle6687.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "sleeps much of the time"
},
"options": [
"moves more slowly in the daytime",
"has thousands of feet",
"doesn't move at all",
"sleeps much of the time"
],
"question": "A snail _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_... | We've talked about snails and their slow move. But much of the time snails don't move at all. They're in their shells ---sleeping .
Hot sun will dry out a snail's body. So at the least sign of hot sun, a snail draws its body into its shell and closes the opening with a thin cover. Then it goes to sleep. A snail will die in a heavy rain. So whenever it rains, it goes inside its shell house and goes to sleep. A snail can sleep for as long as it needs to. It can take a short sleep. Or it can sleep for days at a time. And it spends all the winter months in its shell, asleep.
In spring the snail wakes up. Its body, about three inches long, comes out of from the shell. When hungry, the snail looks for food. It can't see very well. Its eyes, at the ends of the top feelers are very weak. But its sense of smell is very strong. It helps the snail to the new greens. Then the snail's little mouth goes to work.
A snail's mouth is no longer than the point of a pin . Yet it has 256,000 teeth! The teeth are so small that you can't see them. But they do their work.. If you put a snail in a hard paper box, it will eat its way out. And if a snail wears out its teeth, it will grow new ones.
Mostly, a snail looks for food at night .But on cloudy days it eats in the daytime. It eats all day long. A snail can go on eating for hours and never feel full. | middle1856.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because the writer couldn't read books quickly."
},
"options": [
"Because the writer was too shy to talk with others.",
"Because the writer found science easy and fun.",
"Because the writer liked her science class.",
"B... | Have you ever had a science class that you look forward to? It doesn't happen often. But when you have a teacher like Mrs. Rheineck, it's more than a science class. It's a science class where learning is easy and fun. There is no getting down to a huge textbook or listening to a teacher about something you don't care about.
My experience with Mrs. Rheineck didn't start with science class, but with her as my tutor(,). I was always a weak reader and wasn't getting any better. My parents told me I needed to be tutored.
One day after school, I went into the library with my mom for my first tutoring time. I had no idea who was tutoring me. My mom practically had to pull me into the library. The first thing we did was to play a game to get to know each other and get rid of the awkwardness (,). We didn't even play a reading game.
We also went around the library and I got to pick out a book I wanted to read. She didn't make me read a boring textbook about something I didn't care about. I didn't even pick a book. I picked out a magazine about remote control cars. I thought to myself, how bad could it be? I got to read about remote control cars. She told me even though I was reading a magazine, I was still reading. After the first magazine, she picked out a book she liked. I would read a chapter and then she would read a chapter to me, this way I didn't have to read for long periods of time.
As I got better and faster at reading, I was able to read two chapters in the same amount of time, which used to take me to read one chapter.
Reading is one of the most important things in high school and college to be successful. If it wasn't for her, I would not be the reader I am today and I thank her for that. | middle3099.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "More than four."
},
"options": [
"Two.",
"Three.",
"Four.",
"More than four."
],
"question": "How many problems are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_... | With the development of economics , the problem of left-behind children has become a serious social problem. More and more people have realized we should do something to help them.
One of the biggest problems is that the children are all hungry for the love from their parents. Many of them can just get a call or a letter from their parents half a year, a year or even several years, which makes _ When they meet their own troubles, they have no one to talk with. Nobody gives them enough care.
Because of being too far away from their parents, the left-behind children's study is the second biggest problem. From a survey about their study, only two per cent of the children get good results, while ten per cent of them are common and eighty-eight per cent of them are poor. What a pity!
There are also many other problems of the left-behind children, such as having no ability to protect themselves, unhealthy lifestyles, spending too much pocket money and being crazy about Internet and so on.
In a word, to solve all the problems of the left-behind children needs the government, families and schools to try their best together. | middle332.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a problem"
},
"options": [
"good",
"pleasant",
"a problem",
"fantastic"
],
"question": "When the writer grew older, he found it _ for him to have a talk with his father.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | I used to be very close to my father when I was a child. He gave me almost everything I wanted. Whenever I quarreled with my mother, I would turn to my father for comfort. He was everything to me.
Time flies like a bird. As I got older, I became silent and found it hard to start a conversation with my father. The gap between us began to grow. He had done so much for me but I always took it for granted .
Last time our school gave us two days off, and daddy gave me a ride home on his motorbike. I was tired and fell asleep on his back. Later my mother said he was very happy because it had been a long time since we got close last. Suddenly I felt a little shamed. I realized that I had paid no attention to him a lot during the last few years.
The next day I stayed in bed and when daddy tried to wake me up to have breakfast, I pretended that I couldn't hear him. At last he brought a bowl of noodles to my bed, and said, "Come on, dear, have your breakfast and then continue your dream." I got so angry with him for troubling my sleep that I shouted, " _ ."
As I said this, I sat up quickly, and the bowl of noodles broke on the floor. Hearing the noise, mum came in and shouted at me, "What do you think your father is? Who else treats you as well as he does?"
I was shocked and didn't know what to say. Finally I rushed with tears all over my face. I went to the pool where I used to go fishing with daddy. A few minutes later, I heard the sound of daddy's motorbike. He was looking for me worriedly, but he didn't notice me as I was sitting behind a tall brush.
I didn't return home until 10 a.m.. The moment my parents saw me, they rushed to me. Mum hugged me tightly and daddy looked at me with worry in his eyes. "Are you hungry, dear?" he said at last. Before I could say anything, he had gone off on his motorbike to buy food for me. | middle454.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "China"
},
"options": [
"the United States",
"Canada",
"Japan",
"China"
],
"question": "Which of the following countries hasn't been mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
... | An official media outlet has, for the first time, published a cartoon of President Xi Jinping, with graphic details of his engagements over the past months. Cartoons can make politicians seem more friendly, says Tao Duanfang in an article for The Beijing News.
Cartoons can leave a deep impression about a character in the minds of readers. Presidential campaign teams in countries like the US, Canada and Japan have a tradition of crafting products in the shape of politicians' caricatures.
Tao points out that caricatures of politicians have become part of pop culture in many countries, with their purposes ranging from publicity to commercial use. Cartoons and caricatures can be used to criticize or ridicule political leaders, too. Besides, they can also help politicians introduce their political views.
Tao says that cartoons and caricatures can bring politicians closer to the people and demonstrate the spirit of an inclusive and lively political climate, which is conducive to social progress. | middle6877.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a party"
},
"options": [
"work",
"watch a game",
"a party",
"the movies"
],
"question": "Mr. Brown went to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Just then the police radio says there was a robbery in a supermarket nearby. The police told Mr. Brown to stay there and they would be back soon. Then the police ran to the supermarket.
Mr. Brown didn't wait but drove home. When he got home, he was tired and went to bed. Mrs. Brown found a police car in front of their house and the lights were still on.
. | middle440.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the name of a book by Andrew Matthews"
},
"options": [
"the first thing you must do to make your dream come true",
"the most important dream to have for students",
"the name of a book by Andrew Matthews",
"the name of a... | As students, you may have many dreams. They can be very big like becoming Superman, or they can be small. You may just want to become one of the ten best students in your class.
If you find a dream, what do you do with it? Do you ever try to make your dream come true?
Follow Your Heart by Australian writer Andrew Matthews tells us that making our dreams come true is life's biggest _ .
"You may think you're not very good at some school subjects, or that it is impossible for you to become a star. These ideas stop you from getting your dream," the book says.
In fact, everyone can make his dream come true. The first important thing you must do is to remember what your dream is.
Don't let it leave your heart . Keep telling yourself what you want. Do this step by step and your dream will come true faster. A big dream is, in fact, many small dreams.
Never give up your dream. There will be difficulties on the road. But the biggest problem comes from yourself. You need to decide what is the most important. Studying instead of watching TV will bring you better exam points. Saving five yuan instead of buying an ice cream means you can buy a new book. When you get closer to your dream, it may change a little. Then you will be able to learn more skills and find new interests. | middle4912.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "encourage him"
},
"options": [
"show she is strong",
"encourage him",
"prove her ability",
"make memories"
],
"question": "Mom told the girl's father \"we can get through anything\" in order to _ .",
"que... | She is a beautiful red-haired girl. she has been shopping with her mom in Wal-Mart. It was raining hard outside. We all stood there under the awning . Her voice was so sweet. "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said.
"What?" Mom asked.
"Let's run through the rain!"
"No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied.
The child waited about another minute and repeated, "Mom, let's run through the rain."
"We'll get wet if we do," Mom said.
"No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she pulled her mom's arm.
"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?"
"Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer , you said, we can get through anything!"
The crowd became silent. Nothing could be heard but the rain. No one came or left in the next few minutes. Mom thought for a moment about what she would say.
"Honey, you are right. Let's run through the rain. If we get wet, maybe we'll just need to get a wash," Mom said.
Then off they ran. People all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they rushed past the cars and through the puddles .
They held their shopping bags over their heads. They got wet through. But they were followed by a few who laughed like children all the way to their cars.
People can take away your money and health. But no one can ever take away your memories....So don't forget to make time to make memories every day. | middle326.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "animal shelter"
},
"options": [
"animal shelter",
"primary school",
"children's hospital",
"old people's home"
],
"question": "Mandy works as a volunteer at a(n) _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | I often walk dogs at an animal shelter near our house. When they see me, they look so happy, because they know they will get to go outside, play with me and get lots of love from me.
-----Mandy, 12
Every weekend, I go to an animal shelter to help. They have adoption events at pet stores. I help out by talking to people about animals, feeding animals and making sure the cages are clean. It makes me feel great when a cat or dog gets a new home.
----Lucas, 11
Sometimes I do things for my neighbors and ask them to give me some money or clothes. Then I can give these to the unlucky people.
----Linda, 10
I love volunteering! Last week, I cleaned up the houses for people who couldn't do it themselves. I also made gifts for many women on Mother's Day. And I'll help the older people cook dinner next week. I love the feeling I get when the people smile and I know I made a difference in their life.
----Megan, 13
I volunteer at an after-school reading program. I help young children to learn how to read. My favorite part of it is seeing a little child feels excited when he or she learns a new word.
----Victoria, 12 | middle6862.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because he has made great contributions for the development of Xiaogang Village"
},
"options": [
"Because he repaired roads.",
"Because he built a building for some people.",
"Because he is a filial man.",
"Because he h... | Shen Hao was born in 1964. He was the former first secretary of Party branch of Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County, Anhui Province. He died on November 6, 2009. From 2004 to 2009, he had done many good things for villagers. For the development of Xiaogang Village he had made great contributions. So he was respected by all the villagers.
During the six years, he repaired the village roads, built a building for a number of villagers. He rented a house in the village and thought about how to get the villagers to get rich all day. Even in the New Year, he still got together with his villagers. At last, under his leadership, Xiaogang Village was out of _ . Now the villagers are leading a rich life.
He is a very filial son, but he had almost no time to get together with his over 90 year-old mother. But she never complained. His wife works in the bank and she is very busy. They both have little time to look after their daughter.
Although he did not do what he should do to his mother, wife and daughter, all the villagers will remember their good secretary forever. | middle441.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "by train"
},
"options": [
"by ship",
"by plane",
"by car",
"by train"
],
"question": "The most popular way to Paris is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index"... | There are many different ways to travel to Paris from London. One of the quickest and most popular ways is by train. From Waterloo Railway station, you can travel all the way to Paris. The journey takes about three hours. The train, called the Eurostar, is very modern, and the seats are comfortable.
You can also travel to France by ship. First, you go to Dover, on the coast , by bus from London. The bus stops at the Ferry Terminal Seven in Dover. You can buy your tickets there. People who travel by car can drive on to the ferry , too.
Another way to travel to Paris is by plane. There are several airports with international flights to Paris and other cities in France. You can travel to London Airport by bus or underground. Some people even go by taxi but this is a very expensive way to travel! | middle327.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "make other customers angry"
},
"options": [
"talk for half an hour",
"pay more for his meal",
"make other customers angry",
"be driven out by the boss"
],
"question": "The man talking on the cell phone loudly in... | What do you do in a situation like this? You're calling dinner with friends at a nice restaurant. You're having a great time when a phone rings at the table next to you. A man takes out his phone and starts talking loudly about problems he's having with his girlfriend. He talks for almost ten minutes! This happens all the time-on buses, in restaurants, everywhere!
Many people find cell phones useful in their daily lives. But we've all sat next to someone talking too loudly on a cell phone. You may want to tell the loudmouth to end the conversation, but let the management take care of those noisy customers. You can only control your own behavior. Here are a few rules:
Off means off! Follow the rules of restaurants and other public places . If a sign says "turn off cell phones", don't use your phone. If you are allowed, speak softly and for a short time and try to move away form other people.
Lights off, phone off! Never make calls in a theater or at the movies.
Pay attention! Talking on a cell phone while driving is dangerous. And watch where you're going when you're walking down the streets and talking on the phone.
As more people use cell phones, things are only going to get worse. So, the next time you're getting ready to make a call, stop and consider the people around you. | middle4913.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "two"
},
"options": [
"four",
"two",
"three",
"one"
],
"question": "These passage talks about _ countries.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"ans... | Small talks
A small talk is a good way to kill time and make friends. When you are in other countries, do you know how to have small talks with people?
In England, people like to talk about the weather, because the weather there _ very often. In the morning, it is sunny, but in can be cloudy or rainy in the afternoon. It often rains, but sometimes it's sunny. And the winter isn't very cold and the summer isn't very hot.
English people are kind of quiet. They don't often talk to others first, but when you ask them about the weather, they are usually happy and want to talk with you, so you can start a small talk by saying, " It's a fine day, isn't it?"
They also like to talk about their pets, so it's nice to say "A lovely dog! What's its name?" to them. But American people like to talk about sports like football and basketball. They also talk about clothes. The weather is a great talk in America, too.
A good small talk can make you feel great, so when you are in England or America, please follow these rules. | middle4907.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "sorry for"
},
"options": [
"happy about",
"angry about",
"sorry for",
"excited about"
],
"question": "The woman was very _ the harm she had done to her neighbour.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}... | A woman repeated a bit of gossip about a neighbour. Within a few days the whole neighbourhood knew the story. The neighbour was deeply hurt. Later the woman responsible for spreading the gossip learned that it was completely untrue. She was very sorry and went to a wise old man to find out what she could do to repair the harm.
"Go to the marketplace," he said. "and buy a chicken, and have it killed, then on your way home, pluck its feathers and drop them one by one along the road. " Although surprised by this advice, the woman did what she was told.
The next day the wise man said, " Now, go and collect all those feathers you dropped yesterday and bring them back to me. "
The woman followed the same road, but she was so discouraged when she found the wind had blown all the feathers away. After searching for hours, she returned with only three in her hand.
" You see, " said the old man, "it's easy to drop them, but it's impossible to get them back . So it is with gossip. It doesn't take much to spread a gossip, but once you do, you can never completely undo the wrong." | middle333.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the wind"
},
"options": [
"brightly colored sailboats",
"the wind",
"the sun",
"the water"
],
"question": "The writer compares the Olympic volunteers to.",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"... | Unlike other people, my Olympic heroes are not Olympic champions or the important people on the Olympic Committee . They are just the ordinary ones who do the everyday things. They work without the recognition the famous people get. They are the Olympic volunteers.
These people aren't the great stars of sport. They just want to do their part for the Olympics by smiling and helping the Games go smoothly.The stars of the Games are like brightly colored sailboats on the sea, racing through the waves. How lovely to watch them! But the volunteers are the wind, which nobody sees. Without the wind the sailboats would not be able to move and no one would want to watch them. The volunteers breathe the wind of life into the athletes.
The volunteers may never win medals, but they always do their best to encourage the _ , whether the athletes win or lose.Some might think what the volunteers do is boring, hardly worth mentioning . But in my eyes, they are as important as the champions and the stars. They are just as much heroes, despite not appearing in newspapers or on TV.
I truly admire them and I will always cheer for them. They are my Olympic heroes. | middle6876.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "three times a week"
},
"options": [
"once a week",
"twice a week",
"three times a week",
"four times a week"
],
"question": "AROUND HANGZHOU can be watched _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | AROUND HANGZHOU is a special news program in English on HTV-1. It's about the city and lasts for 8 minutes. You can watch the program at 22:27 p.m. every Sunday and watch it again at 7:30 a.m. and 15:35 p.m. on Monday.
Tel: 85195197 Add: 310004,139 North Ring Road, Hangzhou[
HANGZHOU WEEKLY is to help foreigners understand more about the city. It's a news edition in English in Hangzhou. It usually appears on the 48th edition of the city's most popular newspaper CITY EXPRESS every Thursday.
Tel: 85051699 Add: 310041, 218 Tiyuchang Road, Hangzhou.
IN TOUCH is an English language magazine. Turn the pages and inside you'll find passages on history, art, music, sports, travel and food of Zhejiang. At the end of every month you can get the magazine in hotels, restaurants and cafes all around Zhejiang without paying.
Tel: 87630035 87633103 Add: 310007, 5 Huanglong Road, Hangzhou | middle6686.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a boring thing"
},
"options": [
"a common thing",
"a treasured thing",
"a natural thing",
"a boring thing"
],
"question": "According to the passage, a letter of reply is not _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_q... | A letter of reply is sometimes a most treasured thing. Here is a story that tells about this common and natural human feeling.
The busiest woman in Labrador during one bitter cold Christmas not very long ago, was an Australian nurse named Kate Austen. But Nurse Austen was not too busy to write with a long, friendly letter for every gift of food or clothing received for poor villagers in the north of Australian. Among the gifts was a box of knittings for children, knitted and sent by a woman in Toronto.
Nurse Austen, was busy, and not feeling too well that winter. She could have written just ordinary routine notes of acknowledgement. But that was not her way. She sat down and wrote the woman in Toronto a real letter telling all about the village, and the names of the children who were wearing the knitted gloves and caps, and what they said when they got them, and how they looked when they wore them. She wanted the woman who had knitted and sent all those lovely knittings "to see how much happiness and warmth she had created." Not long after, she received the following answer from Canada.
Dear Miss Austen,
Your letter made me happy. I did not expect such a full return, I am eighty years old, and I am blind. There is little I can do expect knit, and that is why I knit so many caps and sweaters scarves. For sixty years I have been making up missionary packages of such clothing or food or medicine or book as I could collect. But never before in all that time have I had a personal letter picturing the village and telling me who is wearing the clothing and what they said. I did not suppose that ever in my lifetime I should receive a letter like that. My God bless you.
Sincerely yours, Laura N. Russell
,. | middle3926.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Examinations are"
},
"options": [
"Examinations are",
"No interest is",
"Books are",
"studies are"
],
"question": "_ the greatest problem,so the school students don't pay attention to sports now.",
"questi... | Today it is found that school students hardly pay much attention to sports.It is because they have no interest in sports? It may not be the fact.They often say they have other more important things to do.
What are these important things? Examination! They have to spend much time on all kinds of examinations and tests at school,so many of them almost become bookworm .In the summer holidays of the last year,they had to put all the time to their study.So books stopped them from enjoying sports.
Because of the pressure from their parents and teachers,they have to work harder and spend most of their time on books.As for the students themselves,they want to get good results so that they can go to famous high schools.So it seems necessary to stop their school sports for saving more time to study.
In fact,education cannot go without physical exercise,because a quick mind hardly goes along with a weak body.If you don't have a strong body, you can never achieve anything,let alone a great success in your life. | middle4091.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "felt unhappy"
},
"options": [
"felt happy",
"felt unhappy",
"cut off her hair",
"shouted at her dad"
],
"question": "Shelly _ before she ate her meal.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | In front of my daughter, Shelly, was a bowl filled with cabbage. She hated cabbage. She only sat there in silence with tears in her eyes.
"Shelly, my dear, why don't you eat a little? If not, your mum will shout at us."
Shelly didn't feel happy. "OK, dad. I will eat, just a little." Then Shelly said, "Dad, if I eat it all, will you give me what I want?"
"Yes."
Slowly she began to eat. It took her almost half an hour to finish all the food in the bowl. Then she came up to me and said, "Dad, I want to have my hair cut off!"
"Shelly, why don't you ask for something else? If we see your head like that, we'll feel very sad," I said.
"But Dad, you promised! Now you're going back on your words. "
I had to keep my promise. Shelly had all her hair cut off. She smiled.
On Monday morning, I took Shelly to school. Just when I arrived, a boy got out of a car and shouted, "Shelly, please wait for me!"
Guess what? The boy had no hair, either.
"Sir, your daughter is great!" a man got out of the car and said, "This boy is my son, Harish. He has cancer. He lost his hair when he got ill. Shelly cut hers off so Harish felt less different. She is a special girl."
I stood for a while, "My little daughter, you teach me how selfless real love is!" | middle3098.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "In the 1770s."
},
"options": [
"In the 1670s.",
"In the 1760s.",
"In the 1770s.",
"In the 1780s."
],
"question": "When did Captain James Cook travel around Antarctica?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | Antarctica is in the most southern part of the world. It is like nowhere else on the earth. It is much larger than Europe, and nearly twice the size of Australia. Antarctica is the coldest and windiest place in the world, even colder and windier than the North Pole. In summer, the sun shines for twenty-four hours a day, but in winter it's completely dark for about three months. Very few plants grow there, but there is some wildlife, including whales, seals and penguins.
When Captain James Cook traveled around Antarctica in the 1770s by ship, he found no one living there. Today, a few scientists work in Antarctica, but they only spend a short time there.
Many scientists are studying the _ , which is getting thinner and thinner worldwide. The biggest "hole" is above Antarctica, and weather there is getting warmer. Scientists think that this cold and lonely place can teach us a lot about the earth and how to keep the earth safe. | middle2386.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "farmer"
},
"options": [
"farmer",
"teacher",
"driver",
"worker"
],
"question": "Mr. Black is a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text"... | Mr. Black works on a big farm. His wife Mrs. Black works in a school Mr. Black is nearsighted. But he doesn't like wearing glasses when he has meals. Mr. Black has a son. His name is Tony. He is in Class One, Grade Eight of No.2middle School. He likes talking very much. He often talks about his school and his friends at table. Mr. Black is angry, he always shouts, "Don't talk when you have meals." And Mrs. Black also says to him, "Be a good boy, Tony."
One day, when they are having supper, Tony finds there is a fly in his father's bowl. Then he wants to tell his father about it,"Dad, there is ..." His father looks at him and says,"Stop talking!" After supper, his father asks him , "Well , my boy, what is it?" "There is a fly in your bowl, and it is in your stomach now."says Tony."Why don't you tell me earlier?" shouts his father angrily. | middle1857.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "seven"
},
"options": [
"five",
"six",
"seven",
"eight"
],
"question": "There were _ parts in the documentary A Bite Of China?",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | There are many TV programs about Chinese dishes, but few are Like A Bite Of China . The seven-part documentary tell us food in different places in China.
The different kinds of food on TV are from 60 places. You can see many kinds of food and they can _ your eyes and stomach. And you also learn how to make the food . That's why the program becomes so popular.
However, the program is not only about food. There are many different stories between food and people. To know good stories, workers of the film spent three months doing the research and nine months filming. Liu Wen, one of the workers, says the story also shows the social transportations . "The program is like a window, it makes the world know more about China. And it helps people around the world not only enjoy Chinese dishes, but also learn Chinese culture." | middle1843.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "going to the cinema"
},
"options": [
"watching TV",
"going shopping",
"doing homework",
"going to the cinema"
],
"question": "Ben and Kate always spend their Sundays _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | How do most students spend their free time? Do they have time to do the things they like? Let's see what some students do during their free time. Ben is eleven. He has a sister, Kate. Both of them like going to the cinema. Every Sunday morning, they go to the town by train and then they go to the cinema because they live in the country and there is no cinema there. They arrive in the town at noon. They usually have a big lunch in their favourite restaurant first, and then they buy some food in the supermarket before they go to their favourite cinema called Star Cinema. They like it because the seats there are comfortable and the films shown in the cinema are always the newest. They always have a good time on Sundays, but when the weather is bad or they are busy with their homework, they can't go. | middle2392.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "500 pints."
},
"options": [
"300 pounds.",
"500 pounds.",
"500 pints.",
"600 pints."
],
"question": "How much milk can a named cow produce in a year?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answ... | Cows that are named and treated with a "more personal touch" can increase milk production by up to 500 pints a year.
The study, by the university's School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, involved 516 farmers across the UK.
The study found farmers who named their cows got a 54% higher production than those that did not give their cows names. Dairy farmer Dennis Gibb said he believed treating every cow as an individual was very important.
"They aren't just our means of making money. They're part of the family," he said. "We love our cows here and every one of them has a name. All of us regard them as 'our ladies' but we know every one of them and each one has her own personality."
Dr Catherine Douglas said, "What our study shows is what many good, caring farmers have long since believed. Our data suggests that UK dairy farmers regard their cows as intelligent beings . They are able to experience a range of emotions ."
"Placing more importance on knowing the individual animals and calling them by name can, at no extra cost to the farmer, also increase milk production."
,. | middle3932.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The sight of a father with a child in his arms."
},
"options": [
"The sight of the street lights.",
"The sight of the empty street.",
"The sight of a father with a child in his arms.",
"The sight of light in his own hou... | "BANG!" the door caused a reverberation . It was just standing there, with father standing on one side, and I on the other side.
We were both in great anger. "Never set foot in this house again!" stormed father. With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.The street lights were shining, causing rather sad-feeling. I walked around aimlessly.
A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and carefree.
But now ... I don't know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always put his opinions of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never admits it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened.
I wandered the streets, without a destination in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to keep me company. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived, I saw that the light was still on.
I thought to myself: "Is father waiting for me, or is he still angry with me?"
In fact, it was nothing. Perhaps, dad was throwing away some of his old stamps. Perhaps he thought they were useless. I never had the courage to tell him that I liked collecting stamps.
All the lights were off except father's.
Dad was always like this. Maybe he didn't know how to express himself. After shouting at me, he never showed any moments of regret. However, after an argument he has the habit of _ while I am sleeping.
This was how he always was.He has been a leader for so long that telling everyone else what to do has become his second nature.
The light was still on. "Am I wrong?" I whispered, maybe... With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door tears ran down my face. I suddenly realized that the iron door that I had imagined between us did not exist at all. Love--it's second to none! | middle469.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A and B"
},
"options": [
"they often have beautiful coulours",
"they can \"talk\"",
"they can dance",
"A and B"
],
"question": "People like parrots, because _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | There are many different kinds of parrots. Some are quite big. Others are small. Many people like them because they often have beautiful colours, and because they can "talk".
No one knows why parrots can talk. Most birds cannot talk. Some people say that parrots can talk because they have big, thick tongues . But some other birds that can talk do not have big, thick tongues, and some birds that cannot talk have big, thick tongues.
Parrots do not usually know what they are saying when they talk. They are only making sounds. However, they know when to say some words, such as "Hello" and "Goodbye", and they usually know and can say people's names. Most parrots come from hot countries, but they can live anywhere. | middle6692.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "they didn't know each other"
},
"options": [
"the farmer didn't like the teacher",
"the teacher didn't like the farmer",
"the farmer liked to tell jokes",
"they didn't know each other"
],
"question": "At first t... | Two strangers were sitting together in a plane . They were on a long journey . One of the men was a teacher . The other was a farmer .
They sat without talking for a while , then the farmer said , " Let's do something to pass the time ."
" What do you want to do ?" the teacher asked .
" We can ask each other riddles ( )," the farmer said, " You start."
" Let's make the rules first ," the teacher said . " And to make the game more interesting , let's play it for money . If we don't know the answer to the riddle , we have to pay a dollar ."
The farmer thought about this for a while , then he said , " That's not fair( . You are a teacher , an educated ( ) man . You know more things than I do . I am just a farmer ."
" That's true ," the teacher said , " What do you think we should do ?"
The farmer said , " If you don't know the answer to a riddle ,you pay me 100 dollars .If I don't know the answer to the riddle , I'll pay you 50 dollars."
The teacher thought for a while , then he said , " OK. That's fair . Who'll go first ?"
"I will ," the farmer said . " Here's my riddle . What has three legs when it walks , but only two legs when it flies ?"
The teacher thought and thought , " What has three legs when it walks, but only two when it flies ?" Then he said , " That's a good one . I don't know the answer ." He gave the farmer 100 dollars and said , " Tell me the answer . What is it ?"
" I don't know , either ." The farmer said , and gave him 50 dollars . | middle1116.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Reading and listening."
},
"options": [
"Speaking.",
"Writing.",
"Thinking.",
"Reading and listening."
],
"question": "What is the best way to get correct English sentences according to the passage?",
"quest... | Before you can start speaking and writing in English, your brain must get enough correct English sentences. This is obvious .
There are two ways to get correct English sentences: listening and reading. Both are good, but reading is much easier than listening. With the help of a good dictionary, you will be able to understand English texts much more easily than movies. If you just read one book in English, you will see that your English has become much better. English phrases will just come to you without thinking when you are writing or speaking.
This is true for hundreds of words and grammar structures . If you read in English, you can forget about grammar rules. Throw away your grammar book! You needn't know the rules for the present perfect tense . Instead, read a few books in English, and soon you will feel that "I have seen Paul yesterday" is wrong. The only difference between you and native speakers is that they have heard and read more English sentences than you have. | middle482.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A and B"
},
"options": [
"On foot",
"By bus",
"By train",
"A and B"
],
"question": "How does Tom get to school ?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Hi there ,
How are you ? Thanks for your last e-mail . You want to know how I get to school , right ? Well ,I usually leave my home at about 8:00 and walk to the bus stop . The school bus usually comes at about 8:15 .My school is about 20 kilometers from my home .It takes about 40 minutes to get there by bus .The bus ride is never boring because I always talk to my classmates . | middle6679.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "was eating his lunch"
},
"options": [
"was waiting in line",
"was eating his lunch",
"was asking for money",
"was waiting for the waitress"
],
"question": "The old gentleman _ outside the coffee shop.",
... | I was in a shopping mall, so I decided to go and get a cup of coffee. As I was making my way to the coffee shop, I noticed an old gentleman poorly dressed sitting near the shop. I knew from the first sight that he needed help. He had a little lunch in front of him and was enjoying it. It was clear that he had a problem with his right eye. I then joined the line and waited to be served.
Then it happened. One of the most beautiful gestures I had ever seen in my life. There was a young man in front of me in the line who was also waiting to be served. The next thing I knew was that the young man handed the waitress 20 dollars and requested a glass of juice as a favor . The waitress looked at the young man a little perplexed, not fully understanding the request. That was when the young man asked her to give the juice to the old gentleman eating his lunch outside, as well as the change from the 20 dollars. The young man also told her that he would be watching every second so that she would be completely safe. Then there was a wonderful exchange between the waitress and the old man. I only wished I could take a photo of the smiles on both of their faces.
As I was considering this event later, I wondered why the young man didn't perform this act of kindness himself. Maybe he was hoping that this act of kindness might inspire others to do something for this old man as well. | middle7567.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He worried that others would discover his secret."
},
"options": [
"He left the party too late.",
"He was afraid of the darkness.",
"He worried that others would discover his secret.",
"He didn't know where the black ba... | I had hidden the long black bag in the garage for the past two days. Tonight, in the dark, I would finally take it away. If everything went OK, it would be done by morning. But I had to be sure no one, not even my wife, saw me.
It was more difficult to get away from the party than I expected. I said that the children were tired and needed to get to bed. It was partly true. But the main reason for leaving was that I wanted to complete my plan.
First I had to get the kids to sleep. That was never easy at any time and tonight it was even more difficult. The eldest one wanted to know why we left the party early. I told him 10:30 pm was not early. As usual, I read them a bed time story, but I had to stop myself reading too quickly or _ would learn my secret.
Silence finally came, and feeling like a thief in the night, I went out of the house and into the garage. Taking one end, I dragged the bag out from its hiding place and took it into the garden. I was worried that my neighbours might see me and call the police.
It was already eleven o'clock. By the light of the moon I started working, trying to make as little noise as possible. And that was not easy with a saw and a hammer.
After much effort, my work was finally completed. I looked down at my watch. It was exactly 4:00 am. Then I went inside to have a shower and get a few hours of sleep. It wouldn't be long now before the kids would rush into my room and wake me up to tell me about the new tree-house Father Christmas had brought them this year. | middle3701.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the newspaper"
},
"options": [
"the telegraph",
"the newspaper",
"an office worker",
"a friend"
],
"question": "The young man got the information about the job from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"... | A story happened when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication. One day, a young man went to an interview for a job as a Morse code operator .
Answering the ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address. When he arrived, he walked into a large, busy office filled with noise, including the sound of the telegraph. An office worker asked him to wait until he was called to go into the inner office. Seven other people were already in the waiting area for the interview. The young man sat down and waited with them. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other people wondered what was going on. They were sure that the young man made a mistake and would be refused.
A few minutes later, however, the boss came out of the inner office with the young man and said to the other people,"Gentlemen,thank you very much for coming, but the young man has got the job."
The other people were surprised, and one of them said, "Wait a minute. I don't understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair!"
The boss said, "I'm sorry, but all the time you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been sending out the following message in Mores code: 'If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.' None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is this." | middle5370.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "arms"
},
"options": [
"mouth",
"teeth",
"feet",
"arms"
],
"question": "Mr Shum is a painter who has no _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"ans... | Here is an interview with a painter. Read and choose the best.
Reporter:Mr Shum, you were one of Taiwan's most outstanding youths last year. Why was that?
Mr Shum:Well, I can tell you that there are two reasons.First, I am a painter. Second, and more important reason is I am handicapped . I have no arms and only one leg.
Reporter:Well, how do you paint then if you've got no arms? Do you use your foot?
Mr Shum:Hah! For some handicapped people, it's true and they are able to use their feet.No,I use my mouth. I put my paintbrush or my crayons or pencils or whatever I am using in my mouth. I hold it _ in my teeth and paint or draw like that. It was a little strange for me at first, but it quickly became very easy.
Reporter:I know you feel that you are first a painter and only secondly that you are a disablbed person, but can we talk first about your handicap?
Mr Shum:Well,in fact I think of myself firstly as a person, secondly as a painter and thirdly as someone with a physical handicap. Can I say that I am not happy with the word "handicapped"?
I am a popular painter because my paintings are good, not because they were painted by a handicapped person. "handicapped"means you can't do anything. It is difficult for me to do some things like getting dressed.
Reporter: Were you born with your handicap?
Mr Shum:No. An accident happened to me when I was 15 years old.After that I became depressed and even tried to end my life, but my mother was always there for me. | middle2379.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "In 1997"
},
"options": [
"In 1997",
"In 2000.",
"In 1996.",
"In 1998."
],
"question": "When did One Piece come out in Japan?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"a... | In Japan,Luffy is more popular than Harry Potter.Luffy is the main _ of One Piece <<>> ). The book came out in 1997.
One Piece tells the adventures of Monkey D.Luffy,a 17-year-old boy.He got supernatural abilities by eating magical fruit.Luffy's dream is to find the world's biggest treasure , One piece. Then he wants to become the next Pirate King.
To make his dream come true,Luffy has to reach the end of the most dangerous ocean:the Grand Line .Luffy travels with a group of brave pirates called the Straw Hats.On his way,more people join the group.They even have a cook,a soldier and a musician.They also fight with other pirates on their way.
Many Chinese teenagers are One Piece fans.Yang Peiqi,14,from Shenzhen says he thinks reading One Piece is great fun and he also likes the theme of the story,- dreams and friends. | middle5416.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Difficult."
},
"options": [
"Difficult.",
"Happy.",
"Exciting.",
"Boring."
],
"question": "What did Marie think of Alice's life this year?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | I'm Marie. I work in a nursing home and my job is to look after the old people. Alice is one of them. She's a very nice old woman.
This year, Alice had a difficult time. She went to hospital twice. In November, I finally could get her back to her "home".
Alice hoped that her daughter could come to visit her on Christmas Eve because she wanted to be with her family, like the old days. But her daughter was coming after Christmas, so she was very sad. I also felt sad because she would be alone on the holiday!
On Christmas Eve, I took her to a candlelight service at church that night.
I didn't take her to my church. I took her to the church in her old neighborhood. We got there early and I let her sit near the door, so people could see her when they came in. Soon some of her friends came to the church and they all talked to her and sat with her.
Alice got a lot of love from her old and new friends there. She said she loved the gift like this. That night, I thought I got the best gift: the smile on Alice's face.
. | middle4708.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "One should follow the fashion so that society is progressing."
},
"options": [
"One should follow the fashion so that they won't be looked down.",
"One should follow the fashion so that society is progressing.",
"One should f... | Fashion is a term commonly used to describe a style of clothing worn by most people of a country. A fashion usually keeps popular for 1-3 years and then is replaced by another fashion. Even though there are a lot of changes in fashion, most people do not easily hope for the changes.
Nowadays more and more young people prefer following the fashion. On this phenomenon , different people have different opinions. It is held that one should follow the fashion so as not to be looked down or seem strange. But it is also held that one should have his or her own judgement .
Those who hold the first opinion think that society is progessing and one should get used to the changes. In their opinions, if everyone always follows the old fashion, there won't be any change and naturally there won't be much progress. However, those who hold the second view think that one shouldn't follow the fashion without having his or her own judgement and characters.
As for me, I agree with the second opinion. Of course, it's good for people to keep up with the fashion, but this is not to say that people should follow the fashion blindly . If all the people follow the same fashion, there will be no variety and the whole society will be boring. | middle3067.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A teacher."
},
"options": [
"A teacher.",
"A doctor.",
"A student.",
"A worker."
],
"question": "What does Miss Wang do?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | Miss Wang asks her students about their future jobs. Let's look at their answers.
Bob: I'm going to be a cool spy like James Bond. I know it is difficult and dangerous. I will work hard and I look forward to studying in America one day.
Mike: I'm going to be a mathematician , because maths is my favourite subject. I think it's very interesting.
Meimei: I'm going to become a singer in the future. I love singing. I hope one day I can become famous.
Lisa: I want to be a charitarian . I will make a lot of money and help the poor children in the future. | middle7201.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the boy is blind and needs help"
},
"options": [
"the boy always has a hat on his head",
"the man is one of his neighbors",
"the boy is blind and needs help",
"the boy works for the man"
],
"question": "Form the... | One morning, a blind boy sat beside a building with a hat by his feet.He held a sign which said, "I am blind.Please help me."
There were only a few coins in the hat.A man was walking by.He took out a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat.He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words on it.He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by could the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up.A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were.The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Are you the one who changed my sign in the morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth.I said what you said, but in a different way."
What he had written was, "Today is a beautiful day, but I can' t see it."
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing?
Of course both signs told people the boy was blind.But the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat.The second sign told people that they were able to enjoy the beautiful day, but the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind.
The first sign simply said the boy was blind, while the second sig told people they were so lucky that they were not blind.
There are at least two lessons we can learn from this simple story.
The first is:Treasure what you have.Someone else has less.Try your best to help those who need your help.
The second is:Be creative.Think differently.There is always a better way. | middle8132.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "improve the quality of school life"
},
"options": [
"save the environment",
"go to school on time",
"improve the quality of school life",
"organize the sports activities"
],
"question": "School Watch can help it... | Hello, everyone. Because of the high rate of school violence in some areas, teenagers' safety becomes a serious problem. We are planning to set up an organization named School Watch to make sure that students have a safe school environment. Please be part of our plan!
What is School Watch?
School Watch is a volunteer project in our school. It helps us stop violence and improve the quality of school life. It will keep yourself and your schoolmates safe. The other members of School Watch care for you and your classroom, and you do the same for them.
Is it for everyone?
Anybody can become a member of School Watch because everyone has something to offer.
What else can it do?
School Watch makes it possible for us not only to help each other but also to make friends with each other. Some members may offer to help the schoolmates who have problems with their homework.
Who is the School Watch?
Our school will look for the School Watcher and give him or her lots of prizes. You could be the one!
How do you start?
To be part of this plan, the only thing you need to do is to talk to the director of the plan in your grade. You can check the official website _ if you want to get more information. | middle1670.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "someone asked him about the time"
},
"options": [
"the boxes were very heavy",
"he felt very tired",
"a stranger wanted to buy his watch",
"someone asked him about the time"
],
"question": "Peter stopped in the ... | Peter was walking in the street with two big and heavy boxes. A stranger walked up to him and asked, "What is the time?"
Peter stopped, put down the boxes and looked at his watch. "It's five fifteen," he said. "Hey, what a nice watch!" said the stranger. Peter smiled a little and said, "Yes, it's not bad. Look at this." Then he showed the stranger the time for 86 big cities in the world.
He hit a few buttons and it told the time in Chinese. Peter went on ," You can set it in English, Chinese, Japanese and so on."
The stranger looked very interested in the watch.
"That's not all," said Peter. He then pushed a few more buttons and there was a small map appeared on the watch. "The map can show where we are," said Peter.
"I want to buy this watch!" said the stranger.
"Oh, no, I' m not selling it. I designed it myself. I spent nearly two years making it." said Peter.
"Oh, you are the designer. I'll give you $ 1,000 for it!" "Oh, no, I spent more than that."
"I'll give you $ 5,000 for it!" Peter stopped to think. The stranger quickly gave him a check and said ,"$ 5,000. Here it is."
Peter finally agreed to sell the watch. When the stranger was going to leave with the watch, Peter pointed to the two big boxes and said, "Hey, wait a minute. Don' t forget your batteries ." | middle7215.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "take better care of the earth."
},
"options": [
"learn more about the earth",
"make full use of the earth",
"take better care of the earth.",
"study the warmth of the earth"
],
"question": "Earth Day is probably... | April 22 is Earth Day. Everyone on Earth should care about and protect the earth!
The earth has warmed by about 1degF over the past 100 years, but why and how?
Well, scientists are not quite sure. Maybe the earth gets warmer and warmer on its own. But many scientists say that people are doing many things which makes the earth warmer.
First, greenhouse effect is a very important reason for the change of the earth. People give out too much energy into the air every year. It makes the earth warmer. Climate change is another important reason. Sometimes it becomes too hot and sometimes too cold. Sometimes there is too much rain and sometimes too little. The change of the climate makes the earth warmer. In turn, the warmth of the earth changes the climate, too.
When the earth becomes warmer, there may be more rain and a rise in sea level. It will affect the growth of plants, animals and people. On a Pacific island, 100 people have to move to higher ground because the sea is rising. These people can no longer live on the coast. Before that, two islands without people went underwater in 1999. Scientists say that the seas can rise by nearly one metre by 2100.
People can affect the earth's air, land and water. As for us, we can do many things to protect the earth. For example, we can use fridges less. We can tell more people about protecting the earth. | middle1664.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because they are role models for other women in the US."
},
"options": [
"Because they are unpaid.",
"Because they have official work.",
"Because they are role models for other women in the US.",
"Because they are more ... | Why are first ladies so important in the United States? They are unpaid and have no official work? There are several reasons, but the most important reason is that they are role models for other women in the United States.
Jacqueline Kennedy was the best first lady in the US. Although she wasn't an actress, model or singer, she was a fashion and cultural icon who charmed people wherever she went.
If you are looking for someone who is as charming as Jacqueline Kennedy, it will be hard to find anyone more suitable than Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping. If you were writing a novel and trying to describe the perfect mixture of personal history, capabilities, confident lady for a character, you'd come up with someone like Peng.
Born into a family in Shandong province, she joined the People's Liberation Army at the age of 18, doing pretty well in singing military songs. But she is not only famous for her voice and great achievements, but also for her charity efforts. She has, among other things, worked as a member of World Health Organization to fight against AIDS, and has done much for 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
The media reported Peng's trip with her husband. This was Xi's first foreign trip as president. The trip shows that she can be a role model for Chinese women, especially young Chinese women at home and abroad.
In the past, China has not had a tradition of first ladies like in the US. Now that China has a higher position on the world stage, it can have its first first lady! And Peng Liyuan is the perfect person with whom to begin. | middle5402.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "copied from Tommy"
},
"options": [
"sat behind Tommy",
"copied from Tommy",
"asked the teacher for help",
"didn't copy others"
],
"question": "Donald _ during the exam.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"... | Donald was not very good at math. He couldn't understand the teacher's explanations. Even when the teacher explained something a second time, Donald Still couldn't understand it.
"Never mind." Donald told himse1f, "I'm quite good at other subjects. I'll cheat in the math exam to get a good grade, then I won't be in trouble. "
"I'll sit next to the boy who does best in math," he thought, "and copy down this answers."
The day of the exam came, and Donald sat next to Tommy, who was always at the top of the class in math. Donald carefully copied Tommy's answers onto his own exam paper. At the end the exam, the teacher collected the papers and graded them in time.
Then she said, "well, boys and girls, I've decided to give a prize to the student who got the highest grade. It's difficult for me to decide who I'll give the prize to one of them."
The students were surprised when they heard this. They said, "That's not fair. They got the same grade."
"That's true." the teacher said, "However, Tommy's answer to Question 18 was 'I don't know' while Dona1d's was 'Neither do I ' ." | middle3073.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "clever"
},
"options": [
"kind",
"lazy",
"clever",
"foolish"
],
"question": "Mr. Whitcomb Judson was a _ man.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"... | Mr. Whitcomb Judson was a really clever man. He invented a special train that was pushed along by air and in 1893 he invented something like a zip that could be used to open and close clothes. It could be used on men's trousers and on ladies' dresses. He did not call his invention a 'zip' but everybody says that he was the 'Father of the Zip'. Mr. Judson tried to sell his invention but no one wanted it because it did not work very well. A Canadian changed Mr. Judson's invention and made it better. He made a zip that worked very well in 1913.This is the same zip we use today. | middle3715.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Elephants."
},
"options": [
"Chains.",
"Elephants.",
"Cages.",
"Farmers."
],
"question": "What did the writer see in the village?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | Once there was a man traveling in a faraway village.As he was passing the elephants,he suddenly stopped.He found that these huge elephants were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg.No chains ,no cages.It was clear that the elephants could,at any time,break away from their ropes but for some reason,they did not.
He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and didn't try to get away."Well,"the trainer said,"when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and,at that age,it's enohgh to hold them.As they grow up,they still believe they cannot break away.They believe the rope can hold them,so they never try to break free."
How could it be?These animals could at any time break free from their ropes.But because they were always stuck right where they were,they believed they couldn't.
Just like the elephants,how many of us go through life believing that we cannot do something,just because we failed at it once before?
_ .We should never give up the struggle in life. | middle5364.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "comedies"
},
"options": [
"documentaries",
"comedies",
"Beijing Opera",
"romances"
],
"question": "People, old and young, like _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Movies are great things. They have a long time. They tell us many things. There are funny movies, scary movies and also exciting movies. Different people like different kinds of movies. Comedies are welcomed by the people of all ages. Usually old people also like Beijing Operas and documentaries. Young people, especially boys like action movies and thrillers. They also like western movies. In western movies they learn something about the life of the cowboys in western countries, like the USA. Go to movies in the cinema or stay at home to watch them on TV. You can learn a lot. | middle496.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "1940s"
},
"options": [
"1900s",
"1940s",
"1990s",
"2010s"
],
"question": "The novel The Little Prince was written in the _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_inde... | If you love reading books, you must know about the book The Little Prince. It's a famous novel written by a French writer. As one of the best-selling books in history, it has been sold as many as 200 million copies in 253 languages and dialects . Now, around seventy years after the birth of the book, an American director has found a way to make it into a 3D animated film.
The book tells the story of a pilot, called The Aviator, who crashes into the desert and meets a young prince there. However, in the film, the story starts years after the crash when The Aviator is much older. He has got a new neighbor called The Little Girl, whose mother wants her to get ready to enter the grown-up world. Slowly, the Aviator shares his story with The Little Girl by writing it down and sending her a page at a time. The pages are complete with the pictures in the book, speaking about his time in the desert and taking The Little Girl to an amazing world where anything is possible.
China is the first country in the world to see the film in two versions--in Chinese and English. The film shows The Little Girl's life and tells The Little Prince's story at the same time in a beautiful way.
Huang Lei, who voices the film together with his 9-year-old daughter, says the film is like a childhood dream which is lost by most adults in this stressed-out society.
"The most touching part is that every one of us was a good-natured kid like the Little Prince, and it's a pity that this good characteristic goes away as time flies," he says.
, | middle7573.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She is crying."
},
"options": [
"She is looking for her doll.",
"She is crying.",
"She is asking Jack for help.",
"She is taking a walk."
],
"question": "What is a girl doing in the street?",
"question_type"... | One day, when Jack is taking a walk on the street, he hears a voice. He finds a girl crying in the street.
"Why are you crying, little girl?" Jack asks. "I lost my doll," the girl answers. "Don't cry, little girl. I'll go to the shop and buy a new doll for you," Jack says. So the little girl follows Jack to the shop and Jack buys a very nice doll for her. The little girl begins to feel happy. Then Jack says goodbye to her.
But a few minutes later, Jack hears the girl crying again. "Why are you crying again?" Jack asks the little girl.
"If I hadn't lost my doll, I'd have two dolls!" the girl says. | middle2423.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it is often faster"
},
"options": [
"it is much cheaper",
"it is often faster",
"it's not easy to buy a car",
"the weather is more pleasant"
],
"question": "In a city, a bike is better than a car because _ ."... | Two years ago my husband bought me a bicycle. If you live in a city, it is often faster than a car and you don't have to worry about parking . You can leave it anywhere. Because it has a seat at the back and a basket at the front, I can take my daughter to school, to the library, to the shops, to anywhere.
I use it most in summer when the weather is warm and dry. It can be very unhappy in winter when it is cold and the rain is heavy. Of course, you must be careful on a bicycle. Accidents are not the only problems. One day I went shopping and came back late. I found my front wheel missing. So I have to walk to the bicycle shop.
My husband uses my bicycle sometimes for short journeys. He says it is better than waiting for a bus. He still uses his car for longer journeys. I think that all this sitting down is making him fat and lazy. On my bike I get lots of exercise and fresh air, and this makes me feel a lot younger. | middle6645.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he didn't know the musical stave before"
},
"options": [
"he didn't know the musical stave before",
"he had little fun before",
"the music courses are not free",
"he seldom watched TV before"
],
"question": "In ... | Have you ever seen a movie called " The Choir Boys"(<<>> )?The French movie tells the story of a group of naughty boys who learn music from a dedicated teacher. In Shanghai, there is also a group of children learning music. But their story is a bit different.
The musical group, "Shepherds' Kids" , was founded by the Shanghai Jiuqian Volunteer Center. There are about 40 students in this group. Their parents are migrants working in Shanghai.
" The music courses are free," said Zhang Yichao, founder of the group. "We just want to make the children's lives more colorful."
The kids learn singing, dancing and musical instruments. Their teachers are volunteers from high schools.
Learning music is not an easy job, especially for these migrant workers' children.
"I never know the musical stave before," said Hua Delong, 13. "Sometimes it was really hard to study."
Tang Yue is a volunteer teacher at the center. She is a student from Shanghai Ping'he Bilingual High School.
"These kids face difficulties bravely," said Tang. "Sometimes they have to help their parents do housework and have little time to practice, but I never hear them complain."
Their hard work has paid off . Today many people know the group. They have even performed as a choir for foreign pop stars.
Li Luo, 14, told " Teens" how appreciative she was of the group.
"I had little fun before. I seldom watched TV. Study seemed the most interesting thing in my life. "Shepherds' Kids has given me a new life." | middle1894.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Some animals migrate."
},
"options": [
"Animals like to use warm coats and heater.",
"The pets like dogs ad cats also migrate.",
"Birds like to migrate to different places every year.",
"Some animals migrate."
],
... | Winter is very cold in many countries. It's easy for you and me to keep warm. If we are cold, we can just buy a warm coat or use a heater and we will feel better. But what about animals? How do they keep warm in winter?
Some animals migrate . This means they travel to places where the weather is warmer. Many birds leave before the winter starts. They fly in groups. If they fly together, the trip will be safer. They like to migrate to the same places every year. Do you know how they can find the same places? Scientists say that birds use the sun, moon and stars to help them. Other animals like moose also migrate. Fish and whales swim to warmer water.
Some animals don't have leave their homes. They hibernate in winter. They fall into a very deep sleep. The animals' temperature drops and their breathing slows down. Before the winter, these animals must eat too much food that they get very fat. If they don't eat enough, they may die when they are hibernating. | middle6123.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "liked"
},
"options": [
"liked",
"like",
"lived",
"live"
],
"question": "Mr. and Mrs. Green _ the country very much, because it was a quiet clean place.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | Mr. and Mrs. Green lived in a big city, and one summer they went to the country for their holiday. They enjoyed it very much, because it was a quiet, clean place.
One day they went for a walk early in the morning and met an old man. He lived on a farm, and he was sitting in the warm sun in front of his house. Mr. Green asked him, "Do you like to live in this quiet place?"
The old man said, "Yes, I do," Mr. Green said, "What are the good things about it?"
The old man answered, "Well, the people here know each other. They often come and visit me, and I often go and visit them. And there are also lots of children here."
Mr. Green said, "That's interesting. And what are the bad things?"
The old man thought and thought and then said, "Well, the same things, are they?" | middle2351.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "tell"
},
"options": [
"read",
"write",
"tell",
"listen to"
],
"question": "John's mother can't help him to _ the time.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | John is six years old. He can read and write well. But he can't tell the time. He says "breakfast time", "lunchtime", and "teatime" when it is eight o'clock, twelve o'clock and four o'clock in the afternoon. His mother doesn't know how to help him.
One day John's aunt, Mary, comes to see his mother. His mother tells her about that. "Let me help you. I think I can help him."
When John gets home after school, Mary starts to teach him.
"Can you _ , John?" she asks him.
"Yes. One, two, three, four..." John says. "That's great. Now I put the longhand on twelve and the shorthand on one - that is one o'clock. I put the short hand on two, what is the time?"
"Two o'clock."
"Good. And on three?"
"Three o'clock."
It is then four o'clock in the afternoon, and John's aunt asks him, "What time is it now, John?"
"Teatime, Aunt." John looks at the clock and answers. | middle4720.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he had lost his left arm in a car accident"
},
"options": [
"he was only ten years old",
"he would have an old teacher",
"he had lost his left arm in a car accident",
"he knew he was not clever"
],
"question": "... | The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo teacher, Mr. Tanaka. The boy was doing well, but his teacher had taught him only one move in three months of training.
"Mr. Tanaka," the boy finally asked, "shouldn't I be learning more moves?"
"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," his teacher replied.
Several months later, Mr. Tanaka took the boy to his first tournament . The boy won his first three matches, using his one move to win. The boy was now in the finals, and was amazed by his own success.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. The referee wanted to stop the match.
"No," the teacher insisted, "let him continue." Soon, his opponent lowered his guard. At that moment the boy used his move to pin him. The boy won the match and became the champion.
On the way home, the boy and his teacher reviewed every match. Then the boy asked what was really in his mind.
"Mr. Tanaka, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"
"You won for two reasons," his teacher answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only defense for that move is for your opponent to catch your left arm."
The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength . | middle1880.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "new"
},
"options": [
"fast",
"old",
"new",
"cheap"
],
"question": "\"Future mail\" is a/an _ way to send your letter.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1... | Have you ever dreamed about sending a letter to yourself or your friends in the future? While express mail is a fast way to send your letters, there is another type of mail appearing in China as a new business--future mail.
"The letter should be sent next Mother's Day and not a day earlier!" Lin Xiaofan, a college student in Shanghai, tells one of the companies offering the service.
Lin Xiaofan wrote the letter to her mother nearly a year earlier to express her love to her mother for next Mother's Day.
"Offering this service makes people slow down and lets them understand the meaning of 'time' in another way," said Zheng Zhimin, manager at a "future mail" company. Zheng thinks "future mail" letters help remind us of care, friendship and love.
While "future mail" is becoming more and more popular, some people are wondering what will happen if the postal address changes or if the company goes broken before the letters arrive.
Zheng said customers are glad to sign a contract to make sure that they can be _ if their letters are lost or damaged.
Most of the customers are college students and young white-collar workers. Psychologists said that young Chinese might have a new way to express their feelings through this service. Most people put their hopes and wishes in the letter so that they can experience the connection between the past and the present when they receive the letter. | middle7229.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a magic mirror"
},
"options": [
"a magic mirror",
"a normal mirror",
"a small mirror",
"a magic book"
],
"question": "One day a rich boy bought _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answe... | One day a rich boy bought a magic mirror . When he got home, he looked in the mirror. His face looked sad. He tried to smile , his face looked still sad. The he did many happy things, but his face always looked sad.
" Oh, what a terrible mirror! It doesn't work!" he said angrily.
The next day on his way to buy some chocolate, he saw a little girl crying sadly. The rich boy went up to her and asked what had happened. The little girl said she couldn't find her parents. "Don't worry. I'll help you." The rich boy said. So they went to look for them together. Finally they found her parents. They were so thankful for his help . After the rich boy arrived home, he looked in the mirror as usual. To his surprise,his face looked very happy. The boy understood the magic of the mirror. The mirror could show the true feelings of its owner. This was true--the rich boy had helped that little girl so he felt really happy. | middle6137.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "hear the old man's music"
},
"options": [
"find an old man with a saxophone",
"see a river",
"hear the old man's music",
"imagine the sound"
],
"question": "On the bus, the writer couldn't _ .",
"question... | I used to live in Kobe in Japan. On my way home on the bus every evening I used to look for an old man who often played his saxophone near the river. I couldn't hear his music because the windows were closed on the bus but I imagined it to be loud and clear. I wanted to be like that man.
One night I went to Himeji, a city not far from Kobe. As I walked with my family along the river I saw a statue. It was a young man who looked just like me. He was wearing a cap and smiling. Around his neck was a leather strap and in his hands was a saxophone. He was lifting the saxophone to his lips and he was just about to play. I stayed there for a long time by the statue dreaming of playing a saxophone on TV.
Two weeks later it was my birthday. Imagine my joy when I opened my present from my parents and found that it was a saxophone! I put it to my lips to play, but it wouldn't make a sound. Then Dad told me to read the instruction book to find out what to do. After about 15 minutes the saxophone was ready to play. I raised it slowly to my lips as my family watched. But still there was no sound. I blew and blew but I couldn't get the saxophone to play. I was almost crying when suddenly the saxophone made the most beautiful sound--loud and clear like I imagined the music of the man by the river in Kobe. I blew again, I moved my fingers on the saxophone and I made more sounds. I was happy because I was playing very interesting sounds. But I wasn't playing music yet.
Then came the lessons. Night after night, week after week my teacher made me practice. Slowly I started to improve and at last there came the magic day when I started to play music. Now I'm in the TV studio with my saxophone strapped to my neck and my cap on my head. I'm always thinking of the man by the river in Kobe and the statue smiling at me in Himeiji. I'm a happy man. | middle1658.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "other dolls are trying to beat her in the market"
},
"options": [
"it wears heavy makeup and miniskirts",
"other dolls are more popular with little girls",
"other dolls are trying to beat her in the market",
"it has bec... | Fifty-three years ago Barbie Millicent Roberts first appeared in the world of toys. Since then, Barbie doll, as everyone called her, has become the most successful toy doll in history. Her parent, the Mattel Company, said that 90% of all American girls between 3 and 10 have at least one Barbie at home.
However, Barbie is facing some trouble at present . There are many similar dolls on the market in competition with her. Another doll named Bratz, for example, came to life thirteen years ago. She looks more like today's pop stars with heavy makeup and miniskirts. And her company offers more kinds of clothes too.
It seems that Barbie has lost her magic among older girls. 'For younger girls, playing with a Barbie is much fun. But when you get older, you want something smarter and more modern,' says Vera Shepherd, a shop assistant in a New York toy store.
It is good news that on the international market, Barbie is still No. 1. Although Mattel is selling fewer barbie in the United States these years, sales in other countries are still going up. In January 2009, Mattel opened its first Barbie store in Shanghai, where girls can shop, eat, drink or even become _ for their own Barbies.
Mattel is planning big celebrations for Barbie's 53rd birthday. She has called Fashion designers from all over the world to make new dresses for Barbie. How long will Barbie stay popular in the world of toy dolls? It is hard to say, but 53 is surely not the age to retire . | middle6651.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "She had a big argument with a boy."
},
"options": [
"She fought with a boy in her class.",
"She didn't get along with boys.",
"She had a big argument with a boy.",
"A boy tried to teach her a lesson."
],
"questi... | When I was in primary school, I got into a big argument with a boy in my class. I forgot what the argument was about, but I will never forget the lesson I learned that day.
I thought that I was right and he was wrong - and he thought that I was wrong and he was right. The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson.
In the middle of her desk was a large, round ball. I could clearly see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the ball was. "White," he answered.uShe brought us to the front of the class and asked him to stand on one side of her desk and me on the other.
I couldn't believe he said the ball was white, when it was obviously black! Another argument started between us, this time about the color of the ball.
The teacher told us to change places and then asked me what color the ball was. I answered: "White."
It was a ball with two differently colored sides, and from his side it was white. Only from my side it was black.
Sometimes we need to look at problems from the other person's view in order to truly understand his or her perspective . | middle3729.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Skills are important to children's reading development."
},
"options": [
"Parents are more important than teachers for little children.",
"Teachers need to learn a lot to use the new teaching way.",
"It's impossible for presc... | Teachers and parents usually call attention to the pictures when they read storybooks to preschool children. But a new study tells that calling attention to the words and letters on the book may lead to better readers.
The two-year study compared children who were read to this way in class with children who were not. Those whose teachers most often discussed the words showed clearly higher skills in reading, spelling and understanding.
Shayne Piasta, a professor of teaching and learning at Ohio State University, says most preschool teachers would need only a small change in the way they teach. They already read storybooks in class. The only difference would be increased attention to the printed words.
Ms. Piasta says if you get children to pay attention to letters and words, _ that they will do better at word spelling. But she says studies show that very few parents and teachers do this in a systematic way.
They watched more than three hundred children aged four and five in classrooms in Ohio and Virginia. The children came from poor families and were poor in their language skills. They may become bad readers when they enter primary schools later.
Professor Justice says children's language skills can be improved by discussing with him or her when you are reading a book to a child. There are different ways that adults can talk to children about the letters and words on the page. They can point to a word and discuss the shape of it with a finger. They can point out a word: "This is 'dog'." They can discuss the meaning of the word or how the words tell the story. And they can also show how words are written left to right in English. | middle4046.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Buttercup -a pig"
},
"options": [
"Alida -a lion",
"Buttercup -a pig",
"Lois -a sick girl",
"Jupiter - a doctor"
],
"question": "Which of the following do you think is the right match?",
"question_type": nul... | These amazing animals prove that love lives on four legs.
A little girl's lifeline
Three-year-old Alida Knobloch and her 27kg golden dog, Mr. Gibbs, are almost together all the time There is a special love between them. Alida, who suffered from serious lung disease when she was 10 months old, is unable to breathe on her own for about 45 minutes. So Mr. Gibbs has been with her everywhere, carrying 4.5kg of oxygen tanks for her .
A pig that calms kids
When Lois Brady, a famous doctor in America, visits special-needs students in San Francisco schools, she often brings along Buttercup, a black pig from Vietnam. The pig is very calm and friendly and has been trained to offer comfort to patients as well.
A Lion's big heart
With paws the size of dinner plates, bright black eyes and a golden mane , Jupiter, a 13-year-old 250kg lion, was brought to the rescue center by Anna. In the past two years, Anna has developed a very close relationship with Jupiter. | middle2437.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "get some money and help poor children go back to school"
},
"options": [
"travel around China",
"visit some schools",
"teach poor children",
"get some money and help poor children go back to school"
],
"question... | A new Long March
Twenty-one people from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland began a new Long March on October 15. They will walk about 8,000 kilometers from Ruijin, Jiangxi to Wuqi, Shanxi. They hope to get 20.2 million Yuan to build 101 schools and help poor children go back to school. They hope to finish the march by August 16, 2012.
The football team
The Chinese under-17 football team is No. 1 in Asia. They won the Asian U-17 Championship(U-17)in Japan on Saturday. They beat the Democratic People's Republic of Korea by 1:0. After 85 minutes, Wang Weilong got the only goal. They took the cup for the first time in 12 years.
Liu leaves China
Chinese actor Liu Ye left for the US on Monday to make a film called Meteor(<<>> ). He is going to act with the Hollywood film star Meryl Streep. His former classmate Zhang Ziyi sent Liu a message to encourage him. Liu was worried about his English, and worked hard on it before he left. People know him from films like last year's "Mei Ren Cao". | middle125.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He is tall and thin"
},
"options": [
"He is short",
"He is fat",
"He is tall and thin",
"He has brown eyes"
],
"question": "What does John look like?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answ... | My name is Tom. My best friends are John and Ann. John lives near my house and we are in the same class. He's tall and thin, he has blonde hair and blue eyes. He is polite and very clever. He is very good at math and sometimes helps me with my homework sometimes. He usually wears jeans and a blue T--shirt. We three often play basketball in a nearby park.
My friend Ann studies at another school.
She's short and slim with straight brown hair and brown eyes. She's a little bit shy. We all have Kong fu lessons every Tuesday and Friday afternoon. We love Kung fu very much. Ann is really good at Kung fu. We call her the "Kong fu girl". Sometimes she practices Kung fu with us. She loves wearing a T--shirts and a hat. The three of us have great fun together. | middle643.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A well-dressed man."
},
"options": [
"An old woman.",
"Three children.",
"A well-dressed man.",
"A well-dressed woman."
],
"question": "Who was on the train with Jill Jones?",
"question_type": "factiod_ques... | Jill Jones got a new job in a different part of the city. She had to go to work every day by train.
There was only one other person on the train with her. He was a well-dressed man reading a newspaper. Suddenly, about halfway through the journey, the man began tearing his newspaper into hundreds of small pieces. Then he picked them up, opened the window and threw them all out. Then he sat down, closed his eyes, and slept for the rest of the journey again.
The next day, Jill got on the same train. The same well-dressed man was there, reading a newspaper. As before, about halfway through the journey, the man began tearing his newspaper into hundreds of small pieces. Then he picked the pieces up, opened the window and threw them all out. This done, he sat down, closed his eyes, and slept for the rest of the journey. This happened every day for a week.
At last, on Friday, Jill spoke to the man. "Excuse me, sir," she said, "I don't want to be rude, but I must ask you a question. When we are halfway through our journey, you tear your newspaper into hundreds of pieces and then throw them all out of the window. Please tell me, sir. Why do you do this?"
The well-dressed man smiled. "There is a simple reason," he said. "I like to sleep for part of the journey, but I cannot sleep if the train is full of elephants. So I throw the pieces of paper out to the elephants. It stops them from coming into the train."
"But there aren't any elephants on the train, "Jill said."I know," the man said. "It works well, doesn't it? | middle2806.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Everyone needs stress to improve himself."
},
"options": [
"You shouldn't go to the gym if you are under stress.",
"One can do his homework to burn up adrenaline.",
"Disease and accidents are caused by stress.",
"Everyo... | It's in the 2010s.You feel sick, so you go to the doctor. She checks your fever, looks at your throat, and asks what you've been thinking about lately. When you leave, she gives you some medicine, but also a list of thinking skills that you are supposed to practice daily. She says that the way you think is causing some of your illness.
Doctors and other scientists who study the human mind and try to explain why people act in the way that they do, called psychologists , are starting to believe it. You know that your brain is connected to every part of your body through your nervous system . Now scientists have proved that how you think and feel can have an influence on the health of your body.
Stress is caused whenever there is a problem or a change in your life. Of course, everybody has stress more or less; nobody's life is perfect. In fact, stress is necessary. Without stress, we would never learn anything or grow or change. We would probably be bored to death. But too much stress can hurt you. It can weaken your body's protection so that you are more likely to catch diseases. It can even make you more likely to have an accident.
When you feel stressed, your brain sends a message to your body to produce a chemical called adrenaline . Adrenaline speeds up your breathing and your heartbeat. Today you have a different kind of stress. Problems like endless homework or troubles with your family are the kind of things you can't fight or run away from, so you don't use up all that adrenaline. It just stays bottled up inside you, and that's what can do something bad to you.
What can you do about stress? First, you can try to find ways to change things so you aren't under so much stress. You can set up a plan to finish homework or go to a doctor or a psychologist to try to work things out with your family or your friends. But sometimes you can't change a stressful situation. Sometimes you don't even want to. _
The link between your body and brain works in two ways. Your body can help your mind deal with stress. If you are under stress, you need to take especially good care of your body. It's important to get enough sleep and eat nutritious meals. Some people take a vitamin-mineral pill every day. Another thing that you can do is daily exercise. If you go walking or do aerobic dancing or work out at the gym , you give your body a chance to burn up some of that adrenaline. Of course, a person who isn't used to much physical activity should start slowly. Anyone with a continuing physical problem should check with a doctor before starting any exercise programs. | middle2812.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The umbrella will be OK for your clothes in any colors."
},
"options": [
"You can carry it when you are wearing any clothes.",
"Any color of your clothes will be all right.",
"The umbrella will be OK for your clothes in any c... | Sally was a student. It was going to be her mother's birthday. She wanted to buy her a present that would be nice and useful but not expensive.
A week before her mother's birthday, she went shopping after a quick and simple lunch. When she had been looking for half an hour, she found a shop that was selling cheep umbrellas , and decided to take a black one, since her mother had lost hers the month before.
She thought, "You could carry that when you are wearing clothes of any color." So she decided to buy a lovely black umbrella and took it back to school with her until her classes had finished.
On her way back home in the train that evening, she felt hungry because she had such a small lunch that she went along to the buffet car for another sandwich and cup of coffee. She had left the black umbrella above her seat in the compartment , but when she got back, it had gone! When she had left the compartment, there had been no other passengers in it, but now there were three.
Sally began to cry when she saw that the umbrella was no longer there. The other passengers felt very sorry for her and asked what the matter was. She told them that the black umbrella she had bought for her mother was gone, and that she had to get out at the next station. After the three other passengers heard it, they asked her for her mother's address so that they could sent the umbrella to her if someone had taken it by mistake and brought it back after Sally had got out of the train.
The next week, Sally heard from her mother. It said, "Thank you very much for your lovely presents, but why did you send me three black umbrellas?" | middle657.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "cats"
},
"options": [
"dogs",
"pigs",
"cats",
"mice"
],
"question": "Americans like _ best as pets.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_te... | Cats are the most popular pets among Americans. So it is not surprising there are many expressions about cats. Do you know any of them? Now let me introduce some to you.
Some cats like to catch small birds, like canaries. If someone looks very proud or satisfied with himself, we say he looks like the cat that ate the canary.
Sometimes, a cat likes to play with a small animal it catches. So if you play cat and mouse with someone, you change between different kinds of behavior when dealing with another person. For example, a child might offer something sweet to her little brother, and then take it away when reaches for it.
A cat will often catch a small animal and present it to its owner. The saying that looks like something the cat dragged in describes something in bad condition.
A fat cat is a person with a lot of money.
There are many other expressions about cats in America. How interesting! Which kind of cat are you, or which kind would you like to be? | middle131.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Tomorrow is Mother's Day."
},
"options": [
"She loves her mother.",
"Her father asks her.",
"Tomorrow is Mother's Day.",
"She is a good girl."
],
"question": "Why does Susan want to give a present to her mother?... | Tomorrow is Mother's Day. Susan wants to give a present to her mother. Father tells her to go to the shop and try to find something. Susan hurries to the shopping center and goes to the women's store. She has $3.00. First she thinks she will get her mother something to wear. Then she thinks she will buy something for her to use .
But she only has $3.00. She can't buy any nice dress. She sees a nice red hat. She knows her mother will like it. But it is too expensive. It is $10.00.
The saleslady looks at her and then looks at the hat. She takes off the price tag and says, "That's exactly $3.00. " | middle119.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Ann"
},
"options": [
"Smith Ann",
"Smith",
"Ann",
"Mark"
],
"question": "What's my sister's name?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text":... | Hello! I'm Mark Smith. I'm an American boy. I'm 12 years old. This is my little sister, Ann . She is five. My family are in China now. Because my father and my mother work in China. They are English teachers. They work hard. The students all like them.
Now I'm a middle school student. I have a friend at school. He's a Chinese boy. He's very good. His name is Huang Long. His English name is Bill. But I don't know his family name. Can you tell me? | middle5833.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "7"
},
"options": [
"6",
"7",
"8",
"9"
],
"question": "How many net words does this passage mention?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "male woman"... | Languages are always changing.As time goes by,some new words are created and becoming more and more popular.Search on Baidu,and you can find some hot net words in China today.
"Tuhao",a Chinese word,which originally meant a rich and powerful person or family in a certain town or area,nowadays,has become a general term used by people to describe those who look really rich,and especially those who live beyond their means.
The term"dama"is almost the same as"big mama'in Chinese.referring to those middle-aged Chinese women who crazily bought gold in jewelry shops in HK.
"Wo huodai"is short for a sentence meaning"My little friends and I are shocked."Its actual roots lie in an article written by a pupil.The school student said his little friends and he were shocked after finding out where the Chinese rice dumpling originated from.Since then,the sentence is often used to describe people's shock after discovering a new or hot fact.
"Male woman"refers to a boyish girl or a woman with strong body or strong mind.In August 2013,one Russian beauty's photos got great popularity online.The woman has a very pretty face and an extremely strong body.
"Buming jueli",a Chinese term,is short for a sentence which means "I don't quite get it,but I think you are really _ ."Suppose Stephen Hawking gave us a speech on the origin of the universe.although I didn't understand it,I still felt it was wonderful.
This four-word Chinese term"Leijue buai"is short for an expression meaning "being too tired to love."The year 2013 saw many period dramas appear on Chinese TV screens and some of them were very long.People loved them at the beginning,but then became too confused and tired to keep up with.This term described viewers'feelings towards those TV shows.The term also refers to one's fading love for another.
"Renjian buchai''stands for the phrase"Life is so hard.Don't hurt me with the truth."This sentence originally comes from Taiwan singer Lin Youjia's song"Lei."Now it is used to describe that one can not face a hard truth. | middle4293.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "At least 24."
},
"options": [
"Less than 75.",
"Less than 24.",
"At least 24.",
"At least 75."
],
"question": "How many languages are spoken in India?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"ans... | More and more people are trying to learn English than any other language in the world. English is the world language of politics and international business. It becomes the international language of science, medicine, sports, travel and so on.
In most schools in Asia, English is taught as the main foreign language. School children in China and Japan begin to learn English at an early age. English is the official language of more than seventy-five countries including Britain, Canada, the United States and Australia.
Many different languages are spoken in some countries. However, English is often used as an official language to help people communicate with each other. India is a good example. English is the common language in this country, but at least twenty-four languages are spoken there.
Do you know the history of English? Old English took many words from the French language. Most English words came from French, especially those words used for describing the law and the government, such as "damage"," prison "and " marriage". Then, English became what language experts called Middle English. The history of English continues as Middle English, and then it becomes Modern English, and it is spoken today.
,. | middle6484.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "dirty"
},
"options": [
"strange",
"popular",
"old-fashioned",
"dirty"
],
"question": "In Britain, people can't use _ words in their children's names.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answ... | In many countries, unusual names for children are becoming more popular, especially when more and more stars give their children special names. In Britain, you can call a child almost anything you like except dirty words.
Some parents choose names which come from popular culture. Because of the film the Lord of the Rings , six boys were named Gandalf. Names about sport are very common, too. Since 1984, 36 children have been called Arsenal after the football team.
Other parents like to make up names, or combine two names to make a special one. A mother in Britain invented the name Tiaamii for her daughter. She combined the names Thea and Amy (the two grandmothers).
In China, there are some rules about names --- you can't use foreign letters or symbols in a Chinese name. For example, parents are not allowed to name their baby @. In New Zealand, a name beginning with a number is not allowed. Other countries have stricter rules about calling children. For example, Japan, Denmark, Spain, Germany and Argentina have a list of names. Parents must choose the names in the lists for their children.
In Britain, some old-fashioned names have become popular again, such as Maisie or Ella for a girl, and Alfie or Noah for a boy. But the most popular names are not the strange ones. The top names are very traditional--Jack and Thomas for boys, or Grace and Jessica f6r girls.
,,. (5,2,l0) | middle7942.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "holding a basketball match"
},
"options": [
"holding a basketball match",
"working with an American organization",
"asking her Chinese friends for donations",
"taking the poor students to her home"
],
"question"... | Liang Huili is the leader of Huana International Volunteer Service Group,with hundreds of students, young professionals and business leaders. They held a basketball match to help 150 poor students in western China with school supplies and winter clothes. She also worked with an organization in the US to raise money for children with heart disease.
Born in Guangdong Province in 1942, Liang moved with her family to Taiwan at the age of seven. Liang taught at a primary school for seven years until her boyfriend went to America in 1969, one year after they got married.
"We didn't have much money," she says, " so I started babysitting for other Chinese families and taking care of my own daughter at the same time." She also taught children Chinese at Chinese schools. What's more, she would help newly arrived Chinese families find apartments and work, and sometimes lend them money.
"I remember those students from China who first came in 1986. They didn't have much money, and idea of what to do," Liang told us. " I then asked people in my neighborhood and my Chinese friends for donations -not only some money but also small electronic appliances needed for daily living."
One of her experiences in Dayton, Ohio made her want to make volunteering a vocation . She remembers how she once collected two Chinese professors who had missed their flight and had no one there to pick them up. A friend told Liang about it, and she went to meet them herself around midnight. She found the men feeling lost in that strange country, where no one spoke their language. They didn't want to go to an American hotel, and didn't know how they would get to Columbus the next day. " So I talk to them and took them home with me," she says, " and today, I am still in touch with those two professors. We are good friends." | middle6490.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "three bottles of orange"
},
"options": [
"many things",
"three bottles of orange",
"two glasses of milk",
"some bread and cakes"
],
"question": "There is a big table with _ on it.",
"question_type": "clo... | Look at the picture. What can you see? In the picture there is a big table with a lot of things on it. There are three bottles of orange juice, two glasses of milk, some bread, cakes and so on. look, there is a cat under the table. It's Kate's cat. Its name is Mimi. I think it like them very much. No, Mimi. You can't have them. All the things on the table are not for you. They are for Jim and Kate. They have them for lunch. POLLY is a bird. Now it's on the window. It's eating a banana. | middle7956.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "is five years old"
},
"options": [
"is six years old",
"is a student",
"is five years old",
"has a brother and a sister"
],
"question": "Tom _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer":... | Tom is five years old . He has no brothers or sisters . He is a lovely boy . He doesn't go to school because he is too young . He likes to play with other children in the small park every day .
The park is near his building . In the park there are interesting things to see and play with .
Tom's parents love him very much . They often buy him nice things . This time , his mother buys some new clothes for him . The clothes are expensive and nice . Tom is very happy to wear them .
"Mum , can I go out and play with my friends ? I want them to see my new clothes ," asks Tom . "All right , but please keep your clothes clean ," says Mum. "I am going to do some cooking . We will have supper after your father comes back ." At about six , his father comes back from work . And Tom goes home for supper.
"Why do you have much earth on your clothes ?" asks his mother .
"Because I have some falls , " answers Tom . "You should not make the nice clothes dirty " Mother says .
" I'm sorry , Mum " says Tom , "But I have no time to take off my clothes when I fall ." | middle5199.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "more difficult"
},
"options": [
"more difficult",
"much easier",
"less interesting",
"more interesting"
],
"question": "In the writer's view, dealing with parents is _ than with children.",
"question_typ... | Living and dealing with kids can be a tough job these days, but living and dealing with parents can be even tougher.
If I have learned anything in my 16 years, it is that communication is very important, both when you disagree and when you get along. With any relationship, you need to let other person know how you are feeling. If you are not able to communicate, you _ .When you are mad at your parents, or anyone else, not talking to them doesn't solve anything.
Communication begins with the concerns of another. It means that you can't just come home from school, go up to your room and take no notice to anyone. Even if you just say "Hi", and see how their day was for five minutes, it is better than nothing.
If you looked up the word "communication" in a dictionary, it would say "the exchange of ideas, the conveyance of information, correspondence , means of communication: a letter or a message". To keep a good relationship, you must keep communication strong. Let people know how you feel, even if it's just by writing a note.
When dealing with parents, you always have to make them feel good about how they are doing as a parent. If you are trying to make them see something as you see it, tell them that you'll listen to what they have to say, and ask them politely to listen to you. Shouting or walking away only makes the situation worse.
Here is an example: one night, Sophie went to a street party with her friends. She knew she had to be home by midnight after the fireworks, but she didn't feel she could just ask to go home. That would be rude. After all, they had been nice enough to take her along with them. Needless to say, she was late getting home. Her parents were mad at first, but when Sophie explained why she was late, they weren't as mad and let it go. Communication is the key here. If Sophie's parents had not been willing to listen, Sophie would have been in a lot of trouble.
Communication isn't a one-way matter: it goes both ways. Just remember: if you get into a situation like Sophie's, telling the other person how you feel-------listening is the key to communication. | middle2190.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "chat tool"
},
"options": [
"game",
"chat tool",
"book",
"TV program"
],
"question": "QQ is a kind of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer... | QQ is one of the most popular chat tools among teenagers .We regard it as an important chat tool in our daily life because it has some advantages .
First, we can make lots of e-friends on QQ.It is easy to find the person who has the same interest as us ,and we can talk with him or her happily .Second ,we can also join a QQ group to find the information we need .For example ,if we want to learn English well ,we can choose a group with many English lovers in it .Third ,we can also play games with our friends on QQ and always have fun .
QQ brings us a lot of benefits ,but it can also cause some problems .It's dangerous to tell strangers on QQ our real personal information like telephone numbers , addresses and ID numbers .If we spend too much time chatting online ,it won't be good for our study and health . | middle5827.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "an hour"
},
"options": [
"half an hour",
"an hour",
"fifteen minutes",
"a day"
],
"question": "Joshua Bell played six famous pieces of music for _ at a bus station.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | On a cold morning at a bus station, a man played six famous pieces of music for about an hour. During that time, about two thousand people went through the station, most of them were on their way to work.
3 minutes later: a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed down, stopped for a few seconds and went away.
4 minutes later: the musician received his first dollar. A woman threw the money in the box and kept on walking without stopping.
6 minutes later: a young man stopped to listen to him. Then he looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes later: a 3-year-old boy stopped to look at the musician, but his mother took him away. Several other children did the same as the boy. And nearly all the parents took their children away.
45 minutes later: the musician kept on playing. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 persons gave him money but left quickly.
After 1 hour, the musician finished playing. In the end, he collected $ 32. No one noticed that he had finished playing.
No one knew this, but the musician was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. At that time, he played one of the most wonderful pieces ever written, with a very expensive violin.
If we do not have time to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing with the most beautiful violin, how many other things are we missing? | middle1472.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Five."
},
"options": [
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five.",
"Six."
],
"question": "How many city kids went to learn about village kids' everyday lives?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | Let's Learn More about Each Other
Are the lives of city kids the same as those in villages? In many ways, they are very different. But what are the differences?
Hu Peng of Wuhan and four friends decided to find them out. Earlier this month, they lived for a week in Caidian, a village near Wuhan. Hu and his friends went door to door in Caidian and asked the kids there lots of questions. They wanted to learn more about village kids' everyday lives, so they asked these questions like --Do your parents teach you how to do housework? How much money do you usually spend on dinner? What would you do if a thief came into your house? They also asked 150 city kids the same questions.What's the Difference?
Last week the team gave a report to their class. There are lots of differences between children's lives in cities and those in villages. The biggest difference is independence. Hu's team said that 60 percent of city kids couldn't do much housework, but 90 percent of village kids could care for themselves.
City kids told Hu they cared about school a lot, and they had no time for washing clothes or making their beds. Village kids said they helped their parents with housework a lot. They cooked, did some cleaning and fed animals. Hu's team also found that village kids had less pocket money . Many never used computers. They played in rivers or on mountains. Some didn't really like to make new friends.
Hu and his friends said their trip gave them more self-confidence because they were doing something by themselves. But _ also made them a little worried because they saw they still had a lot to learn. "When we grow up, our parents can't take care of us," said Hu. "We have to learn to take care of ourselves." Shen Guanquan, one of Hu's friends said, "When children learn to care for themselves, they learn to do lots of things." | middle7003.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "to hold a big party"
},
"options": [
"to go shopping",
"to meet friends",
"to travel abroad",
"to hold a big party"
],
"question": "The most usual way to welcome the new year in the US is _ .",
"question_... | In the US, the most popular way to welcome the new year is with a big party. Some parties are at private homes. But in recent years, it has become more and more common for Americans to go to a hotel or eating-place on the night of December 31st. There, they can eat a big dinner, drink champagne, and dance to orchestra music.
Most New Year's parties are usually noisy. People shout and sing. And often, guests blow on small noisemakers when the new year arrives at midnight. This tradition of noise making is believed to start centuries ago. People thought that loud sounds would drive away the bad spirits of the old year.
The biggest, noisiest New Year's party in the US takes place in Times Square in New York. Thousands of people gather there. Some of them ring bells and set fireworks. Others blow whistles of car horns . And at twelve o'clock, they begin to cheer as an electric sign in the shape of a red apple lights up on top of a tall building.
The Times Square celebration includes another well-known American tradition. Since 1929, the band of musician Guy Lombardo has given a concert on New Year's Eve. Guy Lombardo died in 1977. But, Bill Lombardo, has kept the tradition alive with a band concert at a New York city hotel. When the crowds in Times Square start cheering the arrival of the new year, television cameras show the band playing the song Auld Lang Syne. | middle3265.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "by a Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg"
},
"options": [
"twenty years ago",
"thirty years ago",
"by Mark Zuckerberg and his classmates",
"by a Harvard student named Mark Zuckerberg"
],
"question": "Facebook ... | You are busy with your job but want to make new friends? You miss your old friends and try to find them? Then try a new website --- Facebook.
Mark Zuckerberg,a Harvard student,created Facebook only about eight years ago. At first,it was only for Harvard students. Soon it became popular on the Internet. Now over 25 million people around the world use it to keep in touch with their friends. People like Facebook because it makes them feel comfortable. On Facebook,they share joys or sorrows by posting pictures and videos. What's more,they leave messages and give online presents to their friends. Now Facebook,like eBay,is a place to sell things.
The best part about Facebook is to help find old friends. For people,the only thing to do is to sign their real names. Then it takes a short time to sign their old friends. So have fun with Facebook if you love to be with friends,old or new. | middle5614.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the food was eaten up quickly"
},
"options": [
"the food was put into a big box",
"his mum followed the children",
"the food was eaten up quickly",
"his mum stopped buying food"
],
"question": "After the first w... | Bags of Love
Last year, I worked in a middle school near my mother's house, and I stayed with her for a month. During that time, I helped her do some housework and buy some food.
After the first week, I noticed that the food was eaten up very quickly. Then I began keeping an eye on my mum. To my surprise, I found that she would put some of the food into a paper bag and go out with it at about nine every morning. And finally, I decided to follow her. I saw her taking the food to the street children. She would also spend a lot of time talking and playing with them.
One day, I talked to a neighbour and found out that my mum was well-known in the area. The children were very friendly with her and even thought of her as their own mother. Then it hit me - why wouldn't she want to tell me about it? Was she worried that I would stop buying food if I found out?
When my mum got home, I gave her a big hug .I told her she didn't need to keep it a secret from me. And she told me something about the children. Some of them lived with an old lady in a small house. Others slept on the street. For years, she was helping the poor street children by giving them food. After she told me everything, I was so moved by how selfless she was. She helped others in need. As her son, I was so proud of my mum.
I continued to buy food for my mum after that. But I always added one more bag for her other children. | middle5172.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Play basketball"
},
"options": [
"Play football",
"Play basketball",
"Draw pictures",
"Play computer games"
],
"question": "What do Sandy and his friends do on Sunday afternoon?",
"question_type": "factiod_q... | Philip likes to play football. He often plays football after school with his friends. Sandy likes to play basketball. She teaches her friends how to play it every Sunday afternoon. Han Mei is very good at the computer. She always uses it to draw pictures three times a week, and she uses it to surf the Internet. She has a good friend in America. Her name is Mary. Lin Tao is also good at drawing pictures. But he never uses computer to draw. | middle858.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Robert Boyle"
},
"options": [
"Their chemistry teacher.",
"Their headmaster.",
"Robert Boyle",
"Thomas Edison"
],
"question": "Whom did the three kids want to challenge?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions... | Three kids have been learning chemistry for only a few months. But they have already begun to challenge a world famous scientist!
Li Weichi, Huang Runling, and Xiao Yan are from Zhongshan Huaqiao Middle School in Guangdong. They have just found a red cabbage that could be a new kind of acid-base indicator . They want it to take the place of litmus paper.
"We've learnt to think of and ask questions about life by ourselves," said Li, "We work well with each other."
British scientist Robert Boyle discovered the use of litmus paper over 300 years ago. Now it is used widely in experiments all over the world.
But when the kids did some experiments in class last winter, they saw that the litmus paper didn't turn very blue with base matter. It's hard to get a clear result.
Will there be a better indicator than litmus paper? The three kids decided to try and find out!
How? They went to collect over 40 plants in parks, gardens and markets. Then they ground leaves, flowers and stems to get the pigments from them.
The kids mixed pigments with acid and base. They spent months watching carefully to see which paper showed the best colour change. They decided it was the litmus paper!
"It's our first scientific journey, Huang said, "But it makes me want to try harder." | middle18.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the students had to pass a test to save the music department"
},
"options": [
"the headmaster would be in big trouble",
"the school had a problem with money",
"the students had to pass a test to save the music department",
... | More than 50 music students of New Milford High School in New Jersey, US, got a letter from their headmaster. The letter said that the music department of the school was in big trouble. The students had to pass a test, or the department would be closed.
The test came on Saturday. The nervous students were required to play a piece of music created by Richard Strauss. And they had to sing the words to the music -- German words! There were also other difficult tasks. One student had to sing Mary Had A Little Lamb, a children's song, in an operatic voice.
After three hours of testing, the students all waited for the results. They met some students from the New Jersey Youth Orchestra while waiting. They had the same test and only got a passing grade.
The worried New Milford High School students started to realize they had no chance. "I thought it was over," said Bryan Olsen-Santana. "The girl next to me was crying. I felt bad for her. I felt bad for myself, too, because music is everything to me."
But then the headmaster came and told them something very dramatic , "Someone has played a joke on you!"
What was going on?
The test was part of a new reality TV show called "Schooled". The students' parents, the school and a TV network had made it together. Everything was _ . The "students from New Jersey Youth Orchestra" were students from another school. There were hidden cameras.
The students' parents were hiding as they watched.
As a reward for putting up with the joke, the students got gifts: MP3 players, digital cameras and school supplies . They were all from the show's sponsor . | middle7771.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In the Edwards' house."
},
"options": [
"In Roy Senior High School.",
"In the Edwards' house.",
"In another school in New Haven.",
"In the Palumbos' house."
],
"question": "Where does the writer live for the fir... | Boys and girls, here I will tell you something about my first trip to the USA.
When I get to Kennedy Airport, I begin my visit to the USA. First, I go to Roy Senior high School. I'm happy on the first night in America because I live with a kind family, the Edwards. It's a big family. They are very friendly to me. They help me do many things. When I want to write to my friends, they buy _ for me; when I lose my camera, they help me buy a new one.
After some days, I go to another school in New Haven. I live in the Palumbos' house. There are three people in the family. I'm surprised that the parents are from two countries.
It is a nice trip and I'm happy to be with the two families. They will be my friends for ever . | middle694.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "always"
},
"options": [
"always",
"sometimes",
"never",
"hardly"
],
"question": "Harry _ drove his car very fast.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Harry likes driving his car very fast, and one day he hit another car. He jumped out and ran to it. There was an old man in the car. He was very angry and said to Harry." What were you doing? You nearly killed me!"
"Yes," Harry answered," I am very sorry." He took a bottle out of his car and said, "Drink some of this. Then you will feel better." He gave the old man some whisky and the man drank it, but then he shouted again, "You nearly killed me!" Harry gave him the bottle again. "I feel much better now. But why aren't you drinking?"
"Oh, well," said Harry, " I don't want any whisky now. I am going to sit here to wait for the police." | middle2609.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Since about 300 years ago."
},
"options": [
"For 1700 years.",
"For 700 years.",
"Since about 300 years ago.",
"Since about 200 years ago."
],
"question": "How long has the sign language been taught?",
"ques... | For many years, we couldn't talk with the deaf. These deaf people couldn't use a spoken language.
But beginning in the 1700s, the deaf were taught a special language. Using this language, they could share thoughts and ideas with others. The language they used was a language without sound. It was a sign language.
How did this sign language work? The deaf learnt to make certain movements with their hands, faces and bodies. These movements stood for things and ideas. People might move their forefingers across their lips. This meant "you are not telling the truth". They might tap their chin with three fingers. This meant "my uncle".
The deaf learned to see a finger alphabet. They used their fingers to make the letters of the alphabet. In this way, they spelled out words. Some deaf people could spell out words at a speed of 130 words per minute.
The deaf don't use the sign language and finger spelling as much as they once were. Today, the deaf learn to understand others by watching their lips. They also learn how to speak. | middle5166.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "getting unhappy for no reason"
},
"options": [
"getting unhappy for no reason",
"getting good grades",
"breaking school rules",
"asking the doctors for help"
],
"question": "According to the passage, _ is comm... | Do you ever find yourself getting really unhappy for almost no reason? Or suddenly feeling down without knowing why? But why is the feeling so common among teens?
Maybe you're starting a new school and not able to see old friends. Getting good grades or wanting to be better in sports or other activities can be a concern for many teens.
Being accepted by friends is important. Teens also may notice, for the first time, a sense of distance from parents and family. You may feel you want to be on your own and make your own decisions, but it can also seem a bit lonely at times.
Another important cause for mood changes is biology. When puberty begins, the body starts producing hormones . These hormones cause physical changes in the body. But at the same time, they also seem to cause mood changes.
Here are some things you can do that might make those bad moods a bit easier to deal with.
* Remember you're not alone. Although not every teen experiences mood changes to the
same degree, they are common.
* Talk to people you trust, Friends can help each other by realizing that they're not alone
in their feelings. Talking to parents is important, too. Parents can share their own
experiences dealing with bad moods. Teachers are often good resources and a doctor can
help to answer questions about development.
* Get enough sleep, Though it can be hard to find enough time, getting enough rest is very
important. Being tired can lead to more sadness.
* Create. Taking part in some kinds of activities, like building something out of wood, or
starting an art or music piece. | middle4278.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The king."
},
"options": [
"The Nile River.",
"Summer.",
"The king.",
"Water and fertility."
],
"question": "Which of the following is not related... to the new year of ancient Egyptians?",
"question_type": ... | The people of ancient Egypt began their new year in summer. That is when the Nile River flooded its banks, bringing water and fertility to the land. Today, most people celebrate New Year's Day on January 1. People celebrate the New Year's holiday in many different ways.
The ancient Babylonians celebrated by forcing their king to give up his crown ( )and royal clothing. They made him get down on his knees and _ all the mistakes he had made during the past year.
Making New Year's resolutions is a common American tradition. Today, popular resolutions might include the promise to lose weight, stop smoking, or be more productive at work. People offer New Year's resolutions of their own. For example, one person decided to get a cat. Another promised to stop telling stories about other people. Other people use New Year's resolutions to make major changes in their lives. One such resolution might be to "stop and smell the flowers." This means to take time to enjoy simple pleasures. Another resolution might be "don't sweat the small stuff." This means not to worry or get angry about unimportant problems. Another resolution might be to forget about bad things that happened in the past. | middle3517.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "eat her"
},
"options": [
"eat her",
"walk around",
"play with her",
"visit the shepherd"
],
"question": "The lamb knew the wolf was going to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": ... | A lamb was on her way home. Suddenly a wolf came up and stopped her. The lamb said, "I know you are going to eat me. But before you eat me, I would like to hear you play the flute . You can play the flute better than anyone else, even the shepherd himself."
The wolf was so happy. And he took out his flute and began to play.
The wolf finished one piece. Then the lamb said some good words and asked him to play another piece again.
The shepherd and the dogs heard the sound. Then _ ran to the lamb and the wolf. They caught the wolf and saved the lamb. | middle3271.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "friends"
},
"options": [
"workers",
"brothers",
"friends",
"hunters"
],
"question": "The two men were _ in the passage.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index":... | Once upon a time, two men were walking in the forest. One was thin and tall, and very bad too. The other was fat and short, and very honest. The tall man said to the short man, "We are good friends. If any beast comes, I'll help you." The short man said, " Of course, we are good friends. We will help each other."
At that time, a bear came to them. The tall man climbed up the tree quickly to hide himself in the branches and forgot his promise to the short man. But the fat man couldn't climb the tree. He said to his friend, "Help me! Help me! I can't climb up. Look! The bear is coming!" The tall man said, "No! No! No! You can't stay with me. The tree is not strong."
The bear was coming. The short man lay down under the tree, pretending to be dead and holding his breath. The bear smelled around his body. It doesn't touch the dead.
After the bear went away without harming the short man, the tall man came down and asked the short man, "What did the bear whisper in your ear when it was close to you?" The short man answered, "the bear told me not to believe such a selfish friend like you. And it also said that a friend in need is a friend indeed." | middle5600.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "pleased"
},
"options": [
"pleased",
"unhappy",
"angry",
"bored"
],
"question": "At the end of the story, we know the passenger was _ with the air hostess.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
}
] | A passenger told an air hostess that he needed a cup of water to take his medicine when the plane just took off. She said to him that she would bring him the water in ten minutes.
The air hostess was kept so busy that she forgot to give him the water. As a result, the passenger was held up to take his medicine. Thirty minutes later, when the passenger's ring for service sounded, the air hostess hurried over to him with a cup of water, but he refused it.
In the following hours on the plane, each time the air hostess passed the passenger, she would ask him with a smile whether he needed help or not. But the passenger never replied to her.
When the passenger was going to get off the plane, he asked the air hostess to hand him the passenger' booklet. She knew that he would write down sharp words about her job,but with a smile she handed it to him.
Off the plane, the air hostess opened the booklet, and smiled because the passenger wrote, "On the flight, you asked me whether I needed help or not for twelve times in all. How can I refuse your twelve sincere smiles?" | middle1466.txt |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.