questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "what an important role \"heat\" plays in learning a language"
},
"options": [
"how we can make baking bread with various ingredients",
"how to become bilingual by communicating with others",
"what an important role \"heat\" p... | As I was thinking about language learning the other day, the image of baking bread came into my mind. I compared some of the exercises and drills that we put ourselves through in order to learn a language to the various ingredients that go into baking a loaf of fresh bread.
Real language learning takes place in human relationships. No one sits down and eats a cup of flour, even if he is hungry and in a hurry. You don't become bilingual by learning lists of vocabulary. You don't become a speaker of a language by memorizing verb conjugations and agreement rules. You become bilingual by entering a community that uses that other language as its primary means of communication.
I am not suggesting that we can make bread without ingredients. Flour is necessary, as are yeast , salt, water and other ingredients. Vocabulary is part of any language and will have to be learned. Grammatical rules exist in every language and cannot be ignored. But merely combining the appropriate ingredients in the recommended proportions does not result in bread. At best, you only end up with a ball of dough .
In order to get bread, you have to apply heat to the dough. And in language learning, that heat comes from the community. Anyone who has learned a second language has experienced that heat. It creeps up your neck when you ask the babysitter, "Have you already been eaten?" when you meant to say, "Have you already eaten?" When you try to say something quite innocent and the whole room bursts into laughter, you are experiencing the heat that turns raw dough into good bread.
Remember the old saying, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen"? This is where language learning often breaks down because we find the heat uncomfortable and we stop the baking process. In order words, we can't stand the heat, so we get out of the kitchen.
However, the language learner who stays in the kitchen--in the heat--until the combined ingredients are thoroughly transformed will enjoy the richness of a quality loaf of bread. He is lad that he did not "get out of the kitchen" at the critical moment when the oven seemed too hot. The dedicated language learner knows that becoming bilingual cannot be achieved without the heat! | high16653.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Strong effects of development."
},
"options": [
"The influence of pollution.",
"Strong effects of development.",
"Changed positions of humans as gods.",
"The process of the Industrial Revolution."
],
"question":... | Most of the 20th century has been a development on the Industrial Revolution taken to an extreme: people now own more products than ever before; there are enough nuclear weapons to destroy the earth several times over; there is hardly any forest left and pollution has got to the point where we buy water. Within a few years I predict you will be able to buy air (There once was a time when you didn't need to buy food or shelter either.).
Important developments in the last century are the breaking down of the class structures left over from the Industrial Revolution stage, bringing with it the empowerment of the "common man": the working day is set by law to only 8 hours a day, everyone has the vote, the media has less obvious government control, people have landed on the moon, sent spacecrafts to Mars and so on. Families have also shrunk drastically ; the nuclear family came about, and especially in the last half of the 20th century, one-parent families are becoming more common. This shrinking in the size of the family shows the increased independence of people--once upon a time people had to live in large groups to survive.
As humans have "become the gods", they have realized their individuality and independence and taken their control of the world to an extreme. In many countries the land is almost completely used in the production of food and as living space and they live in small cities which are entirely human constructed, made from materials which are also entirely human constructed(concrete, bricks) with hardly any remains of nature. Weeds are poisoned because they are messy; even parks have trees grown in tidy lines; grass is mowed to keep it short and so on. I think the massive drug "problem" troubling people is a result of too much of this influence, humans needing to escape the stark world they have created by entering fantasy worlds.
Over the last 100 years, the 20th century consciousness has spread throughout the world; most of Asia has been thoroughly "Westernized", and most of the Third World is being overrun by Western ways of doing things and living. | high19560.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The teacher."
},
"options": [
"Picasso.",
"The children",
"The teacher.",
"The children's friends."
],
"question": "In some parents' eyes, who is to blame for their children's poor grades at school?",
"quest... | My children are perfect. All four of them. Perfect and beautiful and clever. I bet yours are, too. Except, of course, they are not. In reality, my children and yours are likely to be reasonably average in terms of looks, behavior, intelligence and charm. That's why it is called average. Your belief in your child being special is more probably a biological thing than a fact.
A loved one, particularly a loved child, is edited as we observe them. Other people's children are spoiled; ours are spirited. Theirs are naughty; ours are confident.
This is all natural and even touching when not taken too far. However, it is one thing feeding this idea to ourselves but feeding it to our children may be a little less desirable. We have the idea that -- unlike my parents' generation -- we should build our children's self-respect as high as we can. Therefore, their random scribble is up there with Picasso, their C-minus is an unfortunate oversight on the part of the teacher, and the fact that no one wants to be friends with them is because they are particularly clever or sensitive.
Children see through this kind of thing very quickly and ignore their parents' praises as a matter of course. As they grow up, they sense that the wider world judges them differently. This leads to a - hopefully gentle - cynicism about anything their parents tell them about their achievements. Perhaps that is OK -- but I'm not sure if it is good for them to have the parental praise so overlooked.
If parents were a little _ sometimes, this could have two positive effects -- first, when praise came, it would be more likely to be believed and, second, it would fit in rather more accurately with the picture of reality that the child is forming in their heads.
A lot of pressure is put on children who are told they are beautiful, special and perfect. Because then, where is there to go? Only downwards. They become too much aware of their status in your eyes, and a danger must be that they fear failing you. To be over-praised by your parents is the counter side of being criticized all the time. Both can have negative consequences.
It is important to give your children the freedom to be flawed -- to know that it's OK to be imperfect, and that, in fact, we often love people for their flaws -- perfect people (whom we can only imagine, as they do not exist) are easy to respect, but hard to love.
Now I am nearly 60, my main insight is that I am much less special than I once believed. This knowledge has actually been helpful in leading a more well-balanced life.
I certainly wouldn't like to go back to attitudes that my parents, particularly my father, held, that to praise the child was to "spoil them" or make them bigheaded. However, the history of families is like the history of everything else -- the story of overreactions. We praise our children to the skies, partly because we think it makes them feel good, but also because it makes us feel good. And perhaps it is more the latter than the former.
Too much love can be as big a burden as a shortage of it. My advice is to limit your praise. Then every piece of praise will count, rather than being just ignored. | high10222.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Lumosity can measure, track and suit your level as you improve"
},
"options": [
"brain training speeds up the recovery of breast cancer",
"your brain is like a muscle because it gives you power",
"people's mental abilities ca... | Your brain isn't a muscle, but you can treat it like one
Many people focus on physical fitness, but few know that brain fitness is also something you can work on. In fact, you can exercise your brain as often as you do to your arms or legs-and the results can be positive and empowering.
To improve your brain, you can't simply repeat the same exercises over and over. Just as lifting a two-pound weight will stop challenging you, so will repetitive exercises such as crosswords or Sudoku. Once you master easy exercises, you must move on to harder ones in order to push your brain-like your muscles-to a new level.
The science behind brain training
Scientists once believed that your mental abilities were fixed in adulthood. Since studies have shown just the opposite, millions of people around the world have adopted the new practice of brain training. The most popular of these brain training products is made by the San Francisco-based Lumosity. Lumosity's scientists with an experienced team of game designers have developed a fun,effective online brain training program that measures, tracks, and adapts to your progress, so you'll always be challenged.
Promising studies on the effects of brain training
In a 2013 Stanford study, a treatment group of 21 breast cancer survivors used 12 weeks of Lumosity training to work on processing speed, mental flexibility, and working memory tasks. On average, those who trained improved on tests of these abilities, compared to a group that did not train with Lumosity.
There is even some evidence suggesting that Lumosity may be beneficial to normal, healthy adults. In a 2011 study by Lumosity and San Francisco State University researchers. 13 people who trained over 5 weeks improved working memory scores by 10%and attention scores by 20%.
Brain training is designed to meet real-life needs
The design of brain train ing is targeted at real-life benefits instead of improving game scores. Better attention, for example, can mean greater focus in the classroom or at an important business meeting. With improved processing speed, you might react and adapt faster to the demands of a busy life. And a better memory could mean stronger, longer relationships with the people closest to you. | high9618.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "not often kind to each other"
},
"options": [
"sisters",
"classmates",
"not often kind to each other",
"always kind to each other"
],
"question": "Billy and Bobby were _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questi... | Billy and Bobby were small boys. They were brothers, and they often fought each other.
Last Saturday their mother said to them, "I'm going to cook our lunch now, go out and play in the garden......and be good."
"Yes, Mum," the two boys answered, and they went out.
They played in the garden for half an hour, and then Billy ran in. "Mum," he said, "Bobby's broken a window in Mrs Allen's house." Mrs Allen was one of their neighbours.
"He's a bad boy," his mother said. "How did he break it?"
"I threw a stone at him," Billy answered, "and he quickly moved down." | high1244.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Don't yell at your children"
},
"options": [
"Be a perfect parent",
"Don't yell at your children",
"Parents should learn how to educate the children",
"Parents should protect their children"
],
"question": "Whic... | There is no such thing as "the perfect parent" and everyone has to learn how to educate their children. Parents may be annoyed by their kids and yell at then, but they should be careful not to yell at the children.
Children need to be loved and cared for. They need positive encouragement, which will help them believe that they can succeed in their lives. This will also give them opportunities to explore and try out new things. If parents yell at their children, the emotional development of them can be badly affected.
Though parents think they are protecting their children at all times, the children will not feel safe when they are yelled at. It can be a very bad experience for children. This can make it difficult for children to enjoy parents' presence if they are being yelled at.
A person needs to be a good listener and also should learn to give others a chance to talk. When a child grows up with parents who often yell, this will not happen. When parents often yell, their children will also learn the same thing and they will find it natural not to listen to anyone.
The confidence of a child is built up by his or her parents. There is no doubt that yelling will only decrease their confidence level. The words used while yelling can affect them greatly. They will not want to do anything without asking for their parents' permission. | high13703.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Different views on teenagers' using the latest cell phones."
},
"options": [
"Different ways to deal with teenagers' using the latest cell phones.",
"That teenagers should not use the latest cell phones at school.",
"Differen... | Is it important for teenagers to own the latest cell-phone models? There are different ways of looking at this question.
First, why do teenagers need to have the latest models? Often it's just to show off. The paradox is that there are many teenagers who own the latest cell-phone models but don't even know how to use them properly. This is true. They just want one because their friends have similar ones, or because they take very good videos and photos.
On the other hand, if they do know how to use them, the latest cell phones are really good. They not only help teens to stay in touch with friends and family, but also help them to access the Internet and download pictures, videos or music they need when studying. These new phones are so powerful that having one is almost like having a whole library in your pocket. It's an instant source of information that helps young people get the latest news. But many parents, thinking only of such positive sides, do not take into consideration the potential dangers. For example, children may constantly be distracted during class by sending and receiving text messages.
Each young generation loves the new technologies available --just think back to when you were a kid. But your job as a parent is to make sure your child gets the most out of this technology with the least possible harm. | high8506.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Jack's grandpa."
},
"options": [
"Jack's grandma.",
"Jack's grandpa.",
"Jack's mother.",
"Jack's father."
],
"question": "Who was going to retire?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | One day,Jack's parents told him that his grandpa would retire after working for forty years.Jack said in surprise, "I'm only seven, so it means Grandpa has been... er ... A really long time!"
His parents said, "Yes. That's why we are going to have a surprising party for him. "
Jack loved his grandpa and wanted to do something special for him. He remembered the business card his grandpa had given him two years before. He knew that his grandpa would no longer have the position on that card, so he decided to build a new one for his grandpa.
When the big day came, Jack was ready. But he didn't want to put his gift together with others'. He carried it around with him the whole evening.
When all the other people left, he took his grandpa's hand and brought him over to a chair and gave him the gift.
His grandpa smiled, "Well, it must be a beautiful gift. May I open it now?" "Sure!" Jack said excitedly.
As Grandpa opened the gift, tears came into his eyes. Jack gave him the greatest gift he had ever got! They were business cards with new position: FULL-TIME GRANDPA! Jack said, "Now your full-time job is my grandpa!"
Well, how much do I get paid?" his grandpa asked, smiling. "As many hugs as you want!" With these
words, Jack gave Grandpa a hug. " Well, I guess that means I'm the richest man in the world! " said Grandpa. | high19548.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they can be ambitious workaholics"
},
"options": [
"their contributions should be valued",
"their experience should be appreciated",
"they can be ambitious workaholics",
"they are extremely loyal employees"
],
"... | There have been discussions about retire age limit recently. Does it make sense to make people retire at a particular age, say, 55? 60?
Some people work well into their 70s and 80s, running families, countries or corporations while other people, despite being fit and highly talented, are forced to retire in their fifties or even earlier. Here I will examine whether people should be allowed to continue working as long as they want or whether they should be encouraged to retire at a particular stage.
Some people think there are several reasons for allowing older people to continue working. Firstly, older employees are more experienced and their knowledge can be lost to his company or business if they are made to retire. Secondly, older employees are often extremely loyal and more willing to carry out company policies than younger staff. Another point is related to our society's attitudes to the old. To force someone to retire at 50 or 60 indicates that the society does not value the contribution of these people, which may be regarded as age discrimination.
However, others believe that allowing older people to work indefinitely is not a good policy. Age alone is no guarantee of ability. Old people are ambitious workaholics. Many young employees are more skillful than older staff, who may have been stuck in one area or unit for most of their working lives. _ . In addition, without age limits, many people would continue to work purely because they did not have any other plans. Another reason is that older people should be rewarded by society for their life's labor by being given generous pensions and the freedom to enjoy their leisure. We now have youngsters who can't find jobs because old people refuse to retire. This new generation of "old people" may think they will never die due to modern advances in medicine.
With many young people unemployed or frustrated in low-level positions, older workers are expected to retire. However, this can affect their right to work. I feel that giving workers more flexibility and choice over their retirement age will benefit both society and the individual. | high2995.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "$13.5"
},
"options": [
"$8.5",
"$12",
"$13.5",
"$16"
],
"question": "If a senior high school student plans to visit American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog with his parents and his five-year-old brother,he has to... | Founded in 1764 by French traders, St. Louis today is the fifteenth largest urban area in the United States. There are many attractive destinations for touists.
American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog
Dog lovers who visit St. Louis won't want to miss this 14,000-square-foot museum. Inside are over 500 paintings,prints, watercolors,and a variety of other dog art objects.
The Museum is open year round,Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM, and Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM. Admission is $5 for adults,$2.50 for seniors, and $1 for children up to 14.
Anheuser Busch Brewery
The Anheuser Buxch Brewery tour is not just for beer lovers.The tour includes the historic Brew House.Then the tour continues to the modern Bevo Packaging Plant. The best will be the Budweiser Clydesdale stables. The tours are always free.
Gateway Arch
Designed by Eero Sarinen and Hannskari Bandel, it took over two years and 900 tons of stainless steel to build. It is the tallest of the country's National Monuments. The Arch is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. About one milion people per year come to the top of the Arch, where there is an observation platform providing a great view of the city.
The St. Louis Zoo
First version of the St. Louis Zoo opened in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair, but in the century since it has grown into one of the chief zoos in the world. The passenger train takes visitors around the Zoo,which contains over 9,000 animals of over 800 species.
The Zoo is open every day but Christmas and New Year,with summer hours of 8 AM to 7 PM,and hours the rest of the year of 9 AM to 5 PM.Admission to the Zoo is free. | high3453.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They lived out a natural life."
},
"options": [
"They lived out a natural life.",
"They died of exhaustion after the long plane ride.",
"They weren't accustomed to the change in weather.",
"They died due to lack of care... | I had an experience some years ago which taught me something about the ways in which people make a bad situation worse by blaming themselves. One January, I had to conduct two funerals on successive days for two elderly women in my community. Both had died "full of years," as the Bible would say; both yielded to the normal wearing out of the body after a long and full life. Their homes happened to be near each other, so I paid condolence calls on the two families on the same afternoon.
At the first home, the son of the dead woman said to me, "If only I had sent my mother to Florida and gotten her out of this cold and snow, she would be alive today. It's my fault that she died." At the second home, the son of the other dead woman said, "If only I hadn't insisted on my mother's going to Florida, she would be alive today. That long airplane ride, the abrupt change of climate, was more than she could take. It's my fault that she's dead."
When things don't turn out as we would like them to, it is very tempting to assume that had we done things differently, the story would have had a happier ending. Priests know that any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty. Because the course of action they took turned out badly, they believe that the opposite course - keeping Mother at home, delaying the operation would have turned out better. After all, how could it have turned out any worse?
There seem to be two elements involved in our readiness to feel guilt. The first is our pressing need to believe that the world makes sense, that there is a cause for every effect and a reason for everything that happens. That leads us to find patterns and connections both where they really exist and where they exist only in our minds.
The second element is the concept that we are the cause of what happens, especially the bad things that happen. It seems to be a short step from believing that every event has a cause to believing that every disaster is our fault. The roots of this feeling may lie in our childhood. Psychologists speak of the infantile myth of omnipotence . A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. He wakes up in the morning and orders the rest of the world to its tasks. He cries, and someone comes to attend to him. When he is hungry, people feed him, and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely outgrow that infantile concept that our wishes cause things to happen. | high18656.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "space became limited for a construction project"
},
"options": [
"they want to keep children in classroom to study",
"they have had some children injured during break",
"space became limited for a construction project",
... | Is it an extreme case of helicopter parenting or a smart move to keep kids safe? That's what parents are asking after hearing about a Long Island middle school's decision to ban most balls during break. No longer allowed at the Weber Middle School in Port Washington, New York: footballs, baseballs, soccer balls, lacrosse balls and any other hardballs that could injure a child.
"We want to make sure our children have fun but are also protected," Dr. Kathleen Maloney, superintendent of Port Washington Schools, said in a local television interview, noting how playground injuries can "unintentionally" become very serious.
The school district, in a press release, said that due to construction going on at the school, there is "limited space" for the children to play during their 20-minute break. "With children in close proximity to each other, it is not safe for them to be engaged in unstructured play with hardballs," said the district.
It's not clear when the construction project will come to an end at the school and whether kids will be able to return to normal ball-playing after it wraps up. A call to the superintendent's office for confirmation has not yet been returned.
"This isn't smart. It's actually counter-productive," said Donna Daniels in an email to CNN. "It saddens me to think that children no longer experience the joy of kickball, tag, dodgeball and simple outdoor games I remember so fondly when I reflect on my childhood. Our kids don't experience physical activity unless it involves downloading an app. "
"Without opportunities to learn how to navigate space with their bodies, and to negotiate rules, risks, and experimentation of cooperative play, how are children going to ever be able to handle themselves in any society as adults ?" said Alex Martin, an associate director at a Manhattan nursery school.
On the other side, there were some people who thought the school's actions were appropriate. "Freedom is great until the parents accuse the school district," said Tyler Parker on Facebook. "I don't think kids should have their fun past times discontinued, but head wound can be serious," said Marilyn Decker on Facebook. | high18130.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because they thought \"my\" mother was educated."
},
"options": [
"Because her child was not a dog.",
"Because \"my\" mother knew everything.",
"Because they knew nothing about \"me\".",
"Because they thought \"my\" mot... | My father was a St. Bernard , and my mother was a collie . This was what my mother had told me. I did not know these nice differences myself. My mother like to say them and see other dogs look surprised and jealous , wondering how she got so much education. But, indeed, it was not real education.
She got the words by listening in the dining room and the sitting room when there were people talking, and by going with the children to school and listening there. Whenever she heard a word showing great knowledge, she said it to herself many times so that she could keep it until there was a meeting in the neighbourhood. Then, she would show off her knowledge and surprise them all, from small-sized dogs to large-sized dogs.
If there was a stranger being doubtful and getting his breath to ask her what it meant, she always explained to him in detail. He had never expected this but thought he would make fool of her. However, in the end, he was the one who was fooled. The others knew what was going to happen, because they had experienced that. When she explained the meaning of a big world, no dogs doubted if it was right. It was natural, because, for one thing, she answered very quickly and confidently, and for another, there were no knowledgeable dogs pointing out the answer was wrong.
When I was older, she brought home the word, "unintellectual", and worked on it very hard all the week at different meetings. It was at this time that I realized she made up a fresh meaning of the same word every time. It showed that she was more calm than knowledgeable.
(From A Dog's Tale, by Mark Twain) | high5744.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He made room for a girl who jumped the queue."
},
"options": [
"He remained lying in bed all the morning.",
"He didn't feel well after drinking a cup of coffee.",
"He made room for a girl who jumped the queue.",
"He had... | I live in a very over populated beach area in the Los Angeles, and I love the beautiful scenery! But because of many people, lots of things are easy to be out of order, and sometimes it's also easy to _ . Today was a day I wish I did not get out of bed. I mean that if I did not have to wake up and deal with all the things that I deal with on a daily basis, it would have been wonderful.
I had a cup of coffee this morning and that was my meal for breakfast, not healthy I know. Anyway, my stomach was sounding like a truck. So, I jumped in my car and decided to buy some food.
I was in line at Taco Bell and the line was like a long snake! Finally I got to place my order, but a young girl in nice clothes pulled in and was stuck in such a way that unless I moved for her, she wouldn't be able to get out. So I backed up and waved her into my place in the front of the line.
To my surprise, this young girl did not say thanks. I was cool with it because I thought that I had done something nice for a change. After the girl received her food and pulled away, I pulled into the ordering spot, not mad, but hungry, and the employee said, "Hi, that girl just paid for your food."
That food was the most satisfying nourishment my body had ever taken! If just by chance you are that person who bought my food, I should say "Thank you!" | high3335.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Jann Wenner"
},
"options": [
"Jann Wenner",
"Muddy Waters",
"Elvis Presley",
"Bob Dylan"
],
"question": "All of them are musicians except _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | At present we will explain a very old saying that has had a great effect on rock-and-roll music. That saying is "A rolling stone gathers no moss ".It has several meanings. One meaning is that a person who never settles down in one place will not be successful. Another is that someone who is always moving, with no roots in one place, avoids responsibilities.
This proverb was said to be first used in the 1500s. But in the 1960s, the expression "rolling stone" became famous in the world of rock-and-roll music. It became the name of a song, a rock group and a magazine.
Experts say it all started with a song by the American singer and guitarist Muddy Waters. He was one of the country's top blues musicians until his death in 1983. His music influenced singers like Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. In 1950, Muddy Waters recorded a song called "Rolling Stone".
A British rock group is said to have taken its name from Muddy Waters' song. The Rolling Stones performed for the first time in 1962.The group's members called themselves "the world's greatest rock-and-roll band".
In 1965, Bob Dylan released his song "Like a Rolling Stone".It is one of his best known and most influential works.
It is an angry song about a woman who was once rich and successful. But now she is on her own, "with no direction home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone".
In 1967, a young man named Jann Wenner started a magazine and he named it "Rolling Stone". The magazine reported on rock music and the popular culture that the music created. By 1971, "Rolling Stone" had become the leading rock music and counterculture publication. It is still popular today. | high8260.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It is convenient to get to the town center."
},
"options": [
"It is suitable for a family with a baby.",
"It is a pleasant home though it is a little small.",
"It is convenient to get to the town center.",
"Access to th... | Bright, Spacious Room
Spacious, single furnished room in owner- occupied home is available now, for one and a half years. Ground floor flat. Five-minute walk to the town center and local bus services. Well-equipped shared kitchen, including washing machine. Shared shower& toilet. Large rooms, with high ceilings, a warm and pleasant home. Responsible for own food & cooking, washing, telephone, insurance, etc. No smoking or pets. Not suitable for children. WiFi available locally.
Call Jenna on 85756624 if you are interested.
One Bedroom Newly Refurbished Flat in Burnage
A fantastic one-bedroom flat in the heart of Burnage is available for however long you want. The property has just been refurbished to a high standard. Situated above the pharmacy on Burnage Lane the property boasts a kitchen, large lounge, separate shower and toilet, and bedroom with in- built wardrobes. A must-see!
Call Daniel on 70554323 at the weekend.
Two Bedrooms Left in Four-bed House Share
A great four- bedroom property in the heart of Fallowfield. Two Bedrooms left in a mixed student house. The property has a dining area, toilet, lounge and one bedroom on the ground floor, followed by three bedrooms on the first floor with an extra toilet. Very close to the main bus stop & local amenities : supermarket, Lloyds pharmacy and local launderette. Two minutes' walking distance to the centre of Fallowfield. The property is available from the 1
of July 2012 to 30
June 2013. Half rent for July/ Aug. We are a private landlord; so there are no agency fees!
Jack welcomes you to call. Phone:22604322.
Board and Lodgings Close to Boston, Lincolnshire
We have a double room available on a board and lodgings basis from 1
of June, 2012 to 1
of May, 2013. Within a comfortable, peaceful farmhouse, set in lovely gardens and beautiful countryside. Share a bathroom with one other person only. Room has own TV with Freeview and access to wireless broadband,. Use of the garden and rest of the house. On the bus route to Boston and Horncastle. Free car parking space. All meals, bills, etc. included. Can cater for a variety of special dietary needs if required, Please call Alice at the weekend or after 7p.m. On workdays. Phone:42556755. | high15414.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she was in charge of the The Washington Post"
},
"options": [
"she was born of a very rich family",
"she had the most important newspaper",
"she was in charge of the The Washington Post",
"she gained much money from new... | Katharine Meyer Graham was once described as "the most powerful woman in America." She was not a government official or elected representative. She owned and published The Washington Post. Under her leadership, it became one of the most important newspapers in the country.
Katharine Meyer was born in New York City in 1917. Her father was a successful investment banker and became an important financial official. Her family was very rich. Katharine grew up in large houses in New York and Washington. Her parents were often away from home, traveling and working, Katharine was often lonely. Katherine Meyer graduated from the University of Chicago in Illinois in 1938. In 1933, her father bought a failing newspaper, The Washington Post. It was the least successful one of five newspapers in Washington.
Katharine Graham returned to Washington and got a job editing letters to the editor of her father's newspaper. She married Philip Graham. He was a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter but soon accepted a job at his wife's father's newspaper. Mr. Graham improved The Washington Post. He bought Newsweek and several television stations. He also established close ties with important political leaders. However, Mr. Graham treated his wife badly. He had an affair with a young reporter. For many years, Mr. Graham suffered from mental illness. He killed himself in 1963.
Katharine Graham had four children to raise and a newspaper to operate. At first, she was only concerned about finding a way to keep control of The Washington Post until her sons were old enough. She did not think she had the ability to do an important job. She had no training in business or experience in operating a large company. In those days, it was unusual for a woman to be the head of a business. Women were expected to look after their homes and children.
Katharine Graham met with officials of The Washington Post. She was elected president of The Washington Post Company. She had no idea about how to operate a newspaper. So she decided to learn. She began by hiring Benjamin C.Bradlee. He later became chief editor. Mr. Bradlee improved the newspaper. He hired excellent reporters and editors. They began doing important investigative reporting. In 1969, Mrs. Graham became publisher as well as president of The Washington Post Company. In the 1970s, The Washington Post became famous around the world because of two major successes. | high7153.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because she wanted to save the cat."
},
"options": [
"Because the pole was on fire.",
"Because her cat was missing.",
"Because she felt it was strange.",
"Because she wanted to save the cat."
],
"question": "Why... | "I honestly have no idea how that cat got up there.It's a hundred--foot--metal pole.There's no way he climbed that thing,"Jim said to the worried woman.It wasn't even her cat,but she was passing by and saw it.immediately calling the fire--station to come to save it.Jim saw a lot of strange things as a fireman,often sad or upsetting things,but this was new.
"I suppose we could get the blanket and see if we can convince the poor cat to jump down* But he doesn't really look too scared..."Jim said to the woman.
"Dave,get over here!" Jim called over his shoulder to the fire truck driver.Dave walked over and looked where Jim was pointing.
"How'd he get up there?"
Jim shrugged,similarly puzzled."Do you suppose we could get the blanket and convince him to jump?"
Dave shrugged in response."I don't see why not."
Jim looked up at the black mass on the top of the flagpole,the American nag waving proudly beneath _ .It was definitely a cat,and he regarded the people gathered below as if they were his subjects and he their king,his yellow eyes scanning his surroundings with apparent disinterest.
When the blanket was spread out below the cat,Jim and Dave began striking the flagpole.The cat looked down,and then gazed into the sky as if it were looking for something.Jim and Dave followed his gaze.Suddenly,out of the clear sky,appeared a dark figure.The figure swooped low toward the flagpole.It was an eagle! As it got closer,the cat leaped down the pole swiftly onto the ground,and then got lost in the bushes.
Jim,Dave,and the old woman were left with their mouths open.They all agreed it was the best way to get it down. | high13065.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents."
},
"options": [
"traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.",
"thousands of people the world over are killed each year.",
"the laws of some countries about driving are... | From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain hat one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motorcar! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motorcar often brings out a man's very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so kindly on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so, the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can weaken a person's driving ability. Present drinking and drinking laws (where they exist) should be made much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be enforced on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound extremely harsh. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the annual loss of human life. After all, the world is for human being, not motorcars. | high8274.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To help the students accept and learn from failure."
},
"options": [
"To get the students involved in social activities.",
"To help the students accept and learn from failure.",
"To make the students study even harder.",
... | Failing in something isn't a really nice feeling, but Scotland' s Fettes College in Edinburgh wants to show its students that failure isn't something to fear and is actually something to accept willingly!
The boarding school held "failure week" to celebrate taking risks and learning from them. Whether in sports or school, children often face lots of pressure to succeed and do well, and the school was becoming concerned.
"Young people from all walks of life live in a high-pressure environment where they are trying very hard to achieve a level of perfection," said Sue Bruce, head of personal and social education in the school.
"This week at Fettes we have been focusing on one of the most misunderstood parts of success: failure. While we are often scared of failure, it is important to learn that it is only through failing, often many times, that we learn how to succeed. All through the week, we have looked at the experiences of some of the most successful inventors, artists and businessmen, who failed hundreds, if not thousands of times on their journey to success," read a letter on Fettes College's website.
To celebrate failure, students were encouraged to try something they've never done before, like playing an instrument or dancing in front of audiences. A number of students stepped up and tried things that they finally failed in, but they had fun and enjoyed the experience. "The concert was extremely enjoyable, proving that we should always try not to worry about failure and have a go!" read another note on the website. Students were also taught about famous people like J.K. Rowling and Richard Branson who failed many times before they finished what they set out to do.
"If they let the fear of failure stop them from doing something, they are actually stopping themselves from learning, developing, and potentially succeeding,"said Bruce. | high13071.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Only a small part of the students can attend the final judging."
},
"options": [
"Most of its winners have received Nobel prizes.",
"The project includes researches in every area of science.",
"Only a small part of the studen... | An eighteen-year-old high school student from Utah won the top prize in the Intel Science Talent Search in the United States. The winner received a computer and a scholarship for a college education.
More than 1,500students from across the country entered projects in the competition this year. Their research included chemistry, medicine, physics, mathematics, engineering, and computer science-almost every area of science.
Forty students were invited to Washington, D.C. for the final judging. A group of scientists judged them on their research abilities, critical thinking skills and creativity. The judges also questioned the students about scientific problems before deciding on the winners.
The top winner received 100,000 dollars for college. Shannon Babb of American Fork High School studied the water quality of tile Spanish Fork River in Utah for six years. She found that people have a harmful effect on the river through human activity, including agriculture. And she suggested ways to improve the water quality in the future. These include educating the public not to put household chemicals down the drains , which lead to the river eventually.
Seventeen-year-old Yi Sun of the Hanker School in San Jose, California, earned the second place. He won a 75,000-dollar scholarship for new discoveries about a mathematical theory known as random walks. His work could help computer scientists and chemists. Yi Sun was born in China.
The third-place winner was also seventeen and born in China. Yuan "Chelsea" Zhang of Montgomery Blair High School in Rockville, Maryland, won a 50,000-dollar scholarship. She researched the molecular genetics of heart disease. Her findings could aid the development of new medicines.
The Intel Science Talent Search is the oldest science competition for high school students in the United States. It is 65 years old this year. Past winners have gone on to receive six Nobel prizes and other top honors in science and math. | high5750.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "some photos of elephants"
},
"options": [
"a visit to an Indian zoo",
"an elephant expert fromIndia",
"some photos of elephants",
"an old friend who lived inIndia"
],
"question": "Chris got the idea to travel ar... | Chris Jones recently finished a very unusual journey. Our reporter Mary Owen met him at his home in south prefix = st1 /Londonand he told her all about the trip.
Reporter: What gave you the idea to travel around Indiaon an elephant, Chris?
Chris: Well, it all started 2 years ago when I was planning a trip to India. I visited a photographic exhibition of elephants and I realized that the only way to travel is on an elephant.
Reporter: What did you do next?
Chris: I flew to New Delhiand started looking for an elephant. I needed an elephant trained to carry people. I didn't know anything about elephants, so I asked an expert for help. He taught me how to ride an elephant. He also helped me find an elephant.
Reporter: Can you tell me about the journey?
Chris: Well. I bought a female elephant called Tara for about $ 6000. We set off from New Delhia week later. We were heading to Sonepur in northernIndiawhere there is a big elephant market and I could sell Tara easily. And what a ride! Elephants can travel at about 6 miles an hour and Sonepur was more than 1,200 kim away. The journey took us 64 days!
Reporter: Did you have any problems on your journey?
Chris: Yes, a few. But nothing serious. On the third day, Tara hurt her foot. But that got better quickly. Also there was a log of heavy rain during the first week and we got very wet!
Reporter: What happened when you reached Sonepur?
Chris: My plan was to sell Tara. But by now I was very fond of her. I couldn't take her back to Britainand I didn't want to sell her at the market. By chance,I met some people who wanted an elephant for their national park. I knew that Tara would be safe with them, so I gave her to them. I was very sad to say goodbye. | high18124.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "as drinking milk is good for bones and teeth"
},
"options": [
"as a result of the request of the PCRM",
"because milk is the best way to get calcium",
"as drinking milk is good for bones and teeth",
"because milk is kno... | "Drink your milk. It's good for you!" You've probably heard that many times, and it's true. Milk contains calcium , which is necessary for keeping bones and teeth healthy and strong. The US government even requires milk as part of the National School Lunch Program, saying that students should drink one cup of fat-free or low-fat milk every meal.
However, a group of doctors asked the government to take it away from the lunch program. The US 'Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) says, "Milk is high in sugar, fat and animal protein," all of which have negative effects on health. The PCRM says there are better and healthier ways to get calcium such as eating beans, broccoli, cereals and tofu. Orange juice and soymilk that have calcium added to them also supply the nutrient. "One of the only reasons people prefer milk is that it is going to help build strong bones," says Dr Neal Barnard, president of the PCRM. But milk may not be the best way to get calcium your body needs.
Of course, calcium is important for healthy bones and teeth, but there are other things that affect your bone strength, such as genes, how much vitamin D you take in, and getting an hour's worth of exercise every day.
Some people disagree with the idea that milk isn't important. Keri Gans, an American Dietitian, says "I don't think it's irresponsible to take this beverage that children enjoy it very much, especially among those who are unable to meet their nutrient needs for the day, and remove it from the lunch line."
The U.S government is now considering the request of the PCRM, but a decision may be a long way off. Meanwhile, Marion Nestle, a professor puts it best: "Milk certainly has nutrients. Other food has the same nutrients. It's just food. As with other food, too much might be a problem." | high17217.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "his mood swings"
},
"options": [
"his falling down and standing up",
"his successes and failures in doing things",
"his good and bad traits",
"his mood swings"
],
"question": "The \"ups and downs\" (Para. 1) of ... | It's so difficult to follow the _ of a 2-year-old. One moment he's beaming and friendly; the next he's sullen and weepy, often for no apparent reason. These mood swings, however, are just part of growing up. They are signs of the emotional changes taking place as your child struggles to take control of actions, impulses, feelings and his body.
At this age, your child wants to explore the world and seek adventure. As a result, he'll spend most of his time testing limits, his own, yours and his environments. Unfortunately, he still lacks many of the skills required for the safe accomplishment of everything he needs to do, and he often will need you to protect him.
When he oversteps a limit and is pulled back, he often reacts with anger and frustration, possibly with a temper tantrum . He may even strike back by hitting, biting and kicking. At this age, he doesn't have much control over his emotional impulse . So his anger and frustration tend to erupt suddenly in the form of crying, hitting or screaming. It's his only way of dealing with the difficult realities of life. He may even act out in ways that unintentionally harm himself or others. It's all part of being 2.
It's not uncommon for toddlers to be angels when you're not around, because they don't trust people enough to test their limits. But with you, your toddler will be willing to try things that may be dangerous or difficult, because he knows you'll rescue him if he gets into trouble.
Whatever protest pattern he has developed around the end of his first year will probably persist for some time. For instance, when you're about to leave him with a sitter, he may become angry and throw a tantrum in anticipation of the separation. Or he may cry and cling to you. Or he could simply become subdued and silent. Whatever his behavior, try not to overreact by scolding or punishing him. The best tactic is to reassure him before you leave that you will be back and, when you return, to praise him for being so patient while you are gone. Take comfort in the fact that separations should be much easier by the time he's 3 years old. | high11666.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "proper packaging makes people attractive"
},
"options": [
"people should be packaged at all ages",
"people should be packaged in a special way",
"elderly people also care about packaging",
"proper packaging makes people... | A person, like a commodity, needs packaging. But going too far is absolutely undesirable. A little exaggeration will do no harm when it shows the person's unique qualities to their advantages. To show personal attractiveness in a casual and natural way, it is important for one to have a clear knowledge of oneself. A skilled packager knows how to add art to nature without any signs of _ so that the person so packaged is not a commodity, but a human being, lively and lovely.
A young person, especially a female, shining with beauty and full of life, has all the favor granted. Youth however, comes and goes in a flash. Packaging for the middle-aged is primarily to hide the marks made by years. If you still enjoy life enough to keep self-confidence and work at pioneering work, you are unique in your natural qualities, and your attractiveness and grace will remain. Elderly people are beautiful if their river of life has been, through plains, mountains and jungles, running its course as it should. You have really lived your life, which now arrives at a self - satisfied stage of quietness and calmness with no interest in fame or wealth. There is no need to make use of hair dyeing. The snow-capped mountain itself is a beautiful scene of fairyland. Let your looks change from young to old in step with the natural ageing process so as to keep in harmony with nature, for harmony itself is beauty, while the other way round will only end in unpleasantness. _ As long as one finds where one stands, one knows how to package oneself, just as a commodity sets up its brand by the right packaging. | high5988.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A TV program ."
},
"options": [
"A news story .",
"A popular book .",
"A research report .",
"A TV program ."
],
"question": "What is Animal Hospital ?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"an... | Tales From Animal Hospital
David Grant
David Grant has become a familiar face to millions of fans of Animal Hospital . Here Dr Grant tells us the very best of his personal stories about the animals he has treated ,including familiar patients such as the dogs Snowy and Duchess , the delightful cat Marigold Serendipity Diamond . He also takes the reader behind the scenes at Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital as he describes his day , from ordinary medical check-ups to surgery . Tales From Animal Hospital will delight all fans of the program and anyone who has a lively interest in their pet ,whether it be cat , dog or snake I ! $ 14.99 Hardback 272 pp Simon Schuster
ISBN 0751304417
Isaac Newton : The Last Sorcerer
Michael White
Form the author of Stephen Hawking : A Life in Science , comes this colorful description of the life of the world's first modern scientist . Interesting yet based on fact , Michael White's learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him . Newton is shown as a gifted scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic ended and science began.
PS8.99 Hardback 320 pp Fourth Estate
ISBN 1857024168
Fermat's Last Theorem
Simon Singh
In 1963 a schoolboy called Andrew Wiles reading in his school library came across the world's greatest mathematical problem : Fermat's Last Theorem . First put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century, the theorem had _ and beaten the finest mathematical minds , including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem , and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole Polytechnique . Through unbelievable determination Andrew Wiles finally worked out the problem in 1995 . An unusual story of human effort over three centuries , Fermat's Last Theorem will delight specialists and general readers alike .
PS12.99 Hardback 384 pp Fourth Estate
ISBN 1857025210 | high3321.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "An event of imagination"
},
"options": [
"A historic discovery.",
"An event of imagination",
"A research on space.",
"A scientific adventure."
],
"question": "What is mainly described in the passage?",
"ques... | The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth . Most of it will miss our planet, but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth.
On 17 July , a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth's atmosphere with a massive explosion . About half of the piece is destroyed, but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed. Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole. The wall of water, a kilometer high, rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned.
Before the waves reach South America, the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina. Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains. The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean. The cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes. Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won't escape for long. Because of the explosions, the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero .Crops are ruined. The sun won't be seen again for many years. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later, no more than 10 million people remain alive.
Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth. The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space. The dinosaurs couldn't live through the cold climate that followed and they died out. Will we meet the same and? | high16109.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields"
},
"options": [
"to stand down the fairway at a golf course",
"to watch over the sugar-cane plantation",
"to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields",
"to spot the b... | My father was a foreman of a sugar-cane plantation in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. My first job was to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields. I would walk behind an ox, guiding him with a broomstick. For $ 1 a day, I worked eight hours straight, with no food breaks.
It was very _ work, but it prepared me for life and taught me many lasting lessons. Because the plantation owners were always watching us, I had to be on time every day and work as hard as I could. I've never been late for any job since. I also learned about being respectful and faithful to the people you work for. More important, I earned my pay; it never entered my mind to say I was sick just because I didn't want to work.
I was only six years old, but I was doing a man's job. Our family needed every dollar we could make because my father never earned more than $ 18 a week. Our home was a three-room wood shack with a dirty floor and no toilet. Nothing made me prouder than bringing home money to help my mother, father, two brothers and three sisters. This gave me self-esteem , one of the most important things a person can have.
When I was seven, I got work at a golf course near our house. My job was to stand down the fairway and spot the balls as they landed, so the golfers could find them. Losing a ball meant you were fired, so I never missed one. Some nights I would lie in bed and dreamt of making thousands of dollars by playing golf and being able to buy a bicycle.
The more I dreamed, the more I thought. Why not? I made my first golf club out of guava limb and a piece of pipe. Then I hammered an empty tin can into the shape of a ball. And finally I dug two small holes in the ground and hit the ball back and forth. I practiced with the same devotion and intensity . I learned working in the field -- except now I was driving golf balls with club, not oxen with a broomstick . | high4328.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she wanted to have a change"
},
"options": [
"she had paid him for this",
"she knew him very well",
"she wanted to have a change",
"she enjoyed his singsing"
],
"question": "The lady asked the player to sing a s... | Once there was a piano player in a bar. People came just to hear him play. But one night, a lady asked him to sing a song.
"I don't sing." said the man.
But the lady told the waiter, "I'm tired of listening to the piano. I want the player to sing!"
The waiter shouted across the room, " Hey, friend! If you want to get paid, sing a song!"
So he did. He had never sung in public before. Now he was singing for the very first time! Nobody had ever heard the songMona Lisa sung so beautifully!
He had talent he was sitting on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar. But once he found, by accident, that he could sing well, he went on working hard and became one of the best-known singers in the US. His name was Nat King Cole.
You, too, have skills and abilities. You may not feel that your talent is great, but it may be better than you think. With hard work, most skills skills can be improved. Besides, you may have no success at all if you just sit on your talent. | high2981.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "do several things effectively at the same time"
},
"options": [
"do several things effectively at the same time",
"turn their attention rapidly to two things",
"handle all difficult tasks with ease",
"pay full attention... | Studies over the past decade at the University of Utah show that hands-free cellphones are just as harmful to drivers as hand-held ones because it is the conversation, not the phone, that is distracting their attention. "Even though your eyes are looking right at something, when you are on the cellphone, you are not as likely to see it," says Professor David Strayer. "Ninety-nine percent of the time, it's not that critical , but that l% could be the time a child runs into the street," he adds.
Dr. Strayer's studies have also found that talking on a cellphone is far more distracting than talking with a passenger. Listening to the radio, to music or to a book on tape also isn't as distracting, because it doesn't require the same level of interaction as a conversation. But even drivers may miss some details of a book on tape if their attention is focused on driving tasks. Some people can train themselves to pay extra attention to things that are important--like police officers learn to search faces in crowds.
And the Utah researchers have found a rare group of "super-taskers"--about 2.5% of the population--who seem able to attend to more than one thing with ease.
Many more people think they can effectively do several things at the same time, but they are really turning their attention rapidly between two things and not getting the full effect of either. Clearly, it is easier to put some tasks together than others." Not all distractions are the same,'' says Dr. Strayer. Things like cleaning and working out can be done automatically while the mind is focused elsewhere. But doing homework and texting at the same time isn't possible. Even talking and watching TV is difficult. "Just try talking with your wife while watching football. It's impossible," jokes Dr. Strayer. | high11100.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "discuss the potential problems of educational system"
},
"options": [
"improve the teachers' way of teaching",
"stress the using of PDA in the classroom",
"change the students' behavior in the classroom",
"discuss the p... | Recently, a student used his Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) to film a female teacher scolding and tearing the work of a classmate. The public discussion that the incident caused started on the Internet. However, when it came to the media's attention, it quickly became a major topic in the education circles. The reactions so far suggest that the focus of the debate has been on one question: whom to blame?
Teachers who are anxious to defend their professional dignity have tried to put the blame on the students. They mentioned their right to privacy )and for this reason they requested the Ministry of Education (MOE) to prohibit PDAs in schools. On the other hand, some parents and students have taken a different position. They feel that the teacher is also at fault. Caught up in the war of words between both sides, people are no longer interested in the "truth" of the matter which seems now unimportant. It was left to newspapers to discover the central point of the controversial issue, by stressing the problems that are not always easily noticed in our educational system.
For those responsible for educating the young, this PDA incident conveys the message that "Times have changed",a reality that must have been felt even more strongly by the female teacher when reflecting on this unpleasant experience. Different times call for different professional approaches in education. The ability to understand the students they are teaching has always been the quality of successful teachers. Despite some factors, the incident shows that the teacher lacks good qualities on her part. Besides, the rules under current system to deal with recalcitrant students need to be improved. Also, it is an example which shows the issue we are familiar with: what to do with new technology? With PDA, the new technology, the interaction between the teacher and students in classroom has been changed. | high2759.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "she had no shoes on"
},
"options": [
"she was dirty",
"she had no money",
"the store was closed",
"she had no shoes on"
],
"question": "The little girl wasn't allowed to enter the store because _ .",
"que... | It was a rather hot day. Everybody seemed to be looking for some kind of relief, so an ice cream store was a natural place to stop at.
A little girl, holding her money firmly, entered the store. Before she could say a word, the store clerk sharply told her to get outside and read the sign on the door, and stay out until she put on the shoes. She left slowly, and a big man followed her out of the store.
The man watched as she stood in front of the store and read the sign. "No Bare Feet".
Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she turned and walked away. Just then the big man called to her. After sitting down on the roadside, he took off his size-12 shoes, set them in front of the girl and saying, "Here, you won't be able to walk in these, but if you slide along, you can get your ice cream."
Then he lifted the little girl up and set her feet into the shoes. "Take your time," he said, "I get tired of moving them around, and it's good to just sit here and eat my ice cream."
The shining eyes of the little girl could not be missed as she ordered her ice cream.
He was a big man, all right. Big body, big shoes, but most of all, he had a big heart. | high5036.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the women can continue their families line"
},
"options": [
"the women are very beautiful",
"the women are the only they love",
"the women can be liked by their families",
"the women can continue their families line"
... | Men weigh up potential partners almost instantaneously based on their appearance because their "ancient" genetic preference for attractive mates leads them to, experts claim.
According to research, a woman with an attractive face is taken by men to be fertile and able to continue the family line, appealing to the man's survival instinct.
In contrast women take longer to decide their feelings for a man because they need to weigh up whether he will be a committed partner who will provide for them well - part of their survival programming.
They tested men and women's preference towards looks by conducting a series of tests on 20 women and 20 men, making them perform tasks while recording their brain activity.
While the subjects were doing the task they were shown a series of photographs of faces of the opposite sex, ranging from attractive to ugly.
Men were easily distracted when they saw a pretty face but women stuck to the task.
Prof van Vugt said: "Men definitely have the most wandering eye but it is because they have evolved to pay attention to cues of fertility and one of those cues is facial beauty - it's not that men are shallow."
But we found they do make snap judgments about women, much earlier than was previously thought. They make that decision on whether a woman would be a good mating partner in milliseconds.
This is something very ancient and a way of helping men find the best mate to produce children.
Women were not distracted by attractive male faces because women need more proof of whether a man is a good mate.
"Women make that decision on behaviour, whether a man is trustworthy and committed. They make their decision much later than men." | high18642.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "kids"
},
"options": [
"kids",
"teachers",
"school headmasters",
"parents"
],
"question": "Who does the writer write this passage for?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,... | Learn to Communicate with Others
Talking to Teachers--Teachers are just people behind the desk, living breathing human beings. And they will probably be friendly to people who talk nicely to them. Teachers also seem to get along better with children who take schoolwork seriously and prepare for class. And, just like any other human being, teachers like to be appreciated. The next time your teacher helps you solve a math problem or figure out a science project, say thank you with a smile.
Talking to Parents--Parents can be very supportive if their children ask for help. If you think there's something your parents can do to help you feel more comfortable around people, then ask them. Very often, parents want very much to help, but really don't know what to do. Pick a quiet time of the day and ask to talk. Tell them how you feel. Maybe they had the same trouble when they were kids.
Talking to Strangers--This is always a tough one. How do you deal with a neighbor, or the mail carrier? That often seems to cause arguments between kids and parents. The answer to these questions will vary from kid to kid, from parent to parent because all cultures are different. Some folks live in small towns where a hello to everyone is ok. Then there are kids who live in the city who may have been taught not to speak to anyone they don't know. If you're having trouble with this and always feel awkward in these kinds of situations, you might want to talk to your parents or a teacher about it. | high17571.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "by knowing what he wants her to do"
},
"options": [
"through his observation of the patient",
"through a careful examination",
"by knowing what he wants her to do",
"by prescribing an antibiotic"
],
"question": ... | Telemedicine is the name for when doctors give advice to patients by telephone or the Internet, or when health care providers in rural areas connect with specialists in big cities.
Telemedicine has existed for a long time, but the rise of smart phones, tablets and webcam-equipped computers is raising telemedicine to new levels. Some health care systems in the United States now offer Virtual Urgent Care, patients see a doctor by video chat without having to leave home.
Diana Rae is a nurse educator in the western state of Washington. She recently showed how Virtual Urgent Care works. She used an iPad tablet and skype -- the video chat service.
Doctor Green has the patient describe her symptoms, then the doctor performs a physical exam by demonstrating what he wants her to do. Doctor Green decides that the problem is a silence infection. For medicine, he prescribes an antibiotic. He says about 3 out of 4 patients have health problems that can be treated like this --through Virtual Urgent Care, that means a video chat could replace a visit to the doctor's office.
The Franciscan Health System is based in Tacoma, Washington. Franciscan charges $35 for this kind of virtual house call, that is much less than the cost of going to an emergency room, a doctor's office or an urgent care clinic.
After trying the video conference, Diana Rae says, "I would've paid twice that for the convenience of getting taken care of without having to sit in a waiting room, wait, and get exposed to everyone else's germs."
Franciscan has a deal with a company called Carena to add virtual urgent care by Skype or phone. Carena is one of several companies doing this kind of work around the country. But a company official says state rules have not kept progress with developments in telemedicine. The workers who provide virtual urgent care must be separately licensed in each state where the company does business. For now, that means Carena doctors can treat patients in Washington state and California for example, but not in neighboring Oregon or Idaho. | high14078.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Jules Skye."
},
"options": [
"Jules Skye.",
"Gee Whizz.",
"Charlotte Stone.",
"James Pickering."
],
"question": "Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?",
"question_type": "factiod_question... | What's On?
_
7.30pm-1.00am Free at the Cyclops Theatre
Do you know who's playing in your area? We're bringing you an evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract ? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He's going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce you music.
_
8.30pm-10.30pm Comedy at Kaleidoscope
Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He's the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks .
_
5.00pm-7.30pm Wednesdays at Victoria Stage
This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years' experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.
_
8.00pm-11.00pm Pizza World
Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta . Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine. | high13717.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The author didn't mention the reason for it."
},
"options": [
"Because the dog was too dirty.",
"Because she was fearful of dogs.",
"Because the author dislikes keeping dogs.",
"The author didn't mention the reason for ... | In the suburban district of a city lived an old woman quite alone. Her husband died thirty years ago and two years later, her only son went away with lung cancer. So she had no family still living and her only friend was a little white dog who went everywhere with her - with one exception. The dog loved the fireplace in winter, and after the old woman went to bed he would sometimes go and lie in front of the warm coals. Usually though, the dog lay on a rug right next to the bed.
Deeply as the old woman loved her dog, she wouldn't allow the dog on the bed with her. However, if she became frightened or had a nightmare, she would put her hand down to her little white dog and he would lick it to calm her down.
One night she was reading the newspaper just before going to sleep. She trembled and pulled the duvet up around her as she read that a mental patient had wandered out from a nearby hospital. No one knew if the patient was dangerous or not, but he was a suspect in the murders of several women who lived alone.
The woman turned off the lights and tried to sleep, but she was frightened, and turned over continually. Finally, she reached down to where her little white dog slept. Sure enough, a warm, wet tongue began to lick her hand. The woman felt reassured and safe, and left her hand hanging off the side of the bed. As she turned to settle in comfortably she opened her eyes for a moment and looked through the open door into the living room.
There in front of the fireplace, sat her little white dog, gazing at the coals and wagging his tail. And down beside her bed, something was still licking her hand. | high12409.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "was brave enough to race in front of Adolf Hitler"
},
"options": [
"sets records for NCAA championships",
"was brave enough to race in front of Adolf Hitler",
"didn't want to shake hands with Hitler",
"is recognized as ... | Jesse Owens is recognized as a hero not just because he is fast. Some people might say that they know him for just that reason. However, there are lots of fast people who are not known. Jesse Owens is known because Chancellor Adolf Hitler did not shake the hand of Jesse Owens or even recognize his feat of winning four gold medals, because Owens was an African American.
Jesse Owens owed much of his success to his coach Charles Riley, who probably was the most important one making him have the career that he did. Owens came from a background that required him to work after school in a shoe shop. He couldn't attend the regularly scheduled track practices organized by his school. However, Charles Riley saw the boy had both a passion and a talent for running, and so arranged for him to be able to practice before school instead.
Jesse Owens achieved this success despite his racial background, which at the time was a huge limitation to him. He could only eat in certain restaurants and sleep in certain hotels, as could all African Americans of the time. He was also never offered a scholarship for school despite setting records for NCAA championships.
The Berlin Olympics in 1936 is where his star rose as high as it would ever be able to. These Olympics were during the height of Hitler's rule. It took courage to race in front of Hitler and many other racist . It took time, determination, and perseverance to race like him. He won four gold medals at those Olympics. It would take almost fifty years for someone else to walk away from the Olympics with four gold medals. He passed away at the age of 66 from lung cancer. | high15366.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it is water-saving and satisfactory"
},
"options": [
"it can collect rainwater and show",
"it is more advanced than channel irrigation",
"it is water-saving and satisfactory",
"it can provide plants with what is need"
... | A pioneer who made poor lands bloom is the winner of this year's World Food Prize. Daniel Hillel developed drip irrigation techniques that squeeze the most crop out of a drop of water, making farming possible in places where water is scarce .
Farmers now rely on it in water-scarce regions from Spanish vineyards, to African onion fields, to America's fruit and salad bowl. "We in California grow about 50 percent of the fruits and vegetables of the continental United States," says University of California at Davis hydrologist Jan Hopmans. "And the reason that is possible is because of, indeed, these drip and micro-irrigation techniques."
Hillel got his start in dryland farming as a pioneer in Israel's Negev Desert in the 1950s."The issue was efficient use of water," he says, "because land is available. It's extensive. Water is limited."These desert farmers did not have the luxury of running irrigation water through channels to their crops, the way farmers have since ancient times.So Hillel and others gave plants just what they needed, just where they needed it.
"The idea was to apply the water little by little, the way you spoon-feed a baby," Hillel says.It worked so well that Hillel was soon traveling the world, showing others how to do it.Experts say drip irrigation is an innovation whose importance is growing, as climate change and rising population strain(......) water supplies in many parts of the world.
"This is where water use, water availability, water-use efficiency and climate change and crop production all converge," Hillel says. "And this has been really the essence of my career."
A career whose legacy can be measured drop by drop. | high7621.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "cupboard"
},
"options": [
"cup",
"ladder",
"cupboard",
"cooker"
],
"question": "When Lily used the word \"larder\", she was probably looking for a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | There are some differences between American English and British English. Some differences are quite interesting.
When my friend Lily from London used the word "larder", I didn't know what it meant. Realizing I didn't follow her, she used another word. I finally knew she wanted to find something to keep some food. The next word came up when we were planning a lunch date. She _ the date and time in her diary, while I marked my calendar. If she called me on the phone, she would ring me up. But if the line was busy, she would say the line was engaged.
Most times, I can know what Lily means. Last week, she regretted sending her boys to watch an early morning tennis game without their fleeces. I thought that she meant without their jackets or something like that. Other times, we have to ask each other. She recently told me a funny tale about a pissed woman. I wondered what had made the lady angry. It turns out that pissed means drunk.
Here is one more example. My British friend Jane was filling out a ticket at the grocery store recently. She asked the young man to help her if he had a rubber. When she noticed he didn't follow her, she quickly asked for an eraser, which, in England, is often called a rubber.
In order to communicate well with British people, we Americans should learn some words that the British use differently. And I think people who learn English as a second language should also realize that there are differences between American English and British English. | high12186.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "weak"
},
"options": [
"powerful",
"wise",
"weak",
"foolish"
],
"question": "Compared with the Persian army,the Greek allies were very _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | In the year 480 BC the Greek allies faced invasion by the King of Persia,Xerxes,who commanded a huge army of about half a million men. When the Persian army marched into northern Greece,the Greek states,led by Athens and Sparta,were ill equipped to deal with the threat. The Persians were well supplied with food and weapons. Their army included infantry,cavalry,and a large navy. It seemed that they would easily defeat the Greeks.
The Greek allies decided to send 10,000 men northwards to slow down the Persians,while the rest prepared to defend their homelands. A group of 300 best Spartan soldiers were chosen to lead the force going north,with Leonidas in command. Leonidas realised that the only hope of slowing the Persians would be to block the narrow passage of land at Thermopylae. The Pass of Thermopylae was the route between the mountains and the sea,and was so narrow that only a few men could get through at a time.
When the Persian army arrived at Thermopylae,they found Leonidas' tiny army opposing them. The Persians attacked,but could not get through. They attacked again and again,but each time they were driven back by the Greeks,led by the fearless Spartans. Leonidas'plan worked well until a Greek traitor called Ephialtes went to Xerxes. He told the Persian king about a goat's path in the mountains that would take the Persian army past Thermopylae. When Leonidas saw the enemy crossing the mountains,he realised that he could no longer hold Thermopylae. He sent all the Greek soldiers except the 300 Spartans back to their homelands.
The Spartans waited for the 500,000 Persians at the goat's path. Although hopelessly outnumbered,the Spartans fought bravely. They all died,but the other Greeks were able to get home to strengthen the defences. | high22045.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "entirely different"
},
"options": [
"close to each other",
"entirely different",
"quite the same",
"very similar"
],
"question": "Customs can be _ in different countries according to this passage.",
"ques... | As I was leaving to meet Lynne,my roommate told me that I'd better take some money,but I didn't listen to him. I thought that Lynne would pay because she had invited me.
I arrived at the restaurant exactly on time. I'd been told that Americans expect you to be on time. Lynne and I sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant and a waitress came and took our order. The dinner was a great success. I talked a lot about Saudi Arabia and Lynne told me all about herself. After two hours the waitress finally came and asked if we wanted one check or two. Lynne said two. We went to the cashier and Lynne paid her check. I was embarrassed when the cashier gave me my bill. I had no money to pay for my meal. Then I had an idea. I pretended to look for something in my pockets and said,"Oh!I forgot my money! Can I call my roommate,please?" The cashier showed me where the phone was and I quickly called my roommate.
In a few minutes he arrived with some money,but he couldn't hide how he felt. He laughed all the way home.
Now,I think it's funny too. But at the time I was terribly embarrassed. I thought that an invitation to have dinner meant the same thing in the United States as in my country. I guess you have to understand that your customs are only your customs. When you visit a foreign country,you have to learn about their customs,too. | high1907.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "eating when you're stressed can cause weight problems"
},
"options": [
"how to deal with stress at mealtimes",
"what kind of food can be easily digested",
"eating when you're stressed can cause weight problems",
"eating... | Many people who are overweight have poor digestion . For the most part, poor digestion is not a habit given by our parents. We give it to ourselves through the way we eat.
Oh, poor digestion can lead to weight problems. Here's how: When a person feels stressed, the part of the central nervous system that connects digestion switches off. This is called the parasympathetic nervous system . At those times of stress, the body can take in food and process some of it, but digestion doesn't work correctly to digest all the nutritional goodness from the food. Poor digestion is not always obvious by observing symptoms; you can get some illnesses but not always. Poor digestion can be seemingly silent.
If you eat when you are stressed, anxious, or nervous, you might as well be eating cardboard for all the nutrients your body gets. Yes, eating when stressed is a gaining situation. Now you might think, well, if I'm not digesting, the calories aren't getting handles, so I should be losing weight. Good idea, but wrong reality. When digestion is not proper, the body starts "starving" from lack of necessary nutrients . Yes, it goes into a starvation problem and starts absorbing fat and energy. It thinks it's in a famine . The good news is that it's easy to make some corrections and get rid of stress at mealtimes.
If you feel stressed often, it can be helpful to take other food that contains multiple B vitamins. These help, but you could still find yourself stressed at mealtimes. | high15831.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To solve the social population issue."
},
"options": [
"To increase the population of Han nationality.",
"To balance the nature and society.",
"To develop the economy of China.",
"To solve the social population issue."
... | The State Council submitted a bill which aims to allow couples to have two children if either parent is an only child. It focuses on adjusting and improving the family planning policy.
The State Council argues adjustment to the policy in the face of a steadily declining birth rate. The birth rate has remained relatively low and shows a tendency to fall further. The rate has dropped to between 1.5 and 1.6 since the 1990s, which means each Chinese woman of child-bearing age gives birth to 1.5 to 1.6 children on average. The working population began to drop in 2012 by 3.45 million every year, and it is likely to fall by 8 million each year after 2023.
The population aged 60 and above will reach 400 million and account for one-fourth of the total population in the early 2030s, up from one-seventh now.
"If the current family planning policy continues, the birth rate will continue to fall and lead to a sharp drop of the total population after reaching a peak," said Li Bin, minister in charge of the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
"It is the right time to make changes: The low birth rate is stable, the working population is still large and the burden of supporting the elderly remains relatively light," he added.
An increase in birth is expected if the policy changes but will not seriously affect the food supply, public education, health care or employment.
China's food safety and public service plans are designed to meet the needs of 1.43 billion population in 2020 and 1.5 billion in 2033. Even with the policy change, the total population will reach no more than 1.38 billion in 2015, Li said. | high13298.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "tiny little hick town"
},
"options": [
"get this off my chest",
"three or four spelling or grammatical errors",
"tiny little hick town",
"reading the recipes in the magazine"
],
"question": "Which phrase from th... | To the Editor,
I have been reading your newspaper,the Hometown Gazette, for the past two years, ever since I moved to Smithville. We moved here from New York City, so I am accustomed to reading excellent newspapers such asThe New York Times . In fact, we still havethe Timesdelivered on Sundays. The entire family enjoys reading the recipes in the magazine, as well as the Styles section.
The Times is great, butthe Gazetteis another story. I've never read an article that doesn't contain at least three or four spelling or grammatical errors. For instance, in last week's issue you misspelled the word "secretary", used a singular verb with a plural noun, and used "it's" as a possessive . And that was just in the lead story! In case you never went to elementary school, "it's" means "it is ".It's also a possessive adjective!
It's a pity that this tiny little hick town has only one newspaper, because I'd like to have an alternative to the rag you publish. I find it hard to believe your news stories. If you can't spell correctly. How can you get your facts right?
I've been meaning to get this off my chest for some time. Please cancel my subscription . And buy yourself a dictionary.
Sincerely,
Jane Z, Jones | high10791.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a degree in education and a certificate"
},
"options": [
"a MA decree and a certificate",
"a degree and three certificates",
"a degree and two certificates",
"a degree in education and a certificate"
],
"questio... | I have been a special education teacher for 17 years and I wish more people would get into special education.The position is very demanding and there is always a shortage of special education teachers.It is not an easy profession to get into. One needs a BA in education and then a special education certificate such as a certificate in learning disabilities, emotional disabilities or cross categories which means covering all the subjects.A certified new special educate teacher needs to _ a current special education teacher for at least, a year because there is that much to know and practice.
Working with the students is the biggest reward.However, the paperwork is huge with requesting more year after year.If you are good at doing about ten things at the same time, then you may be the right person for the job. No day is the same. Parent and government expectations are high. A sense of empathy(the ability of feeling and sharing another person's feelings) and one hundred percent prepared to help your students is important. Also, if you are a special education teacher working in the high school, it is your job to make sure your special education students are able to be employed after they graduate, and then the special education teacher needs to stay in touch with the special students a year after they graduate to make sure they are employed and can support themselves. Education is a very political field next to working in politics. One needs to know what to say, when to say it and make sure it is a benefit for everyone involved. It is a mixture of knowing medical diagnosis and teaching with that in mind. Your record needs to be perfect, and it would also help to be a very strong Christian because you will need to pray often to yourself. This position is not about the money but more of a service. | high20652.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "shaping children's character"
},
"options": [
"preparing children academically",
"developing children's artistic interests",
"developing children's potential",
"shaping children's character"
],
"question": "In J... | Many Americans are turning to Japan, they think, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one survey, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents listed "to give children a good start academically" as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese preschools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as determination, concentration, and the ability to work as a member of a group. The huge majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents.
Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children's chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens. | high10949.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the writer had an unpleasant experience with the neighbor long ago"
},
"options": [
"the writer's cats disturb her neighbor frequently",
"the writer didn't thank her for calling the firefighters",
"the writer never apologized... | Early this morning, I got up to make a batch of Rice Krispie Treats for my neighbor across the hall. She barely greets me when we see each other, and her sweet little boy, who's now four, has picked up her mother's manner and will not talk to me, either.
Last Monday, she had called the firefighters when a pan I'd forgotten on the stove caused my flat to fog up while I was out taking a walk. When I came home, the street in front of our apartment house was blocked by a police car, a fire truck and an ambulance! The instant I saw them, I remembered the pan! Luckily, nothing serious had happened, and all my neighbors agreed with the firefighter who said, "It could have happened to anyone." When I thanked the neighbor who had called the firefighters-let's call her Ivy-and apologized for causing the trouble, she just asked if my cats were all right.When I said they were fine, she said, "Well, that's ok then," and turned into her flat.l felt strangely safe, knowing that even though we don't get along, she'd done the right thing and didn't blame me.So, the Rice Krispie Treats.
Last Christmas, my neighbor carelessly let it out that she was holding a grudge towards me because of an incident we'd had four years ago.I had particularly apologized and asked if there was anything I could do to improve our relationship. She would not accept my apology.
It had taken me a lot of courage to apologize and ask that question instead of insisting that we both shared responsibility for what had happened.Her flat-out refusal to make amends really shocked and saddened me.After that, I decided I'd just leave her be-a relationship takes two to work.So, you see, I was really scared she was going to refuse my offer again, leaving me standing on her doorstep, facing the closed door and holding my plate of treats. I know some people have a hard time understanding how the possibility of rejection can make an adult so afraid, but that's just the way I felt.
Then, I reminded myself of how loving and good I had felt yesterday when I'd done some random acts of kindness (thanks to helpothers.org), after telling myself: Feet the fear, and do it anyway! So I put the squares of Rice Krispie Treats on a beautiful plate, opened my apartment door-and there she was, standing in the hallway.I smiled and said, "Hi," but when she saw me, she turned on her heels and went back inside, even though she seemed to have just stepped out.I went after her, regardless, and quickly said, "I'm sorry, I've got something for you ! I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you were paying attention on Monday." When she heard me speaking, she turned around. As I held the plate towards her, explaining these were very sweet American treats, and that she could just try and see whether she and her family would like them, her eyebrows winged up-and she took the plate.l was so happy and excited.We then talked a bit about how she'd become aware of the smoke in my flat, and parted ways.
Back in my place, I did a "happy dance", because I had dared to be kind even though I hadn't been sure at all my kindness would be welcome.I do hope that our relationship will slowly get better; I know I was and still am biased towards her at times, but even if we don't make amends, I want to be able to be kind without depending on other people's behaviors and reactions . | high3876.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "issue plans trying to satisfy everyone"
},
"options": [
"care more about the education in the U. S.",
"issue plans trying to satisfy everyone",
"make college more affordable",
"narrow the gap of achievement between stud... | Every time an election rolls around, people want to know what each candidate's stance is on the issues that are important to them. In deciding which candidateIwant to vote for, there are two main issues for me:the economy and education.
These issues are important to me because they affect me the most right now. The economy affects everyone,and education is important because I am about to enter college. When I looked at how each candidate views these issues, one man stood out to me,and that is Democratic candidate Barack Obama.
I like a11 of Senator Obama's ideas for improving the economy. He wants to bring the troops home from Iraq,thereby saving the $12 billion we spend there every month. Another point that Obama makes is that the United States' current energy policy is hurting the economy. He believes that if new energy bills are passed, it will help the U. S. get out of its current economic slump,and I agree. With these ideas and strategies, I strongly believe that Obama can improve the current state of the economy.
Obama also has a plan to improve education. He believes that we need to start educating children at a young age. He also hopes to close the gap of achievement between students, which means improving schools that need help. He wants to pay teachers more and treat them like professionals,but in exchange he calls for higher responsibility.
Obama also has a plan to make college more affordable. He wants public colleges to be free for students who maintain a "B" average during high school. And he plans to give a $4,000 tax credit for college and university students who complete 100 hours of community service each year. I believe these ideas to improve education are good enough and will help many students.
Therefore, there is no longer any doubt in my mind who will be receiving my vote: Barack Obama. | high20134.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Teachers."
},
"options": [
"Students.",
"Parents.",
"Teachers.",
"Pupils."
],
"question": "Who do you think the passage is written mainly for?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_i... | A graded reader is a book containing simplified languages used to help learners master the language. Readers come in different levels, from beginners to advanced. English learners need to choose a reader that is suitable for their level.
Why use readers? Lots of research shows that extensive reading improves all aspects of language learning, including vocabulary, speaking skills, fluency ,writing skills and reading comprehension.
prefix = st1 /Reading is a way of learning English without classes or a teacher. It helps develop learner independence. And while reading graded readers, learners don't have to run to a dictionary because the language is at their level.
How do I get started? The entire class can read the same book or different books at different times.
How do I know the right level? If your class is all reading the same book, choose one that is appropriate for their level. If your students are reading different books, you can have a selection of books at different levels. In this case, don't worry too much about the level. A learner who is interested in detective stories might read a higher level book if the motivation is there.
How to read the book depends on students' age, motivation and class time available. Some classes like to read silently, others like to read aloud in small groups and some enjoy being read to by the teacher. Be sensitive to the class and ask for their opinions.
Some pre-reading activities are needed. Before students open a book, it is important to spark interest in the story and in the whole process of reading. For example, ask them to guess what the story is from cover, chapter titles and let students put them in the best order, or discuss the author.
During reading, choose a suitable chapter or chapters that can be broken down to make a comic strip . Or students select a part of the book to make into a radio play. Students can also become journalists and report on parts of the story. Choose a piece of action and have students write it up. Besides, students can role-play an interview with a character. | high17798.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "students may enjoy lower-price tickets when traveling"
},
"options": [
"students who quit school will pay more for travel",
"students may enjoy lower-price tickets when traveling",
"students should have a longer summer vacati... | We all have fond memories of taking a few lazy months off after the stress of A-levels. So now that summer has arrived, let's take full advantage. It goes without saying that summer vacations are the perfect time to go traveling.
Tickets go up greatly when you turn 26, so make the most of cheaper rates while _ .
Overseas volunteering won't amaze future employers, but it can be very useful. Finding a reliable company that won't cheat you is important, as is discovering a program that interests you. There are plenty of websites where you can see other people's suggestions.
Of course for most of us, money is tight. To avoid overspending you can combine employment and vacation. Hannah Warn, a psychology student at the University of Winchester, is spending her summer at Camp America where students enjoy a good time on a summer camp. "Being thrown into something where I don't really know what to expect is exciting," she says. "It gives me a chance to experience being away from home in a different way."
Those with a talent for languages might also consider working abroad as an au pair . The work may be a chance to involve yourself in a new culture while your employer pays most of the bill.
If you have an idea of the sort of career you'd like, getting work experience is wise. In many careers, graduating with only your degree to show for your three or four years just won't make it. Send applications off early and to as many places as possible. Make sure you take a well-earned break this summer. | high8923.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Have fun with his brother."
},
"options": [
"Watch movies.",
"Play video games.",
"Have fun with his brother.",
"Pack things up to amuse himself."
],
"question": "What did the author do when traveling to Myrtle ... | The best family vacation that ever had was going on a road trip to Myrtle Beach. The trip was for 2 weeks during the March break from school. This trip was probably about 20 years ago so it was before the time of things like portable video games and being able to watch movies in the back seat.
So to pass the many hours of travel my brother and I had to entertain ourselves and each other. My mum would set the back set up so that it was out own little playroom. She would pack everything up in the feet well so that we had a big level area to play in. We would play cards and board games.
When it got to the point that _ we would be sent back to out own side of the seat and would be forced to either nap or read by ourselves until we could be friendly to each other again. I can remember us playing for quite some time when we turned the back seat into a spaceship and travelled around the earth.
Another time we turned it into a kitchen and had a bake-off . But the thing that I remember the most and that gave us many hours of enjoyment was using each other's faces as silly Plasticine and making funny faces. We would see how far we could stretch each other's mouth open, see how thin we could make the other's eye by pulling on it. We would keep going until one of us begged for mercy because we had to give our faces a rest.
So while I can remember us having a great time on the beach, laughing a lot trying to put the tent up in the rain, what I remember the most of that trip and what always makes me smile the most is remembering the pain that our faces would be in after the trip. | high14291.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "On May 30th, 1998"
},
"options": [
"On May 28th, 1998",
"On May 29th, 1998",
"On May 31st, 1998",
"On May 30th, 1998"
],
"question": "When did Stacey die from the traffic accident?",
"question_type": "factio... | On May 28th, 1998 I was driving my 13-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son to school. Unfortunately my car crashed with a truck. All three of us were critically injured. Stacey's brain injury was the most severe. Despite all attempts to save her, she died two days later. When I became conscious, I heard my husband talking to the organ donor coordinator .
We knew that Stacey would want that because that's the kind of person she was. She always wanted to assist people. She was always smiling and brought so much joy to others. She was friendly and enjoyed writing stories and poetry.
It has been a comfort to know that Stacey lives on in the lives of others. I have even met the family of one of Stacey's kidney recipients . This little girl was 6 years old at the time of the transplant. She was suffering from Nephrotic Syndrome. I saw pictures showing the effects of the Nephrotic Syndrome and the pictures of her after the transplant. _ already showed an amazing difference. We correspond every year through letters, cards and pictures. The girl is doing really well at school and will be graduating from high school next year. I am so grateful that we have this relationship. I also feel relieved that my daughter has made so great a difference to a person's life.
Over the years, I have had some kind of contact with all of the recipients except the heart recipient. I'm very sorry for that. I would love to hear something from the heart recipient's family. There are so many things that I wonder about her. I wonder if she is anything like Stacey. Does she smile all the time? Does she enjoy writing stories and poetry? I do hope that they can contact us!
I feel guilty because I was the one driving in the accident which caused Stacey's death. I also feel proud that my daughter has helped so many people. | high12838.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "showed little international friendship"
},
"options": [
"showed little international friendship",
"greatly encouraged international brotherhood",
"created goodwill between the nations",
"created only misunderstanding an... | Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together.Others say that the opposite is true;that international contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred.There is probably some truth in both arguments,but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourage international brotherhood. Not only was there the incident of tragedy involving murder of athletes,but the Games were also ruined by less incidents caused principally by minor national contests.
One country received its secondplace medals with visible anger after the hockey final.There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match,the losers objecting to the final decisions.They were convinced that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents' victory was unfair. Their manager was in a rage when he said,"This isn't hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished." The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not yield first place to Russia,after a disputable end to their contest.The game had ended in disorder.It was thought at first that the United States had won by a single point,but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play.A Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other,and another player popped it into the basket. It was the first time the US had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury debated the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals or in nonnational teams,might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism . | high8937.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "when the teacher gave the students a speech"
},
"options": [
"when the teacher gave the students some advice on how to learn English",
"when the students were having a meeting",
"when the teacher gave the students a speech",
... | A famous teacher was speaking to the students at our school. He began his lesson by holding up a PS100 bill. Then he said to the three hundred students, "Who would like to have this PS100 bill?" The students began to put up their hands at once.
Then he said, "I am going to give this bill to one of you, but first, let me do this." He then made this bill into a ball. Then he said, "Who wants it?" Hands went into the air.
"Well," he said, "What if I do this?" and he dropped it on the floor and stepped on it. He picked up the dirty, crumpled bill and said, "Who still wants it?" _
"My friends," he said, "You've learned a valued lesson today. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it didn't go down in value. It was still worth PS100.
Many times in our lives, we're dropped, crumpled, and stepped on by the chances we take and the things that happen to us. We feel as if we are worth nothing. But remember, no matter what has happened to you, you will never lose your value. You are always valuable to those who love you. Your value doesn't come from what you drop or whom you know,but WHO YOU ARE .
You are special and valuable. Don't ever forget it! | high539.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "sounds"
},
"options": [
"pictures",
"words",
"water",
"sounds"
],
"question": "Dolphins show their feelings with _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,... | Can dolphins talk? Maybe they can't talk with words, but they talk with sounds. They show their feelings with sounds.
Dolphins travel in a group. We call a group of fish a "school". They don't study, but they travel together.
Dolphins talk to the other dolphins in the school. They give information. They tell when they are happy or sad or afraid. They say "welcome"when a dolphin comes back to the school. They talk when they play.
They make a few sounds above water. They make many more sounds under water. People cannot hear these sounds because they are very, very high. Scientists make tapes of the sounds and study them.
Sometimes people catch a dolphin for a large aquarium . People can watch the dolphins in a show. Dolphins don't like to be away from their school in an aquarium. They are sad and lonely . Dolphins
There are many stories about dolphins. They help people. Sometimes they save somebody's life. Dolphin meat is good, but people don't like to kill them. They say that dolphins bring good luck. Many people believe this. | high23429.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "MOOCs provide teachers' instructions if you have some difficulty"
},
"options": [
"MOOCs have a platform for learners to share their learning experience",
"MOOCs provide teachers' instructions if you have some difficulty",
"M... | MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are free, but without tutoring, and are open to anyone, anywhere in the world. The courses are flexible -- normally three to five hours of study a week -- done at any time, short (5 to 10 weeks) and video-rich. They are also heavily dependent on crowd sourcing: you can discuss a course with fellow students through online forums, discussion boards and peer review. Students don't have to finish the courses, pass assessments or do assignments, but, if they do, they get a certification of participation.
The Open University launched FutureLearn, the UK's answer to US platforms such as Coursera, EdX and Udacity, which have been offering MOOCs from top US universities for the past two years. The response has been incredible, with more than three million people registering worldwide. Meanwhile, in 2012, Edinburgh University became the first non-US institution to join Coursera's partnership, comprising 13 universities. "We already run 50 online master's degrees, so this was a logical expansion," says Professor Jeff Haywood, Edinburgh's vice-principal. "It's an investment in teaching methods research. How am I going to teach introductory philosophy to 100,000 people? That's what I call educational R&D." He adds "If you look ahead 10 years, you'd expect all students graduating to have taken some online courses, so you've got to research that. Our MOOCs are no more in competition with our degrees than a lifelong learning course because they don't carry credits."
Cooperation is key, Haywood stresses. It is far better to offer 20-30 courses in your own areas of expertise and let other institutions do likewise. Professor Mike Sharples, FutureLearn's academic lead, goes further: "We've tied the elements available before into a package of courses offered by leading universities worldwide on a new software platform, with a new way of promoting it and also a new social-learning teaching method. You won't just receive an exam, but be able to discuss and mark each other's assignments."
Bath University, one of more than 20 universities working with FutureLearn, launches its first course, Inside Cancer, next January, and regards MOOCs as a way of breaking down age barriers. "There's no reason why someone doing GCSEs should not look at our MOOCs and get quite a way through them, or someone at PhD level and beyond," says Professor Bernie Morley, expert for learning and teaching. | high14285.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the reason why the young kill themselves lies in two main kinds"
},
"options": [
"a lot of young people choose death to escape from the society",
"the number of people who take suicide is larger and larger",
"the young people... | Dear editor,
Several days ago, I heard that a dear friend of mine had killed herself. I was deep in sorrow by the sudden news. I can't keep calm any longer. I'm always thinking about life and death.
Life is so precious. If we can slip into death in an impulsive moment, what use in all our efforts and hopes? Our families, our ambitions, everything is flung into total darkness. And death allows no time for regret.
Nevertheless, the suicide rate increases year by year, particularly of young people. Reasons may vary from person to person, yet I think they share something in common.
First, today's young people are morally weak. They hunger for success but can not face failure; they are eager to be understood but afraid of opening their hearts to others. They live in a wide world, from east to west, ancient to present, but their hearts beat in a narrow desert, closed tight, unable to communicate. Each becomes an isolated fortress , lonely, and weak.
My friend is a good example of that. As a young teacher, she was devoted to her work but was disappointed with her students' occasional failures. She fell in love with a colleague but he deserted her. With no close friends, disappointed at work and in love, death seemed to her the only remaining choice and she took it.
Another reason for the weakness of today's youth, in my opinion, comes from society's pressures. The young are forced to try too hard to succeed. On the other hand, society refuses to accept that children sometimes do fail. But failure is more important because it can teach the young how to win next time.
What can we do to save the desperate young? | high22737.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They are usually under Grade 9."
},
"options": [
"They have to take long bus rides to school.",
"They are usually under Grade 9.",
"They receive money from their government.",
"They do well in traditional schools."
... | If you are not comfortable with school learning, there is another option for you--cyberschool. Cyberschool can also provide a comprehensive teaching service that offers academic guidance and assistance. This is in order to promote the learning process and create a formal, wellstructured environment for learning to take place. The center for Education Reform says the United States has 67 public "cyberschools" and that is about twice as many as two years ago.
The money for students to attend a cyberschool comes from the governments of the states where they live. Some educators say cyberschools receive money that should support traditional public schools. They also say it is difficult to know if students are learning well. Other educators praise this new form of education for letting students work at their own speed. These people say cyberschools help students who were unhappy or unsuccessful in traditional schools. They say learning at home by computer ends long bus rides for children who live far from school. Whatever the judgment of cyberschools, they are getting more and more popular.
Children get free equipment for their online education. This includes a computer, a printer, books and technical services. Parents and students talk with teachers by telephone or by sending emails through their computers when necessary.
Even though cyberschools are therefore not technically a school, mostly they offer a fully complete and comprehensive program that covers a full school day to children up to Grade 9, after which schooling is no longer mandatory . | high17954.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Glass \"cities\" under the sea"
},
"options": [
"Man-made cities under the sea",
"The world under the sea",
"Glass \"cities\" under the sea",
"Creatures under the sea"
],
"question": "Which of the following is t... | Imagine living in a city made of glass. No, this isn't a fairy tale. If you could grab your diving gear and swim down 650 feet into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Washington State, you would witness the secret world of glass reefs.
The reef you'd be looking at is made up of glass sponges . But how can animals be made of glass? Well, glass is formed from a substance called silica. The sponges use the silica found in ocean waters to build glass structures that will give them shape and support. Be careful! Some of the fragile creatures are up to 200 years old.
When sponges die, new ones grow on top of the pile of old ones. Over centuries, a massive and complex reef takes shape. Some sponges look like wrinkled trumpets, while others look like overgrown cauliflower or mushrooms.
Dr. Paul Johnson, who discovered the Washington reef in 2007, also found other surprises such as bubbles of methane gas flowing out of the seafloor nearby. The methane feeds bacteria, and the bacteria feed the glass sponges.
"It's a new ecosystem we know nothing about," said Dr. Johnson.
The reef of yellow and orange glass sponges is crowded with crabs, shrimp, starfish, worms, snails, and rockfish. The glass reef is also a nursery for the babies of many of these creatures and was called a "kindergarten" by scientists.
Many animals that live in the reef hang around for a long time, just like the sponges. Rockfish, for example, live for more than 100 years. Scientists are just beginning to study all the species that call the reef home.
The Washington coast isn't the only place where a living glass reef has been found. The first was discovered in Hecate Strait off the coast of British Columbia in 1991. Scientists all over the world were
to see it. | high16492.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "telling twins apart"
},
"options": [
"doing criminal investigations",
"deciding faraily law",
"clearmg wrongly accused people",
"telling twins apart"
],
"question": "According to the text, DNA testing can NOT be... | It happened one morning 20 years ago. A British scientist Alec Jeffrey came across DNA fingerprinting: He identified the patterns of genetic material that are unique to almost every individual. His discovery changed everything from the way we do criminal investigations to the way we decide family law. But the professor of genetics at the University of Leicester, UK, is still surprised, and a bit worried, by the power of the technology he released upon the world.
The patterns within DNA are unique to each individual, except identical twins, who share the same pattern. The ability to identify these patterns has been used to convict(...) murderers and to clear people who are wrongly accused. It is also used to identify the victims of war and settle disputes over who is the father of a child.
Jeffrey said he and his colleagues made the discovery by accident while tracking genetic variations . But, within six months of the discovery, genetic fingerprinting had been used in an immigration case, to prove that an African boy really was his parents' son.*In 1986, it was used for the first time in a British criminal case: It cleared one suspect after being accused of two murders and helped convict another man.
DNA testing is now very common. In Britain, a national criminal database established in 1995 now contains 2.5 million DNA samples. The U.S. and Canada are developing similar systems. But there are fears about the stored DNA samples and how they could be used to harm a person's privacy. That includes a person's medical history, racial origin or psychological profile. "There is the long-term risk that people can get into these samples and start getting additional information about a person's paternity or risk of disease," Jeffrey said.
DNA testing is not an unfailing proof of identity. Still, it is considered a reasonably reliable system for determining the things it is used for. Jeffrey estimates the probability of two individuals' DNA profiles matching in the most commonly used tests at one in a billion. | high20120.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The Days of '47 KSL 5 Parade"
},
"options": [
"Summerfest Arts Faire 2010",
"Venture Outdoors Festival",
"The Days of '47 KSL 5 Parade",
"Taylorsville Dayzz 2010"
],
"question": "If you have to go to work in the... | Summerfest Arts Faire 2010
Summerfest Arts Faire is an arts festival in Logan, Utah, celebrating local, regional and national artists. Visitors can expect to see high quality artworks from nationally recognized artists. Summerfest also features live entertainment and a variety of delicious food.
Place: 50 North Main Street, Logan, UT 84321
Dates: June 17-June 19, 2010
Time: Thursday-Saturday 1:00 pm-10:00 pm
Venture Outdoors Festival
The 5th Annual Venture Outdoors Festival is a celebration of outdoor recreation . This unique festival is designed to increase knowledge and understanding of and participation in the many recreational activities available in Utah. This family-friendly event features live music, guest speakers, giveaways, creative children's activities, and great food all day long.
Place: 3100 South 2900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84109
Date: June 19, 2010
Time: Saturday 3:00 pm -10:00 pm
The Days of '47 KSL 5 Parade
The parade is one of the largest and oldest parades in the United States. Colorful floats, bands, horses and clowns thrill tens of thousands of people each year. Many parade-goers camp out on the streets the night before just to make sure of a great position to catch it all.
Place: 900 South 700 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84105
Date: July 24, 2010
Time: Saturday 9:00 am
Taylorsville Dayzz 2010
Experience Taylorsville Dayzz 2010, a celebration of the city's birthday. Enjoy a 5K Family Run, Carnival, Food and Exhibit Booths and Fireworks. Listen to a live concert by Taylorsville Symphony and Utah Symphony, and a live performance of Jayson Hewlett (an American entertainer).
Place: 5100 South 2700 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84118
Dates: June 25-June 28, 2010
Time: Monday 8:00 pm, Friday 7:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 pm-10:00 pm | high3862.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Asian people tend to save more money."
},
"options": [
"Asian people tend to save more money.",
"Asian children depart from their diet tradition.",
"Asian children eat big meals on more occasions.",
"Culture contributes... | You are what you eat and fats are a main food for Asia's fast-food generation. Dr.Chwang, director of the Department of Food Nutrition, says children are consuming more meat and soft drinks. That is a thorough departure from the traditional diet of vegetables and rice and little meat." They like big pieces of fried meat with a soft drink. So although they may eat the same volume of food, their calorie intake has increased. Now that 40 to 45 percent of their calories come from fat," says Chwang.
Although on the whole Asians tend to thinness, culture--namely Asians' hospitality--is a reason for the fatness of today's generation, according to Chwang. "Asian people love food," she says." Eating and drinking are important social and family functions." In the past, however, big meals were only hosted on special occasions, as people were more careful with money. In today's climate of wealth and remarkable consumption,10-course meals are no longer reserved for significant occasions.
"In the past, people had four or more children--now, they have one or two, so they tend to spoil them," says Chwang. "The earliest way is to give them quality food. Parents think feeding them well is showing their love. They feel bad when their children look thin."
When describing the physical condition of most overweight Asian children, Chwang says: "there is a clear relation between fatness and indoor play. Children get fat because they don't move, and eventually, they don't want to move because they are fat."
Thanks to technology, a growing army of children prefer video games to old outdoor sports. "What do children do when watching TV or sitting in front of the computer playing video games? They eat chocolate and drink Coke," says Chwang. | high19979.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "complete his trip plan"
},
"options": [
"visit his friend Filomeno",
"settle there forever",
"complete his trip plan",
"risk his life"
],
"question": "The author went to Chile to _ .",
"question_type": "c... | I was twenty-two, and in Bolivia. I'd been to every other country in South America, and now I was set on getting into Chile, the last on the list.
After several days, I reached the hills. It was cold, and even the distant mountains were clear. The days were lonely, but one evening I met Filomeno and his fellow teachers. They tried to persuade me not to go to Chile, saying it was a bad place, and that I would be killed. I didn't believe them. I knew nothing of the current politics; I just wanted to go there.
So I walked into the mountains, feeling excited, and came to a sign with the word "Chile" on it. A frightening soldier appeared, stuck a gun in my back, and pushed me down a slope to the police station. The police chief then told me, "There's nothing for you here." I explained that I had come to see this beautiful country. But he was annoyed.
In the evening they filled me with food. There was laughter, and I was less tense. Then the police chief took me to a tiny cell. I lay down on the mattress . Even though I had no light and none of my possessions, I felt _ . At least I had arrived! And what a story I'd have to tell! The next morning I was released, and I was told that Chile didn't want me. Throwing my belongings into my backpack, I shouted and screamed at the soldiers. After all this effort I was being sent home! I stomped towards Bolivia expecting to feel a bullet. But I'd be back! I told myself. | high10785.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a club for doll lovers"
},
"options": [
"a club for doll lovers",
"a company selling dolls",
"a group of retired teachers",
"an organization repairing toys"
],
"question": "According to the passage, Timeless Tre... | Step into Pat Lundin's home and you'll be greeted by 500 smiling faces of dolls. Lundin, 82, describes herself as "doll crazy". And she's not alone.
As a member of Timeless Treasures Doll Club of Largo, she frequently meets with 25 other women who share her hobby. Once a month, they gather at the Palms of Largo to show off their latest finds and catch up on news in the world of doll collecting.
On Saturday, the club will hold the Palms of Largo Fifth Annual Doll Show. The program will include 37 vendors with both classic and contemporary dolls for sale.
"Timeless Treasures is a club that's open to doll lovers regardless of the age of the doll," said Judy Smith, president of the organization. "Some doll clubs require members have a certain number of antique dolls, but we don't. we make sure we are not terribly formal."
Smith, 71, is a retired schoolteacher who owns Judy's Doll Hospital, a part-time business she operates out of her home. She will have a table offering repair and appraisal services.
Smith firs began studying and collecting dolls in her early 20s,in Glassboro, New Jersey, she does not know how many dolls she owns, or how many repairs she has made over the years. But she does know the age of her oldest doll.
"She's 129," Smith said. "It is a German-made doll that belonged to my grandmother , and it sits in my living room."
The show is for both the beginner as well as the experienced collector, said Anita Munson, one of the show's organizers.
Over the years, Munson, 82, has learned how to identify a valuable doll. "Generally speaking porcelain dolls are the most valuable," she said. "But the porcelain will not be shiny."
Smith believes many people will attend to find out how much their dolls are worth. She wants them to know more.
"Because the dolls reflect what the children were wearing and doing at a particular period of time, they can be a great history lesson for children now," she said. | high20646.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "tourists."
},
"options": [
"Scientists.",
"Students.",
"tourists.",
"Artists."
],
"question": "What kind of people is the text mainly written for?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Phillip Island Penguins
The Little Penguin has called prefix = st1 /PhillipIslandhome for untold generations. Get to Phillip Island inplenty of time to watch a summer sunset at Summerland Beach-the stage is attractively set to see the Little Penguin leave water and step onto land.
*Leave Melbourne at 5:30 pm. for a direct journey to PhillipIsland
*See the Gippsland area-Guinness Book of Records place for the world's longest earthworm
*Journey along the coastal highway around the Bay with French Island and Churchill Island in the distance
*Cross the bridge at San Remo to enter Phillip Island-natural home for Little Penguins and many animals
*Take your place in special viewing stands to watch the daily evening performance of the wild Little penguins
Ultimate Penguins (+U)
Join a group of up to 15. This guided tour goes to an attractive, quiet beach to see Little Pen-guins. You can see penguins at night by wearing a special pair of glasses.
Adult $ 60.00 Child $ 30.00
Viewing Platform Penguin Plus (+V)
More personalized wildlife viewing limited to 130 people providing closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing stands.
Adult $ 25.00 Child $ 12.50
Penguin Skybox (+S)
Join a group of only 5 in the comfort of a special, higher-up viewing tower. Gain an excellent overview of SummerlandBeach.
Adult 16 yrs + $ 50.00 | high21558.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Excited."
},
"options": [
"Excited.",
"Worried.",
"Annoyed.",
"Motivated."
],
"question": "How did the urban birdwatchers probably feel when seeing the hungry birds?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | Thousands of hungry birds left the countryside of Britain in the bitter winter to find food and warmth in urban gardens. The move included species such as the redwing and the fieldfare, almost unknown outside rural areas
The hard situation of farmland birds has been revealed in the latest survey of bird populations from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds released today.
The redwing has an obvious stripe over the eye and a red flash on the flanks , while the fieldfare has a grey head, a peach underbelly, and a distinctive dark band on the tail.
Graham Madge, the society's spokesman, says, "For many urban birdwatchers the sight of these striking species is a real treat. Many people have never imagined there being such an amazing chance."
"Frozen ground prevented them from getting food in the countryside and they have been saved from starvation in towns," he added.
He says the unusual sight this year somewhat _ the frustration felt at the suffering of small garden birds such as robins and wrens. These birds are sensitive to cold and must eat almost continuously to stay alive. Data from people who took part in the society's Big Garden Birdwatch recorded sightings in 280,000 gardens during the last weekend of January, with the goldcrest down 75 percent, the longtailed tit down 27 percent, and the coal tit down 20 percent. The study highlighted the need for food to be left out for birds during winter.
The redwing and the fieldfare are relatively unknown outside the eastern part of the country. The research shows, however, that they moved to the other side of the country where the climate is generally mild in winter and that many for the first time have reached Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. The number of redwing sightings was up 185 percent, those of the fieldfare 73, and of the yellowhammer 68.
Another surprise garden "guest" this year was the blackcap. This robinsized, silvergrey bird was rare in Britain 50 years ago, but increasing numbers now arrive each year from Germany and Austria. | high12192.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It is exceptional because of its universal application."
},
"options": [
"It is exceptional because of its universal application.",
"It can be divided into two sorts: the cultural and the natural.",
"It's the irreplaceable so... | Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage.
What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, regardless of the territory on which they are located. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is _ in an international treaty called the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to:
encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage;
encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;
encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites;
help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training;
provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger; support States Parties' public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation;
encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage;
encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world's cultural and natural heritage. | high22051.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The Oriental Pearl TV Tower-the Landmark of Shanghai"
},
"options": [
"Beautiful View from the Oriental Pearl TV Tower",
"The Functions of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower",
"Special Economic Zone of Pudong",
"The Oriental P... | Anyone arriving in Shanghai at night from the airport for the first time is immediately attracted by the Oriental Pearl TV Tower , which stands out in the evening sky like an amazing space ship landing. Dramatic lighting effects make this unusual structure attractive.
This ultra-modern tower combines ancient concepts such as the spherical pearls, with 21st century technology, commerce, recreation, educational and conference facilities. In 1995 it began broadcasting nine television channels and 10 FM radio channels. The construction began in 1991 and was completed in 1995. This 468-meter-high (1,536 feet) tower is the tallest tower in Asia, and the third tallest tower in the world. The viewing area offers a great view of the most recently developed Special Economic Zone of Pudong . Visitors travel up and down the tower in double-decker elevators that can hold up to fifty people at the rate of seven meters per second.
At the base of the tower is Pudong Park, which was designed as a contrast to the massive commercial development of the Special Economic Zone of Pudong. There are wonderful views across the Huang-Pu River from the "New Bund " to the original.
The tower has three observatory levels. The highest one (Space Module) is at 350m. The lower ones are at 263m (Sightseeing Floor) and at 90m (Space City). There is a revolving restaurant at the 267m level. The project also contains exhibition facilities, restaurants and a shopping mall. There is also a 20-room hotel called the Space Hotel between the two big balls. | high9397.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "encourage couples to have as many children as they could"
},
"options": [
"attract more young people to join the army willingly",
"make those married couples become rich quickly",
"encourage people to loan more from the gover... | Women in Nazi Germany were to have a very special job. Hitler was very clear about this. This job was that they should be good mothers bringing up children at home while their husbands worked. Except for some special fields, Hitler saw no reason why a woman should work. Within months of Hitler coming to power, many female doctors, teachers and lawyers were
. By the start of the Second World War, very few German women were in fulltime work. From their earliest years, girls were taught that all good German women married at a young age to a proper German and that the wife's job was to keep a good home for her working husband and to have children.
One of the earliest laws passed by Hitler once he came to power in 1933, was the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage. This law stated that all newly married couples would get a government loan of 1000 marks. This loan was not to be simply paid back. The birth of one child meant that 25% of the loan did not have to be paid back. Two children meant that 50% of the loan didn't need to be paid back. Four children meant that the entire loan was cleared.
What was more, as housewives and mothers, their lives were controlled. Women were not expected to wear make-up or trousers. Only flat shoes were expected to be worn. Women were discouraged from slimming as this was considered bad for child birth. | high15825.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "he wasn't going to pass the class"
},
"options": [
"he wasn't going to pass the class",
"he would do better than other students",
"he might learn an amount of knowledge",
"he would try his best to learn at class"
],... | Roger Alvarez, 22, was one of the 52 percent of students who didn't make it through his senior year at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles.
He dropped out several years ago, but by the time he was in ninth grade, Alvarez says he already knew he wasn't going to graduate.
"There's a certain amount of knowledge you have to have when you enter in a specific grade, and I didn't have it." Alvarez says,"Every class I used to go in, I was like, 'Do I know this? I don't know this.'"
It was a shameful attitude, he tells his former English teacher, Antero Garcia, 29.
"You were determined to help me, but what was I willing to give? I could have actually tried."
For his part, Garcia wants to know how he could have reached out to Alvarez better, but Alvarez says Garcia had always been helpful.
"I mean, you could cheer me up, and then I see other students doing way better," Alvarez says,"So then, I get nervous. I get stuck, and then _ ." He felt the situation was hopeless.
"You talked to me like if I could do it, but inside me, I knew I couldn't." he tells Garcia,"I just didn't want you to think that I'm...stupid."
Now, school is a life tool that Alvarez says he's missing--but his teacher isn't to blame.
"Always, I just wanted you to know...you were a good teacher, and I always respected you." he tells Garcia,"Some teachers, I felt like they only wanted to teach a certain group of people. But you looked at me and you paid attention."
"Maybe it didn't get me to graduate, but there're a lot of teachers, they don't take the time to take a look. And it was never your fault."
Alvarez now works the night shift at a loading dock . He still hopes to get his degree one day. | high4843.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "keep mails and papers undamaged"
},
"options": [
"help sort and deliver mails and papers",
"guard the building against thieves",
"keep mails and papers undamaged",
"search for certain dangers in mails"
],
"quest... | Have you heard about Post Office Cats in Britain? They are mouse hunters. The post office has actually employed cats since 1868. They are not employed to sort or deliver mail, of course, but to protect the mail and keep the population of mice under control. They make sure your morning post arrives free from damages caused by rats and mice.
London post offices were the first to try out the experiment. Within a few months the population of mice had _ sharply. Other post offices all over the country were soon using cats in the war against rats and mice as well. Within ten years the pay of the cats was improved from one and a half old pence a day to six or nine pence a day. Now the average rate of pay is about a few pounds a month.
Some of the hard-working cats have become quite famous. In 1980, a cat named Lucky stopped an attempted robbery in a Worcestershire post office on her own. As the two burglars made their way in through the window, Lucky started an attack and they fled empty-handed. Another excellent cat was Jerry, of Earls Court post office in London. He served the building for 16 years and was on duty for 24 hours every day. He drove all the mice away.
However, there are fewer cats employed by the post office than at any time in the past. With the faster movement of the mail and better surroundings, post office cats are not always needed. But many post offices still employ them and they become great friends with the postmen. According to the post office, there is no plan for their services to be discontinued in the foreseeable future. | high5585.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "alone"
},
"options": [
"alone",
"with several old people",
"with his family",
"with his wife"
],
"question": "Mr. King lived _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | Mr. King was over sixty and lived by himself a long way from town. He nearly hadn't left his home. But one day he went into town to buy things. After he bought them, he went into a restaurant and sat down at a table by himself. When he looked around, he saw several old people put glasses on before they read their newspapers. So after lunch he decided to go to a shop to buy himself a pair of glasses, too. He walked along the street and soon found a shop.
The man in the shop helped him try on many pairs of glasses, but Mr. King always said, "No, I cannot read with them."
The man became more and more puzzled and in the end ha said, "Excuse me, but can you read?"
"No, of course not!" Mr. King said angrily. "If I can read, why have I come here?" | high21570.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The UK has got some practical experience of bird conservation."
},
"options": [
"The decline of widespread birds is not worrying for the UK.",
"The UK has got some practical experience of bird conservation.",
"Changes in farm... | Rare birds in the UK have been living far better than the more common birds over the last decade due to the efforts of conservation organisations, according to a new assessment.
The research shows almost 60% of the 63 rare birds that live in the UK have increased over the last 10 years.
By contrast, only about one third of common species have increased over the same period. Just 28% of rare birds have decreased over the same period, compared with four out of every 10 common birds. The rare birds described in the assessment with increasing populations include theosprey andcorncrake . All of these birds are subject to conservation action.
The declining common birds include the nightingale,swift , house sparrow and redgrouse . These are suffering declines for a variety of reasons, including changes in farming practices.
Dr David Noble, from the British Trust for Ornithology, said: "That some of our rarer birds have responded to targeted conservation action is great news. It shows just what can be achieved. What we need to do now is to continue the good work and use some of the lessons we have learned to help our more common birds."
Dr Mark Avery, the conservation director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), said: "Over the last decade we've enjoyed some great conservation successes, including removing some threatened species from the World Conservation Union's Red List of Thratened Animals and increasing the populations of red kite, osprey, etc. However, these successes arecountered by continued declines of some widespread species."
The overview of 210 native birds has been produced by a group of conservation organisations, to mark the publication ofThe State of the UK's Birdsreport, which is in its l0th year. The report was published by the RSPB for a group of conservation organisations. | high10975.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "had a little effect on a child' s language development"
},
"options": [
"could have a positive effect on a child's language development",
"had a little effect on a child' s language development",
"affected a child's language ... | If you want to help children develop language and speech skills, UCLA researchers say, listening to what they have to say is just as important as talking to them.
The effect of a conversation between a child and an adult is about six times as great as the effect of adult speech input alone, the researchers found. "Adults speaking to children helps language develop, but what matters much more is the interaction," said the study' s lead author, Frederick Zimmerman, an associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. The researchers also found that TV viewing didn' t have much of an effect -- positively or negatively -- as long as it wasn' t displacing conversations between an adult and a child.
The UCLA study included 275 families with children between 2 months and 48 months old. They represented a variety of incomes and education. The researchers found that, in an average day, children hear about 13,000 spoken words from adults and participated in about 400 adultchild conversations a day.
Assessed separately, factors positively associated with language development included each additional 100 conversations a day and each 1,000 word increase in the number of words spoken by adults and heard by children. When looked at alone, TV was negatively associated with language development. But, when the three factors were analyzed together, the only one that stood out was conversation between adults and children.
"The more a child speaks and interacts with an adult, the better idea a parent has about where the child is," Zimmerman said. "Although it' s mostly done unconsciously, parents will provide feedback and correct mistakes. They'll also _ their speech to the child. Parents can give a child words by talking to them about what they' re doing, such as, 'I'm putting on your pajamas now'. But give your child the opportunity to talk, hopefully without the rest of the noise in the environment," she added. "If parents can carve out some conversation time -- maybe at bath time or at dinner time -- that' s a wonderful thing." | high22079.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the causes of debris flows"
},
"options": [
"when and where debris flows occur",
"the experiments that scientists conduct",
"the causes of debris flows",
"the possible ways to predict landslides"
],
"question": ... | Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions usually cause the largest, most disastrous debris ( ) flows. A great many victims of the earthquake that struck Wenchuan of Sichuan province last May were killed not by the quake itself but by the sudden large amounts of debris that followed.
Most debris flows occur where the soil is composed mainly of sand or colluviums ( ) . Loose soils made up of bits of sand or colluviums fall apart easily and are main material for fast -moving debris flows.
Scientists have conducted endless experiments to find out how debris flows work. They have learned that the amount and the timing of water entering the soil are crucial ( ). Typically, that means debris flows often occur when a long rainy period of many weeks is followed by an intense, brief heavy rain. .
More often than not, however, debris flows are started by water, in the form of rain, snow, or river flow. In 1998, heavy rains from Hurricane Mitch unleashed about one million tons of mudslides, burying thousands of people, in Central America.
Water flows through the soil until it hits a hard layer of bedrock or clay. There the water builds up, filling the tiny spaces between the soil and rock. That buildup reduces the natural friction ( ) that keeps the rock and soil debris lying on the slope. If conditions are approaching dangerous levels, the slope will then fall down.
Despite what scientist know about the fact, debris flows are still impossible to predict at present because there are many other uncertains affect the stability of each slope. However, one thing is known: On hillsides where one debris flow has occurred, another will eventually follow. The next debris flow could take days, weeks, or years to happen. | high23367.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "we have more and more industry"
},
"options": [
"the population of the world is decreasing fast",
"people use too many man-made materials",
"we have more and more industry",
"we are producing more cars, trucks and buses... | Our surroundings are being polluted faster than nature and man's present efforts cannot prevent it. Time is bringing us more people, and more people will bring us more industry, more cars, larger cities, and the growing use of man-made materials.
What can explain and solve this problem? The fact is that pollution is caused by man--by his desire for a modern way of life. We make "increasing industrialization" our chief aim. So we are often ready to offer everything: clean air, pure water, good food, our health and the future of our children. There is a constant flow of people from the countryside into the cities, eager for the benefits of our modern society. But as our technological achievements have grown in the last twenty years, pollution has become a serious problem.
Isn't it time we stopped to ask ourselves where we are going--and why? It makes one think of the story about the airline pilot who told his passengers over the loudspeaker, "I've some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we're making rapid progress at 530 miles per hour. The bad news is that we're lost and don't know where we're going." The sad fact is that this becomes a true story when spoken of our modern society. | high511.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "In a travel magazine."
},
"options": [
"On an online Microsoft application store.",
"On an online Apple application store.",
"In an educational magazine.",
"In a travel magazine."
],
"question": "Where can the r... | Our magazine is presenting to you the top four iPhone (the best seller of Apple Company) applications for more fun on hiking or camping trips recommended by our A-list field hikers and travelers.
1. GPS Kit by Garafa--Never get lost (for $10.)
What it does: Download before you leave or use your phone's data connection to view maps from Google (satellite, landscape, cycling, and street), or Bing (shaded relief, street, or image). Record your movements, drop notes or photo makers on previously downloaded Google Earth.
2. Photosynth by Microsoft--Perfect the view (for free!)
What it does: Make 360degx360degpanoramas to your own taste. It saves the panorama as a single image to your camera roll after combining images. Once you get to know how to hold the iPhone and move to take the photos, you can have pretty simple, fast panoramas!
3. Soundcloud by Soundcloud--Share the sounds (for free!)
What it does: Basic sound recorder with on-board editing (cutting) capabilities. Upload your recordings to the Internet, share on social networks and listen to and follow others! It allows for super-simple recording and uploading to the Internet. You can upload all the sounds as "non-shared" files, so you can download them to your computer for continued storage and editing. In addition, with _ , you will never fear your dirty laundries are to put you to shame. There is a growing community of users, including Paul Salopek who is walking around the world.
4. Postagram by Sincerely--Send moments (application is free! /$1 per card.)
What it does: The application allows personalized production of e-postcards right from your iPhone. There aren't many post offices out in the mountains, so this can be critical to send a gift home. And even if there are post offices where you are traveling, sometimes it's easier, cheaper and more fun to send your own DIY messages home. | high12804.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "at noon"
},
"options": [
"at night",
"in the evening",
"at noon",
"on holiday"
],
"question": "The earthquake may happen _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | BEIJING--- A series of earthquakes shook two rural provinces in southwest China on Friday, killing at least 80 people and damaging 20,000 homes, a provincial official said.
The _ hit Yunnan and adjoining Guizhou provinces, both rice-growing areas. The magnitude of the earthquakes ranged from 4.8 to 5.8 , according to Qiu Yu, an official at the Yunnan Provincial Civil Affair Bureau. The web site of the provincial Yunnan government said more than 100,000 people had been evacuated from their homes in Yunnan, a province known for its scenic beauty and ethnic diversity.
In the town of Luozehe, a rice-and tobacco-growing area in northeastern Yunnan, 31 people were killed, Mr. Qiu said. The earthquake was so violent that rocks from landslides crushed cars in Luozehe,. A water company worker, Tan Xuewen, said in an interview. "Suddenly we felt the strong earthquake," Mr. Tan said. "Huge rocks fell off the mountain. I immediately took an old person and began to run."
The local government authorities ordered people out of their homes that are spread across the hills of a mountain valley, and told them to gather in public square.
At the tiny primary school in Luozehe, the teacher, Ma Decai, said his 11 students aged 9 to 12 were eating lunch in the dining room when the earthquake hit. "Dirt dropped from the ceiling into our bowls and cooking pots," Mr. Ma said. "The students abandoned their meal and ran out of the room." As he tried to prepare a new lunch for the students, aftershocks struck the building. Large cracks appeared in the mud and stone schoolhouse, and the toilet collapsed.
In neighboring Guizhou Province, authorities said they knew of no casualties. But homes in rural Guizhou often built of wood and mud are usually constructed on hillsides, and provincial authorities there said some homes had been damaged or destroyed. Tents, blankets and coats were being sent to the region, the official Xinhua news agency said. | high23401.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "children should be educated at home."
},
"options": [
"teachers should know their students' needs better.",
"children should be educated at school.",
"children should learn by themselves.",
"children should be educated ... | In most countries in the world, governments require children to attend schools in which trained teachers are responsible for educating the children using an approved curriculum. However, a sharply increasing number of parents believe that it is much better for their children to be educated at home by the people who know them and their needs best. Today, it is estimated that about one million home schooled children in the United States and tens of thousands of other learners around the world are learning outside of school. Now that home schooling is growing worldwide, the real-world experiences of learners show that schools are not always necessary for learning.
Therefore, an increasing number of parents are deciding that home schooling is the best option for their children. They are unhappy with the quality or depth of education offered in the schools, or have other reasons why they feel that conventional schools (some people would rather call "normal schools" or "traditional schools") are not suitable for their children. One reason is social factors. Parents worry that their children will suffer from bullying or will be forced into bad behavior by peer pressure. They believe that the good behavior they have taught the child will be lost in school. Another reason is concern over the quality of schooling available. Schools frequently have large classes and they are often under-funded and stuffed with teachers without sufficient knowledge of their subjects. In the third place, other parents may disagree with the aims of the school curriculum, preferring for academic, social or cultural reasons to keep their children separate.
However, there are many arguments in favor of sending children to conventional schools. The first is that the children will be exposed to other children. And they will interact with each other and develop social skills. A second point is that the children will learn to function outside the family. They will not be dependent on their parents for their educational, emotional and social needs. A third point is that the children will find it easier to integrate when they finish school, as they eventually will, when they start work or college.
All in all, while many parents work hard to teach their children at home, conventional schools are still the right choice for most children. Schools are not perfect, but they seem to be a proven way of preparing our children for the real world. After all, education is not only about learning facts and figures, but also about learning how to survive socially. | high6932.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the author's school life in the UK as a boarder."
},
"options": [
"the author's school life in the UK as a boarder.",
"the author's opinion of the school life in the UK.",
"the differences in school life between China and UK.... | More and more people think it necessary to study in an English-speaking country and it didn't take long at all for me to decide to come and study in UK.
Having been in the school for 2 months, I'm getting used to school life, and I am starting to make the most of my time in here. School starts at 9 o'clock every morning, and every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we have long days, in which we have 9 lessons and school finishes at 4 o'clock. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays we have short days, in which we have only 6 lessons and finish at 1 o'clock. After lessons, we have two hours of activity time, when you can choose from a wide range of activities, including all the major sports, such as rugby and football, and also the minor sports such as basketball and tennis.
As a boarder( ),the quality of food is something I consider very important, and Merchiston has not _ . The school kitchens are run by a professional food company, and the quality of food is very excellent and also they take the healthy diet very seriously: I remember once I was once asked to take more salad for my meal by a member of the kitchen staff for I didn't have enough vegetables. This brings another point of being a boarder: you need to learn how to look after yourself and be responsible for yourself. One of the huge advantages of being a boarder is that we can have breakfast in the school, which means we don't have to pull ourselves out of bed as early as the day pupils! | high3692.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "their brains react differently to noises"
},
"options": [
"their brains don't respond to outside noises",
"their brains react differently to noises",
"they adapt to the environment quickly",
"they don't pay attention to... | Why can some people sleep through noises like a honking car or flushing toilet, while others are awakened by the lightest sound?
To find the answer, sleep researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital conducted an unusual study of 12 self-described deep sleepers. After tests confirmed that the healthy volunteers were solid sleepers, they took part in a three-night study in the university's sleep laboratory. The participants spent the night in a big and comfortable room. But the room also included four speakers positioned near the top of the bed.
During the night, the deep sleepers were subjected to 14 different recorded sounds, like street traffic, toilets flushing, an ice machine dispensing and an airplane flying overhead. Next door, the researchers monitored their sleep patterns and brain waves.
As expected, all of the participants slept ly well, but there were differences in how they responded to the noisy interruptions. Some of the sleepers didn't wake up even when a sound was blasted at 70 decibels ; others were awakened by sounds at 40 or 50 decibels.
The researchers discovered that the difference in a sleeper's reaction to noise could be predicted by the level of brain activity called "sleep spindles''. A sleep spindle is a burst of high-frequency brain activity coming from deep inside the brain during sleep. The source of the spindles is the thalamus, a part of the brain that sends sensory information to the rest of the cortex .
Before the study, the Massachusetts researchers theorized that the spindles are the brain's way of preventing sensory information from passing through the thalamus and waking the rest of the brain during sleep. They found that the sleepers who experienced the most sleep spindles during the night were also the soundest sleepers and were least likely to be awakened by noise.
Scientists already know that most people become lighter sleepers with age, most likely because older people experience less "slow wave sleep'', which is the deepest stage of sleep. People also produce fewer sleep spindles as they age. But even when controlling for the stage of sleep a person was in, the number of sleep spindles still predicted their risk for awakening because of noise.
More research is needed, but the findings suggest that a better understanding of sleep spindles could lead to new behavioral or drug therapies for people with sleep disorders. For instance, future studies may try to determine whether diet, exercise or other behaviors may influence the number of sleep spindles a person produces during the night. | high20108.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Enjoy scenery from above."
},
"options": [
"Go on opening parades.",
"Enjoy scenery from above.",
"Drive the dangerous vehicle.",
"Reach tops of mountains."
],
"question": "What can visitors do when they ride th... | A great deal of attention should be paid to the choosing of a vacation destination. Here are four of the must-see attractions in Alberta, Canada.
The Banff Gondola
The entire Banff area is a destination filled with wonderful things to do, but one of the best things to do is ride the Banff Gondola . This gondola takes visitors high above the beautiful scenery of the area, giving them wonderful views and photographic opportunities. The ride is also thrilling with a steady altitude change as the vehicle gets higher and higher.
The Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede is one of the best events in Alberta. It has been taking place for a very long time. The entire event is worth the effort in going, everything from the opening parades and celebrations to the later events and competitions.
Johnston Canyon
For those wanting to experience some of the beautiful natural surroundings that are offered in Alberta, a visit to Johnston Canyon is a must. In this canyon, there are a number of impressive waterfalls available. They are very easy to approach.
Miette hot springs
The number one attraction there at the Miette Hot Springs is the hot springs themselves. The pools are filled with water straight from the springs and are very clean. There is plenty of room to swim and play. There are also quiet spots to relax and enjoy some quiet time. For those without a strict schedule, staying at the hot springs for a night or two is a great choice. | high19951.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it is helpful for their high school education"
},
"options": [
"it can offer children lots of kinds of games",
"it is helpful for their high school education",
"it can help children learn things",
"it can help children ... | Parents should send their children to preschools which combine learning with entertainment and fun. It's important that parents educate their children right from their early childhood days. Preschool education is always important for children since it prepares them with patience and dedication for accepting their high school education later. Many growing children become dissatisfied with school. They only enjoy playing all day at home before their parents. Modern preschools provide quality training to children where learning goes along with fun and entertainment. The days have gone by when students received education only through school texts, with little attention paid to what was being taught. In recent times, numerous preschools have come up with wonderful methods that help attract students to learn. Do not expect your children to give up playing for learning, as children will never do so. Rather, you should ensure that your children will be educated while having fun by admitting them to a modern preschool. Before you send your children to any preschool, the first thing you should do is find out much information on the school. Quality education in any preschool is necessary for growing children. Only preschools of a good reputation attach importance to entertainment in education. Preschool teachers have to be friendly with children. They need to make your children feel at home and completely relaxed while they're receiving education. It is an equally good idea to check if the preschool takes care of children's health needs. Teachers need to be like second parents to children. | high17968.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "at the point between the old and the New Year"
},
"options": [
"form the sky onto the Times Square",
"into the hundreds of thousands of watchers",
"to welcome the arrival of Christmas",
"at the point between the old and... | Although the New Year is already here, the great moments of the past year are still in the memory. Let's look back at some of them.
United States
One of the world's largest New Year's Eve parties was held in Times Square, New York. The festival attracted hundreds of thousands of people to watch a brightly-lit ball drop on a landmark building at the stroke (, ) of midnight.
A great amount of confetti was released from the sky at zero o'clock.
Britain
Painted in shinning colors, blowing whistles, 50,000 party-goers arrived in London's Millennium Dome to dance in the New Year. The Millennium Dome came to life at midnight as 50 DJs started up, competing on five separate dance floors to warm the crowd into the party mood.
Russia
New Year is the biggest holiday in Russia. It is traditional to put up a tree for celebrations with family and friends.
On the very last day of last year, Russians with a taste for a very cold swim braved freezing temperatures to plant traditional, festival trees on the bed of the Northern Ocean and at the bottom of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake.
Malaysia
Brave skydivers threw themselves off the world's tallest building near midnight and floated towards the New Year.
The jump from the 452-metre Petronas Twin Tower was called a real leap from one year to the next since the group took off in the last second of the old year and landed a minute later in the New Year. "That was really cool," said Roland Simpson, "over crowds of onlookers to the landing spot." | high3686.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the lack of water makes the life there even harder"
},
"options": [
"there are many market-managing groups for gardeners",
"the lack of water makes the life there even harder",
"people there like to travel about on foot for e... | My first experience of modern city life was quite impressive. I was very curious when I arrived in London. First, I noticed so many people were on a trip in a busy way. When I first saw the machine on the underground where you are expected to feed your ticket in and have to run through moving barriers , I was completely fascinated at it. Flashing with the light, the little green man, telling you when to cross the road, was also quite interesting, and so were those street advertisements which kept changing subjects as you look.
In my native place, my life is so different from people's here. I am a market gardener from Makono, a village which is led by a market-managing group. People there usually walk two hours a day to get water from a well. What's more, I am used to going, for many hours, without drinking , so it was strange to be offered cups of tea all the time here in London.
In my native place, on market days, I usually walk for several hours with my basket full of fruits and vegetables on my head, carrying them to the market for sale, to earn PS1per basket. Without the produce from my garden, I could not pay for education or healthcare for my children. Gardening is not a hobby for me - it's _ . But here people are planting something only to kill their leisure time.
During our visiting-time in Britain, we visited some local government agencies, schools, churches and farms in Sussex, Scotland, Yorshire, Loncolnshire and Cambridgeshire, meeting people who were of the same profession as we are. Children in Burley-in-Wharfedale, Yorkshire, prepared a special get-together to greet us and we were also asked a lot about our life which was quite fascinating to them. For example, how we make our houses out of mud and how we get our water for our daily necessities, as well as for our garden. | high21202.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Talking to ourselves is believed to be good for our health."
},
"options": [
"Almost everybody has the habit of talking to oneself.",
"Talking to ourselves is believed to be good for our health.",
"Talking to ourselves helps ... | A popular saying goes, "Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." However, that's not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn't matter if the words come from someone else or ourselves-the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.
We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We're usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. But we really shouldn't be, because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.
This self-talk helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Beware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying, "Good job !"
Often, words come out of our mouths without our thinking about the effects they will have; but we should be aware that our words cause certain responses to others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner. Or we can use harsh, critical language, which will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive. Words possess power because of their lasting effects. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves:Is it true? Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn't pass this test, then it's better left unsaid.
Words possess power both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal?The choice is ours. | high18483.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "all of the above"
},
"options": [
"habits",
"attitudes",
"character",
"all of the above"
],
"question": "According to the passage, the English are different from other nationalities in _ .",
"question_typ... | The English, as a race, are very different in many ways from all other nationalities, including their closest neighbors, the French, the Belgians and the Dutch. It is claimed that living on an island separated from the rest of Europe has much to do with it. Whatever the reasons are, it may be fairly stated that the Englishman has developed many attitudes and habits which distinguish him from other nationalities.
Broadly speaking, the Englishman is a quiet, shy, reserved person who is fully relaxed only among people he knows well. In the presence of strangers or foreigners he often seems _ , even embarrassed. You have only to witness a city train any morning or evening to see the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or having a light sleep in a corner, and no one speaks. In fact, to do so would seem most unusual. An Englishman, pretending to be giving advice to overseas visitors, once suggested, "On entering a railway carriage, shake hands with all the passengers." Needless to say, he was not being serious. There is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior which, if broken, makes the person immediately suspected.
In many parts of the world it is quite normal to show openly extremes of enthusiasm, emotion, excitement, etc, often accompanied by appropriate gesture. The Englishman is somewhat different. Of course, an Englishman feels no less deeply than anyone of a different nationality, but he tends to display his feelings far less. This is reflected in his use of language. Imagine a man commenting on the great beauty of a young girl. A more emotional man might describe her state "Oh, she is a goddess", whereas an Englishman might just say "Oh, she's all right." An Englishman who has seen a highly successful and enjoyable film recommends it to a friend by commenting, "It's not bad you know", or on seeing some very unusual scenery he might convey his pleasure by saying, "Nice, yes, very nice." The overseas visitor must not be disappointed by this apparent lack of interest and involvement. Instead, he must realize that "all right," "not bad," and "nice," very often have the sense of "first-class," "excellent," "beautiful". This unique style of language use is particularly common in England, and is known as restrained statement. | high1091.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "early morning"
},
"options": [
"late morning",
"before midnight",
"early morning",
"late evening"
],
"question": "The author was walking through the small seaside town _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questio... | I was walking along the deserted main street of a small seaside town in the north of England looking somewhere to make a phone call. My car had broken down outside the town and I wanted to get in touch with the Automobile Association .Low gray clouds were drifting across the sky and there was a cold damp wind blowing off the sea. It had rained in the night and water was dripping from the bare trees that lined the street. I was glad that I was wearing a thick coat.
I could see no call box, nor was there anyone at that early hour I could ask. I had thought I might find a shop selling the Sunday papers or a milkman doing his job, but the town was completely dead.
Then suddenly I found what I was looking for. There was a small post office, and almost hidden from sight in a dark narrow street next to it was the town's only public call box, which badly needed a coat of paint, I hurried forward but stopped in astonishment when I saw through the dirty glass that there was a man inside. He was very fat, and was wearing a cheap blue plastic raincoat and rubber boots. I could not see his face - he was bending forward over the phone with his back pressed against the glass and didn't even raise his head at the sound of my coming nearer and nearer. Carefully and surprisedly, I remained standing a few feet away and lit a cigarette to wait my turn. It was when I threw the dead match on the ground that I noticed something bright red trickling from under the call box door. | high505.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The relationship between dream color and types of television and films people watch."
},
"options": [
"The relationship between dream color and the age of the people.",
"The relationship between people's dreams and colors that they... | We have dreams almost every night. Do you ever notice the colors of your dreams? Do you dream in black and white or do you dream in yellow, red and green?
New research suggests that the type of television you watched as a child has a great effect on the color of your dreams.
While almost all people under 25 dream in color, thousands of people over 55, all of whom were brought up with black and white TV sets, often dream in monochrome .
"It suggests there could be a critical period in our childhood when watching films has a big impact on the way dreams are formed", said Eva Murzyn, a psychology student at Dundee University in Britain who carried out the study.
Research from 1915 through the 1950s suggested that the vast majority of dreams are in black and white. But the tide turned in the sixties, and later results suggested that up to 83 percent of dreams contain some color.
Since this period also marked the transition between black-and-white film and TV and Technicolor ,an obvious explanation was that the media had been painting people's dreams. However, there weren't any firm conclusions.
But now Miss Murzyn believes she has proven the link. She made a survey of more than 60 people, half of whom were over 55 and half of whom were under 25.
She asked the volunteers to answer a questionnaire on the color of their dreams and their childhood exposure to film and TV.
She then analyzed her own data. Only 4.4 percent of the under-25s' dreams were black and white. The over-55s who had had access to color TV and film during their childhood also reported a very low proportion of just 7.3 percent.
But the over-55s who only had access to black-and -white media reported dreaming in black and white about a quarter of the time.
Even though they would have spent only a few hours a day watching TV or films, their attention and emotion would have been heightened during this time, leaving a deeper imprint on their mind, Miss Murzyn told the New Scientist.
"The crucial time is between three and ten when we all begin to have the ability to dream", she said. | high12810.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "At the Derby Arms on Sunday."
},
"options": [
"At the Bull's Head on Sunday.",
"At the Derby Arms on Sunday.",
"At the Bull on Saturday.",
"At the Black Horse on Saturday."
],
"question": "Where and when can you... | TODAY, Friday, November 12
JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8a. m. to 8p. m. Tel: 682--1158.
SATURDAY, November 13
JAZZ Lysis at The Bull's Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.
MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789--6749.
FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.
JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull's Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion . Tel: 789--4536
SUNDAY, November 14
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.
FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688--4626.
HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion. | high7386.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "you worried a lot and the anxious thoughts will increase your anxiety"
},
"options": [
"you did something wrong in the past and wouldn't forgive yourself",
"your mind is quick and bright when in a state of anxiety",
"you are ... | Are you feeling stressed out? Anxious? Is your mind racing in circles? Are you worried about all the things you have to get done? Here's a quick--acting trick that can make you feel better.
If you are sitting at a desk, place the palm of your hand on the desk, and take a moment to focus on what the surface of the desk feels like. Is it hot or cold, rough or smooth? Put all of your attention on the sensations in your palm, on how the desk feels underneath your hand. If you are not at a desk, do the same exercise by placing your palm on any nearby object--a wall, a chair, even your opposite arm.
When you are feeling stressed, your thoughts tend to take on a life of their own. You may be thinking about things you wish you had done differently in the past or worrying about things that you have to do in the future. These thoughts will make you feel anxious. The anxiety, in turn, increases the number of anxious thoughts.
If you can ground yourself even for a moment in the present, you will break the cycle and feel instant relief. Paying attention to what objects in your environment feel like forces you to pay more attention to the present moment than to negative, anxiety--provoking (,)thoughts about the past or about the future.
Try using your other senses too:
Try closing your eyes for a second(don't try this while driving!) and breathe deeply through your nose. What do you smell?
When eating, put all your attention on how your food tastes.
What do you hear? What little noises are there around you that you didn't notice before?
Look closely at an ordinary object. Do you see anything you haven't noticed before? | high6098.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The competitive advantages of Melbourne."
},
"options": [
"The casual life styles of Melbourne.",
"The various social activities in Melbourne.",
"The competitive advantages of Melbourne.",
"The convenient transportation... | The Commonwealth games have meant that the eyes of the world have been focused on our fair city--Melbourne. And it would look pretty good, wouldn't it? And what better way to regain our title as world's most liveable city? I'm told that we recently lost the right to say this to foreign friends proudly when the international list was re-examined and we slipped to the fourth place.
It's hard to see how Melbourne could have lost its crown when you look at what it has to offer. 24 hours Coles, free transport for drunks on New Year's Eve, a new freeway, it's all here.
The first focus for the international press will obviously be the endless stadiums dotted around the city. But as well as being full every other weekend, these great places often play host to slightly older kids. At Rod Laver, even the olds get a look-in as the Christian evangelical road show rolls into town once a year for a night of stadium worship .
Another pleasure Melbourne enjoys is that it's very easy to get around. There's a bit of a squeeze during rush hour for sure, but nothing like Bangkok, where the journey home can take longer than growing a beard and parking is barely distinguishable from the drive itself. Driving here is a piece of cake. It must be because the wise people who hand out the taxis seem to actively encourage a career behind the wheel within 24 hours of landing in the country as an educational tool for getting to know the city. No slowing down for learning bends, just go, go, go!
As for the social life, with over 40 million bars in Melbourne's CBD alone, we have plenty of places for spectators to celebrate national victory, making this town as good as any and it happens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
_ . But the rest of the world will know that this is the place to be. The most liveable city in the world. By far the easiest place on earth to cheat death, which is essentially what we're talking about. | high23373.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "make young users more selfish"
},
"options": [
"make young users more selfish",
"lengthen young users' attention span",
"encourage young users constant satisfaction",
"help young users communicate better with their fami... | Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, a famous scientist has warned.Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans , encourage instant satisfaction and make children more self-centered.
Warnings from neuroscientist Susan Greenfield will disturb the millions whose social lives depend on surfing their favorite websites each day.But they will strike a chord with parents and teachers who complain that many teenagers lack the ability to communicate or concentrate away from their screens.
More than 150 million use Facebook to keep in touch with friends, share photographs and videos and post regular updates of their movements and thoughts.A further six million have signed up to Twitter, the "micro-blogging" service that lets users exchange text messages about themselves.But while the sites are popular and extremely profitable, a growing number of psychologists and neuroscientists believe they may be doing more harm than good.
Baroness Tarot, an Oxford University neuroscientist believes repeated exposure could rewire the brain.Computer games and fast-paced TV shows were also a factor, she said."My fear is that these technologies are weakening the brain to the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and live for the moment." "I often wonder whether real conversation in real time may eventually give way to these easier and faster screen dialogues, in much the same way as killing and butchering an animal to eat has been replaced by the convenience of packages on the supermarket shelf," she said.
Psychologists have also argued that digital technology is changing the way we think.They point out that students no longer need to plan their term papers before starting to write--thanks to word processors they can edit as they go along.
A study by the Broadcaster Audience Board found teenagers now spend seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen.Educational psychologist Jane Healy believes children should be kept away from computer games until they are seven.Most games only excite the "flight or fight" areas of the brain, rather than the areas responsible reasoning.
Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, said: "We are seeing children's brain development damaged because they don't engage in the activity they have engaged in for thousands of years.I'm not against technology and computers.But before they start social networking, they need to learn to make real relationships with people." | high15819.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To help solve the universal problem of stress"
},
"options": [
"To release his or her working pressure",
"To help solve the universal problem of stress",
"To reduce her or his own anxiety",
"To help more people cry out"... | Although there is no possibility of living completely free of stress , it is possible to prevent stress as well as reduce its effect when it can't be avoided. The US Department of Health and Human Services offers the following suggestions for the ways to deal with stress.
Try physical activity
When you are nervous, angry or upset, try reducing the pressure through exercise of physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis or working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise will relieve your anxiety and worry and help you to relax. Your body and your mind will work together to ease the stress in your life.
Share your stress
It helps to talk to someone about your anxiety and worries. Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher or even your leader can help you a better view of what is troubling you. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek professional help from psychologist or a doctor. Knowing when to ask for help is an important step in avoiding serious problem later
Take care of yourself
You should make every effort to eat well and get enough rest. If you easily get angry and cannot sleep well enough, or if you are not eating properly, it will be more likely that you will fall into stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should consult a doctor
Make time for yourself
Schedule time for both work and entertainment. Don't forget, play can be just as important to your over-all well-being as work. You need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun. Go window-shopping or work on a hobby. Allow yourself at least a half hour each day to do something you enjoy.
Make a list of things you need to do
Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that "there is so much to do, and not enough time." Trying to take care of everything at once can be too much for you and as a result, you may not achieve anything. Instead, make a list of everything you have to do, then do one thing at a time, checking off each task as it is completed. Set out to do the more important tasks first.
Go ahead and cry
A good cry can a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety. It might even help you avoid a headache or other physical effect of anxiety and stress | high4857.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because her doctors forced her to do it."
},
"options": [
"Because she was very fond of doing experiments.",
"Because she was informed of the importance of drinking enough water.",
"Because her doctors forced her to do it.",
... | You might think I'd have little in common with a camel, but we do share one useful skill: both of us can go for a very long time without water. Usually I start my day with a cup of tea, and then I might have a glass of water with my lunch and one with dinner, that's about a liter of liquid in 24 hours. It feels like plenty, but apparently it's not nearly enough.
After years of suffering headaches and poor digestion I spoke to a neurologist about my regular headaches and a nutritionist about my poor digestion, and both told me I should be drinking up to three liters of liquid a day for my body to function at its best. I decided to conduct an experiment. What would happen if I drank the recommended amount every day for a month?
The photograph of me taken the day I started this trial demonstrates perfectly and rather frighteningly what a lack of hydration does to a face. I am 42, but have to admit I look more like 52 in this picture, which is shocking. There are dark shadows under and around my eyes, which make me look exhausted, a profusion of wrinkles and strange reddish blotches, and my skin lacks any luster . It looks dead. Even my lips look shriveled . This is all classic evidence of poor hydration, apparently.
Every system and function in our body depends on water. It flushes toxins from the vital organs, carries nutrients to cells, provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues, and eliminates waste.
Not drinking enough means all these functions becomes damaged. So I decided to see how I would look and feel if I drank three liters of water every day for 28 days. The results were astonishing. | high5591.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Business skills in fashion industry."
},
"options": [
"Talent in fashion.",
"Good marks at college.",
"Ability to create new designs.",
"Business skills in fashion industry."
],
"question": "Which of the followi... | For anyone who is determined to be a fashion designer, it is not enough to have succeeded in college.The real test is whether they can.survive, and become established during their early 20s, making a name for themselves in the real world where business skills can be as important as talent and creativity.
Fashion is a hard business.There is a continuous amount of stress because work is at a constant and extremely fast speed to prepare for the next season's collections.It is extremely competitive and there is the constant need to make attractive advertisements of the latest fashion in newspapers and magazines.It also requires continual freshness because the appetite for new ideas is hard to satisfy."We try to warn people before they come to us about how tough it is." says Lydia Kemeny, the Head of Fashion at St.Martin's School of Art in London."And we point out that drive and determination are ly necessary."
This may seem far removed from the popular opinions of fashionable young people spending their time designing pretty dresses.That may well be what they do in their first year of study but a good college won't be slow in introducing students to commercial realities."We don't walk our foot on the blossoming flower of creativity but in the second year we start introducing the restrictions of price, producing ability, marketing and so on."
Almost all fashion design is done to a brief.It is not a form of self-expression as such, although there is certainly room for imagination and creativity.Most young designers are going to end up as employees of a producer or a fashion house and they still need to be able to work within the characteristic style of their employer.Even those students who are most modern in their own taste of clothes may need to adapt to produce designs which are right for the mainstream of market.They also have to be able to work at both the expensive arid the cheap end of the market and the challenge to produce good design inexpensively may well be demanding. | high21564.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "people's brains work best between their 40s and 60s"
},
"options": [
"the young are better at handling important things",
"people's brains work best between their 40s and 60s",
"ageing leads to the decline of the function of ... | Ever walked to the shops only to find, once there, you've completely forgotten what you went for? Or struggled to remember the name of an old friend? For years we've accepted that a forgetful brain is as much a part of ageing as wrinkles and grey hair.But now a new book suggests that we've got it all wrong.
According to The Secret Life of the Grown-up Brain, by science writer Barbara Strauch, when it comes to the important things, our brains actually get better with age.In fact, she argues that some studies have found that our brain hits its peak between our 40s and 60s--much later than previously thought.
Furthermore, rather than losing many brain cells as we age, we retain them, and even produce new ones well into middle age.For years it's been assumed that brain, much like the body, declines with age.But the longest, largest study into what happens to people as they age suggests otherwise.
This continuing research has followed 6,000 people since 1956, testing them every seven years.It has found that on average, participants performed better on cognitive tests in their 40s and 50s than they had done in their 20s.Specifically, older people did better on tests of vocabulary, verbal memory (how many words you can remember) and problem solving.
Where they performed less well was number ability and perceptual speed--how fast you can push a button when ordered.However, with more complex tasks such as problem-solving and language, we are at our best at middle age and beyond.In short, researchers are now coming up with scientific proof that we do get wiser with age.
Neuroscientists are also finding that we are happier with ageing.A recent US study found older people were much better at controlling and balancing their emotions.It is thought that when we're younger we need to focus more on the negative aspects of life in order to learn about the possible dangers in the world, but as we get older we've learned our lessons and are sub-consciously aware that we have less time left in life: therefore, it becomes more important for us to be happy. | high10961.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "show some written proof of the purchase to the store"
},
"options": [
"complain personally to the manager",
"threaten to take the seller to court",
"write a firm letter of complaint to the store of purchase",
"show some... | When people find out that the product they bought is unsatisfying or in some other way does not live up to the manufacturer's claims , the first step is to present the warranty , or any other records which might help , at the store of purchase . In most cases , this action will produce results . However , if it does not , there are various means the consumer may use to gain satisfaction . A simple and common method used by many consumers is to complain directly to the store manager . In general , the " higher up " his or her complaint , the faster he or she can expect it to be settled . In such a case , it is usually settled in the consumer's favor , assuming he or she has a just claim . Consumers should complain in person whenever possible , but if they cannot get to the place of purchase , it is acceptable to phone or write the complaint in a letter .
Complaining is usually most effective when it is done politely but firmly , and especially when the consumer can demonstrate what is wrong with the item in question . If this cannot be done , the consumer will succeed best by presenting specific information as to what is wrong , rather than by making general statements . For example , " The left speaker does not work at all and the sound coming out of the right one is unclear " is better than " This stereo does not work . " The store manager may advise the consumer to write to be manufacturer . If so , the consumer should do this , stating the complaint as politely and firmly as possible . If a polite complaint does not achieve the desired result , the consumer can go to a step further . She or he can threaten to take the seller to court or report the seller to a private or public organization responsible for protecting consumer's rights . | high10752.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "without using a dictionary"
},
"options": [
"without knowledge of English",
"when we look up words in a dictionary",
"when we are guessing new words",
"without using a dictionary"
],
"question": "The passage mai... | If you don't use a dictionary. What should you do instead? The first thing you can do is trying to guess what the word means. Often the surrounding context gives a very clear idea of the meaning of the word. Even if you can't work out the meaning exactly, you may be able to get a vague idea, enough to enable you to continue reading.
Sometimes It is impossible to guess the meaning of a word from the context and then you will have to decide whether the word is important enough to make it worthwhile stopping and looking it up in a dictionary or whether you can just pass it by.
Many times in your reading, you will come across words which you don't know, but which do not prevent you from understanding all the main points of the text. You can made your dictionary use much more efficient if you only look up the words which are necessary to understand the text. and this means that you must develop the skill to decide whether the words are worth looking up. | high2215.txt |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.