questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "To promote Earth-friendly ways of life."
},
"options": [
"To inspire their children for the future.",
"To prove a travel without motorized transport.",
"To explore the secret of global warming.",
"To promote Earth-frien... | Travelling around the world with children is difficult enough, but attempting it without using motorized transport is even more of challenge. But Dario Schworer, a 42-year-old climatologist and mountain guide, and his 33-year-old wife Sabine are on a journey to do just that.
The Swiss couple want to travel across the world's oceans and climb the highest mountain on every continent to promote Earth-friendly ways of life.
"We are collecting good examples of dealing with climate change and living in harmony with nature and we want to spread such ideas," Schworer said. "We want to help people affected by global warming and to inspire children for the future."
Recently after having spent three months teaching children in the Everest region, the couple want to show it is possible to travel through as the world's climate zones using just human-power and forces of nature.
In the 47 countries they have visited so far they have collected 22 tons of trash, taught people in Ecuador how the sun's rays can be used to clean water and inspired a person in Chile to build a house on water with recycled plastic bottles as a foundation. They have also collected trash in the mountains of Nepal with school children.
So far they have communicated with 45,000 children from South America, Australia and Asia, giving presentations about the importance of recycling and using alternative energy like solar and wind power.
"We need to motivate children," said Sabine.
When they began their adventure in 2003 they had no children of their own. But since then two has become five: daughter Sabine is now five years old, Andri was born in Chile and baby Noe was born in Australia.
_ the couple thought they would complete their travels in four years, but now, seven years later, they believe it could take seven more.
"Since our belief is the need to respect nature, we travel only when conditions are good," Schworer said. | high3684.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To visit friends."
},
"options": [
"To take pictures.",
"To attend lessons.",
"To visit friends.",
"To enjoy sunrise."
],
"question": "What's the author's original purpose of the trip?",
"question_type": nul... | Earlier this week, I wrapped up a 5-day trip in San Francisco. I woke up a few hours before sunrise, drove through the darkness and out of the city, hiked for 30 minutes to the top of a hill overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, and snapped this photo. As I stood there soaking in the early morning light, I was reminded of an important lesson.
When I arrived in San Francisco, I told myself, "Just take photos as you do other things." My primary goal was to meet with friends and so I figured I could take pictures as we walked around the city. This resulted in exactly zero photos worth sharing. I had vague ideas like, "I'd like to do some street photography," but I never went out with the intent of photographing something specific. Finally, on the last morning, I went out with the intent of capturing a specific picture and I ended up with something worth sharing. My mistake was that I assumed that because I wanted to take photos, I would end up getting a desirable result.
How often do you do this in your own life? We go to the gym to "work out" without trying to become better at something specific. We wish that we were more creative, but never work on a particular project. When you commit to a task, however, then the next step is obvious. You want to take a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise? Next step: find a good spot. You've found a good spot? Next step: wake up early and drive there.
This is perhaps the most shocking thing: if box yourself in, then you'll begin to break out and achieve something greater than you ever imagined. | high14293.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They can protect us from injuries completely."
},
"options": [
"They are four basic steps to keep warm.",
"Gloves can't protect us from cold sometimes.",
"We should keep ourselves as dry as possible.",
"They can protect... | Freezing weather can mean frostbite and _ unless a person is prepared. Do you know how to stay warm, dry and safe in such cold winter?
Frostbite is damage that happens when skin is exposed to extreme cold for too long. It mainly happens on the hands, feet, nose and ears. People with small cases of frostbite that affect only the skin may not suffer any lifelong damage. But if deeper tissue is affected, a person is likely to feel pain every time the area gets cold. If blood vessels are damaged, people can suffer an infection of gangrene . Sometimes, doctors have to remove frostbitten areas like fingers and toes.
Hypothermia happens when the body cannot produce as much heat as it releases. The condition comes on slowly. Signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable shaking, very slow breathing and unclear thinking. If not treated properly, Hypothermia can be deadly.
A simple way to avoid cold-related injuries is to remember four basic steps. Think of COLD -- C.O.L.D. The C stands for cover. Wear a hat and a scarf to keep heat from escaping through the head, neck and ears. And wear mittens instead of gloves. In gloves, the fingers are separated, so the hands might not stay as warm. The O stands for overexertion . Avoid activities that will make you sweaty. Wet clothes and cold weather are a bad mix. L is for layers. Wearing loose, lightweight clothes, one layer on top of another, is better than wearing a single heavy layer of clothing. Also, make sure outerwear is made of material that is water-resistant and tightly knit. Can you guess what the D in C.O.L.D. stand for? D is for dry. In other words, stay as dry as possible. Pay attention to the places where snow can enter, like the tops of boots, the necks of coats and the wrist areas of mittens.
And here are two other things to keep in mind -- one for children and the other for adults. Eating snow might be fun but it lowers the body's temperature. And drinking alcohol might make a person feel warm. But what it really does is weaken the body's ability to hold heat. | high20136.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The town looked different."
},
"options": [
"No market could be held.",
"The police had done little to help.",
"The town looked different.",
"Fallen trees had not been removed."
],
"question": "Why were some peo... | Many trees in the Brackham area were brought down in the terrible storms that March. The town itself lost two great lime trees from the former market square. The disappearance of such striking features had changed the appearance of the town center entirely, to the annoyance of its more conservative inhabitants .
Among the annoyed, under more normal circumstances, would have been Chief Inspector Douglas Pelham, head of the local police force. But at the height of that week's storm, when the wind brought down even the mature walnut tree in his garden, Pelham had in fact been in no fit state to notice. A large and healthy man, he had for the first time in his life been seriously ill with an attack of bronchitis.
When he first complained of an aching head and tightness in his chest, his wife, Molly, had tried to persuade him to go to the doctor. Convinced that the police force could not do without him, he had, as usual, ignored her and attempted to carry on working. Predictably, though he wouldn't have listened to anyone who tried to tell him so, this had the effect of fogging his memory and shortening his temper.
It was only when his colleague, Sergeant Lloyd, took the initiative and drove him to the doctor's door that he finally gave in. By that time, he didn't have the strength left to argue with her. In no time at all, she was taking him along to the chemist's to get his medicine and then home to his unsurprised wife who sent him straight to bed.
When Molly told him, on the Thursday morning, that the walnut tree had been brought down during the night, Pelham hadn't been able to take it in. On Thursday evening, he had asked weakly about damage to the house, groaned thankfully when he heard there was none, and pulled the sheets over his head.
It wasn't until Saturday, when the medicine took effect, his temperature dropped and he got up, that he realized with a shock that the loss of the walnut tree had made a permanent difference to the appearance of the living-room. The Pelhams' large house stood in a sizable garden. It had not come cheap, but even so Pelham had no regrets about buying it. The leafy garden had created an impression of privacy. Now, though, the storm had changed his outlook.
Previously, the view from the living-room had featured the handsome walnut tree. This had not darkened the room because there was also a window on the opposite wall, but it had provided interesting patterns of light and shade that hid the true state of the worn furniture that the family had brought with them from their previous house.
With the tree gone, the room seemed cruelly bright, its worn furnishings exposed in all their shabbiness. And the view from the window didn't bear looking at. The tall house next door, previously hidden by the tree, was now there, dominating the outlook with its unattractive purple bricks and external pipes. It seemed to have a great many upstairs windows, all of them watching the Pelhams' every movement.
"Doesn't it look terrible?" Pelham whispered to his wife. But Molly, standing in the doorway, sounded more pleased than dismayed. "That's what I've been telling you ever since we came here. We have to buy a new sofa, whatever it costs." | high3874.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Successes and challenges."
},
"options": [
"Uncertainty",
"Pure enjoyment.",
"Successes and challenges.",
"Experimentation with life."
],
"question": "What does the author think college life holds in store for h... | Make the most of college
Dear Daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind.
First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn't critical for your life, the learning skills you acquire will be something you will cherish forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don't be trapped by what others think or say, but make up your own mind.
Most importantly, make friends and be happy. College friends are often the best in life. Pick a few friends and become really close to them - pick the ones who are genuine to you. Don't worry about their hobbies, grades, looks or even personalities.
Start planning early - what would you like to do? Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses.
Whether it is summer-planning, or coursework planning, or picking a major, or managing your time, you should take control of your life. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver's seat - this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you'll love it!
College is the four years where you have:
l The greatest amount of free time
l the first chance to be independent
l the most flexibility to change
l the lowest risk for making mistakes
So please treasure your college years - make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, be to experiment, learn and grow through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be.
Love,
Dad (&Mom) | high21228.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean"
},
"options": [
"the changing of the weather in southern Africa",
"the warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean",
"the weather which brings drought to Africa",
"the weather phen... | Scientists around the world have been studying the warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean known as El Nino . The appearance of El Nino is known to affect the weather around the world. Scientists still do not completely understand it. Yet they now find they can use it to tell about the future in different areas of the world.
One example is the work of two scientists at Columbia University in New York, Mark Cane and Gordon Eshel. A scientist of Zimbabwe , Roger Buckland worked with them. They have found that when El Nino appears, Zimbabwe has little or no rain. This means corn crops in Zimbabwe are poor. The last El Nino was in 1991 to 1993. That was when southeastern Africa suffered a serious lack of rain.
The scientists wrote about their recent work in the publication Nature. Their computer program can tell when an El Nino will develop up to a year before it does. They suggest that this could provide an effective early warning system for southern Africa, and could prevent many people from starving. | high16484.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "By asking questions."
},
"options": [
"By asking questions.",
"By giving examples.",
"By offering suggestions.",
"By doing experiments."
],
"question": "How does the author introduce the topic of this text?",
... | Are you a bookworm? Is your head stuck in a book for long? If so,that's a good thing.There are many benefits to reading.Getting into a good novel improves our literacy .But who or what encourages us to pick up a book and start reading?
Of course,when we are young,our parents and teachers inspire us by introducing us to characters that we love--or love to hate.And there are the authors--the people who invent and write about these characters.Good writing can really catch our imagination.
One modern-day children's author is J.K.Rowling,who's known for her books about the wizard,Harry Potter.Last year she was named as a'literacy hero'for her part in improving people's love of reading.The UK's National Literacy Trust awarded her the title for"turning a generation of children into readers."
The Trust also honoured schoolchildren,a librarian and teachers for their effort in trying to get people to read.The actor, Henry Winkler, who has dyslexia ,was also named for the books he has written about a boy with learning difficulties.
Reading books is more than an enjoyable pastime;it can also help people in difficult circumstances.The author Pat Winslow worked as a writer in prisons and found reading and discussing stories helped prisoners reflect on their patterns of behaviour.She says"Very often we would have discussions about the moral compass of a character, what was the motivation of
somebody, why did they behave that way?"
Today I like to read factual books such as biographies,where you get an insight into the
lives of important and well-known people.I also enjoy looking at travel books and learning
about journeys and new destinations.It's a good substitute if you can't visit in person.
But the main benefit of reading is the improvement it brings to our literacy.The more we do it,the better we get and who knows--one day you may become the next Tolstoy,Jackie Collins or even William Shakespeare. | high17942.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "from the outside to the inside"
},
"options": [
"from the left to the right",
"from the outside to the inside",
"from the inside to the outside",
"from the right to the left"
],
"question": "We can find out the ... | Do you know anything about the history of weather? Don't look at the sky. Don't look for old weather reports. Looking at the tree rings is more important. Correct weather reports date back only one century, but some trees can provide an exact record of weather even further back.
It is natural that a tree would grow best in a climate with plenty of sunlight and rainfall. It is also expected that little sunlight or rainfall would reduce the growth of a tree. The change from a favorable to an unfavorable climate can be found out by the reading pattern of rings in a tree trunk. To find out the weather of ten years ago, you can count the rings of a tree trunk from the outside to the inside. If the tenth ring is far from the other rings, then it is certain that plenty of sunny and rainy weather occurred. If the rings are close together, then the climate was bad for the tree.
Studying trees is important not only for the history of weather, but also for the history of man. In an area of New Mexico you can find only sand -- no trees or people. However, many centuries ago a large population lived there. They left suddenly. Why?
A scientist studied the pattern of the rings of dead trees that had grown there. He made up his mind that the people had to leave because they had cut down all the trees. Trees were necessary to make fires and buildings. So, after the people destroyed the trees, they had to move.
In this example studying tree rings uncovered an exciting fact about the history of man. | high20650.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The concentrated zone of stone islands."
},
"options": [
"1,969 islands of various sizes.",
"The concentrated zone of stone islands.",
"989 islands that have been given names.",
"Man's Head Island."
],
"question... | Situated in the Northeast region of Vietnam, Halong Bay is made up of 1,969 islands of various sizes, 989 of which have been given names. The concentrated zone of stone islands is famous for its spectacular scenery of caves, and forms the central zone of Halong Bay.
Seen from above, Halong Bay looks like a geographic work of art. While exploring the bay, you feel lost in a wonderful world. There is Man's Head Island, which resembles a man standing and looking towards the mainland. Dragon Island looks like a dragon winding above the blue water. La Vong Island resembles an old man fishing. There are also the islands of the Sail, the Pair of Roosters, and the Incense Burner, which are all astonishingly like their names.
It has been proven by scientists that Halong Bay was one of the first places of human existence. It is also a region of highly-concentrated biological diversity with many ecosystems of coral reefs, and tropical forests, which are home to thousands of species of animals and rare plants.
The beach located along the coast of Halong Bay has a year-round average temperature of 20degC. Among the palm trees are large hotels. Visitors are seen on white sand and under the green trees are small family-run restaurants. After swimming, tourists can enjoy cold drinks. No wonder the 18h meeting of the Committee of the World Heritages of UNESCO officially recognized Halong Bay as a natural heritage site of worldwide importance. | high10793.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "children's high consumption of products"
},
"options": [
"divisions between teenagers and their parents",
"children's high consumption of products",
"what is popular among children at the moment",
"how to spend mone... | It is normal for parents to question their children's hairstyle or the clothes they wear. But today teenagers and their parents argue over something else: money.
Children are spending lots of it. Parents used to say to their children, "You're wearing that?" Now they say, "You paid how much for that?"
Children in the US today spend five times more money than their parents did when they were young.
So what are all these children buying? The list is long: ipods trainers , cellphones and jeans are typical items that children "have to" buy. And they will do anything to get them. They ask their parents over and over until they buy them.
But parents also need to take the blame for spending so much money. They want their children to have the best stuff. They end up competing with other parents over what their children have.
So no wonder children find it hard to learn the importance of saving money rather than spending it all the time.
And it's hard to save when companies use advertising and clever slogans to encourage young people to buy their products. They even encourage children to keep asking their parents for something until they get it.
Today, you don't even need to have money in order to buy something. Banks give out credit cards and loans all the time so people are saving less and less. We are used to there being lots of money around. And if you don't have much you can always borrow some.
But this hasn't always been the case. When our grandparents were young there was very little money and everyone had to save hard for things they bought. They only bought things they needed, not things they just wanted.
The older generation made the wise expression, "Money doesn't grow on trees." This is as true now as it was 50 years ago. They give money a great deal of value. And we all have a lot to learn from them. | high249.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the writer's mother might often wakes him up rudely"
},
"options": [
"the writer's mother might often wakes him up rudely",
"the writer's mother is always kind to him",
"the writer's mother hates him",
"never wakes him ... | I stayed in bed for a few minutes. I was reluctant to leave its warmth and comfort, and reluctant to face the problem that I'd let myself forget for the past six months. Finally, I dragged myself out of bed.
I finished getting ready and tried to settle down. It didn't work, so I decided that my mum and I should go. We had a little time, so I thought we could practice parking. I failed, with the wheel hitting the pavement. After that, the little bit of confidence I'd had was gone. I tried two more times, but didn't improve much. Then we headed to the test site.
I went into a room for some paperwork. And I waited for 20 minutes--just enough time to make myself believe that I was going to fail. Then, finally, it was my turn. I just wanted to get it over and make sure that I had to come back next Thursday.
I stepped outside and the sky was the light blue I love. It offered me some comfort and I realized something: sometime between when I pulled myself off the seat and when I got outside, I had become calmer.
The first thing I had to do was parking, which I did quite well. The confidence that came with it hit me like a wave. The rest of the test went well and I passed it all. As I drove back, the instructor told me I would not be coming back for a second test next Thursday.
Back in the building I didn't have to say a word. My mum knew just by looking at me. Her smile made her face softer. And I'm sure it was at least as big as mine. But, her eyes looked kind of teary, so, I knew she was happy for me. | high23359.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "see his son and grandchildren"
},
"options": [
"bring his son newspapers",
"give his grandchildren some food",
"take exercise by walking",
"see his son and grandchildren"
],
"question": "The writer's grandfather... | My grandfather lived only half a mile away from where I grew up in New York. Every day, he would walk down to our house and bring my dad newspapers. Along with the papers he would bring a small bag of treats for my two brothers and me.
Western New York had terrible winter weather: rain, sleet , or even 3 feet of snow. Even when he was 81, he still walked the half mile every single day. As a child, I looked forward to the daily treats, but now I'm older and I realize he braved the rough weather each day just to see us smile; I now value that more than anything else.
My grandfather touched many lives. A woman who had been in hospital for five years told me her story. She said my grandfather would visit her twice a week at her home: to read to her, play bridge, or just chat. It lasted for years without stop. She had few visitors. Even a _ who had traveled by getting free rides from passing cars told me of my grandfather's influence on his life. My grandfather had picked him up for free and took the traveler to his home. After learning that the man was homeless, my grandfather gave him a place to stay. The man told me that no one had ever been so nice to him. He later found a job in a supermarket.
I was touched, but not surprised to know all of the touching stories from which I understood my grandfather's selflessness. I have since tried to learn from him to help others. Although he died years ago, we still respect him. | high9381.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It is in a German town."
},
"options": [
"It once ran for 104 days nonstop.",
"It is the one most difficult to ride.",
"It is most modernly equipped.",
"It is in a German town."
],
"question": "What do we know a... | Richard Rodriguez from the United States is a great roller coaster fan. Recently he broke his 15th world record after he spent 104 days riding the world's largest roller coaster.
"It got more difficult to ride and ride because of the muscle tiredness," Rodriguez, a teacher at the University of Chicago, said as he stepped down from the ride in a German park. He spent 10 hours a day on the roller coaster.
Rodriguez tried to keep himself busy during the rides on the big roller coaster in a southwestern town in Germany. "I read the newspapers...I have a walkman, I have my cellphone, so I try to talk to people and message people during the day," he said.
Although the 42yearold said he felt sick on the first few days, he said he soon got over the problem.
"My face hurts sharply and I have a little backache, but I am good."
The "Expedition GeForce" is one of the world's biggest roller coasters. It measures 62 meters at its highest point.
On his 95th day on the coaster, after travelling over 25,000 kilometers, Rodriguez had a toothache and was treated by a local dentist. He went on after that and succeeded in breaking the record.
Rodriguez celebrated with members of the park staff and his supporters, who had sent him postcards and emails encouraging him not to give up. | high22047.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "what to do without her best friend"
},
"options": [
"whether to give up her best friend",
"what to do without her best friend",
"whom to choose between two friends",
"how to stop missing her former friend"
],
"q... | Dear SJ,
Losing a best friend is never easy.
Your problem, is not just that you miss your best friend, it is that you feel empty and lost without her friendship.
It takes time to get over a lost, and during that time, your mind is getting used to _ . This is usually a good thing, even if it feels like a bad thing.
Now that you are on your own, you are being forced to learn to be by yourself and to rely upon your own inner voice for guidance. I am sure that this feels strange for you, but if you can hang on for a bit longer, it may work to your advantage.
Best friends are cool, but it is important to know the difference between missing someone and being too independent upon them.
At your age, girls do tend to stick together and having a good boyfriend may not yet be the better choice. Your friend is leaving you, her best friend, for a boyfriend. Boyfriends are completely different from best friends. The distinction is that boyfriends come and go, while girl friends often stay in your life throughout high school, and even afterwards. It is a completely different sort of bond.
I suggest that you take advantage of this period in your life to expand your horizons. Enjoy the freedom of having no best friend for a while, and hang with the group. By the time your former best friend breaks up with her boyfriend, you will be in a completely different place, a far better place.
And, by the way, next time you feel empty and lost, try to write about it in a diary. In several months, you will look back and read it with curiosity about yourself. "Who was I then, and what could I have been thinking?" | high12184.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the writer came to the cafe for the first time"
},
"options": [
"the writer came to the cafe for the first time",
"the old man made a living by telling jokes in the cafe",
"the writer had known about the old man before",
... | I met the old man at a cafe. "Did you hear the radio news yesterday?" he asked me. "No," I replied. "Anything exciting?""Exciting? NO! Something very sad. A group of hungry dogs killed and ate my best friend."
"Oh, dear!" I cried. "How did it happen?""He was working on the hillside when the dogs attacked him. When he didn't return, I went to the hillside and found...""His body?" I asked. The old fellow drank half of his coffee. "No. I told you they were hungry dogs, didn't I? The big bones were lying every where. But they found this." He pushed open a match box he was holding in his hand. In it was a man's thumb, lying on some white bloody material.
"This is my friend's right thumb. The dogs ate the rest of him". The old man began to cry. He finished his coffee quickly and left the cafe. I drank mine and called the waiter. "I'll pay the gentleman's bill. His poor friend--how terrible!""You've heard the news?" The waiter laughed. "Sure. There's a hole in the bottom of the match box. He put his own thumb through the hole. The blood is red ink, I believe. Is the story worth a cup of coffee, sir?""But he held the box in his right hand.""Yes, but listeners look into the box. They just can't take their sight off that terrible thing.""And when he tells the story, he gets free cup of coffee!" I said, laughing. "Yes, sir, but only from strangers who come to this town, and, of course, he does us no harm!" | high15827.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Australia"
},
"options": [
"Florida",
"Australia",
"The Bahamas",
"Colorado"
],
"question": "Where was Markus Groh from?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": ... | No one goes on an adventure tour with the thought that he won't make it back alive. It is unclear what Markus Groh thought when he signed up for a late February dive that could put him face-to-face with killer Sharks--without a cage to separate him from the man-eaters. He surely didn't expect to end up dead. But the 49-year-old man from Australia died on February 24 after being bitten on the leg while swimming with the sharks in the Bahamas.
Every year, thousands of people die while living life to the fullest-- battling white-water rapids (every year a great number of people go white-water rafting in states like California and Colorado), climbing the world's tallest mountain peak, or descending to the depths of the ocean. The extreme sports are dangerous and you take your chances.
Diving with dangerous sharks without a cage appeals to the thrill seekers. The tour , provided by Scuba Adventurers of River Beach, Florida, promoted its dives as great shark expeditions . "To ensure the best results, we will put fish and fish parts in the water," The Scuba Adventures website stated. "Consequently, there will be food in the water at the same time. Please be aware that these are not 'caged' dives; they are open water experiences. We will have crew members in the water at all times to ensure divers' safety."
Rodney Barreto, chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, maintains there's no way the crew could ensure the safety of the divers. "That's not a controlled environment, " Barreto says.
In 2001, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission banned the practice of fish feeding off the coast of Florida. Because the tour operator couldn't legally attract sharks with chum in Florida, Groh went to the Bahamas. Barreto says, " We are not discouraging people from going diving. We are telling them to be responsible and obey the law. One of the reasons why they went to the Bahamas was that they were doing something outside the law." | high22053.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Harvard"
},
"options": [
"Yale",
"Harvard",
"Princeton",
"Columbia"
],
"question": "The oldest university in the US is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | Started in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest of all the many colleges and universities in the United States. Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth were opened soon after Harvard.
In the early years, these schools were much alike. Only young men went to college. All the students studied the same subjects, and everyone learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Little was known about science then, and one kind of school could teach everything that was known about the world. When the students graduated, most of them became ministers or teachers.
In 1782, Harvard started a medical school for young men who wanted to become doctors. Later, lawyers could receive their training in Harvard's law school. In 1825, besides Latin and Greek, Harvard began teaching modern languages, such as French and German. Soon it began teaching American history.
As knowledge increased, Harvard and other colleges began to teach many new subjects. Students were allowed to choose the subjects that interested them.
Today, there are many different kinds of colleges and universities. Most of them are made up of smaller schools that deal with special fields of learning. There's so much to learn that one kind of school can't offer it all. | high1911.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "be beyond Gilbert's ability"
},
"options": [
"be no trouble at all",
"be too easy for Gilbert",
"be beyond Gilbert's ability",
"require no skills"
],
"question": "Gilbert's father thought the task given by the C... | My son Gilbert was eight years old and had been in the Cub Scouts only a short time. Once he was handed a sheet of paper, a block of wood and four tires and told to return home and give them all to his father. That was not an easy task for Gilbert to do. The piece of paper was a set of instructions about how to build a wooden racing car. Gilbert's father laughed when he read the instructions. The block of wood remained untouched as the weeks passed.
Finally, I stepped in to see if I could figure it all out. Having no skills, I decided it would be best if I simply read the instructions and let Gilbert do the work. And he did. Within days, his block of wood was turning into a pinewood racing car.
Then the big night came. With his pinewood racing car in his hand and pride in his heart we headed to the big race. As the race was done in elimination fashion , you could keep racing as long as you were the winner.
Finally, it was between Gilbert and the fastestlooking car there. As the race was about to begin, Gilbert asked if they could stop for a minute, because he wanted to pray. Then the race stopped.
Gilbert prayed in earnest for a very long minute. The Master came up to Gilbert and asked the obvious question, "So you prayed to win, Gilbert?"
My young son answered, "Oh, no Sir. It wouldn't be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked him to make it so I don't cry when I lose."
Children seem to have wisdom far beyond us. Perhaps we spend too much of our prayer time asking God to control the race, make us the champion, or remove us from the struggle, when we should be seeking God's strength to get through what lies in our way. | high12190.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Fatal shootings of students are less than 1% of all homicides."
},
"options": [
"About 99% of 15- to-19-year-olds are safe at school.",
"Fewer students have died in car accidents than in shootings.",
"Students shot to death a... | School violence is in the headlines again after recent shootings at schools in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Colorado. After hearing the news, it's natural for students -- no matter how old they are or where they go to school -- to worry about whether this type of incident may someday happen to them.
So how safe are schools? It's actually safer to be in a school than in a car. Twice as many 15-to-19-year-olds die in car accidents than in shootings (and that's all shootings, not just the ones that happen in schools). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of all homicides among school-age children happen on school grounds or on the way to and from school. So the vast majority of students will never experience violence at school.
However, some schools have re-evaluated their safety needs in response to the concerns of families and communities. Some now require that guests check in at the office or have more guards on duty. Some schools have fixed metal detectors. Another thing that helps make schools safer is greater awareness of problems like bullying and discrimination. Many schools have practiced programs to fight these problems and to help teachers and administrators know more about protecting students from this type of violence.
The cause of school violence isn't easy to understand. There is no single reason why students become violent. Some are just copying behavior they've seen at home, in the streets, or in video games, movies, or television. There's one thing experts do agree on, though: Having access to guns or other weapons makes it easier for some people to lash out against the things or people they don't like. | high11499.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Good heath care."
},
"options": [
"The stable income.",
"Good heath care.",
"Practical profits.",
"Low work stress level."
],
"question": "Which of the following could NOT be the reason for the attraction of civ... | The huge thirst for jobs in the civil service has made the national civil servant exam one of China's most competitive tests. The first exam was held in 1995, and since then more and more people have signed up for it, with applications reaching a peak over the last two years.
The latest online survey, carried out by China Youth Daily and www.qq.com, found that more than 73 percent of young people want to work as civil servants. Of the 17,330 respondents, about 83 percent said they were attracted by the job's stability, guaranteed health care and pension . Meanwhile, 55 percent said it could bring "practical profits". Nearly 1 million people applied to take the exam last year, yet only just over 10,000 were finally employed.
This year the competition continued. The exact number of applicants is not known, with the final day for applications today. But the flood of applicants has already broken the exam's website once. China Youth Daily reported that the site was forced to close for _ due to unusually high traffic on the night of October 16, which has never happened in the past.
In a typical year several hundred applicants will apply for many of the jobs listed. For example, the five job vacancies provided by the secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPC have attracted more than 3,880 applicants this year. Positions as civil servants are attractive, not only because of the stable income and good health care, but also because of the low risks compared with the power and resources the positions enjoy. Among the total 6 million public servants, around 20,000 were dismissed between 1996 and 2007. | high20644.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The number of grey wolves is smaller than that of deer."
},
"options": [
"Indians used to hunt grey wolves to make a living.",
"Tourists can only visit the park by walking or hiking.",
"The number of grey wolves is smaller th... | Nearly 60 million visitors flooded to the 384 national parks across America every year. And you won't have to wander far from home to enjoy one of these national treasures, with Michigan's Isle Royale National Park nearby.
Located 56 miles from Copper Harbor on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the park remains _ that can only be reached by tour boat. With the exception of the Rock Harbor Lodge, which offers both rooms with private baths and accommodations in the form of small cottages, the 572,000 acres that make up the 45-mile-long park are rough, threaded with hiking paths that lead to tents-only campsites. You are likely to see a deer crossing mist-covered ponds in search of breakfast, gaze bald eagles flying overhead, or hear a beaver clapping its tail on the water. If you are especially lucky, you might even glimpse a grey wolf, nearly dying out from hunting on the mainland.
Plenty of hiking paths open the area to exploration. The 4-mile Stroll Path winds through various trees and offers a tour of the island's history, including prehistoric Indian mines. The Jungle Path leads to Scoville Point----a perfect picnic spot surrounded on three sides by the shining waters of Lake Superior.
You can also rent a boat at the park's service center and row down the shore to the Rock Harbor Lighthouse. Here park's service employees use nets to show how lake fishes used to be caught by the original local people. Their catch ends up on the dinner menu at the Rock Harbor Lodge.
The park is open from mid-April through October; Rock Harbor Lodge is open from Memorial Day weekend until just after Labor Day. | high10787.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Supportive"
},
"options": [
"Supportive",
"Objective",
"Indifferent",
"Neutral"
],
"question": "What is the writer's attitude towards the rise of technologies like Google and Wikipedia?",
"question_type": nu... | We like to think our intelligence is self-made; it happens inside our heads, the product of our inner thoughts alone. But the rise of Google, Wikipedia and other online tools has made many people question the impact of these technologies on our brains. Is typing in "Who has played James Bond in the movies?" the same as our knowledge about the names like Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig? Can we say we know the answer as long as we know how to rapidly get the information on Google?
Here the question is about how we define intelligence itself. The answer appears to be interesting, because the evidence from psychological studies suggests that much of our intelligence comes from how we coordinate ourselves with other people and our environment.
An influential theory among psychologists is that we're cognitive misers . This is the idea that we are unwilling to do mental work unless we have to. We try to avoid thinking things fully when a short cut is available. If you've ever voted for the presidential candidate with the most honest smile, or chosen a restaurant based on how many people are already sitting in there, then you are a cognitive miser. The theory explains why we'd much rather type a zip code into Google Maps than memorize and recall the location of a place - it's so much easier to do so.
Research shows that people don't tend to rely on their memories for things they can easily access. Buildings can somehow disappear from pictures we're looking at, or the people we're talking to can be changed with someone else, and often we won't notice - a phenomenon called "change blindness". This isn't an example of human stupidity - far from it, in fact - this is an example of mental efficiency. The mind relies on the world as a better record than memory.
Philosophers have suggested that thinking is really happening in the environment as much as it is happening in our brains. The philosopher Andy Clark called humans "natural born cyborgs ", those naturally capable of absorbing and combining new tools, ideas and abilities. In Clark's view, the route to a solution is not the issue - having the right tools really does mean you know the answers, just as much as already knowing the answer.
Rather than being forced to rely on our own resources for everything, we can share our knowledge. Technology keeps track of things for us so we don't have to, while large systems of knowledge serve the needs of society as a whole. I don't know how a computer works, or how to grow vegetables, but that knowledge is out there and I can get to benefit. The internet provides even more potential to share this knowledge. Wikipedia is one of the best examples - an increasingly large database of knowledge from which everyone can benefit.
So as well as having a physical environment - like the rooms or buildings we live or work in - we also have a mental environment, which means that when I ask you where your mind is, you shouldn't point toward the centre of your forehead. As research shows, our minds are made up just as much by the people and tools around us as they are by the brain cells inside our skull. | high3860.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "to get permission to look after babies during the day"
},
"options": [
"to help those homeless people in the room",
"to apply for a permit for ABC",
"to call on the government to help those homeless children",
"to get p... | While others look away from trouble, this lady digs in and gets to work.
Gretchen Buchenholz, the native New Yorker and mother of six, has worked on behalf of needy and margin1alized families for years in the city. She does everything from buy groceries for homeless families to start schools for children. In 1974 she founded Merricat's Castle, a nursery school that opened its doors to kids of all racial and economic backgrounds, the able-bodied as well as those with disabilities or terminal illnesses.
She founded the Association to Benefit Children (ABC), the nonprofit group, some 20 years ago. The story of how she started ABC is pretty amazing. In 1984 she was on her way to a government office to get a day-care permit when, by accident, she entered a room where homeless families were waiting to be placed in a " welfare hotel." She saw three bare cribs with babies lying in them. The children wore no diapers (their parents couldn't afford them), and the room was filthy . After talking to the parents and learning that they and their children were hungry, Gretchen marched out and bought bread, peanut butter, apple juice and diapers. Then she started making phone calls. She dialed the American Red Cross, City Hall and The New York Times.
Gretchen has made many people see that we need to recognize these children are not different from our own, and we need to join in and help. Too often, people look away from suffering. But she sets us an example that we should gain strength to do something about it. | high20122.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Great happiness"
},
"options": [
"Great happiness",
"Great surprise",
"Great pride",
"Great honor"
],
"question": "What does the word elation mean in the sentence \"I got fives 'A's\", she still recalls with ela... | As Rosalie Warren stood at the mailbox in the lobby of her apartment building in May 1980, she shared the anxiety of many other college seniors. In her hand was an envelope containing her final grades. As she nervously opened it, Warren wondered whether her hundreds of hours of studying had paid off.
They had.
"I got five 'A's," she still recalls with elation. "I almost fell on the floor!"
Warren would graduate from Suffolk University with a bachelor of science degree in philosophy and history at age 80.Three years later, at age 83, she would receive her second degree from Suffolk, a master's in education.
Now, with both diplomas proudly displayed in her apartment, Warren is not finished with learning.
"That's what I love."
Warren was born Rosalie Levey on Aug.29, 1900. Two years after she entered high school, her father died. Warren had to leave school for factory work to help support her family's 10 children. Warren describes herself as a "person who always liked school," and she says the move "broke my heart completely because I couldn't finish high school."
In the end, however, "I went to school nights," she recalls. "Any place I could find an outlet of learning and teaching, I was there."
A short time later, her mother became ill, and Warren had to care for her, once again putting her education on hold.
Finally, in 1921, her mother, now recovered, drew from her saving to send Warren to Boston University for two years to study typing, stenography, and office procedures.
Those courses helped Warren gain several long-term office positions over the next 60 years, but her great desire "to be in the academic field" continued.
In 1924, she married Eugene Warren, and seven years later, her daughter, Corinne, was born. In 1955, by then a widow and a grandmother, Warren took a bus tour across the United States that was to last nine months. She said she wanted to see "things you never see in the West End."
When she returned home, she took a bookkeeping position and also enrolled in courses in philosophy, sociology
And Chinese history. free program for senior citizens." I was at the registrar's office the very next day."she recalls. At first ,she took one or two courses at a time , but encouraged by her professors , she enrolled as a
In 1975, when she was 75, Warren learned from a neighbor about Suffolk University's tuition- degree candidate.
"I had not studied for so many years," she says, "but I was determined." For the next four years, Warren, who calls herself a "student of philosophy," worked toward her degree.
Nancy Stoll, dean of students at Suffolk, says Warren is "an interesting role model for our younger students---that learning is a lifetime activity....She is genuinely enthusiastic about being here, and that permeates her activities and is contagious to students and faculty." | high16490.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Website news section."
},
"options": [
"Magazine technique section.",
"Newspaper education section.",
"Government report.",
"Website news section."
],
"question": "Where can we find this article?",
"question... | WASHINGTON -- President Obama brought together the leaders of Japan and South Korea to discuss cooperation on containing North Korea and its nuclear weapons programs. Japan and North Korea have had tense relations over unresolved issues, some of them dating back 100 years. The three leaders emphasized the importance of cooperation in dealing with North Korea.
The meeting took place Tuesday in the Hague, after a twoday nuclear security summit. President Obama praised South Korean President Park Geunhye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for overcoming their differences to discuss a serious threat to regional peace. He emphasized the importance of cooperation on the North Korean nuclear issue.
Obama said the three discussed steps to deepen diplomatic and military cooperation, including joint military exercises and missile defense against Pyongyang. He said further discussions would take place next month, during his visits to Seoul and Tokyo.
The South Korean president stressed the importance of a united response to North Korea, but also called on the North to choose a peaceful path. "I sincerely hope that this meeting will offer a chance for us to reconfirm our trilateral coordination and strengthen the cooperation on the nuclear front," said Park.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed. "Particularly it is extremely important that we were able to confirm close cooperation among Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea on the issue of North Korea, the three countries who would like to cooperate so that North Korea will be able to take a positive position with regard to nuclear and missile issue," said Abe.
Japan and South Korea have several unresolved issues, including Japan's refusal to apologize again for crimes committed 70 years ago. Former U.S. diplomat Richard Armitage told an audience this week that painful historic injustices take a long time to heal, and that it is in Japan's interest to continue apologizing for as long as necessary. "There is a historical record of enormous generosity, achievement and respect for human rights and human freedom," said Armitage. | high17956.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a new application and application fee are to be required"
},
"options": [
"the application fee can be reduced to a half",
"applicants on a reserve list needn't be assessed",
"the initial application form should be returned to... | Chinese International School
Application Form
Before an applicant can be invited to take part in an assessment, an application form should be returned to the Admissions Office, and the application fee of HK$1,000 cannot be returned. For overseas applicants wishing to pay in currencies other than HK dollars, the fee is US$145. Checks are also good for payment to "Chinese International School".
The application should include:
* Applicant' academic report from the last school year.
* A recent passport-sized photo (attached to the application form). [:,,]
* A copy of the applicant's Hong Kong ID card or a passport showing a valid Hong Kong visa.
* Only for applicants applying under a Corporate Nomination Right: A company letter confirming the nomination.
Please note that the application fee is non-refundable. Applicants who would like to re-apply for another academic year are asked to submit a new application and application fee.
Acceptance
Applicants will be informed of their acceptance status in writing by postal mail. Initial offers for Reception will be sent out from late March once all assessments have been completed.
Some applicants who have been assessed may be held on a reserve list. Acceptances may also be made on a conditional basis among the applicants on the reserve list.
Applicants who have been assessed but who have not been admitted are welcome to reapply for the next academic year. Please note that such applicants will be asked to submit a new application and application fee.
Confirmation of Acceptance and Enrollment
Once an applicant has been admitted, the applicant family will be asked to confirm acceptance and hold the student's place with immediate payment of the required fees for the Nomination Right (HK$ 500), plus the sum of HK$ 7,500 as the first tuition payment.[:]
In addition, enrollment will not be considered complete until the following have been received, normally one month before the start of the new school year:
Physical examination results
Tuition (first month) | high6918.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "By strengthening stability"
},
"options": [
"By performing arms race",
"By making war",
"By strengthening stability",
"By getting foreign help"
],
"question": "How did Putin try to make Russiaa world power again... | Russian President Putin named Time magazine's person of the year
Russian President Vladimir Putin was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year" on December 19th,2007for strengthening stability that made Russia a world power again.
The magazine recognized Putin's "extraordinary feat of leadership in taking a country that was in a mess and bringing it stability," said Richard Stengel, Time's managing editor.
The magazine noted that "Person of the Year" is not an honor or an endorsement but a recognition of leadership that shapes the world.
Putin, who is 56 years old, is very popular in Russia, making a great effort to cause economy to come to life on revenue from oil and natural gas.
Putin recently supported vice-PM Dmitry Medvedev's presidential bid, and said he would accept Medvedev's offer to serve as prime minister if Medvedev is elected March2.
The Kremlin said Wednesday the Time reconnition was seen there as an _ of Putin's role in helpingprefix = st1 /Russiapull out of its social and economic troubles in the 1990s.
Others considered for Person of the Year included Nobel Prize-winner Al Gore and author J.K. Rowling.
This year's choice was a return to the magazine's tradition of picking an individual rather than last year's choice of "You", which refers to anyone creating or using content on the World Wide Web.
Putin is the fifth Russian(or Soviet) leader to be named Person of the Year: Gorbachev, Andropov, Khrushchev and Stalin, who was named twice. | high22735.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "his parents' DNA decides his appearance."
},
"options": [
"he is son of his parents.",
"his parents' DNA decides his appearance.",
"he has received DNA from his father or his mother.",
"scientists have put some of his p... | DNA is one of the most important discoveries in science. DNA is the plan for the human being, as a blueprint is the plan for a building. DNA makes a person look the way he does. A person's DNA comes from a mixing of his parents' DNA. That's why a child looks like his parents. But, besides controlling things such as height and hair color, DNA can also give people diseases. Scientists are now studying DNA to cure diseases.
In the seventies, scientists developed a process called recombinant or RDNA. Although it sounds difficult to understand, RDNA simply means taking DNA from one animal or plant and putting it into another. By doing so, scientists can create new beings. In doing so, scientists can better understand DNA, especially what parts of DNA do what. After they understand DNA, scientists can begin to cure diseases. Often, the new being created will itself be the cure. Besides curing diseases, RDNA research can also do other things. For example, scientists in Japan have already created "super-trees". Trees help humans, because they take CO2, which poisons humans, from the air and turns it into oxygen, which lets humans breathe. "Super-trees" do this too, but do it much faster. As things such as cars and factories have already put much CO2in the area, "super-trees" are badly needed.
Unfortunately, there is a serious danger in RDNA research. Scientists want to create animals to cure old diseases, but these new animals may also create new diseases. It will be a serious problem if the animals escape from the science laboratory and into nature. As these animals are not natural, they may _ many new powerful diseases.
As a result, RDNA research will create many solutions, but it will also create many problems. | high15199.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Most people like the female pilot at such a young age."
},
"options": [
"More women will take up a pilot career,inspired by Kate.",
"Kate has flown to around 100 destinations across the Europe.",
"Most people like the female ... | If Kate McWilliams got a penny every time someone asked how old she was she would be on to a good thing.
Easyjet says the 26-year-old is its youngest ever commercial female airline captain.
She flies to around 100 destinations across the world and says most people "are pleasantly surprised and impressed" when she tells them her age.
But Kate isn't the youngest ever female captain.Ronan Milne got in touch with Newsbeat to say his colleague Dawn Hunter was made a captain aged 24 at Loganair.Sarah Hendry is also 24 and a captain with the same company.
Kate began flying in the air cadets when she was 13 years old, but admitted to the Press Association that she never thought she could become a commercial pilot.However, following aviation training in Southampton, she joined easyJet as a co-pilot in May 2011.This August she took up the rank of captain after passing the airline's command course.
"Personally I don't think my age matters," she said. "I've been through the same training and passed the same command course as every other captain so I've proven myself capable regardless of my age."
Kate is originally from Carlisle, but now lives in Surrey so she can be near to Gatwick Airport.From there she flies Airbus A319 and A32 planes to locations across the world, including Iceland, Israel and Morocco."I rarely fly to the same place twice in the same month," she said. "That keeps things interesting."
Around 5% of commercial pilots are women.Last year easyJet announced a plan to increase its number of female entrants to 12%.Julie Westhorp, chairwoman of the British Women Pilots' Association (BWPA), hopes Kate will inspire more women to think about working in aviation.She says: "Both the BWPA and easyJet are aware of the importance of visible role models for girls and young women when making career choices and continue to work together to encourage young women to consider a pilot career." | high14708.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "At age three."
},
"options": [
"At age three.",
"At age ten.",
"At age seven.",
"At age four."
],
"question": "When did Shane tell others that he could play the piano?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
... | Shane Thomas is a 10-year-old pianist from England. He's being called the next Mozart because of his amazing abilities.
He has only been having piano lessons for four months, and practices four hours a week, but he has already played difficult classical pieces. He was just seven when he sat down at the piano, and could play at once. He also says he never gets nervous.
When Shane was three years old, he said that he could play the piano, but nobody took him seriously. At school, he could listen to the teacher and do his work while composing in his head. Shame remembers all the melodies ,and when he gets home he plays them on the piano, while his father records them. Shane loves playing the piano, and when he grows up he wants to be a composer.
His tutor, Richard Goffin-Lecar, says he is like Amadeus Mozart, who lived during the 18thcentury in Salzburg, Austria, and was one of the most famous composers ever. Mr. Goffin-lecar says, "I don't teach Shane very much. I just give him directions, then sit back and watch."
His father, a single parent with two other children, says that although he has little money, he wants to send Shane to a good music school. "I'm a single father, but I have this gifted child. I don't have much money, but I want to give him the best teachers, and also take him into a studio to record." | high1520.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Tears when dirt gets into eyes."
},
"options": [
"Tears when eyes are dry.",
"Tears moved by a story.",
"Tears released when crying.",
"Tears when dirt gets into eyes."
],
"question": "Which of the following is ... | Sometimes,you just can't help it.Maybe you're watching a sad movie,or thinking about the friend who moved away.Next thing you know,your eyes are watering,and you have tears running down your cheeks.Why do people cry when they are emotional? What are tears? Scientists are working hard to find the answers to these questions.
Ad Vingerhoets is a professor of psychology at Tilburg University,in the Netherlands.He is one of the few scientists in the world who have studied crying.According to Vingerhoets,there are three types of tears.Basal tears are the first type.They lubricate the eyes and act as a protective barrier between the eye and the rest of the World.Next are reflex tears.They wash your eyes clean when something gets in them.Finally,there are emotional tears. "These are released in response to emotional states,"explains Vingerhoets."Especially when we feel helpless."
Scientists believe that crying has something to do with how humans developed and learned to depend on each other."Humans are very complex social creatures,"says Lauren Bylsma,a professor at the University of Pittsburgh,in Pennsylvania."It seems that tears serve to arouse help and support from others,''She says."Another reason we weep is that humans have the longest developmental period of almost any animal.It takes a long time to grow up."
Vingerhoets agrees."I think that the reason why humans shed tears has something to do with our childhood,"he says."That's the time when we are stir dependent on adults for love and protection and care.The major advantage of emotional tears is that you can target them at a specific person."Vingerhoets says this ability to target someone could have come in hand in prehistoric times,when humans were living among dangerous animals.Crying could attract predators .Tears were a safer way to get attention.In this case,it is better to use a silent signal to ask for help,"he says.
Vingerhoets and Bylsma do frequent studies to better understand why humans cry.According to Byhma,there is still much more to discover."It's surprising,"she says,"how much we still don't know." | high13067.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He would share a room with only one classmate."
},
"options": [
"He needn't study in a boarding home from then on.",
"There would be at least 30 classmates in his class.",
"His best friend would share a room with him.",
... | When I was six, my mother placed me in a boarding home. For the next nine years, I never slept in a room that contained less than 30 other kids in it. So, when I was promoted to senior at the high school for my final year there, I had the greatest pleasure of rooming with just one other classmate, and the added feature of a semi-private bathroom.
We seniors also had the feature of walking around the campus in special hats, we called senior bonnets. So all the other kids would know we were the highest in the high school. As seniors, we frequently went on field trips outside the campus, including city museums, city hall, colleges and theatres. The highlight was a senior class trip to Washington, D.C., where we sat in on a session of Congress, visited the monument and many other government sites around the city.
Another benefit of being seniors was that many of us on athletic and other extra-curricular teams were elected to high ranking for the year. I had the honor and pleasure of being chosen captain of our state championship swim team, while my roommate was voted president of the drama club.
Graduation services were on a sunny day in June. Each of us had looked forward to this moment for ten years. Now we were going out on our own to complete freedom, and we should have been flooded with joy. However, to my surprise, I found myself crying, something I hadn't done for years. I noticed many of my classmates usually proud of their macho guy attitudes, were also wiping away tears. We knew we would never be together again as we were on that graduation day. Our senior year ended with deep feelings of sadness for our loss, as well as joy for our emerging into a new world beyond the school campus. | high12379.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "rhino numbers have declined greatly"
},
"options": [
"rhinos are all big and dangerous",
"rhino numbers have declined greatly",
"rhinos are twice as large as elephants",
"Indricotherium is the world's biggest living ani... | Rhinos are big and can be dangerous. They are also shy and seldom seen. Once there were hundreds of rhino species, but today there are only five. One ancient rhino called Indricotherium was the largest land mammal that ever lived. It was 5m high at the shoulders, and 8.5m long-- twice the size of today's biggest elephant! The living rhinos are still big, averaging 2-3m long and weighing up to 3,600kg.
To see all five species of living rhino you would need to do a bit of exploring. First you might visit Africa for a look at the white rhino and the black rhino. They live in Africa's dry woodlands and grasslands. Then you could head to India and Nepal for a look at the Indian rhino. It lives in the high grasslands near rivers, where you have to ride an elephant to find one. Finally you might travel to the rainforests on the islands of Indonesia to see the Sumatran and Javan rhinos. These are the smallest and rarest rhinos in the world and extremely difficult to find.
Most rhinos are gentle and timid .They have a bad reputation for being very
, but that may be partly because they get frightened easily. Also, they have poor eyesight. They rely on their strong sense of smell to tell them a stranger is approaching, but if the wind is blowing the wrong way, they may not know someone is there until it's too late.
Rhinos can be found only in their habitats, which is why habitat destruction has caused rhino populations to decline. As they disappear from certain places, their absence leads to many changes to the landscape. For example, black rhinos in Africa only eat shrubs and small trees, pruning the plants and limiting their growth. Many other species benefit from this, and as rhinos disappear, so do many other animals sharing their habitat. Bushes and trees take over the land and force species like the antelope to leave in search of food. In a short time the whole habitat has changed. | high15416.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To introduce the topic of the passage."
},
"options": [
"To tell us how changeable he is.",
"To introduce the topic of the passage.",
"To introduce his college life.",
"To tell us Latin is less popular now."
],
... | American teenager Thomas Cheatham had planned to study Latin during his sophomore year at Hebron High School in Texas. But when he learned that the school district was going to offer a Mandarin class, he quickly changed his mind. "I thought it (Mandarin) would be more beneficial than Latin," said Cheatham, who is now in his second year of studying the language.
He speaks Mandarin to order food at Chinese restaurants and can read Face book posts from his Chinese-speaking friends.
While it'a difficult language to master, the high school junior, who plans to study computer engineering, thinks it will be a valuable thing in his career.
"Chinese is a good language to know, especially with China becoming a growing power," he said.
Many experts agree that proficiency in a language spoken by a billion people worldwide will give American students an edge in the global economy.
"People are looking at China as our next economic competitor, and interest in Mandarin is growing,'' said Marty Abbott, executive director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. ''We're seeing it in all parts of the country."
The number of students studying Mandarin in public schools nationwide in grades 7 through 12 grew from 20,000 in 2004-2005 to 60,000 three years later, according to the council's most recent survey.
Abbott estimates that as many as 100,000 students are now studying Mandarin, in public and private schools, throughout the nation.
She said the US government has considered Mandarin to be an "important needs" language and provides professional development programs for teachers.
"Our government wants to increase our language ability for national security and economic competitiveness," Abbott said.
At the same time, the Chinese government is spreading knowledge of the Chinese language and culture through Confucius Institutes established in many states.
The Confucius Institute at the University of Texas in Dallas, founded in 2007, opens Confucius Classrooms at 11 local public and private schools where more than 700 students are learning Mandarin. | high7151.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Dallas"
},
"options": [
"Atlanta",
"Rouge",
"Baton",
"Dallas"
],
"question": "The passengers will have a fifteen-minute rest stop at the city of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answ... | Welcome aboard the Luxury Cruise bus to Dallas, Rouge, and Atlanta. We plan to arrive in Dallas at 1:45 this afternoon. There will be a fifteen-minute rest stop at that time. We will give a thirty-minute dinner stop in Rouge at 6:15 for those of you who are continuing on to Atlanta. We should arrive in Atlanta at 1:15 tomorrow morning. Please remember the number of your bus for re-boarding. That number is 3224.
This bus is air-conditioned for your comfort. Please remember that smoking of cigarettes is permitted only in the last six rows, and the smoking of any other material is not allowed, as is the drinking of wine. | high4458.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The \"Unseen\" Language of Plants"
},
"options": [
"Plants Can Send Some Gas",
"Plants Can Communicate with Each Other",
"The \"Unseen\" Language of Plants",
"Plants Can't Feel Pain"
],
"question": "What's the b... | Many gardeners believe that "talking" to their plants helps them grow---it turns out that _ may not be crazy after all. According to the scientists from the University of Exeter, plants may keep communicating with each other through a secret "unseen" language.
For their experiment, the scientists picked a cabbage plant that is known to send out a gas when its surface is cut. In order to get video evidence of the communication, they changed the cabbage gene by adding the protein---luciderase , which is what makes fireflies glow in the dark.
When the changed cabbage plant was in full bloom, they cut a leaf off with a pair of scissors, and almost immediately, thanks to the luciderase, they could see the plant sending out "methyl jasmonate ".
While this was a known fact, what was surprising was the fact that the minute this gas began to give out, the nearby cabbage plants seemed to sense some kind of danger and started to send out a gas that they normally have to keep predators like caterpillars away.
What the scientists are not sure is whether the plants are trying to warn the other leaves or the near plants about the danger---something that will require further research However, the team, which is led by Professor Nick Smirnoff, is quite excited about the findings because this is the first time it has been proved that plants do not live a passive life, but actually move, sense and even communicate with each other.
However, before you get all concerned, they are quite sure that plants do not feel the pain when they are cut, since they do not have nerves---so go ahead and bite into that juicy carrot! | high11670.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To offer advice on giving complaints in English."
},
"options": [
"To give an introduction of life abroad.",
"To give suggestions on how to learn English.",
"To offer advice on giving complaints in English.",
"To offer ... | The airline lost your baggage. The hotel laundry ruined your favorite shirt. The taxi driver overcharged you. When you're abroad, sometimes things go wrong. Now you can do something about it! Use these tips when you want to express an effective complaint in English.
No matter how unfair the situation, it's best to phrase your complaint politely. In English, you'll sound more polite if you use indirect language. Here are some examples:
"I'm sorry to bother you..." Starting a complaint like this puts the listener who may have heard many complaints that day at ease. Use this phrase if the situation isn't that serious. For example, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted a baked potato, not fries."
"Can you help me with this?" Everyone would much rather be asked to do something than told! So try phrasing your complaint as a request for help: "Can you help me with this? My shirt came back from the laundry without buttons."
"I'm afraid there may be a misunderstanding." This is a polite way of saying, "Your information is wrong. Please fix it now." You'll most likely use this phrase if you made reservations for a flight, hotel or restaurant, and when you arrive, it's not what you expected. For example, "I'm afraid there may be a misunderstanding. I requested a non-smoking room."
"I understand it's not your fault..." Often when you make a complaint, you deal with a person who was not directly responsible for the problem. But the problem isn't your fault, either! This phrase is helpful when you need swift action. Tell the person you're dealing with you understand they're not at fault and then directly state the problem: "I understand it's not your fault, but the airline promised they would deliver my baggage yesterday."
"Excuse me, but I understood that..." Using this phrase lets the person know you're well-informed and are suspicious they might be trying to take advantage of you. Don't say, "Hey! You're trying to cheat me!" Instead, start indirectly by stating what you know to be true: "I understood that the taxi ride to the airport was only 25 dollars." Then give them an opportunity to do the right thing. | high5746.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Valerie doesn't understand of the visitors' questions sometimes"
},
"options": [
"Valerie looks like a real beautiful woman",
"Valerie can do whatever a human receptionist can't",
"Visitors can have a conversation with Valeri... | She might not be paid, but Carnegie Mellon University's newest staff member does all that a typical receptionist can do: give directions, answer the phone -- and even gossip about her life.
University officials revealed what it considers to be the world's first robot receptionist with a personality of her own. The blond receptionist, named "Valerie," puts on a headset and interacts with people by talking about her boss, her psychiatrist and her dream.
Valerie, the roboceptionist, sits in a custom-made booth at the entrance of a computer science hall. With her ability to distinguish motion, she greets visitors as they come near. Type in a question on a keyboard and she gives directions around the Pittsburgh campus and provides visitors information about the weather. More than that, she tells stories about her life.
From her booth, passers-by often can hear her talking on the phone. She recognizes when someone is in front of her and remembers their characteristics. She can change between tasks from talking on the phone to answering a question.
Valerie, however, does have her limit.
She is a drum-shaped mechanical device with a digitally lively face that appears on a computer display. Visitors have to type on a keyboard to communicate with her. And she understands only simple questions.
Eventually her creators would like to install face recognition so people don't have to insert an identity card for her to remember them. And people won't have to type their questions on a keyboard if they can solve the problem of voice recognition in a crowded hall.
Valerie will tell the story of a robot living in a human world. | high18132.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it must be very cold in winter where the writer lives"
},
"options": [
"the writer has a small life circle",
"it must be very cold in winter where the writer lives",
"the writer enjoys the dog wagging its tail",
"the bo... | They sit by the door waiting for me. And while I may speak more about the narrowness of my very limited life than their real worth, just the fact that they're sitting there, waiting for me, makes me happy.
I speak, of course, of my wonderful, brilliant, intelligently designed, calf-high rubber boots. They are a piece of industrial genius . They are real and vibrant , and make my life more worth living.
My rubber boots are real and they do not fail me. I slip them on over my socks at a moment's notice. They go on easily. My feet feel joyful like the wagging tail of a dog waiting for its walk. My feet know they are safe.
I step outside the house and nothing can stop me--the late season snowstorm, the pool of standing water at the bottom of my doorsteps that will never give off, the mud and dirt this season brings. My feet are warm and dry and happy. And so am I.
My boots are modest. They make no promise they can't keep. I found them at one-third the price of the long boots I looked at longingly for years. Mine are American-made and inexpensive and unattractive and brown and solid. They are now three years old and still look new. I know I will have them forever. I will die with them on. They are homely and they are wonderful.
My rubber boots make me braver and kinder and more generous. Yes, I will get the mail. Yes, I will get the newspaper. Yes, I will walk the dog. Yes to the garbage. Yes. Yes. Yes. I have rubber boots, good strong rubber boots--and I am not afraid. | high17201.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "typical customs and festivals of Bulgaria"
},
"options": [
"Christmas and the New Year in Bulgaria",
"the origin of Bulgarian festivals and customs",
"rosepicking and perfume industry in Bulgaria",
"typical customs and ... | Full of beauty, happiness and a healthy love of life, the Bulgarian festivals and customs date back to old time when man tried to live in peace with nature. The merriest and richest festivals are Christmas and the New Year, when the socalled "sourvakari" makes the round of house with wishes for health and wealth. Other main festivals include "ladouvane" -- a holiday for young girls on New Year's Day or Midsummer Day (24th June), Shrovetide and Mummers' Games which mark the start of spring, and "lazrouvane" -- a traditional festival for love and family, health and richness.And among them, the widely popular and typical Bulgarian customs and festivals are "martenitsas" and rosepicking.
Every year on March 1st, the Bulgarians give each other "martenitsas" -- a small doll made of white and red strings, a symbol of the beginning of spring, health and happiness.
In late May and early June every year, the rosepicking season starts in the Valley of Roses which is between the Balkan Range and the Sredna Gora Mountains. Rosepicking starts at dawn, before sunrise and before the pleasant smell of the rose has disappeared. The Bulgarian rose produces 70 percent of the world's rose oil which is used by the very wellknown perfume company as a basic element of its products. This is the time of the Festival of Roses, celebrated with carnivals, happy activities, folk songs and dances in Karlovo and Kazanluk on the first Sunday in June. | high17567.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Optimistic."
},
"options": [
"Concerned.",
"Cautious.",
"Optimistic.",
"Uninterested"
],
"question": "What's Margarett Hrrison's attitude towards the potential problems the forest may face?",
"question_type"... | Can food be free, fresh and easily accessible? That's the bold question that the city of Seattle is hoping to answer with a new experimental farm not far from the city's downtown area that will have fruits and vegetables for anyone to harvest this fall.
On Beacon Hill, just south of central Seattle, landscape developers and a few affordable-food advocates are building an eatable food forest. Everything grown in the area will be eatable. And it'll be open around the clock to anyone who wants to come and pick some fresh blueberries or pears.
Organizers shared with National Geographic a list of the crop offerings. Many are expected: apples, berries and tomatoes. But others are pretty far-out. A large Asian community in the area suggested things like Asian pears and honeyberries. A European influence led to the planting of medlar trees.
The concept is modeled on permaculture, a design system and school of thought emphasizing the use of renewable nature resources and the enrichment of local ecosystems. Offering people free, fresh food is one motivation, but making the land useful and ecologically enriched is the larger goal.
That being said, some potential problems come to mind. What if all of one fruit is gone the first weekend when it's ripe? What if people pick things too early and spoil the potential for everyone?
Organizers aren't concerned about those questions. "We've had many discussions about what would happen if someone comes and picks all the blueberries," says Margarett Harrison, the landscape architect designing the project." But that's been considered as a good thing. We'll just plant more."
Anything related to agriculture and good food -- in large quantities -- takes time. Most of the trees won't be mature enough for a few more years. But a few decades could make the area impressively productive.
Idealistic? Perhaps. But it's the kind of idealism that anyone who likes to eat fresh things from time to time can get behind. And that's the type of motivation that organizers hope will keep going. | high10208.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in primary school"
},
"options": [
"in primary school",
"from parents",
"at three years old",
"at home"
],
"question": "Most pupils in China begin to learn English _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Most Chinese people these days know what it is like to have an "English teacher", since almost all pupils study English from their third year. Usually that first English teacher will be a young and lovely lady in primary school. But my first English teacher is _ . Looking back, I can see that, when I was only a little girl, he created an English environment by providing me with flashcards,fun English- language toys and even dolls which can sing English songs! My interest in English had certainly been awakened when I began to learn English at school. Just imagine, he went a step further and asked me to learn New Concept English by myself! I was puzzled and even angry. I could not understand why a father could be so strict with his little girl. All the same, he never gave up and he gently insisted that I follow through with his idea. At first, I read stories with tears and I actually hated them because they were too difficult for me. In the end, I came to love the funny stories and, to be honest, my father was always there with a helping hand. I am sure that my English would never have got so far without his support. And that's why my father is not only my first English teacher but also my lifelong teacher. He is one who awoke my interest, and who gave me much confidence . | high2997.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "What's right for me?"
},
"options": [
"What's right for me?",
"But remember, there's always room for more friends.",
"You may feel lonely at break or lunchtime.",
"The best way to make friends is to be a friend.\nE. Off... | It's hard when a best friend isn't around--maybe because he or she moved to a different school or a different class. 51 . You want to have new friends, but how do you make them? Maybe it seems like everybody else already has his or her friends. 52 .
Start by looking around your classroom--think about which kids you'd like to play with at break. Look for chances to say hi to them, smile, and be friendly. 53 . Invite someone to play with you or say "Do you want to sit here?" in the lunchroom. When you're at break, walk over to kids you want to play with, act friendly, and say "Hi, can I play, too?" or just join in.
If you have trouble doing this or if you're feeling shy, ask your teacher to help you make new friends. Teachers are usually pretty good at matching up friends. 54 . Be kind, be friendly, share, say nice things, offer to help--and pretty soon, you'll have one, or two, or even more new friends. | high16679.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a decrease in death rates"
},
"options": [
"an increase in birthrates",
"the industrial development",
"a decrease in death rates",
"childhood diseases"
],
"question": "The author believes that the increased size... | Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population. Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago. Because more people live longer, there are more people around at any given time. In fact, it is a decrease in death rates, not an increase in birthrates, that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load. In all societies, people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die. In times of
, infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved, where as if the parents survived they could have another child. In most contemporary societies, people feel a moral
to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work; we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age. Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement, somebody else must support them. In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illnesses than young or middle-aged people; unless they have wealth or private or government insurance, they must often "go on welfare" if they have a serious illness.
When older people become
or too weak and ill to care for themselves, they create grave problems for their families. In the past and in some traditional cultures, they would be cared for at home until they died. Today, with most members of a household working or in school, there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person. To meet
, a great many nursing homes and
hospitals have been built. These are often profit making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups. While a few of these institutions are good, most of them are simply "
grounds" for the dying in which "care" is given by poorly paid, overworked, and under skilled
. | high15370.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "very often"
},
"options": [
"every month",
"twice a day",
"every week",
"very often"
],
"question": "A habit is something we do _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Early to bed, Early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
This is an old English saying. Have you heard it before? It means that we must go to bed early and get up early in the morning. If we do, we shall be healthy. We shall also be rich(wealthy) and clever(wise).
Is this true? Perhaps it is. the body must have enough sleep. Children need ten hours' sleep every night. If you do not go to bed early, you cannot have enough sleep. Then you cannot think properly and you cannot do your work properly. You will not be wise and you may not become wealthy!
Some people go to bed late at night and get up late in the morning. This is not good for them. We must sleep at night when it is dark. The dark helps us to sleep properly. When the daylight comes, we must get up. This is the time for exercise. Exercise means doing things with the body. Walking, running, jumping, swimming, and playing games are all exercise. If the body is not used, it becomes weak. Exercise keeps it strong. Exercise helps the blood to move ,brains in our heads also need blood. We think with our brains. If we keep our bodies healthy, and take exercise, we can think better.
Our bodies also need air to breathe. Without air we die. We must have a lot of clean, fresh air to breathe if we want to be healthy. | high1246.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "more people's suffering from eating disorder"
},
"options": [
"models' and actors' appearance in ads",
"the fall of media and entertainment industries",
"more and more people becoming obesity",
"more people's suffering ... | In our world today, the media and entertainment industries are constantly focusing on beauty over brains. Movies, television shows, commercials, and magazines all make use of models and actors whose physical attributes will sell their product.
As our country is trying to reduce the obesity numbers, eating disorder statistics continue to increase due to the push for thinner people. While obesity is a serious medical condition that can lead to many health problems, many of us try to lose weight for appearance purposes. Children as young as elementary school age have begun to worry about _ . In my opinion, it seems that "fat" has become the new"ugly".
Two weeks ago, 37-year-old Wisconsin television reporter Livingston, who is 235 pounds, received an email from a man named Krause. In the email Krause attacked her, writing,"Your physical condition hasn't improved for many years. Surely you don't consider yourself a suitable example for this community's young people, girls in particular."
Today, it seems that a vast majority of people care more about how they look and appear to their peers rather than what is inside. The truth is that every person is built differently; we all come in different shapes and sizes. Just because someone is heavier, that doesn't mean they eat large amounts of junk food around the day. Likewise, even though a person is thin, that doesn't mean they are necessarily healthy and fit.
If you are reading this and you struggle with your weight or your appearance, please recognize that you are beautiful and special in your own way. You are worth so much more than you realize, and even if I don't know you, understand that I respect and support you. Beauty is not defined by size; it is defined by how we treat others and respect ourselves. In the words of the talented film actress Kirstie Alley, "There's a lot more to life than how fat or thin you are." | high6529.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "does not enable students to use English for communication"
},
"options": [
"reflects the students' future needs",
"does not offer students opportunities to show their knowledge of English",
"does not enable students to use En... | When English as a foreign language is taught to children at the primary and early secondary levels of education, it is generally taught with a general education aim in mind--that is, it is regarded as a "good thing" for them to learn a foreign language as a part of a broad education. There is usually, however, no immediate and specific requirement for such children to make use of the language in any communicative situation. The purpose of learning the language is essentially a "deferred" purpose, deferred till the tertiary level of education, normally at university, where, it is agreed, a knowledge of English would be helpful in their academic studies. Immediate aims of learning English are defined by the requirements of examinations. Inevitably what is taught to primary and secondary level children is not a communicative knowledge of English language use, but a knowledge of how the rules of English operate.
The language system is taught by means of systematic audio-lingual drill and exercise techniques based on habit formation theory of learning and a structural description of English. This may be an effective manner of teaching English usage, but it is less certain that an understanding of how these rules are related to language in use for communicative purpose is an automatic result of this instruction.
What the thousands of children succeed in learning in this way is what is necessary in order to pass examinations. Whether such examinations accurately reflect the uses to which English will be put at the tertiary level is another matter altogether. Adults, on the other hand, unless they are learning a foreign language for "pleasure" at evening institutes, as a "cultural" and social experience, are generally highly conscious of the use to which they intend to put it. That use is frequently associated with an academic or professional requirement; without a knowledge of the foreign language, their development in their chosen sphere of work could be restricted or at least adversely affected. | high8510.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "on 12 December in New York"
},
"options": [
"on 12 November in New York",
"on 12 December in Washington",
"on 12 November in Washington",
"on 12 December in New York"
],
"question": "The Award Ceremony will be h... | Taylor Swift has been named Billboard's Woman of the Year 2014, making her the first artist to receive the award twice.
The award goes to the female artist who "has shaped and inspired the music industry with her success, leadership and innovation" over the last year. Previous winners include Pink, Beyonce and Katy Perry.
Swift will receive the prize at the Billboard Women in Music award ceremony on 12 December in New York.
"As one of the most influential artists of her generation, Taylor Swift has seen incredible success on the Billboard charts," said Janice Min, co-president and chief creative officer of Guggenheim Media's Entertainment Group, which includes Billboard.
"Over the course of her career, she's charted 60 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 - the most of any female artist since her debut in 2006. We are tremendously excited to be honouring her as the 2014 Billboard Woman of the Year for the second time."
Taylor Swift is a seven-time Grammy winner and the best-selling digital music artist of all time. Earlier this week it was announced she would be performing on The X Factor results show this weekend.
On Thursday she appeared in the performed in the Radio 1 Live Lounge, where she sang her current hit Shake It Off and covered Vance Joy's Riptide.
Swift has just featured on the cover of British Vogue and explained what it was like to do high profile interviews.
"I don't really have anything to hide at this point," she told Fearne Cotton. "It's sort of understood that anything I do is going to be discussed and dissected and debated and I'm used to that dynamic now." She added: "I'm very proud of the way my life is. I'm 24, I'm single, feeling very independent. A lot of fun things have happened in my life." | high7623.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The ice won't last any longer."
},
"options": [
"He cannot stay away from his job too long.",
"The donor can only wait for that long.",
"The operation needs that very much.",
"The ice won't last any longer."
],
... | I am peter Hodes ,a volunteer stem courier. Since March 2012, I've done 89 trips of those , 51 have been abroad, I have 42 hours to carry stem cells in my little box because I've got two ice packs and that's how long they last, in all, from the time the stem cells are harvested from a donor to the time they can be implanted in the patient, we've got 72 hours at most, So I am always conscious of time. &
I had one trip last year where I was caught by a hurricane in America. I picked up the stem cells in Providence, Rhode Island, and was meant to fly to Washington then back to London. But when I arrived at the check-in desk at Providence, the lady on the desk said:"Well, I'm really sorry, I've got some bad news for you-there are no fights from Washington."So I took my box and put it on the desk and I said:"In this box are some stem cells that are urgently needed for a patient-please, please, you've got to get me back to the United Kingdom."She just dropped everything. She arranged for a flight on a small plance to be held for me.re-routed me through Newark and got me back to the UK even earlier than originally scheduled.
For this courier job, you're consciously aware than that box you're got something that is potentially going to save somebody's life. | high13715.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "earth-friendly"
},
"options": [
"far away from public transportation",
"built in the forests",
"earth-friendly",
"often built on developing land"
],
"question": "Green buildings are _ .",
"question_type":... | These days a green building means more than just the color1 of the paint. Green building can also refer to environmentally friendly houses, factories, and offices. Green building means "reducing the effect of the building on the land," Taryn Holowka of the US Green Building Council in prefix = st1 /Washington,DC, said.
According to Holowka, buildings account for 65 percent of total USelectricity use. But green buildings can reduce energy and water use. Also, the buildings are often located near public transportation such as buses and subways, so that people can drive their cars less. That could be good for the environment, because cars use lots of natural resources, such as gasoline, and give off pollution.
Green buildings are often built on developed land, so that the buildings don't destroy forests or other wild habitats. Marty Dettling is project manager for a building that put these ideas into action. The Solaire has been called the country's first green residential high-rise building.
According to Dettling, "We've reduced our energy consumption by one-third and our water by 50 percent.
The Solaire cuts energy in part by using solar power. The Solaire also has lights that automatically turn off when people leave the room. Plus, the building has lots of windows. This allows people to use the sun for light instead of lamps during the day. | high18640.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "want others to know or to think that they are rich"
},
"options": [
"want to be as rich as their neighbors",
"want others to know or to think that they are rich",
"don't want others to know they are rich",
"want to be h... | In the United States, when one becomes rich, he wants people to know it. And even if he does not become very rich, he wants people to think that he is. That is what "keeping up with the Joneses" is about. It is the story of someone who tried to look as rich as his neighbors.
The expression was first used in 1913 by a young American called Arthur Momand. He told this story about himself. He began eaming $ 125 a week at the age of 23. That was a lot of money in those days.He got married and moved with his wife to a verywealthy neighborhood outside New York City. When he saw that rich people rode horses, Momand went horseback riding every day. When he saw that rich people had servants, Momand and his wife also hired a servant and gave big parties for their new neighbors.
It was like a race, but one could never finish his race because one was always trying to keep up. The race ended for Momand and his wife when they could no longer pay for their new way of life. They moved back to an apartment in New York City.
Momand looked around him and noticed that many people do things just to keep up with rich lifestyle of their neighbors. He saw the funny side of it and started to write a series of short stories. He called it " Keeping up with the Joneses" because "Jones" is a very common name in the United States. " Keeping up with the Joneses" came to mean keeping up with rich lifestyle of the people around you. Momand's series appeared in different newspapers across the country for over 28 years.
People never seem to get tired of keeping up with the Joneses. And there are "Joneses" in every city of the world. But one must get tired of trying to keep up with the Joneses because no matter what one does, Mr. Jones always seems to be ahead. | high5034.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Torres is not only a feel-good story"
},
"options": [
"Torres is good at telling stories",
"Torres is feeling good",
"Torres is a 41-year-old swimmer",
"Torres is not only a feel-good story"
],
"question": "When... | Olympic medalist Dara Torres, the 41-year-old swimmer, is more than a feel-good story. Torres is as determined and driven in her daily life as she is in the pool. She is dedicated to pursuing her passions and following her dreams-something she hopes to instill in her 2-year-old daughter and women and girls everywhere. After all, her dreams took her to Beijing.
Upon her return after the Olympics, SUCCESS writer Don Yaeger, caught up with Torres, who shared her insights.
What insights can you offer others ( non-athletes, too) about setting and staying on track to reach goals?
Everyone has his highs and lows when doing things, but you have to remember what the end result is when you're having those tough times. I think about the end and about my feelings of success, and that keeps me going. I definitely set goals for myself and try not to get too distracted trying to reach them. And always remember to have fun !
Any strategies or tips for overcoming mental obstacles to be your very best?
Mental obstacles are tough. For my personally, if I was having mental obstacles, I would talk to my coach, who was the most important person to me during this comeback. It's so important to have that person in your life, a trusted advisor. Communication is very important, and I've learned it's OK to turn to others if you're having a tough time. When I was younger, I would internalize(...) things. Not any more. It's a great relief to be able to share. | high17573.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "proving they are as good as men"
},
"options": [
"proving they are as good as men",
"paying attention to their clothes",
"winning more beauty contests",
"encouraging people to value their beauty"
],
"question": ... | Young women who take part in beauty contests are helping to keep alive an outdated opinion of women that a woman's most important value is how she looks.
Women have been working very hard through the years to change their image. They have been trying to prove that the value of a woman does not lie only in her beauty. The world is just beginning to recognize that women are as smart, wise and strong in personality as men are, and that there are qualities more important than looks when judging people. When women take part in beauty contests for top prizes, they encourage people to value them for their beauty alone. It is unfair to say that beauty alone determines one's worth.
Beauty contests not only encourage spectators to judge women by their appearance, but they encourage this idea in the contestants as well. These young women spend months losing weight to be the "right" size and learning how to dress, wear makeup, and walk just right so that some judges will consider them beautiful. I think it's great for a woman to feel good about her appearance, but looks shouldn't be sought after in an extreme or unreasonable way. There are too many other, more important, things in a young woman's life: learning, developing friendships and preparing for their future work and perhaps a family.
As long as there are beauty contests, women won't be fully recognized as well-rounded human beings. | high11102.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "\"Spiderman\" Saved a Boy"
},
"options": [
"Spiderman Is Back",
"\"Spiderman\" Saved a Boy",
"Spiderman Is Popular",
"A Boy's Love of Spiderman"
],
"question": "Which would be the best title for this passage?",
... | A boy who was nervous on his first day of school climbed onto a third-floor balcony and put legs over the side. His mother and teachers tried their best to bring him down, but failed. However, a firefighter who dressed as "Spiderman" succeeded in saving him.
Firefighter David Smith was called in after the 6-year-old's teachers and mother had failed to get him down from the balcony. "He was asking for his mother, "Smith said. "He was crying, and wouldn't let any of us get near him." After hearing a conversation between the boy's mother and his teachers about his love of superheroes , Smith hurried home to get his Spiderman clothes.
"I told him 'Spiderman is here to save you. No one will hurt you now,'" Smith said. "Then I told him to walk slowly toward me. I was really nervous that he might fall if he got too excited and started running." Then the crying boy broke into a smile and walked into the fireman's arms.
The fictional superhero was created by writer Stan Lee in the early 1960s. It has recently become popular again through a series of movies made about him. In them he is acted by superstar Tobey Maguire, who acted with Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. | high2983.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "was recorded as a sport in China over 3,000 years ago"
},
"options": [
"was already very common in the Old Stone Age",
"could be seen around Europe in the 14th century",
"was recorded as a sport in China over 3,000 years ago"... | Archery is one of the oldest sports that are still beingpracticed today. The bow and arrow dates as far back as the Old StoneAge, and is the most widely used weapon in human history. While there is recorded evidence of archery competitions taking place in China more than 3,000 years ago, the modern sport of archery most likely originated in England during the 14th century.
Then the sport began to develop fast and there were a few different styles of shooting, some of which developed into what we see today in the sport of archery.
There was clout shooting, in which arrows were held high into the air with the purpose of hitting a target which was laid flat, not vertical. The aim was to land the arrow as close to the target as possible. This variety of shooting is still practiced today, often with traditional bows.
"Roving marks", another style, saw players shooting at a target, only to shoot at a new target from the location of the previous target. It is said that this is the oldest form of competitive archery, and was practiced by Henry VIII. Finally, there was butt shooting, in which butts held targets, which the players would shoot at. This is the ancestor of modern-day Olympic target shooting.
Archery was a part of the second Olympic Games, which was held in 1900. It was dropped after 1920, however, because rules varied too much between nations. Archery was brought back into the Olympics in 1972. This was after enough nations had formed archery governing bodies affiliated with the Federation Internationale de Tir l'Arc, which was founded in Paris in 1931, to standardize rules for international competitions.
From its early history to modern times, archery has always been a competitive sport. Surely, many years from now archery will continue to be a popular sport reaching across age gaps and national borders, uniting archery lovers from all over the world. | high19238.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "observing his/her left hand's movements."
},
"options": [
"observing his/her left hand's movements.",
"looking at how he/ she crosses his/ her fingers",
"observing whether he/ she uses body language",
"making good eye c... | What is your body language saying to your children? What is their body language telling you? I had the honor of hearing Jan Hargrave speak the other day. She is one of four body language experts in the US. Jan Hargrave says we lie with the right side of our brains, so it is our left hand that gives us away. A person touching his nose, pulling at his ear or rubbing his eye with his left hand might be lying to you. Also, a person who, in any way, crosses any fingers might just be lying. That, she says, is a holdover from childhood, when we crossed our fingers to signal that we didn't mean what we were saying. When children squint their eyes, move their body away from you, or can't seem to make good eye contact, you may need to ask for a little more clarification.
But just as important, children learn early how to read our body language when they are conversing with us. Here are some acceptance signals to let them know you are interested when they are talking to you. Lean towards them. Make good eye contact and smile. Open your arms. Let your hands relax with the palms showing: an open, upward palm always show acceptance. If your legs are crossed, make sure you are not crossing them away from your child. These are important because they signal to your child that you are focused on them and are accepting and welcoming them into your world.
By paying attention, we can open those lines of important communication with our children and we can see the truth more clearly. I think it would be a mistake to use these tools to lie, but we need to be aware of the signals we are giving so we can show people that they really do matter to us. | high3323.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "An American of Chinese descent"
},
"options": [
"The hottest sports star only in NBA",
"A Chinese basketball player in NBA",
"An American of Chinese descent",
"A golden boy from an important family"
],
"question... | He seemed to appear from nowhere and became the hottest sports star in NBA, the United States, and in China. "Linsanity," "Lincredible," "Linderella" screamed the headlines around the world and his popularity increased worldwide.
He is the star of the moment having scored 89, 109 and 136 points in his first three, four and five starts in the big league, eclipsing former NBA MVPs Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan. He also made the cover of Time Magazine, something Kobe Bryant has never achieved.
And it is not just his sporting achievements that are causing him a hit. His No 17 jersey is flying off the shelves in New York and online around the world. Some US media have even begun matchmaking possible girlfriends for the golden boy, with Emma Stone, Vanessa Hudgens and so on.
Is Linsanity really that big? Despite all the hype and glory, he is known as a modest and sometimes shy guy. Jeremy Lin is the NBA's first American-born player of Chinese descent. | high18126.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Caring about other people's opinions about us."
},
"options": [
"Having less information to form a good idea.",
"Relying on others during the creative process.",
"Caring about other people's opinions about us.",
"Thinki... | Have you ever made contact with the creative spirit, that certain something hard to describe, but full of good--and sometimes great--ideas? It is more than an occasional great thought. When we feel the moving of the creative spirit, it brings to life a style of being: a lifetime filled with the desire to invent, to explore new ways of doing things, and to turn dreams into reality.
That flash of inspiration is the final moment of a process marked by unique stages--the basic steps in creative problem-solving. The first stage is preparation, when you look for any information that might be important. It's when you let your imagination run free.
But one barrier is the inside voice of judgment that locks up our creative spirit within the limits of what we think acceptable. It's the voice that whispers to you, "They'll think I'm foolish," or "That will never work." But we can learn to recognize this voice of judgment and have the courage to discount its unhelpful advice.
Once you have thought about all the relevant pieces and pushed your mind to the limits, you can let the problem remain and take in all you have gathered. It's a stage when much of what goes on occurs outside your focused awareness. As the saying goes, "You sleep on it."
We are more open to creative thoughts from the unknowing mind when we are not really thinking of anything. That is why daydreams are so useful in the search for creativity. Anytime you can just daydream and relax is useful in the creative process: a shower, long drives, a quiet walk, etc.
With luck, daydreaming will lead to a light turning on above your head, when all of a sudden the answer will come to you as if from nowhere. This is the popular stage--the one that usually gets all the glory and attention, the moment that people sweat and long for, the feeling "This is it!" But the thought alone is still not a creative act. The final stage is translation, when you take your creative thought and transform it into action; it becomes useful to you and others. | high5752.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "complain the way some young people acted"
},
"options": [
"show how rude the boys were",
"express his worry about his friend's children's future",
"show how lazy young people nowadays are",
"complain the way some young ... | Dear editor,
I am writing to ask what has happened to our young people.They are not as polite or hard-working as my generation(I will give you two examples.
Last Friday, I got on the underground at 9:15 a.m. It was very crowded so there was no free seat.There were some boys sitting on the seats near me.I didn't know why they were not at school.They were talking and laughing loudly. It was difficult for me to read my newspaper with all the noise.At the next stop, a pregnant woman and her daughter got on with lots of shopping bags.I expected the boys to let them sit down.They saw the woman but they did nothing.I had to ask them to give the woman and her daughter seats. They did so but gave me a rude look.
Last Saturday, I had dinner with my friend's family.I was glad to see his children, who I hadn't seen for ten years.During the dinner, I started talking about world politics with the children.It soon became clear that they didn't know much about it.They couldn't tell me the name of the King of Spain or President of Italy.All they knew about was the Internet or which singers were the most beautiful.In my days, students knew the kings, the queens and the presidents of every country in Europe.
I worry about the future of Germany.How could these young people become good workers and parents? They sit around McDonald's after school instead of going to the library like I did at their age.Maybe they have too much money.Perhaps some readers can give us some ideas about what to do with this "lost generation".
Yours sincerely,
Frantz Vogts. | high1534.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "ways of avoiding identity theft"
},
"options": [
"ways of avoiding identity theft",
"tips of freeing computers from viruses",
"measures to ensure network security",
"steps to keep track of passwords"
],
"questio... | Every year, millions of Americans see their personal information leak into the wrong hands. Maybe there's spyware on the their computer, or a service they use suffered a security reach, leaving customers at the risk of exposure. Or perhaps their password is easy to guess.
Don't fear: You can easily set up proper defenses. Here's how.
* Clean Your Computer and Smartphone
Before you put new security measures into place, make sure your devices are as spotless as possible. This means installing a good antivirus program and taking the time to clear out any spy -- or malware that may have already infected your system. These days, it's also worth it to make sure your phone is safe from viruses. Iphones are less likely to be targeted by spyware, but Android users should download the Lookout app to scan their devices and ensure everything is as it should be.
* Secure Your WiFi.
It's fairly easy for potential criminals to gain access to your information if they're able to share your connection -- that's why you want to be careful when using public WiFi. Even though you put security measures into place a couple of years ago, it's a good idea to refresh your settings.
* Use passwords
What you've heard is true: Passwords should use a variety of special characters, numerals, letters, and cases when possible.
* Check the shopping security
Take care when shopping online. Always check the security symbols when using an online site for shopping. If the lock icon encryption is not there, do not give out credit details. Also, check that the site is legal -- never go to a site from a random email and start shopping online.
Keep a separate credit card just for online shopping. This will make it easier to cancel if something bad does happen and your other credit card for "in real life" can still be used uninfluenced.
Don't store information on any store's website. It may be convenient but it's also a possible loss to you if the site is hacked. | high13073.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Kulturnatten"
},
"options": [
"Roskilde Festival",
"Kulturnatten",
"Father Christmas Congress",
"Tivoli Gardens"
],
"question": "If you are free in October, you can go to _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_que... | The Danish capital is a year-round destination. Here are some of the city's best annual events.
Roskilde Festival (July)
The Danes love the outdoors and they love rock music; the Roskilde Festival is where they combine these passions for a weekend of drunken celebration. The four-day event is held about 30 minutes from the city completely, which means you can either go in for the full festival experience, or you can travel from the city to the festival each day.
There are also day tickets if you don't have the power for the whole collection of facts.
Kulturnatten (October)
For something a little more high brow there's the Night of Culture. For one night only some 300 venues in the city stage theater performances, art exhibitions, concerts and poetry readings.
Father Christmas Congress (July)
One of the more bizarre fixtures in Copenhagen's calendar, the event is held in July--the slow season for Santas--at the Bakken amusement park, some 20 minutes north of the city. The most interesting of the event is a procession of Santas from all over the world along Stroget. Parents should be prepared for some embarrassed questions from the kids.
Tivoli Gardens (November/December)
These pleasure gardens make for a great day out any time of the year but to see them at their most attractive, visit from mid-November through December, when they are transformed into a fairy tale of lanterns and Christmas markets. There's also outdoor skating, a Christmas entertainment and the very Danish 'Nissekobing' village, home to more than 100 mechanical fairies. | high8276.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "his timid characteristic"
},
"options": [
"his timid characteristic",
"one of the author's friends Howard",
"his loud sound",
"his strange behaviors"
],
"question": "The author named his dog Howard mainly becaus... | Maybe you don't think animals have certain mental powers which human beings do not have. But the truth is that some of them have instincts, and besides this, I am sure they can feel certain things we humans cannot. A personal experience showed me this.
Some years ago, I had a dog named Howard. From the time when he was a puppy, he was timid, so we named him Howard, sounding like "coward"! He was especially afraid of thunderstorms. At the first flash of lightning or crash of thunder, he would run whining into his house and hide under a table.
I often went for a walk with Howard. Once, as we were walking along a road, it began to rain. I quickly ran to a bus stop for shelter. The bus stop had a roof supported by metal poles. Soon after I had got there, Howard caught my trousers in his teeth and tried to pull me away. At first I was puzzled and a little angry at his behavior. But I decided to humor him and walked away from the shelter into the rain and started to go home.
When I was about two hundred metres from the shelter, there came a flash of lightning and soon after, there was thunder which nearly deafened me. Howard stopped walking and began whining. Thinking he was afraid, I bent to pick him up. As I straightened up, I glanced at the bus shelter we had just left. I was shocked to see that two of the poles were bent and the roof was lying on the ground, broken. The shelter had been struck by the bolt of lightning! | high7145.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To tell us the importance of commitment."
},
"options": [
"To enjoy ourselves.",
"To teach us how to make money.",
"To tell us the importance of commitment.",
"To tell us not to look down upon beggars."
],
"ques... | I will never forget what my old headmaster told me. Normally when you are only 15years of age you do not remember most of the things that are preached by your teachers. But, this particular story is one such lesson that I will never forget. Every time I drift off course, I get reminded of this story.
It was a normal Monday morning at an assembly, and he was addressing the students on important things in life and about committing ourselves to what is important to us. This is how the story went:
An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.
His house was filthy, and a stench came out of the house and it smelled horribly. The neighbours could not stand the smell anymore, so they summoned the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.
The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house in anticipation to share the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one of the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.
He said nothing at all: he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg.
Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing, commitment(,). We should remain true to our course, although it may mean committing ourselves to things that people around us would normally disapprove. Just keep it in mind that commitment attracts wealth. | high16123.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "praise yourself now and then"
},
"options": [
"praise yourself now and then",
"change yourself",
"criticize someone else",
"criticize yourself"
],
"question": "According to the author, you should _ .",
"q... | Criticism never changes a thing. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you _ yourself, your changes are positive.
Don't scare yourself
Stop scaring yourself with your thought that it's terrible to live this way. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure, and immediately change your scary thought to a pleasant one. Imagine a positive future ahead of you.
Be gentle, kind and patient
Be patient with yourself as you learn new ways of thinking. If you make a mistake you will develop self-hatred, but don't hate yourself for thinking. Gently change your thoughts. Praise and support yourself.
Criticism breaks your spirit, while praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with everything. Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is best to ask for help when you need it.
Take care of your body
Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need in order to have enough energy and vitality ? Learn about exercise. What kinds of exercise do you enjoy? Insist on doing exercise every day.
Mirror work
Look into your eyes in the mirror often and express the growing sense of love you have for yourself. At least once a day you should say to yourself: "I love you." If you have confidence in yourself, you'll never give in to difficulty.
Love yourself. Do it now, begin now, and do the best you can. | high4464.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "newspaper"
},
"options": [
"newspaper",
"magazine",
"temple",
"church"
],
"question": "From the passage we know that the Globe is a famous _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Fifteen years ago.I entered the Boston Globe,which was a temple to me then.It wasn't easy geeing hired.But once you were there,l found.you were in.
Globe jobs were for life-guaranteed until retirement.For 15 years I worked there--moving from an ordinary reporter to foreign journalist and finally to senior editor.I would have a lifetime of security.if I struck with it.Instead.I had made a decision to leave.I entered my boss's office.Would he burst into anger? I Wondered.He had a famous temper."Matt.we have to have a talk,"I began awkwardly."I came to the Globe When I was twenty-four.Now I'm forty.There's a lot I want to do in life.I'm resigning.""To another paper?"he asked.I reached into my coat pocket,but didn't say anything.I handed him a letter that explained everything.It said that I was leaving to start a new media company.We were at a rare turning point in history.I wanted to meet the challenge in the change."I'm glad for you."he said,quite out of my expectation."I just came from a board of directors meeting and it was seventy-five percent discouraging news.Some of that we Can deal with.But much of it we can't,"he went on."I wish you all the luck in the world,"he concluded."And if it doesn't work out,remember,your star is always high here."
Then I went out of his office,walking through the newsroom for more goodbyes.Everybody was saying congratulations.Everybody--even though I'd be risking all on an unfamiliar venture:all the financial security I had carefully built up.
Later,I had a final talk with Bill Taylor,chairman and publisher of the Boston Globe.He had turned the Globe into a billion-dollar business ."I'm resigning, Bill,"I said.He listened while I gave him the story.He wash't looking angry or disturbed either.After a pause,he said,"Golly,I wish I were in your shoes." | high21957.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "How to make your brain healthy and work actively."
},
"options": [
"Why you should train your brain.",
"How to be a good team leader.",
"Training the brain is more important than training the body.",
"How to make your b... | You will spend hours at the gym training your body, but do you ever think about training your brain? Here are four ways to keep your brain mentally active and healthy.
Play games
Your brain is a muscle just like the ones in the rest of your body. If you don't use it, you will lose it. For example, doing a crossword puzzle once a day is a good way to give the brain the exercise it needs. This kind of puzzle is good at training different areas of the brain. But remember that when doing this puzzle, you should gradually increase the complexity ; otherwise, it will become repetitive and stop being mentally challenging.
Talk aloud
Although it might sound strange to you, talking aloud is a great way to _ your memory. A good exercise to try is counting to 99 in threes as fast as you can.
Be a team leader
If you find you can do your work very easily, you should find a new task. It is important that your job should be mentally challenging. Complex jobs are often more challenging and make the brain work a little harder.
Learn a language
A study found that, compared with those who could speak only one language, the people who could speak two languages had a slower rate of cognitive decrease. Learning a new language is very challenging and it makes sure that different areas of the brain have their lights on. | high2015.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "is a collection of gestures"
},
"options": [
"is a collection of gestures",
"is easier to learn than English",
"is not very popular in USA",
"has no link to the spoken language"
],
"question": "Sign language _... | Why should you learn Sign Language? Do you want to improve your communication with a family member or friend who is deaf? Do you want to be able to communicate with deaf people in general? Would you like to advance in your career by being able to communicate in ASL? Do you want to be a Sign Language interpreter?
Sign language is not just a random collection of gestures but a full-blown language in its own right, complete with its own grammatical rules. Each country or region has its own sign language, as different from each other as English is from Spanish. Each version of sign language is somewhat linked to the spoken language in its region. For example, American sign language does share similarities with English, even though it is its own language.
The advantages of knowing sign language in addition to a spoken language are many. Communication becomes possible on many levels with the deaf community, with other people either hearing or not in any of the above situations, as well as many more.
While other languages take years to learn, American Sign Language can be taught in a much shorter time period. It is one of the easiest languages to learn because most of the signs were developed to mimic the actual word or phrase it is representing. Even the alphabet signs look like the letters of the English alphabet.
American Sign Language, or ASL, is the third most used language in the United States. Used by the deaf community, interpreters, and friends and family of the deaf. There are a lot of sites on the internet that not only shows you the sign with video, but will help you practice reading signs as well.
Teaching even hearing babies sign language seems to be the fashion in recent years and for good reason. Communicating in sign language is fun and natural as babies naturally use body gestures in early communication. Teaching baby sign language actually appears to enhance the learning of verbal skills and brain development of the children involved. | high10552.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "low price"
},
"options": [
"low price",
"convenience",
"great potential",
"quality guarantee"
],
"question": "Liu Chen chooses online shopping mainly because of its _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | Chinese e-commerce websites fail to pay more attention to older consumers, says a news report.
There's been a thought that younger consumers have been the driving force of online buying. That may not be the case. According to a statement from Alipay, the average expenditure of Alipay users born before the 1960s was 31,000 yuan in 2012, much higher than 14,000 yuan of those born after the 1980s. It shows that online shopping has become a key part of people's daily consumption, for both young and old.
Besides shopping, people pay bills such as water bill, electricity bill, and credit card repayment online. The middle-aged and senior consumers are also participating in that consumption revolution.
Liu Chen, 56, said that his online expenditure in 2014 was over 50,000 yuan, about half of the total annual expenditure. He always pays his telephone bill online. Clothes, electrical appliances and kids' snacks are the main items he purchases online.
Liu's shopping strategy is to find something good online first, then go to shops to check it out, and finally buy it online because it is cheaper. As quality concerns him, Liu only buys items that come with a guarantee.
Stories such as those from Liu are representative of millions of middle-aged and older Chinese, which show the great potential of the aged in the Chinese consumption market. Yet, the market seems not to be valued as it should be.
Some Chinese e-commerce websites such as jd. com, dangdang. com and amazon. cn don't have a category for goods for the elderly on their main pages. Alibaba's platform does have one, but the goods in it are not as abundant as other categories. Moreover, Taobao's category is not really designed for elders, but their children.
Despite the seeming lack of commitment to older consumers, the Chinese market for the elderly is clearly huge, and e-commerce websites should take great efforts to develop it. | high11894.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "What pets bring to their owners"
},
"options": [
"What pets bring to their owners",
"How pets help people calm down",
"people's opinions of keeping pets",
"Pet's value in medical research"
],
"question": "What d... | Science can't explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.
Any owner will tall you how much joy a pet brings. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress levels and blood pressure in people - half of them pet owners -while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did
It best .Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned Most quickly to baseline heart rates .With pets in the room ,people also made fewer math mistakes Than when doing in front of other companions. It seems people feel more released around Pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don't judge.
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a Year studying 36 fat people and were put on a diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 fat people without pets were put on a diet program. On average,people lost about 11 pounds, Or 5% of their body weight .Their dogs did even better,losing an average of 12 pounds,more then 15%of their body weight .Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but ,say Researchers,got more exercise overall -mostly with their dogs -and found it worth doing. | high9140.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "very hard"
},
"options": [
"well-paid",
"very hard",
"worth doing",
"dangerous"
],
"question": "The passage implies that the job of Santa Claus is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"ans... | He wishes the holiday season would end already. His back aches, his red suit feels like a spacesuit , his cheeks have gone tight from smiling for 12 hours --and still the kids keep coming and coming , like ants at a picnic . As Christmas becomes more commercialized across the U. S. and Canada, so must Santas. As the holiday begins earlier each year, so must its _ .
The questions from children these days are harder than ever. Now, with thousands of children expecting a father or mother serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, the questions are as heart-breaking as they are unanswerable. For example, "Can you please bring Daddy home from the war in time for Christmas morning?"
Santas also have a pretty good chance of getting sued . A professional Santa Claus in Canada told a story: A Santa had a girl on his knee, and he commented, "You have nice eyes and nice hair." The girl later said it was sexual harassment . When a Santa feels anxious, he often shows it in the same ways ordinary people do: The Santas were always seen to hang around at the dinner table when the show ended. Many of them just sleep in bed for several days and don't see other children again. | high12345.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Lucky to Have Him"
},
"options": [
"How I Improved My Grades",
"Trips with My Teacher",
"Lucky to Have Him",
"My High School Years"
],
"question": "Which of the following is the best title for the passage?",
... | I've lived my whole life in Spanish Harlem with my mom, and I never have a father. I have friends who ended up in jail or pregnancy. But Mr.Clark wouldn't let that happen. Mr. Clark worked long hours, making sure I did my work. My grades rose. In fact ,our whole fifth-grade class's scores rose in math and reading. In sixth grade, I entered the gifted program, and Mr. Clark was the teacher. I felt so lucky to have him for a second year !
None of us were surprised when Mr.Clark was selected as Disney's 2004 Teacher of the Year. When he learned he'd won, he said he would draw three names out of a hat; those students would go with him toprefix = st1 /Los Angelesto get the award. But when it came time to draw names, Mr. Clark said, " You're all going."
He got donations to fly all 37of us out to Disneyland inCaliforniaand put us at the Hilton. We were there for three days. People were amazed, but Mr. Clark really cared about us. There's no way I can imagine most teachers doing that. No way. But he saw something in us that nobody else saw.
On graduation day ,there were a lot of tears. We didn't want his class to end. In 2005,he moved toAtlanta, but we always kept in touch. He started giving speeches about education and wrote a best-selling book based on his classroom rules.
In 2007,Mr.Clark took some of us on a trip toSouth Africato deliver school supplies and visit orphanages. It was the most amazing experience of my life. It's now my dream to start a group of women's clubs one day, helping people from all backgrounds.
I'm about to become a senior atHarlemRenaissanceHigh School. My grades are beautiful now, and I'm hoping to go to law school eventually. This fall, Mr.Clark will be opening the Ron Clark Academy inAtlanta, a school for kids who have potential but aren't reaching it, kids who are like I was -- until Mr.Clark came along. | high22286.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "future man will look quite different from us"
},
"options": [
"man's life will be different in the future",
"future man will look quite different from us",
"man is growing taller and uglier as time passes",
"the functio... | What will man be like in the future----in 5000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.
Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is relatively short period of time, so we may assume that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain's capacity. As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change to the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.
Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over very long period of time it is likely that man's eyes will grow stronger.
On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.
But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.
Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions similar to our own. | high8538.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "marketing this paint in Europe is not under way"
},
"options": [
"the paint has already been used on cars by now",
"it beats other products of its kind in its lengthy effect",
"car damage is mainly caused by scratches and scr... | After years of hearing drivers complain about scratches on their cars, Japan's Nissan Motor Company has officially announced the next big thing---a paint that not only resists scratches and scrapes, but actually repairs itself within a few days.
The new material, developed by Nippon Paint Company, contains an elastic rubbery-like resin that is able to heal minor marks caused by car wash equipment, parking lot encounters, road debris or even on-purpose destruction. The automaker admits its results vary depending on the temperature and the depth of the damage, but adds this is the only paint like it in the world, and tests prove it works. Minor scratches, the most common type, are said to slowly fade over about a week. And once they're gone, there is no trace that they were ever there. The special paint is said to last for at least three years after it is first applied, but there is no word yet on whether more can be added after that period.
Nissan claims car washes are the worst offenders for this type of damage, accounting for at least 80 percent of all incidents. But the complete auto-healing won't come without scratching your wallet. The vehicle maker notes the special paint adds about $ 100 U.S. to the price of a car. It plans to use its new chemical mixture only on its X - Trail SUVs in Japan for now, as it looks for a more widespread presentation. And while plans to offer the feature overseas haven't been made yet, if it's a hit there, you can be almost sure market forces will drive it to these shores, as well. | high936.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "six"
},
"options": [
"four",
"five",
"six",
"seven"
],
"question": "There're _ people in Charlie's family.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"an... | Charlie works in a post office. His father lost his job five years ago and his mother is often ill. And he has two brothers and a sister. He works hard and tries his best to buy enough food for his family.
Last month his family had to move to an old house outside the city. It's farther from the post office and he has to get up early in the morning in order to catch the 6:30 train. The head of his office is strict and everybody has to get there on time. He knows what it'll mean if he's late. A friend of his had pity on him and lent his old car to him. The young man was happy and from then on he could go to work by car.
Last Saturday Charlie went to buy some medicine for his mother. Bad luck! When he came out of the shop, he couldn't find the car. He was quite worried and began to look for it in front of the shop but he didn't find it. Suddenly he saw a woman parked a car there and hurried into the shop. Charlie saw the car wasn't locked. He got on it and drove it at once. He was afraid the loser would run after him and drove fast. A truck hit it at a crossing and he lost consciousness.
This morning the young man came back to life and saw there were a few policemen standing by his bed. He asked, "Where am I?"
"In Room 103."
"In hospital or in prison ?" | high12423.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "have generally the same number of class days"
},
"options": [
"perform better and learn more",
"have much less time for relaxation every year",
"have generally the same number of class days",
"hold more classes and have... | Each new school year brings fresh reminders of what educators call the summer learning gap. Some call it the summer learning setback. Put simply, it means the longer kids are out of school, the more they forget. The only thing they seem to gain is weight.
Most American schools follow a traditional nine-month calendar with winter and spring breaks and about ten weeks of summer vacation. Some schools follow a year-round calendar. They hold classes for about eight weeks at a time, with a few weeks off in between. The National Association for Year-Round Education says there were fewer than 3,000 such schools at last count.
They were spread among forty-six of the fifty states. But many experts point out that the number of class days in a year round school is generally the same as in a traditional school. Brenda McLaughlin is a research director at the National Centre for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University. She says studies of year-round schooling have not found strong learning gains. Lead researcher Paul von Hippel said, "Year round schools don't really solve the problem of the summer learning setback. They simply spread it out across the year." Across the country, research shows that students from poor families fall farther behind over the summer than other students. Experts say this can be prevented. They note that many schools and local governments offer programmes that can help.
However, calling such programmes "summer school" could be a problem. The director of the summer learning centre at Johns Hopkins, Ikon Fairchild, said research with groups of different parents in Chicago and Baltimore found that almost all strongly disliked the term "summer school". In American culture, the idea of summer vacation is connected to beliefs about freedom and the joys of childhood. The parents preferred other terms like "summer camp, "extra time" and "hands-on learning. | high23826.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "What Steve Jobs did for his company before he died."
},
"options": [
"How Steve Jobs battled with a deadly disease.",
"What Steve Jobs did for his company before he died.",
"Why Apple became a successful company.",
"Whe... | Despite knowing he was dying, Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple, worked for more than a year to make plans for four years of new products that he believed would maintain the company's future.
It was also revealed that Jobs fought hard to get plans approved for a spaceship-style company headquarters in California. It will be big enough to hold 12,000 employees in a park-like setting near the existing base in Cupertino, the global headquarters of Apple. He appeared at a town council meeting in June to promote the planning.
He was also overseeing the development of the delayed iCloud project, which will allow Apple users to store their music, photos and other documents remotely, and designing updated versions of the iPod, iPad, iPhone and MacBooks, ensuring that at least four years' worth of products will go smoothly.
Pre-order sales of the first official biography of Steve Jobs have increased by 44,000 percent. According to the official description, the book, out on October 24, 2011, is based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs conducted over two years - as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, competitors and colleagues. Steve Jobs died on October 5, 2011, aged 56, following a long battle with cancer. Jobs is survived by a wife, a son and two daughters. With his passing being confirmed, world leaders, the most famous technology bosses and thousands of fans throughout the world all paid tribute in their way to the life of the man they honored as a hero. | high24191.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "buying guns is very hard"
},
"options": [
"the crime rate is higher than America's",
"the crime rate is rising sharply",
"there is no gun control laws",
"buying guns is very hard"
],
"question": "According to th... | Debate: Can stricter gun control laws decrease the rate of crimes involving guns?
Yes, because with fewer weapons, you get fewer crimes.
Take a look at the crime rates of countries like the United Kingdom. Their crime rate is very low, compared to ours here in the United States. Just by simply putting stricter laws in place on who can own them, it will greatly reduce the crimes involving guns.
Posted by: 5h4yGlory
Past Practice
There was an assault weapon ban back in 1994 under Bill Clinton. Shootings and crime did not go down for the 10 years when this law was in effect. Criminals do not follow rules. The law only affects those who try to obey the law to arm them to protect themselves.
Posted by: jb1988
Wake up, you Americans!
It's hardly surprising that America has one of the highest gun related murder rates of all countries! And of course guns don't kill people, but the more people own guns, the easier it is to get access to one, the higher the chance of people using it to kill somebody is!
In Germany, we have really strict gun laws and only a few people own guns, and obviously we don't need them. There's no reason that a normal citizen would need a gun! Guns are made for one reason only: killing.
Posted by: cstephie13
More gun control laws, fewer shootings
On the same day as the Sandy Hook tragedy, a man in China entered a primary school with a knife and injured 22 students on December, 14. However, nobody was killed. Compare that to the 26 students and teachers killed at Sandy Hook in Connecticut with a powerful gun. We must learn something from this tragedy.
Posted by: Jasonx986
Gun violence goes up with more gun control
Criminals will take advantage of the situation. They will do whatever they want and take whatever they want and kill whoever gets in their way. They will get guns illegally. Crime rates go up as a result of more gun control, because criminals know you don't have one, and they will kill you as they like. There is no point in banning guns!
Posted by: eebnflow | high6515.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To use the disabled hand was important."
},
"options": [
"The prosthetic technology was underdeveloped then.",
"A prosthesis was very expensive at that time.",
"To use the disabled hand was important.",
"The original ha... | Jayson McCarthy, 12, was born without fingers on his left hand. That didn't stop him from being able to do many tasks. But Jayson could not grasp more than one object at a time. So Jayson 's father, Paul, created a Prosthesis , using a 3D printer. Now Jayson has fingers that open and close. "It was a do-it-yourself, father-and-son adventure," says Paul.
When Jayson was a baby, his doctor advised his parents not to give him a prosthetic hand until he was in his early teens. "The doctor said Jayson should first learn to get full use out of the hand he was born with," says Paul. As Jayson got older, his father looked into _ a prosthetic hand, which can cost as much as $30,000. Paul found a more affordable solution.
One day, Paul discovered a video on the Internet about Robohand, a prosthesis created with a 3D printer. He downloaded the free instructions and called Robohand's creators for advice. They told him all he needed was a 3D printer--which costs around $2,000--and some materials.
Luckily, Jayson 's school had recently purchased a 3D printer and it offered to help Paul build the hand for Jayson n. "We used a soccer shinguard , cardboard , and tape. They cost about $10," says paul.
With his new hand, Jayson can do things better. "I can help my mom more, because now I can carry two grocery bags," he says.
Jayson 's father has already built several hands for Jayson. Jayson helps design each one. He says there's one thing in particular that he wants to do with a future prosthesis. "The goal," he says, "is to be able to tie my shoelaces ." | high14052.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because the governments wanted to guard the world against future global wars."
},
"options": [
"Because people created a better understanding of the world travel.",
"Because the governments wanted to guard the world against future ... | The origination of the "gap year" concept came in the decade following the Second World War when youth travel and cultural exchange was discussed among governments as a useful tool to create more of a global understanding to prevent future global wars. However, the first gap years actually started in the UK in the 1960s when the Baby-Boomer generation in the midst of the Swinging Sixties headed off to India on the infamous Hippie Trails ,inventing the independent travel market.
Australian Graham "Screw" Turner, based in London in 1973, loaded a double-decker bus with the first paying customers and drove them to Kathmandu. They arrived three weeks late. Top Deck Travel, the company he founded, still exists today. In 1979 another Australian, Dick Porter, founded STA Travel to bring in the final piece of the puzzle. It was a high street travel agent for students and youth (those under 26) with which he was able to develop global youth travel as he opened student travel agencies around the world.
In the UK in the 1980s the Baby-Boomers were accustomed to family life with their young children and so traveling less, and the next generation were influenced by the addiction to money, careers and wealth. The housing market crash meant fewer funds available for parents to fund youth travel. But steady UK and global growth continued as STA Travel opened up branches around the world.
A combination of the Baby-Boomer's children reaching 18 (whose parents encouraged world travel as they did in their youth), the UK coming out of decline and new, exciting, color1ful media channels to bring gap year products to market resulted in an explosion of activity in the UK in the 1990s as gap year travel and gap year volunteering took off pre-, during, and post-university. Demand grew, prices for air travel fell, and the roots of it becoming a tradition of growth were set.
The modern gap year pioneers came in the form of Tom Griffiths and Peter Pedrick who brought the gap year market onto the web in 1988 with the launch of www.gapyear.com. The two pioneers have invented products, offerings, phrases, and concepts that form the frame of the global gap year industry seen today. Known as the gap year guru. Tom Griffiths is recognized as a global authority on gap years and acts as a media spokesperson around the world. | high18668.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the strength of family unity"
},
"options": [
"the strength of family unity",
"the difficulty of growing up",
"the advantage of chopsticks",
"the best way of giving a lesson"
],
"question": "Helene tied several ... | When her five daughters were young, Helene An always told them that there was strength in unity . To show this, she held up one chopstick, representing oneperson. Then she easily broke it into two pieces. Next, she tied several chopsticks together, representing a family. She showed the girls it was hard to break the tied chopsticks. This lesson about family unity stayed with the daughters as they grew up.
Helene An and her family own a large restaurant business in California. However, when Helene and her husband Danny left their home in Vietnam in 1975, they didn't have much money. They moved their family to San Francisco. There they joined Danny's mother, Diana, who owned a small Italian sandwich shop. Soon afterwards, Helene and Diana changed the sandwich shop into a small Vietnamese restaurant. The five daughters helped in the restaurant when they were young. However, Helene did not want her daughters to always work in the family business because she thought it was too hard.
Eventually the girls all graduated from college and went away to work for themselves, but one by one, the daughters returned to work in the family business. They opened new restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Even though family members sometimes disagreed with each other, they worked together to make the business successful. Daughter Elisabeth explains, "Our mother taught us that to succeed we must have unity, and to have unity we must have peace. Without the strength of the family, there is no business."
Their expanding business became a large corporation in 1996, with three generations of Ans working together. Now the Ans' corporation makes more than $20 million each year. Although they began with a small restaurant, they had big dreams, and they worked together. Now they are a big success. | high10234.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she can pay back the money she owed"
},
"options": [
"her children make progress at school",
"she can help her children or her sisters",
"she can pay back the money she owed",
"her children learn to fix a car with her h... | When my parents were alive, they weren't well off financially. Yet they helped their two older daughters time after time. My sisters paid Mom and Dad back part of the time, but when Daddy passed away, his cash journal showed debts due from several of his children. I was not among them. I seldom borrowed money and when I did, at the beginning I set a repayment plan and stuck to it. It was a matter of pride for me.
When you think that I was raised in the same household with my brothers and sisters and had the same parents, it is hard to figure out why I was the only one who couldn't stand to owe them -- or anyone -- money. Maybe it's because I watched my parents struggle to help my older sisters out when they were in financial difficulties themselves. Maybe it's because of that reason, I was just too proud to depend on anyone else.
These days, I am the one of those other people turn to for help when they need it. Just as I can't stand to owe other people, I can't stand to say no to anyone who presents a credible case of need. So I am what is called an"enabler".
Being an enabler is an insidious disorder. It starts simply enough when you help someone with an extraordinary expense created by an unusual event. Then when people find out you will provide aid, they ask you more and more and you -- being a nice person -- just keep giving. It's a hard cycle to break and I personally have no clue how to escape.
I'm not angry. I'm not holding a grudge. I don't try to tell my children or my sisters how to run their lives because they ask me for money. Yet I would be so proud of all of them if they were to make more of an effort to handle things themselves, perhaps by doing some financial planning -- like planning not to spend money they don't have!
And I don't see why they can't do this. After all, I'm not lassoing them and forcing them to take my money. I'm just not good at saying"no". So I ask you, what can I do when so many people around me have no shame in owing others money?
On the other hand, I am doing them a greatdisserviceby my"kindness". I remember as a child how my father always said these two things,"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again,"and"I can't get stuck in the fence. I'll try to pull it down."As an enabler, I have prevented my children from learning to keep trying instead of turning to me for help. Yes, they could change their ways and learn to get along on their own, but why would they do that? Who among us would choose to be out of a car because we can't afford to fix it when Mom will supply the money to get it fixed?
Yes, I am an enabler; and I am wronging my children by enabling them to be less than self-sufficient. I have known this for a long time but I still can't say no. | high19576.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to urge them not to invade consumers' privacy."
},
"options": [
"to discuss whether it is illegal to have access to private information.",
"to urge them not to invade consumers' privacy.",
"to stop them from developing the te... | It was reported last week that developers could take photos from Apple mobile and Google Android devices without the phone owners knowing that the images were being taken. In Apple's case, developers can also obtain the location information for each photo.
Senator Charles Schumer said in a telephone interview that his office had spoken with officials at both Apple and Google on Monday.
"We asked them if they could find a way on their own to prevent Apple from having access to private information," Mr. Schumer said. "They were friendly and open to the idea that this ought to be changed."
On Sunday, Mr. Schumer said that he planned to send a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking the agency to investigate Apple and Google after the privacy concerns came to light. Claudia Bourne Farrell, an F.T.C. spokeswoman, said the agency had received the letter but she could not comment further.
"It worries people to think that one's personal photos, address book, and who knows what else can be obtained and even posted online without permission," Mr. Schumer wrote in his letter to the F.T.C. "If the technology exists to open the door to this kind of privacy invasion , then surely technology exists to close it, and that's exactly what must happen."
Mr. Schumer said if Apple and Google could not come to an agreement to fix the problem, then he would be forced to take the issue further.
He said other companies had been willing to work with his office to fix issues. "I'm optimistic that we can get this changed without any regulation," he said. "If it's not changed, then we'll turn to the F.T.C., and if that doesn't work then we'llconsider legislative approach."
The F.T.C. has warned companies to try to be more vigilant in their efforts to protect consumers when it comes to privacy. | high4302.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The tickets were too expensive."
},
"options": [
"He had lost his money.",
"His children were noisy.",
"The tickets were sold out.",
"The tickets were too expensive."
],
"question": "Why was the poor man unhappy... | Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one family between the ticket office and us. This family made a big impression on me.
There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. You could tell they didn't have a lot of money. _ The children talked excitedly about the clowns. It was clearly a very important day out for them. The father and mother seemed happy as they could be.
The tickets lady asked how many tickets the father wanted, he proudly answered, "Please let me buy eight children's tickets and two adults' tickets, so I can take my family to the circus."
The ticket lady told him the price.
The man's wife lowered her head. There was no longer a smile on the man's face. He quietly asked, "How much did you say?"
The ticket lady again told him the price.
The man obviously didn't have enough money. But how could he tell his kids the bad news?
Seeing what was happening, my dad took a $20 note from his pocket and dropped in on the ground. (We were not rich ourselves at all!) He then tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, you dropped this."
The man understood my father was helping him. He picked up the money, looked straight into my dad's eyes, and in tears replied. "Thank you. This really means a lot to me and my family."
Although we did not go to the circus that night, we didn't go without. | high5008.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Miley's 54-date North American concert tour was very successful."
},
"options": [
"Miley began to act at the age of 12.",
"Miley's 54-date North American concert tour was very successful.",
"Miley's show,Hannah Montana was po... | Without Doubt,Miley Cyrus reigns as Hollywood's "tween" queen.Her show,Hannah Montana,debuted in 2006 as the number one cable show look kids aged 6--14.Add to that success two chart-topping CDs,a sold-out concert tour and a number one movie.And she's not even 16 years old yet!
Born in 1992 in Tennessee,Miley is the daughter of country singer-turned-actor,Billy Ray Cyrus and his wife,Tish,Miley got an early start in acting,beginning with a small role on her father's TV show in 2003.Then at age 12,Miley's cool confidence helped her beat out 1,000 other girls to win the role of Hannah Montana.
On the Disney Channel show,Miley plays Miley Stewart,a sometimes-awkward ninth grade girl who moonlights as pop sensation Hannah Montana.Stewart keeps her rock star identity a secret from all but her family and her closest friends.The show emphasizes family,friendship and respect,making it a hit not only with kids but also with adults.Miley's real father plays her dad on the show.
In June 2007,Miley released the two-disc album Hannah Montana 3/Meet Miley Cyrus.One disc contains songs from the show.And the other serves as the star's Debut album-with songs about love,teenager life and growing up.In October,Miley set out on a 54-date North American concert tour.The tour were wildly popular-tickets for some venues sold out within minutes and 14 extra performances were added.
The tour's success spurred Disney to create a 3-d movie version of the concert.The film hit number one at the box office and earned over $ 31 million in just three days.
Though Miley is a huge star,she sees herself as a regular girl.She attends church with her family every week and does homework and household chores.
With a big-screen version of Hannah Montana coming out next year,this young star is sure to keep rising-but with her feet on the ground. | high16889.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "the potential land rush will become more and more frequent"
},
"options": [
"the US will live on the moon forever",
"the moon will not be able to hold all mankind",
"the potential land rush will become more and more frequent"... | Who Owns the Moon?
Within the next ten years, the U. S., China, Israel, and a crowd of private companies plan to set up camp on the moon. So if and when they plant a flag, does _ give them property rights?
A NASA working group hosted a discussion this week to ask: Who owns the moon? The answer, of course, is no use. The Outer Space Treaty, the international signed by more than 100 countries, states that the moon and other celestial bodies are the province of all mankind. No doubt that would annoy all of the people throughout the ages, like monks from the Middle Ages, who have tried to claim the moon was theirs.
But ownership is different from property rights. People who rent apartments, for example, don't own where they live, but they still hold rights. So with all of the upcoming missions to visit the moon and beyond, space industry thought leaders are seriously asking themselves how to deal with a potential land rush.
" This is a very relevant discussion right now. We've got this wave of new lunar missions from around the world," said William Marshall, a scientist in the small-spacecraft office at NASA, but who spoke this week at an event hosted by NASA's Co Lab, a collaborative public-private working group. He was speaking from his personal interest and not on behalf of the agency.
To be sure, the United States aims to send astronauts back to the moon by as early as 2015, in a mission that would include a long-term settlement. China and Israel, among others, are also working on lunar projects. And for the first time, several private groups are building spacecraft to land on the moon in an attempt to win millions of dollars in the Google Lunar X Prize. Some participants say that they plan to gain some property rights in the mission. | high2767.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Good-looking people are often regarded as having many good qualities."
},
"options": [
"An attractive plaintiff has more chances to get away with punishment.",
"Women with pleasing appearance will always be considered as better lea... | Can you be too beautiful? It is hardly a problem that most of us have to bother -- as much as we might like to dream that it were the case.
Yet the blessings and curses of beauty have been a long-standing interest in psychology. Do those blessed with shiny faces and an attractive body live in a cloud of appreciation -- or does it sometimes pay to be ordinary?
Combing through decades of findings, social psychologists Lisa Slattery Walker and Tonya Frevert at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte havereviewed all the evidence to dateand their conclusions are not what you might expect.
At the most basic level, beauty might be thought to carry a kind of halo around it; we see that someone has one good quality, and by association, our deep mind may assume that they have other good ones too.
Even in the courts, a pleasing appearance can work its magic. Attractive criminals are likely to get less strict sentences, or to escape punishment entirely; attractive plaintiffs , meanwhile, are more likely to win their case and get bigger financial settlements. "It's an effect seen everywhere," says Walker.
But if beauty pays in most circumstances, there are still situations where it can have opposite results. While attractive men may be considered better leaders, for instance, hidden sexist prejudices can work against attractive women, making them less likely to be hired for high-level jobs that require power. And as you might expect, good-looking people of both sexes run into envy -- one study found that if you are interviewed by someone of the same sex, they may be less likely to employ you if they judge that you are more attractive than they are.
More worryingly, being beautiful or handsome could harm your medical care. We tend to link good looks to health, meaning that illnesses are often taken less seriously when they affect the good-looking. When treating people for pain, for instance, doctors tend to take less care over the more attractive people.
And the bubble of beauty can be a somewhat lonely place. One study in 1975, for instance, found that people tend to move further away from a beautiful woman on the pathway -- perhaps as a mark of respect, but still making interaction more distant. "Attractiveness can convey more power over visible space -- but that in turn can make others feel they can't approach that person," says Frevert. Interestingly, the online dating website OKCupid recently reported that people with the most beautiful pictures are less likely to find dates than those with less perfect pictures.
Ultimately, Frevert points out that focusing too much on your appearance can itself be harmful if it creates stress and anxiety -- even for those already blessed with good looks. "If you are crazy about attractiveness, it may affect your experience and interactions," she says. It's an outdated saying, but no amount of beauty can make up for a bad personality. As the writer Dorothy Parker put it so elegantly: " _ ." | high10220.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Road block."
},
"options": [
"Flood.",
"Road block.",
"Strong wind.",
"Air crash."
],
"question": "What effect did the eruption cause?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | A New Zealand volcano _ for more than a century has erupted,sending up ash clouds,disturbing flights and closing roads.
Mount Tongariro, one of three volcanoes in the centre of the North Island, became active just before midnight local time, with reports of loud explosions,pouting rocks and steam.
The 1, 978m peak is in a national park popular with hikers. No damages have been reported after the eruption.
Witnesses described a dramatic scene as the volcano erupted.
"I saw this beautiful. big cloud and I thought: 'Gee that looks like a volcanic plume'. Just as I thought that there was a great big orange flash," truck driver Bryn Rodda told New Zealand National Radio. "It was quite impressive."
Mount Tongariro last erupted 115 years ago. And scientists said they did not yet know if this eruption was a single event.
Experts said they were caught by surprise--they had recorded some activity like an earthquake in recent weeks but were not expecting an eruption.
"This might just be a quiet period and we should expect it to start again at any time. So we are watching things Very closely," volcanologist Michael Rosenberg told TVNZ.
Eruption activity has currently reduced, New Zealand media said.Meteorologists said the ash was blowing east towards the Pacific Ocean.
A number of inland flights from the North Island to the South Island had been affected by the volcanic activity, Air New Zealand said.
Police said highways that had been closed because visibility was affected after the eruption are now open.
Some residents in the nearby areas had temporarily left their homes. Officials have not ordered an evacuation , but advised those affected by the ash cloud to stay indoors and close their doors and windows. | high3479.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a movie about a plan to assassinate Hitler"
},
"options": [
"a story written by Bernd Neuman",
"a chapter in a German history book",
"a movie about Nazi concentration camps",
"a movie about a plan to assassinate Hitler"... | The big screen is never short of films about World WarII. When Nazi Germany is featured in these films, cruel Nazi officers and brutal concentration camps most often represent it. But the new Hollywood movie Valkyrie tells a different story, "a chapter of German history which is little known abroad", according to the German Cultural Minister Bernd Neumann.
Valkyrie is based on a true incident that took place in 1944. Colonel Stauffenberg had been a loyal soldier for his entire military career. However, after losing an eye, a hand, and three fingers in an Allied bombing, _ . The destruction that his country had brought to its European neighbors had become too terrible for the colonel to bear in silence. He hoped that someone would find a way to stop Adolf Hitler, one of the most evil tyrants the world has ever known. Realizing that time was running out, he decided that he must take action himself and joined the German resistance. These men drew up Operation Valkyrie, a plot to assassinate Hitler and to overthrow his Nazi government from the inside. This plot is what the film is named after and focuses on.
The Hollywood star Tom Cruise plays the lead role. "This was a very challenging film to make. We carried a huge responsibility to correctly portray history," Cruise said.
However, the production has drawn criticism for lacking depth and for simplifying the motives behind the plot. | high16651.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Tips for Visiting San Diego"
},
"options": [
"Brief Introduction to San Diego",
"Tips for Visiting San Diego",
"Attractions in and around San Diego",
"Reasons for Visiting San Diego"
],
"question": "Which of the... | Planning for the weather
No matter what time of year you vacation in San Diego, be sure to bring a light jacket or sweater and bring shorts. During our summer months, we have warm days but cool evenings, especially if you are near the ocean. Those cool evenings can feel cold and fresh if you are visiting from someplace that is typically hot and damp all summer. And during our winter months, we can have days that reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). In fact, our winter months are the sunniest months of the year along the San Diego coast.
How to get around San Diego
Deciding whether you need to rent a car for your visit to San Diego? If you are planning to visit attractions in and around downtown San Diego, including SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Old Town, Coronado, and the Gaslamp Quarter, all of these attractions can be readily accessed by public transportation assuming the hotel or place you are staying in is close to a bus or trolley stop. Tour guests comment on how easy it is to use our transportation system, how clean it is, and the low cost for a one-day or multi-day pass that works on both buses and trolleys. However, if you are going to visit attractions further away from downtown San Diego such as the Safari Park or Legoland or if you want to visit our local mountains or desert, we recommend a car rental.
How to make time for all the things to do
Our final tip for now is to plan ahead. Unlike most cities where there may be a few concentrated tourist areas and it's easy to find things as you go, San Diego offers hundreds of attractions and guests tell us they are overwhelmed and certainly didn't plan enough time once they find how much there is to do in San Diego.
Many guests visit San Diego as part of an extended trip that includes San Francisco and Los Angeles. They often plan fewer days in San Diego because they assume it is the smallest city with the least to offer only to say they wished they had planned more days in San Diego because it offers more things to do in a much more relaxing environment. By planning ahead you can also get discounts for various attractions. For example you can save a lot of money at SeaWorld if you buy your tickets in advance online, at a visitor center or through your hotel. Another reason to plan ahead is that some attractions close early or get sold out since San Diego is a big destination for major conventions and big companies bringing in employees from around the world for special events in beautiful, sunny San Diego. | high19562.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Writing letters."
},
"options": [
"Visiting each other.",
"Making phone calls",
"Sending messages.",
"Writing letters."
],
"question": "Which of the following ways of expressing love and care is NOT mentioned in... | Advantages and Disadvantages of Mobile Phones
Nowadays, nearly everyone has a mobile phone. In our daily lives we make phone calls to others, and we need to send messages to exchange information. Now, you can surf the Internet by using your mobile phone. I have to say that I enjoy using my phone, but I am worried at the same time: Is it healthy and safe to use?
Mobile phones have many advantages. Firstly, we keep in touch with people by using them. Because of our busy life, we have little time to meet friends and our beloved ones. Thanks to mobile phones, we can tell them how everything is going. When an _ happens, we can call for help using our phones. It is convenient and important in our lives.
But every coin has two sides and it is the same with mobile phones. As people are used to making phone calls, they are spending less and less time with their family and friends. Phones give them more excuses to stay out of reach. Because of the convenience, the love and care between people has changed into a few words in a message or a phone call. For students, there are more chances to get distracted from their lessons. When I was in middle school, I often looked out of the window to rest my eyes, but now I spend those moments on my phone.
In the end, I hope you can think about the advantages and the disadvantages, and use your mobile phone correctly. We humans created mobile phones, and we should keep them under control. | high15358.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "to inform the readers of present practices of textbooks"
},
"options": [
"to present his findings of the importance of textbooks",
"to inform the readers of present practices of textbooks",
"to explore the contribution of the... | Few, if any, instruments shape national culture more powerfully than the materials used in schools. Textbooks are not only among the first books most people meet; in many places they are, along with religious texts, almost the only books they have. A study in South Africa showed that fewer than half of pupils had access to more than ten books at home. In 2010 a study by Egypt's government found that, apart from school textbooks, 88% of Egyptian households read no books.
The degree to which a government keeps control of the textbooks used in classrooms is a good guide to its commitment to ideological control. Where that desire is strong, governments are likely to produce the textbooks themselves or define carefully what goes into them.
America's State Department employs people to keep an eye on other countries' textbooks, in an effort to understand better how their people think and what their governments want them to think. Other countries probably do the same.
Textbooks have long been a source of worry. After the attacks on America on September 11th 2001, some in both America and Saudi Arabia, including officials, supposed that Saudi Arabia's curriculum of intolerance was responsible, at least in part, for the emergence of al-Qaeda .
Sometimes the requirements of the state are more clearly seen in what textbooks leave out. The world has long criticized Japan for the way its textbooks whitewash the country's history, in particular dressing up Japanese war crimes. The "New History Textbook", for example, which was submitted for government approval in 2000, played down Japan's aggression in the Sino-Japanese war of 1894-95 and the occupation of China in the 1930s and 1940s, and avoided mention of the use of sex slaves by its armies or the rape of Nanjing.
In America most of the disputes about textbooks are home-grown. Liberals worry that their children are being taught a nationalistic version of history that emphasizes the wonders of industrialization and plays down slavery and the killing of Indian tribes. By contrast, Conservatives complain about inadequate education of love for their country and too much secularism . In 2010 the Texas board of education managed to remove Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, from the state's list of important revolutionary figures, apparently because of Jefferson's insistence on the separation of church and state. He was, however, swiftly restored.
As long as textbooks are issued or approved by the state, they will remain a political issue. But as access to other textbooks is enjoyed more widely, some of the dominance they now enjoy will weaken. | high23832.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They seldom follow the French law."
},
"options": [
"They seldom follow the French law.",
"They often ignore the Guianese law.",
"They are separated from the modern world.",
"They are both Guianese and French citizens."... | In the depths of the French Guianese rainforest, there still remain unusual groups of indigenous people. Surprisingly, these people live largely by their own laws and their own social customs. And yet, people in this area are in fact French citizens because it has been a colony of the French Republic since 1946. In theory, they should live by the French law is often ignored or unknown, thus making them into an interesting area of "lawlessness" in the world.
The lives of these people have finally been recorded thanks to the effects of a Frenchman form Paris called Gin. Gin spent five months in early 2015 exploring the most remote corners of this area, which sits on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, with half its population of only 250,000 living in its capital, Cayenne.
"I have a special love for the French Guianese people. I have worked there on and off for almost ten years," says Gin. "I've been able to keep firm friendships with them. Thus I have been allowed to gain access to their living environment. I don't see it as a lawless land. But rather I see it as an area of freedom."
"I wanted to show the audience a photographic record touching upon the uncivilized life," continues Gin. "I prefer to work in black and white, which allows me to show different specific worlds more clearly."
His black-and-white pictures present a world almost lost in time. These pictures show people seemingly pushed into a world that they were unprepared for. These local citizens now have to balance their traditional self-supporting hunting lifestyle with the lifestyle offered by the modern French Republic, which brings with _ not only necessary state welfare, but also alcoholism, betrayal and even suicide. | high13729.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "declined to donate"
},
"options": [
"declined to donate",
"sang a sweet song",
"put all his money in a bank",
"seemed very surprised"
],
"question": "When the writer asked her son to give money to help the poor,... | My six-year-old came home from school this week with two envelopes. One was for a donation to help people in the Philippines. The other was to help hungry families have a Thanksgiving meal.
"I'll put a check in each of these. Then you can add your own money from your piggy bank, okay?" I said, thinking he'd be so excited to put his own stamp on things.
"That's okay, mom. You put money in. I don't want to waste mine," he sweetly sang as he colored. "I want to fill my bank all the way up."
Ack! I guess I know what our dinnertime discussion will be about tonight, I thought.
I had figured that through watching his parents donate items, helping us take toys from time to time to needy kids and putting money in the basket at church, he would just understand why it was important to help people in need -- and even want to do it himself.
But of course he doesn't really understand yet. "There's a big disconnect between the people 'over there' and my piggy bank," said parenting educator Vicki Hoefle.
"There's nothing wrong with the child. There's just no connection."
As for having that conversation immediately, or forcing my son to put money into the envelopes: "Try not to do it now," Hoefle said. Teaching a child about donating their own money or toys or time to people in need "should be a gentle introduction into what we hope will be a way of life for our kids."
She suggested these things to help children understand the importance of giving:
* Just talk about it. Then explore the issue from a perspective he can understand.
* Use the course of a year to introduce kids to opportunities. That way, they won't be shocked when you ask them to stuff their own money into an envelope (like this writer just did).
* Pick a family charity for the year and have a conversation about how you all can help throughout the year.
* Think of this not as something you must teach, but as something to expose them to.
At her house, Hoefle said, "When you got something new, you gave something up." Each birthday, her children would pick what toys they had outgrown and give them away. "There was a comfort in it. It just became a natural part of the kids' lives."
So I will fill those envelopes alone this time. But I'll make sure he understands why they should be filled--gradually. | high6501.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the leaves koalas eat are losing nutritional value"
},
"options": [
"koalas can hardly stand the hot weather",
"the leaves koalas eat are losing nutritional value",
"koalas cannot get enough water to drink",
"the leaves... | Australia's koalas could die out within 30 years unless immediate action is taken to stop the losing in population, according to researchers. They say development, climate change and bushfires have all combined to reduce the number of wild koalas sharply.
The Australian Koala Foundation said a recent survey showed the population could have dropped by more than half in the past six years. The number of koalas was once estimated to be more than 100,000, but now is as few as 43,000.
The foundation collected field data from 1,800 sites and 80,000 trees to calculate the numbers. In one area in northern Queensland estimated to have 20,000 koalas a decade ago, a team of eight people could not find a single animal in four days of searching.
The foundation said besides problems caused by cutting down forests, hotter and drier conditions because of global warming had reduced the nutritional value of their main food, eucalyptus leaves, leading to poor nutrition for them. Koalas, which live in the forests in Australia's east and south, are very picky about what types of the leaves they eat.
Foundation chief Deborah Tabart said: "The koalas are missing everywhere we look. It's really no tree, no me. If you keep cutting down trees you don't have any koalas."She is hoping the new figures will persuade the government's Threatened Species Steering Committee (TSSC) to list the koala as threatened. But committee chairman Bob Beeton said a decision was not likely recently and the koala's status as one of the country's favorite animals would not be a factor. "There's a number of species which are attractive and people have special feelings towards them. We don't consider that," Mr Beeton said. | high14046.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The sales of McDonald is increasing in France."
},
"options": [
"Denis Hennequin has been boss of McDonald since 2004.",
"The sales of McDonald is increasing in France.",
"Denis Hennequin tries his best to increase the sales ... | When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining.One exception was France, where Mr.Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers' favourite enemy operates.
So far Mr.Henncquin is doing well.Last year European sales increased by 5.8% and the number of customers by 3.4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years.Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales.December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly .
Mr.Hennequin's recipe for revival is to be more open about his company's operations, to be "locally relevant", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants. McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American.Mr.Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns.
He introduced "open door" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular.In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year.The Nutrition Information Initiative launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, "the details are also printed on tray-liners. | high9632.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Sentences and Austen's thinking pattern."
},
"options": [
"Complex conversations.",
"Not knowing the social background.",
"The old-fashioned vocabulary.",
"Sentences and Austen's thinking pattern."
],
"question"... | To develop one's taste in English,the most effective way is to read English books extensively. However, one may be at a loss to choose the appropriate books,especially as a beginner.I would like to share some of my experience.
My first English novel was Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice,recommended by many English teachers and professors as an ideal book for English learners. But I had great difficulty in understanding the novel,let alone enjoying it. It's not the vocabulary that troubled me,but rather the way Austen constructs sentences,and her way of thinking,which seemed too remote to me at that time. My fading enthusiasm was much recovered after reading Hemingway's novel Farewell to Arms. I particularly liked his brief and lively style. So my first suggestion is,as a beginner, you'd better choose contemporary novels instead of classical ones.
However,reading novels is not the only way to improve your English. English essays can at once inform you,entertain you, and improve your taste in English. The best example is Bertrand Russell's work. Its language is plain, yet you cannot help feeling the elegance and the unique sense of humor. His simple language enables his philosophy within the reach of ordinary people. Here comes my second suggestion--essays are _ .
Never follow other's opinions blindly,however famous or influential the person might be. As a saying goes,one man's meat is another man's poison. With that in mind,we are sure to find out our favorite writers through reading and develop our fine taste in English. | high14720.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the inflation in America"
},
"options": [
"the history of American currency",
"the inflation in America",
"the political cases in America",
"the price of the oil in the world"
],
"question": "The passage is main... | For several years now, the dollar has fallen lower and lower against other major currencies. Lately, though, the dollar has risen, especially against the Japanese yen and the euro. Some traders think the dollar will continue to rise, but that is not clear.
The dollar moved up this week after comments by American officials in support of a strong dollar policy.
On Monday, before he left for his last trip as president to Europe, George Bush said: "A strong dollar is in our nation's interests. It is in the interests of the global economy." Also Monday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on CNBC television that he would consider intervention to keep the dollar from sliding further.
The United States has not intervened in currency markets since two thousand. That year the administration of president Bill Clinton bought euros to support the European currency.
But on Tuesday, President Bush said in Slovenia that the "relative value of economies will end up setting the proper valuation of the dollar."
A weaker dollar helps American exporters. But it means Americans have to pay more for imports and for travel to other countries.
Some experts say dollar weakness is the main reason why oil prices have risen so high. Oil is priced in dollars on the world market.
But Treasury Secretary Paulson dismissed any link. He noted that since two thousand two, the dollar has fallen about twenty-four percent. But the price of oil has gone up well over five hundred percent.
Adding to pressure on the dollar, European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet suggested that the E.C.B will raise interest rates next month. European officials are increasingly concerned with inflation. But investors can already get higher rates of return on investments in euros than in dollars.
High prices for oil, food and other products have raised inflation concerns worldwide. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the latest increases in energy prices have added to inflation risks.
His comments in recent days have suggested that the central bank could stop cutting rates as it has since September. Its rate for overnight loans between banks is currently at two percent. Some market watchers think the Fed could raise rates as early as this month.
Finance ministers from nations in the Group of Eight will discuss the dollar and other issues at their meeting this weekend in Osaka, Japan. | high9154.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they failed to get the check"
},
"options": [
"they forgave the stockbroker",
"they went to New York immediately",
"they failed to get the check",
"they spoke to their boss at once"
],
"question": "After the aut... | When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother's Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously ,did not give her good service ,pretended not to understand her ,or even acted as if they did not hear her .W _ w w.k*s*5 u.c@o m
My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she . I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker .I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, "This is Mrs.Tan.."
And my mother was standing beside me ,whispering loudly, "Why he don't send me cheek already two week late."
And then , in perfect English I said : "I'm getting rather concerned .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived."
Then she talked more loudly. "What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss." And so I turned to the stockbroker again, "I can't tolerate any more excuse. If I don't receive the check immediately , I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week."
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs.Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother's broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother's English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world. | high1508.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a college student"
},
"options": [
"an unemployed man",
"a middle-school student",
"a college student",
"a door-to-door salesman"
],
"question": "From the text, we can tell that the writer is _ .",
"quest... | Recently in the hope of earning both money and social experience, I became a door-trw door salesman.
I once read a saying. "If somebody wants something of yours, you will be treated as warmly as spring, but if they don't you may be treated as coldly as winter." You may consider this an exaggeration , but if you are a salesman, it is clearly correct.
You would never have found it to be so true if you hadn't been a salesman. You needn't stand doubtful looks and unfriendly comments; you needn't listen to something completely wrong and nod to say that it was quite right, you needn't worry about being refused time after time; you needn't always keep patience and a smile; you needn't repeat the same sentences over and over again; you needn't talk to somebody you dislike ....
I did this work for a month, then I decided to give it up; Apart from the reasons above, I found I was paying too much attention to the job and thus sacrificing my study time. The latest test result proved that my grades were getting worse.
Even worse, I hadn't enough time to join my classmates in college activities. Some times 1 felt lonely and unhappy because of both my study and my part-time job. Now I don't think it is worth doing such a thing for even though I was earning money it came at great cost.
Newspapers and magazines often publish stories about excellent students who do part-time work while also keeping high scores in class. But according to my experience, park-time work can have some strong negative influences on study.
Most students don't view the relationship between study and work correctly. In my opinion, if it isn't a must for financial reasons, students should be careful about taking up a part-time job. | high12351.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "famous magician"
},
"options": [
"investment banker",
"famous magician",
"actor",
"investor"
],
"question": "The island which has been developed now belongs to a(n) _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions... | Owning a personal island is a luxurious treat one can imagine.
New Holland Island
$400 million, 18 acres
Roman Abramovich
Investment Banker
Located in Saint Petersburg Canal in Russia, the island takes its name after its resemblance to areas in Amsterdam. The owner plans to turn it into a cultural center. The new look of this island is expected to be revealed in another six years.
Musha Cay Island
$150 million, 700 acres
David Copperfield
Famous magician
World-famous magician David Copperfield has developed the island located in the southern part of Bahamas into a magical resort with adventures, treasure hunts, luxurious apartments, and water sports. All these, for $32,250 a night!
Mago Island
$10 million, 5,400 acres
Mel Gibson
Actor
Interestingly, this island is almost the size of a small country! Mel Gibson does not plan on developing it into a resort, thus keeping its natural beauty.
Mosquito Island
$15 million, 120 acres
Richard Branson
Investor
This island is rich in eco-diversity and is also one of the rich rainforest places. Branson plans to make this island the most eco-friendly and develop the biodiversity of this island.
James Island
$19 million, 780 acres
Craig McCaw
Cell phone pioneer
Craig McCaw plans to develop the island, but not at the cost of losing its natural beauty. Smoking is banned on the island, and only electric bikes or cars are used for transport. All power lines are laid underground. The island also has a golf course designed by the excellent golf champion Jack Nicklaus.
Allan Island
$13.5 million, 292 acres
Paul Allen
Investor
The island is reportedly named after a hero, and Paul Allen plans on building a vacation home here. However, his vacation home was built on another island nearby. So, the Allan Island now has only a caretaker's small house without electricity. And it is up for sale. Hands anybody? | high7179.txt |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.