questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A and B"
},
"options": [
"in the afternoon",
"in summer",
"at any time",
"A and B"
],
"question": "The town was never peaceful, for fire broke out _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Cyril was a small town. The houses there were all made of wood; almost everything in the houses such as cupboards, tables and chairs were made of wood, too. And all the houses faced south. The town was never peaceful. Fire broke out once a week on summer afternoons. Residents were puzzled who the real firebug was.
One day a big fire broke out. It was said that a Negro had jumped out of the house on fire, so the police arrested all the Negroes in the street. However, fire never stopped to breaking out when the Negroes were in prison.
Mauson, a physics teacher didn't believe that the Negroes were the firebugs, for he really knew about those Negroes, He made up his mind to find out who the real firebug was.
One day he was invited to drink in a pub and happened to notice that many bottles and plastic plates were baked by the hot sunrays. Suddenly he realized what the actual fact was. He jumped with joy, saying, "I've got the answer!"
Mauson dashed out of the pub to his friend's house nearby, which also faced south. He made an experiment there to confirm his idea.
The next Saturday afternoon, Mauson asked some policemen and newsmen to come to the house. They were told that the real firebug would be shown there. At that time the sun was shining full into the house and it became hotter and hotter inside the room.
Someone wanted to draw the curtains together, while another was going to use a bottle to drink water, but neither got permission from Mauson, who wanted to let the firebug in.
"Now," said Mauson, "this house will soon catch fire." People looked at each other in surprise. Mauson asked them to look at the bottles and focus on the table cloth. After a while the cloth gave off a burning smell and began to catch fire!
The mystery of fire was discovered, but the police wouldn't believe him and insisted that Negroes had been the firebugs. Instead they arrested Mauson and put him into prison. But Mauson said he would never turn against science. | high15826.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "sharp knives"
},
"options": [
"sharp knives",
"red carnations",
"yellow flowers",
"long chopsticks"
],
"question": "When sending a gift to your friend in Netherlands, you should avoid _ .",
"question_type"... | When traveling, it's important to learn about the customs and etiquette of the global village, What we consider polite behavior at home isn't always accepted outside our borders.Don't be regarded rude or disrespectful on your travels.
Gift giving should be a happy, positive experience.When selecting a present for someone in the Netherlands, don't purchase fancy kitchen knives or scissors.Giving sharp, pointy objects as gifts is considered unlucky.Be careful when presenting flowers to a friend or business partner in Russia.Yellow blooms suggest cheat or a relationship break-up. Traditionally, red carnations are placed on the tombs of the dead.Writing cards or notes while visiting South Korea, be mindful of your pen's ink color.Writing a person's name in red ink traditionally suggests that the person has passed away-an important point to remember when giving a birthday card.
Being early or on time is viewed as being rude, too eager or even greedy in Venezuela.If you are invited over to someone's home for a meal, it's recommended that you arrive 10 to 15 minutes later than the requested time.When having a meal in Egypt, don't use the saltshaker . It's _ to your host to spread salt on your food, which means that you find the meal terrible.Japan is a very polite nation, and their fondness for etiquette extends to the mealtime use of chopsticks.According to Japanese custom, it's considered ill-mannered to point, play with, or stab food with chopsticks.If you're in the middle of eating, use the opposite end of your chopsticks to secure food from a shared plate.Using the end that touches your mouth is extremely offensive , not to mention unhygienic . | high8934.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "had studied at the University of Colorado"
},
"options": [
"had been a pilot for 25 years",
"knew nothing about the organization",
"had taught at the University of North Colorado",
"had studied at the University of Colo... | "One thing I enjoy about my job is that I can work on something that is actually active," says Game McGimsey, an American volcanologist . Part of his job includes keeping an eye on Alaska's many active volcanoes and giving people a heads-up when a volcano might erupt .
Like most jobs in the science, volcanology requires a lot of education. McGimsey received an undergraduate degree in geology at the University of North Carolina, then landed an internship with a geologist at the USGS whose work field was about volcanoes. After earning a graduate degree at the University of Colorado, McGimsey accepted a job with the USGS and has been with the Alaska Volcano Observatory for 25 years.
Volcanoes can influence the world in ways we might not think about. For example, on Dec.15 1989, a 747 jetliner (a large airplane) flew through a thick ash cloud produced by Mount Redoubt, an Alaskan volcano that hadn't erupted in 25 years. The ash caused all four engines to die, and the plane's electronics went dead.
"The plane was within several thousand feet of flying into the mountains below when the pilots got a couple of engines restarted and landed safely in Anchorage," McGimsey says. It cost nearly $80 million to repair the damage to the plane.
Such situations show just how dangerous volcanoes can be. However, volcanologists know the risks and are prepared to protect themselves.
McGimsey admits, "There is certainly a higher danger level in volcanology than some other jobs. We understand how serious the danger is, and we don't like taking unnecessary chances. We avoid getting too close to an erupting volcano, because it is not worth injury or death simply to get a rock or a photograph." | high14286.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "English"
},
"options": [
"American",
"French",
"Australian",
"English"
],
"question": "Jim was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text... | Jim found a job in a shop two years ago. Mrs. White, the shopkeeper trusts the able young man and pays him more. He's happy and works harder.
Once Jim knew a beautiful girl called Mabel at a friend's party. They danced for several times and the girl was deeply in love. But Mabel's parents didn't agree to marry their daughter to a poor young man. So they began to travel in America and didn't let the girl come back to London. She wrote a letter to Jim and told him about it. Of course the young man hadn't enough money to go to see her. He was so sad that he began to drink.
It was Saturday one day. Jim didn't go to work. He came to a bar and sat down to drink. Just then an old friend of his came in. He asked him to drink with him. Crying, he told Mike all and the young man felt sorry for him. After a while they were both drunk and left.
Mike wanted to take his friend home. When they passed a zoo, they went in and walked to a cage in which there were two tigers. Having seen them, a tiger roared. Mike was afraid and said, "Let's go. Let's go. It's dangerous to stand here."
"I don't think so," said Jim. " I'm watching TV now". | high22734.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the importance of setting goals"
},
"options": [
"how stupid the first driver was",
"the importance of having a map and right direction",
"how stupid the second driver was",
"the importance of setting goals"
],
... | Goals can help you do, be and experience everything you want in life. Instead of just letting life happen to you, goals allow you to make your life happen.
Successful and happy people have an idea of how their life should be and they set lots of goals to help them succeed. By setting goals you are taking control of your life. It's like having a map to show you where you want to go. Think of it this way. There are two drivers. One has a destination in mind which is laid out for her on a map. She can drive straight there without any wasted time or wrong turns. The other driver has no goal or destination or map. She starts off at the same time from the same place as the first driver, but she drives without an aim around, never getting anywhere, just using up gas and oil. Which driver do you want to be?
Winners in life set goals and follow through on them. Winners decide what they want in life and then get there by making plans and setting goals. Unsuccessful people just let life happen by accident. Goals aren't difficult to set--and they aren't difficult to reach. It's up to you to find out what your goals and ideals really are.
Research tells us that when we write a goal down, we are more likely to achieve. Written goals can be reviewed regularly,and have more power. Like a contract with yourself, they are harder to neglect or forget. Also when you write your goals in a particular way, you are able to make yourself be continuously alert to situations that will further your goals. | high15198.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "playing computer games"
},
"options": [
"doing housework",
"playing computer games",
"playing cards",
"cleaning the room"
],
"question": "From the passage we know that most children enjoy _ .",
"question... | Most children don't enjoy doing housework . Then like playing computer games rather than
cleaning the rooms. But in Australia, Jim and Robert's mother, Mrs Black, has a good and proper method to get their children to do housework.
Here is an example.
"Mum, have you worked out next week's housework? Let Jim and me choose the cards. I can't wait. It's fun! "
When Robert shouted out, his mother had already put all the cards on their big table. On the
cards, there are some words like these, " sweep the floor, clean your bedroom, help mum cook,
wash vegetables, make beds, feed the fish, cut the wood, clean the bathroom " and many others. Jim and Robert chose two cards for each day from Monday to Friday. Then they would hang
them on the weekday task board. Jim likes to clean the bathroom, so he picked up the card "clean
the bathroom ". Robert loves to make the bed so he picked up his favorite card. Jim again picked
up "wash vegetables" and Robert chose " feed the fish ". Soon the two boys were happy to take
away all the cards.
To help the children do housework, their mother thought hard and came up with this idea. Of
course, the couple did the housework on the weekends and left Jim and Robert two days free. | high17957.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "English as a Second Language"
},
"options": [
"English School Learners",
"English as a Second Language",
"Electronic Service Line",
"English Studying Lab"
],
"question": "The word \"ESL\" in each column probably... | Longman Dictionary with CD-ROM
The dictionary is unique because it has been written using the Longman Defining Vocabulary. Only this dictionary uses a defining vocabulary comprised of the 2,000 words that make up the intermediate-level student's most frequent vocabulary. This new edition has been completely updated using Longman's unique, comprehensive database of spoken and written American English. A must for all ESL classrooms.
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* Hear the instructor speak and record your own voice
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Game for ESL
Quiz style board game designed for ESL learners. The game contains thousands of questions graded into five levels--from beginner to advanced--with answers included.
Level: Beginner to Advanced
What does it test and develop?
* speaking, listening and reading skills * vocabulary and spelling (British and American)
* phrasal verbs and collocation * idioms and proverbs * grammar and usage
* general knowledge--history, geography, science, the arts, sports, etc.
Talk Now! CD-ROM Course for ESL
The "Talk Now!" series is for any language beginner who wants an entertaining self study course to learn basic phrases, such as color1s, numbers, food, shopping, and time. We have been selling this European-produced CD-ROM for a few years and find that it is highly praised by people from all over the world. Designed by language experts, interactive and fun, it is ideal for beginners and travelers. | high20123.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the man in the red coat once beat Buck severely with a club."
},
"options": [
"the man in the red coat once beat Buck severely with a club.",
"Buck remembered Francois was the man in the red coat.",
"the man in the red was qu... | "Well, what did I say?Buck's a real fighter, all right," said Francois the next morning when he discovered that Spitz had disappeared and that Buck was covered in blood.
"Spitz fought like a wolf," said Perrault, as he looked at the bites all over Buck.
"And Buck fought like ten wolves," answered Francois. "And we'll travel faster now. No more Spitz,no more trouble."
Francois started to harness the dogs. He needed a new lead-dog, and decided that Solleks was the best dog that he had. But Buck jumped at Solleks and took his place.
"Look at Buck!" said Francois,laughing. "He's killed Spitz,and now he wants to be lead-dog.Go away, Buck!"
He pulled Buck away and tried to harness Solleks again.Solleks was unhappy too. He was frightened of Buck, and when Francois turned his back,Buck took Solleks' place again. Now Francois was angry.
"I'll show you! " he cried,and went to get a heavy club from the sledge.
Buck remembered _ ,and moved away. This time,when Solleks was harnessed as lead-dog,Buck did not try to move in.He kept a few meters away and circled around Francois carefully. But when Francois called him to his old place in front of Dave, Buck refused.He had won his fight with Spitz and he wanted to be lead-dog.
For an hour the two men tried to harness him.Buck did not run away,but he did not let them catch him.Finally,Francois sat down,and Perrault looked at his watch.It was getting late. The two men looked at one another and smiled. Francois walked up to Solleks,took off his harness, led him back and harnessed him in his old place.Then he called Buck. All the other dogs were harnessed and the only empty place was now the one at the front. But Buck did not move.
"Put down the club," said Perrault.
Francois dropped the club, and immediately Buck came up to the front of the team.Francois harnessed him, and in a minute the sledge was moving.
Buck was an excellent leader. He moved and thought quickly and led the other dogs well. A new leader made no difference to Dave and Solleks; they continued to pull hard.But the other dogs had had an easy life when Spitz was leading.They were surprised when Buck made them work hard and punished them for their mistakes. Pike,the second dog,was usually lazy;but by the end of the first day he was pulling harder than he had ever pulled in his life. The first night in camp Buck fought Joe,another difficult dog,and after that there were no more problems with him.The team started to pull together,and to move faster and faster.
"I've never seen a dog like Buck!" cried Francois, "Never! He's worth a thousand dollars. What do you think, Perrault? "
Perrault agreed.They were moving quickly,and covering more ground every day. The snow was good and hard,and no new snow fell.The temperature dropped to 45degC below zero, and didn't change.
This time there was more ice on the Thirty Mile River, and they crossed in a day.Some days they ran a hundred kilometers,or even more. They reached Skagway in fourteen days; the fastest time ever. | high3861.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they never thought of helping her"
},
"options": [
"they pretended not to see her",
"she pretended to be poor",
"they never thought of helping her",
"they knew the author would help her"
],
"question": "People j... | Barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by. She never tried to speak. Many people passed, but never did one person stop.
The next day I decided to go back to the park, curious to see if the little girl would still be there. Right in the very spot as she was yesterday, she sat with the saddest look in her eyes.
Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl. As we all know, a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play alone.
As I began walking towards her, I could see the back of the little girl's dress indicated a deformity . I smiled to let her know it was okay, I was there to help, to talk. I sat down beside her and opened with a simple "Hello". I smiled and she shyly smiled back. We talked until darkness fell and the park was completely empty. I asked the girl why she was so sad. The little girl looked at me and with a sad face said, "Because I'm different."
I immediately said "That you are!" and smiled. The little girl acted even sadder. She said, "I know." She looked at me and smiled. Slowly she stood to her feet, and said, "Really?"
"Yes, dear, you're like a little guardian angel sent to watch over all those people walking by." She nodded her head "yes" and smiled, and with that she spread her wings and said with a twinkle in her eye, "I am. I'm your guardian angel."
I was speechless, sure I was seeing things. She said, "For once you thought of someone other than yourself, my job here is done."
Immediately I stood to my feet and said, "Wait, so why did no one stop to help an angel!?" She looked at me and smiled, "You're the only one who could see me, and you believe it in your heart." ...and she was gone.
And with that my life changed dramatically. So, when you think you're all you have, remember, your angel is always watching over you. Mine is! | high17943.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "describing a scene"
},
"options": [
"telling a story",
"giving an example",
"offering an explanation",
"describing a scene"
],
"question": "The method the writer uses to begin the passage is _ .",
"questi... | On August 5 at 10:31 p.m. PST, a rover named Curiosity touched down safely on the surface of Mars, and I was lucky enough to have a front-row seat.
My name is Clara, and when I was in Grade 6, I won the essay contest NASA held to name its next Mars rover. The essay I wrote was not even 250 words long, but somehow it was enough to change my life.
I still remember that cold December day, sitting in a science class. I'd finished a worksheet early and decided to get a Time for Kids magazine off Mrs. Estevez's bookshelf. It was the 2008 Invention Issue, but that wasn't the only thing that caught my eye. In the magazine, there was an article about a girl who named the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. The article also talked about the essay contest NASA was holding to name its next Mars rover. Before I even knew anything else about it, a single word flooded my 11-year-old mind: Curiosity.
I couldn't wait for the bell to ring so I could get started on my essay. That afternoon, I raced home from the bus stop, sat down at the computer and typed until my fingers ached. It turned out that I was just in time. A few days later, and the contest would have closed.
Five months later, shortly after I had turned 12, I was watching a National Geographic special on mammoths when the phone rang. My mom answered, and immediately, a wide smile spread across her face. When she told me that I had won, I was happier than I could ever remember being, I screamed and ran up and down the stairs and all around the house. I completely forgot about the mammoths and did not even remember to turn off the TV until it was really late.
Curiosity is such an important part of who I am. I have always been fascinated by the stars, the planets, the sky and the universe. I remember as a little girl, my grandfather and I would sit together in the backyard for hours. He'd tell me stories and point out the stars.
My grandfather lived in China, thousands of miles away from my home in Kansas. I loved the stars because they kept us together even when we were apart. They were always there, yet there was so much I didn't know about them. That's what I love so much about space. No matter how much we learn, it will always possess some mystery.
In the past, space exploration may have been a competition to see who got somewhere first or the fastest. But now, it is one of the few things that bring people together. Science is a language that needs no translation. It doesn't matter where you're from or what you look like - you just have to have a thirst for knowledge and a passion for learning in order to succeed.
People often ask me why we go to faraway places like Mars. Why do we explore? My answer to that is simple: because we can; because we're curious; because we as human beings do not just stay holed up in one place. We are constantly wondering and trying to find out what's over the hill and beyond the horizon.
The curiosity rover is more than just a robot. It is more than just a titanium body and aluminum wheels. Curiosity represents the hard work, passion, love and commitment of thousands of people from all over the world who were brought together by science. Science is so awesome. It is breathtaking and mind-blowing; and sometimes, it's just a little bit crazy. The discoveries we make about our world are incredibly humbling. They move us forward and have the potential to benefit all of mankind.
This December it will be four years of my life that have been tied to Curiosity in some way. I've met so many amazing people through this experience, from scientists to engineers to administrators to volunteers. Their devotion and enthusiasm inspire me greatly. My journey with Curiosity and the MSL mission team has shaped the person that I am today, as well as the person I would one day like to become.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to have this amazing adventure.
And to you, I hope your curiosity takes you far. | high3875.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It's not easy to produce and maintain large quantities of antimatter"
},
"options": [
"It is unrealistic to apply antimatter to medical care",
"antimatter weapon is threatening the safety of human beings",
"antimatter is not ... | The place is England. The year is 1928. One of the founding theorists of quantum mechanics , Paul Dirac, is scratching his head because solutions to his equations have _ unexpected results. For the solutions to make sense, he reasons, there must be a particle that has the mass of an electron but the opposite charge. At the time, such a thing was not known to exist.
Several years pass before American physicist Carl Anderson observes a "positive" electron, or positron that confirms Dirac's prediction.
Antimatter , as the name implies, can be described as the opposite of ordinary matter. Every particle in the universe has characteristics such as mass and charge. With antimatter, the mass remains constant, but the sign of the charge is reversed. All particles have an antimatter counterpart , even the chargeless neutron .
Unlike matter, antimatter is not common. Unless you're in the upper atmosphere, or inside a particle accelerator, you're not going to come across it. "Antimatter was not always so rare," Stephane Coutu, Penn State particle physicist says. There was a time when it was as prevalent as matter itself. "Right after the Big Bang ," Coutu explains, "we believe there must have been exactly the same amounts of matter and antimatter...and yet owing to some small asymmetry in the laws of particle interactions, all of the antimatter and most of the matter in the early universe was annihilated . We are left today with the resulting matter-dominated universe."
Science fiction is rife with tales of high-energy particle annihilation, and indeed, antimatter weapons have appeared in current bestselling novels. This is unrealistic, Coutu says. "[It] would be very impractical owing to very great difficulties in producing and maintaining significant amounts of antimatter."
Technology that uses the properties of antimatter is actually feasible outside of science fiction, however. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a medical technique that can be used to detect cancer, measure blood flow and detect coronary artery disease. While antimatter may never be used as a bomb, it certainly has a positive future in life-saving medical diagnostic tools, the anti-weapon. | high20137.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "By adding a new full day to the school calendar."
},
"options": [
"By cancelling a legal 1-day holiday.",
"By copying the way of San Francisco.",
"By adding a new full day to the school calendar.",
"By changing the lega... | Mayor Bill de Blasio designated the Lunar New Year an official public school holiday in New York City in June, 2015.
The move came after de Blasio in March, 2015 declared school holidays on the most-observed holiday in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. De Blasio, _ a promise made during his 2013 mayoral campaign, said students would also have a day off on the Lunar New Year, and not long ago the Asian holiday took place on February 8, 2016.
"About 15% of the city's school system is of Asian descent , and many student, have been taking the day off as a sick day" said State Senator Daniel Squadron. "It's a big deal," he said, whose district includes Manhattan's Chinatown. "Families have had to choose between their most important cultural celebration and missing a day of school."
The city's Department of Education had been working on the practical arrangements for adding another holiday while maintaining the legal 180 school days. The problem was solved by combining two half days that previously did not count towards the total to form a single full day that can be counted towards the total. After San Francisco, New York is the second major urban school district to add the Lunar New Year to the official school calendar.
"This holiday is not about kids just getting a day off from school," said Assemblyman Ron Kim. "It's about the City of New York telling hundreds of Asian-American societies that America is a cultural melting pot." Kim said recognizing the holiday is one way of pushing back against feelings of isolation and marginalization felt by the Asian-American community. | high14292.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "don't want to hurt the unfavored kids"
},
"options": [
"keep telling the same lie seriously",
"don't want to hurt the unfavored kids",
"show pity for the unfavored kids",
"don't tell the truth to the favored kids"
]... | There's sweetness in the lies parents tell their kids, which is a very good thing, since they tell a lot of them. The lies -- nearly all of them harmless -- may differ depending on the family. But from culture to culture, there's one tall tale nearly all parents tell, and they tell it repeatedly: "We do not have a favorite child."
Mom and Dad will say it seriously. They'll repeat it endlessly, and in many cases, they'll be lying through their teeth. It's one of the worst kept secrets of family life that all parents have a preferred son or daughter, and the rules for acknowledging it are the same everywhere: The favored kids recognize their status and keep quiet about it -- the better to preserve the good thing they've got going and to keep their siblings off their back. The unfavored kids howl about it like wounded cats. And on pain of death, the parents deny it all.
The stonewalling is understandable. Most parents want to spare unfavored kids the hurt that the truth could cause. Moreover, the court of public opinion can respond pitilessly -- even furiously -- to moms or dads who speak the forbidden truth. Last March, a mother of two wrote a post on the website Babble.com under the headline I THINK I LOVE MY SON JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE. The mom went on at length describing the greater warmth she feels for her baby boy compared with her baby girl and even included a photo of herself and her unfavored daughter.
She was, predictably, severely criticized. "Please work on your issues lady!" said one typical response. "I feel ly horrible for your daughter!" read another. But then there was this: "I completely understand. I too feel this way."
The hard truth is, most parents do. In one research, Catherine Conger, a professor at the University of California at Davis, studied a group of 384 sibling pairs and their parents and visited them three times over three years. She questioned them about their relationships and videotaped them as they worked through conflicts. Overall, she concluded that 65% of mothers and 70% of fathers exhibited a preference for one child, usually the older one. And the real numbers can be much bigger, since parents try especially hard to hide their preferences when a researcher is watching.
If the scientists don't see through the trick, however, kids usually do -- and act accordingly. From the moments they're born, brothers and sisters constantly compete for the precious resource of parental attention, each fighting to establish an identity that will best catch Mom's or Dad's eye. I'm the smartest one! I'm the funny one!
It's hard to predict the _ from favoritism. Being the favorite may improve self-esteem and confidence. But studies show it can also leave kids with a sense of arrogance and privilege. Unfavored children may grow up wondering if they're somehow unworthy of the love the parents gave generously to the golden child. But they may do better at forming relationships outside the family as a result of that. And there's no telling how the differential treatment will play out among the kids.
"My mom didn't like my older sister and did like me," says Roseann Henry, an editor and the married mother of two girls. "Everyone assumed I had it great, except that my sister tortured me pretty much all the time -- and really, what affects daily life more for a kid, the approval of a parent or the day-to-day torture of an older sister?" | high22720.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "liked doing school projects in the geography class"
},
"options": [
"was always ready with a kind word",
"often forgot what she had learned very easily",
"liked doing school projects in the geography class",
"was intere... | Lisa: My best teacher is my geography teacher in 10th grade. Why? Because we did school projects! Back then I wrote about India and never forgot what I had learned. He brought the culture to life by letting me become part of it. He also listened to us and was always ready with a kind word.
David: My best teacher is my high school social studies and history teacher, Thomas Ladenburg. He respected us, though we were just teenagers. His class was never boring because he often asked us to discuss in class. He used his own materials which made the class very interesting.
Henry: My best ever teacher is my biology teacher in high school. I really liked her class. She explained everything very clearly. She also checked our notebooks to make sure we had written down what she said. Now, many years later, I can still remember a large part of the things she taught!
Susan: The best teacher I have ever had is my 10th grade social studies teacher. She was always in a good mood and kept us laughing. She was really young, so she acted like us teenagers, which made learning fun. If we needed to talk to an adult about a problem, we would always come to her because we knew she could help us.
Tom: My favourite teacher is Mr. Yelle. He taught us math, science and music. He spoke to us "at eye level", and was very patient and kind. We did great projects for the science fairs. Forty years later, I still remember his lessons very well. By the way, though he was called Mr Yelle, he didn't yell . | high12185.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The author communicates with all the 35 friends by e--mails."
},
"options": [
"There are 35 people in the author's list of friends right now.",
"The author communicates with all the 35 friends by e--mails.",
"The list of 35 f... | Facebook means never having to say goodbye. The social media web site has earned a reputation for reconnecting old friends. Last week,a guy whom I hadn't seen since my bachelor party five years ago sent me a friend request. I accepted and waited for "Easy E" to send me a greeting of some kind. He had sought me out,after all.
I learned from his profile that he was in a relationship and had a son. However,I'm pretty sure we won't ever write wall--to--wall,let alone e--mail each other. But he'll remain a friend of online until one of us makes a point of removing the other from his official list.
My pool of friends consists of family members,college buddies,co--workers from past and present,and friends of friends. There are 35 in all. If I spent some time uploading old e--mail addresses,I'm confident that I could increase my friend count actually.
A person could make a mission out of reconnecting with childhood friends,former classmates,distant cousins, and those one would like to get to know better. And some people can even handle hundreds of on--screen relationships,keeping up with the daily happenings of their small army of companions. After all,there are worse fates than having too many friends.
Thanks to e--mail,the inability to schedule face--to--face meetings no longer means a friendship must come to a close. But even with e--mail,people will lose touch if one or both parties stop writing back. That's normal. People move from school to school,job to job,city to city. You never have to feel guilty for breaking away.
Every day,the masterminds of Web 2. 0 find new ways of making human communication easier. However,convenience Call be a crutch . Some things shouldn't be simplified. When it comes to friendship,there can be no shortcts. | high23358.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Town Twinning"
},
"options": [
"Town Twinning",
"Friendly Towns",
"Exchange Teachers and Students",
"Peace and Understanding"
],
"question": "Which is the best title for the passage?",
"question_type": null
... | In Europe, many people make friends across the borders between their countries through town twinning. Town or city twinning means two towns in different countries agree and decide to become "twins" with sister city relationship.
Their citizens find pen friends in the twin town. They exchange newspapers and stamps. The school teachers discuss teaching methods with the teachers in the twin town. Officials visit the twin town for celebrations. Ordinary citizens travel to the twin town, too, but not very often if it is far away.
Sometimes, schools even exchange their classes for two or three weeks! For example, German middle school students study for a while at the school in their twin town in Britain, staying with British families. A few months later, their British friends come to study in Germany.
Some towns even arrange exchange visits for theatre groups, choirs and orchestras ( ). Others send lecturers to the twin town who tell the people there all about their own town , and show photos and slides.
Town twining can help make friends and motivate people to learn from each other. It helps students to improve their language skills, and it contributes to strengthening peace and understanding between different nations. | high9380.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They are sure to watch the sunset in the evening."
},
"options": [
"They are sure to have trouble finding a suitable restaurant.",
"They are sure to watch the sunset in the evening.",
"They are sure to take your trains.",
... | Key West, Florida is a wonderful place to spend a vacation. It is a truly charming and fun city for the whole family. And of course you will get the good weather of Florida, with which you have plenty of time to enjoy the outdoor activities.
Key West is the most southern city in the continental USA. That is why their sunsets are so amazing. The sun is brighter there at sunset than anywhere else. It's so beautiful that everyone gathers every evening at Mallory Dock to watch it. And there you will see jugglers and musicians entertaining in the streets.
The houses surrounded by trees and flowers are lovely in Key West, and many are restored and absolutely charming. There are too many hotels, inns, guest houses and restaurants to talk about. They all look great and their prices change according to seasons, and you can find something to suit every pocketbook and every taste.
At the seaport you will see various boats. It's very interesting. The city is rich in history and was home to Ernest Hemingway. Harry Truman chose it for his winter White House. There are so many public transportation--taxis, tour trains, trolleys, bikes--and you can even walk if you choose. There are beautiful coral reefs. The deep reefs are farther off shore and are best visited with an experienced guide. However, there are shallow reefs close in where snorkelers can explore to their heart's content. At Key West Marine Park you can do some good snorkeling. In Key West you can go diving, fishing and do all sorts of water sports.
The problem with Key West is that no one ever wants to leave. Be sure to take your camera with you because you will want to snap everything you see. And whatever you do, be sure to take in the sunset because it is nothing like anything you have ever seen. | high248.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "With its long ears."
},
"options": [
"With its long tail.",
"With its long ears.",
"With its strong legs",
"With its long trunk."
],
"question": "How did the elephant drive the fly away?",
"question_type": "... | A student and his teacher were walking through the forest. The student was disturbed by the fact that his mind was in constant unrest . He asked his teacher, "Why most people's minds are restless, and only a few have a calm mind? What can one do to still the mind ?"
The teacher looked at him, smiled and said, "I will tell you a story. An elephant was standing and picking leaves from a tree. A small fly came, flying and buzzing near his ear. The elephant waved it away with his long ears. Then the fly came again, and the elephant waved it away _ ". This was repeated several times. Then the elephant asked the fly, "Why are you so restless and noisy? Why can't you stay for a while in one place?" The fly answered, "I am attracted to whatever I see, hear or smell. My five senses pull me constantly in all directions and I cannot resist them. What is your secret? How can you stay so calm and still?" The elephant stopped eating and said, "My five senses do not rule my attention. Whatever I do, I get immersed in it. Now that I am eating, I am completely immersed in eating. In this way I can enjoy my food and chew it better. I rule and control my attention, and not the other way around."
The student's eyes opened wide and smile rose on his face. "I understand! If my five senses are in control of my mind and attention, then my mind is in constant unrest. If I am in charge of my five senses and attention, then my mind becomes calm".
"Yes, that's right", answered the teacher, "The mind is restless and goes wherever the attention is. Control your attention, and you control your mind". | high10792.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the methods for preventing exotic species"
},
"options": [
"the methods for preventing exotic species",
"the effects of exotic invasion on Hawaii",
"the problems faced by the Hawaiian economy",
"the role of biologists i... | Hawaii is an important trading center and about six million tourists visit there every year. With all that traffic in and out, exotic species have plenty of opportunities to reach the islands. According to biologists, exotic species are the number one threat to the state' s economy, environment, and way of life.
The question in Hawaii is, can the invaders be stopped?
Quarantines are one way to do this. Quarantine is the process of isolating animals or products. In Hawaii, pet dogs and cats coming into the state remain in a special holding facility for four months to make sure they don' t have rabies( ) Many agricultural products are also quarantined to see if they are carrying insect pests or plant diseases.
Inspection is a second way to stop biological invaders. At airports, borders, and shipping ports, inspectors examine passengers and their baggage to see if they are carrying exotic species. The inspectors also destroy fruits, vegetables, or other goods that might be carrying harmful pests or diseases. Specially trained dogs also smell goods in the ship for exotic species.
What if an exotic species slips by inspectors? Then efforts are made to control the invader. In Hawaii,government agencies control invaders by setting livetraps around wildlife shelters and other places. At Haleakala National Park employees have built miles of fences to keep out exotic pigs and goats. For years these animals ate and walked over native rain forest plants, hut the fences have helped reverse( )this damage. Now native plants grow in places that were bare rock only a short time ago.
In some cases biological control helps to solve the exotic species problems. It is the science of controlling one invader with another. In the early 1900s, several exotic predators were imported to Hawaii to eat a harmful exotic pest called the sugarcane leafhopper. The insect was destroying 70,000 tons of sugar a year ,but the predators brought it under control.
The efforts of these scientists and other people are vitally important. In Hawaii alone,10,000 different species of native plants and animals still need to be protected. Many of these are found nowhere else on earth. By stopping the spread of the biological invaders, we not only protect ourselves, but we also protect the many other native species that make our planet such a special place to live. | high20889.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Water cycle."
},
"options": [
"Water cycle.",
"Water vapour.",
"How rain forms.",
"Water, vapour, rain."
],
"question": "What is the main idea of the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {... | Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists call this the water cycle.
There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapour in clouds condenses . Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers, lakes, and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day, however, you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle or pond in a mist above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth, and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapour in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist in the tropics than in the cold polar regions. | high7385.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a huge financial problem has arisen."
},
"options": [
"a huge financial problem has arisen.",
"many schools are mismanaged",
"lots of teachers are planning to quit",
"many administrative personnel have been laid off"
... | In communities north of prefix = st1 /Denver, residents are pitching in to help teachers and administrators as the Vrain school District tries to solve a $13.8 million budget shortage blamed on mismanagement . " We're worried about out teachers and principals, and we really don't want to lose them because of this," one parent said," If we can help ease their financial burden, we will."
Teachers are grateful, but know it may be years before the district is solvent . They feel really good about the parent support, but they realize it's impossible for them to solve this problem.
The 22,000-student district discovered the shortage last month. " It's extraordinary. Nobody would have imagined something happening like this at this level," said State Treasurer Mike Coffman.
Coffman and district officials last week agreed on a state emergency plan freeing up a $ 9.8 million loan that enabled the payroll to be met for 2,700 teachers and staff in time for the holidays. District officials also took $ 1.7 million from student -activity accounts of its 38 schools.
At Coffman's request, the District Attorney has begun investigating the district's finances. Coffman says he wants to know whether district officials hid the budget shortage until after the November election, when voters approved a $ 212 million bond issue for schools.
In Frederick, students' parents are buying classroom supplies and offering to pay for groceries and utilities to keep first-year teachers and principals in their jobs.
Some $ 36,000 has been raised in donations from Safeway. A Chevrolet dealership donated $ 10,000 and forgave the district's $ 10,750 bill for renting the driver educating cars. IBM contributed 4,500 packs of paper.
" We employ thousands of people in this community," said Mitch Carson, a hospital chief executive, who helped raise funds." We have children in the school, and we see how they could be affected."
At Creek High School, three students started a website that displays newspaper articles, district information and an email forum ." Rumors about what's happening to the district are moving at lighting speed," said a student, " We wanted to know the truth, and spread that around instead." | high23370.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "after 1918"
},
"options": [
"during the war",
"after civil war",
"after 1945",
"after 1918"
],
"question": "The general returned to Washington _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer... | Here is a story told about an American general who was a very important figure in the American army during the First World War. Everybody in the United States knew him and many people wished to have a picture or something of his in their homes.
Soon after the war the general returned to Washington. One day he went to a dentist and had six teeth pulled out. A week later the general heard that his teeth were being sold in curiosity shops as $ 5 each. On each of the teeth there was a label with the name of the general and words: "Buy these teeth and show them to your friends at home." The general got angry. He rushed to his office and ordered six officers to go around the city and buy all his teeth.
The officers went out and visited every curiosity shop in the capital. They were away from the office all day. In the evening they returned and put on the table in front of the general the teeth they had bought. They had collected 175 teeth. | high260.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "you can't enjoy the beautiful sights well"
},
"options": [
"you will break the traffic rules",
"you will cause much noise",
"you can't enjoy the beautiful sights well",
"you can't drive into some parks"
],
"ques... | The Gold Coast family holidays are always great fun whether you are from Australia or from abroad. There are beautiful beaches, adventure parks, nature parks and so much more.
There are so many sights to see here. It is a pity to drive in a car and you'll miss a great part of it. Australia is home to many animals and birds that can only be seen when moving slowly and going into the areas that they live.
When you are on a bicycle, you have the advantage of being able to stop whenever you want to see an interesting animal or bird that you have never seen before. It is a quieter mode of transportation as well, so you might even be able to take a picture. When you are on the beach, you can breathe that clean air and view the beauty of the water and sand. It is a totally different experience from either simply sunbathing or passing it in a car.
There are many choices of hiring a bicycle to experience the Gold Coast attractions. There are stores that will fit a bike perfectly to your size. These bikes for both adults and children are in many styles and colors to please any taste. If you have ever wanted to try a tandem bike , now is your chance, because they have those too.
A bicycle hire on Gold Coast is something that everyone should try at least once. This is a wonderful chance for anyone who likes to cycle and it is also a cheap way to travel with your family. | high4854.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To make his mother happy."
},
"options": [
"To thank his mother for buying him a bike.",
"To show his ability of making money.",
"To make his mother happy.",
"To surprise his mother."
],
"question": "Why did the... | One spring,when 1 was 1 0,during one of my father's layoffs,I could tell my mother was unhappy.I decided to cheer her up by buying her a special Mother's Day gift.
One day after school I rode my bike to the Agins,which,I learned years later,was known for its high-end fashions and style.I introduced myself to Sylvia Agins,telling her I was looking for a Mother's Day present.
"Do you think she'd like a purse ?"she asked."I think she might."I told her.
She took out an Italian purse made of leather.She asked me what I thought,and I told her that my mom would like it.
"How much money do you have?''she asked.
"Twelve dollars,"I said.
"You're in luck,"she told me."It's only $11.You have a dollar left over for the card." She wrapped the purse and thanked me for my business,and I rode off home with the package under my arm.
When my mother opened the gift the next Sunday morning,she asked in an accusing tone,"Where did you get this?"
"I bought it at the Agins.It cost me$1 1.''I said.
My mother was shocked into silence.
It wasn't until many years 1ater,when I learned that the purse was worth several hundred dollars,that I appreciated just how wonderful Sylvia Agins had been to me.I always felt regretful that I never had a chance to properly thank her.
''You know,my son,what really amazes me to this day,"my mother said.''Letting you have the purse for just a few dollars was unbelievable enough.But the fact that she let you leave the store with a dollar for the card was a touch of kindness that 9 11 never forget." | high5592.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "\"I'll treat myself to a movie for my progress.\""
},
"options": [
"\"Now I have more time for fun.\"",
"\"I can start my big project later.\"",
"\"I'll treat myself to a movie for my progress.\"",
"\"I'm going to have ... | Everyone procrastinates.We put things off because we don't want to do them, or because we have too many other things on our plates.Putting things off--big or small--is part of being human.
But procrastination does have consequences.When your procrastination leaves you feeling discouraged, it is time to take action, and one of the best ways to get rid of it is to make an un-schedule.
An un-schedule is a weekly calendar of all the ways in which your time is already accounted for.You consider not only your timed commitments such as classes and meetings, but also your untimed activities such as meals, exercise, time with friends, and the like.Once you have made your un-schedule, you may be able to see your time is often filled with more activities than you realize, for instance, that you really don't have five hours to spend writing on the night before your paper is due.Procrastinators' views of time tend to be unrealistic, and the un-schedule can help you outline a realistic plan.By planning accordingly, you will not only get a better night's sleep, you may also end up with a better paper.
The un-schedule might also be a good way to get started on a larger project, such as a term paper or an honors paper.You may think that you have "all semester" to get the writing done, but if you really map out how much time you have available to write on a daily and weekly basis, you will see that you need to get started sooner, rather than later.In addition, the un-schedule may reveal especially busy weeks or months, which will help you budget time for long-term projects.
Perhaps most importantly, the un-schedule can help you examine how you spend your time.You may be surprised at how much time you spend watching television, and decide to make a change.It's especially important that you build time for fun activities into your un-schedule.Otherwise, you will procrastinate in order to steal time for relaxation.
You can also use the un-schedule to record your progress towards your goal.Reward yourself for your small successes.Seeing what you've achieved will help reinforce the productive behavior, and you will feel more motivated in the following process.
As you explore ways to conquer procrastination, don't expect overnight transformation.You developed the habit over a long time; you aren't going to stop magically.But you can change the behavior, bit by bit.If you start to make an un-schedule now, you will eventually develop new habits. | high10962.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "an official written order"
},
"options": [
"an identification card",
"an official written order",
"a special license",
"an access card"
],
"question": "According to the passage, a \"warrant\" is _ .",
"que... | There are many rights to make sure that people will be treated fairly when they are suspected or accused of a crime. Sometimes these rights are called "due process of law". In using these rights, a person should have the help of a lawyer.
You have a right to protect against unreasonable searches and seizures. The police generally may not search you or your home, or take things you own, without a "warrant". A warrant is a paper which states, very exactly, the place to be searched and the things to be taken. Sometimes, however, the police will not need a warrant to search you or your property. If an officer sees you committing a crime, or if he has a good reason to believe you have committed a serious crime, he may arrest you and search you and the area right around you without a warrant.
If you invite a police without a warrant to come into your house and he finds proof of crime, the evidence may be used against you in court. If you do not want an officer to search you or your home and he does not have a warrant, tell him that you do not give him the right to search. However, if the officer will not listen, do not try to stop him. It is dangerous to resist and it may be illegal to do so. Any evidence which a policeman gets during an unlawful search and seizure cannot be used against you.
Police officers must act reasonably and fairly at all times. They should use physical force only when it is needed to arrest someone to enforce a law. They may not use physical violence to "teach someone a lesson". | high3685.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "An Ungrateful Man"
},
"options": [
"An Ungrateful Man",
"Soldier and King",
"A Brave Farmer",
"Farmer and Soldier"
],
"question": "What would be the best title for this story?",
"question_type": null
},
... | Among the soldiers of King Philip there was a poor man who had done some good deeds. He had pleased the king in many ways, and so the king believed in him.
One day this soldier was on a ship at sea when a great storm came up. The winds drove the ship upon the rocks, and it was broken. The soldier was thrown upon the shore ; and he would have died there if it had not been for the kind care of a farmer who lived nearby.
When the soldier was well enough to go home; he thanked the farmer for what he had done, and promised that he would repay him for his kindness.
But he did not mean to keep his promise . He did not tell King Philip about the farmer. He only said that there was a fine farm by the seashore, and that he would like very much to have it for his own.
"Who owns the farm now?" asked Philip.
"Only a useless farmer, who has never done anything for his country," said the soldier.
"Very well, then," said Philip "You have served me for a long time, and you shall have your wish. Go and take the farm for yourself."
And so the soldier drove the farmer from his house and home. He took the farm for his own.
The poor farmer was hurt seriously. He went ly to the king, and told the whole story from beginning to end. King Philip was very angry when he learned that. He sent for the soldier in a great hurry, and when he had come, he had these words burned in his forehead: "The Ungrateful Man". | high21201.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading"
},
"options": [
"teachers can improve conditions at school for the students",
"teachers can enable students to develop their own way of reading",
"teachers can... | So long as teachers fail to distinguish between teaching and learning, they will continue to undertake to do for children what only children can do for themselves. Teaching children to read is not passing reading on to them. It is certainly not endless hours spent in activities about reading. Douglas insists that "reading cannot be taught directly and schools should stop trying to do the impossible."
Teaching and learning are two entirely different processes. They differ in kind and function. The function of teaching is to create the conditions and the climate that will make it possible for children to devise the most efficient system for teaching themselves to read. Teaching is also a public activity. It can be seen and observed.
Learning to read involves all that each individual does to make sense of the world of printed language. Almost all of it is private, for learning is an occupation of the mind, and that process is not open to public scrutiny.
If teacher and learner roles are not interchangeable, what then can be done through teaching that will aid the child in the quest for knowledge? Smith has one principal rule for all teaching instructions. "Make learning to read easy, which means making reading a meaningful, enjoyable and frequent experience for children."
When the roles of teacher and learner are seen for what they are, and when both teachers and learners fulfill them appropriately, then much of the pressure and feeling of failure for both is eliminated. Learning to read is made easier when teachers create an environment where children are given the opportunity to solve the problem of leaning to read by reading | high18480.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Confusing but amusing."
},
"options": [
"Confusing but amusing.",
"Easy to understand.",
"Boring and annoying.",
"Accurate and helpful."
],
"question": "How does the writer find the English-language menus in man... | At home, ordering food from a menu is a normal, everyday routine. I don't even give it a second thought. In China, it's a whole other story! Here, ordering is a fun game of trial and error, and the adventure begins before the food is even served!
Many restaurants in central Beijing advertise "English language menus", but the translations can just add to the confusion. Although accompanying pictures can be a helpful relief, the translations often make the whole experience even more amusing. During my first few weeks in China I tried some delicious dishes with strange names. As an experiment, my friends and I would order things like "students addicted to chicken gristle " and "red burned lion head". It was always fun to see what landed on our table. Eventually we learned that "lion head" was actually pork, and "students" are "addicted" to diced chicken with green pepper.
Recently, I came across a busy restaurant down a narrow side street in a Beijing hutong. It was lunchtime and the small room was packed with people sitting on small stools eating noodles. I was hungry and cold, and the steaming bowls looked irresistible! I sat myself down and called out for a "caidan!" In response, the waitress pointed to a wall at the back of the restaurant. The wall was full of Chinese characters describing numerous dishes. There was only one sentence in English: "crossing over the bridge noodles".
I had never heard of the dish and had no idea what it would taste like. I took a gamble and ordered one bowl of "crossing over the bridge noodles". A few minutes later the waitress carried over a heavy bowl full of broth and I quickly dug in. It was the best bowl of noodles I had ever tasted! I have been back again and again and each time I point at the one English sentence - "crossing over the bridge noodles". I always enter a restaurant in China feeling excited and a little nervous. Who knows what the next ordering adventure will reveal? | high19946.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "In refrigerating freight cars and households."
},
"options": [
"In refrigerating freight cars and households.",
"In hotels, taverns and hospitals",
"In families of New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.",
"In fresh meat... | By the mid-nineteenth century, the term "icebox" had entered the American language, but ice was still only beginning to affect the diet of ordinary citizens in the United States. The ice trade grew with the growth of cities. Ice was used in hotels, taverns , and hospitals, and by some forward-looking city dealers in fresh meat, fresh fish, and butter. After the Civil War (1861-1865), as ice was used to refrigerate freight cars, it also came into household use. Even before 1880, half of the ice sold in New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, and one-third of that sold in Boston and Chicago, went to families for their own use. This had become possible because a new household convenience, the icebox, a precursor of the modern fridge, had been invented.
Making an efficient icebox as not as easy as we might now suppose. In the early nineteenth century, the knowledge of the physics of heat, which was essential to a science of refrigeration, was rudimentary . The commonsense notion that the best icebox was one that prevented the ice from melting was of course mistaken, for it was the melting of the ice that performed the cooling. Nevertheless, early efforts to economize ice included wrapping up the ice in blankets, which kept the ice from doing its job. Not until near the end of the nineteenth century did inventors achieve the delicate balance of insulation and circulation needed for an efficient icebox.
But as early as 1803, and ingenious Maryland farmer, Thomas Moore, had been on the right track. He owned a farm about twenty miles outside the city of Washington, for which the village of Georgetown was the market center. When he used an icebox of his own design to transport his butter to market, he found that customers would pass up the rapidly melting stuff in the tubs of his competitors to pay a premium price for his butter, still fresh and hard in neat, one-pound bricks. One advantage of his icebox, Moore explained, was that farmers would no longer have to travel to market at night in order to keep their produce cool. | high506.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "He has difficulty getting up early."
},
"options": [
"He has a full--time job outside.",
"He likes lying in bed all day.",
"He was once fired by a company.",
"He has difficulty getting up early."
],
"question": ... | Since I became a full--time freelancer , I've found one of the hardest things to do is to get up early. Without the danger of being fired, there just hasn't been a lot of motivation to get out of bed.
I've quickly learned that getting up is the key to success and better yet: waking up early is really just a habit.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you must have strong reasons to get out of bed. Motivation is the only thing keeping us from lying in bed all day.
Writing down all the big and important things you'll do the next day can give you an extra push in your goal to wake up early and quickly.
Don't read in bed. Spending as little time as possible in bed will actually help your body realize that the bed is for sleeping, and not for lying awake for hours. The goal of reading in bed is just to help you fall asleep within 10 minutes.
Stress is one of the main causes of poor sleep. Relax yourself before getting into bed. Try controlled breathing exercises or yoga to lower your stress level.
These are just a few ways you can use to wake up earlier. Finding the best way is the most important, and it requires a little work. The key thing is that waking up should be a pleasant experience. If you can make waking up something you are looking forward to, you're already halfway on your journey toward becoming an early riser. | high8908.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "32cm"
},
"options": [
"20cm",
"25cm",
"29cm",
"32cm"
],
"question": "According to the passage, the adjustable steel bar can help the students keep their eyes _ from books.",
"question_type": "cloze_quest... | A primary school in Wuhan has used new desks and chairs to prevent students from getting short sight. The desks and chairs make students have the correct posture, especially when reading and writing. Each desk has an adjustable steel bar. The bar can help students keep their eyes at least 30cm from books.
Zhang Jianming is headmaster of the primary school. She said the new desks and chairs were provided by an eye care centre in the city. The school carried out a survey last September. It showed that about 7 percent of its 1,093 students said they suffered from short sight.
The new desks and chairs have already improved the students' posture, but both teachers and students might need more time to get used to them.
Yang Lihua is head of the Wuhan Youth Eye Care Center. She said the desks and chairs were introduced to 19 schools on a trial basis. "During our research into short sight, we noticed that the number of students with short sight was increasing. This is because parents are teaching their children to read and write at a very early age without paying enough attention to their posture," she said.
Feng Junying is a doctor at Beijing Jingshan School. "I think the new desks and chairs in Wuhan will certainly be helpful," she said. "But bad reading habits at school are not the only reason for short sight. Children are using mobile phones and iPads when they are very young. This can be another reason for short sight at a young age." | high12813.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Listening practice after the proposal."
},
"options": [
"Getting ready for news listening.",
"Making suggestions while listening.",
"Doing follow-up activities after listening.",
"Listening practice after the proposal."... | TV is an excellent resource for hearing and listening to English. The pictures help you understand what is being said and TV news is an ideal way to help improve your listening ability because within a short period of time the same news is often repeated. This means that you can watch basically the same news program several times within a day and that every _ program will help you to understand what is being said.
These preparatory steps are very important before your listening:
* Find out which news report you want to listen to, when and on what channel. CCTV 9 is a good choice because this is China's English channel and has regular news reports.
* Just watch the news reports for a few days first, before requiring yourself to understand the stories. Give yourself time to get familiar with the newsreaders and their accents. You should also get an idea of the structure of the entire report as well as the structure of a typical news story.
* Watch the news in Chinese first. This will tell you what the main news items are and help prepare you for understanding news reports in English.
While listening, you should pay attention to a few things that you may try to do:
* You can aim at just getting what a story is about. Give a one-to -tow-sentence description after each story.
* Put forward a few questions to yourself about a story, and then seek to answer them from your listening. You can do this by stopping the tape as soon as the headline is read to you.
* Your may write a full transcript of a story to practice intensive listening. This may bring to notice listening problems that have skipped your attention when you only concentrate on the content.
Even though the listening part is over, some follow-up activities will help you reinforce your learning. You may talk about the news with one or more friends. This provides an opportunity to produce a summary or express your thoughts in a brief article. | high22708.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "\"Confucius Says\" Into Classes"
},
"options": [
"Difficult But Interesting",
"\"Confucius Says\" Into Classes",
"I Appreciate Lun Yu",
"The Analects of Confucius"
],
"question": "Which do you think is the best ... | CONFUCIUS would be happy if he lived in the modern world. He would see his works and philosophies still popular among teenagers even though they speak Internet slang , like PK, PLMM and GG.
In Changzhou No 2 Middle School, Jiangsu, all Senior 1 students now take a course in "Lun Yu" (The Analects of Confucius, <<>> ), once a week. The school aims to improve students' appreciation of the Confucian heritage as well as ancient Chinese civilization.
"Students' attendance in this course will _ 30 percent of their Chinese score on the final exam. This reward encourages their interest in the course, which is difficult but full of wisdom," said Cao Yongzhong, a Chinese teacher at the school.
It won't be easy for students to enjoy The Analects of Confucius in ancient Chinese as they have so many other subjects to learn and exams to prepare for.
Cheng Yun, 17, didn't like the "additional burden" at first, but now it turns out to be a course that she looks forward to.
"I thought it would take up my time for homework, but it doesn't. Confucius' sentences are short and concise . I even use some of his wise sayings in my compositions, which makes my writing more persuasive," Cheng said.
Despite the fact that all students are required to learn some chapters of the book when in junior school, they may be too young to understand the truths revealed by Confucius.
"Although I prefer the language we use nowadays to Confucius', 'The master said' in the book does help me shape my personality," said Zhang Junzhuo, 17.
Here are some of Confucius' sayings. See if you can figure out to which sentences they are in "The Analects of Confucious":
* Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.
* The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.
* The gentle man is open and at ease; the mean man is full of worries and anxieties.
* Don't do to others what you would not want done to yourself.
* The mechanic who wishes to do his work well must first sharpen his tools. | high6925.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "hundreds of people died in the flood"
},
"options": [
"hundreds of people died in the flood",
"the flood lasted for several days",
"heavy rains followed the flood",
"the flood hit the village at midnight"
],
"qu... | Casablanca, Sep. 24
A flood swept across the coastal plain about 100 miles southwest of here, killing hundreds of Moroccans in a market place yesterday morning.
Reports from the area said 218 bodies had been counted, and many of the people were missing.
The flood followed heavy rains, which filled the coastal plain and dry river beds and caused them to overflow. The flood, several feet high, hit the village of Khemis Nagua at midmorning yesterday as farmers from the surrounding area joined town people in an open market place. The roaring waters swept the villager's living places, the market sheds ,shoppers,cattle and farm tools for miles across the plain.
The flood was over almost as soon as it started, the reports said, as the water swept out to sea. Rescue workers quickly moved into the area from Safi, about 25 miles further south. | high512.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "are self evident"
},
"options": [
"are to be further studied",
"are yet to be proved",
"are self evident",
"are supported by scientific evidence"
],
"question": "It can be learnt from the passage that the health... | America is a country on the move. In unheard of numbers, people of all ages are exercising their way to better health. According to the latest figures, 59 percent of American adults exercise regularly-up 12 percent from just two years ago and more than double the figure of 25 years ago. Even non-exercisers believe they would be more attractive and confident if they were more active.
It is hard not to get the message. The virtues of physical fitness are shown on magazine covers, postage stamps, and television ads of everything from beauty soaps to travel books. Exercise as a part of daily life did not catch on until the late 1960s when research by military doctors began to show the health benefits of doing regular physical exercises. Growing publicity for races held in American cities helped fuel a strong interest in the ancient sport of running. Although running has _ in recent years as Americans have discovered equally rewarding--and sometimes safer-forms of exercise, such as walking and swimming, running remains the most popular form of exercise.
As the popularity of exercise continues to mount, so does scientific evidence of its health benefits. The key to fitness is exercising the major muscle groups vigorously enough to approximately double the heart rate and keep it doubled for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. Doing such physical exercises three times or more a week will produce considerable improvements in physical health in about three months. | high1086.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because he didn't have the internal combustion engine."
},
"options": [
"Because he was short of money.",
"Because he didn' t get support from the government.",
"Because he didn't have the internal combustion engine.",
... | The man who learned to fly
It is publicly accepted that it was the Wright brothers that invented the plane, but actually George Cayley knew how to make a plane a century before the Wright brothers took off. If only he'd got the internal combustion engine to work.
During the 18thand 19thcenturies, scientists and the public all believed that it was only impossible to fly using an artificial wing, but an act of silly deed to suggest that you could. This did not discourage the English gentleman scientist George Cayley, even though his contemporaries --- including his own son--- were embarrassed by his efforts.
In 1799, Cayley carved a silver disc with one side bearing a design for the world's first aeroplane and the other illustrating the earliest published description of the aerodynamic forces on the wing that enable a plane to fly. His three--part essay Aerial Navigation, published in 1809 and 1810, was greeted with skepticism by his contemporaries.
But Cayley "didn't give a rat's ass" about what they all thought, according to Richard Dyde of York University in Ontario, Canada, author of The Man Who Discovered Flight--- and with good reason. He had completed a series of experiments to back up his theories and "was convinced that everyone else was wrong". Cayley constructed increasingly excellent model flying machines, and finally invented a full-scale glider, which was flown in 1853 by his grandson, George.
This pioneering work would prove inspirational to Orville and Wilbur Wright, who made the first controlled and sustained heavier-than-air human flight 50 years later. Their success was dependent on the recent invention of the internal combustion engine--- a device which Cayley, having realized its great importance, had spent many fruitless years trying to develop. | high23402.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "still had a great interest in cycling"
},
"options": [
"lived an easy life",
"moved to a new house",
"still had a great interest in cycling",
"spent much time with her kid"
],
"question": "After Kristin Armstron... | For every woman who feels like she's had to scale back her personal ambitions since becoming a mother, gold medal cyclist Kristin Armstrong has a message: Don't give up on your dreams.
She retired after winning gold in Beijing to start a family; son Lucas arrived in 2010, but then she decided to compete again in the London Olympics. She won a gold medal at last.
The decision to start training again wasn't easy. "I struggled with that a lot," she told a newspaper. "At the beginning I felt selfish, I felt like, 'Well, I'm not supposed to be thinking of myself anymore. It's all supposed to be for my kid.'"
She faced physical challenges of getting back into competition shape after giving birth, as well. When she started racing in the spring of 2011, she was still breast-feeding; she would nurse her son, then race, then breast-feed again after the race. Her days revolved around Lucas and training.
"I feel like I'm able to do what I love to do and still manage a family and have that balance," Armstrong said. "That you have a family or a child doesn't mean that you have to stop going after what you dream of individually."
Armstrong makes balance look easy, whether it's on her bike or as an athlete-mom. But she points out that you can't have it all without making some sacrifices. For example, don't expect a neat home--her husband, Joe Savola, who she describes as her support system and her "protector", says he's had to give up on trying to keep everything orderly at home and just accept that their living room has become Lucas's playroom. For Armstrong, she's sacrificed time with friends who had kids around the same age--there just wasn't time.
Now, she says, "That sounds like fun to me." As she heads home to Boise, Idaho, she's ready to do regular mom stuff. | high12807.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He must have noticed the writer's new watch."
},
"options": [
"He wanted to embarrass the writer.",
"He was just fulfilling his duty by asking the passenger some usual questions.",
"He must have noticed the writer's new watch... | It was the small hours of the morning when we reached London Airport. I had rung London from Amsterdam, and there was a hired car to meet, but there was one more unfortunate happening before I reached my flat. In all my travels I have never, but for that once, been required by the British customs to open a single bag or to do more than state that I carried no goods liable to duty, or rather, to declare. It was, of course, my fault; the extreme tiredness and nervous tension of the journey had destroyed my normal state of mind. I was, for whichever reason, so tired that I could hardly stand, and to the question, "have you read this?" I replied with extreme foolishness, "Yes, hundreds of times."
"And you have nothing to declare?"
"Nothing."
"How long have you been out of this country?"
"About three months."
"And during that time you have acquired nothing?"
"Nothing but what is on the list I have given you."
He seemed momentarily at a loss, but then he attacked. The attack, when it came, was completely unexpected.
"Where did you get that watch?"
I could have kicked myself. Two days before, when playing water games with a friend in the bath, I had forgotten to take off my ROLEX OYSTER, and it had, not unnaturally, stopped. I had gone into the market and bought, for no more than ten pounds, an ugly time piece that made a strange noise. It had stopped twice, without any reason, during the journey.
I explained, but I had already lost face. I produced my own watch from a pocket, and added that I should be grateful if he would _ the replacement.
"It is not a question of confiscation; you will have it," he said, "there is a fine for failing to declare dutiable goods. And now may I please examine that Rolex?"
It took another quarter of an hour to persuade him that the Rolex was not contraband ; then he began to search my luggage. | high6931.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "An early winter morning."
},
"options": [
"An early winter morning.",
"A cold winter afternoon.",
"An early summer morning.",
"A windy summer afternoon."
],
"question": "At what time was the story set?",
"qu... | I was walking along the main street of a small seaside town in the north of England looking for somewhere to make a phone call. My car had broken down outside the town and I wanted to contact the AA Company. Low grey clouds were gathering across the sky and there was a cold damp wind blowing off the sea which nearly threw me off my feet every time I crossed one of the side streets. It had rained in the night and water was dripping from the bare trees that lined the street. I was glad that I was wearing a thick coat.
There was no sign of a call box, nor was there anyone at that early hour whom I could ask. I had thought I might find a shop open selling the Sunday papers or a milkman doing his rounds, but the town was completely dead. The only living thing I saw was a thin frightened cat outside a small restaurant.
Then suddenly I found what I was looking for. There was a small post office, and almost hidden from sight in a dark narrow street. Next to it was the town' s only public call box, which badly needed a coat of paint. I hurried forward, but stopped in astonishment when I saw through the dirty glass that there was a man inside. He was fat, and was wearing a cheap blue plastic raincoat. I could not see his face and he did not even raise his head at the sound of my footsteps.
Carefully, I remained standing a few feet away and lit a cigarette to wait for my turn. It was when I threw the dead match on the ground that I noticed something bright red _ from under the call box door. | high21215.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Finding sustainable living ways of using fewer resources."
},
"options": [
"How to search for a suitable trash can.",
"Challenging his students to follow his proposal.",
"Spending seven months sleeping in his office.",
... | Meet Jeff Wilson AKA Professor Dumpster , an environmental scientist and the Dean of Huston Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. The reason for his unusual nickname? He has decided to live in a dumpster for the next year. Yes, the kind that you might find filled with trash behind a restaurant.
Wilson says the inspiration to do something first hit him two years ago, when he was working on an article at a neighborhood coffee shop and caught sight of an eight-yard dumpster.
Now that he has found one, Professor Dumpster is putting his students to work. After all, the point of this project isn't just to spend his life living out of a garbage can: there is, a much greater purpose involved. As an environmental scientist, the professor constantly thinks about sustainable living and how every person should try to minimize his/her impact on our already stretched resources. That, is the challenge Wilson wanted his students to step up to, this entire year.
Using their math, science, engineering and technology skills, he wants them to retrofit his 33 square-foot dumpster into a modern space that includes a shower, a toilet, a kitchen and a bed and is fitted with conveniences like air-conditioning and even WiFi. The demand? It all has to be green and sustainable. www.ks5u.com
So why is Wilson planning to go through such hardship? That is because he wants to equip his students with the tools to survive in a world that is rapidly heading towards a population of 10 billion people. A large majority of the population adjust to living in tighter spaces in the world where resources and space should be limited to be used.
By promoting awareness and education on these subjects, Wilson is helping students everywhere see that living "small" and sustainably is certainly possible. And while the dumpster project may seem a little crazy to some, the professor thinks of it as a "playful and imaginative" educational experiment and conversation-starter to discuss the fact that all of us can do with less as we move into the future. | high18494.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He was well worth praising."
},
"options": [
"He was unusually quiet.",
"He was well worth praising.",
"He was cleverer than expected.",
"He was a talented football player."
],
"question": "What did Dr. Scott Le... | It's been just over a year since 9-year-old Zion Harvey received a double-hand transplant , and now, what he really wants to do is play football. "I feel happy about my new hands, and I don't feel different. I like that now I can throw a football further than when I didn't have hands," he said.
The nation's youngest hand-transplant patient has been working hard to learn how to use his new hands. He lost his hands and his feet 7 years ago after suffering a serious infection. In August, the boy showed off his new abilities by throwing out the first ball at a baseball game. Dr. Scott Levin, team leader of Zion's operation, said Zion coped with the operation better than many adults. "I've never seen Zion cry," Levin said. "He's just an amazing boy. He has such courage and determination and gives us all inspiration."
Zion said his courage came from the two most amazing people: his mom and his grandma. His mother, Pattie Ray, said, "It's been a long journey but now I feel I am living in my dream. It's his dream, and it's mine, too. I' m just living through him, and I'm just here to support him in any way and help him do whatever he wants to do."
However, Zion told reporters his mom wouldn't let him try out for football. His mom said it's too dangerous. She also pointed out that he might be playing against little kids, not professionals, and she told him they would discuss it later. Zion tried to counter her argument. "My next goal: convince Mom to let me play football," he said. | high19952.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They have to be independent and cooperative."
},
"options": [
"They have more arguments with classmates.",
"They have to be independent and cooperative.",
"They need to do more homework at home.",
"They have to prepare ... | LIKE many teachers, Cristi Derow and Jennifer Bradley have spent most of their careers giving classroom lectures to students who sat passively in their seats.
The Lewisvillle, Texas, school teachers were aware that the hours they spent on preparing lessons were too often wasted on many students. So Forestwood High School, Texas, used the "flipped classroom" method of instruction. "We've completely done away with our lecture," Derow said. And homework assignments "are all done in class," Bradley said.
With the flipped concept, a student's usual homework assignment is to watch pre-recorded lectures on their computers or smart phones.They walk into class ready to discuss the topic, collaborate with other students and work on assignments based on what they learned from the video. Free from lecturing, the teachers can use class time to look deeper into the subject and focus on difficult concept. As students change from a passive to an active role, they learn critical thinking skills, learn to collaborate and become independent learners.
Instead of doing homework assignments alone at home, students are now "working together, talking about it," Bradley said. "If they don't agree on an answer, they debate it and have to justify their answers. It's a higher level of learning."
Her students give the flipped classroom high marks.
Sarah Lee, 14, watches the 30-minute videos on a home computer. She likes the ability to rewind the tapes if she doesn't understand a concept. She also likes being able to watch the lessons on her own schedule.
One of her classmates, Dawson Depperschmidt has the same idea and thinks the time she spends in the classroom is more _ . "It gives us more time to learn at school," Dawson said. "You get more in-depth in class. | high4840.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "prefer Internet games to sports"
},
"options": [
"love sports more than anything else",
"prefer Internet games to sports",
"enjoy sleeping late in the morning",
"are too busy with study to do any sports"
],
"que... | When did you last go outside for sports? Some students might need a while to remember. But for students in Yangzhou University it is easy to remember as they need to run in the morning at least three times a week during their two terms. The university even uses fingerprint punch-in clocks to manage students' records. However, some students still try to skip morning running. To them, sports are just not important enough.
Now colleges are seeing a change in the student lifestyle from outdoor enthusiasts to indoor couch potatoes and Internet addicts. The Internet and various on-campus services, from food delivery to laundry, are leading to a student culture of staying in dormitories. A student can have every need met without leaving the dormitory.
In the past two years Zhang Yi, 20, a junior majoring in law at Yangzhou University, has never been outside for sports except during physical education class. "I don't think there is anything wrong with sleeping late in the morning and wanting to stay in the dormitory in my spare time. I have more fun doing things on my computer than playing on the sports ground in wet clothes." said Zhang.
"With social networking sites, online games and micro-blogging added to already tight schedules, sports are often the last thing to be considered." said Cheng Jie, 21, a senior majoring in civil engineering at the Southeast University in Nanjing.
But Jin Yinghua, a professor at Beijing Sports University, said that sports are not only for keeping fit, but also an irreplaceable "education" for students. Sports are not only a way for students to train their body, but also an important way to learn responsibility, teamwork and devotion. | high5586.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "is not sure whether the stories are true"
},
"options": [
"believes both of the stories",
"doesn't believe a word of the stories",
"is not sure whether the stories are true",
"is telling the stories just for fun"
],... | There are stories about two US Presidents,Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren,which attempt to explain the American English term OK. We don't know if either story is true,but they are both interesting.
The first explanation is based on the fact that President Jackson had very little education. In fact,he had difficulty reading and writing. When important papers came to Jackson,he tried to read them and then had his assistants explain what they said. If he approved of a paper, he would write "all correct" on it. The problem was that he didn't know how to spell. So what he really wrote was "ol korekt". After a while,he shortened that term to "OK".
The second explanation is based on the place where President Van Buren was born,Kinderhook,New York. Van Buren's friends organized a club to help him become president. They called the club the Old Kinderhook Club,and anyone who supported Van Buren was called "OK". | high4698.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "tell people about a new technique that finds the most earth-like planet moving round another star"
},
"options": [
"prove that scientists have a lot of difficulties in doing scientific research",
"explain why this planet moves arou... | A new planet-hunting technique has detected the most earth-like planet yet around a star other than our sun, raising hopes of finding a space rock that might support life, astronomers reported recently.
"This is an important discovery to answer the question 'Are we alone?'" said Michael Turner of the National Science Foundation.
"The team has discovered the most earth-like planet yet, and more importantly, has proved the power of a new technique that is sensitive to detecting planets that are fit for people to live on," Turner said in a statement.
In the last decade, astronomers have detected more than 160 planets moving around stars outside our solar system. Most of these have been gas giant planets like Jupiter, which are unfit for life.
But an international team has detected a cold planet about 5.5 times more massive than the earth -- still small enough to be considered earth-like -- moving around a star about 20,000 light years away, close to the center of the Milky Way.
To find this new planet, the team used a technique called gravitational microlensing . When a planet is circling the closest star, the planet's gravity can add its own signature to the light. This kind of light signature was observed on July 11 by a group of telescopes in a project known as OGLE, short for Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment.
"The main advantage of microlensing is the signals for low-mass planets: They're not weak signals. They're just rare," Bennett of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana said by telephone. "If there happens to be a straight line between a foreground star with its planet and the background source star, then you're able to detect that planet." | high10976.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "who was not willing to meet his nephew"
},
"options": [
"who was very much loved by his nephews",
"whose nephew went to visit him at the hotel",
"whose nephew is always asking him for help",
"who was not willing to meet... | A car drew up outside the Swan Hotel and a young man got out.Pausing only for a moment to see that he had come to the right place,he went into the hotel and rang the bell on the counter of the bar.
Mrs.Crump,the landlady,who was busy in the kitchen at the time,hurried out,wiping her hands.The young man raised his hat.
"Excuse me,"he said."I'm looking for my uncle,Mr.White.I believe he is staying here."
"He was staying here."Mrs.Crump corrected him."But I'm afraid that he went back to
London yesterday."
"Oh,dear,"said the young man,looking disappointed."I understood that he was going to stay here until the end of the month.At least that is what his servant told me when I rang up his house."
"Quite right,"said Mrs,Cramp."He planned to stay here the whole of July,as he always does. But yesterday he got a telegram to say that his was ill.So he caught the train back to London immediately."
"I wish he had let me know, "The young man said."I wrote him a letter saying that I was coming.I've had all this trouble for nothing.Well,since he isn't here,there's no point in waiting."
He thanked Mrs.Grump and went out.Mrs.Grump went to the window and watched him
drive off.When his car was out of sight,she called out:"You can come out now, Mr.White. He's gone."
Mr.White came out of the kitchen,where he had been waiting.
"Many thanks,Mrs.Grump,"he said,laughing,"you did that very well.These nephews of mine never gave me any peace.That young man is the worst of them all.As you see,when he
needs money, he even follows me into the country.Well,perhaps next time he won't warn me by
writing a letter!" | high21573.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "can be called science fiction because it places people in an environment different from the one we know"
},
"options": [
"cannot be called science fiction because it does not deal with the future",
"cannot be called science fiction... | Many people seem to think that science fiction is typified by the Bug-eyed Monster, embodying every feature that most people find unpleasant. This is unfortunate because it degrades a worthwhile literary endeavor. Instead, the basic interest of science fiction lies in the relation between man and his technology and between man and the universe. Science fiction is a literature of change and a literature of the future, and the aspects of human life that it considers make it well worth reading and studying for no other literary form does quite the same things. What is science fiction? To begin, the following definition should be helpful: science fiction is a literary subgenre which postulates(...) a change (for human beings) from conditions as we know them and follows the implications of these changes to a conclusion.
The first point that science fiction is a literary subgenre is a very important one, but one which is often overlooked. Specifically, science fiction is either a short story or a novel. There are only a few dramas which could be called science fiction; the body of poetry that might be labeled science fiction is only slightly larger. To say that science fiction is a subgenre of prose fiction is to say that it has all the basic characteristics and serves the same basic functions in much the same way as prose fiction in general, that is, it shares a great deal with all other novels and short stories.
Everything that can be said about prose fiction, in general, applies to science fiction. Every piece of science fiction, whether short story or novel, must have a narrator, a story, a plot, characters, setting, and language. The themes of science fiction are concerned with interpreting man's nature and experience around him. Themes in science fiction are constructed and presented in exactly the same ways that themes are dealt with in any other kind of fiction. They are the result to a particular combination of a narrator, story, plot, character, setting, and language. In short, the reasons for reading and enjoying science fiction, and the ways of studying and analyzing it, are basically the same as they would be for any other story or novel. | high1938.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a program for children"
},
"options": [
"a street in the US",
"a program for children",
"a program for teachers",
"a program for students"
],
"question": "\"Sesame Street\" is actually _ .",
"question_typ... | "Sesame Street" has been called "the longest street in the world". That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American's exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969.
In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation's pre-school children, from every kind of economic , racial , and geographical group.
Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from "Sesame Street" are in the same class with children who have not watched the program.
Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional viewers. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly.
The programs all use songs, stories, jokes, and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters.
Why has "Sesame Street" been so much more successful than other children's shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories of its creators, the support by the government and private businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more. | high7391.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "When its winds reach 75 miles per hour."
},
"options": [
"When it begins in the Atlantic and Caribbean seas.",
"When it hits the coastline.",
"When it is more than 75 miles wide.",
"When its winds reach 75 miles per hou... | In the second half of each year, many powerful storms are born in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean seas. Of these, only about half a dozen becomes the strong, circling winds of 75 miles per hour or more that are called hurricanes, and several usually make their way to the coast. There they cause millions of dollars of damage, and bring death to large numbers of people.
The great storms that hit the coast start as soft circling wind hundreds -- even thousands -- of miles out to sea. As they travel aimlessly over water warmed by the summer sun, they are carried westward by the southeast winds. When conditions are just right, warm, moist air flows in at the bottom of such a wind, moves upward through it and comes out at the top. In the process , the moisture in this warm air produces rain, and with it the heat is changed to energy in the form of strong winds. As the heat increases, the young hurricane begins to move in a counter-clockwise motion .
The life of a hurricane is only about nine days, but it contains almost more power than we can imagine. The energy in the heat released by a hurricane's rainfall in a single day would satisfy the entire electrical needs of the United States for more than six months. Water, not wind, is the main source of death and destruction in a hurricane. A typical hurricane brings 6 to 12 inch downpours, causing sudden floods. Worst of all is the powerful movement of the sea -- the mountains of water moving toward the hurricane center. The water level rises as much as 15 feet above normal as it moves toward shore. | high274.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "we have inherited from our ancestors who were dependent on nature"
},
"options": [
"it can help us feel relaxed",
"we have inherited from our ancestors who were dependent on nature",
"people have lived with nature for tho... | Do your spirits soar on a sunny day? Do you relax at the sound of flowing water?
Some scientists suggest that these contacts with nature are good for your health. In one study, hospital patients with a view of trees had shorter hospital stays and less need for pain medications. Another study indicated that prisoners with a view of the outdoors had fewer doctor visits.
"Why do we desire nature? Maybe we're programmed to need it, since our ancestors' survival was so dependent on their connection with nature," suggests biologist E.O. Wilson.
Want to find out if contact with nature improves your outlook on life? Try a few of these ideas.
Hang out a bird feeder and watch the birds that visit it.
Sit down in the backyard or a nearby park. Close your eyes. What do you hear? Birds singing? The wind in the trees? Crickets chirping?
Find an anthill. Sit down and watch the ants work.
Take a walk right after a rainstorm. What looks different? Smells different?
Go barefoot on a sandy beach.
Open the curtains and the window, if the weather allows it.
On a windy day, watch the trees.
Go to a creek, river or park fountain. Listen to the sound of water in motion.
Camp out in the backyard or at a nearby state park. Use a tent or sleep on the ground.
Find a wide-open space to study the stars. Learn about the different constellations .
Raise a garden. Or plant some seeds in a flowerpot.
Go hiking with your family. Talk about all of the colors you see in nature.
Take a camera and capture your nature experience. | high9357.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "make a phone call"
},
"options": [
"spend fewer shipping costs",
"make a phone call",
"require a new one",
"write a letter of complaint"
],
"question": "If you don't receive a repaired radio in six weeks, you ca... | Shower Radio -- Warranty and Directions
Introduction
Before using the radio, please read all directions, and put warranty information in a safe place. You may need to refer to the warranty information later.
Warranty
The radio is warranted for one year. If it fails to work because of problems of materials, please return it to the address on the warranty card.
We will not pay shipping costs for returning the radio. We will either repair or replace the radio. At least four weeks is needed to examine the problem and repair the radio. If you have not heard from us within six weeks, call our customer service department at 1-800-123-4567.
Radios that are returned not for problems of materials will pay service fee and the cost of the repairs. Customers will be informed of the charge by postcard. Radios will not be returned until these fees are paid.
Directions
The radio is designed and built to operate well in a damp environment.
To Operate the Radio
1. Put two AA batteries following the introduction.
2. Turn the POWER dial in a clockwise direction until it clicks.
3. Press the station selector button for your desired station. The station's call number will be visible on the digital screen.
4. To switch between AM or FM stations, move the AM/FM switch.
To Operate the Timer
1. Each time the Timer Set button is pressed, five minutes will be put on the timer. The amount of time on the timer will be visible for five seconds on the digital screen.
2. When the timer doesn't work, a sound will be given off. The timer may be reset again after one minute.
Troubleshooting
Before returning the radio for service, please check the following items:
Problem: Radio cannot be heard.
1. Check batteries. 2. Check Power/Volume Control.
Problem: Timer does not work.
1. Check batteries 2. Follow directions for setting timer.
3. Turn the power control on. 4. Adjust the volume control. | high14523.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "TVs and electric blankets."
},
"options": [
"Ceiling fans and waterbeds.",
"Wireless routers and radios.",
"Hair dryers and candles.",
"TVs and electric blankets."
],
"question": "Which of the following items ar... | University Room Regulations
Approved and Prohibited Items
The following items are approved for use in residential rooms: electric blankets, hair dryers, personal computers, radios, televisions and DVD players. Items that are not allowed in student rooms include: candles, ceiling fans, fireworks, waterbeds, sun lamps and wireless routers. Please note that any prohibited items will be taken away by the Office of Residence Life.
Access to Residential Rooms
Students are provided with a combination for their room door locks upon check-in. Do not share your room door lock combination with anyone. The Office of Residence Life may change the door lock combination at any time at the expense of the resident if it is found that the student has shared the combination with others. The fee is $25 to change a room combination.
Cooking Policy
Students living in buildings that have kitchens are only permitted to cook in the kitchen. Students must clean up after cooking. This is not the responsibility of housekeeping staff. Kitchens that are not kept clean may be closed for use. With the exception of using a small microwave oven to heat food, students are not permitted to cook in their rooms.
Pet Policy
No pets except fish are permitted in student rooms. Students who are found with pets, whether visiting or owned by the student, are subject to an initial fine of $100 and a continuing fine of $50 a day per pet. Students receive written notice when the fine goes into effect. If, one week from the date of written notice, the pet is not removed, the student is referred to the Student Court.
Quiet Hours
Residential buildings must maintain an atmosphere that supports the academic mission of the University. Minimum quiet hours in all campus residences are 11:00 pm to 8:00 am Sunday through Thursday. Quiet hours on Friday and Saturday nights are 1:00 am to 8:00 am. Students who violate quiet hours are subject to a fine of $25. | high12152.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "hairs grow the fastest"
},
"options": [
"hairs grow the fastest",
"hairs grow at a different rate",
"hair growth comes to a stop",
"85 percent of hairs are growing"
],
"question": "Anagen is the period when _ ... | Hair has always been an important sign of beauty. This is especially true for women. Next to the face, hair is one of the main qualities people look for when they consider a woman's beauty. Whether long or short, curly or straight, hair often gets a lot of attention.
Each hair on a person's head grows from a single tube-like hole in the skin called a follicle. People are born with all of the hair follicles they are ever going to have. The average person has about one hundred thousand hair follicles. _ begin to form around the third month of pregnancy.
Each hair grows independently of other hairs. There are three periods of hair growth. Not all hairs experience the same period of growth at the same time. The period of active growth is called Anagen. During this period, hair grows at a rate of about three tenths millimeters a day, or one centimeter a month. About 85 percent of hair follicles are going through this process at any given time. This period can last from two to six years.
The Catagen period of hair growth comes next. It is then that hair growth begins to slow down. This period usually lasts two or three weeks. Finally, hair growth comes to a complete stop and the hairs begin to fall out. This period is known as Telogen. It affects about 15 percent of all hairs at a time.
On average, a person loses between 50 and 100 hairs every day. Since each hair grows at a different rate, this process is overlooked. Once the Telogen period has ended, the hair growth process begins again. | high8049.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "rains usually come without thunder and lightning."
},
"options": [
"rains usually come without thunder and lightning.",
"it is usually dry in April",
"children pay no attention to the two natural wonders.",
"parents are... | Although April did not bring us the rains we all hoped for, and although the Central Valley doesn't generally experience the sound and lightning that can go with those rains, it's still important for parents to be able to answer the youthful questions about thunder and lightning.
The reason these two wonders of nature are so difficult for many adults to explain to children is that they are not very well understood by adults themselves. For example, did you know that the lightning we see flashing down to the earth from a cloud is actually flashing up to a cloud from the earth? Our eyes trick us into thinking we see a downward motion when it's actually the other way around. But then, if we believed only what we think and we see, we'd still insist that the sun rises in the morning and sets at night.
Most lightning flashes take place inside a cloud, and only a few can be seen jumping between two clouds or between earth and a cloud. But, with about 2,000 thunderstorms taking place above the earth every minute of the day and night, there's enough _ to produce about 100 lightning strikes on earth every second.
Parents can use thunder and lightning to help their children learn more about the world around them. When children understand that the light of the lightning flashing reaches their eyes almost at the same moment, but the sound of the thunder takes about 5 seconds to travel just one mile, they can begin to time the interval between the flash and the crash to learn how close they were to the actual spark . | high21598.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Some harmful materials have been added to our food."
},
"options": [
"Diseases caused by food have been done away with.",
"It has caused a lack of information about the value of food.",
"Some harmful materials have been added... | The food we eat seems to have great effects on our health. Although science has made great steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of all human illnesses are related to diet and forty percent of cancer is related to diet as well. Different cultures are subject to certain illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures. That food is related to illness is not a new discovery.
In 1945, government researchers realized that nitrates and nitrites , commonly used to keep color in meats, and other food additives, caused cancer. Yet, these additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of processed food are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to cows and chick and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cows.
Sometimes similar drugs are given to animals not for medicinal purposes, but for financial reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to get a higher price on the market. Although the FDA has tried repeatedly to control these, the practices continue. | high16334.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it was lit on the top of MountQomolangmafor the first time"
},
"options": [
"some Tibetan torchbearers took part in it",
"it was lit three months before the Olympic Games were held",
"it was lit on the top of MountQomolangmaf... | On May 8, last Thursday morning, the Olympic flame was lit on the top of prefix = st1 /MountQomolangma! It was a historic moment forChinaexactly three months ahead of the Beijing Games.
Tibetan female climber Cering Wangmo reached the summit with a special extreme-altitude Olympic torch. This event is what Chinahas promised to the world as thehigh pointof the torch relay, the longest and most challenging of all time.
Five torchbearers finished the highest relay ever--three of the climbers are Tibetan athletes.
Team members said "Beijingwelcomes you!" in Chinese, English and Tibetan, as they stood at the summit celebrating, with the event broadcast on national television.
"I finally fulfilled the last dream of my husband," said Gyigyi with tears in her eyes. She was the first torchbearer. Her husband lost his life in an attempt to climb all 14 mountains in Chinamore than 8,000 meters three years ago.
"We are on top of the world! One world, one dream," shouted Nima Cering, at the top of his voice. He said that although he had climbed the peak several times, this was the most significant ascent . "As a Tibetan and a Chinese I pray for the success of Beijing 2008," he added.
The special torch is different form the one currently touring the Chinese mainland, after an around-the-world relay. Officials organizing the trek up the peak had earlier set an April 26 target to begin the ascent, but high winds and heavy snow had delayed the mission.
The Xinhua News Agency said that the Qomolangma _ of the torch relay represents the Olympic motto, "higher, faster and stronger," in practice and will promote unity among all 56 ethnic groups inChina. | high19007.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It made her sad and depressed at first."
},
"options": [
"It was caused by a traffic accident.",
"It made her sad and depressed at first.",
"It seriously affected her singing career.",
"It happened when she was a colleg... | Wesla Whitfield, a famous jazz singer, has a unique style and life story, so I decided to see one of her performances and interview her for my column.
I went to a nightclub in New York and watched the stage lights go up. After the band played an introduction, Wesla Whitfield wheeled herself onstage in a wheelchair. As she sang, Whitfield's voice was so powerful and soulful that everyone in the room forgot the wheelchair was even there.
At 57, Whitfield is small and pretty, witty and humble, persistent and philosophical. Raised in California, Whitfield began performing in public at age 18, when she took a job as a singing waitress at a pizza parlour . After studying classical music in college, she moved to San Francisco and went on to sing with the San Francisco Opera Chorus.
Walking home from rehearsal at age 29, she was caught in the midst of a random shooting that left her paralyzed from the waist down. I asked how she dealt with the realization that she'd never walk again, and she confessed that initially she didn't want to face it. After a year of depression she tried to kill herself. She was then admitted to a hospital for treatment, where she was able to recover.
Whitfield said she came to understand that the only thing she had lost in this misfortunate event was the ability to walk. She still possessed her most valuable asset--her mind. Pointing to her head, she said, "Everything important is in here. The only real disability in life is losing your mind." When I asked if she was angry about what she had lost, she admitted to being frustrated occasionally, "especially when everybody's dancing, because I love to dance. But when that happens I just remove myself so I can focus instead on what I can do." | high18319.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A, B and C"
},
"options": [
"too long",
"new",
"for the young man",
"A, B and C"
],
"question": "The trousers were _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3... | A young man once went to town and bought himself a pair of trousers. When he got home, he went to his room and put them on. He found that they were about two inches too long. He went into the kitchen, and his mother and two sisters were doing some washing there. He said to them, "The new trousers are too long. They need cutting by two inches. Would one of you mind doing this for me?" His mother and sisters were busy and none of them said anything.
But as soon as his mother had finished washing up, she went to her son's room silently and cut the trousers by two inches. She came back without saying anything to her daughters. After supper, the elder sister remembered her brother's trousers. She went to his room and cut the trousers by two inches without saying anything to anyone. The younger sister went to the cinema. But when she came back, she also remembered her brother's trousers. So she went to his room and cut them by two inches, too. | high2564.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "That all depends."
},
"options": [
"That all depends.",
"He should be blamed.",
"It causes them to smoke.",
"The butts can be reused."
],
"question": "What may people think seeing a person throw a cigarette to t... | If you see a person carelessly throw a cigarette to the ground, what are you likely to think?
If you hate people throwing things on the ground, you might think, "That person shouldn't litter." If you are a smoker, you might think, "I would sure like a cigarette right now."
Most likely, though, you are not thinking, "That unused cigarette butt could be used to make something amazing!"
That is, unless you are a creative scientist. If you are, you may see potential--a possibility--where others simply see trash . That is just what has happened in South Korea.
The spirit of invention can hit at the strangest times and in the most unusual places. In South Korea, it happened near a trash can.
Kin Gil-Pyo is with the Seoul National University. He says he saw people throwing away cigarette butts, which got him thinking. He began wondering if something useful could be made from them.
He and other researchers found a way to convert cigarette butts into materials required for high-performance batteries.
Kim Gil-Pyo says they looked closely at used cigarette filters , the parts of cigarettes smokers put into their mouths. Filters are made of a material called "cellulose acetate ."
Mr. Kim explains that cellulose acetate can be made into another material: carbon. The pieces of cellulose acetate, known as fibers, are changed through a one-step burning process. After this, they are turned into an energy storage material.
But why use carbon? Carbon has many qualities that seem to make it the perfect material. Carbon has a high surface area. It conducts electricity well. It also stays stable, unlikely to change, for a long time. And carbon does not cost a lot. All these qualities make it the most popular material for making super-capacitors .
Super-capacitors are good at storing energy. They have high-power mass, or density . They require only a short time for recharging. And they have a long lifecycle. Super-capacitors are used in products such as laptop computers and cell phones. They are also used in industrial energy converters, like wind turbine machines.
Combining carbon and super-capacitors seems like a perfect marriage.
Kim Gil-Pyo tells the Reuters News Agency that cigarette butts could affect the economy is a huge way. They could prove to be a low-cost source of carbon material. They are so cheap that smokers throw them to the ground. And you don't get much cheaper than that. | high10023.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "give first aid to drowning people"
},
"options": [
"save drowning people out of water",
"give first aid to drowning people",
"do mouth-to-mouth breathing",
"bring a drowning child back to life"
],
"question": "T... | If you see someone drowning, speed is very important. Once you get him out of water, if he isn't breathing, you have four minutes before his brain is completely destroyed. Support his neck, tilt his head back and press his chin upwards. This stops the tongue blocking the airway in the throat and is sometimes enough to get him breathing again.
If that doesn't work, start mouth-to-mouth breathing. Press his nostrils together with your fingers. Open your mouth and take a deep breath. Blow into his lungs until his chest rises, then remove your mouth and watch his chest fall. Repeat twelve times a minute. Keep doing until help arrives.
To bring a child back to life, keep your lips around his mouth and nose and gently blow into his mouth. Give the first four breaths as quickly as possible to fill the blood with oxygen. If, in spite of your efforts, he starts turning a blue-gray color1, and you can feel no pulse,then pressing is the last chance of saving his life.
With arms straight, rock forwards, pressing down on the lower half of the breastbone. Don't be too hard or you may break a rib. Check how effective you are by watching if his color1 improves or his pulse becomes independent to your chest pressing. If this happens, stop the pressing. Otherwise continue until help arrives. | high17994.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "5,100,000"
},
"options": [
"6,900,000",
"12,000,000",
"1,200,000",
"5,100,000"
],
"question": "Since 1990, the number of the children who died before 5 in the world has dropped by about _ .",
"question_typ... | In recent years, the world has made progress in reducing deaths among children under the age of five. A new report says an estimated 6.9 million children worldwide died before their fifth birthday. That compares to about twelve million in1990.
The report says child _ rates have fallen in all areas. It says the number of deaths is down by at least 50 percent in eastern, western and southeastern Asia. The number also fell in North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Ties Boerma is head of the WHO's Department of Health Statistics and Informatics. He says most child deaths happen in just a few areas.
TIES BOERMA: "Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia face the greatest challenges in child survival. More than eighty percent of child deaths in the world occur in these two regions. About half of child deaths occur in just five countries--India, which actually takes twenty-four percent of the global total; Nigeria, eleven percent; the Democratic Republic of Congo, seven percent; Pakistan, five percent and China, four percent of under-five deaths in the world."
Ties Boerma notes that, in developed countries, one child in one hundred fifty-two dies before his or her fifth birthday. But south of the Sahara Desert, one out of nine children dies before the age of five. In Asia, the mortality rate is one in sixteen.
The report lists the top five causes of death among children under five worldwide. They are pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and problems both before and during birth.
Tessa Wardlaw is with the U-N Children's Fund. She is pleased with the progress being made in Sub-Saharan Africa. The area has the highest under-five mortality rate in the world. But she says the rate of decline in child deaths has more than doubled in Africa.
TESSA WARDLAW: "We welcome the widespread progress in child survival, but we importantly want to stress that there's a lot of work that remains to be done. There's unfinished business and the fact is that today on average, around nineteen thousand children are still dying every day from largely preventable causes."
The World Health Organization says one way to solve these problems is to make sure health care services are available to women. In this way, medical problems can be avoided or treated when identified. | high4115.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "insurance company"
},
"options": [
"welfare organization",
"nursing house",
"local affairs office",
"insurance company"
],
"question": "We can learn from the passage that Mr.Tan works in a/an _ .",
"quest... | Dear Mr.Watson,
CLAIM AL54323432--STORM DAMAGE TO ROOF
I received a cheque for $623 dated 26 January in payment of my recent claim .However, I wish to tell you how upset I have been by the way your Claims Assessor, Mr.Michael Tan, handled this claim.
When Mr.Tan first called me, he specifically told me that he believed I had been overcharged, and he would expect to pay that price for work on a double garage, rather than a single garage like mine.Mr.Tan suggested that I neither use nor recommend _ again.He continued to tell me it was unlikely for me to receive full payment.Never during this conversation did he mention that the reason for not receiving full payment was because of the nature of my insurance policy.
Consequently, I wrote to Mr.Lance Ashe to complain about his pricing, stating that I was very upset thinking that he could have taken advantage by overcharging a 73-year-old woman.Mr.Ashe telephoned me immediately and explained his charges in detail.He later reported back to me that Mr.Tan explained that I would not receive full payment because of the type of policy I hold, which does not cover wear and tear.This was the first time this issue had been brought to my attention, so you can imagine my surprise.
When I received Mr.Tan's letter of 2 February, this situation was explained.If this had been explained in the first place I would have accepted it and would not have questioned Mr.Ashe's charges.Instead, by telling me initially that I had been overcharged for this work, he caused a great deal of upset, not only for me but also for Mr.Ashe.
I believed this claim was handled badly by Mr.Tan from the beginning.Therefore, a great deal of embarrassment has been caused over this issue.
I felt you should know how disappointed and upset I am.I trust you will look into this and ensure that such claims are handled more appropriately in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs.Richard | high12634.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "www. ceilidhculrure.co.uk"
},
"options": [
"www. ceilidhculrure.co.uk",
"www.cockburnassociation.org.uk",
"www.edinburghschristmas.com",
"www. beltane.org"
],
"question": "If you want to find out more about the ... | Cultural events that take place in Edinburgh during August draw most people's attention, but plenty of other festivals can also entertain you throughout the rest of the year.
Ceilidh Culture Festival
Where: various places
When: Date late Mar/early Apr
Tel & website: 228 1155, www.ceilidhculrure.co.uk
Backed by the local authorities, this is a community-focused celebration of traditional Scottish music, dance, song and storytelling. City-wide over a period of nearly four weeks, prices are different for different events.
Beltane Fire Festival
Where: Calton Hill, Calton Hill & Broughton
When: 30 Apr
Website: www. beltane.org
An ancient tradition marking the transition from winter to spring, the Beltane fire festival was revived in the 1980s and has grown into quite a drama: fire, costume, body-paint, dancing and drumming. If the weather holds, it can attract up to 12,000 people. Tickets cost around PS5 in advance from the Hub; a limited number are available for PS7 on the night.
Doors Open Day
Where: various places
When: weekend, late Sept
Tel & Website: 557 8686, www.cockburnassociation.org.uk
Each year, heritage body the Cockburn Association works with organizations and individuals to allow public access to buildings that few people usually get to see---everything from private homes to lighthouses. It's all free.
Capital Christmas
Where: various places
When: late Nov till early Jan
Website: www.edinburghschristmas.com
What started out as a few accidental events has grown into a large, popular, city-wide festival. The main part is the Winter Wonderland in Princes Street Gardens, including fairground rides, crafts market, a skating rink and the Edinburgh Wheel (a Ferris wheel next to the Scott Monument). | high9431.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "his axe dropped into the river"
},
"options": [
"he fell into the water",
"his axe dropped into the river",
"his axe fell into a lake",
"he saw a beautiful fairy"
],
"question": "One day when the man was cutting... | One day a poor man was cutting a big piece of wood near a river. Suddenly his old axe fell into the water. He felt very sad because he lost his only axe. Then all at once a beautiful fairy came out and asked the man what was the matter.
"I have lost my axe, "he said. It fell into the water when I was cutting the wood.
The fairy showed him a gold axe and asked, "Is this yours?".
"No," said the man.
The fairy then showed him a silver axe and asked again, "Is this yours?" "No," again answered the man.
Then she showed him the old axe.
"Yes, that is mine,"called out the happy man.
"I know that well enough," said the fairy."I only wanted to see if you would tell me the truth, and now I'll give you the gold axe and the silver axe besides your own one." | high14245.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "discontinue the present practice"
},
"options": [
"show more kindness.",
"discontinue the present practice",
"quit being the organizer for gift giving",
"know more about co-workers' families"
],
"question": "Ham... | Dear Hamilton,
We are fortunate that in such a large, high-pressure office we all get along so well. You are one of the people who keep the social temperature at such a comfortable setting. I don't know anyone in the office who is better liked than you.
You can perhaps help with this. The collection of _ towards gifts for employees' personal-life events is becoming a little troubling. Certainly, the group sending of a gift is reasonable now and then. In the past month, however, there have been collections for two baby shower gifts, one wedding shower gift, two wedding gifts, one funeral remembrance, four birthday gifts, and three graduation gifts.
It's not only the collected-from who are growing uncomfortable (and poor), but the collected-for feel uneasy receiving gifts from people who don't know them outside the office, who wouldn't even recognize their graduating children, their marrying daughters and sons, or their dead relatives.
This is basically a kind gesture (and one that people think well of you for), but the practice seems to have become too wide-ranging and feels improper in today's office setting.
Thank you for understanding. | high7408.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "34"
},
"options": [
"45",
"28",
"24",
"34"
],
"question": "Tsien Hsue--shen got married at the age of _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_... | October 31, 2009, California
Tsien Hsue-shen, PhD'39, one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, died on October 31, He was 98.
Tsien, born in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, graduated from the National Qinghua University in 1934 and in August of 1935 he left China to study at the Massachusetts Institute Technology. In 1936 he went to the California Institute of Technology to _ graduate studies .Tsien obtained his doctor degree in 1939 and would remain at Caltech for 20 years, becoming the Goddard Professor and establishing a reputation as one of the leading rocket scientists in the United States.
In 1943, Tsien and two others in the Caltech rocketry group drafted the first document to use the name Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During the Second World War, he was amongst the other scientists participated the "Manhattan Project" .After World War II he served as a consultant to the United States Army Air Force. During this time, Conlonel Tsien worked on designing an intercontinental space plane. His work would inspire the X--20Dyna-Soar which would later be the inspiration for the Space Shuttle. In1945 Tsien Hsue--shen married Jiang Ying, the daughter of Jiang Baili--one of the Chinese nationalist leader Chiang Kai--shen's leading military strategists. But in 1950, the Chinese-born scientist was accused of harboring Communist sympathies and stripped of his security clearance.
In September 1955 he was permitted to leave for China, where Tsien resumed his research, founded the Institute of Mechanics, and went on to become the father of China's missile program, a trusted member of the government and Party's inner circle, and the nation's most honored scientist, Tsien retired in 1991 and has maintained a low public profile in Beijing, China. The PRC government launched its manned space program in 1992 and used Tsien's research as the basis for the Long March rocket which successfully launched the Shenzhou V mission in October of 2003.The elderly Tsien was able to watch China's first manned space mission on television from his hospital bed.
In his late years, since the 1980s, Tsien devoted himself to spirituality research, and advocated scientific investigation of traditional Chinese medicine, Qigong and "special human body functions". | high1079.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Liu Qian's experiences of becoming a great magician"
},
"options": [
"Liu Qian's experiences of becoming a great magician",
"why people love magic",
"what magic tricks are",
"how fashionable magic is"
],
"questi... | Here's an unusual story:a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician,Liu Qian,discovered it,in front of an audience of millions at CCTV's Spring Festival Gala. Liu's magic tricks have made the centuriesold art of magic fashionable once again,and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a _ young magician from Taiwan,Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States,Japan,South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people's love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship .
"It's actually thinking rather than one's manipulation skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively,to make them appear more interesting."Liu said.
Liu Qian's success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan,he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12,he won Taiwan's Youth Magic Contest,which was judged by the great American magician,David Copperfield.
Yet,Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However,his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills,he has performed on streets,roads and fields for passersby,policemen and farmers.
"Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,"Liu said. | high6716.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "All brands of orange-colored glasses are not reliable for their ability to aid sleep."
},
"options": [
"The older a person is, the less he or she will be affected by blue light.",
"The exposure to the blue light does nothing but ha... | Most evenings, before watching late-night comedy or reading emails on his phone, Matt Nicoletti puts on a pair of orange-colored glasses that he bought for $8 on the Internet.
"My girlfriend thinks I look ridiculous in them," he said. But Mr.Nicoletti, a 30-year-old consultant in Denver, insists that the glasses, which can block certain wavelengths of light emitted by electronic screens, make it easier to sleep.
Studies have shown that such light, especially from the blue part of the spectrum , _ the body's production of melatonin ,which helps people fall asleep. Options are growing for blocking blue light, though experts caution that few have been adequately tested for effectiveness and the best solution remains avoiding brightly lit electronics at night.
A Swiss study of 13 teenage boys, published in August inThe Journal of Adolescent Healthshowed that when the boys wore orange-colored glasses, also known as 'blue blockers' and shown to prevent melatonin, in the evening for a week, they felt "significantly more sleepy" than when they wore clear glasses.The boys looked at their screens, as teenagers tend to do, for at least a few hours on average before going to bed, and were monitored in the lab.
Older adults may be less affected by blue light, experts say, but blue light remains a problem for most people, and an earlier study of 20 adults aged 18 to 68 found that those who wore orange-colored glasses for three hours before bed improved their sleep quality considerably relative to a control group that wore yellow-colored lenses, which blocked only ultraviolet light.
LEDs used in devices such as smart phones, tablets and televisions tend to emit more blue light than incandescent products . LEDs are also increasingly popular as room lights, but "warm white" bulbs, with less blue, tend to be a better choice than "cool white" for nighttime use. The lighting company Philips also makes a reduced-blue LED bulb, meant to be used before bedtime."In theory, anything that will decrease that blue light exposure at night will be helpful." said Christopher Colwell, a scientist at the UCLA, "I know some gainers who swear by those orange-colored glasses."
But orange glasses are not a panacea . Dr. Skene said."It isn't just getting rid of the blue and everything's fine," she said. The intensity of light, in addition to color, can affect sleep, she said, and not all brands of orange-colored glasses have undergone enough independent testing for their ability to aid sleep.
During the daytime, experts say, exposure to blue light is good. Best of all is sunlight, which contains many different wavelengths of light."That's what our brain knows," said Kenneth P.Wright Jr., director of the sleep and chronobiology lab at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
A 2013 study he led, published in the journalCurrent Biology, showed just how different things can be without nighttime lights. After participants had camped in the mountains for a week, their bodies began to prepare for sleep about two hours earlier than normal.
Short of cutting out all evening electronics, experts say, it's advisable to use a small screen rather than a large one; dim the screen and keep it as far away from the eyes as possible; and reduce the amount of time spent reading the device.
"If you can look at the iPhone for 10 minutes rather than three hours, that makes a lot of difference," Dr.Skene said. | high14251.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They live a very happy life."
},
"options": [
"They have no guests.",
"They have all they want.",
"They live a very hard life.",
"They live a very happy life."
],
"question": "What does the author think of Adria... | While I was having dinner with a well-known author and lecturer, our conversation drifted to money. "I have enough money," he told me casually. "I don't need any more money."
"Of course you can say that," I thought to myself. "You get fifteen thousand dollars for a lecture."
Then I caught my thought process, and pondered more deeply on his statement. Is he satisfied because he has a lot of money, or does he have a lot of money because he chooses to be satisfied?
_ So is enoughness something that happens to us when we reach a certain level, or is it an experience we can choose and celebrate at any time?
My friends Adrian and Carey live in a humble cottage in the rainforest. They have quite a modest income, no telephone, and they walk around naked most of the time. I think they are the happiest people I know. They wake up with the sun, love each other very much, and welcome guests with a full and open heart. They appreciate every moment of their lives, have no distraction games going, and are not waiting for the big break around the corner. When I am with them, the predominant feeling I have is, "It's all right here--why would anyone want anything more?"
Ram Dass used to say, "There are three kinds of people in the world: those who say, 'Too much!'; those who say, 'Not enough!'; and those who say, "Ah, just right!'"; Since "too much" of one thing implies "not enough" of another, there are really only two approaches to life: lack or contentment. | high9425.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "are environmentally friendly"
},
"options": [
"are environmentally friendly",
"are cheaper",
"run much faster",
"will make useful steam"
],
"question": "The cars with hydrogen as fuel _ .",
"question_type... | Iceland has energy to spare, and the small country has found a cutting-edge way to reduce its oil dependency. Volcanoes formed the island nation out of ash and lava , which heat huge underground lakes to the boiling point. The hot water is piped into cities providing heat for homes, businesses and even swimming pools. The water runs through turbines , providing all the country's electricity.
prefix = st1 /Icelandwants to make plans to improve its cars, buses and trucks to run on renewable energy. Iceland has already started by turning water into fuel ----hydrogen fuel. Here's how it works: Electrodes change the water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules . Hydrogen electrons pass through a conductor that creates the current to power an electric engine.
Hydrogen fuel now costs two to three times as much as gasoline, but gets up to three times the distance than gas, making the overall cost about the same. As an added benefit, there is no carbon ----only water steam.
In the capital,Reykjavik, they are already testing three hydrogen-powered electric buses. The drivers are impressed. "I like these buses better because with hydrogen you get no pollution," said bus driver Rognvaldur Jonatanison. By the middle of this century, all Icelanders will be required to run their cars only on hydrogen fuel, meaning no more gasoline.
"If we make hydrogen and use that as a fuel for transportation then we can run the whole society on our own local renewable energy sources,"said Marie Mack. Icelanders are showing the world that by making fuel from water, it is possible to kick the oil habit. | high17758.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "a group of gunmen's robbery of armored car in the streets."
},
"options": [
"a gunbattle between the policeman and the government soldiers.",
"a bank robbery in Paris.",
"a group of gunmen's robbery of armored car in the stre... | Pairs, Jan. 11--- An armored car robbery last night ended in a wild gunbattle that two men dead and a hostage seriously wounded.
The drama began when an armored car carrying the contents of safety boxes to a bank was struck by a large truck, police said.
The bank guards were helpless when the robbers jumped out of the truck and tied them. The robbers used heavy tools and explosives to break the armored car.
A passing police car turned to look into the accident as the men were removing the contents of the armored car. Police said the three robbers fled on foot across a nearby highway.
Stopping a private car driven by a teenaged girl, the three escaped for central Pairs with the police car in hot pursuit .
A plain clothes policeman saw the car as it drove through the street of Lat in Quarter. The policeman tried to stop the car, but the thieves started shooting at him, witness said.
The girl hostage tried to slip away. Just as she was crawling away from the car, she was hit by a bullet. Police said she was out of danger at Central Hospital.
The gunmen gave up the car and got into a shop, pouring fire on more than 50 policemen that surrounded the building. After a wild gunbattle, police broke into the room. They only found two of the gunmen, both seriously wounded. The third thief was believed to have escaped with over $1.3 million in cash and jewellery. | high11329.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "handwriting"
},
"options": [
"punctuation",
"handwriting",
"presentation",
"creativity"
],
"question": "Essays will be judged on the following criteria EXCEPT _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | "My Best Teacher Ever" Contest
Students
Tell us why, in 300 words or less, your teacher (present or past) is the best teacher ever.
Assay Topic
Who was/is your best teacher ever? What makes him or her the best?
Participation
The contest is open to all students enrolled in grades 2 through 12.
Entries
Word limit: 300
Essays will be judged on the following criteria by Readers editorial staff:
*originally, creativity--40 percent
*clarity of presentation-- 40 percent
*grammar, punctuation, spelling --20 percent
All entries should be word-processed, typed, or hand-printed on 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper or submitted as an attached word or text document via email.
Each entry must include the entrant's name, age, complete home mailing address, phone number, school name, and grade, as well as the submitting teacher's name, school name, complete school mailing address and email address.
Contest Deadline
Entries must be postmarked on or before April 26, 2013, or mailed by EST on that date.
Submission
Email your entry with attached essay and entry information (entrant's name, age, complete home mailing address, phone number, school name, and grade, submitting teacher's name, email address, school name, and complete school mailing address) to web-contest @ readers.com or mail your entry with attached entry form to this address:
Readers Publishing My Best Teacher Ever Contest
Attn: Anne Flounders 44 South Broadway, 18
Floor White Plains, NY10601
Prizes
One winner will be chosen in each of two categories: elementary (grades 2-6) and secondary (grades 7-12). Winning students will win a $ 50 gift card and may have their essays published on readers.com. Teachers of winning students will win one free classroom subscription to the Readers magazine of their choice. Winning essays will be posted up on signing of a release by students and their agent or guardian. Winning essays will be announced on May 7, 2013, Teacher Appreciation Day, on readers.com, and winners will be notified directly. | high16446.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "About 2000."
},
"options": [
"Less than 1000.",
"About 2000.",
"More than 3000.",
"Over 4000."
],
"question": "How many hutong have disappeared in the pastsixty years in Beijing?",
"question_type": "factiod_... | Local officials in Beijing promised to furtherprotect the city's cultural heritage , in particular the narrow streets known as Hutong.
Hutong are commonly found in the cities of North China, but they are at risk. Beijingis currently believed to have fewer than 1,000 Hutong, most of which are nearthe Forbidden City. Only 60 years ago, thenumber was 3,250. In the old districts of Dongcheng and Xicheng, which cover 62square kilometers, some people will be asked to move from Hutong houses toavoid further damage to the ancient architecture.
"On average more than 100,000 people visit the Forbidden City during the National Day holidays. Thevisits put pressure on the protection of cultural relics," said Huang Yan,director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Urban Planning, adding that Hutongshould be protected from human damage.
The government focused on how the protection planswere carried out and how the management of cultural heritages worked. WangShaofeng, head of the Xicheng district government, said the area has 182cultural relics, many of which were built as far back as the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368). The district of Xicheng has 1.28 million residents in its 57square kilometers of land. "The most efficient way is to decrease the localpopulation to reduce the possibility of causing harm to the heritage," Wangsaid.
"Each community has been required to report thestatus of its cultural heritage, especially Hutong, and any actions to damagethe heritage will be punished," Wang said.
No one knows for sure how many Hutong will be leftin the coming 100 years. | high19775.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "How important is the degree?"
},
"options": [
"People used to be hard-working",
"How important is the degree?",
"How can we enter the top management?",
"Degree surely leads to success"
],
"question": "What would... | As society advances and basic needs are most often being met, things that were not considered important in the past have taken priority . In the past, people could easily get a job and progress pretty well, as long as they were hard-working; education was important but not as crucial as it is today.
Nowadays, just as clothes are important to first impressions, degree is important to a person's first job interview or even a job with a good salary. Although experience is important to survive in any trade or profession, the first thing that companies look for is that piece of paper before looking at one's experience.
A passport into the world of any profession is what having a degree means today, especially for professions that have need of certification and pay well, such as architects, doctors, lawyers, and teachers.
That piece of paper, the degree, is also a passport to jobs in top or middle management in any company, especially so for multi-national corporations . Having a degree opens up opportunities that one would not have had if one did not have any kind of degree. A degree simply proves that one has gone through the necessary training and understanding of how to carry out a job.
Although there are many that may say having a degree may not necessarily equal to success, _ would most definitely help any person achieve success in shorter and easier steps. Success cannot simply be a result of hard work and/or depending on one's experience or degree alone; it is the art and knowledge of how to work that determines one's success. Therefore, it should not be for the sake to get a degree, but the quality of the degree and experiences that one can learn from that matter as well. | high10989.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "vocabulary"
},
"options": [
"vocabulary",
"grammar",
"sound",
"spelling"
],
"question": "The passage is mainly about the differences between British English and American English in _ .",
"question_type": "... | There are many differences between British English and American English.I used to teach a course about the differences between the two.We speak English on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean but we have many differences in our common language.We have examples of the same words having very d ifferent meanings,differing spellings of the same words as well as completely different words for the same things.Here are some examples.
A cookie in the US is called a biscuit in the UK.A biscuit in the US is a small cake in the UK.Crisps in the UK,are known as chips,but we British people eat a plate of chips that you call fries in the US.In the UK,a pie can be made from either meat or fruit,while in the US pies are normally made from fruit;pot pies are made from meat.Most things are measured in grams and kilograms in the US,not pounds and ounces.
One very obvious difference is the side of the road we each choose to drive on.Petrol in the UK is gas in the US.The place where we fill up our cars,in the UK,is a garage;while in the US,it's a gas station.The term garage is also used as a place to store your car next to or close by your house.In the UK we call a lorry what is known as a truck in the US.
An elevator in the US is called a lift here,and the first floor in the US,is calle d the ground floor here,so many visitors get off on the wrong floor in British hotels.
I could continue with this. There are countless examples of differences within our one shared language.With so many differences,no wonder it's hard to understand each other well. | high4667.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "the neighbor fixed needles on his own head"
},
"options": [
"the neighbor fixed needles on his own head",
"The neighbor is a kind-hearted person.",
"The man's pain was killed before the doctor arrived",
"Soon after the ... | Everyone knows what a needle is. Of course there are needles and needles. Needles for sewing machines, needles for injection , you name it. But few people think of the wonder a needle works in the hands of those who practice acupuncture .
During the past ten years or so, I have been suffering from terrible headache. It seems to be getting from bad to worse these days . Last night I got a sudden pain in my head. It was so terrible that I could hardly bear it. Although I swallowed all kinds of pain-killers, I didn't feel any better, It seemed that there was nothing I could do but phone for a doctor.
One of our neighbors happened to be with us. He was not a doctor, but he timidly offered his help, saying "Do you mind if I tried acupuncture on you? These needles may possibly do you some good." I agreed. In a moment, he had taken out a few needles from his purse. Without a moment's delay, he fixed a few needles into the skin on my head here and there, Before long, I felt thoroughly relieved.
Just then, the doctor sped through my house and said, "Where is our patient?"
"Sorry, Doctor, You are too late, It's killed!" I answered in delight.
It's a miracle , isn't it? | high19013.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "She is cheerful and humorous."
},
"options": [
"She feels upset and unhappy.",
"She is cheerful and humorous.",
"She likes to live much longer.",
"She feels she is going to die very soon."
],
"question": "How do... | Jeanne Calment, a French woman, become a record breaker on 17 October 1995, when at the age of 120 years and 238 days, she became the longest-lived human being on record. A Japanese man died in 1986 at the age of 120 years and 237 days.
Jeanne Calment lives in a small old people's home in the south of France, her husband, her only child and her grandson have all died. She is nearly blind and deaf and is always in a wheelchair, but her doctor describes here as being "more like a 90-year-old in good health" than someone of 120. She still has a lively sense of humor. When asked on the 120thbirthday what she expected of the future, she replied, "A very short one." She also remarked that she thought the good Lord had forgotten all about her.
So what is the key to a long life? According to some doctors, diet, exercise and no smoking are the three important factors. Jeanne Calment has followed two of the tips. She has always eaten a healthy diet, and she used to do exercises every day until she broke her leg at the age of 115. However, until recently she drank two glasses of strong red wine a say, and she does smoke (now only a little). Besides, Jeanne Calment might have got very good _ from her parents. Her father lived to the age of 94 and her mother to 86.
A local lawyer bought her house when she was 80 under an agreement that he would pay her some money every year until her death. It must have seemed a good move at the time, but so far the lawyer has paid her at least three times the value of the house. Every year on her birthday Jeanne Calment sends him a card saying: "Sorry, I'm still alive!" | high3108.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "we can chat with unfamiliar people online"
},
"options": [
"it is not safe to surf the internet",
"people now are no longer honest",
"we can chat with unfamiliar people online",
"people online are not who they are"
... | Never give out identifying information such as Name, Home Address, School name, or Telephone Number in a public message such as at a chat room or on bulletin bards. Never send a person a picture of you without first checking with your parents or guardian.
* Never respond to messages or bulletin board items that are: Suggestive / Obscene / Belligerent / Threatening / Make You Feel Uncomfortable.
* Be careful when someone offers you something for nothing, such as gifts and money. Be very careful about any offers that involve your coming to a meeting or having someone visit your house.
* Tell your parents or guardian right away if you come across any information that makes you feel uncomfortable.
* Never arrange a face-to-face meeting without telling your parents or guardian. If your parents or guardian agree to the meeting, make sure that you meet in a public place and have a parent or guardian with you.
* Remember that people online may not be who they seem. Because you can't see or even hear the person, it would be easy for someone to misrepresent him or herself. Thus, someone indicating that"she"is a"12-year-old-girl"could in reality be an older man.
* Be sure that you are dealing with someone that you and your parents know and trust before giving out any personal information about yourself via E-mail.
* Get to know your"online friends"just as you get to know all of your other friends. | high2216.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Thailand"
},
"options": [
"Thailand",
"Manhattan",
"New York",
"China"
],
"question": "My friend's grandfather camefrom _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | Myfriend'sgrandfathercametoAmericafromafarminThailand.Afterarriving in New York, he went into a cafeteria inManhattan to get something to eat. He sat down at an empty table and waitedfor someone to take his order. Of course nobody did. Finally, a woman with abig plate full of food came up to him. She sat down opposite him and toldhim how a cafeteriaworked.
"Start out at that end," she said, "Just go along the line andchoose what you want. At the other end they'll tell you how much you have topay."
"I soon learned that's how everything works in America,"the grandfather told my friend later, "Life's a cafeteria here. You can getanything you want as long as you want to pay the price. You can even get success,but you'll never get it if you wait for someone to bring it to you. You have toget up and get ityourself." | high10751.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "protect great apes' rights"
},
"options": [
"protect great apes' rights",
"research the great ape society",
"save the endangered great apes",
"study the development of the great apes"
],
"question": "The Great A... | MADRID (Reuters)--Spain' s parliament voiced its support on Wednesday for the rights of great apes to life and freedom.
Parliament's environmental committee approved resolution urging Spain to carry out the Great Ape Project (GAP), designed by scientists and philosophers who say our closest genetic s deserve rights limited to humans.
"This is a historic day in the struggle for animal rights and in defense of our evolutionary comrades, which will doubtless go down in the history of humanity," said Pedro Poza, Spanish director of the Great Ape Project.
The new resolution has cross-party support and it is thought they will become law within a year, making Spain the first nation to extend legal rights to apes.
Under the new law, potential experiments on apes in Spain will be forbidden.
"We have no knowledge of great apes being used in experiments in Spain, but there is currently no law preventing that from happening," Poza said.
Keeping apes for circuses, television commercials or filming will also be forbidden.Housing apes in Spanish zoos, of which there are currently 315, will remain legal, but supporters of _ have said the conditions in which most of them live will need to improve vastly.
Philosophers Peter Singer and Paola Cavalieri founded the Great Ape Project in 1993, arguing that "non-human hominids " should enjoy the rights to life and freedom and not to be mistreated. | high20692.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "understanding how ecosystems recover from glaciers."
},
"options": [
"knowing what the plants during the Little Ice Age were like",
"understanding how ecosystems recover from glaciers.",
"regrowing many species that have been... | 400-year-old plants from the Little Ice Age were brought back to life, which could help us understand how the Earth will deal with climate change.
Moss found buried beneath the Teardrop glacier on Ellesmere Island in Canada has been brought back to life. Findings suggest that these plants could help repopulate regions exposed by melting ice caps. Plants that were buried beneath thick ice in Canada more than 400 years ago and were thought to have frozen to death have been brought back to life by Canadian scientists.
Samples of the moss plant, covered by the glacier during the Little Ice Age of 1550 to 1850 AD, were replanted in a lab at the University of Alberta and grew new stems . Researchers now think these findings can give indication as to how regions can recover as the ice covering them melts.
Biologist Dr. Catherine La Farge and her team at the University of Alberta were exploring the region around the Teardrop glacier on Ellesmere Island. Ice on Ellesmere Island region has been melting at around four meters each year for the past nine years. This means that many areas of land that were previously covered by ice have since been exposed. Many ecosystems that were thought to have been destroyed during the Little Ice Age between 1550 and 1850 AD can now be studied, including many species that have never been studied before.
While examining an exposed area of land, La Farge and her team discovered a small area of moss called Aulacomnium turgidum. It is a type of bryophyte plant that mainly grows across Canada, the US and the Highlands of Scotland.
Dr La Farge noticed that the moss had small patches of green stems, suggesting it is either growing again or can be encouraged to repopulate. Dr La Farge told the BBC, "When we looked at the samples in detail and brought them to the lab, I could see some of the stems actually had new growth of green branches, suggesting that these plants are growing again, and that _ When we think of thick areas of ice covering the landscape, we've always thought that plants have to come from refugia , never considering that land plants come from underneath a glacier. It's a whole world of what's coming out from underneath the glacier that really needs to be studied. The ice is disappearing pretty fast. We really have not examined all the biological systems that exist in the world; we don't know it all."
Dr La Farge took samples of the moss and, using carbon-dating techniques, discovered that the plants date back to the Little Ice Age. Dr La Farge's team took the samples, planted them in dishes full of nutrient-rich potting soil and fed them with water.
The samples were from four separate species including Aulacomnium turgidum, Distichium capillaceum, Encalypta procera and Syntrichia ruralis. The moss plants found by Dr La Farge are types of bryophytes. Bryophytes can survive long winters and regrow when the weather gets warmer.
However, Dr La Farge was surprised that the plants buried under ice have survived into the twenty-first century. Her findings appear in proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. | high5579.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Size."
},
"options": [
"Clarity.",
"Size.",
"Speed of flow.",
"Oxygen content."
],
"question": "According to the passage, which of the following characteristics of flowing waters is unimportant?",
"question_... | Inland waters may be grouped into two general classes: standing waters and flowing waters. As is often the case, the boundary between these two classes is not sharp and clear. A pond is an example of standing water. But most ponds are fed by springs or brooks and most have an outlet. Thus some current of changing water flows through them. On the other hand, a river is an example of flowing water. In some places, however, a river may have such a slow current that it is very difficult to detect.
Standing inland waters differ in size, in age, and in many _ environmental characteristics. They range in size from roadside puddles to the Caspian Sea. Puddles may last for only a few days or weeks; ponds, for a few hundred to a thousand years. In general, lakes are older, though the waters of some tropical "lakes" disappear completely during each dry season. Standing waters vary from very shallow to very deep, from clear to muddy, from fresh to salty.
In flowing waters we roughly distinguish between brooks, creeks, and rivers. The size and age of flowing waters are unimportant. Speed of flow, clearness, oxygen content, and other chemical characteristics are used by scientists in studying flowing-water ecosystems. | high6070.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "August 1st"
},
"options": [
"August 1st",
"August 2\nnd",
"August 3rd",
"August 4th"
],
"question": "If you are interested in the best music festivals in the UK, you may find the talk on _ valuable.",
"q... | Bell Teacher Campus 2016: Cultural Talks
Our talks start at 16:00 on the first week in August, and each one lasts about one hour. Each talk will be offered only once during your 4-day stay. Please sign up on the main Bell Noticeboard (Second floor, Mary Allan Building).
August 1st
BRITISH MUSIC, by Pete Sharma in Room 106. British music is famous worldwide. In this talk, I'll discuss what's popular and what's not right now and the top music festivals in the UK. We will listen to some of the artists and share some thoughts about singing and dancing.
August 2nd
LOVE ME, LOVE MY CAT, by Lis Harrison in Room 207. We will be looking at this national interest through idioms , songs, and everyday British life, and along the way covering some vocabulary for "talking cat". At the end, we'll be discussing that old topic: do we Brits treat out pets better than we treat our kids?
August 3rd
A GAME AS ENGLISH AS CROQUET ,by Anna Young in Room 218. First, we will look at the origins of croquet, a much loved garden game in England. We will look at simple croquet rules, and then practice time! We'll go out and play!
August 4th
WHY ENGLISH PEOPLE LAUGH, by Jim Scrivener in Room 117. Let me try to show you a little bit of what British people find funny. You will discover some of the most popular radio& TV comedy game shows. You probably won't find it funny at all! But you will learn a bit more about us Brits! | high14537.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "is bad for health"
},
"options": [
"is worth a try",
"is bad for health",
"sometimes works",
"causes little harm"
],
"question": "Dr. Davis believed using study drugs to improve grades _ .",
"question_type... | One in ten teens says they use"study drugs"to improve their performance in school. So-called "study drugs"refer to prescription medicines that are used to treat ADHD .But most parents have no understanding of the problem, a new study finds.
In January, 2013, researchers from the University of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital did a national survey of more than seven hundred families with teens. They found that only one percent of parents believe their child has taken a study drug.
Yet in a 2012 University of Michigan study, ten percent of second-year high school students and twelve percent of third-year high school students say they use a study drug.
The misuse of study drugs didn't come to the attention of almost all parents."What we found in this survey is a clear mismatch ,"said Dr. Matthew Davis, one of the researchers. It is a mismatch between what parents believed and what their kids were reporting.
"We know teens are spreading the word that these drugs can improve their grades,"Davis said."But these prescription medicines are drugs. And teens who use them without a prescription are taking a serious risk."
The new survey showed that fifty-four percent of white parents were"very concerned"about their child taking study drugs, compared with thirty-eight percent of Hispanic parents and thirty-seven percent of black parents.
However, just twenty-seven percent of parents surveyed have talked to their teens about using study drugs. Of these parents, forty-one percent were black, twenty-seven percent were white and seventeen percent were Hispanic.
Students with a prescription for an ADHD drug should be required to keep their medicines in a safe place, such as the school nurse's office. Seventy-nine percent of parents think so, the survey shows. This may help prevent _ from being shared or used by other students. | high9343.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "show interest in it"
},
"options": [
"show interest in it",
"enjoy listening to it",
"watch English programmes on TV",
"practice speaking it"
],
"question": "If we want to learn English, we must first _ .",
... | In today's world English is the most wildly used language. It is our duty to learn English in the new situation of the reform and opening to the outside world. How can we master the English language? I'd like to give you some good advice.
First, get interested in it. I enjoy listening to foreign friends talking when I was a child. At the same time I watched the English programme Follow Meon TV. From then on, I kept on learning English. The more I learned, the more progress I made.
Second, practice makes perfect. Many people study English very hard, but they are very shy to speak it in public, for they are afraid of making mistakes. Remember you have to make a mistake before you can correct it. A native English speaker makes mistakes sometimes, too.
Third, the beginners should be encouraged to pay attention to _ The English language has many idioms. For example, you should say "He is as strong as a cow." | high22085.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "people's traditional concepts about work are no longer completely true"
},
"options": [
"most people have to take part-time jobs",
"people have to change their jobs from time to time",
"people's traditional concepts about wor... | A new era is upon us. Call it what you will: the service economy, the information age, the knowledge society. It has changed the way we work. Already we're partly there. The percentage of people who earn their living by making things has fallen dramatically in the Western World. Today the majority of jobs in America, Europe and Japan (two thirds or more in many of these countries) are in the service industry, and the number is on the rise. More women are in the work force than ever before. There are more part-time jobs. More people are self-employed. But the breadth of the economic transformation can't be measured by numbers alone, because it also is giving rise to a basic new way of thinking about the nature of work itself. Long-held concepts about jobs and careers, the skills needed to succeed, even the relation between individuals and employers -- all these are being challenged.
We have only to look behind us to get some sense of what may lie ahead. No one looking ahead 20 years possibly could have foreseen the ways in which a single invention, the chip , would transform our world thanks to its applications in personal computers, digital communications and factory robots. Tomorrow's achievements in biotechnology, artificial intelligence or even some still unimagined technology could produce a similar wave of dramatic changes. But one thing is certain: information and knowledge will become even more important, and the people who possess it, whether they work in manufacturing or services, will have the advantage and produce the wealth. Computer knowledge will become as basic a requirement as the ability to read and write. The ability to solve problems by applying information instead of performing routine tasks will be valued above all else. If you cast your mind ahead 10 years, information services will be predominant . It will be the way you do your job. | high15629.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "By studying on the computer."
},
"options": [
"By having an experienced tutor.",
"By going to a vacation camp.",
"By studying on the computer.",
"By watching videos."
],
"question": "How does John Diaz continue ... | In recent years,American students have fallen behind in many subjects like math,science and reading. In 2005,the U.S. was number nine among the developed countries in the number of students graduating from high school.
American education officials are searching for new ways to help students learn again. One tool that is getting some attention is the use of video games.
Sixteenyearold John Diaz says he loves playing video games but doesn't like traditional schoolwork. During his summer vacation,Diaz is continuing his studies at home. That is because his courses are available on his home computer.
Florida Virtual School's head master,Julie Young,says the school teaches students with the technology they most enjoy using in and out of school."We have so many students who feel free in our school," Young said, "They lose interest when they go to school. And we're very hopeful that Conspiracy Code will attract the learners to really get into the detail of learning."
Conspiracy Code is a video game that teaches U.S. history. Students guide two heroes in a quest to stop a conspiracy to change the past. Along the way,students learn about events such as the Civil War,and report back to their teacher who is a spy .
John Diaz says he enjoys American history now."I like to do the game every day," he said. | high16308.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a pleasant thing"
},
"options": [
"a forced task",
"a pleasant thing",
"an unavoidable duty",
"an embarrassing experience"
],
"question": "In the writer's opinion, talking to teens about the Army is _ .",
... | In 1987, while serving as the public affairs officer at Fort Bragg, I would frequently visit the local high schools to speak to the students about the Army. As alieutenant colonel , I found it particularly rewarding to talk with the teenagers about the benefits of military service, if only for a few years of their lives.
During one of these visits, I reported to the secretary in the principal's office to let her know that I was here for the third-period class. I was a little surprised when she told me. "The principal would like to see you before you go to the class."
As I entered his office, I was greeted by a gentleman who appeared to be in his late thirties, and he welcomed me with a smile and a handshake. "You don't remember me, do you?" he said.
I looked closely at the face again and could not recall where we may have met before.
"You were my company commander in basic training at Fort Jackson in 1970," the principal said.
"Let me help you out," he suggested. "You gave me a three-day pass to go home and see my newborn baby." I immediately remembered the incident!
"Yes," I said. "I remember now." It was the only three-day pass I had issued because the soldiers were on their way to Vietnam immediately after they finished training. But I knew if I did not let him go home to see his son and _ , I would regret denying the opportunity he had to be with his family.
"Come on, Colonel. I'd like to introduce you to 'the baby'. He's in your third-period class. By letting me go see him, you gave me a reason to stay focused and to come home safe from that war. Thank you , sir."
It was the most rewarding class I had ever given, and I had no problem in telling the students about the bonds of friendship and the values that Army life can provide...and that can last a lifetime. | high11467.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "couldn't decide whether to take the cheese bun on the floor in front of him or not"
},
"options": [
"felt worried about where to go because he was a stranger in this city",
"was suffering from hunger as he was hurrying to work with... | Any passenger on the subway who caught a glimpse of me may have already thought that I was strange. In particular this gentleman sitting opposite me was staring at me, at the cheese bun on the floor in front of me, and then back at me; "Next stop, St. Patrick Station" my stop was quickly coming up. I had minutes to either take the cheese bun, which nobody else was claiming(as a passenger probably dropped it by mistake and got off at a previous stop), or leave it there and hope that it didn't go to waste.
In those few minutes I felt my pride getting in the way. "What would other people on this subway think of me if I took the Cheese bun? Would they think that I was poor and hungry? Would they think that I'm stealing?"
The ignorant thing to do was say "yes" to any of those self-imposed questions, which would only justify my ego. But then I'd get off the subway, walk a block up the street to my office, get settled at my desk, and despite feeling comfortable, warm, and being well-fed myself for the whole day, there would be a weight of guilt and regret weighing on my consciousness.
My thoughts were pushing me towards pride and ignorance when the truth was evident:this missing cheese bun is a gift. For a homeless person who is hungry and cold. For me to overcome a little bit of ego and pass along so much kindness. It was clear that the homeless person who would receive this cheese bun needed it just as much as I did. ks5u
Just as the doors opened at my stop I grabbed the cheese bun and exited the subway. It felt awesome and I didn't care if people were looking or what they thought. Instead of going directly to my office as usual, I walked a few more blocks up to Queen's Park where I have seen a homeless man sitting outside many times on my walk from the gym to my office. I always wanted to give him something. There he was this morning, wrapped in a sleeping bag. | high20862.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "How to predict earthquakes."
},
"options": [
"What an earthquake is like.",
"How to predict earthquakes.",
"Where earthquakes often happen.",
"When a fault is formed."
],
"question": "What does the passage mainl... | The goal of earthquake prediction is to give early enough warning. The U.S. Geological Survey conducts and supports research on the likelihood of future earthquakes. Scientists estimate earthquake probabilities in two ways: by studying the history of large earthquakes in a special area and the rate at which strain accumulates in the rock.
Scientists study the past frequency of large earthquakes in order to determine the future likelihood of similar large shocks. For example scientists researched the large earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region during the 75 years between 1836 and 1911. For the next 68 years, no earthquakes of magnitude 6 or large occurred in the region. Beginning with a magnitude 6 shock in 1979, the earthquakes in the region increased dramatically; between 1979 and 1989, there were four magnitude 6 or greater earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. So scientists estimated that the probability of a magnitude 6.8 or larger earthquake occurring during the next 30 years in the region is about 67 percent.
Another way to predict earthquakes is to study how fast strain accumulates. When plate movements build the strain in rocks to a critical level, like pulling a rubber band too tight, the rocks will suddenly break and slip to a new position. Scientists measure how much strain accumulates along a fault each year, how much time has passed since the last earthquake, and how much strain was released in the last earthquake. This information is used to calculate the time required for the accumulating strain to build to the level that results in an earthquake. This simple model is so complicated that such detailed information about faults is rare. In the United States, only the San Andreas Fault System has adequate records for using this prediction method.
Scientific understanding of earthquakes is of vital importance to the Nation. As the population increases, expanding urban development and construction encroach upon areas susceptible to earthquakes. With a greater understanding of the causes and effects of earthquakes, we may be able to reduce damage and loss of life from this destruction. | high3120.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Player is advised to stay clear of the screen."
},
"options": [
"Dopamine is a powerful brain chemical good to our health.",
"Looking for help on line is like getting help from a health professional.",
"Player is a video game... | Q: My problem is computer gaming. I do it day and night, averaging four hours of sleep. I can't control of this, and I don't know where to go for help. Do you? --Player
A: Dear Player,
You have an addiction. For some people playing video games releases dopamine, a powerful brain chemical that makes you feel good. You'd toss your cigarettes if you were ready to quit, right? To kick the habit, get help from a health professional. And don't look for help on line; that would be like an alcoholic going to the bar for advice.
Q: My brother's wife just had triplets . This is such a joy! Yet every time I share the news with co-workers, they ask me if she was on fertility pills. I think this is rude--or has society just become so talk-show numbed that you can ask anyone anything? --No Show Host
A: Dear Host,
Yes. Our society has become increasingly disrespectful of privacy. But don't blame it all on the talk-shows. Continue to celebrate and greet impolite questions with stony silence. Their fertility history is nobody's business but their own.
Q: I work at an amusement park, and my manager steals supplies. She has a catering business on the side, and we've seen her load up her van at the back gates. The big bosses think she is the best thing since buttered bread, and we're all afraid that if we say anything, we'll lose our jobs. What can we do? --Righteous
A: Dear Righteous,
Be sure you're right. You must have evidence about what and why things are going out the back gates. Once you know for certain, it's time to go to the bosses and report what you have seen.
Q: My stepson's wife sometimes leaves their eight-year-old home alone for "a short run to the store." That may be an hour or so. I believe by law we should report it. What do you think?
--The In-laws
A: Dear Laws,
I don't know what the child-protection laws in your state are, but I do know that children need care and attention. This child may be able and unafraid, but kids aren't always careful. It also sounds like there is stress in your family relationship. One thing you can do to help this situation is offer to baby-sit when Mom needs to step out. | high4897.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "there is a huge contrast between the ancient food culture and the reality"
},
"options": [
"the price of food is too high for many common people",
"the documentary was made by a world-famous Chinese director",
"there is a hug... | You may never think a documentary film could have aroused so much public enthusiasm in Chinese history. Nowadays everybody is talking about a new 7-part documentary called A Bite of China which was recently broadcast late at night on CCTV I. The documentary describes various _ across the vast Chinese culinary landscape.
According to Taobao, China's biggest online retail website, just five days after the series began to air, nearly 6 million people went to the site in search of various local specialties, particularly those mentioned in the documentary. More than 7.2 million deals were concluded. A ham producer from Yunnan Province saw his sales grow 17-fold in five days.
However, one can't help but believe that the documentary's popularity is probably linked to the endless stream of terrible food security issues that have emerged in recent years. In one well-received article, a netizen wrote, "I wonder how many felt so empty-hearted and sighed after watching the film. Blue-vitriol watered chive, formaldehyde sprayed cabbage, Sudan Red colored salty eggs, restaurants using gutter oil. The list is long..."
How will a varied and ancient food culture that is famous worldwide and which should have made the Chinese proud end? Food is the most vital thing in people's lives. Yet China's food industry has made people a little worried due to some severe food safety crisis. The market is huge while the cost of faking and cheating is so low for immoral businessmen; and the punishment is too light. Take the milk industry as an example. Although Sanlu, the company that sold the melamine-adulterated milk powder, was punished, thousands of other dairies didn't work hard to improve the quality. Therefore, food safety problems should be an important concern of Chinese government so that our ancient food culture can be preserved.
As the documentary shows, people are attracted not to gourmet items like matsutake, a species of rare mushroom grown naturally in remote forests, but to common Chinese dishes like barley, lotus root or tofu. They are what meet our basic needs. This explains why people are so excited about A Bite of China---it is a reminder that there is still a world out there where food is excellent and safe. | high10779.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they make the music hard to understand but poetic and attractive"
},
"options": [
"singers regard it as one of the chief pleasures at the concert",
"they make the music hard to understand but poetic and attractive",
"the musi... | "Gangnam Style" by singer Psy from Korea, is a popular song, but its extraordinary global success is really the result of its music video, which is a great piece of genius. On September 22nd, Guinness World Records listed "Gangnam Style" as the most-liked video in the history of YouTube. It's been performed at West Point (West-Point Style), and Google's CEO, has done the "Gangnam Style" horse dance at the company's office in Seoul. Even Samsung is trying to make Psy the new model for the latest type of fridge.
The song's global popularity is such that the vast majority of people who enjoy it don't speak Korean, and have no idea what it is about. That's fine --- part of what makes "Gangnam Style" so fun is, like international pop music, the difficulty in understanding it. When we sing along, "Hey, sexy lady", we don't really know what we're singing about.
The joy of _ is familiar to anyone who loves pop music from elsewhere. Anthony Lane, in his 2010 review of the Eurovision Song Contest, Only Mr. God Knows Why, used "Eurovision English" as one of its chief pleasures. It's "a complex tongue, spoken nowhere else, which raises the heartfelt poetry but absolute nonsense to a level of what sci-fi writers could only have dreamed. " In similar ways, "Gangnam Style" is just an over-the-top video where a fat man does a funny dance and sings repetitive words that don't make sense to most of us.
But on the other, the magic of the song also lies in its funny dance, which reflects not just cultural morals specific to Korea, but cultural values easily recognizable to western viewers. This song's words may be in Korean, but its scenes are in clear American. The dance moves are simple enough to copy.
Nonsense, in other words, forces us to let down our guards. It makes us relax, and asks us to let in all sorts of feelings from which, otherwise, we might distance ourselves. "Gangnam Style" happens to be so interesting because of its incomprehensibleness. | high5551.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he happened to notice it"
},
"options": [
"he knew the boy well",
"it was a big shop having the most beautiful socks",
"the boy clerk was warm-hearted",
"he happened to notice it"
],
"question": "The reason why ... | One fine afternoon, while walking, I remembered that I needed a pair of socks. I turned into a sock shop that caught my eye, and a boy clerk who was about 17 came forward. "What can I do for you, sir?" There was a note of passion in his voice. "Did you know that you have come into the finest place in the world to buy socks? Come with me," said the boy. I followed him to the back of the shop, and he began to take down from the shelves box after box of socks.
"I am going to buy only one pair!" "I know that," said he, "but I want you to see how beautiful these are. Aren't they wonderful?" I became far more interested in him than in the socks. I looked at him in surprise. "My friend," said I, "if you can keep this up, if this is not just the enthusiasm that comes from having a new job, if you can keep up this excitement day after day, in ten years you will be a good businessman."
My surprise at his pride and joy in his salesmanship will be easily understood by all who read this article. In many shops the customer has to wait for someone to serve him. And when finally some shop assistant notices you, you are made to feel as if you were interrupting him. He displays no interest either in you or in the goods he is paid to sell. It's possible that every shop assistant who is now so bored began his career with hope and enthusiasm.
I have observed this happen in the lives of so many men. I have come to the conclusion that the surest road to failure is to do things mechanically . | high18325.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "couldn't accept the fact easily"
},
"options": [
"was angry with his boss",
"didn't care about it at all",
"couldn't accept the fact easily",
"was as happy as usual"
],
"question": "When the father was laid off,... | When I walked into the house after school, I found my dad at home.
"What are you doing home already?" I asked casually.
"Andrew, I was laid off today," he answered quietly.
I was sure he was joking. "No, you weren't. Why are you really home?"
Then I noticed his expression and realized he was telling the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career. My father's unemployment created many changes in our lives. He was home all day, which meant my bed had to be made, my room cleaned up, and my homework done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer searching for jobs. I began to notice how down he seemed, and how losing his job had affected his self-esteem , though he tried to be optimistic. He asked my brother and me to spend less money. I gave up my allowance , which even though it wasn't much, felt like the right thing to do. I also found a part-time job.
After several difficult months of searching, my dad decided to go in a totally different direction. He explained that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him build it, and I admired how much time and energy he devoted to it.
One evening I asked if he needed help. "Only if it doesn't interfere(,) with school," he said, which sounded like a yes.
I showed up at his office the next afternoon, and most afternoons after that for two months. I always knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really influenced me. Although this was one of the worst experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with _ . Now I know that through creative problem-solving, I can always find Plans, ask for help, and take risks. | high17016.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It is too thick for people to see something."
},
"options": [
"It is black and dirty.",
"It can affect the health.",
"It can kill people.",
"It is too thick for people to see something."
],
"question": "Why do p... | London has always been known for its "black fogs". In the winter of 1952, a milky white fog rolled into the city. As the smoke poured into the air, it was so hard to see that people had to walk in front of the buses to guide them. In this way, the most serious air pollution disaster in history began. When it was over, more than 4,000 people had been killed by the thick black smog.
New York City has had several London-type smogs since 1950. Each time, 100 to 400 deaths were caused by the smog. Although these smogs were not as deadly as London's, New York City has the worst air pollution problem in the United States.
In all the killer smogs, factories and homes poured smoke and fumes into the air from the furnaces. The chemical fumes combined with the water droplets in the fog to form harmful substances. These substances caused the illness of those who breathed the polluted air.
Usually, such harmful fumes rise into the upper air and are blown away by the wind. But sometimes there is an unusual weather condition called a temperature inversion. A layer of cold air remains near the ground as smoke and fumes pour into it. This is covered by an upper layer of warm air that acts like a lid. It prevents the polluted cooler air from rising. The harmful fumes pile up and make people ill. The smog may be so thick that airports are closed and chains of collisions occur on the highways.
Another type of smog occurs in Los Angeles. Here the weather may be clear and sunny. But stinging eyes and dry coughs show that harmful chemicals fill the air. The smog is due to invisible gases, mostly from automobile exhaust. Because these chemicals are changed by the sun high up in the air, it is called photochemical smog. It contains automobile exhaust fumes and nitrogen oxides changed by the sun's rays. Added to these are sulfur dioxide and other fumes from factories and oil refineries. Photochemical smog is found in many large cities all over the world.
Killer smogs don't happen very often, fortunately. But in Beijing, a combination of automobile exhaust fumes, home furnace smoke, and factory waste gases pours into the air. This may also happen in the suburbs, or out in the country, where large factories have been built. A number of harmful substances have been found in the air there. When these substances are breathed in day after day, the health of the population is affected. | high6058.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "is really more nutritious and healthier"
},
"options": [
"should replace traditional food",
"has been overpriced by farmers",
"is grown with less harmful chemicals",
"is really more nutritious and healthier"
],
... | Is It Worth Buying Organic Food?
Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels . However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious and safer product, you might want to save your money. A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren't necessarily more nutritious, and they're no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria, either.
The latest results, published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, suggest that buyers may be wasting their money. "We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier," says Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford. "So consumers shouldn't assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer."
For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods, including key vitamins, minerals and fats.
While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content, they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces. Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards. And both
organic and traditional meats, such as chicken and pork, were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates. The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these nutritional differences were too small, and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends.
Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices, but that doesn't always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product. The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that "whether you buy organic or not, finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste." Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic. | high13270.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "made others unwilling to talk to him"
},
"options": [
"disturbed others",
"made it easy for him to keep in touch with others",
"made it easy for him to visit the library",
"made others unwilling to talk to him"
],
... | Zhu Haoyu, 18, a history major, wears his iPod everywhere on campus. The freshman has it going out for a walk, visiting the library or lying in bed. However, he found that his habit is like displaying a big "Do not disturb "sign for himself.
As time slips away, he has begun to regret not having conversed much with his peers around . "As I put the little buds into my ears, I'm
in a universe of my own, forgetting all troubles in the real world," said Li.
The MP3 player is one of a number of gadgets --starting with the Sony Walkman, which led to the iPod, iPhone and iPad --that give people the ability to shut themselves off from world around them.
Youngsters delight in handset technology. In public, students chat on their cell phones, stopping only to talk briefly to friends. On buses or trains it's common to see youngsters with PlayStations instead of playing poker or sharing jokes or games. And during airline flights, people watch episodes of US TV dramas on their iPads, rather than talking.
The
recently published an article saying that headphone wearing culture is making us anti-social. "Half of humankind is wired to a parallel universe that leaves them ignoring their surroundings and fellows," wrote Tom de Castella.
Actually, it's a decade since Apple unveiled the iPod, which promised "1,000 songs in your pocket". In 2007 more than half of Western residents were using an iPod or MP3 player.
Entertainment is on offer in all surroundings, not just at home. But in the meantime, it has created barriers between us. Many people subscribe to the view that the headphone culture is creating a "spoilt, selfish generation that lacks civic culture".
However, many users of portable MP3 players argue that the device, as a mind drug, helps them relieve stress by escaping for a while. It is also said to be able to help some students concentrate on work or study. "If you want to get away from the hucksters on the way, just start listening to your player," said Liu, a freshman. "They do not approach people with headphones on." This might also mean he's blocking those who want to ask him for the directions.
Experts, however, say that short contacts or mini conversations with strangers are helpful to our mind. Many experts warn that it is dangerous to lose touch with people in our lives. | high15601.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "the dog is the most popular pet for man"
},
"options": [
"the dog can take the place of most medicines",
"the dog is the most popular pet for man",
"the findings of the research cannot be trusted",
"visits by a human wo... | A new study finds that the animal known as man's best friend can also be a good friend to the heart. Researchers in California say they have found that even just a short visit with a dog helped ease the worries of heart patients.
The study divided the patients into three groups. In Group A, a dog and a person visited each patient for twelve minutes. Patients in Group B received just a human visitor for twelve minutes. And members of Group C received no visitor, human or canine .
The dogs would lie on the hospital bed so the heart patients could touch them. The researchers say some patients immediately smiled and talked to the dog and the human visitor. Dogs, in her words, "make people happier, calmer and feel more loved."
The researchers examined the patients before, during and after the visits. They measured stress levels based on blood flow and heart activity. They say they found a twenty-four percent decrease in the group visited by both a dog and a person. They reported a ten percent decrease in the group visited by a person only. There was no change in the patients without any visit. These patients, however, did have an increase in their production of the hormone epinephrine (epinephrine). The body produces epinephrine during times of stress.
The increase was an average of seven percent. But the study found that patients who spent time with a dog had a seventeen percent drop in their levels of epinephrine. Patients visited by a human but not a dog also had a decrease, but only two percent. | high7346.txt |
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