questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "have to pull through a winter before they hatch"
},
"options": [
"are laid in late spring",
"have to pull through a winter before they hatch",
"are protected by mother spittlebugs all the time",
"will be eaten by ants"
... | In spring, you may have seen white foam on a green tree or other plants. As a matter of fact, the foam is where young spittlebugs live. These insects are protected by the foam, and they usually don't do much harm to the plants.
As we all know, in late summer, a mother spittlebug lays her eggs on the plant. The babies will hatch in spring. After they come to the new world, they begin to eat juice from the plant. The babies eat more juice than their bodies need for food. The extra juice mixes with a special waste that the spittlebugs produce. When this fluid is released, it mixes with the air, forming bubbly foam.
What is so great about having a foam home? The space inside is so wet that it can keep the bugs' soft bodies from drying out. And the foam tastes bad, so it keeps away most animals that would eat the bugs. Some birds will reach their heads through the foam to find the bugs. Wasps and ants might eat them, too. But most of the bugs stay safe inside the foam.
Once the bugs have grown into adults, they stop making foam. They leave their homes and jump from plant to plant in search of food. The adults look a little like tiny frogs. For this reason they are also called froghoppers.
If you see some foam on a plant, you might want to take a careful look inside. Gently push some of the foam aside with a small stick. Deep inside you may see a few insects eating plant juice. They might also be making more foam. Be sure to push the foam back after a moment to cover the insects and keep them safe. Soon the spittlebugs will grow up and leave their foam home. They will join the other insects in the grassland. | high8713.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "introduce several ways of joining a program for charity work"
},
"options": [
"explain how holiday-makers can make their life meaningful",
"show what lonely and miserable lives poor citizens are leading",
"advertize for a com... | While exciting for many, the holidays are stressful for the thousands of families who are struggling in our community.
Therefore, our holiday programs coordinate food collections and donations to aid the low-income mothers, children and senior citizens. Those who wish to join the challenge can send financial donations to our office: 1355 Oakman Boulevard, Detroit 48238. Other ways you can get involved are:
Collect fresh or packaged food or donations for senior citizens. Many schools and business coordinate food drives to support this effort. The donation will be distributed in a massive effort on December 12 at the Rashid Ground. Call 313 494 4401.
Adopt a senior citizen. We will randomly select senior citizens and provide their contact information for donors. We encourage donors to provide fresh food for a holiday meal, and small gifts, if possible. Donors are responsible for purchasing and distributing the gifts and food. Call 313 494 4424.
Adopt a family. Donors can request the names and addresses of families that are enrolled in our food program to provide gifts and food for the holiday season. They can indicate the size of the family they wish to adopt. All families will be selected randomly. Call 313 494 4413.
Participate in our Special Holiday Delivery. Different from past years, when delivery took place at the Gathering Center, volunteers are now expected to meet at the Campus Hall on December 12 to pick up boxes of food and deliver them to senior citizens. Contact Volunteer Outreach Department at 313 494 4270 to sign up for this special event. | high12608.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The French and British people"
},
"options": [
"The Dutch",
"Only the French",
"The Dutch and the French",
"The French and British people"
],
"question": "Who succeeded in planting sugarcane?",
"question_typ... | prefix = st1 /Mauritius, with its full name the Republic of Mauritius, an island country, lies 1,200 miles off the southeastern coast of Africa, and just east of Madagascar, another African island country, which is larger by far thanMauritius. It covers 788 square miles and has a population of 1,00,000, about 750.000 Indians, 300,000 Chinese and 20,000 Whites included. They are living together peacefully, although they share such different beliefs as Hindu, Roman Catholic, Muslim and so on.
The country can be divided into many parts with different climate all because of its peculiar terrains . In the center there are volcanoes several thousand feet high, and 90% of its arable land is covered with sugarcane.
There are no people living on the island before the Dutch landed on it in 1638. The Dutch _ it in 1710, and five years later, the French came and succeeded in planting sugarcane there. It was conquered byBritainin 1818. As a result, its official language is English. The main big cities are Beau - Bassin and Mahebourg, withPort Louisas its capital.
Mauritius has many rare and unique animals, such as the snakes, parrots and lizards. The giraffe is a type of animal with a very long neck and legs and yellow skin with dark spots. It is the tallest of all living animals.
Mauritius was extremely poor when it declared its independence in 1968. In the past ten years, obvious economic prosperity has shown itself in this island country. Nowadays its business, culture and tourism are developing rapidly. Every year, thousands of millions of people rush there to enjoy the silver sand beach and song and dance performances with native national characters. | high22913.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Whether humans are born with a fear of snakes and spiders."
},
"options": [
"How people's fear of snakes and spiders has evolved.",
"Whether humans are born with a fear of snakes and spiders.",
"Why snakes and spiders are con... | FROM dogs and cats to pandas and penguins, lists of adorable animals can be very varied. However, when it comes to scary animals, the answers are often more or less the same - snakes and spiders are among the most dreadful ones for the majority of us.
However, most of us have never been bitten by a snake or a spider. So does this mean we are born with a fear of certain things?
Scientists have been actively looking into it for a long time. For example, studies have suggested that babies find live animals much more interesting than stuffed ones. This interest continues even if those animals are snakes and spiders.
A study published in Psychological Science in 2008 seemed to show that snakes did have a different impact on babies. When scientists presented babies with animal videos along with random sounds of happy or frightened human voices, they found that babies looked at snakes for longer than any other animal however the voices sounded.
Now, a team from Rutgers University in New Jersey, US has tried to challenge the idea that babies are born with a fear of snakes and spiders. According to the BBC, the researchers measured babies' physiological responses as they watched videos of snakes and elephants paired with both fearful and happy voices.
Scientists then set out to surprise the babies to see how they would react. They presented them with an unexpected bright flash of light as they watched a video. As the BBC explained, a surprise like this would be more intense if the babies were already scared, just like when we watch scary films and jump more if we are already scared.
However, according to their findings, published recently in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, babies' surprised responses were not bigger when watching a video of a snake, even when it was shown with a fearful voice. Their heart response was also lower, which also made it seem that babies were not scared.
"Children do not have an _ fear of snakes," concluded the study. Even if previous studies had suggested that babies have different responses to snakes, it isn't necessarily related to fear. "It's possible that paying more attention to something might make fear learning easier later on. It leads to fear learning," said research co-author Vanessa LoBue. She further explained that it was a good thing that humans didn't have an inborn fear of snakes because it would make a young infant's desire to explore new things less strong.
Instead, we have evolved to quickly learn to be afraid of something if it turns out to be dangerous. | high13516.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "People can take the books and leave their books at will."
},
"options": [
"People can take the books and leave their books at will.",
"People can' t borrow books unless they donate books.",
"People can borrow whatever they li... | Public bookshelves are appearing across Germany on street corners,city squares and in suburban supermarkets. In these freeforall libraries,people can grab whatever they want to read,and leave behind anything they want for others. There's no need to register,no due date,and you can take or give as many as you want."This project is aimed at everyone who likes to read .It is open for everybody," Michael Aubermann,one of the organizers of the free book exchange said.
The western city' s latest public shelf was put up next to Bayenturm. It is the fourth free shelf that Aubermann' s group,the Cologne Citizen's Foundation,has placed outside."We set up our other outdoor shelves last year and it's been working really well," said Aubermann. The public bookshelves,which are usually financed by donations and cared for by local volunteer groups,have appeared independently of each other in many cities,suburbs and villages. Each shelf holds around 200 books and it takes about six weeks for a complete turnover,with all the old titles replaced by new ones.
Even commercial book stores and online book sellers seem to support the idea of free book exchanges."We see this project rather as a sales promotion than as competition,"said Elmar Muether."If books are present everywhere,it helps our business,too."
So far,the Cologne book group has had few problems with damage or other problems. Aubermann said,"Propaganda is the only kind of literature we do not allow here."
At another bookshelf in the Bayenthal neighborhood,the lower shelves are reserved for children's literature only."It is important that we make it easy for everyone to participate in this 'reading culture on the street'--from old readers to kids to immigrants,"Aubermann said.
While most of the shelves have so far been put up in _ ,Aubermann and the 20 volunteers who help look after the project are planning to put up future shelves in poor neighborhoods,where citizens often don't have as much access to literature. | high14279.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "children of workers from outside Wuhan"
},
"options": [
"native children in Wuhan",
"children of workers from outside Wuhan",
"children from different foreign countries",
"children from poor families"
],
"questi... | Musa teaches English at Chunmiao Primary School in Wuhan. He had never heard of China's idol of selflessness before he arrived in the country, but this unusual young man from Nigeria is carrying on the good work of China's hero soldier.
Musa's week begins with a crowded two-hour bus ride for a flag-raising ceremony at Chunmiao Primary School with old classrooms for the children of migrant workers on the outside parts of Wuhan.An hour later, he steps in front of a room full of expectant students, some of whom recently organized a dance exhibition for their foreign teacher.
The dance showed the spirit of Lei Feng (1940-1962), a soldier who was idolized across China for his selflessness. It was especially meaningful to Musa because the students call him "foreign Lei Feng".
"I know Lei Feng, he is a good man. Everyone should learn from Lei Feng," he says.
Born to a family of diplomats in 1985, he is the second of nine children and the eldest son. Musa was expected to become a diplomat like his father, who worked in Canada from 2007.In 2008, Musa was picked by Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to study in China for a master's degree in sociology . With the hope of joining the foreign service, he then went on to study for a doctor's degree in international relations at Central China Normal University. | high5237.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Observing objects can help remember what we've experienced."
},
"options": [
"Photos taken in the park have a bad effect on children's memory.",
"The fewer photos you take, the fewer details you remember.",
"Observing objects... | With parents flooding their camera phones with hundreds of photos -- from loose teeth to each step in the potty training process -- how might the photos affect our memories?
Maryanne Garry, a psychology professor, has studied the effects of photography on our memories for years. "I think the problem is that people are giving away being in the moment. Those parents at the park taking all those photos are actually paying less attention to the moment, because they're focusing on the act of taking the photo." she says.
Henkel, who researches human memory at Fairfield University in Connecticut, began an experiment by sending groups of students to the university's art museum. The students observed some objects and photographed others. Then, back at the lab, they were given a memory test. Henkel found what she called a "photo-taking impairment effect." "The objects that they had taken photos of -- they actually remembered fewer of them, and remembered fewer details. Like, how was this statue's hands positioned, or what was this statue wearing on its head." she says. Her students' memories were impaired because relying on an external memory aid meant they subconsciously counted on the camera to remember the details.
"As soon as you hit 'click' on that camera, it's as if you've outsourced your memory," she says. "Any time we count on these external memory devices, we're taking away the kind of mental cognitive processing that might help us actually remember that stuff on our own." Henkel says it's also a mistake to think of photographs as memories. The photo will remain the same to you each time you look at it, but memories change over time. "Each time I remember what my high school graduation was like, I might be color1ing and changing that memory because of my current perspective -- because of new ideas that I have or things that I learned afterwards," she says. "Human memory is much more dynamic than photographs." But Henkel doesn't want people to stop taking photos. Instead, she'd like us to be more mindful when taking pictures in the first place. They're still valuable tools that can provide "rich retrieval clues" later on. | high18443.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "didn't expect a fashion industry had lots of work as ordinary as normal."
},
"options": [
"did not like the fashion.",
"imagined it being beautiful and simply.",
"didn't expect a fashion industry had lots of work as ordinary ... | As a young woman who was always interested in style, I got lucky in interning with a fashion company in Tokyo, last summer.
I worked as an assistant in the Business Planning Department, helping with marketing for the 2007 Spring/Summer collections. Fashion is a beautiful industry. But against my expectation, it also has lots of ordinary work. Every day, I would do sample testing, prepare the brochure for future launches, and meet with customers and visitors.
Japanese companies had a traditional work style. We had a meeting every morning at 9 o'clock. Every Monday, all employees, including those in other parts ofprefix = st1 /Japan, would take part in a conference call. Every afternoon, after finishing work, each of us would say goodbye to every manager in the company, which took more than five minutes.
All of this kept me fresh. And the strict work atmosphere caused me to work harder. At the end of last August, the company's 2007 Spring/Summer collection started with a big show and was very successful. Lots of customers showed an interest in our products, including a businessman from Hong Kong.
He went to our company for more details on the products, but he couldn't speak Japanese and none of the staff spoke good English.
Just when the situation seemed helpless, I offered to give it a try. I was a Japanese major, but I had also practiced my English often. My translation job was praised by both the customer and my boss. And the guest made a big purchase.
The two-month internship taught me a lot about business. And the pay - 150,000 yen, or over 10,000 yuan a month- was enough to cover my daily living costs inTokyo.
Moreover, the experience made me stand out. Every interviewer I've spoken with showed an interest and discussed my internship with me.
And thanks to this experience, I've found a good job in one of the Big Four accounting firms and will start working this summer. | high17770.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a website"
},
"options": [
"a radio program",
"a website",
"a newspaper",
"a TV program"
],
"question": "This text must be taken from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Most people want to be successful, but never stop to think what it will really take to get there in their chosen field. If it means going back to college for 2 years of night school, could you do it ? If it means reading a book a week for about 6 months in order to really master a new skill ? If you aren't prepared to do any of those things because they are outside of your comfort zone, then you can forget being succesful. I guarantee you will never reach your goals in life, unless your goals are to be ordinary.
The biggest killer by far is the dreaded " comfort zone " where most people live in their entire life. And the funny thing is that people just can't wrap their heads around the fact that people who have reached some success get tons of time to just relax, but only because they've earned it ! If you haven't built a successful business, or in some way built a career that allow you so much freee time, then you are stuck in the grinding world of nine-to-five jobs everyone else. So how comfortable is that ?
So what can you do about it ? Well, find a way to make something happen in your life--- build a business around your favourite hobby, write a book and publish it, or take a course in stock trading and become an expert at that, working on making enough money to retire. If you don't take massive action that puts your way of your comfort zone, you will never be successful at much of anything. I promise--- and I don't make many promises !
Finding real happiness in life can be a mystery for many. That's why I wrote The Road to Happiness for those who want real success and happiness in life, including spirituality and all the gifts life has to offer.
Don't wander aimlessly through life. Get focused on your goals, start helping others in need, and live life to the fullest ! Life is too short to be anything but happy. Visit my website and find what you've been missing. Sign up for my newsletter and get seven free ebooks, too ! Read hundreds of articles while you're there in the article section, which is updated daily. | high2558.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "study the ways to slow or stop the process of aging"
},
"options": [
"teach people how to eat properly",
"discover how important the exercise is to one's health",
"study the ways to slow or stop the process of aging",
"... | No one really knows how and why people change as they get older. Also, no theory sufficiently explains all the changes of the aging process. Aging is a complex and varied process that varies in how it affects different people and organs. In fact, even in one person , different organ systems "age " at a different rate.
At a certain point in our lives our body systems will begin to weaken . It may become more difficult for us to see and hear. The slow change of aging causes our bodies to lose some of their ability to _ from disease and injury. In order to live longer , we have always tried to slow or stop this change that leads us toward the end of our lives.
Many factors decide our health . A good diet plays an important role. The amount and the type of exercise we get are another two factors. Our living condition is yet another. But scientists studying the aging problem want to know: Why do people grow old? They hope that by studying the aging medical science they may be able to make the length of life longer.
There is nothing to be afraid of as the old age comes. Many consider the later part of life to be the best time for living. Physical activity may become less, but often we get better understanding of the world and ourselves.
What we consider the old age now may only be middle-aged some day soon. Who knows ,with so many advances in medical science happening so quickly, life length may one day be measured in centuries ,rather than in years! | high11301.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Home Exchange for Your Holiday"
},
"options": [
"Home Exchange for Your Holiday",
"How to Find the Best House",
"Everyone Loves Exchanging Homes",
"Tips for Your Trip"
],
"question": "The most suitable title for... | All you need to participate in home exchange is a house! You don't need to compare values of the houses or search for a _ partner in the case of a home similar to yours. It just requires identifying a home where you and your family can stay comfortably in the place you wish to visit. You need to search for a person or a family with whom you would be comfortable exchanging your home with,for a short period of time. In home exchange,you would be taking care of other people's home,as well as enjoying the country while they would be doing the same from your home.
People who have traveled a lot would know that the most expensive part of traveling is paying hotel bills. In many cases, vacations cannot last for long mainly because of the high accommodation expenses. Holiday home exchange is one of the most simple and intelligent ways to cut down an accommodation expenses. It is an equal trade for bath the families and enables both to enjoy the advantages of a home while traveling to another country.
Home exchanges have become very popular in major cities in the United Kingdom as it allows you to benefit from time-share. Mostly, people participating in home exchanges prefer to involve their friends or neighbors to entertain their visitors, by providing the home exchange visitors with information regarding the local sightseeing attractions. Many families with children try to swap houses with families who have children of the similar age group. It saves time and energy that is often exhausted in carrying around a number of toys and equipment. The individual traveler often finds house swapping a great way of relaxing in the comforts of a home after a tiring day of sightseeing and can spend more time to get to know the area better. | high3646.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Rs. 240,000."
},
"options": [
"Rs. 20,000.",
"Rs. 140,000.",
"Rs. 240,000.",
"Rs. 480,000."
],
"question": "How much can you get in the first year if you are employed as the research officer?",
"question_typ... | Centre for Early Childhood Development & Research (CECDR)
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
June 20, 2014
The CECDR has been given permission for an ICSSR research project entitled "The Uttarakhand Disaster and Lives of Young Children & Pregnant & Lactating Mothers: An Exploratory Study of Impact, Coping & Interventions". The CECDR requires a Research Officer for the same.
No of Posts - Research Officer: 1 (One)
Duration - Two years (24 months)
Salary - Rs. 20,000/- pm (fixed)
Essential Qualifications - Post-Graduate Degree in Psychology / Social Work / Sociology / Anthropology / Child Development / Education with a Good Academic Record.
Desirable:
a) Previous research experience including of leading a research team
b) Familiarity in working with MS Office and Statistical software
c) Good conversational skills (Hindi and English, knowledge of languages spoken in Uttarakhand would be an added advantage)
d) Willingness to Travel at least 15 days in a month in Uttarakhand
Candidates fulfilling the above required qualifications may apply on plain paper along with their latest CV. The applications should reach "The Director, Centre for Early Childhood Development and Research" latest by July 20, 2014 either in person or by post to: Director, Centre for Early Childhood Development and Research, 1st Floor, Child Development Centre, Schools Complex, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi- 10025.
Prof Zubair Meenai
Director
Centre for Early Childhood Development and Research
Advertisement for the post of Project Assistant
Applications are invited on plain paper for the post of Project Assistant (One), Rs. 14,000/- per month in an Indian National Science Academy (INSA) sponsored project entitled, "Role of small G-protein in Leishmania donovani infection", at Deptt of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi-110025 under the guidance of Dr. Abdur Rub (Principle Investigator). The post is purely temporary and will continue till the continuation of the project (3 yrs).
Essential qualifications: The candidates must be possessing Master Degree in Biotechnology /Biochemistry /Bioinformatics with at least 60 % aggregate.
Desirable: Research experience in the field of Leishmania infection/ cell signaling/drug development etc.
How to apply: Applications along with updated CV and self attested copies of the relevant documents in support of educational qualification and experiences must reach to Dr. Abdur Rub (Principle Investigator), Room No. 418, Fourth Floor, Deptt of Biotechnology, Srinivasa Ramanujan Block, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University), New Delhi-110025 by post/personally latest by 5th July 2014. | high18457.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they intend to keep their national secrets unknown to others"
},
"options": [
"they think such freedom will lead to wars",
"they more often than not agree with each other on important matters",
"they intend to keep their nati... | Transportation and communication networks bring people together. Yet sometimes people themselves create barriers to transportation and communication. In some countries, laws stop people from moving freely from place to place.
Over the centuries, many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race, religion, or nationality. In the Middle Ages, for example, Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities. South Africa's government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travel within the country. Some governments require all citizens to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they move.
Countries set up Customs posts at their borders. Foreign travellers must go through a Customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country. Usually travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas . Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year. Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country, or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay.
Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication. When two governments disagree with each other on important matters, they usually do not want their citizens to exchange news or ideas freely. Countries often try to keep military or industrial information secret.
Today, people have the ability to travel, to communicate, and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before. Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily. The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome. But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers, people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas. | high5223.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A Good Education"
},
"options": [
"Education",
"A Mastery of English",
"A Good Education",
"Something About Study"
],
"question": "The best title for this passage might be _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_qu... | What is a good education? The question is far from being answered. Once more, colleges and universities are changing their programs: they _ "fun courses" and restart some of the traditional subjects neglected since the 1960s. Many great schools are again requiring the students to take a number of classes in English, history, literature, the social sciences, philosophy, the natural sciences, and art if they want to get a degree. Meanwhile, the experts are trying to describe the good education of our time. Obviously the purely vocational training once favored is not enough. But neither is the gentleman's education of the nineteenth century. Educational programs must meet the demands of a modern world where men and women have to work and to deal with big problems.
What, then, is a good education of this century? Some educators suggest that it should include foreign languages and the study of foreign cultures; a mastery of English, including the ability to write and speak well, because communications have become all-important in the modern world, and also because "a person who doesn't speak and write clearly doesn't reason clearly either"; some knowledge of the social sciences (sociology, psychology) that deal with human relations and human problems; some basic knowledge of modern science, which would enable future voters to be better informed about current problems like nuclear. Finally, many educators insist that all college graduates should be familiar with computers and modern information system since the educated professionals of tomorrow will have to understand their machines. Is that all? "No, of course not." answer the educators. "We have not mentioned the two great building blocks of education: history and literature!" | high3652.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "125"
},
"options": [
"500",
"125",
"100",
"200"
],
"question": "How much is a dress that is usually sold at 250 yuan during Singles' Day at tmall.com?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Ahead of so-called Singles' Day on the 11th of this month,2013, online sales have already begun peaking.
The leading e-business platform, tmall.com, has promoted its fifty-percent-off discount to attract consumers. They are also trying to attract buyers through social media. Vice President of tmall.com Wang Yulei says more than 20 thousand online stores have joined the Double 11 Day sales. But this number has doubled. The final number of how many products going to be on sale has not been known yet. But so far, many more products planned to be put on shelves with discounts.
During last year's Singles' Day, tmall.com, together with taobao.com, reached a record of 19.1 billion yuan in sales, which considered a milestone in the e-business history of China.
Singles' Day was first started by Chinese college students in the 1990s as the opposite of Valentine's Day, a celebration for people without romantic partners. The timing was based on the date: Nov. 11--or double 11--for singles. Single young people would treat each other to dinner or give gifts to show love to someone and end their single status.
But now, the Singles' Day has been promoted as a kind of grand craze just for the shopping season, thanks to thousands of discounted products being promoted online.
Taobao.com was the first big e-retail platform which used the double 11 idea to promote sales. Taobao.com reached one million yuan worth of sales on that day in 2009, when they first promoted the Singles' Day idea. In 2010, the sales increased to 936 million yuan. The figure climbed up to 5.3 billion yuan in 2011, putting huge demand on shipping services. The figure doubled in 2012.
E-commerce is considered to be replacing the traditional retailing industry, but the reality is both sides are learning from each other. | high19749.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it is a country with the Health Service"
},
"options": [
"people have to pay part of the medical care",
"everyone in France enjoys free medical care",
"it is a country with the Health Service",
"it is a very rich countr... | As we all know, any country has good reasons to want its citizens to be as healthy as possible. This led to the introduction of a health service in many countries. France has developed into a country in which all citizens can get most of the health treatment free. The money for this is partly from the people who are willing to offer.
But there are different opinions about the Health Service. The number of patients treated every year and the cost of treatment are much greater than expected. This means that the people who work for the Health Service --- doctors, nurses and other hospital workers, have much more work to do, and as a result they have little time for preventive treatment.
However, the tough problem is that as many people are able to receive treatment more expensive than they can pay, sometimes people go and visit their doctors when they don't really need to. As there are many patients, doctors cannot spend time long enough with each patient. So some people prefer to pay for their own treatment so that their doctors can examine them more carefully. In fact, some rich people feel that they should pay more free money, which would be given to other citizens. | high15173.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the general vote is being held"
},
"options": [
"the president has been murdered",
"the general strike for power has ended",
"the government has resigned",
"the general vote is being held"
],
"question": "Betwee... | Between ten and midnight the United States is politically leaderless--there is no center of information anywhere in the nation except in the New York headquarters of the great broadcasting companies and two wire services. No candidate and no party can afford the investment on election night to match the news-gathering resources of the mass media; and so as every citizen sits in his home watching his TV set or listening to his radio, he is the equal of any other in knowledge. There is nothing that can be done in these hours, for no one can longer direct the great strike for America's power; the polls have closed. Good or bad, whatever the decision, America will accept the decision--and cut down any man who goes against it, even though for millions the decision runs contrary to their own votes. The general vote is an expression of national will, the only substitute for violence and blood. Its decision is to be defended as one defends civilization itself.
There is nothing like this American expression of will in England or France, India or Russia. Only one other major nation in modern history has tried to elect its leader directly by mass, free, popular vote. This was the Weiman Republic of Germany, which modeled its unitary vote for national leaders on the American practice. Out of its experiment with the system it got Hitler. Americans have had Lincoln, Wilson and two Roosevelts. Nothing can be done when the voting returns are flooding in; the White House and its power will move to one or another of the two candidates, and all will know about it in the morning. But for these hours history stops. | high7434.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Explaining the News."
},
"options": [
"Function of the Night Editor",
"Explaining the News.",
"Subjective versus Objective Processes",
"Choosing Facts"
],
"question": "The best title for this passage is .",
... | The newspaper must provide for the reader the facts, pure, unprejudiced , objectively selected facts. But in these days the complex news it must provide more; it must supply explanation, the meaning of the facts. This is the most important assignment facing American journalism--to make clear to the reader the problems of the day, to make international news understandable as community news, to recognize that there is no longer any such thing(with the possible exception of society news)as "local" news, because any event in the international area has local reaction in the financial market, political circles, indeed, of our very way of life. There is in journalism a widespread view that when you consider giving an explanation, you are entering dangerous water, the swirling tides of opinion. This is nonsense.
The opponents of explanation insist that the writer and the editor shall confine himself to the "facts". This insistence raises two questions; What are the facts? And are the bare facts enough? As for the first question, consider how a so-called "factual" story comes about. The reporter collects, say, fifty facts; out of these fifty, his space being necessarily restricted, he selects the ten that he considers most important. This is Judgment Number One. Then he or his editor decides which of these ten facts shall constitute the beginning of the article. (this is an important decision because many readers do not proceed beyond the first paragraph) This is Judgment Number Two. Then. The night editor decides whether the article shall be presented on page one, where it has a large influence, or on page twenty-four, where it has little. Judgment Number Three.
Thus in the show of a so-called "factual" of "objective" story, at least three judgments are involved. And they are judgments mot at all unlike those involved in explanation, in which reporter and editor, calling upon their research resources , their general background, and their "news neutralism" , arrive at a conclusion as to the importance of the news.
The two areas of judgment, presentation of the news and its explanation, are both objective rather than subjective processes--as objective, that is, as any human being can be. (Note in passing; even though complete objectivity can never be achieved, nevertheless the ideal must always be the light in the murky news channels) If an editor is intern on giving a prejudiced view of the news, he can do it in other ways and more effectively than by explanation. He can do it by the selection of those facts that support his particular viewpoint. Or he can do it by the play he gives a story promoting it to page one or putting it on page thirty. | high22907.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Species diversity."
},
"options": [
"Land building.",
"Species diversity.",
"Human population.",
"Wildlife's body size."
],
"question": "According to the scientists, what will fencing influence _ ?",
"ques... | Fencing or Not
Wildlife fences are constructed for a variety of reasons including to prevent the spread of diseases, to protect wildlife from poachers , and to help manage small populations of threatened species. Human-wildlife conflict is another common reason for building fences. Wildlife can damage valuable farm animals and crops. Some species carry diseases of agricultural concern, and a few threaten human lives. At the same time, people kill wild animals for food, trade, or to defend lives or property, and human activities destroy wildlife habitat . Separating people and wildlife by fencing can appear to be a _ beneficial way to avoid such harmful effects. But in a paper in the journal Science, published recently, some scientists argue that fencing should only be used if worse comes to worst.
According to the scientists, although fencing can have conservation benefits, it also has costs. When areas of wildlife habitat are changed into islands, the resulting small and isolated populations tend towards extinction, and the resulting loss of larger-bodied species can affect interactions between species in ways that cause further local extinctions. Therefore, scientists are asking that conservationists carefully weigh up the biodiversity costs and benefits of new and existing fences.
In addition to fences' ecosystem-wide impact, the scientists don't think they always achieve their specific aims. Construction of fences to reduce human-wildlife conflict has been successful in some places but the challenges of appropriate fence design, location, construction, and protection mean that fences often fail to deliver the anticipated benefits. In some places, fences also provide poachers with a ready supply of wire for making traps.
A variety of alternative approaches, including better caring for farm animals, community-based crop-guarding, insurance and wildlife-sensitive land-use planning are suggested to reduce conflicts between people and wildlife without the need for fencing. Some projects working with local people and government agencies in Indonesia have shown that human-elephant conflict can be dramatically reduced without using fences.
The scientists conclude that as climate change increases the importance of facilitating wildlife mobility and conserving landscape connectivity, fence removal may become an important form of climate change preparation, and so fencing of wildlife should be avoided whenever possible. | high9419.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "like and accept ourselves as we are"
},
"options": [
"concentrate on our body image only",
"not develop strong self-esteem",
"like and accept ourselves as we are",
"be less independent of our parents"
],
"questi... | I'm fat, I'm too skinny.I'd be happy if I were taller, shorter, had curly hair, straight hair, a smaller nose, bigger muscles, longer legs.
Do any of these statements sound familiar? Are you used to putting yourself down? If so, you' re not alone.As a teen, you're going through many changes in your body.And as your body changes, so does your image of yourself.Lots of people have trouble adjusting, and this can affect their self-esteem .
If you have a positive body image, you probably like and accept yourself the way you are.This healthy attitude allows you to explore other aspects of growing up, such as developing good friendships, growing more independent from your parents, and challenging yourself physically and mentally.Developing these parts of yourself can help boost yourself-esteem.
A positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle (such as exercising and eating right) are a great combination for building good self-esteem.
Some people think they need to change how they look or act to feel good about themselves. But actually all you need to do is change the way you see your body and how you think about yourself.
The first thing to do is recognize that your body is your own, no matter what shape, size or color it comes in.If you are very worried about your weight or size, check with your doctor to verify that things are OK.But it is no one's business but your own what your body is like--ultimately, you have to be happy with yourself.
Next, identify which aspects of your appearance you can realistically change and which you can't.Everyone has things about themselves that they can't change and need to accept--like their height, for example, or their shoe size.
When you hear negative comments coming from within yourself, tell yourself to stop.Try building your self-esteem by giving yourself three good things every day.By focusing on the good things you do and the positive aspects of your life, you can change how you feel about yourself.
The most important thing is to get help if you feel like your body image and self-esteem are affecting your life. | high1723.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "23 yuan."
},
"options": [
"16 yuan.",
"23 yuan.",
"30 yuan.",
"20 yuan."
],
"question": "If you go to visit the Long March exhibit with an Australian, how much will you pay altogether for the admission ?",
"... | Long March exhibit
The Shanghai History Museum is putting on an exhibition to mark the 60th anniversary of the Long March. On show are more than 220 photos and 40 items that explain with pictures how the communist Red Army drew back from its besieged bases in Jiangxi Province and fought its way to northern Shaanxi Province in the mid-1930s. Explanations are all in Chinese. The show will end on November 20.
Time: 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Address: 1286 Hongqiao Road
Admission: 8 yuan for Chinese /15 yuan for foreigners
Thai elephants
Eight elephants from Thailand are entertaining visitors at Changfeng Park by riding bikes, playing basketball, balancing on a beam, dancing and blowing a mouthorgan. People are encouraged to have a tug-of-war with the animals or lie on the ground and have the elephants walk over them. The elephants give three shows a day at 9:30 am, 3:30 pm and 8:00 pm and there is an additional show at l:30 pm at weekends. The show will end on November 15.
Address: 189 Daduhe Road
Admission: 30-40 yuan
Dancing dolphins
Dolphins jumping from the water to touch a ball, swaying their bodies to music, kissing people and doing math by tapping their tails have made the dolphinarium in Peace Park an attraction for children. Seals and sea lions also perform.
Hours: 10:30 am, 4:00 pm, and 7:30 pm
Admission: 20 yuan for adults and 10 yuan for children. | high13264.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "her husband suffered from cancer"
},
"options": [
"she found it hard to contact with her husband",
"she settled in Silicon Valley for fifty years",
"she got marred to a technical specialist",
"her husband suffered from ... | My mother is the only living person who has never communicated via email or text. She has never turned on a computer, registered an email account, used data storage media or searched the Internet. Since 1955, she has settled in Silicon Valley, married to an extremely technical specialist in applied physics and engineering, designing photometric systems for NASA. Only when Dad suffered from cancer could we convince her she needed a cell phone. Mom's being separated from the information age is voluntary and deliberate.
Mom is still that farm girl, and she takes the most pride in it. She sees her neighbor and her community "real". She shows no interest in the digital and virtual life. My mother saw Depression, World War II and the beginning of the Cold War before reaching voting age. She enjoyed country music on "The Sons of the Pioneers", a Canadian broadcast. The battery was so precious a resource that radio was limited to the barn because Grandma thought it helped cows produce milk. In the age when Churchill moved millions for the first time with radio broadcasts, she only experienced live media monthly, if at all.
In her early twenties, Mom completed nurses' training and worked in that field before marriage, family and church became her life's concerns. She never really warmed up to television, though I think she appreciated a few of the series we watched, comedies like All in the Family. Computers, the Internet and mobile apps are simply not part of her experience.
Mom disagrees with the opinion that technology simplifies life. In her life, she sees online records, email and paperless systems as mysteries in which no written reference can assist her.
However, I can partly understand: I like such kind of experience and relationship one has with physical books. I am a child of television who only recently switched to online viewing. I've written down my awkward, love-hate relationship with my devices. _ , but it works for her. She's happiest as she is. | high8061.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "was fair and respectable"
},
"options": [
"didn't like hunting",
"enjoy being special",
"was not brave enough",
"was fair and respectable"
],
"question": "According to the passage, we can know President Roosevel... | Teddy Bears have been a very popular children's toy for many years. Most adults can remember their first stuffed bear, and over the decades these toys have become nearly a symbol of their childhood. However, children are not the only ones with whom these toys have become popular, as many adults make it a habit to collect these toys as well.
The Teddy Bear first became popular during the early 20th century and was associated with then President Theodore Roosevelt. The story can date back to a hunting trip that President Roosevelt had taken where he was invited to be the one to shoot a black bear that had been tied to a tree. Being a crazy outdoors lover and hunter, Roosevelt refused to kill the animal because he believed that shooting the helpless bear was unsportsmanlike and wrong. This story quickly spread through newspapers across the country, and in the end inspired the introduction of a stuffed toy called "Teddy's bear".
These toys became popular soon after first introduced, and within ten years, they were being produced by dozens of companies around the world. Within a generation, these stuffed bears were "the" toy to have, and have always been within children's toy boxes ever since.
They are most often mass-produced in factories in order to keep up with the high demand. However, there are still companies that take great pride in their handmade designs; and while handmade teddy bears are often preferred, they are also generally more expensive than their mass-produced ones.
Today, these bears and other similar toys generate well over a billion dollars a year in profits for the companies that make them. Walk through just about any toy store in America and you will find dozens of different teddy bears lining the shelves. | high15615.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "You are the only person in it."
},
"options": [
"It is crowed with a lot of visitors.",
"Visitors are pushing you for a better view.",
"You are the only person in it.",
"You can see some ancient treasures in it."
],... | Imagine being the only person in the Forbidden City. You could stay there all day without swarms of people crowding around. You'd be able to look at the ancient treasures without worrying about other visitors pushing you for a better view. Well, in two years time you'll be able to have such an experience, just like the former emperors used to. The only difference is that your Forbidden City fun will be online.
Thanks to new technology, a virtual tour of the Forbidden City will be available online by 2008. The project - jointly driven by the Palace Museum and computer company IBM - aims to help teenagers around the world become more interested in Chinese culture. The project will offer an interactive, three-dimensional view of the palace. The virtual tour will provide images from all over the 780,000-square-metre palace.
"The Palace Museum is a big book; there are always places you haven't read about," said Hu Chui from the museum. There are many rooms closed for protection. But the virtual platform breaks the boundaries of time and space, meaning visitors can see whatever they want. "The interaction and games content in the virtual tour will attract more young people to understand and love our cultural heritage," added Hu.
In the virtual tour, historical figures will actually talk to visitors and answer their questions. The stories behind the buildings and treasures will also be told. "The online environment, presented in both Chinese and English, enables visitors to experience the culture and stories of the museum," said James Yeh, an IBM official. | high7352.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "is quite common nowadays"
},
"options": [
"may be an efficient management method",
"should be performed secretly",
"has resulted from the development in computers",
"is quite common nowadays"
],
"question": "Acc... | Since new technologies are ever growing, employers now have the chance to monitor their employees to make them spare more time to work when they use their phones, computer terminals, emails and even when an employee is using the Internet.
Recent surveys have shown that a majority of employers monitor their employees' activities.It was found that three fourths of employers monitored the websites their employees visited in order to prevent improper surfing.The survey further indicated that 65% of employers used software to block connections to websites considered off limits to employees.One third of employers monitored their employees' number of keystrokes and the amount of time spent on the keyboard and lastly just over half of the employers surveyed review and kept email messages.
Most of the time, email is not considered private if the email system is used at a company, the employer owns it and is allowed to review its contents.Email messages that are sent within the company, as well as those that are sent from the employee's terminal to another company, or from another company to the employee are subject to monitoring.If an email is deleted out of the employee's account, that doesn't mean that they are totally deleted.The messages are kept in memory.Emails are often backed up along with other important data from the computer system.If an employer's email policy specifically states that messages marked as "private" will be kept confidential ,however, there may also be some exceptions to that policy .
In order to know their employer's email policy, employees should read over the employee handbook.If the handbook doesn't address the issue of email monitoring, they should speak with their employer about their policy for emails and privacy.Currently there are very few laws that address workplace privacy; however, there are some organizations that are working to advocate for employees so that there will be a stronger government regulation of employee monitoring activities. | high11473.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it would make them feel entertained"
},
"options": [
"it had damaged their homes and crops",
"it would provide them with meat",
"it would make them feel entertained",
"it was spoiling their rice fields"
],
"ques... | The orderly came back in a few minutes with a rifle and some Burmans. He told us that the elephant was in the rice fields below, only a few hundred yards away. As I started forward practically the whole population of the quarter flocked out of the houses and followed me. They had seen the rifle and were all shouting that I was going to shoot the elephant. It was fun to them, as it would be to an English crowd; besides, they wanted the meat. It made me a little uneasy. I had no intention of shooting the elephant--I had merely sent for the rifle to defend myself--and it is always uneasy to have a crowd following you. I marched down the hill, looking and feeling a fool, with the rifle over my shoulder and an ever-growing army of people knocking and pushing at my heels. Beyond the huts there was a rice field a thousand yards across, muddy from the first rains. The elephant was standing eight yards from the road. He took not the slightest notice of the crowd. He was tearing up bunches of grass, beating them against his knees to clean them and feeding them into his mouth.
As soon as I saw the elephant I knew with perfect certainty that I ought not to shoot him. It is a serious matter to shoot a working elephant -- it is comparable to destroying a huge and costly piece of machinery. There, peacefully eating, the elephant looked no more dangerous than a cow. I thought then and I think now that his attack of "must" was already passing off, in which case he would merely wander harmlessly about. Moreover, I did not in the least want to shoot him.
But at that moment I glanced round at the crowd that had followed me. It was an immense crowd, two thousand at the least and growing every minute. I looked at the sea of the faces above the colorful clothes--faces all happy and excited over this bit of fun, all certain that the elephant was going to be shot. They were watching me as they would watch a magician about to perform a trick. They did not like me. But with the magical rifle in my hands I was momentarily worth watching. And suddenly I realized that I should have to shoot the elephant after all. The people expected it of me and I had got to do it; I could feel their two thousand wills pressing me forward. And it was at this moment that I first felt the hollowness, the uselessness of the white man's control in the East. Here was I, standing in front of the unarmed crowd--seemingly the leading actor; but in reality only a puppet . I understood in this moment that when the white man turns ruler of complete power it is his own freedom that he destroys. | high3134.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser."
},
"options": [
"College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser.",
"Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser.",
... | A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door. It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
"Jack, did you hear me?"
"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.
"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.
"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.
"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said
"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his s had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture....Jack stopped suddenly.
"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.
"The box is gone." he said.
"What box?" Mom asked.
"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most'." Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him." Jack said.
"I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."
It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day, Jack discovered a note in his mailbox "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days." the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.
"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:
"Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."
"The thing he valued most was...my time"
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.
"I need some time to spend with my son," he said, "Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!" | high18331.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "what caused Chinese food to taste fresh"
},
"options": [
"what caused Chinese food to taste fresh",
"how Chinese food is cooked in the US",
"when the author started to make Chinese food",
"why most foreigners like cooki... | My interest in Chinese food started years a90, when l was a young reporter for the Washington Post. Our office wasn't far from Chinatown, where I found some very good Chinese restaurants.
The first time I ever ate Chinese food I loved it. I noticed the fresh taste of the meat and vegetables. When I learned more about the food, I began to understand why it has this special feature.
Many years ago, China had an energy crisis because it lost much of its wood due to over population and poor management of its forests. This loss was very bad for the country, of course, but it turned out to be very good for the food. Wood became very expensive and hard to get,so the Chinese had to either find a substitute for their valuable wood,or learn how to use it better. There weren't any substitutes so people found ways to economize.
In order to economize in cookin9, they had to use very little wood. So they started cutting their meat and vegetables into small pieces before they put them in the hot oil.That way,the food cooked faster and they saved their fuel. The food prepared in this way kept its fresh flavorand it's this flavor that attracts people from other countries to the art of Chinese cooking. | high5545.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "5"
},
"options": [
"3",
"4",
"5",
"6"
],
"question": "How many press media are mentioned in the article?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer... | The Wall Street Journal Asia Edition(prefix = st1 /U. S.), the Globe and Mail(Canada), the Guardian(U. K. ),among other foreign news agencies,have recently published articles on China's earthquake relief. They have all praised the earthquake relief efforts made by the Chinese government.
The Wall Street Journal Asia Edition published an article on May 21 saying that on the eighth day of the most serious natural disaster to hit China in decades, rescuing survivors from the ruins had been quickly replaced by the _ challenge of helping them. The article said that people overseas have been deeply impressed by earthquake relief efforts by the Chinese government.
The Associated French Press(AFP) reported on May 21 that Chinahas become more open during the campaign. Aircraft loaded with relief supplies from Ukraine,Russia,the United States, Singapore and other countries have arrived in disaster areas in southwestern China.
The Associated Press(AP) published an article on May 21 reporting that Chinais making great efforts to deal with an extremely difficult task caused by the earthquake how to provide temporary shelter far so many people. The article said that many tents have been built;and food and medical care are provided to the people whose lives have been completely disturbed by the earthquake.
The Global and Mail of Canada published an article on May 20 that said the rapid earthquake relief work in Sichuan demonstrates China's powerful economic strength. An article carried in the British Guardian said that one week after the Sichuan earthquake,China began a three-day national mourning period at 14:28 on may 19, and all Chinese people stood in silence for three minutes in memory of the victims.
The ongoing search and rescue action is encouraged by one miraculous survivor after another: Chinese officials said that,so far, no epidemic had occurred after the earthquake. | high17002.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "are better solving problems and conflicts"
},
"options": [
"enjoy less pleasure of life",
"focus less on completing their tasks",
"make others feel less delighted",
"are better solving problems and conflicts"
],
... | Self-control can make you happier not only in the long-run, but also in the moment.
The research showed that self-control isn't about giving up desires, but more about managing conflicting goals. Since most people consider highly self-controlled ones as being more task-centered, the scientists decided to find out the connection between self-control and people's happiness to determine if being self-disciplined leaves people feel less joyful.
Through a set of tests-including one that assessed 414 middle-aged participants on self-control and another that randomly interviewed volunteers on their smart phones about their mood and any desires they might be experiencing, researchers found a strong connection between higher levels of self-control and satisfaction.
The smart phone experiment also showed how self-control may improve mood. Those who showed the greatest self-control reported more good moods and fewer bad ones. But this didn't appear to be linked to being more able to resist temptation --it was because they exposed themselves to fewer situations that might inspire desires in the first place. They were doing a number of things that bring them happiness and avoiding problematic desires and conflicts.
That became clear in the study's last experiment, which looked into how self-control affects the way people handle goals that conflict with one another. In particular, the researchers were interested in how self-disciplined and less-disciplined people differed when it came to choosing among "virtues" and "vices" like the pleasure of eating sugar cookie vs. the pain of gaining weight. Participants were asked to list three important goal conflicts they experienced regularly and were also questioned on how they managed to balance the goals.
The highly self-controlled showed an obvious difference from those with less discipline over their lives. They tended to avoid creating situations in which their goals would conflict, and reported fewer instances of having to choose between short-term pleasure and long-term pain. As a result, they experienced fewer negative emotions.
And self-control doesn't always mean _ : it may mean saving now to get big payoff later. For dieters, it means making choices to avoid entering a bakery since you are more likely to buy a cupcake. Granted, self-control isn't the best way to instant satisfaction, but it may bring something even better: long-term contentment. | high8059.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "By releasing the free source-code."
},
"options": [
"By selling its intellectual property.",
"By doing what it is good at.",
"By releasing the free source-code.",
"By severe competition with Microsoft."
],
"ques... | Focus on what you do best. This age-old strategy has worked well for Real Networks, Microsoft's main competitor in multimedia software for the Internet. Now, the smaller Seattle-based firm is trying a novel way to contain the software giant. On October 29th, it released the underlying recipe, or source-code, of its RealPlayer software and will soon do the same for its other programs--giving away a big chunk of its intellectual property .
This may sound like a desperate echo of 1998, when Netscape, struggling in Microsoft's chokehold, published the source-code of its web browser. Yet Real Networks is not playing defence. It is trying to encourage the creation of a common multimedia software infrastructure for every kind of file format and device, thus thwarting Microsoft's ambitions in this promising market.
The firm hopes that others in the industry (volunteer programmers, media firms and hardware makers) will take the code, called Helix DNA, improve it and make it run on new devices, such as mobile phones and home stereos, turning Real Networks' software into an industry standard. Clever licensing terms are supposed to ensure that this standard does not splinter and that the firm still makes money.
Individual developers, universities and other non-profit organisations can modify the software as they please, and even redistribute it for free, so long as they also publish the source-code for their changes. This is a sort of payment in kind, for Real Networks is then allowed to use these contributions. Firms, on the other hand, must pay royalty fees if they distribute more than 1m copies of the code. They also have to make sure that their software works with other Helix DNA products. The software's development community already has 2,000 members. And several hardware makers back the effort. But there are risks. Afraid of piracy, media groups are suspicious of anything that might be related to hackers. The self-created competition could also hurt Real Networks if customers decide its commercial products, which will be based on the open source-code but with extra features, are not worth paying extra for.
Real Networks' move is another sign that the software industry is going hybrid. Mixing elements of proprietary software, where the source-code is tightly controlled, with open-source programs enables firms to expand a market, harvest the ideas of others and, they hope, still make money. Even Microsoft is edging this way: it recently announced that partners can now look at--but not modify or re-use--the source-code for Passport, its controversial digital-identity service. | high22081.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "nothing new"
},
"options": [
"a new substance",
"nothing new",
"a piece of paper",
"a piece of iron"
],
"question": "In a physical change _ .is formed.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | There are two kinds of changeschemical change and physical change.
In a chemical change, there is always a new substance formed. Breaking up water into hydrogen and oxygen is a chemical change. In each of the chemical change at least one new substance is formed. A change is not a chemical change if it doesn't form a new substance.
Physical changes are very common, too. There are many examples. You can make a physical change by tearing a piece of paper into two, or by cutting a piece of iron with lathe . Here paper is still paper, and the iron is still iron.
Another way of making physical change is dissolving something in water. When you dissolve salt in water, the salt disappears. You may think that a new substance has been formed. But really there is no new substance. The salt is still salt. You can still taste it. So the dissolving of anything is a physical change.
When water freezes, the change is also a physical one. The water changes from liquid to solid, but it is still the same substance. That is why the freezing of anything is a physical change. | high9347.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Their father's gift."
},
"options": [
"The pleasant trip.",
"Catherine's education.",
"The political events.",
"Their father's gift."
],
"question": "What might make Wright brothers interested in the plane?",
... | Orville Wright was born on August 19, 1871 in Dayton, Ohio, USA and died on January 30, 1948. Together with his brother, Wilbur, he was the first airplane builder. The brothers created the first controlled, powered and heavier-than-air human flight.
His parents were Milton Wright and Susan Catherine Koerner and besides the two famous brothers they had five children. One day after a trip his father brought as a gift a small helicopter. The kids loved it and as they played daily with it after a while it broke. The brothers managed to create a new one. Wright even let go his plans of attending Yale. He spent his time helping his ill mother and reading in his father's library.
In 1884 the family decided to move to Dayton and they remained there until the 1870's. A printing press was built by the two and Wilbur was an editor. In 1892 they started being fascinated by the aeronautical events of that time. Then they started to create an airplane and Wilbur was considered the head of the team. They were the inventors of "three axis-control", which permitted the pilot to _ the aircraft's balance.
In 1900 they had their first attempts to make a functional glider -- of course it didn't have a pilot. After three years they thought of introducing an engine to the glider. At first, their patent application was refused in 1903, but after one year it was accepted.
Orville's first flight lasted 12 seconds and had 36.5 meters. He was responsible with the public shows near Washington in the United States. On September 9, 1908 his flight was 62 minutes and 15 seconds long and the success was huge. | high14533.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "African wild dogs are living in groups"
},
"options": [
"African wild dogs are completely different from domestic dogs in size, weight",
"African wild dogs are living in groups",
"African wild dogs use their eyes mostly when ... | Although similar in appearance to hyenas , African wild dogs are nevertheless true wild canine . They are a mixture of black, yellow, and white in such a wide variety of patterns that no two individuals look exactly alike. African wild dogs are widely distributed across the African plains but they do not live in jungle areas.
They are social animals, living in groups of usually from 2 to 45 individuals. A hierarchy exists within the group, but the animals are friendly to one another. The young and the infirm are given special privileges within the group.
African wild dogs use their sense of sight, not smell, to find their prey. They can run up to 55 km/h for several kilometers. In eastern Africa, they mostly hunt Thomson's gazelles, but they will also attack calves, warthogs, zebras, impalas, and the young of large antelopes such as the gnu.
Growing human populations have decreased or degraded the African wild dog's habitat and also diminished their available prey. Road kill and human persecution have also had a negative impact on African wild dog populations. This species is also _ to a variety of diseases such as distemper, which is controlled in domestic .dogs. Conservation of the African wild dog's natural habitat must have the highest priority, as these dogs suffer in habitats modified by human intrusion . | high6074.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "know that smoking is bad for their health."
},
"options": [
"want to go to parties",
"can't smoke at work",
"know that smoking is bad for their health.",
"need nicotine and drugs"
],
"question": "Many smokers wa... | Ali is from a Middle Eastern country. He now stays in the USA. He smokes a lot of cigarettes every day. He has smoked for nine years. Ali says, " I tried to quit smoking in my hometown, but it was impossible. My brothers smoke. All my friends smoke. At parties and at meetings, almost all the men smoke. Here in the United States, not as many people smoke. It will be easier to change my habit here."
Many smokers are like Ali: they want to stop smoking. The smokers know that smoking is bad for their health. They know it can cause cancer and heart disease. But it is difficult for them to give up smoking because cigarettes have a drug in them. The drug is nicotine . People who smoke a lot need nicotine.
When a person first begins to smoke, he usually feels terrible. The nicotine makes him sick. In a few days, the smoker's body is used to the nicotine, and he feels fine. Later, the smoker needs nicotine to keep feeling fine. Without nicotine, he feels bad.
It is very hard to quit smoking, and many people who quit will soon smoke again. At a party or at work they will decide to smoke "just one" cigarette. Then they will smoke another cigarette, and another. Soon they become smokers again. Maybe there is only one easy way to quit smoking: never start. | high10755.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "reduce child overweight caused by bake food"
},
"options": [
"help schools out of budget difficulties",
"reduce child overweight caused by bake food",
"help students save money spent on food",
"reduce the price of bake ... | Believing overweight among school children is the result of bake sales, the Education Department of New York declared that bake sales will be banned all through the states, as a part of their new "wellness"policy.
The ban gives a harder time to schools tying to earn money,because of budget difficulties. Bake sales have proven to be highly profitable toward schools with young people because the start-up costs are very small. Allie,a Roslyn High School freshman , agrees that bake sales are needed for school supplies."l think it's wrong for schools to ban bake sales because a lot of schools need the money to be raised. Our school could really use the money for new uniforms."Allie also commented on the bake sales apparent cause of child overweight. "I feel that it is the student's choice to eat the baked goods. lf they want it, let them have it."Jessica,another Roslyn High School freshman, had a different opinion."I feel that children can not always stay away from items such as cupcakes. It might be better if the amount of bake sales were limited, and only allowed students to buy one item."
New York Education advisors are having trouble coming up with substitute product for students to sell. A plan of advertising healthier foods has come into play. However the department needs to consider if students will go for items like vegetables. Allie and Jessica don't think so."Students might not like the healthier foods. This way, the schools are gaining less money."Allie shares. Another plan to think about is the idea of not selling food products altogether. Alternate programs are being conducted throughout New York schools,such as walk-a-thons, as a healthy way for students to earn money for their schools. | high2212.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "giving explanations"
},
"options": [
"comparing different ideas",
"giving explanations",
"inferring",
"listing typical examples"
],
"question": "The author develops the passage mainly by _ .",
"question_t... | Pop stars today enjoy what once only belonged to the royalty. Wherever they go, people turn out in their thousands to greet them. The crowds go wild trying to catch a brief glimpse of their smiling, color1fully dressed idols. The stars are transported in their chauffeur driven Rolls Royces, private helicopters or executive airplanes. They are surrounded by a permanent entourage of managers, press agents and bodyguards. Photographs of them appear regularly in the press and all their comings and goings are reported, for, like royalty, pop stars are news. If they enjoy many of the privileges of royalty, they certainly share many of the inconveniences as well. It is dangerous for them to make unscheduled appearances in public. They must be constantly shielded from the adoring crowds who idolize them. They are no longer private individuals, but public property. The financial rewards they receive for this sacrifice cannot be calculated, for their rates of pay are great.
And why not? Society has always rewarded its top entertainers lavishly. The great days of Hollywood have become legendary: famous stars enjoyed fame, wealth and adulation on an all time scale. By today's standards, the excesses of Hollywood do not seem quite so spectacular. A single gramophone record nowadays may earn much more in royalties than the films of the past ever did. The competition for the title "Top of the Pops" is fierce, but the rewards are truly huge.
It is only right that the stars should be paid in this way. Don't the top men in industry earn enormous salaries for the service they perform to their companies and their countries? Pop stars earn vast sums in foreign currency -- often more than large industrial companies -- and the taxman can only be grateful for their massive annual contributions to the exchequer . So who would envy them their rewards?
It's all very well for people in boring jobs to complain about the successes and rewards of others. People who make envious remarks should remember that the most famous stars represent only the tip of the iceberg. For every famous star, there are hundreds of others struggling to earn a living. A man working in a steady job and looking forward to a pension at the end of it has no right to expect very high rewards. He has chosen security and peace of mind, so there will always be a limit to what he can earn. But a man who attempts to become a star is taking enormous risks. He knows at the outset that only a handful of competitors ever get to the very top. He knows that years of concentrated effort may be rewarded with complete failure. But he knows, too, that the rewards for success are very high indeed: they are the payback for the huge risks involved and once he makes it, he will certainly earn them. That's the essence of private enterprise. | high18309.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "build a strong and healthy heart"
},
"options": [
"build a strong and healthy heart",
"keep muscles and bones strong",
"keep body flexible",
"reduce risk of injuries and pain in joints and muscles"
],
"question"... | Different exercise types have different purposes and different benefits. One type of exercise may not accomplish all goals of being physically fit: a healthy heart, strong muscles and bones, and safety from injury. As a result, it is important to do enough types of exercise to have all the physical benefits. Here is a quick check sheet.
Aerobic Exercise: To have a strong and healthy heart, you need to do aerobic exercise. This means that you need to exercise yourself enough so that your heart rate, while exercising, is 65 percent to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. If you don't get your heart rate up within this level--you just aren't working hard enough. Whatever you do, your heart rate needs to be 65 percent to 85 percent of your MHR for 20 to 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week. Typical types include:
* Running
* Walking (at least 4 to 4.5 mph)
* Swimming
* Bikingk3s5u
* Elliptical Training
* Yoga
Strength Training: To keep your muscles and bones strong, you need to do strength training. This comes in a variety of forms. Whatever you do, however, you need to train your muscles enough so that they are really tired by the end of each _ . To see real benefits, make sure you are strength training 2 to 3 times a week for about 30 to 40 minutes. Typical types of strength training include:
* Weight Training
* Yoga
* Resistance Training
* Plyometrics
Flexibility Training: To keep your body flexible, reducing risk of injuries and pain in your joints and muscles, you need to do flexibility training. You should always aim to stretch every muscle after any exercise routine. Typical types of flexibility training include:
* Stretching
* Yoga
* Pilates
So next time you think that yoga 5 times a week will be enough, think about what it is really doing. Is it getting your heart rate up? Are you making up your strength? Are you keeping your muscles flexible? | high4663.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "there aren't enough bedrooms."
},
"options": [
"it is on the wrong side of the town.",
"there aren't enough bedrooms.",
"there is no dinning room.",
"the garden is too big."
],
"question": "The Browns are lookin... | Advertisements
HOUSE FOR SALE
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SEA VIEW HOLIDAY FLATS/ HOTEL
Set in lovely gardens.
5 minutes' walk from beach.
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Enjoy your own cooking in Sea View Holiday Flats.
All meals free in Sea View Holiday. | high21588.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "2."
},
"options": [
"2.",
"11.",
"6.",
"64."
],
"question": "How many people were found catching swine flu in Spain?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Governments and health officials around the world continued to take steps Tuesday against the outbreak of swine flu that has killed scores of people in Mexico and spread to the U.S., Europe and possibly Asia.
By early Tuesday, the swine flu outbreak in Mexico had caused in 152 deaths and more than 1,600 illnesses. So far, at least 113 cases have been proved worldwide, including 64 in the United States; six in Canada; 11 in New Zealand and two each in Spain the United Kingdom and Israel. None has yet resulted in death.
The World Health Organization on Monday raised its alert level from three to four on its six-level scale. The move means the U.N. agency has determined that the virus can transmit
from human to human.
"In this age of global travel, where people move around in airplanes so quickly, there is no region to which this virus could not spread," said Fukuda, assistant director-general of the WHO.
Governments around the world struggled to prevent further outbreak. Some, like China and Russia, banned pork imports from the United States and Mexico. U.S. President Barack Obama said the outbreak was a cause for concern, not for alarm. The government urged travelers to avoid non-essential travel to Mexico.
The latest WHO report listed only seven proved swine flu deaths in Mexico but it was not clear why there was the discrepency.
Mexico City has closed all schools until at least May 6 to help curb(control) the spread of swine flu and ordered 35,00 public venues to close or serve only takeaway meals. In addition, bars, clubs, movie theaters, pool halls, gyms, sport centers and convention halls have been told to close until May 5. Armed police officers are also guarding hospitals in Mexico City while roads and schools in the city of 20 million people are deserted. Officials also have talked about shutting down the bus and subway systems. | high16324.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Not knowing how to make new friends."
},
"options": [
"Not knowing how to make new friends.",
"Not realizing the importance of making friends.",
"Looking after herself at quite an early age.",
"Trying to achieve academi... | University -- the best days of my life! I made lots of friends in my student dorm, went to great parties, joined the debating society...and, well, I did some work too -- but I must admit my lecturers were very patient with my tardiness .
It's easy to look back at our university days through rose-tinted spectacles but the truth is that when we first arrived on campus, most of us were out of our comfort zone.
In fact, a survey of students at Imperial College London has revealed that 3 out of 4 students experience high levels of stress, or a mental health condition, during their time at college. The survey, completed by over a thousand students, also found that 70% of those that experience stress do so at least once a week, and 9% of students feel stressed constantly.
Kirsty, a student at Exeter University, didn't enjoy her first days in college. She says: "When I first got to university I don't think I'd realized that I'd forgotten how to make friends. I'd been with the same school friends for seven years, and so I was trying to balance social success with academic success while learning how to look after myself at quite a young age."
Dr Ruth Caleb of the counseling service at Brunel University in London has some tips that should make life easier for students before they set off for university. She says: "Certain things that I think it would be very helpful for students to have put in place are an ability to do the practical things of life - to do the washing, to do the cleaning and so on -- being able to cook. Budgeting is extremely important in university life." And Caleb adds: "You should learn how to spend time on your own comfortably."
I graduated and learnt how to take care of myself the hard way. I hope that new students these days remember to acquire some life skills before they make the big jump. | high19771.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he's a great fighter against the racialism"
},
"options": [
"he's as popular as Kennedy and Churchill",
"he spent 27 years in prison",
"he's a great fighter against the racialism",
"he's the first all-race elections pre... | Nelson Mandela is respected and admired across the world. And to South Africans he is a superstar. He is a hero who shocked the world by fighting for peace between races, despite the 27 years he spent in the prison of the South Africa's white, racist regime
Mandela, who won the nation's first all-race elections after the fall of apartheid in 1944,retired in 1999. But he remains as popular as ever.
"He's loved by all people, whether you're white or black, whether you're young or old," said Ali Bacher, South Africa's former cricket chief.
His popularity has inspired an entire national industry. His portrait has appeared at many places, including on some goods. His face has appeared on a South African coin, a metropolitan area was named in his honor and some business leaders hope to build a massive, rotating statue in his likeness---- the Statue of Freedom. It would stand taller than New York's Statue of Liberty.
His popular appeal is similar to that of John F. Kennedy wth US or Winston Churchill in Britain, but few politicians in his times have achieved his level of admiration, said Tom Lodge, head of the political science department of the University of the Witwatersrand." Sometimes it isn't completely appreciated what a skilled performer Mandela has been throughout his political career. He is a very ,very clever man,"However , he is far from perfect.
Most articles for his birthday, which appeared in every major South African newspaper on the day, briefly mentioned that Mandela did have his shortcomings. Then they returned to their flowing praises. "Through the ages, the human race has had its icons ---- men and women who rose above ordinary people to inspire their generation," The Mail and Guardian Weekly said. | high16442.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "123456 was the most common leaked password in both 2013 and 2014."
},
"options": [
"Hackers leaked many more passwords in 2014.",
"Symbols were among the top 10 worst passwords.",
"123456 was the most common leaked password i... | If the hackings taught us anything in 2014, it's actually nothing.
Password management firm SplashData released its list of the worst passwords of the year and it's just as terrible as you'd think. The most common leaked password in 2014 was "123456," followed by "password" -- both topped the list the year before, too.
While numbers were as popular as ever as passwords, sports terms like "baseball" and "football" were used more often. Birthday years were common too (especially 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992) and names like "Michael", "Jennifer" and "Hunter" are also among the top 100 worst passwords of 2014.
Here's a look at the top 10 worst passwords of the year:
1. 123456 (Unchanged from 2013) 6. 234567890 (Unchanged)
2. password (Unchanged) 7. baseball (New)
3. 12345 (Up 17) 8. dragon (New)
4. 12345678 (Down 1) 9. football (New)
5. qwerty (Down 1) 10. monkey (New)
This year's worst passwords are painfully weak, but what were once considered clever password strategies -- using symbols, capitalizations, the number 3 in place of the letter "e" -- are old tricks.
It's now recommended to pick a different password for each account you use -- you wouldn't use the same key in all of your locks, and the same goes for passwords.
Companies like Facebook, Twitter and Apple are now trying to make hacking more difficult on their services by offering two-factor authentication , which is basically like double locking your door at night. Each time you want to log into that account, the company will send a code to your phone -- it changes after each login attempt, so hackers would have to be in physical possession of your smartphone to know the code. | high10033.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "are out of shape"
},
"options": [
"do their work well",
"are out of shape",
"are relatively healthy",
"take regular exercise"
],
"question": "According to the passage,most of the police officers _ .",
"que... | All police officers should be made to take a fitness test every year,with a pay cut for those who repeatedly fail,a review said.
In the Metropolitan Police,more than half(52 percent)of its men officers are over- weight, a fifth (22 percent) are obese, and one in 100 are"morbidly obese".For women officers in the Met,a third(32 percent) are overweight,16 percent are obese and 2 per-cent are morbidly obese.
Tom Winsor,who has carried out the widest-ranging research of police pay and conditions in more than 30 years,said those who fail the test three times should face a pay cut. Chief constables should be able to fire any officer as part of budget cuts, ending a job for life. It also recommended that applicants should be able to enter the police service directly at inspector rank,and,"after strict testing",at superintendent rank.
Mr Winsor said:"I think the public will be surprised that after passing a fitness test when they join the police,physical fitness is not tested again in a 30,35-year career."
An initial yearly test requiring officers to reach level 5'4 on the bleep test should be brought in by September next year. This is equal to an average speed of 8. 8kph(5.5mph) for three minutes 35 seconds,he said. But this should get tougher by September 2018,along similar lines to the test currently used in Northern Ireland. This includes climbing over walls and pulling bodies and was designed to reflect situations which"police officers do and can become involved in".
Mr Winsor expected that many officers would welcome the proposals,saying they would see it"as a necessary protection for themselves and the public". | high2574.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "magazine"
},
"options": [
"novel",
"science fiction",
"magazine",
"biography"
],
"question": "The passage is mostly from a\\an _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answe... | As the economy begins to recover, salary increases should do the same.
In the past few years, employers have raised workers' salaries by about 4 percent per year--except for 2009, when the figure dropped to a historically low 2.1 percent, according to a survey of World at Word. About one-third of companies froze raises altogether.
For 2010, World at Work's survey projects an average salary increase budget of 2.7 percent, a figure that shows the situation has improved but the job market is still weak. Between 10 percent and 15 percent of companies said they would freeze raises--far fewer than in 2009, but still more than in most years.
How can you get a raise? Avalos and others offer the following tips:
* Do your job well. This means producing high-quality work, of course, but also keeping the big picture in mind.
"It really comes down to positioning yourself as a high performer, somebody who is aware of business goals and helps the company meet their goals as an organization", Avalos said
* Be visible. When times are tough, some workers think. "I'm going to hunker down and hope that nobody notices me, because I don't want to be on a layoff list," said Richard Phillips, owner of Advantage Career Solutions. This is a mistake, because you're unlikely to get a raise if no one knows what you have accomplished. "If anything, what you want to do is be more visible."
* Make your boss's life easier. This means everything from having a good attitude to taking on extra tasks. If you don't know how you can help your boss, ask.
* Ask for a raise. Talk to your boss and present your case: Here's what I've done, here's how it fits with the company's goals, and here is why I think it's worth a salary increase. In some cases, even if your company has an official raise freeze, you can get a raise if you make good case.
If the answer is no -- or if you're not ready to ask directly -- Phillips suggests asking, "What would you like to see from me that would put me in line for a raise?"
A question like this can improve your standing. "Just asking the question says to the boss, 'I'm thinking about where I fit in here, what I can do," Phillips said, "That in and of itself has value." | high9421.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "share the website with others"
},
"options": [
"take pleasure in reading with their friends.",
"help a friend form the habit of reading.",
"share the website with others",
"read more but spend less"
],
"question... | Read More & Spend Less
We have more than 7 million used books for sale, from the earliest board books to the all-time classics.
If you like what we have to offer, Tell-a-Friend and we'll give you more reasons to read!
Any member of our website who invites friends and family to try our books using the "Tell-a-Friend" program will see a 20% discount when that friend places their first order within 14 days.
Start exploring and save big on all your favorites. Here we list some of our books that are heavily discounted.
Giraffes Can't Dance
By Giles Andreae
This book has been pleasing children for over 15 years. Gerald the tall giraffe would love to join in with the other animals at the Jungle Dance, but everyone knows that giraffes can't dance... or can they?
2004, Paperback
ISBN:9780439539470
From $0.99
Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids
By Rob Elliott
With over 700,000 copies sold, this book will have children rolling on the floor with laughter. A great gift idea for any child.
2010, Paperback
ISBN: 9780800788032
From $0.89
Love You Forever
By Robert Munsch
With simple text and pictures,Love You Foreveris a book to be shared--a story about love that children will carry with them throughout their lives.
1995, Hardback
ISBN;9780099266891
FromY=1.98
How to Win Friends & Influence People
By Dale Carnegie
As the most famous confidence-building book ever published , this classic book will turn your relationships around and improve your relationships with everyone in your life.
2013, Paperback
ISBN: 9788087888223
From $0.99 | high14255.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "On Fridays."
},
"options": [
"On Mondays.",
"On Fridays.",
"On Sundays.",
"On Independence Day."
],
"question": "What day can you spend the longest at the museum?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
HOURS
The MFA is open 7 days a week.
Monday and Tuesday: 10 am - 4:45 pm
Wednesday - Friday: 10 am - 9:45 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10 am - 4:45 pm
HOLIDAYS AND CLOSINGS
The Museum will be closed on the following holidays: New Year's Day, Patriots' Day (third Monday in April), Independence Day (July 4), Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
The Museum will close early on Wednesday, at 4:45 pm, June 11, and Thursday, July 24.
ADMISSION
Adults: $25
Seniors (65+): $23
Students (18+): $23
Youths 7 - 17*: FREE*
Children 6 and under: FREE
*Weekdays after 3 pm, weekends, and Boston public school holidays; otherwise $10.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Take the T!
Because our limited parking fills up quickly - especially during popular exhibitions, holidays, and school vacation weeks - we encourage you to take advantage of the MBTA, Boston's public transportation system (known by natives as the "T").
Subway
Take the Green Line E train to the Museum of Fine Arts stop, or the Orange Line train to the Ruggles stop.
Bus
Take the 39 bus to the Museum of Fine Arts stop, or the 8, 47, or CT2 buses to the Ruggles stop.
The MFA strives to maintain a safe, comfortable, and respectful environment for all visitors. We also take our role as guardians of the objects in our collection very seriously. Please enjoy all that the Museum has to offer and observe the policies listed here to help protect and preserve the art on view in the Museum.
When Visiting the MFA Please Refrain from the Following:
Touching any art objects
Getting closer than 12 inches to any unprotected artwork
Gesturing within 2 feet of any artwork
Smoking
Chewing gum
Running, yelling, or disruptive behavior
Cell phone usage in the galleries
Flash photography | high12624.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "decisions made by animals may prove fatal"
},
"options": [
"decisions made by animals may prove fatal",
"animals are often in danger of being attacked",
"animals make decisions entirely by trial",
"environment is not fi... | From the moment that an animal is born it has to make decisions. It has to decide which of the things around it are for eating, and which are to be avoided; when to attack and when to run away. The animal is, in fact, playing a complicated and potentially dangerous game with its environment, discomfort or destruction.
This is a difficult and unpleasant business and few animals would survive if they had to start from the beginning and learn about the world wholly by trial and error, for there are too many possible decisions which would prove fatal. So we find, in practice, that the game is always arranged in favor of the young animal in one way or another. Either the animal is protected during the early stages of its learning about the world around it, or the knowledge of which way to respond is built into its nervous system from the start.
The fact that animals behave sensibly can be attributed partly to what we might call genetic learning, to distinguish it from individual learning that an animal does in the cause of its own life time. Genetic learning is learning by a species as a whole, and it is achieved by selection of those members of each generation that happen to behave in the right way. However, genetic learning depends upon a prediction that the future will more or less exactly resemble the past. The more variable individual experience is likely to be, the less efficient is genetic learning as a means of getting over the problems of the survival game. It is not surprising to find that very few species indeed depend wholly upon genetic learning. In the great majority of animals, behavior is a compound of individual experience added to the action patterns animals are born with.That is why animals can survive. | high14241.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "a customer left without paying the bill"
},
"options": [
"a customer left without paying the bill",
"he lost $ 79 on the way of the delivery",
"he had to buy a present for the children",
"he was going to lose his job"
... | When Ben delivered milk to my home one morning before Christmas,he wasn't his usual sunny self. He told me a customer had left without paying the bill,$79,nor leaving her new address. So it meant that he had to cover the loss.
"She was a pretty woman,"he said, "with six children and another on the way. She was always saying. 'I'm going to pay you soon when my husband gets a second job.' I believed her,but she left. Isn't it annoying?"
"Give her the milk. Make it a Christmas present to the kids who need it." I said.
The holidays came and went. On a sunny January morning two weeks later,Ben was rushing to deliver milk when he saw a woman running down the street,waving money. He recognized her immediately--the woman who didn't pay her bill.
"I'm so sorry." she said. "I really have been meaning to pay you."
She explained that her husband had come home one night and announced he' d found cheaper apartment. He' d also got a new job. With all that happened, she' d forgotten to leave the new address. "But I've been saving," she said. "Here's $20 toward the bill.
"That' s all right," Ben replied. "It's been paid."
"Paid!" she exclaimed . "What do you mean? Who paid it?"
"I did," Ben said, "It went to the children as a Christmas present!" | high9435.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "An unusual school."
},
"options": [
"An unusual school.",
"Children's hobbies.",
"A school without rules.",
"Education in the US."
],
"question": "What is the main topic of the article?",
"question_type": nu... | To most of us,school means classes,teachers,schedules,grades,and tests.But for the children at Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts,school is very different.
Firstly,there are no lessons.All the children,aged between 4 and 19,do whatever they want.There are no teachers--only "staff members".The idea behind this is that you do not need to make children learn,because children want to learn anyway."You do not need to say to a three yearold,'Go explore your environment.'You can't stop them!" says Daniel Greenberg,a founder of the school."But if you make children do what you want all day,they will lose all taste for learning."
At Sudbury Valley School,you will permit children to talk,read,paint,cook,work on computers,study French,play the piano,climb trees or just run around.Two boys spent three years just fishing!
The other way that Sudbury Valley School is different is that the children can decide the rules.Every week,there is a school meeting where both children and staff have one vote each--even the fouryearolds.They decide the school rules,how to spend the school budget,and even which staff they want and do not want any more.
When the school first opened in 1968,people said it would never work.But today,the school has 200 students,and 80%of its students go on to college. Even the two boys who went fishing all the time have successful careers today.One of them is a musician and the other is a computer scientist. | high6706.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "How to Get Ready for Your School Photo-taking"
},
"options": [
"How to Make Yourself Look Good",
"How to Do When Taking a School Photo",
"How to Get Ready for Your School Photo-taking",
"How to Make a Good School Photo ... | You surely want to take a good school yearbook photo, for you only get to do it once, and it's what people remember you by for the whole school year. Learn how to look good and look natural in your yearbook photo with these simple tips.
1. Practice smiling in a mirror. It sounds crazy, but figuring out how to make a natural looking smile for the camera does need a little preparation. Don't be shy! Just imagine you are in front of a camera --hold your head high, look straight into the mirror and smile. Keep practicing until you find out your most attractive smiling face.
2. Choose your color wisely. In yearbook photos, lots of people look good in darker colors because they draw attention to the face. Generally, white often isn't the best choice because it can make your skin look a bit gray, especially if you're pale. Besides, stay away from super -bright colors ( bright yellow, bright blue) unless you're really sure they make you look perfect.
3. Avoid unnecessary details. Busy patterns draw attention to themselves in yearbook photos, not to your face and smile. Save them for your everyday fashion experiments. Besides, have your clothes prepared for the day when the yearbook photo is taken. The last thing you want to do is pick out the perfect thing to wear, only to find that it's in the laundry.
4. Avoid big changes to your appearance. Big changes may not turn out the way you hope. Leave some time to do your hair, such as combing it up right before the yearbook photo is taken. Don't overdo it, since you want your hair to stay in one place and your face to draw all the attention, but go for the "less is more" approach. | high12630.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "fact and opinion"
},
"options": [
"fact and opinion",
"cause and effect",
"definition and classification",
"time and events"
],
"question": "This passage is organized in the pattern of _ .",
"question_typ... | People typically wash their hands seven times a day in the United States, but they do it at a far higher temperature than is necessary to kill germs , a new study says. The energy waste is equivalent to the fuel use of a small country.
Amanda R. Carrico, a research assistant professor at the Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and Environment in Tennessee, told National Geographic that hand washing is often "a case where people act in ways that they think are in their best interest, but they in fact have inaccurate beliefs or outdated perceptions."
Carrico said, "It's certainly true that heat kills bacteria, but if you were going to use hot water to kill them it would have to be way too hot for you to tolerate."
Carrico said that after a review of the scientific literature, her team found "no evidence that using hot water that a person could stand would have any benefit in killing bacteria." Even water as cold as 40degF (4.4degC) appeared to reduce bacteria as well as hotter water, if hands were scrubbed, rinsed and dried properly.
Using hot water to wash hands is therefore unnecessary, as well as wasteful, Carrico said, particularly when it comes to the environment. According to her research, people use warm or hot water 64 percent of the time when they wash their hands. Using that number, Carrico's team calculated a significant impact on the planet.
"Although the choice of water temperature during a single hand wash may appear unimportant, when multiplied by the nearly 800 billion hand washes performed by Americans each year, this practice results in more than 6 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions annually," she said.
The researchers published their results in the July 2013 issue of International Journal of Consumer Studies. They recommended washing with water that is at a "comfortable" temperature, which they noted may be warmer in cold months and cooler in hot ones. | high11339.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "play different roles in a formation"
},
"options": [
"move faster than cyclists",
"prefer to fly in a V formation",
"are smarter than other animals",
"play different roles in a formation"
],
"question": "Accordi... | Have you ever looked toward the sky on a fall day and witnessed a group of migrating birds? If so, you probably noted the V-shaped formation of the birds or the birds flying in a ball-like formation. Why do birds fly this way? Many theories have been developed to explain the formation patterns of different types of birds.
One theory is that birds fly in certain formations to take advantage of the laws of nature. The birds know that flying in a V-shaped pattern will save energy. Like the lead cyclist in a race who decreases wind force for the cyclists who follow, the lead bird cuts wind force for the birds that follow. This decrease in wind force means that the birds use up to 70 percent less energy during their flight. When the lead bird becomes tired, a more rested bird takes over that position.
But saving energy is important for more than one reason. Sometimes food is short during migration flights. Keeping energy enables the birds to fly longer distances between meals.
When food is sighted, the birds guide one another in a different way. When a bird identifies a familiar feeding area, it might turn around in order to signal the group to change direction. Then, this bird becomes the new leader. It helps guarantee that other birds will know exactly where it is going. Then the whole group makes a change in direction, gently streaming from the sky down to the ground. This formation is like an arrow pointing to the location of food.
Scientists have also studied the birds that sometimes fly in a ball-like formation. Researchers believe that the birds come together if a predator is spotted. The predator may then become impatient waiting for a single bird to fly away from the group. The birds will often dip and dive as a group, frustrating even the most persistent enemy. Scientists report that this is a very effective method of defense against an attack.
The birds care for their fellow fliers through teamwork. As transportation expert Henry Ford once said, "If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself." When it comes to teamwork, these feathered fliers are a soaring success! | high17990.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Three times"
},
"options": [
"Once",
"Twice",
"Three times",
"four times"
],
"question": "How many times has German Chancellor Angela Merkel won the first place according to the passage?",
"question_type": n... | According to the British "Daily Mail" reported on May 22nd, the United States of America "Forbes" magazine recently released the 2013 annual "most powerful women list".
German Chancellor(,) Angela Merkel for three consecutive years reelected top. There are 9 Chinese including Chinese first lady--Peng Liyuan. Brazil President Dilma Rousseff ranked second. "Bill and Melinda Gates foundation" co-chairman, Gate's wife Mi Linda (Melinda Gates) was third. The United States first lady Michel (wife of Obama) in 2010 in the first, from 2012 second drop to fourth. Former American Secretary of state Hillary Clinton as a fifth. The queen of England fell 12,drop to fortieth. another list of British women's female writer JK Rowling, ranked ninety-third.
The list of Chinese women, including Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan, intelligent mobile phone maker HTC founder Wang Xuehong, chief executive of Chongqing Longhu real estate development limited company chairman Wu Yajun, SOHO China Ltd and co-founder Zhang Xin, the World Health Organization Director-General Chen Fengfuzhen (Margaret Chan), Huawei chairman Sun Yafang, the Li Jiacheng Foundation Director Zhou triumph, Baidu Inc chief financial officer Li Xinzhe, Sun Media Klc Holdings Ltd chairman Yang Lan.
"Forbes" magazine said, this year the list of people are political, business, media, the humanitarian field, entertainment and technology industry elite , but also some women were selected because of the huge wealth, including funds, media exposure and influence. The entertainment industry representatives include Beyonce Knowles, actress Anngelina Jolie and Lady Gaga. The list of women from 26 countries, there are 153000000 of them in Twitter "fans", 16 of them own Create Company. There are 15 new this year, including South Korean President Park Geun-hye .
If you want to know more, click chinadaily.com.cn. | high4111.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "enjoying travelling better without carrying any Hi-Tech equipment"
},
"options": [
"getting out of a library that has no access to the Internet",
"thinking ill of a hotel without Wi-Fi",
"making travel plans via the Internet"... | Free Wi-Fi has become very important to us: many stores and shopping malls offer it, restaurants use it to attract customers, and for libraries and coffee shops it is a must-have service.
Even when people are traveling, they scan for free Wi-Fi. When selecting or rating a hotel, six in ten travelers believe that unlimited Wi-Fi is the most important factor.
"Today, people will never forget to pack their smart phones, tablets and laptops into the suitcase," said the Daily Mail. "We rely on free Wi-Fi heavily when traveling--especially when it comes to checking social media, checking out travel tips, and accessing websites."
However, despite the opportunities that free Wi-Fi gives us, "our over-reliance on technology has come at a price, with travelers feeling unable to escape social media", said Lonely Planet, the world's largest travel guide brand.
Anita Isalska, Lonely Planet editor and tech addict, was forced to unplug when in an isolated camp in Greenland recently. "Adjusting to this slower pace, I began to realize that: social media had changed into a habit," she wrote. "I had believed I was capturing moments, but in reality my busy fingers were preventing me enjoying travel's deepest pleasures. How fully can you appreciate a huge glacier or wild flowers when your brain is selecting the right photo filter or the perfect six seconds to take photos"
In September, Lonely Planet released 10 predictions for the future of global travel. One of them was that true escapes will be highly valued in future, so remote hotels will start to make their lack of the Internet into an appealing feature. Would you like to have an unplugged holiday | high19765.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "economic recession leading to social problems"
},
"options": [
"ways of solving economic problems",
"homeless people being taken good care of",
"different reasons for economic recession",
"economic recession leading to ... | The United States economy has dipped into economic recession . This caused discomfort and hardship in every level of society; but for many of the nation's poor, discomfort and hardship turned into misery .
An increase in homelessness is probably the worst result of a nation's financial disaster. About 3 million Americans were homeless because of a lack of affordable housing. Experts suggest that a family should spend no more than 30 percent of its income on housing. In fact, in some families housing costs make up 50 percent or more. An unexpected event, such as losing work or illness, can quickly push a family into homelessness.
An article in Time magazine tells a story of one such family. A young couple and their three children rented a two-bedroom apartment for about $350 a month. They could hardly go on with the husband's $920-a-month take-home pay; so when their rent was raised to $500 a month, they could no longer make ends meet.
Another woman was found dead on a street in Washington D.C., the capital, and she died at a bus-stop across the street from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
People become homeless for different reasons. Some may not be able to pay for housing, because they have lost their job and cannot find another place they can afford. Others have mental diseases, or are addicted to drugs or alcohol, many of whom do not live with their family. And what's more, there are not enough centers for shelter as the government doesn't pay enough attention to this social problem.
People are making efforts to solve the problem. However, it will not be easy, because it is a personal and economical problem as well as a social problem. | high16456.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a gardening guide"
},
"options": [
"a scientific repot",
"a gardening guide",
"a book review",
"a fashion column"
],
"question": "The two pieces of advice probably appear in _",
"question_type": "cloze_ques... | Growing strawberries in pots
*The best way to start growing strawberries is to buy pot-grown strawberry plants m spring:5 plants are plenty for a hanging basket and 10 for the average 13 inch-sized pot.
*Plant them immediately in soil-based compost and they will produce a modest crop in their first year.The second year should see a bumper crop,followed by a slightly lower yield the third summer .Then start again with fresh stock .
*Careful watering and feeding are essential If you are to harvest a good crop,you must never let the compost dry out, particularly when the fruit is forming and ripening;if you do.most of your crop will drop offe bush almost immediately.
*Water well then leave the pots for up to 3 weeks,until they reach the point of drying out be careful not to overwater them during the winter months.
Pruning apple trees
*A one-year-old tree is known as a "maiden".It has a single stem when purchased.Immediately after planting, cut it back by about half to leave 4 good buds at the base of the stem..This will force growth from the base or the plant during the summer.
*In the second year ,prune in winter by cutting all side branches back by about one-third, Make sure each cut is made cleanly just above an outward-facing bud.In the third and fourth years, new side branches will have emerged from the previous year's growth.Cut back all these new side branches by a third, pruning to an outward-facing bud.
*By the fifth year the tree should have a well-balanced shape.From then on ,cut back all new branches by one-third in winter.Remove any diseased wood and broken branches, and ensure the centre is open to air circulation | high10027.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A special reading program."
},
"options": [
"Children's reading difficulties.",
"Advantages of raising dogs.",
"Service in a public library.",
"A special reading program."
],
"question": "What is mainly discusse... | Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgmental listeners needed for a beginning reader to gain confidence , according to Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) in Salt Lake City. The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ).
The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea. "Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower self-respect, and regard reading as a headache," said Lisa Myron, manager of the children's department.
Last November the two groups started "Dog Day Afternoon" in the children's department of the main library. About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday-afternoon classes, reading for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a "pawgraphed" book at the last class.
The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager. | high2560.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Grizzly Bears."
},
"options": [
"Vervet monkeys.",
"Grizzly Bears.",
"Kangaroos.",
"Kea Parrots."
],
"question": "Which of the animals is the most dangerous according to the writer?",
"question_type": "facti... | "Aw, isn't it cute?"
That, right there, is the officially accepted response to any animal contact the world over. Animals are cute. They're there to be photographed, loved, and occasionally fed. But you know what? Not all animals are cute, or lovely, or even nice. Some of them are a real _ .
When you travel, you come into contact with all sorts of animals you've never heard of before. Some of them are amazing creatures that you'll talk about for the rest of your life. Some of them are just annoying. So, at the risk of causing anger among animal lovers around the world, here are some of the world's most annoying animals.
Vervet monkeys, South Africa
You'll immediately notice two things about Vervet monkeys: they have a bright blue bottom; and they'll steal any food that's not locked in a bank safe. I recently spent some time in South Africa, and watched as monkey after monkey dived in from the trees and stole everyone's food. Get your own food, Vervets! My sandwich was expensive!!
Kea parrots, New Zealand
I have never seen one of these birds before but from what I've been told they are more annoying than a spoilt kid. From biting the paint off your car doors to stealing people's passports, Keas are probably the most curious, and therefore annoying, animals in the world. And they're New Zealanders. That makes sense!
Kangaroos, Australia
Another well-known food-stealer, kangaroos are loved by tourists, eaten by Australians, and generally enjoy making trouble for others. Go on a camping trip anywhere in Australia, and watch how long your bags of food last. Turn your back for 15 minutes and the camp will look like thieves have turned the place upside down.
Grizzly bears, USA
They look pretty cute, grizzly bears. You almost want to go up and give them a hug. Unfortunately, it wouldn't end well. In fact, one of the world's most huggable creatures is also the one most likely to kill you just because it can. Oh, and it'll steal your picnic basket, too. | high10741.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "1200."
},
"options": [
"1968.",
"1158.",
"1200.",
"1674."
],
"question": "How many of the office workers who are the respondents do the housework at weekends?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | During the week days,they are luckily busy office people; but on weekends,they are just a brood of stay home animals.A recent survey shows that office workers in China prefer quiet and easy ways to spend their weekends.
In the survey,conducted by job seeking and offering website Zhaopin.com,32.8 percent of the 6000 respondents choose to stay home at weekends and have a good rest,the Beijing Morning Post reported.
Twenty percent use their days off to do housework. And only 19.3 percent are willing to have fun during the break time from work.Their first choice of fun is shopping. Other choices,though practiced by few,include meeting friends,accompanying the children,trips to the suburbs,and lessons for more skills. When they go shopping,54.5 percent of the white collars actually shop in supermarkets,while 27.9 percent attend other stores,especially when discounts are offered. These activities don't seem to cost much,as 60 percent spend average less than 200 yuan(US$26)during weekends,and 30 percent no more than 500 yuan.
When asked whom they would spend the weekends with,about 40 percent mention their partners,and 30 percent prefer a weekend all by themselves.Less than 20 percent hang out with friends. Only 5.8 percent would kill the time with their colleagues.This is because we tend to avoid too many personal contacts with our coworkers when we don't have to work with them,according to some experts. | high2206.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The teenage brain drives them to be different"
},
"options": [
"Teenagers make endless choices",
"The teenage brain drives them to be different",
"How the teenage brain develops",
"Researches about the teenagers"
],... | What if I took that big jump on my bike?What's the worst thing that could happen if I go out at midnight?Should try smoking?The teen years can play out like a choose-your-own-adventure novel.
Teenagers must act on an endless parade of choices.Some choices.including smoking.Come with serious consequences.As a result, adolescents often find themselves trapped between their impulsive tendencies(-Just try it!)and their newfound ability to make well-informed and logical choices(-Wait, maybe that's not such a good idea!).
So what makes the teenager's brain so complex? What drives adolescents-more than any other age group-to sometimes make rash or questionable decisions?
If you have ever thought that the choices teenagers make are all about exploring and pushing limits, _ . Experts Experts believe that this tendency marks a necessary period in teen development.The process helps prepare teenagers to confront the world on their own. It is something all humans have evolved to experience-yes, teens everywhere go through this exploratory period.Nor is it unique to people:Even laboratory mice experience a similar stage during their development.
For example,laboratory experiments show that young mice stay close by their mothers for safety. As mice grow.their behavior does too."When they reach puberty,they're like,'I'm gonna start checking out how this environment looks without my mom,...explains Beatriz Luna,of the University of Pittsburgh.
As a developmental cognitive neuroscientist,Luna studies those changes that occur in the brain as children develop into adults.She and other researchers are showing how the teen experience can lead to powerful advantages later in life.Take mice again:Young mice that explore most tend to live longest----that is,unless a cat eats them,Luna adds. | high5569.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Different attitudes British men have towards crying."
},
"options": [
"Impression of British men.",
"British men's dream of the World Cup.",
"Advice on how to control emotions.",
"Different attitudes British men have to... | British men are encouraged to cry
There are certain things British men like to believe about themselves. The first is that one day they will again win the World Cup. They also believe they do not cry.
Over the centuries, Britons are believed to have a "stiff upper lip". But is this true?
Yes, it is. A recent study arranged by Kleenex on how the British express their emotions shows that 95 percent of them still contain their emotions.
Moreover, while 72 percent think this is unhealthy, 19 percent can't remember the last time they "let it out". As a result, Kleenex is carrying out the "Let It Out" campaign that encourages the British to grab a tissue and have a good cry.
These days, however, the male Briton's attitude toward crying is changing. Though the majority still struggles to open up emotionally, a 2004 study by Oxford's Social Issues Research Center found that 77 percent of British men considered crying in public increasingly acceptable. Half of London males admitted crying in front of their mothers. Scotsmen are the least emotional, although they are the most likely to cry at weddings.
Peter Marsh, director of the center, said: "Crying can now indicate sensitivity rather than weakness. Like with David Beckham, crying because you're dropping off your boy at nursery isn't seen as weak."
Winston Churchill was said to be a frequent crier, shedding tears at seeing a survivor in an air raid shelter, and when he saw his wife after a long absence.
Psychologists say that while society has accepted that men can cry, there are limits. Ronald Bracey, a consulting psychologist, said: "If a man began to cry when he was having stitches in hospital, he would be considered as a wimp . Men still need to be seen as strong when it comes to physical pain." | high20682.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "by detecting the smell of alcohol in the vehicle cabin"
},
"options": [
"by detecting the smell of alcohol in the vehicle cabin",
"by measuring the volume of the alcohol in vehicle cabin",
"by detecting the weight of the scho... | Drink drivers could be prohibited from driving under the influence if new technology from Nissan is introduced.
The Japanese car maker has developed a new odor detection system designed to prevent drivers from operating a car if they are over the legal limit. The system works by using a series of sensors to detect the level of alcohol the driver has consumed.
A high-sensitivity alcohol odor sensor is built into the gear stick , which is able to detect the presence of the driver's palm as he or she attempts to start driving. If the alcohol level detected is above a pre-determined limit, the system automatically locks the transmission , immobilizing the car. A voice alert is also issued via the car navigation system telling the driver that he or she is over the limit.
Extra sensors are also placed in the driver and passenger seats and a warning is issued if these sensors detect the presence of alcohol in the air inside the vehicle cabin.
While still in the developmental stage the concept of drink driving detectors being built into cars has generally been welcomed by many drivers.
Nissan said the technology is part of a project aimed at halving the number of fatalities and serious injuries in Nissan cars by 2015 compared to 2005 levels. | high10999.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Rumplestiltskin may have bad influence on Children"
},
"options": [
"Rumplestiltskin forgives stealing",
"Rumplestiltskin is too difficult",
"Rumplestiltskin is too long",
"Rumplestiltskin may have bad influence on Chil... | Traditional fairytales are being abandoned by parents because they are too horrible for their young children, a study found.
Research revealed one in five parents dislike old classics such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Rapunzel and are in favor of more modern books. One third of parents said their children have been left in tears after hearing the horrible details of Little Red Riding Hood. And nearly half of mothers and fathers refuse to read Rumplestiltskin to their kids as the themes of the story are about kidnapping and crimes. Similarly, Goldilocks and the Three Bears was also a tale likely to be left on the book shelf as parents felt it forgives stealing.
The survey of 2,000 adults was conducted to mark the launch of the hit US drama GRIMM, which starts tonight at 9pm on Watch, and sees six episodes based on traditional fairytales. The survey found a quarter of parents questioned wouldn't consider reading a fairytale to their child until they had reached the age of five, as they prompt too many awkward questions from their children.
Steve Hornsey, General Manager of Watch, said: "Bedtime stories are supposed to calm down children and send them off to sleep soundly. But as we see in GRIMM, fairytales can be dark and dramatic tales so it's understandable that parents worry about reading them to young children."
"As adults we can see the innocence in fairytales, but a five-year-old child with an over active imagination could take things too seriously. Despite the dark nature of classic fairytales, as we see in GRIMM, good will triumph over evil and there is always a moral to the story."
The study also found two thirds of mums and dads try to avoid stories which might give their children nightmares.
However, half of parents said traditional tales are more likely to have a strong moral message than a lot of modern kids' books, such as The Gruffalo, The Hungary Caterpillar and the Mr. Men books. | high4677.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The dangerous blocking."
},
"options": [
"The long distance.",
"Too many participants.",
"The dangerous blocking.",
"Serious injuries in forearms."
],
"question": "What is the worst thing while running a maratho... | More and more people take part in marathons these days - over 30,000 people will run the London Marathon this weekend, for instance. But it's not just the 26 miles and 385 yards that could be a daunting prospect. "I have to admit to being completely frustrated by the blocking and for 18-19 miles was just keeping away from people and being held up," one participant grumbled after the 2012 London Marathon. "I had to overtake a lot of people and ended up with bruised forearms from all the elbows," said another.
How do such crowding problems arise, and could they be reduced? Some researchers believe that we can find the answers through a more familiar system in which jams appear - road traffic flow. Martin Treiber, of the Technical University of Dresden in Germany, has previously developed models for traffic flow. One of the first attempts to model traffic flow was made in the 1950s by James Lighthill and his collaborator Gerard Whitham of Manchester University. They considered the traffic as a kind of liquid flowing down a pipe, and looked at how the flow changes as the fluid gets denser . At first the flow rate increases as the density increases, since you simply get more stuff through in the same period of time. But if the density becomes too high, there's a risk of jams, and the flow rate drops sharply.
Treiber's model of a marathon uses this same principle that the flow rate first increases and then decreases as the density of runners increases, thanks to an sudden switch from free to crowded flow. He assumes that there is a range of different preferred speeds for different runners, which each maintains throughout the race. With just these factors, Treiber can calculate the flow rate of runners, knowing the "carrying capacity" at each point on the route.
This allows Treiber to figure out how blocking might depend on the race conditions - for example, for different starting procedures. Some marathons start by letting all the runners set off at once (which means those at the back have to wait until those in front have moved forward). Others assign runners to various groups according to ability, and let them start in a series of waves.
Treiber has applied the model to the annual Rennsteig half-marathon in central Germany, which attracts around 6,000 participants. The traditional route had to be changed in 2013, because the police were no longer willing to close a road to ensure that runners could cross safely. It could pass either over a 60m wooden bridge or through a tunnel. Treiber used his model to predict the likely blocking caused in the various options. The model predicted that a mass start would risk an overload of runners if the bridge were to be used. Only by moving the starting point further back from the bridge could the danger be avoided - and even then, if some of the numbers assumed in the model were only slightly inaccurate, there was still a risk of jams at the bridge. On the other hand, no dangerous blocking seemed likely for the tunnel route. The run organizers consulted Treiber's team, and eventually chose this option. | high16330.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The European Renaissance as a cultural development that included changes in musical style."
},
"options": [
"The musical compositions that best illustrate the developments during the European Renaissance.",
"The musical techniques ... | The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France,then adopted by historians of culture,by art historians,and eventually by music historians,all of whom applied it to European culture during the 150 years spanning 1450-1600.The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries wanted to restore the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human--as opposed to spiritual values. Fulfillment in life--as opposed to concern about an afterlife--became a desirable goal,and expressing the entire range of human emotions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer frowned on. Artists and writers _ turned to secular as well as religious subject matter and sought to make their works understandable and appealing.
These changes in outlook deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period--how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed,experienced,discussed,and circulated. They could see the architectural monuments,sculptures ,plays,and poems that were being rediscovered,but they could not actually hear ancient music--although they could read the writings of classical philosophers,poets,essayists,and music theorists that were becoming available in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modern music did not have the same effect. For example,the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed disappointment with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors,painters,architects,and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature.
The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a specific set of musical techniques. Furthermore,music changed so rapidly during this century and a half--though at different rates in different countries--that we cannot define a single Renaissance style. | high3118.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "By being led"
},
"options": [
"By using a map",
"By being led",
"By feeling their way.",
"By finding it by themselves"
],
"question": "How did the author and her companion arrive at their dining table?",
"qu... | Soup on my nose, a nearly spilled glass of wine and chocolate down my white blouse, as blind dates suggest, this was a really messy one. I have never made so much noise with plates and glasses, nor had I dined with a never-before-met companion. This blind date was quite different: we could see nothing. "Put your left hand on my shoulder, and then we'll take small steps forward," said Michael, the visually impaired server, in an East London accent. We three felt our way carefully bumping past heavy curtains before being arranged at the dining table, where we would eat and drink three completely secret and unseen courses.
Welcome to Alchemy in the Dark, Hong Kong's first full-time restaurant in total darkness. Upon arrival, diners briefly tell the chef on their allergies , lock away their mobile phones and enter the windowless restaurant, which can seat 25. When the meal is over, the contents of the delicious menu are shown --- often to the diners' surprise. "This is definitely duck," my friend said, while eating chicken. "This soup," I declared, "is carrot and coriander." Even the too-close smell did not reveal the real tomato and cumin flavors. Dining in the dark changes everything: the sense of smell is heightened, manners go out of the window ----using your hands to feel around the plate becomes normal--- and there is a strange thrill in being able to ignore your facial expressions. Best of all? You don't have to spend hours beforehand wondering what to wear.
Alchemy in the Dark is at 16 Arbuthnot Road, Central, (tel: 6821 2801) and is open Monday to Saturday, from 7pm to 11pm. Reservations are required. A three-course meal with wine pairing costs HK$700 per person. Five per cent of all profits go to the Hong Kong Society for the Blind. | high12156.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "one sells something while the other doesn't"
},
"options": [
"one sells something while the other doesn't",
"one is making profits while the other isn't",
"one was opened 10 years earlier than the other",
"one operates ... | On July 16th 1995, a new bookstore opened in the American city of Seattle. No one steps inside to buy anything. Yet, the store, if you could call it that, had sales last year of 7000 million dollars. Ten years ago, few people bought things over the Internet. Few thought it was safe. Amazon.com changed many people's minds.
Ten years later, an estimated seven out of ten American adults have used a computer to buy something. Market researchers at ComScore Networks estimate online spending last year at 117,000 million dollars. That was for goods and travel services. The person who started Amazon, Jeff Bezos remains its leader. In the 1990s, he urged employees to help Amazon get big fast. Yet, Amazon invested in many similar businesses that failed. Amazon lost plenty of money. It did not make a profit until 2003. Its most recent profit and earnings report released last week was better than many market watchers had expected.
Today people can buy not just books and music but also many other products through Amazon. It competes with eBay, which celebrates its 10th birthday in September. eBay calls itself "the world's online marketplace". It does not sell anything. Instead, it provides a way for others to sell goods and services. People who want to buy something make competing offers through online auctions. eBay has grown to include several other businesses. These include Paypal, a company that processes online payments.
As online sellers grew, traditional stores saw the future. Today, stores from the smallest to the biggest sell on the Internet. These include the biggest of all, Wal-Mart. | high22095.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "explain what influences a person's sense of humour"
},
"options": [
"explain what influences a person's sense of humour",
"tell readers the importance of being healthy",
"explain how to make better decisions",
"tell rea... | Most people agree that it's important to have a sense of humour. Having the ability to laugh can help one overcome anxiety, and make better decisions in difficult situations. People with a well-developed sense of humour appear to be happier, and some are healthier as well. This suggests that having a sense of humour is good for you. Humourless people may find themselves being treated as a fool, and become anxious and upset.
A sense of humour also plays an important role in human relationships. However, not everyone has a sense of humour. People with developmental disabilities can sometimes have no sense of humour, or have a very strange one.
A number of factors affect a person's sense of humour, with the age probably being the main one. Young children are often highly amused by simple jokes or shows, while teenagers prefer to enjoy the ironic events. Educational level, culture, and religious faith also affect one's sense of humour. While Christians, for example, may have a deep appreciation of jokes about the Bible, others may find them disrespectful.
Many people believe that a sense of humour is something that develops on its own, and that you cannot teach someone to understand why jokes, certain comments, situations or events are funny. However, things can be done to
one's sense of humour. Children, for example, benefit from being told jokes and encouraged to laugh, although some children's jokes might seem rather strange to adults. If you have children, try to encourage them to tell jokes and think about what makes things funny. And it will help them develop a sense of humour. | high15639.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "200"
},
"options": [
"300",
"200",
"90",
"60"
],
"question": "From the passage we can learn pressure cooker made of cast iron lasted at least _ years.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"an... | The oldest and hardest cow beef may be made as tender and tasty as young and choice met. "This declaration was made by the French physicist Denis Papin in book published in 1681, which described his "New Digester" or pressure cooker. It was a cast iron pot with an air-tight lid, which allowed liquids to boil at a higher temperature than usual, and so it cooked food in a quarter of the time. The food was cooked by pressurized steam being forced through it at about 121degC. All pressure cookers were made of cast iron until 1905, when the first aluminum model was made in America. In 1938, Alfred Vischer, a man from Chicago, U. S. A., designed a simple interlocking pan and lid, and an improved pressure-tight seal --a replaceable rubber sealing ring. When Vischer's patent expired in 1954, many companies entered the field, and the rapid pressure cooker became popular with people with people who had little time to cook or had to supply food for unexpected guests. | high9353.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "They complain that the economy is ruining their life plans."
},
"options": [
"They expect everything to be easy for them.",
"They complain that the economy is ruining their life plans.",
"They are unwilling to face all of the... | While reading a story on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy is ruining their life plans, I couldn't help but think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children who grow up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, I certainly share their disappointment -my husband and I probably won't be able to buy a house until we're in our forties, and we two are burdened by student loans. But why should it be different? Being young people in America, shouldn't they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won't be able to have children for at least a decade because they can't afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought what planet she is living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury, not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old man in the story is disappointed that he can't afford to get a Ph. D. in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it's sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people's expectations grow up when their wealth appears to be increasing. Their parents probably see their home values rise along with their investments. "So we have people who have grown up in an environment where people have great expectations of what living well means," says Kobliner.
This recession will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems much better for our mental health to focus on being grateful--for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day--than on longing for some kind of luxurious life. | high6060.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "A brief introduction to O. Henry."
},
"options": [
"A brief introduction to O. Henry.",
"O. Henry's career and marriage.",
"How O. Henry became a well-known writer.",
"O. Henry's best- known works."
],
"question... | O. Henry, born in Greensboro, North Carolina, was the pen name of William Sydney Porter. His father, Algernon Sydney Porter, was a physician. When William was three years old, his mother died, and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt. William was a good reader, but at the age of fifteen he left school, and worked in a drug store and later on a Texas farm. After that, he moved to Houston, where he had a number of jobs, including that of bank clerk. After moving to Austin, Texas, in 1882, he married.
In 1884 he started a humorous weekly The Rolling Stone. When the weekly failed, he joined The Houston Post as a reporter and columnist . In 1897 he was put into prison over some financial dealings. While in prison, William started to write short stories to earn money to support his daughter Margaret. His first work, Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking(1899), appeared in McClure's Magazine. After serving three years of the five years' sentence,he changed his name to O. Henry, hoping to forget his bitter past.
O. Henry moved to New York City in 1902 and from December 1903 to January 1906 he wrote a story a week for the New York World, and also published the stories in other magazines. His first collection, Cabbages and Kings, appeared in 1904. Many other works quickly followed, such as The Gift of the Magi and The Furnished Room. O. Henry's best- known work is The Ransom of Red Chief. His stories always have surprising endings. He published 10 collections and over 600 short stories during his lifetime.
O. Henry's last years were shadowed by drinking, ill health, and financial problems. In 1907, he experienced a failed marriage. In 1910, O. Henry died after an illness. | high13248.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "when many fish and birds die"
},
"options": [
"when the first organisms are affected",
"when many fish and birds die",
"when poisons are poured into water",
"As soon as the balance of nature is destroyed"
],
"qu... | As a result of pollution, Lake Erie, on the borders of the USA and Canada, is now without many living things.
Pollution in water is not simply a matter of "poisons" killing large numbers of fish overnight. Very often the effects of pollution are not noticed for many months or years because the first organisms to be affected are either plants or plankton . These organisms are the food of fish, birds, and other creatures. When this food disappears, the fish and birds die too. In this way a whole food chain can be wiped out, and it is not until dead fish and water birds are seen at the river's edge or on the sea shore that people realize what is happening.
Where do the substances which pollute water come from? There are two main sources, sewage and industrial waste. As more detergent is used in homes, more of it is finally put into our rivers, lakes and seas. Detergents harm water birds by breaking down the natural substances which keep their feathers _ Sewage itself, if not properly treated, makes the water dirty and prevents all forms of life in rivers and the sea from receiving the oxygen they need. Industrial waste is even more harmful since there are many highly poisonous materials in it, such as copper and lead.
So if we want to stop this pollution, the answer is simple. Sewage and industrial waste must be made clean before flowing into the water reservoirs. It may already be too late to save some rivers and lakes, but others can still be saved if the correct action is taken at once. | high4887.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "learns what the students need"
},
"options": [
"is very happy and easy",
"learns what the students need",
"can affect the life of any student",
"has understood everything of the university"
],
"question": "The p... | Every university has a Students'Union. If students are the lifeblood of a university,the union is surely its beating heart.
For students,by students
A Students'Union is run by students and acts independently. At the end of each academic year,it will find six students to hold a sabbatical position managing the Union for the coming year. That the six successful sabbatical officers have only recently experienced issues affecting students ensures that your needs are very well understood.
_
Although the university is spread across a fairly wide area,the Union is centrally located and is only a short walk from any of the main buildings. This makes it very easy to catch up with friends who might be on a different course.
At night,the place really comes alive--we have three different bars to suit every occasion. The venues are student-only so you can be sure of meeting people with a similar outlook and we throw in a transport service to make sure you get home safely.
The Union also organizes various formal balls throughout the year,with the highlight being the end-of-year ball.
Supporting you
Beyond having fun, we also make sure some of the more serious issues are effectively dealt with. If you have a problem with your course, another sabbatical officer is trained to help you. Being independent from the university means we can represent and support you to the best of our ability,and once you reach the university you may find that you know about more national or political issues. | high10769.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "28 years old"
},
"options": [
"13 years old",
"15 years old",
"26 years old",
"28 years old"
],
"question": "When she got the ring back, the writer was about _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | When I was 12, all I wanted was a signet ring. They were the "in" thing and it seemed every girl except me had one. On my 13th birthday, my Mum gave me a signet ring with my initials carved into it. I was in heaven.
What made it even more special was that it was about the only thing that wasn't being "replaced". We'd been burnt out in fires that swept through our area earlier that year and had lost everything--so most of the " new" stuff we got was really just to replace what we'd lost. But not my ring. My ring was new.www.ks5u.com
Then, only one month later, I lost it. I took it off before bed and it was missing in the morning. I was sad and searched everywhere for it. But it seemed to have disappeared. Eventually, I gave up and stopped looking for it. And two years later, we sold the house and moved away.
Years passed, and a couple of moves later, I was visiting my parents' when Mum told me that she had something for me. It wasn't my birthday, nor was it Easter or Christmas or any other gift-giving occasion. Mum noticed my questioning look. " You'll recognize this one," she said, smiling.
Then she handed me a small ring box. I took it from her and opened it to find my beautiful signet ring inside.
The family who had bought our house 13 years earlier had recently decided to do some redecorations, which included replacing the carpets. When they pulled the carpet up in my old bedroom, they found the ring. As it had my initials carved into it, they realized who owned the ring. They'd had it professionally cleaned up by a jeweler before sending it to my mother.
And it still fits me. | high17006.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Technical terms' characters in different occupations."
},
"options": [
"Technical terms' characters in different occupations.",
"Technical terms's popularity in different cultures .",
"Technical vocabulary' development.",
... | Every profession or trade, every art, and every science has its technical vocabulary, the function of which is partly to refer to things or processes which have no names in ordinary English, and partly to secure greater exactness in expression. Such special dialects, or jargon, are necessary in technical discussion of any kind. Being universally understood by the devotees of the particular science or art, they have the precision of a mathematical formula . Besides, they save time, for it is much more economical to name a process than to describe it. Thousands of these technical terms are very properly included in every large dictionary, yet, as a whole, _
Different professions, however, differ widely in the character of their special vocabularies. In trades and handicrafts and other professions, such as farming and fishing, that have occupied great numbers of men from remote times, the technical vocabulary is very old. It consists largely of native words, or of borrowed words that have worked themselves into the very fiber of our language, hence, though highly technical in many particulars, these vocabularies are more familiar in sound, and more generally understood than most other technicalities. The special dialects of law, medicine, and philosophy have also become pretty familiar to cultivated person, and have contributed much to the popular vocabulary.
Yet, every profession still possesses a large body of technical terms that remain essentially foreign, even to educated speech. And the proportion has been much increased in the last fifty years, particularly in the various departments of natural and political sciences and in the mechanic arts. So new terms are coined with the greatest freedom, and abandoned with indifference when they have served their turn. Most of the new coinages are restricted to special discussions and seldom get into general literature or conversation. Yet no profession is nowadays, as all profession once were, a closed guild . The lawyer, the physician, the man of science, and the cleric associate freely with his fellow creatures, and do not meet them in a merely professional way.
Furthermore, what is called popular science makes everybody acquainted with modern views and recent discoveries. Any important experiment, though made in a remote laboratory, is at once reported in the newspapers, and everybody is soon talking about it--as in the case of the Roentgen rays and wireless telegraphy. Thus, our common speech is always taking up new technical terms and making them commonplace . ks5u | high20872.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "make people change their way of life"
},
"options": [
"make people live better",
"make people feel pleased",
"make people change their way of life",
"make people live worse"
],
"question": "From the passage, we ... | There is no doubt that watching television and movies can influence the way that people behave. Moreover, it seems that people are spending more and more time watching some sort of visual entertainment, whether it is television, a video tape or a DVD. Therefore, the effects of the visual media cannot be ignored.
One obvious effect of these media is that watching them induces people to buy certain products. Television advertising is widespread and, nowadays, even movie theaters permit advertisements. Another way TV and the movies affect people is that they give people either a broader view of the world or a distorted one, depending on what type of program they watch. Those who watch news and educational programs can learn many new things while those who watch primarily entertainment shows may come to believe that most people in the world have great wealth and good looks. It may make them become dissatisfied with their own lives. Finally perhaps the most susceptible viewers are children, who may be unable to tell fact from fiction and may try to copy acts that they see on TV or in the movies.
With the ever-increasing popularity of video entertainment, society must pay attention to these effects. Television and movies, while entertaining and informative, cannot take the place of real experiences. | high3130.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "limit our time in front of the screen"
},
"options": [
"watch TV more hours a day instead",
"limit our time in front of the screen",
"communicate with people face to face",
"entertain ourselves in other ways"
],
... | In the last few years the Internet has become a widespread phenomenon around the world. People have started to use the computers just like they used to watch TV. Whenever we get hungry, we simply order a pizza through the Internet and while we are waiting for the food, we can send an important business e-mail concerning some sales for tomorrow. It is, in fact, very comfortable to just simply sit down and have a chat with somebody from South Africa about fishing and get some important advice. Sometimes when you are sad and are feeling lonely, if you go on the Internet, you can find good entertainment that will keep you busy.
To make a long story short, we just don't have the time to communicate with people in person anymore. Besides, there is so much information easy to get on the Internet that when we start surfing, we find it hard for us to get away from the computer. There are a lot of people who are addicted to TV and watch it 5 to 7 hours a day, while recently addiction to the Internet has become a very serious problem. You might think that these kinds of things could never happen to you, but it is not really true. To prevent yourself from getting addicted, the most important thing is to make sure that you are not spending too much time in front of the screen. Although it might seem to be easy to pull yourself away from the Web, it is simply not the case. You might have to make an effort to place some limits on yourself. | high11477.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "was named after its discoverer"
},
"options": [
"was named after its discoverer",
"got its name from Holland settlers",
"was named by the British government",
"got its name from the Guinness Book of Records"
],
... | Tristan da Cunha, a 38 -square -mile island, is the farthest inhabited island in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records. It is 1,510 miles southwest of its nearest, St. Helena, and I, 950 miles west of Africa. Discovered by the Portuguese admiral of the same name in 1506, and settled in 1810, the island belongs to Great Britain and has a population of a few hundred.
Coming in a close second -and often wrongly mentioned as the most distant land -is Easter Island, which lies 1,260 miles east of its nearest neighbor, Pitcairn Island, and 2,300 miles west of South America.
The mountainous 64 -square -mile island was settled around the 5th century,supposedly by people who were lost at sea. They had no connection with the outside world for more than a thousand years, giving them plenty of time to build more than 1,000 huge stone figures, called moai, for which the island is most famous.
On Easter Sunday, 1722, however, settlers from Holland moved in and gave the island its name. Today, 2,000 people live on the Chilean territory . They share one street, a small airport, and a few hours of television per day. | high7356.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "cyberbullying is quite common among teenagers"
},
"options": [
"popular youth are not easy to become the target of bullying",
"cyberbullying is quite common among teenagers",
"today's youth don't like to study any more",
... | Alexis Pilkington was a popular 17-year-old and a well-liked athlete who had already won a soccer scholarship to college. But none of that stopped Alexis from becoming the target of online bullying . Alexis began to receive hundreds of online unpleasant comments via the latest social networking site called www.formspring.com. In March 2010, Alexis committed suicide and although all agreed that the online bother was not the single factor that led to Alexis' death, everyone did agree that it was a contributory factor.
Unfortunately, Alexis' story is not unique. A 2010 study conducted by the Cyberbullying Research Center showed that cyberbullying victims were almost twice as likely to have attempted suicide compared to youth who had not experienced cyberbullying.
Suicide is obviously the extreme and no one can minimize the tragedy of it. However, there are other damages that occur as a result of aggressive bullying. It can damage self-esteem and lead to feelings of worthlessness, and also increase social isolation and make victims become withdrawn, depressed, anxious, and insecure. So what causes girls to be so unkind towards each other?
A term known as relational aggression may best describe the cause of girl-on-girl bullying. It starts with a clique usually led by a girl with a high level of social status and popularity. In order not to lose her position, she will control girls within the clique and take action if she feels threatened. At the leader's directive the girls within the clique will spread rumors and lies and annoy other girls continuously. The bullying starts at school but will quickly go to cyberbullying due to anonymity . Girls will easily do so in the anonymity of the Internet. Ultimately the cause will be summarized as the insecurity and jealousy of one girl and the twisted loyalty of members within her clique. Underneath the confident exterior of a female bully lie desperate insecurities. | high8065.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "are concerned about Emma's future"
},
"options": [
"are worried about Emma's safety",
"have been worrying about the flood",
"are concerned about Emma's future",
"are worried about the job market"
],
"question": ... | My oldest child, Emma, just returned to campus after a long holiday break to finish up her last period of college. These days, friends and family have begun flooding me with one question: What is she going to do after graduation?
The job market is, after all, awfully tough. Just this month the Federal Reserve Bank published a study showing that "recent graduates are increasingly working in low-paid jobs or working part-time." The bright spot, according to the study, is for students who majored in STEM-- science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- areas in which recent graduates "have tended to do relatively well".
But Emma is a student of the humanities at a small college. She's an American Studies major with a focus on the politics and culture of food. For quite a while, I think her field of study is so fashionable right now that I'm not the least bit worried she will find a good job. Yet the more I've thought about it, the more I've decided to be honest. "I'm not sure what Emma is going to do," I now say. "But she's gotten a great education and has really found her interest. -- and I know those things will serve her well over the course of her life."
Nowadays, more and more universities and colleges are being measured by the salaries of their recent graduates. In this climate, encouraging your kid to study the humanities, seems, at best, unwise or, at worst, unconcerned with earning a living. But a college is not a vocational school. And promoting STEM subjects should not be society's only answer to helping the next generation grow in a competitive world.
From the beginning, we never urged Emma to pick a college or a major with an eye on its expected return on money, as more and more families are doing. To Emma, what really matters will be something that we may not be able to measure for quite a long time: Emma's contribution to the world and how happy she is in it. | high6048.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Raul Castro came to power."
},
"options": [
"Fidel Castro rose to power.",
"Raul Castro came to power.",
"Calvin Coolidge arrived in Cuba.",
"The U.S. officials arrived in Cuba."
],
"question": "What was the eve... | In anticipation of an extraordinary visit, the streets and buildings of Havana, Cuba, were cleaned and painted by dozens of workers. What was the occasion?
For the first time in nearly 90 years, a sitting United States president was coming to Cuba, an island nation 90 miles south of Florida. On Sunday, President Barack Obama, joined by his family, stepped off Air Force One and onto a rainy runway, where Cuban dignitaries eagerly awaited him. "It's wonderful to be here, " the president said. The last time a U.S. president came to Cuba was in 1928. It was President Calvin Coolidge, and he arrived on a battleship. Obama will be in Cuba through Tuesday. He is set to meet with Cuba's president, Raul Castro, attend a state dinner and even take in a baseball game.
The U.S. cut all ties with Cuba after Fidel Castro's communist government took control of the island in 1959. In the years that followed, both countries' opposing political views furthered the separation. Plans for social and economic change began after President Fidel Castro transferred power to his brother, Raul in 2008. Raul Castro then set a plan in motion to revive the country's economy.
Since then, Cuba has been taking small, yet lasting steps toward change by removing a number of restrictions that had been set on its citizens, such as access to the Internet, the use of cellphones, and by allowing people to work at jobs not controlled by the government. Cuba, however, still has tough limits on media, public assembly and political opposition.
Obama hopes to share his vision for Cuba's future during a speech he will deliver. Before the trip, Senior Advisor Ben Rhodes said the president hoped to use this visit as a way to "continue to create openings for great engagement between the American and Cuban people." | high13506.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "my brother and I watched too much TV"
},
"options": [
"we asked him to do so",
"my brother and I did not need it",
"he needed some money",
"my brother and I watched too much TV"
],
"question": "My father was ang... | I will probably remember one June day seven years ago for the rest of my life. My father had been complaining that my brother and I were watching too much TV, but we ignored him. Then one day we came home and the television was gone.
When I asked my father about the missing TV, he said watching television was a waste of time. Without it, we would have time for other things.
I decided he was wrong. Is there life without TV? How can we spend the week without all those shows and soaps? I was sure my life would be boring without TV, I used my best debating skills to argue with him, but he would not give in.
However, I found other ways to spend my time finally, Each day I ran around the street. This reminded me of my love for athletics, which I still enjoy. I joined Volunteers, and I built lasting friendships. Most importantly, I discovered an artistic world I never knew. I started taking art contests, and was shocked when I won. Then I took piano lessons. I began to like listening to AM radio, reading news magazines.
Living without TV has taught me how to manage my time, so that I can do many things in one day. I am proud to have learned I don't need television.
Looking back, I think my father did the right thing. "You are smart. You could do anything that you put your heart to." he used to say. He believed in us. His actions showed me a much more colorful side of life without TV and the value of having a goal and sticking to it. | high1041.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "be careful with the attractive E-mail sent by strangers"
},
"options": [
"not read and write messages in our home computers",
"not allowed nice advertisements to reach our computers",
"stop our conversations while someone is ... | E-mail is one of the biggest threats to your home computer. By understanding how E-mail works, and by taking some steps in how you deal with reading and writing messages, you can keep this threat out of your computer. When you exchange E-mail with someone else, the messages sent between you and that person pass through several computer before they reach their places. Imagine this conversation as it is taking place in an Internet "room", a very, very big room. Anyone, or more exactly, any program can probably understand what is being said, because most Internet conversations are not hidden in any way. As a result, others may be listening in, _ what you send, and using it for their own good.
E-mail-borne viruses often arrive in attractive, fantastic appearances, much like the beautiful ads we receive by way of traditional mail that is made to sell us something. By beautiful appearances, an infected E-mail message seems to be something we want to read from someone we know, not a mean virus ready to destroy or damage our computers.
There are some steps that you can take to help you decide what to do with every E-mail message with an attachment that you receive. You should only read a message that passes all of these tests:
1) The Know Test: Is the E-mail from someone that you know?
2) The Received Test: Have you received E-mail from this sender before?
3) The Expect Test: Were you waiting for E-mail with an attachment from this sender?
4) The Meaning Test: Do the topic line of the E-mail message and the name of the attachment both have meanings?
5) The Virus Test: Is the E-mail infected? | high22903.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "People who like drinking"
},
"options": [
"People who have suffered a stroke",
"People who like drinking",
"People who have high blood pressure",
"People who have twin siblings"
],
"question": "Who might be the ... | Drinking more than two alcoholic drinks daily in middle-age may raise your stroke risk more than traditional factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes , according to new research in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.
In a study of 11,644 middle-aged Swedish twins who were followed for 43 years, researchers compared the effects of an average of more than two drinks daily ("heavy drinking") to less than half a drink daily ("light drinking").
The study showed that:
*Heavy drinkers had about a 34 percent higher risk of stroke compared to light drinkers.
*Mid-life heavy drinkers (in their 50s and 60s) were likely to have a stroke five years earlier in life _ of genetic and early-life factors.
*Heavy drinkers had increased stroke risk in their mid-life compared to well-known risk factors like high blood pressure and diabetes.
*At around age 75, blood pressure and diabetes appeared to take over as one of the main influences on having a stroke.
Past studies have shown that alcohol affects stroke risk, but this is the first study to pinpoint differences with age. "We now have a clearer picture about these risk factors----how they change with age and how the influence of drinking alcohol shifts as we get older," said Pavla Kadlecova, M.Sc., a statistician at St. Anne's University Hospital's International Clinical Research Center in the Czech Republic.
Researchers analyzed results from the Swedish Twin Registry of same-sex twins who answered questionnaires in 1967-1970. All twins were under age 60 at the start. By 2010, the Registry had provided 43 years of follow-up, including hospital discharge and cause of death data.
Researchers then sorted the data based on strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes and other cardiovascular incidents. Almost 30 percent of participants had a stroke. They were categorized(......) as light, moderate, heavy or non-drinkers based on the questionnaires. Researchers compared the risk from drinking and health risks like high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking. Among identical twin pairs, siblings who had a stroke drank more than their siblings who hadn't had a stroke, suggesting that mid-life drinking raises stroke risks regardless of genetics and early lifestyle.
The study is consistent with the American Heart Association's recommended limit of two drinks a day for men and one for women. That's about 8 ounces of wine for a man and 4 ounces for a woman.
Regular heavy drinking of any kind of alcohol can raise blood pressure and cause heart failure or irregular heartbeats over time, in addition to stroke and other risks. "For mid-aged adults, avoiding more than two drinks a day could be a way to prevent stroke in later productive age ," Kadlecova said. | high14269.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "he was good at running and jumping."
},
"options": [
"he was a middle school student",
"he was tall and strong",
"he kept doing morning exercises",
"he was good at running and jumping."
],
"question": "Paul won ... | Paul was a good athlete when he was a middle school student. He liked running and jumping and won some medals at the sports meetings. So he was tall and strong. Suddenly war broke out and the young man joined the army. He was sent to the front and killed several enemy soldiers. Two years later he raturned to his home town and found a job at the police station. People had known about his bravery by then and they all liked the polite young man.
One day a few young men had drunk too much before they came in a cinema. They danced and sang there and the film couldn't be shown. Paul was ill that day and went to the hospital. When he was passing there, the young men were beating an old man. He went to stop them and they began to fight. He caught them all and sent them to the police station. Since then all the bad men in the town were afraid of the brave policeman.
It was a summer evening. The weather was hot and few people could stay indoors. Paul was on duty and sat by the telephone. Suddenly in rushed a beautiful girl with a book in her hand. She stood there, shaking in her shoes.
"What's the matter, madam? "asked Paul.
"I wish you could protect me sir, "answered the girl.
"Protect? "Paul said in surprise. "For what? "
The girl showed the book to Paul. The young man understood at once: it was a book about Ghosts ! | high7430.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "no money"
},
"options": [
"$ 65.50",
"$ 68.00",
"$ 2.50",
"no money"
],
"question": "From the letter we can know that Mr. Robbins had actually paid _ for the table and the four chairs.",
"question_type":... | 136 Crestview Circle
Dover, Connecticut
January 16, 1995
Gander's Furniture Store
Stamford, Connecticut, 09876
Dear Sir,
I am writing about your January bill, which I am returning with this letter. I am not going to pay this bill. Last month I bought a table and four chairs for $65.50. They were sent to me on December 18. That night one leg of the table broke while my wife was putting our dinner on it. It fell on one of the chair, and that broke, too. Our $ 2.50 steak landed on the floor, and the dog ate it.
I spoke to the salesmen who had sold me the table and the chairs. He told me to write you a letter. I wrote you on December 20, saying that I was not going to pay for the furniture. On December 21 some men came and took it back to the store.
Please do something about your records. I do not want to receive another bill for the furniture which I returned.
Yours truly
Alberts Robbins | high15177.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "job hunters that seek careers abroad"
},
"options": [
"job hunters that seek careers abroad",
"companies that do international business",
"people that are employed by companies overseas",
"graduates that can speak over ... | The term "resume" means a document describing one's educational qualifications and professional experience. However, guidelines for preparing a global resume are constantly changing. The best advice is to find out what is appropriate regarding the company culture, the country culture, and the culture of the person making the hiring decision. The following list is a good place to start.
*In many countries, it is standard procedure to attach a photo or have your photo printed on your resume. Do not attach a photograph to your resume if you are sending it to the United States, though.
*Educational requirements differ from country to country. In most cases of "cross-border" job hunting, just stating the title of your degree will not be enough. Provide the reader with details about your studies and any related experience.
*Pay attention to the resume format you use--chronological or reverse-chronological order. If you find no specific guidelines, the general preference is for the reverse-chronological format, which means listing your current or most recent experience first.
*The level of computer technology and accessibility to the Internet varies from country to country. Even if a company or individual lists an e-mail address, there is no guarantee that they will actually receive your email. Send a paper copy of your resume, as well as the emailed copy, just to make sure that it is received.
*If you are writing your resume in English, find out if the receiver uses British English or American English because there are variations between the two versions.
*Although English is widely accepted today as being the universal language of business, most multinational companies will expect you to speak the language of one of the countries in which they do business, in addition to English. Have your resume prepared in both languages, and be ready for your interview to be conducted in both languages. Most companies will want to see and hear proof of your language skills.
*Be aware that paper sizes are different in different countries. The United States standard is 81/2 by 11 inches, while the European A4 standard is 21 by 29.7 centimeters. When you send your resume by email, reformat it to the receiver's standard. Otherwise, when it is printed out, half of your material may be missing! | high8703.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they are no longer motivated in their studies."
},
"options": [
"they can start selling shoes and driving taxis.",
"they are no longer motivated in their studies.",
"they compete for admission to graduate schools.",
"co... | There is no doubt that for a long time college education has been accepted. All high school graduates ought to go, says conventional wisdom and statistical evidence, because college will help them earn more money, become "better" people, and learn to be more responsible citizens than those who don't go.
But college has never been able to work its magic for everyone. And now that close to half our high school graduates are attending, those who don't fit the pattern are becoming more numerous, and more obvious. College graduates are selling shoes and driving taxis; college students interfere(;) with each other's experiments and write false letters of recommendation in the fierce competition so as to get admitted into graduate schools. Others find no stimulation in their studies, and consequently have to drop out, which is often encouraged by college administrators.
Some observers say the fault is with the young people themselves--they are spoiled and they are expecting too much. But that's a condemnation of the students as a whole, and doesn't explain all campus unhappiness. Others blame the state of the world, and they are partly right. We have been told that young people have to go to college because our economy can't absorb an army of untrained eighteen-year-olds. But disappointed graduates are learning that it can no longer absorb an army of trained twenty-two-year-olds,either. | high12618.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "E-waste, a big threat to us."
},
"options": [
"E-waste is being made good use of.",
"E-waste, a big threat to us.",
"E-waste is dangerous to us all the while.",
"Goodbye, e-waste."
],
"question": "What's the bes... | It was your birthday, and you just opened your biggest gift -- a smooth silver laptop. You can't wait to instant-message your friends with the news, but first you have to get rid of your old desktop computer. Do you just throw away the monitor and keyboard in the trash? Not anymore!
Three states, that is, California, Maine, and Maryland, recently passed laws prohibiting people from throwing away electronic waste, or e-waste, includes televisions, computers, and cell phones. Although they don't make you sick when you use them, they do when they are destroyed, for they contain heavy metals that can be harmful to human bodies. For example, cell phone batteries contain a kind of chemical causing damage to kidneys and deserted computer monitors can damage brains. And flat TV screens may cause injury to the nervous system. Those metals can leak into the ground or give off pollutants when burned.
It is required that e-waste be placed at special sites rather than usual landfills. Several other states are considering similar laws and California is also pushing for a law banning the application of such dangerous substances.
Government officials are not the only people taking aim at e-waste; environmentalists are also urging people to recycle their outdated equipment.
"It is just a waste ... to not recycle," Patrick, an associate professor of occupational and environmental health at university of Iowa, told The Daily Iowan, "Allowing dangerous chemicals to leak into the environment for decades seems irresponsible."
What Can You Do?
Reduce. Be a responsible shopper, and take care of your electronics so they will last longer.
Re-use. Donate or sell your old high-tech equipment.
Recycle. To find a responsible recycler, contact a local or state environmental group. | high3656.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "he didn't want others to know he had an ugly father"
},
"options": [
"he felt sympathy for his father's physical disability",
"it was hard for them to walk at the same pace",
"he didn't want others to know he had an ugly fath... | When I was growing up, I was ashamed to be seen with my father. He was severely disabled and very short, and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare. If he ever noticed or was bothered, he never let on.
It was difficult to coordinate our steps--his slow, mine impatient--and because of that, we didn't say much as we went along. But as we started out, he always said, "You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you."
He never talked about himself as an object of sympathy, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a "good heart", and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him. I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people, even though I still don't know accurately what a "good heart" is.
Unable to join in many activities, my father still tried to participate in some way. I now know he participated in some things indirectly through me, his only son. When I played ball (poorly), he "played" too. When I joined the Navy, he "joined" too. And when I came home on leave, he saw to it that I visited his office. Introducing me, he was really saying, "This is my son, but it is also me, and I could have done this, too, if things had been different." Those words were never said aloud.
He has been gone many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my unwillingness to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about small affairs, when I am envious of another's good fortune, when I don't have a "good heart".
At such times I put my hand on his arm to regain my balance, and say, "You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you." | high5227.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "It's Okay To Be Different"
},
"options": [
"I'm Gonna Like Me",
"Psychology for Kids",
"It's Okay To Be Different",
"What Do You Really Want?"
],
"question": "If a kid is always complaining about others, he or ... | Here are a few books for your children to read as they grow up. Just choose one right now!
I'm Gonna Like Me
Jamie Lee Curtis
Price: $15.00 (15% off)
Celebrate Liking yourself? Through the dialogues between a girl and a boy, Jamie lee Curtis's text and Laura Cornell's artwork show children that the key to feeling good is liking yourself because you are you.
It's Okay To Be Different
Todd Parr
Price: $20.00 (10% off)
The book, full of bright color1s and silly scenes, tells children how to learn to accept others, understand others, and respect others. The author always tells stories in a way that is easy to understand for children.
Psychology for Kids Vol. I: 40 Fun Tests That help You Learn About Yourself
J. Kincher
Price: $18.00 (15% off)
These forty interesting tests help children explore their interests and abilities, find out why they act the way they do, and discover what makes them different.
The Golden Rule
Ilene Cooper
Price: $10.00 (20% off)
The Golden Rule: "Treat others as you want to be treated." In this book, a grandfather explains to his grandson that the Golden Rule means you treat people the way you would like to be treated. It's golden because it's so valuable, and it's a way of living your life simply.
What Do You Really Want?
Beverly K. Bachel
Price: $20.00 (15% off)
Each part includes fun exercises, helpful suggestions, and success stories from teens. Readers learn how to set a goal, put it into action, build a support system, use positive self-talk, celebrate their successes, and more. | high18453.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "pray for grandfather."
},
"options": [
"pray for grandfather.",
"ask the old lady for help.",
"avoid being seen crying.",
"thank the old lady."
],
"question": "The author went to church to _ .",
"question... | I was 15. She looked like she was over 70. But on that day. I think she understood me more than anyone else.
Walking into the church that Sunday was hard. I had never let anyone see me cry. But I knew I would cry that day .My grandfather was suddenly ill .The doctors said he might not live much longer. Everyone in my family was crying .Grandpa was the sweetest man in the world .Why was he leaving us?
There weren't many people at church that day. One of them was an old lady sitting at the end of my row. She was smiling. I closed my eyes and prayed for my grandfather to get better. Soon, my eyes were full of tears. I opened my eyes and saw a hand in front of me. _ was giving me a tissue .
The old lady was sitting next to me, smiling. She didn't say a word. She just gave me a tissue and a smile. I tried to thank her, but only tears came out. Then she took my hand. I looked into her eyes. They were clear and blue, and they make me feel peaceful. Her smile said to me :I am with you. Everything will be OK. I closed my eyes again. When I opened them, she wasn't there. I left the church but still couldn't find her. I never saw her again.
My grandfather died the next week. We all cried a lot. But when I thought of that old lady's warm smile, I felt a little better.
How did she know how I was feeling ? I wish I could see her again, to say thank you. | high2548.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "lower"
},
"options": [
"higher",
"lower",
"strong",
"nice"
],
"question": "We can hear a_sound if we make the part of the ruler sticking out over the edge of the desk longer.",
"question_type": "cloze_questi... | What do you hear? Sounds all around you! You can hear the sound of traffic, the wind in the trees, a dog barking, your own breathing and lots of other things.
But what is sound? Sound happens when something vibrates or shakes. We can make something vibrate by hitting it. Try this experiment. Put your ruler on your desk so that part of it sticks out over the edge . Put your hand on the part of the ruler that is on the desk. Now pull the part that is sticking out over the edge down, and then let it go. The part you let go will vibrate. It will move up and down very quickly, and give out sound.
The part of the ruler sticking out over the edge of the desk produced the sound. If you make that part longer, you will hear a lower sound. When you shorten it, you will hear a higher sound. Why does this happen?
When you shorten the ruler, it will vibrate more quickly. When something vibrates more quickly it produces a higher sound. If you _ the ruler, it will vibrate more slowly. When something vibrates more slowly, it produces a lower sound. | high19995.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "tell readers about the early history of the bicycle"
},
"options": [
"compare bicycles used for different purposes",
"describe the problems early bicycle makers experienced",
"persuade readers to use bicycles for transportati... | Today, bicycles are elegantly simple machines that are common around the world. Many people ride bicycles for recreation, whereas others use them as a means of transportation. The first bicycle was invented in Germany in 1818. Because it was made of wood, it wasn't very strong nor did it have pedals .Riders moved it by pushing their feet against the ground.
In 1839, Kirkpatrick Macmillan, a Scottish blacksmith, invented a much better bicycle. Macmillan's machine had iron-covered wheels to keep them from getting worn down. He also used foot-operated levers, similar to pedals, so his bicycle could be ridden at a quick pace. It didn't look much like the modem bicycle, though, because its back wheel was substantially larger than its front wheel. Although Macmillan's bicycles could be ridden easily, they were never produced in large numbers.
In 1861, Frenchman Pierre Michaux and his brother Ernest invented a bicycle with an improved pedal mechanism. They called their bicycle a velocipede,but most people called it a "bone shaker" because of the effect of the wood and iron frame. Despite the impolite nickname, the velocipede was a hit. After a few years, the Michaux family was making hundreds of the machines annually, mostly for fun-seeking young people.
Ten years later, James Starley , an English inventor, made several innovations that revolutionized bicycle design. He made the front wheel many times larger than the back wheel, put a gear on the pedals to make the bicycle more efficient,and lightened the wheels by using wire spokes. Although this bicycle was much lighter and less tiring to ride, it was still clumsy, extremely top-heavy,and ridden mostly for entertainment.
It wasn't until 1874 that the first truly modern bicycle appeared on the scene. Invented by another Englishman, H. J. Lawson, the safety bicycle would look familiar to today's cyclists. The safety bicycle had equal-sized wheels, which made it easier to ride. Lawson also attached a chain to the pedals to drive the back wheel. By 1893,the safety bicycle had been further improved with air-filled rubber tires, a diamond-shaped frame, and easy braking. With the improvements provided by Lawson;bicycles became extremely popular and useful for transportation. Today, they are built, used, and enjoyed all over the world. | high3642.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "receive much praise and encouragement"
},
"options": [
"need more concern",
"Grow better under pressure",
"have unimaginable potential",
"receive much praise and encouragement"
],
"question": "According to Dorot... | There are two great trends on parents bringing up children today.First,children are now praised to an unbelievable degree.As Dorothy Parker once joked,American children aren't raised;they are motivated.Children are constantly told how special they are.The second is that children are honed to an unimaginable degree.Parents spend much more time than in past generations on their children's development.
These two great trends--greater praise and greater honing--combine in close ways. Parents shower their kids with affection ,but it is intermingled with the desire to help their children achieve success.Parents are happy when their child studies hard,practices hard,wins first place,gets into a famous college.
The wolf of conditional 1ove is hidden in these homes.The parents feel they love their children in all circumstances.But the children often think differently.They feel that childhood is a performance--on the athletic field,in school and beyond.The shadowy presence of conditional love produces a fear,the fear that there is no completely safe love.
Meanwhile,children who are uncertain of their parents'love develop a great hunger for it. This conditional love is1ike an acid that affects children's criteria to make their own decisions about their own colleges,majors and careers.At key decision-points,they unconsciously imagine how their parents will react.
These children tell their parents those things that will bring praise and hide the parts of their lives that won't. Studies suggest that children who receive conditional love often do better in the short run.They can be model students.But they suffer in the long run.They come to hate their parents.They are so influenced by fear that they become afraid of risk.
Parents today are less likely to demand obedience with explicit rules and lectures.But they are more likely to use love as a tool to exercise contro1.But parental love is supposed to ignore achievement. It's meant to be an unconditional support -a gift that can not be bought and cannot be earned. | high19759.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "there are usually difficult things for them to deal with"
},
"options": [
"they feel alone when their family and friends leave them",
"there are usually difficult things for them to deal with",
"they have no life plans and fe... | As you grow rapidly through your teenage years you will experience a lot of changes.
The changes may seem monumental and they may seem to happen quickly. Don't panic! You will deal successfully with this time! The changes may seem difficult and your new-found responsibilities may seem daunting but you're not alone. Everyone that you've grown up with is going through the same things!
With more responsibilities you will find more freedom to make your own choices. This is a time to be well informed about your choices so that you can make healthy balanced decisions that will help shape your future. You may already know your career path or you may have no idea at all of what you want to do. Both situations are fine! If you are diligent, the right opportunity will be ready for you. Young adulthood means greater freedom and more choices. You will probably begin to want to do things independently of your family/ care-givers. Try not to shut your family out of your life and remember to be considerate even though you are older and are capable of looking after yourself. Your family have been with you since you came into this world and they will be around you when you leave this world.
It is also perfectly natural in this time of transition to want to spend more time with your friends than your family. Choose your friends wisely. Real friends are rarer than hen's teeth. A true friend will stand with you, whatever the circumstances are.
This period of transition is a part of the circle of life. There are some people who will be with you throughout the life's journey and there will be some people with whom you part and go separate ways. Leaving school/college can be hard. The reality is that you may not ever see all of your classmates again. Sure, there may be reunions and you will keep in touch with some of them. But the fact is you will need to leave some of them behind as you move forwards on the path that you feel is right for you. | high17774.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "get a return ticket to your home country"
},
"options": [
"have eleven days of paid leave",
"get a return ticket to your home country",
"stay in any hotel without paying for it",
"enjoy free medical service in prefix = ... | Editors/Designers Wanted
China Daily,a national English newspaper,is looking for English language senior editors/designers.
Senior Business Editor
You must:
* assist the Business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them;
* be an excellent team person who can come up with ideas and think creatively,be able to rewrite totally if needed and advise junior workers;
* be working or have worked in a leading position and understand what leadership means;
* have had at least five years' editing experience and be familiar with industry software.
Business Copy-editor
You must:
* work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print;
* edit or rewrite copy and give brief headlines and captions ;
* have had at least two years' editing experience and be familiar with industry software.
Copy-editor
You must:
* be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing brief headlines and captions;
* be able to work on shifts for different pages, and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print;
* have two years of editing experience and be familiar with industry software.
Senior Graphic Designer
Yon must:
* have excellent skills in information graphics;
* be good with illustrations and freehand drawings;
* be experienced in newspaper or magazine designs;
* have a good sense of typography ;
* have good news judgment.
If hired,you will be offered a competitive salary package,a room with furniture paid for,90 percent medical reimbursement ,seven days of paid leave,11 public holidays and a return ticket to your native land. | high18447.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Daniel had to be sent back to his father"
},
"options": [
"her eyes and her kidneys were affected",
"grandma became quite a different person",
"Daniel had to be sent back to his father",
"everything was thrown into conf... | My grandson, Daniel, and I have always been very close. When Daniel's father remarried after a divorce, Daniel, who was eleven, and his little sister, Kristie, came to live with us. My husband and I were more than happy to have kids in the house again.
Things were going along just fine until the diabetes I've lived with most of my adult life started affecting my eyes, and then more seriously, my kidneys . Then everything seemed to fall apart.
Three times a week, I had to go to the hospital to be hooked up to a dialysis machine . I was living, but I couldn't really call it a life -- it was an existence. I had no energy. I dragged myself through daily chores and slept as much as I could. My sense of humor seemed to disappear.
Daniel, seventeen by then, was really affected by the change in me. He tried as hard as he could to make me laugh, to bring back the grandma who loved to clown around with him. Even in my sorry state, Daniel could still bring a smile to my face.
But things were not improving. After a year on dialysis, my condition was deteriorating and the doctors felt that if I didn't receive a kidney transplant within six months, I would surely die. No one told Daniel this, but he knew -- he said all he had to do was look after me. To top it off, as my condition worsened, there was a chance that I would become too weak to have the transplant surgery at all, and then there would be nothing they could do for me. So we started the tense and desperate wait for a kidney.
I was adamant that I didn't want a kidney from anyone I knew. I would wait until an appropriate kidney became available, or I would literally die waiting. But Daniel had other plans. The time that he took me to my dialysis appointments, he did a little secret research on his own. Then he announced his intention to me.
"Grandma, I'm giving you one of my kidneys. I'm young and I'm healthy ..." He paused. He could see I wasn't at all happy with his offer. He continued, almost in whisper, "And most of all, I couldn't stand it if you weren't around." His face wore an expression of appeal mixed with determination. He can be as stubborn as a mule once he decides on something -- but I've been told many times that I can out-stubborn any mule!
We argued. I couldn't let him do it. We both knew that if he gave up his kidney, he would also give up his life's dream; to play football. It was all he ever talked about. And he was good, too. Daniel was co-captain and star defensive tackle of his high school team; he expected to apply for a football scholarship and was looking forward to playing college football. He just loved the sport.
"How can I let you throw away the thing that means the most to you?" I pleaded with him.
"Grandma," he said softly, "compared to your life, football means nothing to me."
After that, I couldn't argue anymore. So we agreed to see if he was a good donor match, and then we'd discuss it further. When the tests came back, they showed Daniel was a perfect match. That was it. I knew I wasn't going to win that argument, so we scheduled the transplant.
Both surgeries went smoothly. As soon as I came out of the anesthesia , I could tell things were different. I felt great! The nurses in the intensive care unit had to keep telling me to lie back and be quiet -- I wasn't supposed to be that lively! I was afraid to go to sleep, for fear I would break the spell and wake up the way I had been before. But the good feeling didn't go away, and I spent the evening joking and laughing with anyone who would listen. It was so wonderful to feel alive again.
The next day they moved me out of ICU and onto the floor where Daniel was recuperating three doors away. His grandfather helped him walk down to see me as soon as I was moved into my room. When we saw each other, we did not know what to say. Holding hands, we just sat there and looked at each other for a long time, overwhelmed by the deep feeling of love that connected us.
Finally, he spoke, "Was it worthwhile, grandma?"
I laughed a little ruefully . "It was for me! But was it for you?" I asked him.
He nodded and smiled at me. "I've got my grandma back."
And I have my life back. It still amazes me. Every morning, when I wake up, I thank God --and Daniel -- for this miracle. A miracle born of the purest love. | high5233.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "People who would like to travel but cannot."
},
"options": [
"People who live in an industrial city.",
"People who would like to travel but cannot.",
"Ambitious people.",
"People who go on holidays abroad."
],
"... | Everyone has an ambition to travel. But those who cannot do so themselves might find it interesting to work in a travel agency, arranging journeys for other people. Brian Lawtey does this, working in a small travel agency in an industrial city. Most of his work is concerned with holiday, both at home and abroad. Every autumn, the agency sends out hundreds of booklets full of attractive, color1ed photographs, describing the holidays that their customers will be able to have the next year. Soon, people begin to come into the office to book their holidays: perhaps a week's skiing in prefix = st1 /Austriain January, perhaps a cruise to the Caribbean in February, perhaps a seaside holiday inSpainin May, or a tour of Africa. Brian often has to advise people on what holidays will be suitable for them, and they always have a lot of questions. Last year, for example, a lady of eighty-two wanted to book for a mountaineering holiday in the Alps, and Brian had great difficulty in persuading her that it would not be suitable. In the end, she decided to go for a Mediterranean cruise instead.
Arranging journeys for people who have to travel abroad on business is often very complicated, but Brian enjoys this work. For example, last spring Mr. Perry,a director of chemical firm, went on a business trip, and Brian arranged it all for him. First, Mr. Perry traveled to Londonby trainband stayed overnight in a hotel near the airport, because his plane left early the next morning. He flew to Frankfurt inGermany, where he spent the morning discussing business. Then he went on by train toZurich, where he stayed the night. After a meeting the next morning, he caught a plane for Tokyo, and spent three days there before going toAmerica. He had business in Seattle, Chicago andNew York, and stayed some time in each of those places. From New York, he flew back toLondon,and then got home by train. The next day he telephoned the agency to thank Brian for arranging everything so well for him. | high19981.txt |
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