questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "more vehicles will be sold globally each year."
},
"options": [
"Mr Lootah's approach will be copied widely.",
"mayors take gentle measures toward them.",
"more vehicles will be sold globally each year.",
"complete car ... | It does not come as a surprise that Dubai has a growing problem with "tragic". The local rulers have explored all the conventional ways to get traffic moving again,including higher prices for parking,fuel and insurance. But at a recent conference in Hamburg, Hussain Lootah said that the city may adopt a more strict approach: setting an income level for vehicle ownership.
Mr Lootah's approach is unlikely to be copied widely, but mayors of other big cities around the world are starting to think about taking severe actions of their own, including complete car bans in inner cities.But the efforts may not be enough to reduce traffic and pollution. The problems will only get worse: the number of vehicles sold globally each year will grow from around 80 million today to more than 100 million by the end of the decade, according to IHS Automotive.
There are already a handful of car-free communities around the world.But these are typically small and often tourist destinations that seek to create a throwback(;) in time, such as Sark Island, in the English Channel. The largest car-free urban area is probably Venice, where it is impossible to build roads and bridges to link the more than 100 small islands the city sits on.
Yet pedestrian malls and other car-free zones keep popping up in cities around the world. Some cities are considering ways to limit central city access to "green" machines, such as battery-electric vehicles. Hamburg is perhaps the furthest along.
Such extreme plans may fly in a city such as Hamburg. But in many other cities the political resistance even to less far-reaching measures is hard to overcome. Michael Bloomberg, New York's former mayor, tried twice to introduce a jam charge for much of Manhattan, but his plans were rejected by state lawmakers. | high13512.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "their young can live in the wild"
},
"options": [
"their young can live in the wild",
"their young can have a better environment",
"they can get used to wildlife reserves",
"they can live a free life in the wild"
],... | On a grassy plain in South Africa,thousands of miles from home,two pairs of Zoo--bred South China tiger cubs----one-year-o1d Hope and Cathay and six-month-old Tiger Woods and Madonna--are learning to hunt in the wild.The hope is that they will one day pass on their skills to their young,allowing the next generation to get back to wildlife reserves in China.
A survey shows that the tigers are in more danger of dying out than China's most famous animal,the giant panda.Forty years ago,about 4,000 South China tigers lived in the wild.Today there are only about 30.An additional 64 live in 19 zoos in China,,which are all descendants of six wild animals seized in 1956.
The cubs were born in zoos in China and removed from their mothers when they were three months old.Their first home in South Africa was a one-acre camp where they stayed for a month.Their next home was a ten acre area,where they lived for three months to help them gradually get used to life outside a cage.
When the cubs first arrived in South Africa,they didn't even want to leave their cages.It took weeks to get them to eat chicken,used as they were to being fed beef at the Zoo in China where they were born.It took months of practice to hunt a live animal and then make the link between the kill and food.Now just a few months on,and living in a 150-acre camp,they have become remarkably skilled hunters.
All four animals will finally return to Zoos in China while the pioneering pairs' cubs will grow up completely wild.The aim is for _ to go to reserves developed in China by 2008,when the Olympic Games will be held in Beijing. | high22917.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Not having enough will power."
},
"options": [
"Being forced by others.",
"Not having enough will power.",
"Enjoying their first experiences.",
"Following the examples of their friends."
],
"question": "What do ... | Why do people drink too much, eat too much, smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What's to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn't quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it's having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first sip of beer. Disgusting, wasn't it? When my father gave me my first taste of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette -- it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation you need will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically , only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to them, can ever come to someday develop a "taste" for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren't self-control failures -- far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control, but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it. | high1055.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "a news report"
},
"options": [
"a textbook",
"a book review",
"a science magazine",
"a news report"
],
"question": "The passage is likely to be taken from _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | An artist in Oakland, California is using his skills to help the homeless. Greg Kloehn builds very small shelters that make life on the streets more comfortable. The structures offer the homeless some safety and protection from bad weather. Each little house also has wheels on the bottom so it can go wherever its owner goes.
Greg Kloehn has given away at least 20 tiny houses to the homeless on the street. On a recent day, Mr. Kloehn stops to visit his homeless friends. One of them is Oscar Young. The two men hug when they see each other. Inside his little shelter Mr. Young gets relief from cold nights on the streets. Mr. Kloehn also visits Sweet-Pea, another friend who also lives in one of the little homes the artist built. She says it keeps her safe and protects her belongings.
In the mornings, Mr. Kloehn searches the streets for building materials. He gathers what he can and takes it to his studio. There, he puts the houses together. Empty coffee bags become roof material. A washing machine door and refrigerator part become windows. Nails, screws and the sticky glue hold all the pieces together. The artist also attaches a small electrical device to the house. The device is powered by the sun.
Some of the people living on the streets once had normal houses of their own. But some of the people say they have learned to live with less and they are thankful to that man.
Mr. Kloehn says his work is not a social project. He says he is just someone using his skills to help his homeless neighbors. | high9409.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he spent all his energies on his business"
},
"options": [
"he was sure his son was good at his lessons",
"he spent all his energies on his business",
"he knew nothing about the education",
"his wife looked after their ... | Mr Reese was born in a big city. His father had several companies and got a lot of money. He could give his son all the young man wanted. He was busy with his business and never asked him how he got along with his studies. So the boy spent most time in the restaurants or cinemas. Of course he was weak at his lessons and learned nothing at school. He made many friends but none of them was good and when they knew he came from a rich family, they began to teach him to gamble . Of course he lost much money.
Now Mr Reese was twenty and finished middle school. He could not do anything. But his father didn't mind it until one day he found the young man had sold one of his companies. He became so angry that he made him leave his house. The young man couldn't gamble any longer. His friends made him pay his debt. He had to ask his mother to help him and the woman often gave him some money. But one evening his father happened to find it. The old man stopped his wife from doing so. They began to fight in the room. The young man brought out a knife and killed his father. His mother helped him to run away, but soon after that he was caught and sentenced to death.
It was a cold and wet day. Suddenly it began to rain hard when Mr Reese was being sent to the execution ground . Soon both he and the soldiers were wet through. He said angrily, "Bad luck! I shall be shot in such bad weather!"
"Don't complain , brother, "said one of the soldiers. 'You're luckier than us all. We'll have to go back to the city after that!" | high7424.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "touch"
},
"options": [
"see",
"touch",
"hear",
"look"
],
"question": "Many people want to buy something which they can _ by themselves.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Most people like buying things by touching them on a store shelf. Many people begin to feel some goods as theirs when they touch them. They have "mine, mine, mine" feeling as little as 30 seconds after touching an object .
In a study, some people were shown a cheap coffee cup, and were allowed to hold it for 10 seconds or 30 seconds. They were then allowed to buy it in either a closed or an open place. The people knew the real price of the cup before they began to buy.
If people hold the cup for a longer time, he will pay more for it. In fact, people hold the cup for 30 seconds pay more than the others. "The amazing part of this study is that people can become almost attached to something like a cup." said James Wolf,"By touching the cup and holding it in their hands, they begin to feel the cup is theirs. Once they begin to feel it as theirs, they are willing to keep it."
Many businessmen use this way to sell their things. For example, car sellers send the buyers out on test drives and pet shop owners encourage people to play with the dogs in the window. When you are testing out new cars, you are going to buy it at once. But you can do better if you get ready for it. | high8717.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Worries and influences caused by the nuclear crisis ."
},
"options": [
"What measures the Japan Government takes to solve the nuclear crisis .",
"Worries and influences caused by the nuclear crisis .",
"With great efforts of ... | The crisis at the damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station in northern Japan has raised worries about radiation risks. We spoke Tuesday with Jonathan Links, an expert in radiation health sciences. He is a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland.
Professor Links says workers within the nuclear plant are the only people at risk of extremely high doses of radiation.
JONATHAN LINKS: "Of course, we don't know what doses they've received, but the only persons at risk of acute radiation effects are the workers."
For other people, he says, there may be a long-term worry. People can get cancer from low doses of ionizing radiation, the kind released in a nuclear accident.
Professor Links says scientists can use computers to quickly model where radioactive material has blown and settled. Then they measure how large an area is contaminated. He says if the situation is serious enough, officials could take steps like telling people not to eat locally grown food or drink the water.
JONATHAN LINKS: "But that would only be the case if there was a significant release and, because of wind direction, the radioactive material was blown over the area, and then settled out of the air into and onto water, plants, fruits and vegetables."
The reactors at Fukushima are on the Pacific coast. But Professor Links says people should not worry about any radioactive material leaking into the ocean.
JONATHAN LINKS: "Even in a worst-case scenario accident, the sea provides a very high degree of _ . So the concentration of radioactivity in the seawater would still be quite low."
Japan is the only country to have had atomic bombs dropped on it. That memory from World War Two would create a stronger "psychological sensitivity" to radiation exposure, Professors Links says.
Next month is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the explosion and fire that destroyed a reactor at Chernobyl in Ukraine. The nineteen eighty-six event was the world's worst accident in the nuclear power industry.
A new United Nations report says more than six thousand cases of thyroid cancer have been found. These are in people who were children in affected areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The report says that by two thousand five the cancers had resulted in fifteen deaths.
The cancers were largely caused by drinking contaminated milk. The milk came from cows that ate grass where radioactive material had fallen.
To get the latest updates, go to www.unsv.com.
Contributing: James Brooke | high15163.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "her desire for the learning wasn't satisfied well"
},
"options": [
"she wanted to learn another style of paintings",
"she didn't learn anything in Pennsylvania",
"her desire for the learning wasn't satisfied well",
"her... | Mary Cassatt is one of the first great women American painters. At first her father did not want her to become an artist. But she followed her dreams and became an artist.She was born on
May 22, 1844, and lived in Europe for several years as a child.
Her family returned to the United States and, at age 16, Mary attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Four years later she decided she couldn't learn anything fresh and practical in Philadelphia, so she returned to Europe. There she studied the skills of the masters in Rome, Seville, Antwerp, and Paris.
Mary received the chance of a lifetime at the age of 33 when the famous French painter, Edgar Degas, asked her to join a group of painters that included now-famous artists like Manet and Renoir. Their style of painting is called Impressionism. They used primary colors and short brush strokes in their work. They recognized Mary 's spirit and powerful talent and invited her to exhibit in the Impressionist art shows.
Mary painted what she saw: gardens, and paintings of persons , especially of mothers and children involved in everyday living. One of her paintings, "Young Mother and Two Children," was given to the White House in 1954 where it hangs today.
Mary never married and, in 1877, her parents and sister moved to Europe to join her. Mary devoted much of her time to them for the next 18 years to their care. Mary painted until 1914 when her failing eyesight made it impossible to continue. She spent the later years of her life in Paris. She died in 1926 at the age of 82. Unfortunately,all her life, she refused to accept students. | high7342.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "universities were only for men at that time"
},
"options": [
"universities were only for men at that time",
"her father did not trust the schools",
"her family was poor when she was young",
"she was too shy to go to a p... | Emma Hart Willard (1787--1870) was an American pioneer educator. In her time, colleges and universities were open only to men, and women were not permitted to attend.
Emma received advanced education at home from her father and became a school teacher at twenty. She continued to teach at school for several years after her marriage. Then began offer college lessons in her home to women students. Later she founded a school in New York State, which was the first school that offered higher education in the US for women.
Emma Willard also tried to persuade New York State to pass a law to allow women to attend public colleges and universities, though that did not come about until after her death. Some years later people remembered her for her life-long efforts and elected her to the US Hall of Fame in 1905. | high15605.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "China rushes toward superpower status"
},
"options": [
"American government has pointed it out",
"Rush Holt introduced legislation calling for opening Chinese",
"China rushes toward superpower status",
"many students in... | At Dulles High school in Sugar Land, Texas, the roster for Advanced Chinese begins with Jason Chao and ends with Kathy Zhang. In between comes an unexpected name: Elizabeth Hoffman. Hoffman, now a 12thgrader, began learning Chinese in the eighth grade, has spent a summer studying in Nanjing and plans to perfect her Mandarin next fall. When asked by her peers---why she is learning Chinese, she responds with a question: "why aren't you?"
As China rushes toward superpower status, America's schools and government officials are responding to Hoffman's opinion. Earlier this year Eush Holt of New Jersey introduced legialation calling for increased money of programs for less commonly taught languages, "For reasons of economics, culture and security, we should have much better facilities with Chinese languages and dialects," he said. The State Department has pointed out Chinese is becoming a "critical language", but the most recent data show that only 24,000 students in Grade 7 to Grade 12 study Chinese.
Still, the number is growing. In Chicago public schools, enrollment in Chinese classes has skyrocked from 5000 students in 2005 to nearly 35,000 students this year. In the Santa Clara County, California, enrollment has quadrupled during the same period. In 2007, when the College Board first introduces advanced-placement language exams in Chinese and Italian, 2,400 high school plan to offer AP Chinese---10 times the number of students that plan to offer AP Italian.
Much of the interest can be explained by China's increasing competiviveness. "People are always trying to judge what languages are going to be useful for the future," says Marty Abbot, the director of education at the National Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Stephanie Wong, a student At Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California, chose Chinese so that she could speak with her grandfather. Wong also predicted that Chinese will be important if she becomes a doctor. 80 percent of people in her hometown are Asians. | high13274.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "if diseases and insects harmful to crops were going towards colder areas"
},
"options": [
"if farmland could be moved to colder places thanks to global warming",
"if diseases and insects harmful to crops were going towards colder a... | Dan Bebber is a senior research fellow at the University of Exeter in Britain. He says research has shown that wild plants and animals are moving toward Earth's North and South poles as the planet warms.
Mr Bebber wanted to know if the same thing was happening with organisms that attack agricultural crops. He examined reports of first sightings of new insects and diseases around the world. The records came from CABI - the Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International. He says the group began collecting information from developing and industrialized countries years ago.
Dan Bebber and his research team studied 612 different organisms - from viruses and bacteria to insects like beetles and butterflies. They found that since 1960, crop pests and diseases have been moving toward the poles at an average rate of about 3 kilometers each year. Mr Bebber says this puts the most productive farmland in the world in danger.
"As new species of pests and diseases evolve and potentially the environment for them becomes more _ at higher latitudes, the pressure on the breadbaskets of the world is going to increase."
Farmers face other threats. Invasive species passed through trade are also causing problems. Gene Kritsky is an Entomologist at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio. He specialises in the study of insects. He says climate change may improve conditions for some invasive species.
"It means that species in other parts of the world that might do well in warmer temperatures can now do well in the breadbasket of America."
Another Entomologist Christian Krupke of Purdue University says the effects of these changes will depend very much on the crop, the insect and the disease. But he says the research is a warning sign that people should care about climate change and do something about it. | high4893.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "To show more people's living in vulnerable buildings can cause more people to die in an earthquake"
},
"options": [
"To show Port-au-Prince is too crowded.",
"To show more people's living in vulnerable buildings can cause more peop... | This was the year the Earth struck back.
Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 - the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.
"It just seemed like it was back-to-back and it came in waves," said Craig Fugate, who heads the US Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010.
"The term '100-year event' really lost its meaning this year."
And we have ourselves to blame most of the time, scientists and disaster experts say.
Even though many disasters seem accidental, the hand of man made this a particularly deadly, costly, extreme and strange year for everything from wild weather to earthquakes.
Poor construction and development practices make earthquakes more deadly than they need be. More people live in poverty in vulnerable buildings in crowded cities. That means that when the ground shakes, the river breaches , or the tropical cyclone hits, more people die.
The January earthquake that killed well more than 220,000 people in Haiti is a perfect example. Port-au-Prince has nearly three times as many people, many of them living in poverty , and more poorly built shanties as it did 25 years ago. The same quake hit Port-au-Prince in 1985 instead of 2010, total deaths would have probably been in the 80,000 range, said Richard Olson, director of disaster risk reduction at Florida International University.www.ks5u.com
Climate scientists say Earth's climate also is changing thanks to man-made global warming, bringing extreme weather, such as heat waves and flooding.
The large amount of extreme weather is a clear sign of man-made global warming that climate scientists have long warned about. They calculate that the killer Russian heat wave - setting a national record of 111 degrees - would happen once every 100,000 years without global warming.
Previous data show that 18 countries broke their records for the hottest day ever.
White House science adviser John Holdren said we should get used to climate disasters or do something about global warming: "The science is clear that we can expect more and more of these kinds of damaging events unless and until society's emissions of heat-trapping gases and particles are sharply reduced." | high17012.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "natural"
},
"options": [
"valuable",
"natural",
"unusual",
"bearable"
],
"question": "According to the passage, Miss Advice thinks David's self-doubt _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
... | Dear David,
I'm glad you would like to share your feelings with me. It's hardly surprising that your feelings of not being "grown up" have come on strongly at this point in your life, just before you're about to become a father. You are asking: will I make a good father? How will I deal with? Should I have brought another little person into the world? Can I provide for it? Heeelp! I think nearly every sensitive about-to-be-parent must have these occasional feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy before the birth and it would be most unusual if you didn't share them.
It's difficult, honestly, to feel grown-up unless you have something less grown-up to relate to. The boss with a hen-pecking wife may feel like a seven-year-old when he's at home. But as he walks through the office door, and knows he's going to be surrounded by staff looking to him for advice, he grows into a fully mature man. And I think it's a mistake to imagine that we all feel, as we age, a kind of progression of states, from the baby to the adult. Most people feel, on Tuesday, about three years old, and on a Wednesday, around 80. I remember feeling very grown-up at eight, a time when I was weighed down with responsibility. These days, much older, I can, in the company of people I feel at ease with, feel like a young girl.
There's a common remark that "all men are little boys", but it's not true. It's more true that men often behave like little boys. But nearly all people, at some moments in their lives, are able of great maturity.
Once your baby arrives, you'll soon feel less childlike, or rather, less often. When your child tries to put its fingers into the electric plug, the adult in you will rise up to prevent it. You'll see you have very little in common with a needy child, particularly if it's looking to you for comfort and support.
Comfort yourself, David, with two truths. One is that your friends laugh when they talk about this subject because they, like you, feel frightened. And remember that people who haven't grown up don't go around talking about the fact that they don't feel grown-up.
Hope my advice will be helpful and good luck to you and your little one.
Sincerely Yours,
Miss Advice | high18321.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Benjamin Franklin."
},
"options": [
"Benjamin Franklin.",
"Businessmen.",
"The first insurance company in London.",
"Farmers."
],
"question": "Who helped set up the first company in America?",
"question_type... | Buying insurance is a way in which people can protect themselves against large losses. Protection against fire is one kind of insurance. Large numbers of people pay small sums of money to an insurance company. Although thousands of people have paid for fire insurance, only a few will lose their homes by fire. The insurance company will pay for these homes out of the small sums of money it has collected.
The first modern fire insurance company was formed in London, England, in the 1760s. A great fire had just destroyed most of the city, and people wanted protection against further losses. The first company grew rapidly. Soon other companies were founded in other areas.
Benjamin Franklin helped form the first fire insurance company in America in 1752, and then a new kind of insurance for farmers was suggested. The new insurance would provide protection against the loss of crops from storms.
Later on another new insurance company was started in America. This company, which offered life insurance, collected small sums of money regularly from many different men. If a man died, his family was given a large sum of money.
Over the years, insurance companies have offered new kinds of insurance protection. The new kinds of insurance cover losses from such accidents as car and plane crashes. Today, most people have some kind of insurance. | high5555.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A Year without \"Made in China\""
},
"options": [
"China Free Living: A Trouble One",
"A Year without \"Made in China\"",
"Why I Choose \"Made in China\"",
"\"Made in China\": Good or Bad"
],
"question": "The be... | Last year, two days after Christmas, we kicked China out of the house. Not the country obviously, but bits of plastic, metal, and wood with the words "Made in China". We kept what we already had, but stopped bringing any more in. because it had coated our lives with toys, and useless stuff. Sometimes I worried about jobs sent overseas, but price triumphed over virtue at our house. We couldn't resist what China was selling.
But on that dark Monday last year, an unease feeling washed over me as I sat on the sofa. It wasn't until then that I noticed a fact: China was taking over the place.
It stared back at me from the empty screen of the television. I spied it in the pile of tennis shoes by the door. It glowed in the lights on the Christmas tree and watched me in the eyes of a doll lying on the floor, I slipped off the couch and sorted gifts into two piles: China and non-China. The count came to China, 25, the world, 14. Christmas, I realized, had become a holiday made by the Chinese. Suddenly I wanted China out.
I persuaded my husband, and on Jan. 1 st, we started a-year-long household embargo on Chinese imports. The idea wasn't to punish China. And we didn't fool ourselves into thinking because we wanted to measure how far it had pushed in. We wanted to know what it would take in time, money, and worry to kick our China habit!
In the spring, our 4-year-old son started a campaign to support "China things". "It's too long without China," he cried. He kept at me all day. I have discovered for myself that China doesn't control every aspect of our daily lives, but if you take a close look at the underside of boxes in the toy department, I promise it will give you pause. "When we can buy China things again? Let's never stop." My son said.
After a year without China I can tell you this: You can still live without it, but it's getting costlier by the day. And a decade from now I may not be brave enough to try it again. | high3124.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand"
},
"options": [
"he has a difficult time learning music at the same time",
"he has an easier time learning music at the same time ?",
"it is hard to master the ... | Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand.And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.
Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese.Writing in the online edition of Nature Nenroscieme, researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover changes in pitch .
One of the study's authors, Nina Kraus, said the findings suggested that studying music "actually tunes our sensory system".This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs.Dr.Kraus said.She said music training might also help children with language problems.
Mandarin speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do.This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages, pitch plays a central role.A single syllable word can have several meanings depending on how it is _ .
For this study, the researchers looked at 20 non Chinese speaking volunteers, half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.
As they were shown a movie, the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word "mi" in three of its meanings: squint, bewilder and rice.The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds.Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.
The lead author of the study, Patrick C.M.Wong, said it might work both ways.It appear? That native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments. | high20866.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It is possible to find a job even in times as bad as now."
},
"options": [
"It is always difficult to find a job.",
"Everyone can find a job in good times.",
"Contrary to popular belief, it is easier to find a job in bad time... | Why doesn't the unemployment rate ever reach zero? Economists, who generally believe that supply tends to meet demand, have long thought about this question. Even in good times, i.e. not now, there are people who can't find work. And even in bad times, i.e. now, there are job openings. With over 14 million people out of work and looking for a job, you would think every available job would be filled. But that's not the case. Not now and not ever.
On Monday, the Nobel Prize committee awarded the prize for economics to the three scholars who have done the most to explain this phenomenon. Two of the winners are Americans, Peter Diamond of MIT and Dale Mortensen of Northwestern. The third winner is Christopher Pissarides, who teaches at the London School of Economics and was born on Cyprus.
Like most of economics, what they have found about why the jobless and ready-employers don't find each other seems obvious. You have to find out there is job opening you are interested in. Employers need to get resumes . It takes a while for both employers and employees to make the decision that this is what they want. And these guys came up with a frame-work to study the problem of why people stay unemployed longer than they should and what can be done about it.
So what would today's Nobel Prize winners do to solve the current problem of the unemployed? And does the awarding of the prize contribute to the politicians' lowering joblessness?
Speaking from his north London home, Pissarides told The Associated Press the announcement came as "a complete surprise" though his work had already helped shape thinking on both sides of the Atlantic.
For example, the New Deal for Young People, a British government policy aimed at getting 18-24-year-olds back on the job market after long periods of unemployment, "is very much based on our work," he said.
"One of the key things we found is that it is important to make sure that people do not stay unemployed too long so they don't lose their feel for the labor force," Pissarides told reporters in London. "The ways of dealing with this need not be expensive training - it could be as simple as providing work experience." | high11463.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "have some similar cultural traditions"
},
"options": [
"have the same family spirit",
"have some similar cultural traditions",
"have experienced some similar social changes",
"have experienced similar cultural developme... | Researchers from France and Italy discovered that Canadian parents are less strict with their children than mothers and fathers in France and Italy.
"Our most important finding was the difference between Canadians and the others," said Professor Michel Claes,the lead author of the study."Canadians focus on independence and negotiation.On the other hand,Italians,for example,exercise more control.We found Canadians seem to focus on negotiation in case of a conflict."
Claes said Canada,France and Italy were selected for the study because they share important cultural and social factors."We chose FrenchCanadians because they share the same language as France,and originally came from France and share certain values.Italy was included because it was considered to have similar,strong and important family values," he explained.
The researchers examined the emotional ties between parents and their children by questioning 1,256 students aged 11 to 19 years old.
Canadian students reported less control and more free actions,according to the study.Italian parents were stricter and French parents were somewhere in the middle.
Claes explains that the differences lie in education in Canada,France and Italy.
"North America has its own educational values,which promote individualization.Tolerance and comprehension are encouraged.Italy,on the other hand,promotes respect of authority,control,and the need for permission." he said.
Children from all three countries described their mothers as warm and communicative.Italian and Canadian children had similar feelings about their fathers,and reported high levels of emotional ties.But French fathers were generally thought by their children to be more distant and cold.
"We were surprised by this," Claes admitted."It seems as though the relationships between French mothers and their children were becoming closer over time,while fathers maintain a form of distance and coldness,which is more of a source of conflict in France than in the other countries." | high11488.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Popular culture influences people."
},
"options": [
"Advertisements change rapidly.",
"Movie stars are changing over time.",
"Popular culture influences people.",
"New films and shows replace the old."
],
"quest... | Kids are cool to wear blue jeans and T-shirts today.It is fashionable like that.Fashion refers to the styles of dress that are currently popular.Fashion goes beyond just clothes, though.It's important for some people to wear only the latest fashions and styles.For others, though, keeping up with trends isn't that important.The one thing that stays the same with fashion is this: it always changes!
During the 1960s and 1970s, hippies made bell-bottomed blue jeans popular.Also, in the 1980s, Michael Jackson made parachute pants all the fashion.Now try to find these items in today's clothing stores!
Do you know why fashions change? The answer is probably as simple as the fact that people change.Over time, the new replaces the old.People are influenced greatly by popular culture, including athletes, musicians, movies stars, as well as popular films, television shows, books and music.We are also influenced by the fashion industry's advertising.
The stars of popular culture are always searching for a new angle to maintain their popularity.Often these new angles come in the form of new clothing or hairstyles.When people see these new styles, they often want to imitate their favorite stars.To do so, they seek out the latest fashions to make themselves look like the people they want to imitate.In this way, fashions evolve and change over time.
Clothes have been used to separate people into groups for many years.Even today, brand-name, clothing that is more expensive than other types of clothing can be used by some people to distinguish themselves from others.
Unfortunately, this can often have the effect of distancing certain groups from others.Don't forget that it's always OK to develop your own sense of style that is unique and separate from what the fashion world determines! Stay true to yourself and let your personality--not your clothes--speak for who you are! | high10796.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Blue, violet."
},
"options": [
"Yellow, green.",
"Blue, violet.",
"Black, blue.",
"Brown, white."
],
"question": "Which of the following colours belong to cool colours?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"... | In general, people talk about two groups of colours warm colours and cool colours. Researchers in psychology think that there are also two groups of people people who prefer warm colours and people who prefer cool colours.
The warm colours are red, orange and yellow. Where there are warm colours and a lot of light, people usually want to be active. People think that red, for example, is exciting. Sociable people, those who like to be with others, like red. The cool colours are green, blue and violet. These colours, unlike warm colours , are relaxing. Where there are cool colours, people are usually quiet. People who like to spend time alone often prefer blue.
Red may be exciting, but one researcher says that time seems to pass more slowly in a room with warm colours than in a room with cool colours. He suggests that a warm colour, such as red or orange is a good colour for a living room or restaurant. People who are relaxing or eating do not want time to pass quickly. Cool colours are better for offices or factories if the people who are working there want time to pass quickly.
Researchers do not know why people think some colours are warm and other colours are cool. However, almost everyone agrees that red, orange, and yellow are warm and that green, blue and violet are cool. Perhaps warm colours remind people of warm days and the cool colours remind them of cool days. Because in the north the sun is higher during summer, the hot summer sunlight appears yellow. | high4878.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "computer crimes are the most serious problem in the operation of financial institutions"
},
"options": [
"it is still impossible to detect computer crimes today",
"people commit computer crimes at the request of their company",
... | More and more, the operations of our businesses, governments, and financial institutions are controlled by information that exists only inside computer memories. Anyone clever enough to modify this information for his own purposes can get big reward. Even worse, a number of people who have done this and been caught at it have managed to get away without punishment.
It's easy for computer crimes to go undetected if no one checks up on what the computer is doing. But even if the crime is detected, the criminal may walk away not only unpunished but with a glowing recommendation from his former employers.
Of course, we have no statistics on crimes that go undetected. But it's disturbing to note how many of the crimes we do know about were detected by accident, not by systematic inspections or other security procedures. The computer criminals who have been caught may have been the victims of uncommonly bad luck.
Unlike other lawbreakers, who must leave the country, commit suicide, or go to jail, computer criminals sometimes escape punishment, demanding not only that they not be charged but that they be given good recommendations and perhaps other benefits. All too often, their demands have been met.
Why? Because company executives are afraid of the bad publicity that would result if the public found out that their computer had been misused. They hesitate at the thought of a criminal boasting in open court of how he juggled the most confidential records right under the noses of the company's executives, accountants, and security staff. And so another computer criminal departs with just the recommendations he needs to continue his crimes elsewhere. | high20655.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "It is because of You Who Came From The Star."
},
"options": [
"The dramas are from the neighboring country North Korea.",
"Most of the Chinese netizens have voted for them.",
"The actors in the dramas are all gods.",
"I... | A Korean wave is sweeping across China, with many Chinese women worshiping South Korean actors Kin Soo-hyun and Lee Min-ho as demigods . Chinese netizens always have different opinions. Over South Korean TV dramas, but there is no doubt that programs from the neighboring country are now enjoying a new round of popularity in China, And a big part of the credit for that goes to You Who Came From The Star, the South Korean TV series which is on the air now.
You Who Came From The Star and The Heirs have been subjects of hot online discussions throughout Asia. Besides, the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, read by the hero You Who Came From The Star was a hard-to-get item on Amazon for a while.
The two TV programs have several common elements :a tall, handsome, and rich hero who loves the heroine blindly and always protects her, and an equally handsome man madly in love with the same woman. Both programs describe the purity of love, which is expressed through a kiss or a warm hug. Perhaps that's the secret of their success; perhaps people still like Cinderella-type stories.
The widening wealth gap is a matter of social concern both in South Korea and China, and the challenges that young people face in their hope for a better life might have caused many ordinary girls to dream of marrying rich, caring men. This is precisely what the popular South Korean TV drams describe. _
Many netizens even said at an earlier time that South Korean TV dramas had become popular because of their stereotyped themes: traffic accidents, cancer and other incurable diseases. But all that has changed with the success of You Who Came From The Star and The Heirs, which Chinese directors can use as examples, as well as inspiration, to improve their productions. | high9384.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "How jet lag happens and how to fight it."
},
"options": [
"What jet lag is and the effects it has.",
"What jet lag is and the movies about it.",
"How jet lag happens and how to fight it.",
"How jet lag happens and tips ... | If you have ever experienced jet lag ,you know how much of a drag it can be. Jet lag happens as a result of air travel, when traveling between two or more time zones. Your body is used to operating in a certain time zone, and when its timing is affected, you're likely to have problems.
Edward Norton's character in the movies Fight Club faces the struggle of jet-lag-induced sleeplessness due to his constant traveling. Sleeplessness is just one of the effects of jet lag, and it can lead to other problems, such as tiredness, memory loss and confusion. That's not something you should have to fight on a business trip and it certainly won't make your vacation very enjoyable, either.
Sleeplessness is the biggest problem for travelers that suffer from jet lag. Don't worry. You can do something to prevent it.
Modify Your Body Clock
To prevent the effects on your body's timing that come with crossing time zones, you need to change your body clock sooner, rather than later. You can do this by putting yourself on the same time as your destination time zone before you fly. If you know that you will be traveling to London from the eastern United States, you'll have a five-hour time difference to deal with. Plan for it.
Avoid Heavy Food and Alcohol
Part of the pleasure of flying commercially, especially if you fly business or first class, is taking advantages of the food and drinks. If you want to avoid jet lag, though, you should think twice. Eating heavy food will only make the jet lag worse. It isn't good to drink alcohol during a flight, either, because it may make you drowsy. Wait until your body adjusts before you decide to have heavy food or drink alcohol. | high15836.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Soccer is popular all over the world, but truly great players are few."
},
"options": [
"Soccer is popular all over the world, but truly great players are few.",
"Millions of people all over the world are playing soccer, but only s... | Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way---was it through training and practice, or are great players "born, not made"? First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past---players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate. In the history of soccer, only seven countries have ever won the World Cup---three from South America and four from Western Europe. There has never been a great national team---or a really great player---from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four.
Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighborhood---a poor, crowded area where a boy's dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer. For example, Liverpool, which produced the Beatles, had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a "ball" made of rags. And George Best learned the _ that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall in the slums of Belfast.
All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn't explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the others. | high12181.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "By sending them text messages."
},
"options": [
"By emailing them.",
"By chatting with them on MSN.",
"By sending them text messages.",
"By giving them a phone call."
],
"question": "How does Julian usually get ... | Technology helps people do everything from planning to meet for a movie to keeping in touch with a friend who lives in a different country.
When planning to get together with friends, Julian said , " If I want to go and see a movie with a few friends, I usually send them text messages. By telephone, you have to call every single friend one by one. But text messaging allows you to send the same message to as many people as you'd like, which saves a lot of time."
Email, IM, and other low-cost methods of communication also help people keep long-distance friendships in ways they couldn't have even a few years ago.
Mike told us, "I had this friend when I was 8 or 9 , and then she moved away to the country. We promised to stay friends and to send letters, and at the start we did. Then the letters got fewer and fewer and we at last stopped writing to each other. I think if we had had email, we would still be in touch."
James found out about cost the hard way. He said, " I called my friend in New Zealand, which is halfway around the world, and it cost me over $200! So now I just stay up late to see if I can catch him on MSN or I write an email."
Email, IM, and other low-cost ways of keeping in touch also allow people to develop brief acquaintances into long- lasting friendships. Andrea told us, " I met this really cool girl. We've been in touch over half a year and it's nice to talk to her." | high22042.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To introduce the main topic of the passage."
},
"options": [
"To show how guilty he was.",
"To tell us what micro blog is.",
"To introduce the main topic of the passage.",
"To tell us how many blog users there are in Ch... | A micro blog with space for 140 Chinese characters had once been a source of endless amusement for Wang Ganghui, a senior majoring in biochemistry at Ji'nan University.
Until last month, the 21-year-old Wang had believed that he was part of a broader movement. Recently, however, Wang's micro blog is silent.
The reason? It's because of a woman known as "Zhao Meimei". Earlier this month, Wang joined many other users to criticize the US-based student for her wealthy overseas life, because they thought her money came from _ since her mother was a local official.
But later Wang found out that the woman student was actually being supported by her father, a hard-working businessman.
"I felt guilty... Someone hid part of the truth to make a conflict. The worst thing is - I did not even have a chance to apologize to her," he says.
Wang is not the only young Internet user to be confused by an online world made up entirely of broken information. According to official statistics, the number of micro bloggers in China now exceed 300 million.
For private users, a micro blog can provide real-time updates from anyone a user chooses to "follow". These can range from family members to celebrities . Information can instantly be spread through "re-tweeting". In the public area, however, a micro blog can also become a link between users and the authorities.
However, with the increasing popularity of micro blogs comes a number of problems. Chen Changfeng, deputy director of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University, stressed two major types of misbehavior that can occur on micro blogs and upset young users.
"Some marketers spread fake news just to make some person or product known to more people; others use the free channel to manufacture and spread fake news and rumors like a virus," Chen says.
He says that an average micro blogger receives and transmits information, but when faced with such a vast amount of information, he may lack the ability to tell the difference between the real and the fake stories.
Having realized this, Internet users have come together to combat micro blog misconduct by forming voluntary groups such as the Rumor Clarification Association.
The government and individual operators of micro-blogging sites have also stepped into monitor posted content. | high22724.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "59 BC"
},
"options": [
"59 BC",
"700's",
"1609",
"1620"
],
"question": "The first daily newspaper came out in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | The first newspapers were written by hand and put up on walls in public place. The earliest daily newspaper was started in Rome in 59 BC. In the 700's the world's first printed newspaper was published. Europe didn't have a regularly published newspaper until 1609, when one was started in Germany.
The first regularly published newspaper in the English language was printed in Amsterdam in 1620. In 1621, an English newspaper was started in London and was published once a week. The first daily English newspaper was the Daily Courant . It came out in March 1702.
In 1690, Benjamin Harris printed the first American newspaper in Boston. But not long after it was first published, the government stopped the paper. In 1704, John Campbell started The Boston Newsletter , the first newspaper published in the American colonies. By 1760, the colonies had more than thirty daily newspapers. There are now about 1,800 daily papers in the United States.
Today, as a group, English language newspapers have the largest circulation in the world. But the largest circulation for a newspaper is that of the Japanese newspaper Asahi Dhimbun . It sells more than eleven million copies every day. | high15188.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "kids' room"
},
"options": [
"kids' room",
"sock drawer",
"medicine cabinet",
"safe"
],
"question": "Money and valuables might be the safest if kept in your _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | Eight Things a Burglar Won't Tell You
Should you spend your money on a home security system? A look inside a burglar's mind might help you decide.
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in your home, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation which I am more than happy to accept.
4. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house, or it will be _ By the way, loud dogs and nosy neighbors are the two things I hate most.
5. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door---understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.
6. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet . Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.
7. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not fastened, I'll take it with me.
8. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook.com page. It's easier than you think to look up your address. | high6909.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The dogs that look very ugly."
},
"options": [
"The dog owners who are good at keeping dogs.",
"The people who have adopted dogs.",
"The dogs that have unusual skills.",
"The dogs that look very ugly."
],
"quest... | On Friday, June 20th, 29 dogs along with their owners came to Santa Rosa, California. They came there to take part in an unusual competition--one that seeks out and honors the World's Ugliest Dog. Now in its 26th year, the competition is one of the biggest attractions at the annual Sonoma County Fair.
Among the leading competitors were Cupcake, who was adopted from a local dog rescue center in January and Shorty, who would have been put to sleep if its owner, Jason, wasn't kind enough to pick it up. Also competing was 11-year-old veteran Grovie. Described by his owner as short and funny, the Chinese pug is a local resident who has taken part in this contest several times. Then there was 2002 "World's Ugliest Dog" and "Ring of Champions" winner, Rascal. The 7lbs naturally hairless dog with very few teeth comes from an impressive background . His grandfather, Chi Chi, holds the Guinness World Record for winning the title "World's Ugliest Dog" seven times!
But all these impressively "ugly" dogs had no chance against Peanut. The two-year-old dog was badly burnt in a fire which caused him to lose his lips, most of his body hair and eyelids. Besides winning the title, $1,500 USD in cash and a large trophy , the first time winner also enjoyed an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City where he made scheduled appearances on the Today Show and the Jimmy Kimmel Show.
The competition is a great way to honor these dogs, many of whom get their unusual looks because of human abuse . But most importantly, it raises awareness about their adoption by showing the world that ugliness does not prevent dogs from becoming very loving pets. | high8924.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To stress the importance of using fresh food ingredients."
},
"options": [
"To show the French diet is fairly delicious.",
"To illustrate the French have a healthy diet.",
"To stress the importance of using fresh food ingredi... | Today's modern life discourages people from taking time to prepare their own meals. Eating in the car and grabbing a quick bite in a restaurant are ever more popular ways of dining. It takes a little extra effort and time to cook your own food, but it's a worthwhile pursuit that can benefit your health, wallet and family.
People across the country are waking up to the fact that the food offered by most fast food restaurants isn't particularly healthy. While these restaurants have made attempts lately to add healthier meals to their menus, it's still _ a dish cooked with fresh ingredients and personal care.
Nutritionists who study what is called "the French paradox"--- meaning the fact that French people have low obesity rates despite their diet containing lots of "unhealthy" ingredients such as butter---partially account for this circumstance by the fact that many French people use fresh ingredients. Taking time to eat at a leisurely pace also helps you get better nutrition and you are less likely to pack on the pounds.
Even a quick meal will usually cost at least five dollars per person at a restaurant. Compare this to the amount of pasta, vegetables or meat available for the same money at your home, and it quickly becomes apparent that the cost of eating out adds up.
Experimenting with new ingredients or foreign recipes will encourage children to try new foods and learn about dishes from around the world. Many couples also find that preparing a meal together can be a romantic experience equal to dinner in a classy, low-lit restaurant. Make sure to spend meal times talking and sharing events from the day and you may find it's a great way to get to know your family better. | high14296.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "couldn't find his or her home"
},
"options": [
"had no home to go to",
"had lost his or her puppy",
"was in need of gloves and scarves",
"couldn't find his or her home"
],
"question": "The girl thought \"a homel... | Children are very, very _ and have excellent memories.
Around Christmas last year, we were heading to Grandma's house. The drive was an hour long, so we had plenty of time to chat. We were waiting to get onto the freeway when my daughter Hayley noticed a homeless man, no sign in hand. "Mom, is that man homeless?" I told her I believed he was.
We got onto the freeway and drove away. But the chatting had stopped. Hayley was quiet all the way there. We spent a few hours at Grandma's then packed up to head home. As we drove back, Hayley rustled around in her seat, trying to reach something on the floor of the car. I asked her to sit still, worried her seatbelt would slip from the booster seat. She mumbled something and sat back.
"Mom, will the homeless man still be outside tonight?" I told her I was not sure, maybe. It was a freezing night, and I started to think of the man now too, and how cold he must be.
All of a sudden, as we got onto the freeway exit, Haley shrieked : "There he is! There he is!" and started rolling down her window. "Mom, I found these gloves and scarf back here. Can I give them to him? Can I?" she asked.
I pulled over to the edge of the road, and beckoned the man to come over. Haley smiled at him and handed him her gift. I looked in the front passenger seat, loaded with leftovers from Grandma's house, and handed those out to him as well.
The man thanked us, he clutched my hand in his and I could feel the bitter cold of them. We wished him a safe night and continued on our journey to our warm home.
"Haley, that was very sweet of you!" I told her. "Well, they were your gloves and scarf, Mom, but his hands looked colder, and he has to keep looking for his house!"
We had talked about homelessness before , and I could hear myself telling her: "Someone who has lost their home." She had taken my words literally and thought the man's home was like a lost puppy.
On the ride home, and as I carried my sleeping angel into the house that night, my heart filled with gratitude. | high3871.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "show her the meaning of the word \"antique\""
},
"options": [
"let her learn to value things",
"tell her the stories behind them",
"show her the meaning of the word \"antique\"",
"help her know more about the family's p... | My six-year-old granddaughter stares at me as if she is seeing me for the first time. "Grandma, you are an antique," she says. "You are old. Antiques are old. You are my antique."
I am not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I explain, "An antique is not only just old; it's an object existing since or belonging to earlier times such as a work of art or a piece of furniture. Antiques are valuable."
We look around the house for antiques. There is a large desk that was handed down from an aunt to our family. "It's very old," I tell Jenny. "I try to keep it polished, and I show it off whenever I can. You do that with antiques." When Jenny gets older and understands such things, I might also tell her that whenever I look at the desk or touch it, I am reminded of the aunt who was dear to me and gave me the desk as a gift. I see her face again, though she is no longer with us. I remember myself as a little girl standing against this antique, listening to one of her stories.
Our tour of antiques continues. There is a picture on the wall purchased at a yard sale. It is dated 1867, and it is not in very good condition. There is a vase on the floor. I'm not certain where it came from, but I didn't buy it new. And then there is an old-style bed, sent to me forty years ago from an uncle who slept in it for fifty years.
"The one thing about antiques," I explain to Jenny, "is that they usually have a story."
For a moment Jenny looks thoughtful. "I don't have any antiques but you," she says. Then her face brightens. "Could I take you to school for our antiques show?"
"Only if I fit into your backpack," I answer. And then her antique lifts her up and gives her a big hug that will last through the years. | high17947.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "there is more competition between the candidates"
},
"options": [
"more people have applied to university",
"there is more competition between the candidates",
"there are more services that help find university places",
... | What do you do if you don't get into your first choice of university? That's the dilemma that faces thousands of British students every year.
Many candidates turn to Clearing, the service that helps find university places for students at the last moment. If they don't have the marks to get into their first choice of institution, Clearing tells them about places available at other universities, though they might have to read another subject.
But this year has seen a record number of people applying to university. This, combined with the weak economy, an uncertain job market and budget cuts at universities, means that _ than usual. Some sources say six students have applied for each remaining undergraduate university place.
The British university admissions service, UCAS, says up to a quarter of this year's university applicants --- almost 190,000 people --- still don't have a place on a degree course. That's a rise of over 46,000 students from last year.
Faced with these figures, some British students might be thinking of an interesting alternative: studying abroad. The University of Nottingham, for example,is offering places at its campuses in Ningbo, near Shanghai, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Students here can gain University of Nottingham degrees in business, accounting, engineering and English. Similarly, the University of Bolton says it has 'unlimited' places at its campus in the United Arab Emirates.
Given the problems getting into university, the UK's Higher Education Minister, David Willetts, encourages students who haven't made the grade to consider alternatives to university, such as apprenticeships and studying at home.
"There are a range of options available," he says. "People are able to reapply. They should think how they can spend their year adding that bit to their CV, which would help their application --- getting practical work experience or extra skills --- anything that strengthens their chances next year."
But some experts say that rising university costs, poor long-term job prospects, and a drop in graduate recruitment mean it's the worst time to be a university student in the UK. | high3865.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Lee."
},
"options": [
"Tiara",
"Erin",
"Nagib.",
"Lee."
],
"question": "Who is wholeheartedly lost in tattoos and piercing?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | Tattoos and body piercings have moved up on the trend list in recent years. Around Western schools lots of teens are sporting new holes and flesh ink. Like all other subjects, we'll surely be faced with such situation. To get a better view of what has happened in the West, let's sit down and hear what they say.
Kerstin Otto from Washington:
The hotter it gets and the more layers of clothing disappear, the more tattoos and piercings appear on various places of the human body, I wouldn't be caught dead with a snake tattooed on my ankle or with a piece of metal stuck in my belly button.
Erin from Indiana:
I think body piercing is cool. In most situations, you don't really have to worry about it getting torn out. I go to Noblesville High School. I am a sophomore (that is the l0th grade). Body piercing can be cool, only if it is not taken to too much of an extent. I would not want to get my nose pierced, just because I think I'll look bad. But that is my personal opinion. I guess that type of thing is a cultural difference.
Tiara from Indiana:
I personally think body piercing is sickening. If there were supposed to be holes in your body, you would have been born with them. I do, however, think that ear piercing, is not wrong. There is a difference between ear piercing and belly button piercing. Ear piercing is not nearly as dangerous. I would be sick if someone stuck a needle in my belly button.
Lee from Illinois:
Hi! I live in Illinois. I am 23. I have 12 tattoos and three piercings. I love my tattoos and consider myself an art collector. You would be surprised at who has given me the thumbs-up on my art work. People on the street stop me to look at that on my leg. Most of them don't know what it is. They just think the work itself is great.
Subotai from California:
I'm not prohibitive of self-expression, but when I see high school students getting these piercings, I really wonder. In some cases, the drive is deeper and darker than mere fashion. A friend of mine tried piercing her own tongue with a safety pin. It got infected and she had a tongue the size of a cow's.
Nagib from Washington:
I wanted an earring. My friends had them and it looked like a cool thing. I wanted to get a nose ring, but my mum wouldn't let me. Now I'm glad I didn't get it. I just wanted a little stud, but I wouldn't have looked good with it.
Jackson from Ohio:
I don't think it's wrong, but when people do it all over the place like their face and everything --I think that's ridiculous. People who get the big dragons that cover your whole body--I don't think that's necessary. When I see naked chicks on guys, I think. "You have no respect for women."
Brittney from New York:
You don't want to do stuff to your body. You don t need to do that because you were made perfect. You don't need to add piercings. If it will make you feel beautiful and you really feel like you need to do it for yourself, then okay. If it really makes a big difference impacting your self-esteem and how you are towards others, then do it. But otherwise, don't mess with what you got. Maybe you should try something more substantial to find beauty in yourself. | high20127.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "comfortable and safe"
},
"options": [
"comfortable and safe",
"made of children's hair",
"made by Locks of Love",
"offered to children for free"
],
"question": "According to the text, the hairpieces are _ .",... | Imagine being bald and walking into class at school. You escape to the back row but see other students pointing at you and talking about you. You feel embarrassed. After school, you run home to avoid talking to anyone.
Some medical problems cause people to lose their hair. This can be embarrassing for adults, but for children it is even worse. They often feel bad about themselves, and other children laugh at them.
In her 20s, Madonna Coffman developed alopecia, a skin disease that causes hair loss. She recovered after a few years, but 15 years later, her 4-year-old daughter developed alopecia. Her daughter's feelings encouraged Coffman to make Locks of Love a non-profit organization.
Locks of Love provides hairpieces for children who lose their hair for medical reasons. Children from poor families receive hairpieces for free or at prices their families can afford. The organization hopes to increase the children's confidence and help them enjoy a more normal life.
The hairpieces are made of hair donated by ordinary people. They grow their hair long, cut off at least 10 inches of it and mail it to Locks of Love. Locks of Love then sends the hair to the company that makes hairpieces. The organization says that 80% of those who give their hair are children who want to help other children.
The hairpieces are easy to wear and fit the wearer's head very well. No one except the children who wear the hairpieces can take them off. This lets the children run, play and swim without worrying about the hairpiece falling off. And other children won't be able to pull the hairpiece off either.
These hairpieces do more than change how the children look. They help kids to enjoy their childhood. The children can join in activities, make friends and face each day with confidence. Locks of Love allows kids to be kids again. | high17953.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Breakdown of air transport"
},
"options": [
"Electricity cut off",
"Lack of drinking water",
"Road destruction",
"Breakdown of air transport"
],
"question": "Which of the following is NOT mentioned as the damage... | Survivors searched for loved ones on Monday in emergency centers across the northeast coast of Japan, with thousands of people still missing after an earthquake and tsunami that probably killed more than 10,000 people.
"I'm looking for my parents and my elder brother," Yuko Abe, weeping, said at an emergency center in a nearly flattened town of 24, 500 people. "I also cannot tell my s who live away that I am safe, as mobile phones and telephones are not working."
Many people spent another freezing night huddling in blankets around heaters in shelters along the coast, a scene of devastation after the earthquake sent a 10-meter wave surging through towns and cities in the Miyagi region, including its main coastal city of Sendai.
About 2,000 bodies were found on the shores of Miyagi. The nation struggled with the worst disaster since World War II. Almost two million households were without power in the freezing north. There were about 1.4 million people without running water.
Emiko Ohta, 52, wearing a mask and plastic gloves, searched through the remnants of her home in the port town of Kuji. The house had been reduced to a pile of dirt-covered rubble . "I came to see if there's anything usable. All my kimonos are destroyed, but there are maybe some items of emotional value here. I did find a bit of jewellery. Just a little," she said.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said food, water and other necessities such as blankets were being delivered by vehicles but because of damage to roads, authorities were considering air and sea transport.
A few employees at a factory in Kuji that manufactured shipping parts showed up for work on Monday, even though it had been reduced to rubble. One young worker said he came because it was a workday. Factory Chief Teruo Nakano said everyone who worked there was safe and they were awaiting instructions from their leaders. He planned to send workers home. | high22730.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They make change for no more than $5."
},
"options": [
"They start selling tickets at 9:30 a.m.",
"They are connected to change machines .",
"They offer special service to the elderly .",
"They make change for no more t... | Metro Pocket Guide
_
Each passenger needs a farecard to enter and go out . Up to two children under age five may
travel free with a paying customer .
Farecard machines are in every station. Bring small bills because there are no change machines in the stations and farecard machines only provide up to $5 in change.
Get one ticket of unlimited Metrorall rides with a One Day Pass. Buy it from a farecard machine in Metro stations. Use it after 9:30 a,m. until closing on weekdays, and all day on weekends and holidays .
_
Open: 5 a.m. Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m. Sat.-Sun.
Close : midnight Sun .-Thurs. 3 a.m.Fri.-Sat. nights
Last train times vary. To avoid missing the last train, please check the last train times posted in stations.
_
When paying with exact charge , the fare is $1.35. When paying with a SmarTripRcard , the fare is 1.25.
_
Senior citizens 65 and older and disabled customers may ride for half the regular fare. On Metrorail and Metrobus, use a senior/disabled farecard or SmarTrip Rcard . For more information about buying senior/disabled farecard, SmarTripRcards and passes, please visit MetroOpensDoors .com or call 202-637-7000 and 202-637-8000.
Senior citizens and disabled customers can get free guide on how to use proper Metrobus and Metrorail services by calling 202-062-1100.
Travel tips
. Avoid riding during weekday rush periods -before 9:30 a.m. and between 4 and 6p.m.
. If you lose something on a bus or train or in a station, please call Lost &Found at 202-962-1195 . | high8930.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they mistook \"pants\" in American for underpants"
},
"options": [
"Katie's mother got mud on her jeans",
"Katie's mother's underpants were dirty",
"they mistook \"pants\" in American for underpants",
"they didn't know ... | I ran into quite a few language problems while vacationing with my family last summer. The most embarrassing was when my Mom apologized to the people we were staying with because her "pants were dirty". They looked at her in amazement, not knowing how to react. You see, Mom had fallen over and gotten mud on her jeans. But in Britain, "pants" means underpants or knickers, not trousers as it does back home.
Katie -- From America
I went to stay with a friend on the west coast last summer. Her flat was on the first floor of a high-rise building so I got the lift up. Then I wandered round for ages looking for her flat but couldn't find it. Fed up and tired, I finally had to go out to find a phone box. She explained that her flat was on the first floor, which for me meant the ground floor.
David -- From Britain
When I asked for the "restroom" in a big department store, people kept directing me to a room with seats where I could sit and "rest". It took me years to get through to someone that I only wanted the toilet!
Tom -- From America
Last summer we went on a two-week family touring holiday, so Dad hired a car over the Internet. This was an old vehicle and there turned out to be lots of things wrong with it. When he phoned the hire company and tried to explain that the lock on the boot was broken, they thought he was talking about footwear! He had no idea their word for "boot" was "trunk". In the end we went to a _ and just solved the problem.
Mary -- From Britain | high23348.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Milan's air is considered to be worst polluted in Europe."
},
"options": [
"Milan's air is considered to be worst polluted in Europe.",
"Experts think that the air in Milan is badly polluted.",
"The reason for the air polluti... | Milan, the second largest city of Italy, has won an undesirable world record. Of the 54 big cities studied by the World Health Organization and the United Nations, Milan is considered to have the worst air pollution. According to these two10-year studies, the level of air pollution in Milan is twice as high as the levels in Paris and Beijing and three times those in Tokyo and London, and four times that in New York. The reason for Milan's bad pollution, to some experts, is that the city lies in a valley that holds back the poisonous gases. Though Milan has taken some measures to lower the level of pollution, the situation is still worrying. People joke to each other, "If you are traveling to Milan, be sure to bring your gas mask." In order to reduce the use of private cars, in 1979, the government in Milan began an interesting experiment: passengers in the city buses did not have to pay for their tickets. | high9390.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Some words have rather funny origins ."
},
"options": [
"captain Cook's guide made a joke.",
"Native Australians could not speak English in Cook's time.",
"Some words have rather funny origins .",
"Captain Cook was a ... | Early in the 18th century, Captain Cook, a famous explorer of Australia, unexpectedly caught sight of an unusual animal during his first visit to Australia. The animal had a large mouse like head and jumped along on its large legs. To his great surprise, the unusual animal carried its young in a special pocket of flesh. Captain Cook pointed to the animal which was eating grass in the distance and asked his native guide what the animal was referred to. The guide seemed not to know that he was pointing at and finally said "Kang-a-roo", but their requests were met with puzzled looks of the native people. Before long they got to discover that the native guide who made the answer to Cook's question really meant, "I don't know what you pointing at. " Funny enough, the name " Kang-a-roo", stuck and it is still in use today. | high15822.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "a corporation"
},
"options": [
"a church",
"a corporation",
"a city",
"a state"
],
"question": "According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by _ .",
"question_type": "... | Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most physicians have a contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital, which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities(operating room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or, in the case of veteran's hospitals, a federal government agency. Others are operated by religious orders or other non-profit groups.
Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members, or residents, who are often still in training. They may teach in medical schools, be hired by corporations to care for their workers or work for the federal government's Public Health Service.
Physicians are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $ 100 000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Physicians list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a physician in the United States. Most would be physicians first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $ 20 000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Prospective physicians then attend medical school for four years. Tuition alone can exceed $ 10 000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young physicians are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency in a hospital, the first year as an apprentice physician. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.
Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several physicians will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These physicians also take care of each other's patients in emergencies.
Physicians work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite routine ones, involve risk. It is understandable that physicians want to be well rewarded for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death. | high258.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He wanted to study their system of deaf education."
},
"options": [
"He needed to finish his studies to become a minister.",
"It was the easiest way to get to France.",
"He wanted to study their system of deaf education.",
... | Would you believe that the first outstanding deaf teacher in America was a Frenchman? His name was Laurent Clerc. He became a friend of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and together they founded America's first school for the deaf.
Laurent Clerc was born in a small village near Lyons, France, on December 26, 1785. When he was one year old, he fell into a fire, losing both his hearing and his sense of smell.
At 12, Laurent entered the Royal Institution for the Deaf in Paris where he did well in his studies. After he graduated, the school asked him to stay on as an assistant teacher.
Meanwhile, in America, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was studying to be a minister. He was very concerned about the lack of educational opportunities for the deaf. Therefore, in 1815, Gallaudet sailed to London, England to seek ideas on how to teach deaf people. While he was there, he met a French educator of the deaf who invited him to go to Paris to spend three months learning at the Royal Institution for the Deaf, the school where Laurent Clerc was teaching. Gallaudet accepted the offer. The two worked and studied well together. When the time came for Gallaudet to return, he asked Clerc to come with him. Clerc accepted on one condition: that he would stay in America only a short time.
The two men set sail on June 18, 1816. The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean took 52 days; however, Clerc and Gallaudet put the time to good use. Clerc studied English, and Gallaudet studied sign language. They discussed the school for the deaf which they planned to open. On the long trip, they had many conversations about education and deafness. The year after they arrived, they founded a school for the deaf in Harford, Connecticut.
At the school, Clerc led a busy life. He taught signs to Principal Gallaudet; he taught the pupils; and he taught hearing men who came to the school to study deaf education.
In 1819, Clerc married Eliza Crocker Boardman, one of his pupils. They had six children. He retired from teaching in 1858. Although he had intended to return to France, he never did. He died on July 18, 1869 in the United States. | high1914.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "it is a pleasure to cook with your children"
},
"options": [
"it is a pleasure to cook with your children",
"children are eager to learn how to cook",
"parents should perform their duty",
"it is no good cooking with chi... | Teaching your child to cook is not hard; the hard part could be getting them out of the kitchen. When you are teaching them, remember to stress safety and cleanliness, after all these are skills they will need for many years into the future.
Start by finding simple no-cook recipes. A salad or other no-cook recipe is an ideal way to start. Show your child how to hold, and cut with knives. Make sure they know how to wash everything in hot soapy water as they use it, so that it becomes a habit that is part of the process and not an extra chore to do after they have finished.
If possible, find one of the good children's cookbooks that are available. Many of these have simple recipes that demonstrate the basic cooking terms such as chop, mix, and stir. When it is practical, you may as well have your child help you prepare meals. Even a small child can get bowls out, pour, and start learning to measure. A two- year -old child can stir a batter , or taste the results.
Allow your older child to find a recipe that they think sounds nice. Go over the recipe with them as you discuss the steps needed, and how to adjust any ingredients to match your budget, and family preferences.
When you go shopping, have your child help find the necessary ingredients for their 'special' recipe. When it is time to make the recipe, allow them to do as much as possible, only helping out if asked or when they run into trouble. Be sure to praise their efforts even if they are not perfect. After the results are gone, talk about any problems, and see if there is a solution.
Most children like to cook, and if they are part of deciding what to cook, as well as the preparation they will be well on the way to being good cooks. | high10782.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Alternative medicine becomes more popular"
},
"options": [
"Differences between alternative medicine and conventional medicine",
"Comparison of the effects of different medicine",
"Conventional care remains to be most accepta... | ATLANTA, Georgia--- Alternative medicine --- including yoga, meditation, herbs and the Atkins diet ---appears to be growing in popularity in the United States, perhaps because of dissatisfaction with conventional care, the government said Thursday.
More than a third of American adults used such practices in 2002, according to the government survey of 31,000 people, the largest study on non-conventional medical approaches in the United States.If prayer is included, about 62 percent of U.S.adults used some form of alternative medicine.
The results seem to indicate more people are turning to alternative medicine, though the 2002 survey could not be directly compared to previous studies because of differences in size and survey methods, health officials said.
The top alternative therapies included prayer (43 percent of adults) , natural products(19 percent), meditation(8 percent)and diets such as Atkins, Ornish, or the Zone (4 percent).More people also are using natural products such as herbs or enzymes to treat chronic or recurring pain , said Richard Nahin of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health.
"Many conditions are not easily treated with conventional medicine," Nahin sad. "It may be the public that is turning to complementary and alternative medicine because it's not getting relief from conventional medicine."
But people should not be turning away from conventional treatments that are proven safe, said Dr.Stephen Straus, director of the alternative medicine center.
"People are making individual decisions to neglect those therapies and we have concerns about those choices," he said.
Health officials said they were concerned that 13 percent of those surveyed said they turned to alternative medicine because regular medicine is too expensive.
"It needs to be explored ---we need to find out whether they were insured or not" Nahin said.
Health officials also were surprised that 6.6 percent of those surveyed used the supplement kava , which has been associated with liver disease.
"People make the assumption that because something is natural that it's safe" Nahin said. "But a number of studies have shown that natural products can be unsafe when used inappropriately or with other drugs."
He said people considering using alternative medicine should consult their doctor first. | high20641.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "get higher paying occupations"
},
"options": [
"get higher paying occupations",
"have higher self-esteem",
"be unhealthy",
"be the height of 5 feet 4 inches"
],
"question": "If you are among the taller individua... | While researchers have long shown that tall people earn more than their shorter counterparts, it's not only social discrimination that accounts for this inequality but tall people are just smarter than their height-challenged peers, a new study finds.
"As early as age three, before schooling a child has had a chance to play a role, and throughout childhood, taller children perform significantly better on cognitive tests," wrote Anne Case and Christina Paxson ofprefix = st1 /PrincetonUniversityin a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The findings were based primarily on two British studies that followed children born in 1958 and 1970, respectively, through adulthood and aU.S.study on height and occupational choice.
Other studies have pointed to low self-esteem, better health that accompanies greater height, and social discrimination as criminals for lower pay for shorter people.
But researchers Case and Paxson believe the height advantage in the job world is more than just a question of image.
"As adults, taller individuals are more likely to be selected into higher paying occupations that require more advanced verbal and numerical skills and greater intelligence, for which they earn handsome returns," they wrote.
But the researchers said the differences in performance _ long before the tall people enter the job force. Prenatal care and the time between birth and the age of 3 are critical periods for determining future cognitive ability and height.
"Prenatal care and prenatal nutrition are just incredibly important, even more so than we already knew," Case said in an interview. | high23360.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Tourists."
},
"options": [
"Scientists.",
"Students",
"Tourists.",
"Artists."
],
"question": "What kind of people is the text mainly written for?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answe... | Phillip Island Penguins
The Little Penguin has called Phillip Island home for untold generations. Get to Phillip Island in plenty of time to watch s summer sunset at Summerland Beach - the stage is attractively set to see the little Penguin leave water and step onto land.
*Leave Melbourne at 5:30 pm for a direct journey to Phillip Island.
*See the Gippsland area - Guinness Book of Records place for the world's longest earthworm
*Journey along the coastal highway around the Bay with French Island and Churchill Island in the distance
*Cross the bridge at San Remo to enter Phillip Island - natural home for Little Penguins and many animals
*Take your place in special viewing stands to watch the daily evening performance of the wild Little Penguins
Ultimate Penguins (+U)
Join a group of up to 15. This guided tour goes to an attractive, quiet beach to see Little Penguins. You can see penguins at night by wearing a special pair of glasses.
Adult $60.00 Child $30.00
Viewing Platform Penguin Plus (+V)
More personalized wildlife viewing limited to 130 people providing closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing stands.
Adult $25.00 Child $12.50
Penguin Skybox (+S)
Join a group of only 5 in the comfort of a special, higher-up viewing tower. Gain an excellent overview of Summerland Beach.
Adult 16yrs | high270.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "his unusual ability and a skeleton key"
},
"options": [
"his special tricks and supernatural powers",
"his unusual ability and a skeleton key",
"his magic tricks and unhuman powers",
"his wisdom and magic tricks"
],... | The Man of Many Secrets -- Harry Houdini -- was one of the greatest American entertainers in the theater this century. He was a man famous for his escapes -- from prison cells, from wooden boxes floating in rivers, from locked tanks full of water. He appeared in theaters all over Europe and America. Crowds came to see the great Houdini and his "magic" tricks.
Of course, his secret was not magic, or supernatural powers. It was simply strength. He had the ability to move his toes as well as he moved his fingers. He could move his body into almost any position he wanted.
Houdini started working in the entertainment world when he was 17, in 1891. He and his brother Theo performed card tricks in club in New York. They called themselves the Houdini Brothers. When Harry married in 1894, he and his wife Bess worked together as magician and assistant. But for a long time they were not very successful. Then Harry performed his first prison escape, in Chicago in 1898. Harry persuaded a detective to let him try to escape from the prison, and he invited the local newspapermen to watch.
It was the publicity that came from this that started Harry Houdini's success. Harry had fingers trained to escape from handcuffs and toes trained to escape ankle chins. But his biggest secret was how he unlocked the prison doors. Every time he went into the prison cell, Bess gave him a kiss for good luck -- and a small skeleton key, which is a key that fits many locks, pass quickly from her mouth to his.
Harry used these prison escapes to build his fame. He arranged to escape from the local prison of every town he visited. In the afternoon, the people of the town would read about it in their local newspapers, and in the evening every seat in the local theater would be full. What was the result? World-wild fame, and a name remembered today. | high7395.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "It has a cell phone."
},
"options": [
"It is golden",
"It has a cell phone.",
"It is a luxury",
"It has many items"
],
"question": "What is special about the coffin in the second news?",
"question_type": "fa... | Some weird , wild and wonderful stories color1ed the news in 2010:
A Copenhagen bus company has put "love seats" on 103 of its vehicles for people looking for a partner."Even love at first sight is possible on the bus," said a spokesman for the British Arriva company to explain the two seats on each bus that are covered in red cloth and a "love seat" sign.
Shoppers at an international luxury fair in Verona, Italy, found a cell-phone-equipped golden coffin among the items on display.The phones will help "the dead" contact s if they have been buried alive by mistake.
A man in New York came up with a disarming way to set off his latest bank heist, approaching the clerk's window with a large bunch of flowers and handing over a hold-up note saying "give me the money!"
An Englishman who lost all his legs and arms in an electrical accident successfully swam across the Channel, a challenge he had been preparing for two years.The whole cost is 400 dollars.
A set of artificial teeth made for Britain's war-time prime minister Winston Churchill known as "the teeth that saved the world" sold for nearly 18,000 pounds (21,500 euros,
24,000 dollars) at auction .
A British woman caused an Internet hate campaign after she was caught on camera dumping a cat in a rubbish bin.She was fined 250 pounds (400 dollars, 280 euros) after pleading guilty.
The BBC apologized completely and without any doubts after a radio presenter jokingly announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died.
Two Australian men needing surgery after shooting each other in the buttocks during a drinking session to see if it would hurt were charged 400 dollars separately.
A Kuwaiti MP proposed state-aid for male citizens to take second wives, in a bid to reduce the large number of unmarried women in the state. | high21577.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "By getting a better understanding about pet food."
},
"options": [
"By giving more food to their pet.",
"By getting a better understanding about pet food.",
"By accompanying their pet more.",
"By knowing more about thei... | For pet owners, the hundreds of pet food recalls taking place each year has raised a lot of alarm. "Most people are caring pet owners, and they want to do what helps protect their pet," explains Will Post, founder and CEO, Hound & Gatos Pet Foods Corporation. "Yet the problem is that most are not sure what that means and how to go about it. The more they learn about pet food, the better able they will be to make an informed decision that will keep their pet healthier and safer."
Here are several tips that consumers may want to keep in mind when it comes to choosing a pet food that will help reduce the risks.
Get to know the company. Most people may know a company name simply because they spend millions on advertising. But that doesn't mean they know much about the company or their morals. Research companies to find one that offers high standards, quality products, and great customer service.
Ask questions. Don't be afraid to get in touch with a pet food company and ask them where something was made, where ingredients came from, or any other questions. They should have no problem answering questions about their products, or with being able to provide proof of their quality standards.
Read reviews. Do some searches to read some reviews about various brands of pet food. Keep in mind that some reviews can be one-sided and even planted by the company itself, so look for fair third-party sources giving the review.
Investigate ingredients. The source of ingredients is of major concern when it comes to reducing the risks of pet food recalls and keeping pets healthy. Read the labels and ask questions to determine where the ingredients are coming from.
Understand pet foods. Cat and dog food should contain 100 percent protein, which will supply them with the nutrients their bodies require. The problem with many commercial pet foods is that it is full of numerous fillers, such as cheap fillers and grains. | high10972.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "unhappy"
},
"options": [
"sleepy",
"energetic",
"sick",
"unhappy"
],
"question": "Before the writer went to work, he felt _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | I woke up this morning. There is an empty feeling that I have had so many times before and it seems to be coming back into my mind. What is it? I can't figure it out.
I got ready for work. On the way I decide to stop and get a cheese from the little shop just down the road. I have never been there before but I was hungry and it would be 5 hours before I got off work.
The owner of the store took my order. He asked me what I wanted and I told him I heard he made a great cheese. He seemed pleased to hear that.
As I was sitting in the small space,there was an elderly gentleman finishing his breakfast. He paid the waitress, received this change and made a small joke. As he turned to get up, which was quite a difficult feat for this gentleman, he looked over at me. I gave a small smile.
He looked again in my direction for a moment and said to me, "Has anyone ever told you, you have the most beautiful brown eyes?"
Seeing as I have blue eyes, I can't say I have ever heard that before. I humored him and said, "No, I can't say anyone has ever told me that before."
He smiled, and said,"Well since they are blue you wouldn't have heard that, but you have beautiful blue eyes."
I laughed and said thank you very much. He began to tell me a few one liner jokes so I smiled and laughed at his jokes.
He tried to get up to leave again and looked at me and said"Your smile really brightens a room, do you know that?"I said,"Thank you very much."
He proceeded to get up, which took him quite some time. As he got up he said,"Take care of that smile."
I felt a sense of comfort wash over me and I reflected on my morning and that empty feeling I had. For a moment in time it seemed to be filled. | high4844.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "drinking tea is a healthy habit"
},
"options": [
"drinking tea is a healthy habit",
"new ways of drinking tea appear",
"drinking tea is harmful to health",
"people don't like to drink tea any more"
],
"question"... | We are so used to having a cup of tea before heading off to work, during work or after getting back from work. Tea breaks are more like a custom that takes place regularly several times a day. This tea break tradition has been happening during the past 200 years or so. Tea just happens to be a wonderful drink for most of us. The day simply feels incomplete without a hot cup of tea. However, is tea good for you?
In 2006, the papers were flooded with the news of research showing that drinking 2-3 cups of tea a day is as beneficial as drinking water, with even some additional health benefits. Another report published in November 2009, stated that drinking up to eight cups of tea a day is good for you. The research conducted by nutrition expert Dr. Carrie Ruxton, debunked the popular stories about caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee and cocoa. According to Dr. Ruxton, the caffeine present in tea tends to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. She says that drinking 8 cups of tea a day gives the drinkers "the best levels of health-giving substances" present in tea and other caffeinated drinks.
Contrary to popular belief that tea does not contain more caffeine than coffee, it actually contains almost half the amount. Caffeine is a natural thing found in many types of food and drink. It's also something that can give you a much needed lift for a demanding and tiring afternoon ahead. Research shows that proper amounts of caffeine are safe for most people.
So why not take full advantage of your tea breaks at work, or make time for afternoon tea while out shopping at the weekend? And remember that tea is not just a great drink, but it helps to keep you looking and feeling healthy. | high20669.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "whether children's literature is getting more violent"
},
"options": [
"two good books for children",
"how a book is adapted into a film",
"whether children should go to movies",
"whether children's literature is gettin... | "How to Train Your Dragon" by British author Cressida Cowell is one of the best pieces of children's literature. A child can make a whole alternative universe with a vivid imagination and Toothless, the hero's hunting dragon, thus turning a rainy day into an adventure of a lifetime. However, if you have never read the book but instead choose to see the film version, you might think you were seeing a new-age war movie meant for adults rather than children.
Let's look at "Where the Wild Things Are" for further discussion. The story centers around a lonely eight-year-old boy named Max, who sails away to an island. Creatures living there declare Max their king.
What an amazing piece of children's literature! A treasure for every child's library. Yet, children were crying in the movie theatre. Owls were falling from the sky, chicken's arms were being torn off, and a child was running around a dark abandoned world fighting evil as the only human. It was almost as if Hollywood could not imagine children enjoying a movie for its basic literature content. Hollywood might be right. But more and more its audiences are complaining that there is an increased amount of violence in children's stories today than in the past.
While there appears to be a trend in our society to make more violence more accessible to younger children, books and literature are generally an exception. I truly believe that children's literature has become more vivid, and more colorful. This is a great treasure for the children, and is certainly not violent. What has changed the children's stories of today is not the writers, but the film industry. In some way, children's literature is just being strangely twisted. I wonder how much influence the author have over this. | high5582.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Education"
},
"options": [
"Race",
"Education",
"Income",
"Diet"
],
"question": "According to James Smith, which makes the greatest difference to a long life?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | Everyone wants to know the secrets of a long and healthy life. Here are some discoveries from health experts.
Many studies looking into the lives of centenarians look at what they eat. Many people who live into their hundreds live in the Mediterranean , so their diet, which is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats like olive oil, gets a lot of attention. The diet has been linked to a healthier older age, lower risk for heart disease, and even protection against memory loss.
Education is related to a longer life. A 2012 report from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics found that people with a bachelor's degree or higher live about nine years longer than people who don't graduate high school. James Smith, a health economist at the RAND Corporation, is also a supporter of the argument for staying in school for better life expectancy. His findings show education should be an even bigger factor than race and income. Educated people are more likely to land better jobs, plan for their future, and make healthier lifestyle choices.
Being a hard worker doesn't necessarily mean job-stress will harm you. The Longevity Study found that plenty of hard workers lived long lives. "Skeptics may wonder if hard workers really are enjoying life." the authors write, "We found that productive, hardworking people (even in old age) are not stressed or miserable, but tend to be happier, healthier, and more socially connected than their less productive peers."
Having a strong social group is associated with a longer life. We often turn to friends and family for support, and taking care of the people that matter to us may help us take better care of ourselves, some evidence shows. Some research even suggests that immune function is improved when we are around our friends, and that they help with stress management.
Research shows that sitting for long period of time put people at risk for shorter lifespans and other health risks. A 2011 study found that each hour people spent sitting down and watching TV after age 25 was linked to 22 minutes from their overall life expectancy. | high18490.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "noses"
},
"options": [
"eyes",
"ears",
"noses",
"necks"
],
"question": "Polar bears search for seals mainly through their _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | . As the world's largest terrestrial carnivore ,the polar bear is the king of the great white north. Adult males can measure more than 9 feet in length and weigh between 770 and 1,430 pounds. The bear's body and neck are elongated, and the head is narrow and long with small, rounded ears.
Polar bear populations can be found in northern Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia, and there have been reports that polar bear tracks have been found as far north as the North Pole. The 5,000,000-square-mile range of the polar bear circles the Arctic and contains stretches of open water where seals are easily caught.
Polar bears live on the annual Arctic sea ice that provides a platform from which they can hunt. They hunt seals on the sea ice by breaking into seal dens in the sea ice. The dens aren't visible from above,but seeing is less important than smelling to a polar bear -- with their keen sense of smell,polar bears can sense the breathing holes of seals in their dens beneath the snow and ice. As the southern edge of the Arctic ice cap melts in summer, polar bears are stranded on land and spend their summers fasting ,living off body fat stored from hunting in spring and winter.
It might come as a surprise that this species faces an uncertain future. Climate change is causing the disappearance of sea ice from which polar bears hunt seals. Sea ice in the Arctic is melting earlier and forming later each year. With about 22,000 polar bears living in the wild,the species is not endangered at the moment, but its future is far from certain. People have reached an agreement that controls the hunting of polar bears and directs each nation to protect their habitats, but it does not protect the bears against the biggest man-made threat to their survival : global warming. If current warming trends continue, scientists believe that polar bears may disappear within 100 years. | high21211.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The model and the mimic"
},
"options": [
"The taste and the smell",
"The model and the mimic",
"Look-alikes learn from each other",
"The similarities and the differences"
],
"question": "The best title for the p... | Two brightly colored butterflies have just flown by. They seems to be exactly alike, but actually one is a little larger than the other. The larger insect has a wingspread of up to four inches. The smaller one has a wingspread of less than three inches and also a black line on its back wings.
At first sight, it is hard to tell them apart. Would you guess from this that they are different-sized butterflies of the same species? Or that they are different species of butterflies but close relatives belonging to the same family? If you said yes to either question, you would be wrong, for these look-alikes belong to quite different families.
The larger insect is the monarch butterfly . As a baby insect, the monarch feeds on milkweed, which seems to give the monarch a disagreeable taste and smell. The bright coloring of the monarch acts as a warning sign to its enemy. Birds that eat butterflies soon recognize the monarch and quickly learn to leave it alone.
The smaller insect is the viceroy , which feeds on the leaves of trees. Birds would find this insect tasty, but because it looks like the monarch, birds keep away from it. The viceroy's similarity to the monarch gives it some protection from its enemies and helps it survive.
There are other pairs of look-alike butterflies, bees and moths. In each case, one either has a disagreeable taste or smell, or can give a painful sting . The larger is called the model. The insect that imitates this model for protection is called the mimic. | high6935.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "sleep in bed"
},
"options": [
"sleep in bed",
"work in the fields",
"walk in the streets",
"stay at home"
],
"question": "When the earthquake attacked the area, most people there were unlikely to _ .",
"q... | Fifty people died, over 11,000 were injured, and 100,000 houses were heavily damaged or destroyed in an earthquake that struck North China's Hebei Province.
The quake, measuring 6. 2 on the Richter scale (6 .2) , hit the area 220km northwest of Beijing at 11: 50 a. m. on January 10, 1998.
Scientists made a report of the recent quake. They said that the area of northwestern Beijing, the joint of Shanxi and Hebei Provinces and the Inner Mongolia were most easily attacked by earthquakes measuring 6 to a bit over 7 on the Richter scale.
However, scientists did not see the recent earthquake earlier. Clouds covered a large area in the northern part of North China before the earthquake and experts say that this prevented satellites from correctly watching the temperature at the correct altitude .
Experts say that in the last ten years, about 305 earthquakes have taken place in China with 9 measuring over 7 on the Richter scale, 60 measuring over 6, and 236 measuring over 5.
Tens of thousands of people died or were injured. Loss valued over 10 billion yuan. | high1082.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "an Internet journal"
},
"options": [
"a comment",
"an Internet journal",
"a design",
"a link"
],
"question": "A blog is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index... | Have you ever heard of blogs ? If you haven't, you should have. It's here, it's growing and it's having an influence on our life. Surf the Internet and you'll find blogs everywhere. A blog, shortened from "weblog", is a public Internet journal written by one person or a group of people. It is a website in which a person or a group can place news, personal thoughts, text, photos, video or audio files, or links upon which visitors can comment. A blog lets you post on the Internet without having to know web design or be technical. You are given an environment to make dated entries on the topic of your choice which are "published", so other people can read them.
Authoring a blog, maintaining a blog or adding an article to an existing blog is called "blogging". Blogging has revolutionized Internet publishing in the last several years because it gives everyone with Internet access the opportunity to become an online writer. Objects, such as "text and photos" in a blog can be called "blog posts", "posts", or "entries". The person who posts these entries is called a "blogger".
Now, somewhere around the world, a blog is created almost every 6 seconds. Because it's great potential, Bill Gates views it as important as e-mail, BBS, and MSN. He's trying to make blogs the important tools for future business communications. | high516.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A popular website."
},
"options": [
"A book review.",
"A popular website.",
"A science report.",
"A fashion magazine.'"
],
"question": "Where is the text probably taken from?",
"question_type": "factiod_ques... | New Movies You Need to Know Ahout This Month
Sherpa
Type; Documentary
Release Date: Friday, December 18, 2015
Duration: 96 mins
"Unforgettable"..."unbelievably absorbing".With praise like that, this doc looks like acan't-miss. Director Jennifer Peedom travelled to Nepal in 2014 to film the climbing season fromthe point of view of the local peopleSherpas. During the climbing, a disaster struck killing 16
Sunset Song
Type: Drama
Release Date: Friday, December 4, 2015
Duration; 135 mins
The classic 1932 Srnttish romantic novel is adapted into a beautiful film by Director Terence
Davies. In only her second film role, London supermodel Agyness Deyn proves her talent foracting as the daughter of a farming family who must live on all by herself when both her parentsare killed.
When Harry Met Sally
Type: Comedy
Release Date: Friday, December 11,2015
Duration; 95 mins
The perfectand we do mean perfectromantic comedy returns. _ The script, written by the much missed writer and director Nora Ephron, who died in 2012, is a joy.
Snoopy and Charlie Brown:The Peanuts Movie
Type: _
Release Date: Monday, December 21, 2015
Duration: 93 mins
The most loveable character of them all, Charlie Brown, is back on the big screen with astory written by Craig Schulz. His father Charles Schulz created the famous cartoon characterSnoopy in the 1950s. We really look forward to this hit, but is the 3D really necessary?
Please click here for more information.
(A) | high12803.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "traditional breeding takes place within the same species"
},
"options": [
"traditional breeding changes the genes in the same species",
"traditional breeding changes the genes in different species",
"traditional breeding take... | You Are What You Eat
Genetic engineering is the scientific change of the genetic material in a living organism. It allows scientists to identify specific genes, to remove them from an organism's chromosomes , improve them, analyze them, and possibly clone them, and to then reinsert the changed gene into the original organism, or a completely different organism.Unlike traditional breeding , where a desired quality would be bred within the same species, genetic engineering can insert desired ones into organisms of different species.Wow...Did you catch that?
Genetic engineering creates many positive contributions to agriculture. For example, by genetically engineered(GE) foods, anti-cancer agents, minerals and vitamins can be increased.Improved taste, shelf life, and better transport are all possible.Also, GE plants can increase pest and bacterial resistance, therefore, making the food safe for consumers.
But some argue that the possible negative effects outweigh the positives, and critics are starting to voice their concerns. Unlike Europe, in the United States labeling is not required on genetically engineered foods or on foods that contain genetically engineered products. Most Americans do not realize that they are, in fact, eating GE foods.
The public is also concerned about the unknown health risks.With limited understanding of genes, scientists cannot predict possible effects.Because most genes introduced into GE plants come from sources not introduced into the human body, it is impossible to know if they will cause reactions. Moreover, due to _ if allergies develop, it will be extremely difficult to find the origin of them.
There is also a major moral question in many minds.For many, the conflict is not if it is safe or not, but it disturbs them because it is unnatural and unnecessary.We are currently producing one and a half times the amount of food needed to feed the world, yet one in seven people are starving.GE food is unnecessary, and fails to address the root of hunger. Many believe that the only people who will benefit are the corporations that produce it.
Scientists cannot foresee t.he possible effects of GE foods, yet we eat them every day without even knowing it.We already have enough food, so why create more that could be potentially harmful to us, to the Earth and to all wildlife? I think that the benefits are amazing, but until we know for sure how these foods will affect us, they are not worth the risk. | high23406.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Because it's available here and there."
},
"options": [
"Because it's available here and there.",
"It's delicious from chips to candy.",
"It's easily taken everywhere.",
"It's easily bought in fast food restaurants."
... | Everyone knows that eating too much junk food is not good to our health. Yet, what is it about junk food that is so completely irresistible ? For one thing, it's everywhere. From chips in fast food restaurants to candy in supermarkets, junk food always seems available. Thankfully, science is now providing new clues to help us reduce snacking.
Make friends with dainty eaters.
Studies have found that people tend to increase or reduce the amount of food they eat depending on what their companions are taking in.
See happy movies... and always get the smaller bag of popcorn .
According to some experts, people eat up to 29% more popcorn if they are watching a sad or serious movie, compared to when they are watching a comedy. Viewers consumed almost 200 calories more when snacking from a large bucket, as opposed to when given a medium-sized container.
Eat breakfast.
Nutritionists have gone back and forth about the question of how much to eat in the morning, but new studies suggest that consuming a good breakfast is a must. Surveys on long-term weight-loss show that two key factors in keeping weight down are eating breakfast and exercising.
Divide your food and conquer overeating.
Any kind of dividing your food into portions slows down your eating. Any kind of marker makes you aware of what you're eating and of portion size. Researchers advise reallocating snack foods into small plastic bags. It sounds simplistic, but it works. | high6921.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Advertisements on billboards."
},
"options": [
"Buses on the road.",
"Films on television.",
"Advertisements on billboards.",
"Gas stations."
],
"question": "According to the passage, what do the passengers usua... | TV Shows and Long Bus Trips
Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end-- with ads thrown in every three or four minutes. The ads are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard appears outside the bus window."Buy Super Clean Toothpaste.""Drink Good'n Wet Root Beer.""Fill up with Pacific Gas." Only if you sleep, which is equal to turning the television set off, are you spared the unending cry of "You Need It! Buy It Now!"
The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting, even if you've traveled that way before. Usually some things have changed--new houses, new buildings, sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it's fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly daring, the ride can be as exciting as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right or the left-hand lane?After a while, of course, the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you've got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.
The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there's a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat, of course, has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you've sat with your legs crossed, with your hands in your lap, with your hands on the arm rests--even with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at the right time. There are just no more ways to sit. | high1096.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "will probably be deserted by society"
},
"options": [
"rely heavily on others",
"are more likely to trust others",
"are less likely to be rejected by friends",
"will probably be deserted by society"
],
"question... | Loneliness is like a disease, and what's worse, it's contagious. It can spread from one person to another, according to the recent research that stresses the power of one person's emotions to affect even people they don't know.
The new analysis, involving 4,793 people who were interviewed every two years between 2005 and 2015, showed that a friend of a lonely person was 52% more likely to develop feelings of loneliness by the time of the next interview. A friend of that person was 25% more likely, and a friend of a friend of a friend was 15% more likely.
''Loneliness is not just the property of an individual. It can be transmitted across people--even people you don't have direct contact with," said John T. Cacioppo, a psychologist of University of Chicago who led the study published in the December issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Loneliness has been linked to medical problems, including depression, sleep problems and generally poorer physical health. Identifying some of the causes could help reduce the emotion and improve health, experts said.
Although the study did not examine how loneliness spreads, Cacioppo said another research has provided clues. "Let's say for whatever reason you get lonely. You then interact with other people in a more negative fashion. That puts them in a negative mood and makes them more likely to interact with other people in a negative fashion and they _ their social ties and become lonely," Cacioppo said.
According to Cacioppo, loneliness spread more easily among women than men, perhaps because women were more likely to express emotions.
Lonely people become less and less trusting others. This makes it more and more difficult for them to make friends--and more likely that society will reject them. Therefore, it is important to recognize and deal with loneliness. Cacioppo emphasizes people who have been pushed to the edges of society should receive help to repair their social networks. | high12817.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "two"
},
"options": [
"one",
"two",
"three",
"four"
],
"question": "Steven Spielberg has won _ award(s) for the best director Oscar.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Award-winning director Steven Spielberg will head up this year's Cannes Film Festival jury,the organizers announced Thursday,just days after he missed out on his third best-director Oscar.
Spielberg,66,one of the most powerful and respected film-makers in Hollywood,said he was flattered by the appointment. "The memory of my first Cannes Film Festival,nearly 31 years ago with the debut of E.T.,is still one of the most vibrant memories of my career,he said in a statement."It is an honor and a privilege to preside over the jury of a festival that proves,again and again,that cinema is the language of the world," he added.
Ever since E.T.screened at Cannes in l982, "I've often asked Steven to be jury president,but he's always been shooting a film,"said the festival's president,Gilles Jacob.
The festival is one of the highlights in the international cinema calendar and this year runs between May l5 and May 26.Spielberg's works cuts across a wide range" between entertainments films and serious reflections on history,racism and the human condition",festival organizers said in the statement.
Spielberg has directed more than 50 films in his five-decade career,including pop culture touchstones such as "Jaws,"E.T.," "Indiana Jones" and "Jurassic Park." But it was not until he turned to darker subjects that he won his first Oscars.He won his first best director award in l994 for" Schindler's List" and his second best director Oscar in l 998 for "Saving Private Ryan."
This year's "Lincoln "led the nominations ahead of Sunday's Oscar ceremony with l2 nods,but took home only two prizes.Ang Lee beat Spielberg to best director for "The Life of Pi".
Because of his films,he's year-in year-out the equal of the very greatest Hollywood filmmakers. | high23412.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "California, because of the gold rush."
},
"options": [
"California, because of the gold rush.",
"Texas, because of the stars there.",
"Virginia, because of a famous mother there.",
"Kentucky, because of the famous \"KFC... | Below are descriptions of six famous states in the U. S.
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is the most populous U.S. state and was admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.California's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west, to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east. Earthquakes are a common occurrence due to the state's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire: about 37,000 are recorded annually. The California Gold Rush happened in San Francisco and there is also a famous Silicon Valley. Hollywood exists in Los Angeles, making it the center of entertainment. "The Golden State" has long been a popular designation for California and was made the official State Nickname in 1968.
Florida is a state in the southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Miami is the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern United States.The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. Its economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation. Florida is also known for its amusement parks, the production of oranges, and the Kennedy Space Center. Florida has attracted many writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes. It is internationally known for golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports.
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It became the 45th state admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896. Utah is the most religiously homogeneous state in the Union. Approximately 63% of Utahans are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS, which greatly influences Utah culture and daily life. The state is a center of transportation, education, information technology and research, government services, mining, and a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation.
Texas is the second most populous and the second-largest of the 50 states in the United States of America. Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify Texas as a former independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas state flag and on the Texas state seal today. The term "six flags over Texas" came from the several nations that had ruled over the territory. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. One Texas industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle. Due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy.
Virginia, is a U.S. state located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there. It is unique in how it treats cities and counties equally, manages local roads, and prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginia's economy has many sectors: agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley; federal agencies in Northern Virginia, including the headquarters of the Department of Defense and CIA; and military facilities in Hampton Roads, the site of the region's main seaport. Virginia's public schools and many colleges and universities have contributed to growing media and technology sectors. As a result, computer chips have become the state's leading export.
Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. In 1792 it became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is known as the "Bluegrass State", a nickname based on the bluegrass found in many of its pastures because of the fertile soil. It is a land with diverse environments and abundant resources, including the world's longest cave system, Mammoth Cave National Park, the greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous United States, and the two largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River.Kentucky is also home to the highest per capita number of deer and turkey in the United States. | high3859.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "experience a vivid picture of Victorian London."
},
"options": [
"read three Dickens' manuscripts.",
"experience a vivid picture of Victorian London.",
"find the great social problems in London at present.",
"sit at the... | Dickens & London Exhibition
Date: 9 December, 2013---10 June, 2014
Location: Museum of London
Celebrate the 202th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens in the first major UK exhibition for over 40 years.
By recreating the atmosphere of Victorian London through sound and projections . You'll be taken ton an unforgettable journey to discover the city that inspired his writings.
Paintings, photographs, costumes and objects will show different themes that Dickens wrote into his works, while rarely seen manuscripts including Bleak House and David Copperfield--written in the author's own hand--will offer clues to his creative genius.
During your visit you'll discover how Dickens' childhood experiences of London were introduced into the stories he wrote. The great social questions of the19th century will also be examined, all of which set the scene for Dickens' greatest works.
Highlights of the exhibition will include an exciting audio-visual experience bringing to life the desk and chair where Dickens worked on his novels, and a special film shot by one of the UK's leading documentary filmmakers.
Packages include afternoon entry (1:00 pm--4:00 pm) to the exhibition plus overnight accommodation at a nearby hotel. If you wish to visit the exhibition the day after your hotel stay, please call us. Call: 08712212717.
Book a trip online with us, with tickets to Dickens & London Exhibition--afternoon entry and hotel accommodation included in the price. All taxes included. No credit card fees. No booking fees. No discount.
Price Information: a package costs an adult PS180 and a child PS90 (4--15) ; an afternoon entry costs an adult PS28 and a child PS14 ( 4--15 ). | high18484.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "making memory better and memory loss much later"
},
"options": [
"making memory better and memory loss much later",
"using it as a natural catalyst and to block this poison",
"keeping you awake and your brains working properl... | How to Memorize Things Quicker Than Other People?
The following is my advice for you.
Step 1: Preparation
To improve your memorization, pay close attention to which environment you choose. For most people, this means choosing an area with few distractions, though some people do advance greatly by learning in public areas. Figure out what is most conducive to your learning so that you can get started.
Next, start drinking some tea. I could link you to many scientific studies that confirm green tea as a natural catalyst for improving memory. Mechanically speaking, our ability to recall information comes down to the strength between neurons in our mind. The more you exercise the repetition, the stronger it is, resulting in the ability to memorize.
As we get older, poisonous chemicals will damage our neurons, leading to memory loss. Green tea contains compounds, however, that block this poison and keep your brain cells working properly a lot longer.
Step 2: Record what you're memorizing
This is especially useful if you're trying to memorize information from a lecture. Use a tape recorder to track all of the acquired facts being spoken and listen to it. If you're trying to memorize a speech, record your reading of the speech and listen to the record. Obviously, this is most helpful for auditory learners, and it's also useful because it ensures that you're getting more context from a lecture that will help you learn the information faster.
Step 3: Write everything down
Before you start trying to recall everything from memory, write and re-write the information. This will help you become more familiar with what you're trying to memorize. Doing this while listening to your tape recorder can also help you keep a lot of the data. This is most useful for experiential learners.
Step 4: Section your notes.
Now that you have everything written down in one set of notes, separate them into sections. This is ideal for visual learners, especially if you use color1 coding to distinguish between subjects. This will help you break everything down and start classing the information being recorded in your brain.
Step 5: Apply repetition to cumulative memorization
For each line of text, repeat it a few times and try to recall it without looking. As you memorize each set of text, be cumulative by adding the new information to what you've just learned. This will keep everything within your short-term memory from fading. Keep doing this until you have memorized that section and you are able to recall the entire thing. Do not move on to another section until you have memorized that one completely. This is mostly visual learning, but if you are speaking aloud, then you are also applying auditory.
Step 6: Teach it to someone (or yourself)
The most effective method for me when I was in school was to teach the information to someone else. You can do this in a variety of ways. You can lecture the knowledge to someone sitting right in front of you (or the mirror, if you can't convince anyone to sit through it) and explain everything from your memory. If what you've learned needs to be recited word by word, then do this in front of someone as well in order to get a feel for what it will be like to recite the text to the intended audience. | high19942.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "are becoming brave enough to challenge the taboo of divorce"
},
"options": [
"are granted respectability after they get divorced",
"are becoming brave enough to challenge the taboo of divorce",
"still consider the security of... | Divorces in Japan have more than doubled, according to health ministry statistics. One in three Japanese marriages now ends in divorce.
Atsuko Okano was in one of those failed marriages. Three years ago, she found herself alone in her 30s, with children to raise and a future full of question marks and social shame. But she also saw an opening, and became an advisor helping people like herself.
"My husband was cheating on me," she recalled. 'I did everything to bring him back to me but it didn't work, so I _ him." Such frankness is a major characteristic of Japan's recently divorced.
Divorced people - particularly woman - have long been looked down upon in Japan, where self-sacrifice and family stability are regarded as ideals. In the past, bored housewives remained bored. The security of the family unit was the most important thing. Now, young Japanese are increasingly choosing satisfaction in life over the demands of tradition, and more woman are financially independent. As a result, Japanese divorce rates are flying. Experts attribute this to the erosion of a long-standing double standard that granted divorced men respectability, but branded(gave somebody a bad name) divorced women as damaged goods.
Over the past decade, growing numbers of highly educated and successful professional women have challenged that assumption(something taken for granted) by turning their backs on unhappy marriages and paying no attention to the taboo of divorce. The majority of divorce behavior now is started by women. | high3681.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "bicycling was considered unsafe and unladylike"
},
"options": [
"bicycling demanded too much hard work",
"tricycles could carry young children as well",
"they preferred to ride tricycles",
"bicycling was considered unsa... | The bicycling craze came in when we were just about at the right age to enjoy it. At first even "safety" bicycles were too dangerous and improper for ladies to ride, and they had to have tricycles. My mother had (I believe) the first female tricycle in Cambridge; and I had a little one, and we used to go out for family rides, all together; my father in front on a bicycle, and my poor brother Charles standing miserably on the bar behind my mother. I found it very hard work, pounding away on my hard tyres; a glorious, but not a pleasurable pastime.
Then, one day at lunch, my father said he had just seen a new kind of tyre, filled up with air, and he thought it might be a success. And soon after that everyone had bicycles, ladies and all; and bicycling became the smart thing, and the lords and ladies had their pictures in the papers, riding along in the park, in straw hats.
My mother must have fallen off her bicycle pretty often, for I remember seeing the most appalling cuts and bruises on her legs. But she never complained, and always kept these accidents to herself. However, the great Mrs. Phillips, our cook, always knew all about them; as indeed she knew practically everything that ever happened. She used to draw us into the servants' hall to tell us privately: "Her Ladyship had a nasty fall yesterday; she cut both her knees and sprained her wrist. But don't let her know I told you." So we never dared say anything. Similar little accidents used to occur when, at the age of nearly seventy, she insisted on learning to drive a car. She never mastered the art of reversing , and was in every way an unconventional and terrifying driver. Mrs. Phillips used then to tell us: "Her Ladyship ran into the back of a milk-cart yesterday; but it wasn't much hurt"; or "A policeman stopped her Ladyship because she was on the wrong side of the road; but she said she didn't know what the white line on the road meant, so he explained and let her go on." Mrs. Phillips must have had an excellent Intelligence Service at her command, for the stories were always true enough. | high21205.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "We have controlled the circumstances to our own benefit."
},
"options": [
"We have desires to climb the steps of evolution.",
"We have common sense and usually think logically.",
"We have controlled the circumstances to our o... | Since the pre-historic times, man has had an urge to satisfy his needs.For food, shelter or a mate, he has always controlled the circumstances to the best of his advantages.Probably this might be the reason why we human are the most developed of all living beings on the earth, and probably also in the universe.As we climbed the steps of evolution, we somehow left behind common sense and logical thinking--we forgot that we have stopped thinking ahead of time.
If you are hungry, what do you do? Grab a piece of your favorite meal and stay quiet after that? Just like your stomach, even your mind is hungry.But it never lets you know, because you keep it busy thinking about your dream lover, favorite star and many such absurd things.So it silently began to pay attention to your needs and never let itself grow.When mind looses its freedom to grow, creativity gets a full stop.
Hunger of the mind can be actually satisfied through extensive reading.Now why reading and not watching TV? Because reading has been the most educative tool used by us right from the childhood.Just like that to develop other aspects of our life, we have to get help from reading.You have innumerable number of books in this world which will answer all, your "How to?" questions.Once you read a book, you just don't run your eyes through the lines, but even your mind decodes it and explains it to you.The interesting part of the book is stored in your mind as a seed.Now this seed is unknowingly used by you in your future to develop new ideas.The same seed if used many times, can help you link and relate a lot of things, of which you would never have thought in your wildest dreams! This is nothing but creativity.The larger number of books you read, your mind will open up like never before.Also this improves your speaking skills to a large extent and also makes a significant contribution to your vocabulary.Within no time you start speaking English or any language fluently with your friends or other people and you never seem to run out of the right words at the right time.
Actually, I had a problem in sped king English fluently, but as I read, I could improve significantly.I am still on the path of improvement.So, give food to your thoughts by reading. | high21563.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Men and Women are Different in Brain"
},
"options": [
"Research on the Brain",
"Men and Women are Different in Brain",
"People's Different Brains",
"Who Are Better, Boys or Girls"
],
"question": "Which of the fo... | In the past ten years, many scientists have studied the differences between men and women. And they all got the same answer: The sexes are different, because their brains are different. And this, the scientists say, makes men and women see the world in different ways.
Boys, for example, generally are better than girls at mathematical ideas. Boys also generally are better than girls at the kind of hand and eye movements necessary for ball sports. Girls, on the other hand generally start speaking earlier than boys. And they generally see better in the dark than boys and are better at learning foreign languages.
What makes men and women better at one thing or another? The answer is the brain. The brain has two sides connected by nerve tracks. The left side generally is used for mathematics, speech and writing. The right side is used for artistic creation and the expression for emotions . In men and women, different areas in each side of the brain develop differently. In boys, for example, it's the area used for mathematics. In girls, it is the area used for language skills. Another interesting difference is that the two sides of a man's brain are connected by a smaller number of nerves than the two sides of a woman's brain are. | high4688.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "they want to refresh themselves"
},
"options": [
"they want to be more unusual",
"they want to refresh themselves",
"some experts advise them to do so",
"their parents think it good for them"
],
"question": "The... | This summer, Monika Lutz's life took an unusual turn. Instead of heading off to college, the high school graduate packed her bags for a Bengali jungle. Lutz, like a growing number of other young Americans, is taking a year off. Gap years are quite common in Britain and Australia, but they are just beginning to catch on in the U.S. Lutz, who grew up in Boulder, Colo., has put together a 14-month schedule that includes helping deliver solar power to some communities in India and interning for a fashion designer in Shanghai---experiences that are worlds away from the lecture halls and university dormitories that await other students. "I could not be happier," she says.
Why are students attracted to the gap-year concept? According to new survey data from Karl Haigler and Rae Nelson, education-policy experts and co-authors of The Gap-Year Advantage, the most common reason for this is to avoid burnout. "I felt like I was focused on college as a means to an end," says Kelsi Morgan, an incoming Middlebury College freshman who spent last year interning for a judge in Tulsa, Okla., and teaching English at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. The hope is that after a year out of the classroom, students will enter college more energized, focused and mature. That can be an advantage for colleges too. Robert Clagett, dean of admissions at Middlebury, did some research a few years ago and found that a single gap semester was the strongest predictor of academic success at his school.
Most experts recommend securing a spot in college before taking a gap year and warn against using the time off to lengthen your resume. "Most admissions folks can see right through that," says Jim Jump, the academic dean of St. Christopher's School in Richmond, Va. But for students like Lutz, who, after getting rejected from five Ivies, decided to take time off, a gap year can help focus interests. Lutz now plans to apply mostly to non-Ivies that have strong marketing programs. "This experience has really opened my eyes to the opportunities the world has to offer," she says.
But at least one education expert doesn't want schools spreading the gap-year message. In a study that followed 11,000 members of the high school class of 1992 for eight years after graduation, Stefanie DeLuca, a sociology professor at Johns Hopkins University, found that, all things being equal, those who delayed college by a year were 64% less likely to complete a bachelor's degree than those who didn't. DeLuca did not say whether these students voluntarily started college late, but at the very least, her work indicates that taking a gap year doesn't guarantee success. "I'm not going to say that time off does not have benefits," says DeLuca. "But I think we should not be so enthusiastic." | high10966.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The writer learned life truth from Profe's class."
},
"options": [
"The writer was on time for his first day of high school.",
"The writer didn't like Profe's class.",
"The writer could speak Spanish fluently.",
"The wr... | It was my first day of high school, and I was late. My next class, Spanish, scared me. I just could not speak that language. As the bell rang, I ran to the classroom.
At the door, a hand reached out and shook mine firmly. I looked up. A man with large glasses smiled. He introduced himself as Profe, which means teacher in Spanish. Right away, his warm smile and welcoming words eased my fears. That year, I enjoyed his classes a great deal because I learned more than just Spanish.
I admit I only speak a little Spanish. But I try to live out the life lessons I learned from Profe. Every day Profe stood outside his classroom before and after class to give his "hand hug". After school his room was always filled with students and he would talk to and chat with them--even those not in his class. He taught me that every person is worth your time.
One time, I was rejected by my friends, Profe told me, "Linda, life gives you ashes. But learning its lessons will turn those ashes to jewels." Therefore, I learned to look at my troubles differently and not to fear any difficulty.
In my senior year, I became president of one of the school's clubs, so I was very busy. Many times I didn't even have time to buy lunch. He served me by giving me his food as well as advice. He lived out what he taught us to do: serve others.
The author William Arther Ward wrote: "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." Thank you , Profe, for inspiring me. | high5596.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "on foot"
},
"options": [
"by car",
"by train",
"by bus",
"on foot"
],
"question": "Tamara went to see her nurse _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
... | Tamara walked through the night to the little house where her </PGN0103.TXT/PGN>old nurse lived. The old woman gave her a meal. Then Tamara went out to get a car. She had enough money with her to pay for the use of a car for a few days.
She wanted to go into town and see a friend, a teacher of science. She had to sit through the second part of a class before she was able to speak to him. But then he took her to his office and listened to her.
She told him that she wanted to build houses on some land her husband had owned. But first she must clear it of unwanted plants. She wanted something that would kill them.
Her friend wrote down a name on a piece of paper and told her to take it to a shop he knew.
"You will need lots of it." he said. "Put it in water and spread it over the plants." | high23374.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "taking the customers' orders"
},
"options": [
"cooking the meals for customers",
"taking the customers' orders",
"discussing the menu with the manager",
"helping people in the kitchen"
],
"question": "The author... | You're standing with your classmates. Everyone is talking--except you. Perhaps you're afraid they will laugh at what you say. Or maybe you just aren't brave enough to speak.
I've been there, and so have many other people all over the world. Shyness is like a snake that crawls into our mouths and stops us speaking. But we shouldn't let it stay there.
I am 29 years old. Even today, that snake still sometimes visits me. But when I was in high school, I was so shy that I wouldn't talk to anyone except my parents and best friends. If a stranger asked me the way to a local shop, it was as if I'd forgotten how to talk.
One summer, I got a job in a restaurant and that helped a lot. It meant I had to talk to customers. I had to tell them how much their meal cost. I had to ask them if they wanted to drink Coke or Sprite. I had to tell the people in the kitchen if someone wanted pickle on their sandwich.
This job taught me how to speak with people.
You may not be old enough to find a part-time job. But you can look for other chances to speak with people. You can offer to help an old woman carry her heavy bag. Or you can go to get a newspaper for your family.
If you do these things for a while, the "shyness" snake will soon begin to leave you alone. It'll look for another mouth to crawl into. | high264.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "pass on nutrition to young trees"
},
"options": [
"look the largest in size in the forest",
"pass on nutrition to young trees",
"seem more likely to be cut down by humans",
"know more about the complex \"tree societies\... | Would it surprise you to learn that, like animals, trees communicate with each other and pass on their wealth to the next generation?
UBC Professor Simard explains how trees are much more complex than most of us ever imagined. Although Charles Darwin thought that trees arc competing for survival of the fittest, Simard shows just how wrong he was. In fact, _ : trees survive through their co-operation and support, passing around necessary nutrition "depending on who needs it".
Nitrogen and carbon are shared through miles of underground fungi networks, making sure that all trees in the forest ecological system give and receive just the right amount to keep them all healthy. This hidden system works in a very similar way to the networks of neurons in our brains, and when one tree is destroyed, it affects all.
Simard talks about "mother trees", usually the largest and oldest plants on which all other trees depend. She explains how dying trees pass on the wealth to the next generation, transporting important minerals to young trees so they may continue to grow. When humans cut down "mother trees" with no awareness of these highly complex "tree societies" or the networks on which they feed, we are reducing the chances of survival for the entire forest.
"We didn't take any notice of _ ." Simard says sadly. "Dying trees move nutrition into the young trees before dying, but we never give them chance." If we could put across the message to the forestry industry, we could make a huge difference towards our environmental protection efforts for the future. | high7381.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she was influenced by her brother."
},
"options": [
"she enjoyed camping.",
"she wanted to go fishing.",
"she was influenced by her brother.",
"she was tired of staying home."
],
"question": "The writer went on ... | Monday: Here I am, in the middle of nowhere. This camping trip idea is not getting off to a very good start. It's raining and the tent leaks . The hiking seemed to take forever, and I still can't understand how it could all have been up hill! How did I ever let my brother persuade me into doing this? When we get home--if we ever get home--he's going to have to do something great to get back on my good side. Maybe he should sponsor a shopping spree at the mall!
Tuesday: Things are looking up. The sun came out today, so we were able to leave the tents and dry out. We're camped at the edge of a small lake that I couldn't see before because of the rain and fog. The mountains are all around us, and the forest is absolutely beautiful. We spent most of the day dragging out everything out of our backpacks or tents and putting it where the sun could dry it out. Later in the afternoon we tried to catch the fish for dinner, but the fish were smarter than we were. At night we built a fire and sang songs happily.
Wednesday: We hiked to the far side of the lake and climbed to the top of a small peak. From there we could see how high the other mountains were and how far the forest spread around us. On the way up we passed through a snowfield!
Thursday: I caught my first fish! We followed the stream that fed the lake. After about two miles, we came to a section that Carol said looked "fishy". She had a pack rod , which can be carried in a backpack. I asked to cast it, and I caught a fish on my first try. Carol caught a few more. But they were just too pretty to eat for lunch, so we put them back in the stream.
Friday: I can't believe we are going home already. It will be nice to get a hot shower, sleep in a real bed, and eat junk food, but the trip has been wonderful. We're already talking about another camping adventure next year where we canoe down a river. It's hard to believe, but I think this city girl has a little country blood in her veins. | high1928.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Clowns don't feel frightened when they walk on a high rope."
},
"options": [
"Clowns learn to be funny at school to make people laugh",
"Clowns wear strange pants and tops and funny long shoes.",
"Clowns don't feel frightened... | Do you know that many clowns go to school to learn how to be funny? How would you like to go to that school? You could learn how to walk and talk like a clown. Then you could make people laugh.
Clowns may go to school for a year. There they learn to move in funny ways. They learn to run and jump like different animals. They also learn how to fall down in a special way. They make sure they don't get injured. They make every move look easy. But really it's hard work.
In a school clowns decide how they will look. They make funny pants and tops. Then clowns have their funny long shoes made. They also learn to make up their faces. Clowns carefully put special paint on, so they look silly.
They start by making every part of their feces white. Then they use red paint around their mouths to make them look big. Clowns may paint re spots on each side of their faces, too. Big red noses are added. They put on funny hair or funny hats.
Now they look silly. They are ready to go to work! You can see clowns at the circus or parade. They do funny things to surprise people. Ten big clowns may get out of a very small car. Or they may walk on a high rope. Then they almost fall. The faces they make when they try to stand up again make people laugh. | high12426.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it is hard to limit students' mobile phone usage at school"
},
"options": [
"he is in favor of students' mobile phone usage at school",
"he believes schools are responsible for technology obsession",
"the research finds a new... | Increased use of the Internet and mobile phones are undermining pupils' capacity for independent study and promoting poor grammar, it was claimed.
Cranfield School of Management found almost six in 10 schoolchildren were copying information directly from websites for homework tasks without properly reading it.
More than a quarter thought it was an acceptable practice, even though they know it was considered plagiarism .
The study, based on a sample of around 260 pupils aged from 11 to 18 at a secondary school in the Midlands, raised fresh concerns that modern technology was having a destructive effect on young people.
Andrew Kakabadse, professor of international management development at Cranfield, said, "Our research shows that technology obsession prevent spelling skills, encourages plagiarism, and disturbs classroom learning.
"Despite school policies restricting mobile phone usage, students use the phone frequently, with the majority making calls from the toilets. The mobile phone continues to be a main channel of social communication during the school day."
The report revealed that so-called "text-speak" was increasingly finding it was into pupils' school work.
Three in 10 students admit to using text message shortcuts, such as "r u ok" in essays and classroom tasks.
It followed a study earlier this year that found almost half of teachers failed to understand some pupils' writing because it was so full of confusing language. Phrases such as "innit" and "Gr8" were regularly found in school work, it was claimed.
The Cranfield study found that mobile use was so common that many pupils chose to ignore school rules on phones.
More than a third said they would use their mobile in class, while nearly three quarters said they would not even make an excuse to leave class to answer a phone call. | high23823.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "they are much busier with their work"
},
"options": [
"they need more time to spend on their children",
"they pay more attention to their children's health",
"they are much busier with their work",
"the role they play i... | According to a recent survey, Canadian parents realize their role as protectors and providers to raise their children both emotionally and physically. That's not very different from the way our parents saw themselves. But with more two-career families and busy schedules, one thing parents today recognize more than ever is the need to set aside special time for their children. These 'nurturing moments' are changed into memories that they will treasure all their lives. Nurturing moments might be the time between our work and life,bringing your child to work with you to see what you do during the day,visiting your child's make-believe world,discussing his other school day and exploring the natural world outside your door.
These times are not merely a luxury , they're a necessity. It's during these moments that parents pass values and attitudes to their children. Over time, children pick up good habits and positive self-image.
Here are a few tips for making the most of your family time together:
Regularly sit down as a family to share a meal. Allow each person to describe something interesting about his or her day.
Make one night a week family night. Family members take turns choosing a special activity for the evening everyone partakes in the fun.
Show your children you care about their interests by having them teach you about their activity or hobby.
Nurturing healthy children involves body, mind and spirit. The little things you do to your care are the building blocks for confidence, self-esteem and a healthy outlook. By giving your children these tools, you prepare them for life. | high15349.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "what modern TV dramas need is not copying foreign programs but innovation"
},
"options": [
"why Korean actors are more popular than Chinese actors",
"how the three Korean actors became famous around East Asia",
"what modern T... | A Korean wave is sweeping across China, with many Chinese women worshipping South Korean actors Kim Soo Hyun and Lee Min Ho as demigods . Chinese netizens have always been divided over South Korean TV dramas, but there is no doubt that programs from the neighboring country are now enjoying a new round of popularity in China. And a big part of the credit for that goes to You Who Came From The Star, the South Korean TV series which is on the air now.
Top South Korean actors Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Soo Hyun recently earned a popularity rating of 24.8 percent in their country, considered strong by Nielsen Korea. You Who Came From The Star and The Heirs have been subjects of hot online discussions throughout Asia. Besides, the book, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, read by the hero in You Who Came From The Star was a hard-to-get item on Amazon for a while.
The two TV programs have several common elements: a tall, handsome, and rich hero who loves the heroine blindly and always protects her, and an equally handsome man madly in love with the same woman. Both programs portray the purity of love, which is expressed through a kiss or a warm hug. Perhaps that's the secret of their success; perhaps people are still fascinated by Cinderella-type stories.
The growing wealth gap is a matter of social concern both in South Korea and China, and the challenges that young people face in their search for a better life might have prompted many ordinary girls to dream of marrying rich, caring men. This is precisely what the popular South Korean TV dramas portray. In fact, South Korean TV dramas are tailored to meet the market's demands.
In contrast, Chinese TV screens are flooded by knock-off or poorly made soap operas. There are too many Chinese TV dramas that are either of the stereotyped war theme or just blindly copy foreign programs. The lack of good stories has resulted in loads of TV series on time travel or fights in the harems of Qing Dynastyemperors. These, in short, are the pain of Chinese TV productions.
The shooting for South Korean productions generally starts when the scripts are just one-third ready. Many popular productions have their own websites, where scriptwriters post part of the finished scripts, inviting viewers to leave messages, discuss the plot and come up with suggestions for future events. This not only keeps viewers' interest in the TV dramas alive, but also helps scriptwriters and directors make changes to the storylines to suit the audience's demand.
Hopefully, the innovation-induced success of South Korean TV programs will prompt Chinese TV drama makers to think up new ideas and abandon their bad practice of copying foreign productions in order to attract more viewers at home, and possibly abroad. | high6510.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "They have a sense of scare about something."
},
"options": [
"They don't dare to walk in grass",
"They are afraid of spiders by nature",
"7% of them need medical treatment.",
"They have a sense of scare about something.... | A lot of people are afraid of spiders . One would even avoid walking in grass . And if he thought the spider was in the room or house, he would have to leave the house for days. In fact, fear of spiders is a type of disorder called specific phobia , one of the most common anxiety disorders, which annoys about 7% of the population, a study says. Common specific phobias also include fear of blood, needles, snakes, flying and enclosed spaces.
The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine tried the "exposure Therapy ", which was small, done on 12 adults, but all of them held or petted the spider afterward. One participant celebrated by getting a spider tattoo after having been unable to even look at photos of spiders.
This is the first study to document the immediate and long-term brain changes after treatment and to illustrate how the brain recognizes long-term to reduce fear as a result of the therapy. Every one would come in thinking: I am going to be the one who can't do this . There is no way ,"Haunter ,author of the study ,says "They were impressed by the end."
In therapy lasting two or three hours, which is different for each person, the participants were taught that troublesome thoughts about spiders were untrue." "They thought the spiders might be capable of jumping out of the cage and on to them," Hauner says.
Exposure therapy gets its name from exposing a patient to what he fears, says Todd, research assistant professor: "A lot of it about dispelling people's beliefs. You can get significant changes in a short period of time". | high9623.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "sitting in the garden"
},
"options": [
"jogging on the street",
"sitting in the garden",
"shopping in the supermarket",
"running in the gym"
],
"question": "According to the author, people enjoy _ to seek na... | Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. We go fishing, sit in the garden, have a picnic, live in the suburbs or go to the seaside. The most popular leisure activity in Britain is going for a walk. When joggers jog, they don't run the streets. Every one of them tend to go to the park or the river.
But despite this, our children are growing up naturedeprived . I spent my boyhood climbing trees. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and strange new ideas about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found.
The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD--attention deficit hyperactivity disorder . Those whose accommodation had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%.
ADHD is one of the great problems of modern childhood. One study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places.
The life of old people is measurably better when they have access to nature. The increasing concern for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world.
We need the wild world. It is essential to our wellbeing, our health and our happiness. | high14057.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "understand the hidden meaning"
},
"options": [
"to remember everything they say",
"understand the hidden meaning",
"draw their attention to them",
"show respect for them"
],
"question": "We are advised to observ... | Body language has always been a hot topic of interesting dinner conversations. It is perhaps one of the most powerful forms of human expression or human communication!
Body language is a very important part of communication which can constitute 50% or more of what we are communicating to other persons. If you wish to communicate effectively, besides the words, you can use your body to say what you mean.
Body language can be used to discover all sorts of things such as, knowing when someone is attracted to you, finding truth or lies, showing confidence, winning respect in any situation, and you can use body language to make people less nervous, make friends quickly, persuade and influence.
So what is body language? Body language is a term used to describe the method of communication using body movements or gestures instead of, or besides, spoken language or other communication. Body language also includes many movements that most people are not aware of, such as winking and slight movements of the eyebrows and other facial expressions.
Body language is one of the easiest ways for you to tell what's really going on in a conversation with another person. The body language that you observe from other people will tell you whether or not those people are telling you the truth, or whether there is something more that's not being said. Watch, look and observe. Sometimes you can tell more by a person's body language than the words he speaks. | high24194.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "He sensed a great potential in her despite her weaknesses."
},
"options": [
"He had a strong desire to free her family from trouble.",
"He sensed a great potential in her despite her weaknesses.",
"She had big problems mainta... | Not so long ago, most people didn't know who Shelly Ann Francis Pryce was going to become. She was just an average high school athlete. There was every indication that she was just another American teenager without much of a future. However, one person wants to change this. Stephen Francis observed then eighteen-year-old Shelly Ann as a track meet and was convinced that he had seen the beginning of true greatness. Her time were not exactly impressive, but even so, he seemed there was something trying to get out, something the other coaches had overlooked when they had assessed her and found her lacking. He decided to offer Shelly Ann a place in his very strict training seasons. Their cooperation quickly produced results, and a few year later at Jamaica's Olympic games in early 2008, Shelly Ann, who at that time only ranked number 70 in the world, beat Jamaica's unchallenged queen of the sprint .
"Where did she come from?" asked an astonished sprinting world, before concluding that she must be one of those one-hit wonders that spring up from time to time, only to disappear again without signs. But Shelly Ann was to prove that she was anything but a one-hit wonder. At the Beijing Olympic she swept away any doubts about her ability to perform consistently by becoming the first Jamaican woman ever to win the 100 meters Olympic gold. She did it again one year on at the World Championship in Briton, becoming world champion with a time of 10.73--- the fourth record ever.
Shelly-Ann is a little woman with a big smile. She has a mental toughness that did not come about by chance. Her journey to becoming the fastest woman on earth has been anything but smooth and effortless. She grew up in one of Jamaica's toughest inner-city communities known as Waterhouse, where she lived in a one-room apartment, sleeping four in a bed with her mother and two brothers. Waterhouse, one of the poorest communities in Jamaica, is a really violent and overpopulated place. Several of Shelly-Ann's friends and family were caught up in the killings; one of her cousins was shot dead only a few streets away from where she lived. Sometimes her family didn't have enough to eat. She ran at the school championships barefooted because she couldn't afford shoes. Her mother Maxime, one of a family of fourteen, had been an athlete herself as a young girl but, like so many other girls in Waterhouse, had to stop after she had her first baby. Maxime's early entry into the adult world with its responsibilities gave her the determination to ensure that her kids would not end up in Waterhouse's roundabout of poverty. One of the first things Maxime used to do with Shelly-Ann was taking her to the track, and she was ready to sacrifice everything.
It didn't take long for Shelly-Ann to realize that sports could be her way out of Waterhouse. On a summer evening in Beijing in 2008, all those long, hard hours of work and commitment finally bore fruit. The barefoot kid who just a few years previously had been living in poverty, surrounded by criminals and violence, had written a new chapter in the history of sports.
But Shelly-Ann's victory was far greater than that. The night she won Olympic gold in Beijing, the routine murders in Waterhouse and the drug wars in the neighbouring streets stopped. The dark cloud above one of the world's toughest criminal neighbourhoods simply disappeared for a few days. " I have so much fire burning for my country,"Shelly said. She plans to start a foundation for homeless children and wants to build a community centre in Waterhouse. She hopes to inspire the Jamaicans to lay down their weapons. She intends to fight to make it a woman's as well as a man's world.
As Muhammad Ali puts it, " Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them. A desire, a dream, a vision." One of the things Shelly-Ann can be proud of is her understanding of this truth. | high13738.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The streets and some wandering elephants."
},
"options": [
"Tourists from all over the world.",
"The buildings and many kinds of animals.",
"The streets and some wandering elephants.",
"The friendly local people and the... | If you want fully enjoy your vacation, then you'd better check the Durban City Tours! This is actually one of the best choices in South Africa today.
There is nothing more relaxing than to think about that there is a place to go and relax, right? City life is strained, but you can escape this situation and be in the place where there is nothing but relaxation. Here in Durban you will get to see all the amazing tourist attractions. If you love animals and want to see some elephants wandering around the streets, then Durban is the place to go. You can even get to ride one if you want!
Here you will also get to taste all the delicious South African food. You can choose from Italian cooking to its native dishes. Durban is a great place to tour with your friends and family. You will learn a lot about its history through the landmarks you will see down the streets. Tourists and even the local villagers just can't get enough of these treats!
However, it is important that you make the necessary arrangements. There are actually lots of tour guides that will help you as you make your journey along the streets of Durban. But if you prefer the best tour guides here in Durban, then you'd better choose the Street Scene Tours. Their staff are all well-trained and professional. They will certainly make your stay here an unforgettable one. No wonder tourists prefer the Street Scene Tours when it comes to Durban City Tours. | high2776.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "there was a Mother's Day"
},
"options": [
"there was a Mother's Day",
"there was a Children's Day",
"people liked their fathers a lot",
"fathers were more important"
],
"question": "Father's Day was started just... | Father's Day has a very short history. It was started because there was a Mother's Day. And just because some Americans thought that if we had a Mother's Day, we should also have a Father's Day. Father's Day has become important in North America. And shopkeepers found it was a good way to get people to buy presents for their fathers, presents from their shops.
By the way, very few countries have a Father's Day, though some have Children's Day, or a special day for boys and another for girls. More and more countries are having Mother's Day, so maybe Father's Day will also become popular before too long. Now, what do people in North America do on Father's Day? The newspapers, radios, and TV tell children what they should do-buy a Father's Day present for your father. They even tell a wife to buy a Father's Day present-not for her father but for her husband, even if he is not yet a father. And they tell grandchildren to buy a Father's Day present for their grandfathers.
The important thing to remember about Father's Day is that American children can show their love to their fathers in a more open way. | high5019.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Because children can get much more from playing."
},
"options": [
"Because it is fun.",
"Because children like playing.",
"Because children can get much more from playing.",
"Because children make friends through playin... | Playing is a serious business for children. In fact, it's what they do best! Ask them why they do it, and kids will probably say, "Because it's fun!" But it's much more than that. It's also good for them.
Studies show that from birth babies begin learning through playing. They use their five senses to get to know their new world. Touching allows them to discover how different things feel. Brightly color1ed toys and clothing help develop a baby's sense of sight.
When small children choose which toy to play with, they begin developing their abilities in deciding something. Children love toys that allow them to use their imagination. Sometimes an empty box is more fun than a high-tech toy. That's because a box can become anything a child imagines it to be.
Crayons, paints and Ply-Doha are also good because they allow children to create. Traditional building blocks teach important pre-math skills like problem-solving.
Playing doesn't become any less important once children start school. _ ? . Kids learn how to share, take turns and play by the rules. | high16640.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "found the meaning stood for his own faith"
},
"options": [
"liked the filmThePhiladelphiaStory",
"had been greatly impressed by his own brother",
"found the meaning stood for his own faith",
"favored its unique meaning ... | Dear Dr. White,
Welcome to Philadelphia! Welcome to The City of Brotherly Love! We have some amazing historic sites to see during your stay. Do take advantage of them. You may have seen the filmThePhiladelphiaStory. Actually it is a comedy and still popular among the young though it was shot in the 1940s.
"The City of Brotherly Love", the favored nickname for Philadelphia, is more popular. The name, Philadelphia, which means"brotherly love", is an ancient name that can be found in the Bible. Late in the 17th century, Philadelphia's founding father, William Penn, borrowed the name because its meaning represented his own beliefs.
Our first stop will be the Franklin Institute which is one of the country's best science museums. The scientist and inventor Benjamin Franklin would take pride in the impressive museum named for him and presenting one of the major focuses of his life work -- spreading knowledge of the universe through science. It's the most visited museum and surely the most fun. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Also Franklin was a leading author, printer, politician, scientist, musician, inventor, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He earned the title of"The First American"for his campaigning for colonial unity; as an author and spokesman in London for several colonies, then as the first United States Ambassador to France, he contributed much to the building of the American nation.
We won't miss Please Touch Museum too. The straightforward name of this museum is accurate: As the first museum in the nation to target children aged seven and younger, Please Touch Museum encourages children to learn through active touching and doing. It is certainly one of the best places for kids.
Philadelphia is also unique in that it has a"State Store"system for non-alcoholic beer sales. Wine and spirits are only sold at stores operated by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. For many years, these stores were called"State Store", which were strictly closed on Sundays to prevent those under 21 from drinking wine and harming others. But I will show you around the stores. You can't imagine how impressive the stores are.
Do you know Segway? It is a two-wheeled self-balancing battery-powered electric vehicle which is popular among those who prefer personal and green transportation. The Segway tour is a unique and fun experience to travel in Philadelphia. If you have never experienced a Segway tour before, we expect you to join us.
Look forward to your coming!
Sincerely,
Joy | high19573.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "it well balances environmental protection and grains increase"
},
"options": [
"it tastes with a barley flavor",
"it well balances environmental protection and grains increase",
"it contains more starch than the ordinary rice... | Scientists from China, Sweden and the United Stated have developed a high-producing rice that can reduce methane emission , a major greenhouse gas blamed for global warming, from rice fields, according to a paper published on the latest issue of Nature.
By inserting a barley gene into rice, Sun Chuanxin and his colleagues created SUSIBA2 Rice, which stores more starch in the section of the rice above ground, according to a paper published on the latest issue of Nature.This means the grains will have more starch while the root will exude less nutrients that will later be turned into methane by microbes in the soil, Sun, who works with Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, told Xinhua.
"It solves two major problems mankind faces at one time: environmental degradation and the need for increased grain output," Wang Feng, another scientist, said, adding that the rice can cut methane discharge by more than 90 percent during summer and more than half during autumn, as "the rice displays a greater emission reduction effect in high temperatures." Meanwhile, small-scale trials have also suggested an increased output: a single plant of the new breed has 300 more grains with a starch content 10 percent higher. Wang said the team is working on applications for the rice in different areas, seasons and using different farming techniques. "It's still far away from mass application, but at least we see the light of hope."
Human-induced methane, though less abundant than carbon dioxide in the air, is responsible for 20 percent of the global warming effect. Rice paddies are the largest single source of methane linked to human activity. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, China produces 209 million tons of rice in 2014, or 28 percent of the world's total of 734 million. | high11649.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The light in modern"
},
"options": [
"The breeding season.",
"The light in modern",
"The dangerous environment.",
"The noise from heavy machinery."
],
"question": "According to Dr Dominoni's study, what cause ro... | Their cheery song brightens many a winter's day. But robins are in danger of wearing themselves out by singing too much. Robins are singing all nightas well as during the day, British-based researchers say.
David Dominoni, of Glasgow University, said that light from street lamps, takeaway signs and homes is affecting the birds' biological clock, leading to them being wide awake when they should be asleep.
Dr Dominoni, who is putting cameras inside nesting boxes to track sleeping patterns, said lack of sleep could put the birds' health at risk. His study shows that when robins are exposed to light at night in the lab, it leads to some genes being active at the wrong time of day. And the more birds are exposed to light, the more active they are at night.
He told people at a conference, "There have been a couple of studies suggesting they are increasing their song output at night and during the day they are still singing. Singing is a costly behaviour and it takes energy. So by increasing their song output, there might be some costs of energy."
And it is not just robins that are being kept awake by artificial light. Blackoiids and seagulls are also being more nocturnal. Dr Dominoni said, "In Glasgow where I live, gulls are a serious problem. I have people coming to me saying `You are the bird expert. Can you help us kill these gulls?'.During the breeding season, between April and June, they are very active at night and very noisy and people can't sleep."
Although Dr Dominoni has only studied light pollution, other research concluded that robins living in noisy cities have started to sing at night to make themselves heard over loud noise.
However, some birds thrive in noisy environments. A study from California Polytechnic University found more hummingbirds in areas with heavy industrial machinery. It is thought that they are capitalising on their predators fleeing to quieter areas. | high19215.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "it is unnatural for people to shed tears"
},
"options": [
"it is unnatural for people to shed tears",
"we can reduce our stress by shedding tears",
"shedders of tears can't get help by crying loudly",
"unlike animals, h... | It is thought that crying is hardly an activity encouraged by society. Tear, whether they are of sorrow, anger, or joy, typically make Americans feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. The shedder of tears is likely to apologize, even when a great tragedy was the cause. The observer of tears is likely to do everything possible to put an end to the emotional tears. But judging from recent studies of crying behavior, _ to tears are often inappropriate and may even be counterproductive .
Humans are the only animals clearly known to shed emotional tears. Since evolution has given rise to few purposeless physiological responses, it is logical to assume that crying has one or more functions that enhance (increase) survival.
Although some observers have suggested that crying is a way to ask for assistance form others (as a crying baby might from its mother), the shedding of tears is hardly necessary to get help. Vocal cries would have been quite enough, more likely than tears to gain attention. So, it appears, there must be something special about tears themselves.
Indeed, the new studies suggest that emotional tears may play a direct role in alleviating stress, University of Minnesota researchers who are studying the chemical composition of tears have recently isolated two important chemicals from emotional tears. Both chemicals are found only in tears that are shed in response to emotion. Tears shed because of exposure to cut onion would contain no such substance.
Other researchers are investigating the usefulness of tears as a means of diagnosing human ills and monitoring drugs. At Tulane University's Teat Analysis Laboratory Dr. Peter Kastl and his colleagues report that they can use tears to detect drug abuse, to study the causes of "dry eye" syndrome and the effects of eye surgery, and perhaps even to measure exposure to environmental pollutants. | high4461.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "She fell down on the ground."
},
"options": [
"She fell down on the ground.",
"She was hit by a swing.",
"She fell off the stage.",
"She danced too hard."
],
"question": "How did Nuala hurt her leg?",
"quest... | The doctor examined Nuala's leg. Nuala tried not to cry, but it was a challenge. Her leg really hurt.
"How did you hurt yourself?" asked the doctor.
"I jumped off a swing ," said Nuala. "Is it broken?"
"It sure is," said the doctor, holding out the X ray. "See right here?"
Two hours later, Nuala left the hospital on crutches . Her leg was in a cast .
"What will I tell Ms. Chang?" she asked her mother in the car.
Ms. Chang was Nuala's dance teacher. The spring dance performance was only two weeks away. Nuala's cast would be on for at least six weeks!
"She's going to be so mad at me!" cried Nuala.
But Ms. Chang wasn't mad. She said, "We'll think of something."
Nuala was unwilling to go on stage with her crutches. "I look stupid," she complained. "I can't dance with these."
"Have you ever heard the expression 'The show must go on'?"said Ms. Chang. Together, they went through the show. They thought of how Nuala could move to the music. They thought of ways for her to dance on crutches.
The night of the performance, Ms. Chang almost had to push Nuala on the stage. Nuala's cast looked big and clumsy , but she went out and danced. In the end, the audience went wild clapping. Lots of roses were thrown to Nuala's feet! The show did go on! | high20494.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To point out the things we do that prevent us from being happy."
},
"options": [
"To inform readers of the benefits of being happy.",
"To explain why our happiness depends on our own actions.",
"To point out the things we do ... | Everyone wants to achieve true happiness in life. But the biggest factor holding most of us back is actually our ownselves. The Huffington Post released a list of seven mistakes we need to let go of in order to become happier people. Let's take a look.
1.Placing too much emphasis on fulfillment
Those who put a lot of pressure on themselves to be happy feel more lonely on a daily basis than those who do not, according to research conducted at the University of Denver, US.
2. Keeping it all in
Keeping it all together during tough times can hurt you. Crying is the body's emotional response to outside triggers .By _ it, you may be damaging your mental and physical health.
3. Looking at your smart phone all the time
Connecting with others may be the key to happiness, but a recent University of Michigan study found that the more time participants spent on social networking sites, the less happy they felt.
4. Not moving
It's no secret that a healthy lifestyle is a big part of happiness. Something as simple as a walk can help you increase your creativity and expose you to essential vitamins.
5. Not reflecting on the past
In a 2013 study on nostalgia and emotion, participants reported a higher sense of physiological comfort when they looked back on the past. Affection for heartwarming memories helps people relate their past experiences to the present in order to create a greater sense of meaning.
6. Resisting change
A study on the psychology of choices shows that the human brain naturally tries to avoid loss--but that resistance can cause stress. Whether it's fear of the unknown or fear of losing what you currently have, the pressure to hold on to the present can harm your future life satisfaction.
7. Not being mindful
Setting aside time for meditation allows your body to relax, cultivates an attitude of gratitude and lowers your stress level, according to researchers at University of California, Los Angeles, US. | high11891.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Someone who has a cough"
},
"options": [
"Someone with high blood pressure",
"Someone with heart disease",
"Someone under six",
"Someone who has a cough"
],
"question": "According to the direction, which of the ... | The following is the instruction to the people who have to take this medicine.
Dosage: Adult twelve years old and over take two teaspoonfuls as needed, not more than fifteen teaspoonfuls per day. Children six years old to twelve years old take half the adult dosage, not more than seven teaspoonfuls per day.
Warning: Do not overtake this medicine unless directed by a doctor. Children under six years old and persons with high blood pressure, heart disease do not take this medicine. This preparation may cause _ . So do not drive or operate machinery while taking this medicine. Long- time cough is dangerous. If relief does not occur within three days, discontinue use and go to see your doctor. | high21952.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "show her good teaching method in daily class"
},
"options": [
"show Gallegos, as a teacher, makes a mistake",
"tell teachers can help students correct mistakes.",
"show her good teaching method in daily class",
"point o... | Wendy Gallegos writes "concer" on the board. One of her students raises her hand.
"Ms. Gallegos, you should have written 'conocer' instead," she said, referring to the Spanish verb for "to know."
Gallegos looks at the board, smiles and quickly erases her mistake.
"You see, I have taught you so well, you pick up on my mistakes," she said with a laugh.
To Gallegos, the scene in her classroom is typical of the children she teaches. Gallegos teaches high school Spanish. She became part of their lives and families for three years. She is willing to help her children succeed. After a couple of years, Gallegos' class becomes like home. Gallegos' Spanish class is taught mostly in English in sixth grade. By the time the students are eighth-graders, they are speaking fewer words of English and more of Spanish during the 50-minute classes.
"My goal is to get my kids to say something in Spanish every day," she said, "I want them to be able to talk to me. That's why I help them, I praise them, I recognize them when they do good work. And we have fun. _ .''
If a student needs help, Gallegos offers the student a "lifesaver," which is help from a classmate. The lifesaver gets a piece of candy as a reward. As the students said: "Gallegos' class is anything but boring." It is because of Gallegos' efforts and determination that she is the teacher who they think is most deserving of one of Collier County's Golden Apple Awards.
"I don't teach a subject, I teach kids. This is what I was born to do," Gallegos said. | high2010.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved"
},
"options": [
"what your SQ is and in what way it can benefit our life",
"what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved",
"the relationship between your SQ and your l... | Our spiritual intelligence quotient ,or SQ, helps us understand ourselves, and live fuller, happier lives.
Though we're all born with SQ, most of us don't even realize that we have it. Fortunately, you don't have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ. Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding.
Sit Quietly. The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude and silence. _ , you have to turn down the volume in your busy, noisy, complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all. Start small by creating islands for silence in your day. In the car, instead of listening to the music, use the time to think. At work, shut the door to your office between meetings, take a few breaths and let them out very, very slowly. Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed.
Step Outside. For many people, nature sets their spirit free. Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset. If you are walking with the dog, take the time to admire flowers in bloom; follow the flight of a bird and watch clouds float overhead.
Ask Questions of Yourself. Ask open-ended questions, such as "What am I feeling? What are my choices? Where am I heading?"
But don't expect an answer to arrive through some supernatural forms of e-mail. "Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question," says Reverend Joan Carter, a Presbyterian minister in Sausalito, California. "But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective I never considered before."
Trust Your Spirit. While most of us rely on gut feeling to realize danger, spiritual intelligence pushes us, not away from, but towards some action that will lead to a greater good.. | high10557.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "cultural values"
},
"options": [
"cultural values",
"commercial purposes",
"personal experiences",
"physical reactions to the color"
],
"question": "Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of t... | Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils .
People's choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies' reactions toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person's blood pressure to rise and increase people's appetites . Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red "Buy Now" button because red is a color that easily catches a person's eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully. | high1519.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "teenagers' constant connection to cell phones"
},
"options": [
"he importance of cell phones",
"how annoying her daughter is",
"what stress her daughter has created",
"teenagers' constant connection to cell phones"
... | Teenagers spend too much time using their cell phones and being connected online these days! Is this a new way to be more social or, does the technology really make them unsocial? And how will this constant connection affect them?
My daughter who is fifteen years old has a smart cell phone which means that she is constantly connected to the Internet and of course Facebook. To be around her means that you have to listen to constant "beeps" and sounds from the cell phone when her friends update their status. It makes me really stressed. But that is me. For my daughter, the cell phone is an extension to her body. She sleeps with her cell phone on the pillow; she eats with her cell phone nearby; She even takes the cell phone to the bathroom.
For the generation who has grown up with the Internet and cell phones, it is important for them to stay close to their cell phones. They get stressed when they are disconnected! And most of them haven't experienced a life without cell phones. For them, being offline or not having a cell phone is like being totally isolated . And when they get online after a long disconnection they are so stressed out, because they have so much catching-up to do!
So how is this constant connection affecting the new generation who has been born with the opportunity to stay connected to the Internet all the time? I see them as guinea pigs ! Because nobody knows how _ will affect humans in the long run. No research has been done yet on long-term side effects of being constantly reachable and connected to others.
My conclusion is that teenagers' addiction to cell phones makes them both social and unsocial. The new technology has changed the way they connect with people compared to former generations. They are more social and can be mobile but this also forces them to do more than one job at a time which distracts their attention and prevents them from focusing on the present, which makes them unsociable. No one knows how this use will affect humans. We will just have to wait and see. | high9145.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "why we smile when we see someone else smile"
},
"options": [
"why we smile when we see someone else smile",
"why we yawn when we see someone else stay up late",
"why we cry when we are hurt",
"why we cough when we suffe... | Have you ever considered why you begin yawning too when you see someone yawn? Or how hard it is to be among people laughing and not laugh yourself? Well, apparently it's because we have mirror neurons in our brains.
Put simply, the existence of mirror neurons suggests that every time we see someone else do something, our brains imitate it whether or not we actually perform the same action. This explains a great deal about how, we learn to smile, talk, walk, dance or play sports. But the idea goes further: mirror neurons not only appear to explain physical actions, they also tell us that there is a biological basis for the way we understand other people.
Mirror neurons can undoubtedly be found all over our brains, but especially in the areas which relate to our ability to use languages, and to understand how other people feel. Researchers have found that mirror neurons relate strongly to language. A group of researchers discovered that if they gave people sentences to listen to ( for example: "The hand took hold of the ball" ) , the same mirror neurons were _ as when the action was actually performed (in this example, actually taking hold of a ball).
Any problems with mirror neurons may well result in problems with behavior. Much research suggests that people with social and behavioral problems have mirror neurons which are not fully functioning. However, it is not yet known exactly how these discoveries might help find treatments for social disorders.
Research into mirror neurons seems to provide us with even more information regarding how humans behave and interact. Indeed, it may turn out to be the equivalent for neuroscience of what Einstein's theory of relativity was for physics. And the next time you feel the urge to cough in the cinema when someone else does -- well, perhaps you'll understand why. | high14731.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A legendary restaurant"
},
"options": [
"A lucky critic.",
"The best restaurant",
"A magic review.",
"A legendary restaurant"
],
"question": "Which is probably the best title for thistext?",
"question_type":... | If you are not any kind of a longtime A-list New Yorker celebrity like Woody Allen,chances are that you have never experienced,and will never experience-a meal in a legendary Italian-American restaurant called Rao's.
Rao's,the East Harlem restaurant with a history of more than l00 years,is simply the toughest restaurant to get a reservation in the US, if not the world.Michelin three-star restaurants like elBulli in Spain,often ranked the world's top restaurant,would sell out the second phone lines opened.But in the case of Rao's,the phone lines never open.
There are about a dozen tables in the tiny restaurant, and each is spoken for, semi-permanently, as regulars have had their reservations for years, and when they can't use them,they often gift them to friends. The place is so small that the owners rarely have the flexibility to do favors even for people they know.
Since it is always busy,there has never been a need for publicity.The last remarkable national review of the restaurant came from The New York Times more than 35 years ago.It was already tough to get a table at Rao's but reservations have been non-existent ever sincce the magic review.
According to a critic who is "very, very lucky to have dined at Rao's a few times,"the experience rivals the tasty food.There are no menus at Rao's, and one of the owners will pull up a chair and run through the massive list of options, allowing people to have diner by mixing and matching nearly any ingredient with any classical Italian style of cooking. The place doesn't take credit cards, isn't open on weekends or for 1unch, and "at some point during your meal the one-room restaurant will almost unavoidably break out in song." It is truly one of a kind,"the critic wrote. | high7168.txt |
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