questions list | article stringlengths 9 6.44k | id stringlengths 9 14 |
|---|---|---|
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "A sports announcer"
},
"options": [
"A sportsman",
"A shop assistant",
"A sports announcer",
"A businessman"
],
"question": "What's the writer's ideal job?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | "Everything happens for the best," my mother said whenever things weren't going my way. "Don't worry, one day your luck will change." Mother was right, as I discovered after I had finished my college education. I had decided to try for a job in radio. One day, I wanted to host a sports program. I went to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station. But I got turned down every time.
In one station, a kind lady said my problem was that I hadn't got enough experience. " Get some work with a small station and work your way up," she said.
I went back home. I couldn't get a job there, either. Then my dad told me a businessman had opened a store and needed someone to help him. But again, I didn't get the job.
I felt really down. " Your luck will change," Mom said to me. Dad lent me the car to help me to look for my job. I tried another radio station in Iowa. But the owner, a nice man, told me he had already had someone.
As I left his office, I asked, "How can someone be a sports announcer if he can't get a job in a radio station?"
I was waiting for the lift when I heard the man call. " What did you mean? Do you know anything about football?" He put me in front of a microphone and asked me to try to imagine that I was giving my opinion on a football game, I succeeded.
On my way home, Mom's words came back to me, "One day your luck will change, Son. And when it happens, it'll feel doubly good because of all the hard work you've had." At that moment I knew what just what she meant. | middle2616.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "4."
},
"options": [
"250.",
"2014.",
"4.",
"20."
],
"question": "How many questions about good manners are listed in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | For nearly 250 years, Debrett's has advised the British public on suitable social manners. Now, it has listed modern guide to good manners, answering the questions that most trouble the British public in 2014.
Using mobile phone in public
More questions are asked about mobile use than any other case. According to Debrett's, it is always rude to pay more attention to a phone than the people around you, and they should always be put away when you're paying for something in a shop. They should be turned off in theatres, cinemas or any space where silence is required.
Smoking e-cigarettes at work
As electronic cigarettes become more popular, questions about whether they are acceptable in the workplace are asked more often. According to Debrett's, they should never be used in a work environment. Smoking e-cigarettes at work shows that you're not focused on your work and may also have a bad influence on your workmates.
Giving up your seat on public transport
In a recent university experiment only 20 per cent of London tube passengers are willing to give up their seat to people in need. According to Debrett's, passengers should always offer to give up their seat to any person that is pregnant, elderly, or clearly in need. It is important to remember, however, that it is just as impolite to rudely refuse the offer of a seat as it is to not offer a seat.
Eating before everyone is served
The final question is one that we've all asked ourselves: is it rude to start eating at the table before everyone else has been served? According to Debrett's, the simple answer is yes, unless the host or hostess _ dinners to start. | middle6470.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Once a year."
},
"options": [
"Once a year.",
"Once a week.",
"Twice a year.",
"Every a half year."
],
"question": "How often do the Greens go to the beach?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | Every year the Greens go to the beach for a week's vacation. There are many interesting things to do at the beach.
The children play games on the sand. Sometimes they build sandcastles . There are saltwater swimming pools. The children can swim safely in these pools and the water is always clean.
There is an esplanade . This is a long road by the beach. There are many cafes and restaurants on the esplanade. There is also a park beside (......) the beach. This is a place that many people like to go to.
The Greens always stay at the same hotel. They usually have the same rooms. These rooms are at the front of the hotel. There is a good _ of the sea from their windows. The children are a little sad when the vacation is over because they don't want to leave. | middle853.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "A woodchuck was run after by three dogs."
},
"options": [
"The woodchuck followed the rabbit quickly.",
"A woodchuck was run after by three dogs.",
"The rabbit jumped off a tree.",
"The woodchuck fell off the tree and r... | One day a teacher told his students a story: There were three dogs chasing a woodchuck ,which ran into a hole in a tree. Soon from the tree out ran a white rabbit. The rabbit ran away very fast. _ and driven by the three dogs, the rabbit climbed up a tree. But it couldn't stand steadily, so it fell down to the ground. Before the dogs came to realize what had happened, the rabbit ran away quickly again...
Finishing the story, the teacher asked, "Are there any problems with the story?" One student said, "Rabbit cannot climb trees." Another said, "It's impossible for three dogs not to catch a rabbit."
When the students couldn't find any more problems with the story, the teacher said, "There is another problem. Where did the woodchuck go? The woodchuck was the goal that the dogs were chasing. But because of the rabbit's appearance, the dogs changed their direction, and our thoughts unknowingly changed, too. The woodchuck disappeared in our minds."
Such is life. While holding on to our goals, we are sometimes fascinated by surrounding beauties or interrupted by minor details, so we forget our goals. | middle3520.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "she liked children very much"
},
"options": [
"she had too much money",
"she had a lot of toy bears",
"she liked children very much",
"she had never got married and had no children"
],
"question": "Gladys Holm o... | Gladys Holm was a secretary . She worked in an office all her life. Gladys made about $15,000 a year. She died when she was 86 years old. And she left a big surprise--$18 million! She gave the money to a children's hospital.
Gladys Holm never got married or had any children. But she always liked children, and she wanted to help them. When her friend's daughter was ill in hospital, Gladys brought her a toy bear. After that, she visited the hospital many times. Every time she visited, she brought toy bears for those children. After that, people started to call Gladys the "Toy Bear Lady".
Gladys always gave toys and other presents to her friends but no one knew she had a lot of money. She lived in a small house outside Chicago. Everyone was very surprised when they learned that she was a millionaire. One of her friends said, "She always gave us nice presents and things, but we didn't know she was rich."
How did Gladys get so much money? She asked her boss how to make more money, and she listened to what he said. She bought the stocks that he told her to buy, and she got very rich. Before she died, she talked to her friends about "giving something to the children's hospital". No one knew that the "something" was $18 million! | middle5151.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In Hawaii."
},
"options": [
"In Kansas.",
"In Hawaii.",
"In Kenya.",
"In Massachusetts."
],
"question": "Where was Barack Obama born?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"an... | Barak Obama(.), a black man, is the president of the United States now. He was born on August 4th, 1961, in Hawaii and has lived in many places. His mother was from Kansas and his father was from Kenya . Obama went to Columbia University in New York and got a law degree at Harvard University in Massachusetts . His wife is Michelle Obama(.). She also worked as a lawyer and later worked for the University of Chicago . They have two young daughters.
Obama wrote a book Dreams from My Father. " I always live in the dream of my father and American people, " Obama once said. He was born in a poor family. And his grandparents looked after him very well when Obama was young. He also lived and worked in Africa . Then he got good education in Harvard University. On November 4th, 2008, he became the new president of America for the next four years.
,,. | middle1337.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "English"
},
"options": [
"English",
"Geography",
"Maths",
"History"
],
"question": "Bob thinks _ is a little difficult for him.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer... | Bob is a middle school student. He is 13years old. He lives in Shanghai with his parents and his twin brother, Jack. They are in the same( ) school, but in different classes. Bob is good at Maths, but not good at English. He thinks it's a little difficult for him. But he plans to spend more time on it.
Every morning, Bob gets up early. He usually reads English for half an hour. And then he has breakfast with his family. He usually has two eggs and a glass of milk. After breakfast, he walks to school with his brother. It takes them about twenty minutes to get to school. They get to school at about 7:40.
Bob begins his classes at 8:00. After four lessons in the morning, he has a hamburger, some fish and vegetables for lunch at school. Then he has three classes in the afternoon. His last class is over at 4:50p.m. After school, he usually plays football or basketball from 5:00 p. m. to 6:00 p.m. He says it is good for his health to play sports every day.
He gets home at 6:20 p.m. He usually eats some rice and vegetables for dinner. Sometimes, he eats some noodles. After dinner, he does his homework from 7:30to 9:30. Then he listens to music or reads books for a while( ). He doesn't watch TV or play computer games on weekdays. He goes to bed at 10:30 p.m.
His friends say his lifestyle is very healthy. Do you think so? | middle7746.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "parents"
},
"options": [
"children",
"parents",
"students",
"teachers"
],
"question": "This passage is mainly written for _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_ind... | Helping your child to read and write at home will improve your child's skills and confidence---it will also better equip them for learning in the classroom environment. Reading and writing skills are needed by every child in every subject in every year of their school life and outside school. As parents, you can play an important role in improving your children's literacy by practicing reading, writing, spelling and speaking with them outside school. This kit includes a number of tips on how to help. By listening, asking questions, giving information, and reading with your child outside school hours---you can make a difference. Students who improve their reading and writing will increase their vocabulary and their ability to use English correctly. This kit includes tips on how to help your child to read, write and spell, such as:
reading aloud each night
including children in everyday conversations
listening to your child
reading your child's writing
using a dictionary
encouraging your child to talk about events that don't involve the parents
trying not to ask questions that require a "yes" or "no" answer
practicing reading and writing by filling in forms, writing letters, sending cards, or e-mails.
The Premier's Reading Challenge is also a wonderful way to encourage your child to read. You can help your child by encouraging him or her to join the Challenge and discuss the books they are reading. | middle7020.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "In a restaurant."
},
"options": [
"In a hospital.",
"In a restaurant.",
"In a supermarket.",
"In a school."
],
"question": "Where do we often see a menu?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"... | Menu
HAMBURGERS DRINKS
Chicken $5.50 Orange juice $1.50
Egg $3.40 Coke $3.00
Fish $4.80 Coffee $5.50
Beef $6.20 Tea $2.00
RICE DESSERTS
Fried $3.50 Ice cream $2.50
With meat $5.70 Apple pie $4.50
With eggs $4.20 Fruit $3.50
With vegetables $3.90 Chocolate $6.00 | middle2158.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Mike and his father"
},
"options": [
"Mike and his father",
"Mike and his mother",
"Mike's parents",
"Mike's father and grandfather"
],
"question": "_ sometimes use the Internet in his family.",
"question_... | There are four people in my family. They're my grandfather, my parents and me. My grandfather exercises every day. He never uses the Internet. He eats vegetables three times a day, but he hardly ever drinks milk. And he watches TV every night. My father is a taxi driver. He's very busy. He never exercises, but he sometimes use the Internet. He watches TV on Saturday and Sunday evening. He often eats vegetables and drinks milk. My mother is a housewife . She watches TV every day. She never use the Internet. She sometimes eats vegetables, but she drinks milk three times a week. Exercise? Of course she does. She exercises every day by doing housework. I'm a middle school student. I go to school from Monday to Friday. I often exercise. But on Saturday and Sunday, I don't exercise because I have too much homework to do. I watch TV only on Sunday evening. But I use the Internet twice a week. I drink milk every day, but I don't like vegetables. My mother often says to me, "Why do you eat so much meat, Mike? It's not good for your health." But I like it very much. | middle5637.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Both"
},
"options": [
".Band C",
"to drink milk",
"to walk a lot",
"Both"
],
"question": "The doctor told the man _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,... | Once an old man went to see a doctor. The doctor looked him over carefully and said, "Medicine won't help you. You must have a good rest. Go to bed early, drink milk, walk a lot and smoke one cigar a day. Go to the country place for a month."
After a month the man came to see the doctor again. "How are you?" said the doctor. "I'm glad to see you again. You look much younger." "Oh, doctor, I feel quite well now,"said the man. "I had a good rest. I went to bed early, drank a lot of milk and walked a lot. Your advice certainly helped me, but that you told me to smoke one cigar a day almost killed me first. It's no joke to start smoking at my age." | middle4529.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Providing food for airplane pilots."
},
"options": [
"Sending information for weather forecast.",
"Taking photographs of the Earth.",
"Sending TV pictures.",
"Providing food for airplane pilots."
],
"question": ... | Satellites are an important part of our ordinary lives.For example, the information for weather forecasts is sent by satellite.Some satellites have cameras which take photographs of the Earth to show how clouds are moving.Satellites are also used to connect our international phone calls.
Computer connections of the World Wide Web and Internet also use satellites. Many of our TV programs come to US through satellites.Airplane pilots also sometimes use a satellite to help them find their exact location.
We use satellites to send television pictures from one part of the world to another.They are usually 35,880 kilometers above the equator.Sometimes we can see a satellite in the sky and it seems to stay in the same place. _ is because it is moving around the world at 11,000 kilometers an hour--exactly the same speed that the earth rotates.A satellite must orbit the Earth with its antennae facing the earth.Sometimes, it moves away from its orbit ,So there are little rockets on it which are used to put the satellite back in the right position.This usually happens about every five or six days.
Space is not empty! Every week, more and more satellites are sent into space to orbit the Earth.A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years.Satellites which are broken are sometimes repaired by astronauts or sometimes brought back to Earth to be repaired.Often,very old or broken satellites are left in space to orbit the Earth for a very long time.This is very serious because some satellites use nuclear power and they can crash into each other. | middle3246.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "To study the life of some young boys."
},
"options": [
"To help the poor children.",
"To look for a good teacher.",
"To study the life of some young boys.",
"To become successful people."
],
"question": "Why did... | A professor told his students to go into the city slum to study the life of 200 boys.He asked them to write reports about each boy's life and future.Every one of the students wrote,"He doesn't have any hope."
Twenty-five years later.another professor read about the earlier study.He told his students to find out what had happened to these boys.Of the 200 boys,20 had moved away or died.Nobody knew what had happened to them.They tried very hard and found the other 180 people.Among them 176 had become successful as doctors,teachers and scientists.
The professor was very surprised and decided to study it further.Luckily,all the men were living near the place and he was able to ask each one,"What made you successful?" Each one answered with feeling."There was a teacher."
The teacher was still living there,so the professor found her and asked the old woman what she had used to pull those out of the slums,and change them into successful people.
The teacher's eyes began to shine and she said with a sweet smile,"It's really very easy.I loved those boys." | middle5623.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "In a hospital."
},
"options": [
"In a hospital.",
"In a store.",
"In a shop.",
"In a family."
],
"question": "Where did Carl work?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answe... | Doctor Carl was a very busy man. He always worked hard. He often forgot his families' birthdays. Yesterday afternoon he remembered it was his wife's birthday. He loved his wife. He wanted to give her a present. On his way home from hospital, he bought some beautiful flowers in a shop. When doctor Carl got home, he gave his wife the flowers and said, "Happy birthday to you, dear!" "It's April 20th today. I remembered your birthday this year." Mrs. Carl laughed and said, "My birthday was the day before yesterday, but thank you all the same. Better late than never!" | middle3252.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "in May 2014"
},
"options": [
"in May 2014",
"in June 2014",
"this week",
"last May"
],
"question": "Lucy Li qualified for a US Women's Open Golf tournament _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{... | Posted: 06/19/2014 12:00 a.m.
Lucy Li, an 11-year-old girl, is the youngest person to qualify for a US Women's Open golf tournament .
She was qualified for the US Women's Open in May. When she set a new record by seven strokes .And today she is playing against some of the best female golfers in the world.
Earlier this week Li said that she wasn't nervous about becoming the centre of attention at today's game. "I just want to have fun and play the best I can and I really don't care about the result. I can learn a lot from these great players."
Li doesn't spend all her time golfing. She is home-schooled in an online Stanford University programme. Her favourite subjects are Maths, History, and Science and she loves to read. She also loves medicine, diving, badminton, dancing, and table tennis.
But golf is her favourite sport. "I like golf because it's different from other sports. Anybody can play it." she said.
Some female golfers are worried that Li isn't quite ready for the Open. "When I found out she was qualified, I said, where does she go from here? You qualify for an Open at 11, what do you do next? If she was my kid, I wouldn't let her play in the US Open at all, but that's just me," said world champion Stacy Lewis.
Dottie Pepper, an ESPN analyst , thinks that the most important thing is that Li doesn't think of winning.
"If the success for her is not based on score, then I don't think she's too young. The important thing for her is to treat the whole experience as a kid on the golf score. Forget expectations." Dottie said. | middle7034.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "hospital in Beijing"
},
"options": [
"shop",
"junior high school in Beijing",
"hospital in America",
"hospital in Beijing"
],
"question": "Mrs. King works in a _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
... | Mrs. King is an American doctor. She is now in China. She works in a Children's Hospital in Beijing. She is also learning Chinese medicine there. She likes Chinese medicine very much. She loves working for children. She works hard in the day and reads English books on Chinese medicine at night. She learns Chinese from the Chinese doctors and her Chinese friends. Now she can speak some Chinese. She can read some Chinese books, too.
Her husband Mr. King is a teacher. He teaches English in a junior high school in Beijing. He works hard, too. He works from Monday to Friday. He teaches three classes every day. Sometimes, on Saturdays and Sundays, he teaches other English classes. He wants to make more money . | middle1445.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "brother and sister"
},
"options": [
"twins",
"brothers",
"sisters",
"brother and sister"
],
"question": "Bob and Kate were _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | One afternoon, Kate and her brother Bob went out to play.Kate was eight, and Bob was ten."Let's go to the bridge and we can see fish in the river." said Kate.
"I don't know..." Bob said."Mum told us, 'don't go on the bridge.' She said it's dangerous."
Kate said, "I am not afraid.Are you?"
They walked onto the bridge and began looking for fish in the river.The bridge was a train bridge.Trains went over the bridge three times a day.
The children were standing in the middle of the bridge when they heard a loud noise."A train is coming!" Bob shouted."Run!" He ran to the end of the bridge.He was safe.
Kate ran, too, but she fell.The train was coming fast.Kate ran towards Bob.She fell again right on the train tracks .There was no time to leave.She had to lie down between the tracks.A few seconds later, the train went over the girl, but she was not hurt at all.She stood up and said to Bob, "Don't tell Mum! Don't tell Mum!"
At last their mother found out about the story.She was angry because they went on the bridge.But she was happy that Kate was all right. | middle1323.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "the high cost of tuition in medical schools is one reason for the high cost of medical care in the USA"
},
"options": [
"a visit to a doctor's office may cost much in the USA",
"the cost of medical care is the only reason for the h... | The cost of medical care in the United States is very high. The time and money that doctors spend on their medical education is probably one reason for this problem.
A visit to a doctor's office costs from 15 to 50 dollars. It's so expensive. Many people in the United States think that doctors are overpaid. However, most doctors disagree. They say that they were asked to study medicine for a long time. Tuition for many years of medical education costs a lot of money. Doctors say that it is necessary for most medical students to borrow money from the bank to pay their tuition. Because their money must be repaid to the bank, young doctors need to receive a lot of money for their work. So they charge people high prices for medical care.
Therefore the cost of medical care in America is high. Because high tuition is one cause of high costs, one way to lower costs would be to have medical school that are free or have low tuition. | middle3534.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "People."
},
"options": [
"People.",
"Animals.",
"Activities.",
"Islands."
],
"question": "In Line 2, what does the word \"those\" mean?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"... | Vanuatu is an island nation in the South Pacific. It is one of the smallest countries in the world. But for those who are interested in adventure and sport, there is a lot to do. Vanuatu's islands offer visitors two of the most exciting and dangerous activities in the world: volcano surfing and land diving.
Volcano Surfing
On Tanna Island, Mount Yasur rises 300 meters into the sky. Yasur is an active volcano, and it erupts almost every day, sometimes several times a day. For centuries, people have climbed this mountain to visit the top. Recently, people have also started climbing Yasur to surf the volcano. In some ways, volcano surfing is like surfing in the sea, but in other ways it's very different. Volcano surfers try to escape the erupting volcano--without getting hit by flying rocks! It's fast, fun and dangerous--the perfect extreme sport .
Land Diving
Most people are familiar with bungee jumping, but do you know bungee jumping started on Pentecost Island in Vanuatu and is almost fifteen centuries old? The activity, first called land diving, is part of a religious ceremony . A man ties tree vines to his legs. He then jumps head-first from a high tower to touch the earth with the top of his head--without breaking the vine. Every spring, island natives (men only) still take part in this amazing activity. | middle5145.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Pandas"
},
"options": [
"Tigers",
"Elephants",
"Bears",
"Pandas"
],
"question": "_ are lovely and interesting.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"... | There is a big zoo in our city. There are lots of different animals in it. There are some scary tigers and lions. They like eating meat and they eat much meat every day.
There are also two big elephants and a baby one. Children like to ride them. The elephants are very kind and friendly. They eat much grass and bananas.
In the zoo, we can also see different kinds of bears----brown bears, black bears and white bears. They are all slow and clumsy. They stand on their back legs and lift their front legs to ask for food. They like cakes very much.
Do you like pandas? There's only one in the zoo. Her name is Lingling, she is very cute. She likes eating bamboo a lot. She is kind of shy. She is very interesting and lovely. | middle2819.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "bird"
},
"options": [
"thing",
"bird",
"man",
"machine"
],
"question": ". A parrot is kind of _",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "... | A man lives in a very tall building. He has a lot of money and he has a parrot at home. It's a clever bird.
Every morning, after the man gets up, the bird says "hello". When the man comes back from his work, the bird says, "Is that you? Come here. I can see you." One evening, when the man is sleeping, a thief comes into his building by climbing up the window. When he finds some money and begins to leave the house by climbing down through the window again, he hears a voice in the dark.
"Hello! Is that you? Come here. I can see you." The thief is so frightened that he falls down from the window. | middle884.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "unhappy"
},
"options": [
"unhappy",
"happy",
"free",
"busy"
],
"question": "Bob feels _ when his family moves to a new city.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | The White family come to a new big city , but Mrs. White's son, Bob, is not happy. He doesn't have anyone to play with. "Don't worry!" says his mother. "You will soon make friends here."
One morning, there is a knock at the door. Bob's mother, Mrs. White, opens it. There stands a woman with brown hair. It is Mrs. Miller. She comes to borrow two eggs. She wants to make cakes. Mrs. White gives her two.
In the afternoon there is another knock at the door. Mrs. White opens it and she sees a boy standing there. "My name is Jack Miller," he says. "My mother gives you this cake and two eggs."
"Well, thank you , Jack," says Mrs. White. "Come in and meet my son Bob."
Look! Bob and Jack are having cake and milk. They are playing football. Now they are friends!
Jack says, "I'm glad you live next door." Bob says, "I must thank your mother for coming to borrow eggs." Jack laughs and tells Bob, "My mother doesn't want the two eggs, but she wants to make friends with your mother. " Bob says, "That's a funny way to make friends. It's an easy way, too. It can work! | middle5810.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Blogging is important in the past few years."
},
"options": [
"Blogs are mainly online chatting with others.",
"Blogging is important in the past few years.",
"Dominic wants to get a chance to be a writer.",
"Blogging m... | Blogging has become something of a big thing in the last few years. Just like the Internet was 10 years ago, blogging is popular with an underground culture, that is doing it for love and passion .
Blogging is a way of collecting links to webpages and sharing thoughts and ideas with people online. Blogs are basically online diaries which are created for sharing information and ideas.
Dominic, a fifth-grade student, writes: "The blogs give us a chance to communicate between ourselves and encourage us to write more. When we publish on our blog, people across the whole world can reply by using the 'comments' link. In this way, they can ask questions or simply tell us what they like. We can then know if people like what we write and this will tell us where we can improve. By reading these comments, we can discover our weaknesses and our strengths. Blogging is a chance to exchange our opinions with the rest of the world rather than just people in our immediate environment."
Blogging is sweeping the Internet. A recent report states that at least three million Americans have created blogs, with similar numbers being seen worldwide.
Two years ago, Andrew Sullivan decided to set up a Web page himself and used "Blogger. com" to publish some daily thoughts to a few hundred readers. He worked hard at the blog for months for no reward. But the result is that he is now reaching almost a quarter of a million readers a month and making a lot of money.
This, at least, is the idea: a publishing revolution is coming. "Blogger.com" could be to words what Napster was to music--except this time, it'll really work. | middle5804.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A serious earthquake hit the city she was in."
},
"options": [
"Her house was burned in a fire.",
"She dreamed a terrible dream.",
"Her family died in a terrible accident.",
"A serious earthquake hit the city she was in... | Sophia Wu, 25, is a young Chinese woman who does business with her family in Santiago, Chile . On February 27, she experienced a night that she will never forget.
"I was asleep and was woken up by powerful shaking at around 3:30 in the morning. My whole room was moving and I couldn't stand still. I wanted to run downstairs and go outside, but suddenly the wall got broken and the lights in the room went out. The room became so shaky that I couldn't move at all."
That night an 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit Chile. Buildings and bridges fell down. Electricity and water services shut down. The Chilean Red Cross reported that about 500,000 homes were destroyed and more than 800 people died.
The earthquake has been the fifth strongest since 1900. More than 90 aftershocks followed the earthquake. A tsunami was set off in the Pacific Ocean by the earthquake.
Scientists say that there are about 500,000 earthquakes in the world each year. Of these, only 20% are felt, and 100 of them cause damage.
So far, scientists haven't found a way to predict earthquakes. But you can learn to protect yourself during an earthquake. The most important thing to remember is to drop, cover and hold on. So remember to drop to the floor, get under something for cover and hold onto something strong during the shaking.
,. (10) | middle890.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "food, fruit and clothes"
},
"options": [
"books and food",
"fruit, coffee and shoes",
"food, fruit and clothes",
"tea and school things"
],
"question": "Mrs. Smith often buys _ for her family?",
"questio... | Mrs. Smith is Jim's mother. She loves her family very much. She often buys food, fruit and clothes for Jim and his father. Now many clothes are on sale at good prices.
Mrs. Smith comes to the store and she wants to buy some clothes. It has sweaters in all colors for Y=15 each and sports shoes for only Y=28. Mrs. Smith likes the red sweater and she buys one for herself. She buys a pair of sports shoes for her son. The T-shirts in the store are just Y=18! She buys a white one for Mr. Smith. And that's not all. The socks, in all colors, are Y=2 each. She buys five pairs. | middle7785.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "An American."
},
"options": [
"A Chinese.",
"An Englishman.",
"An American.",
"We don't know."
],
"question": "Who invented the game of ping-pong?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer"... | More than a hundred years ago, an American produced a game. He called it indoor tennis. The Americans were not interested in it at first so he sent it to his London friends and it became very popular in Britain. The game was then played across the dining-room table or on the floor with the net hung between two chairs. In the early days ,the balls were made of cork or rubber. The bats were made of wood.
A few years later a hollow ball like the one we use today was invented. The game then quickly spread all over the world. An Englishman once made a bat covered with rubber. He first played the game in England and called it "ping - pong". "Ping" was the sound of the bat when it hit the ball, and "pong" was the sound of the ball when it hit the table. | middle660.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Less than one and a half minutes."
},
"options": [
"Less than one minute.",
"About five minutes.",
"Less than one and a half minutes.",
"More than ten minutes."
],
"question": "How long will Chinese people wait ... | Even kids know that we should wait for the traffic light to turn green before crossing a road, but not everybody follows this basic rule.
"Chinese style road crossing" has become a hot expression recently. Chinese people "cross roads without thinking about traffic lights, so long as they are part of a crowd", said a post on Sina Weibo.
A CCTV news program showed that in only an hour, more than 600 people ran red lights when crossing a road in Shijiazhuang, Hebei.
Many people say that they jaywalk because the red light lasts too long. Such an opinion is supported by a research team at Tongji University.
The team did research on people's waiting times at different road crossings from 2008 to 2010. They found that Chinese people would wait for 70 to 90 seconds before they lost their patience.
"People are likely to run the red light when the waiting time is longer than they can bear ,"said Ni Ying, a member of the research team.
However, a survey on Sina Weibo shows that nearly half of respondents believe that people jaywalk mainly because they disregard rules.
"I always obey traffic rules. Time is important but safety should come first,"wrote "Qixiaoe"on Weibo.
Many countries give out punishments to jaywalkers. In Singapore, the maximum can be three months in prison. Some Chinese cities have started taking some actions, too. For example, the first three people in a jaywalking group will be fined 50 yuan in Shijiazhuang.
But calling on people to respect rules is more important. "To completely solve the problem, everyone should realize the importance of obeying the traffic rules,"Wang Jianping, a professor at Sichuan University, said to Huaxi Metropolis Daily. | middle5192.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "John."
},
"options": [
"John.",
"John's mother.",
"Frank.",
"Frank's mother."
],
"question": "Who found the fish firstly?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index":... | "Look, Mom! What a pretty fish!" said John to his mother.
John's mother asked, "Where did you get it, John?"
"Frank caught it in the river. I went to the river to get some water and saw this little fish. Then I told Frank about the fish, and he ran to get his fishnet . He put the net into the water, and caught the fish. I put it into this box,"
"Well, what will you do with it?" asked John's mother.
"I will keep it, Mom," replied John.
"But, my boy, it will not live in that box. You should put it back into the river." replied his mother.
John felt sad and said, "I wish I could keep it. It is so pretty! May I put it into the pond?"
"No, John," said his Mom, "you must put it into the river. A trout will not live in warm water." | middle2825.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "too little beta-carotene"
},
"options": [
"wearing incorrect glasses",
"watching TV for long",
"too little beta-carotene",
"too much vitamin A"
],
"question": "Night blindness can be caused by _ .",
"ques... | Wearing the wrong type of glasses will do harm to your eyes. Incorrect glasses may not be good for the children under 10. You may see better with glasses that are specially made for you.
Watching too much television may be bad for your eyes. This is not true for everyone. People with easily affected eyes may find they get red and achy from watching TV for long. Carrots will help you see in the dark. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene (b). The body can change beta-carotene into vitamin A, and too little beta-carotene can cause night blindness. However, a lot of research shows that night blindness is more likely to be connected with some other vision problems. | middle3285.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "During the deep sleep"
},
"options": [
"In the daytime",
"At the beginning of sleep",
"At night",
"During the deep sleep"
],
"question": "When does the sleeping position best show your secret personality?",
... | Everyone has got two personalities -the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behavior, but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their positions. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back, you're a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don't like to displease people. So you never express your real feelings. You're quite shy and you aren't quite sure of yourself.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive person. You worry a lot and you're always easily upset. You always stick to your own opinions or judgment, but you don't raise your hopes too much. You usually live for today not tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up , you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you're often defensive. You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You're easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well--balanced personality. You know your strengths and weakness. You're usually careful. You believe in yourself. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don't often get sad. You always say what you think even if it makes people rather angry | middle106.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "to help the poor students"
},
"options": [
"to help the poor students",
"to surprise her friends and neighbors",
"to show her generosity",
"to be a good and rich woman"
],
"question": "Oseola McCarty gave $150 0... | In 1995,Oseola McCarty gave a present of $150 000 to the University of Southern Mississippi. She wanted to help poor students. It was a very generous thing to do. But her friends and neighbors were surprised. McCarty was a good woman. She went to church. She was always friendly and helpful. But everyone in her town knew that McCarty was not rich. In fact,she was poor.
How did a poor 86-year-old woman have so much money? Oseola McCarty was born in 1908 in Hattiesburg,Mississippi. She had to leave school when she was eight years old to help her family. She took a job washing clothes. She earned only a few dollars a day. Oseola washed the clothes by hand. Then she hung the clothes to dry. She did this for nearly 80 years. In the 1960s,she bought an automatic washer and dryer. But she gave them away. She did not think they got the clothes clean enough!At that time,many people started to buy their own washers and dryers. McCarty did not have much work, so she started to iron clothes instead.
McCarty never married or had children. Her life was very simple. She went to work and to church. She read her Bible . She had a black-and-white television. But she did not watch it very much. It had only one channel.
McCarty saved money all her life and eventually had about $250 000. When she was 86,a lawyer helped her make a will. She left money to the church,her relatives,and the university. McCarty just wanted to help others. She did not think she was a special person. But then people found out about her present to the university. She received many honors . She even flew in an airplane for the first time!Oseola McCarty died in 1999. She was a shy and ordinary woman who became famous.
,. | middle1486.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Mysteries."
},
"options": [
"Romantic stories.",
"Mysteries.",
"Horror stories.",
"Comedies."
],
"question": "What kind of story is talked about in this program?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
... | Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the nine o'clock Mystery Hour. Today we'll show you two British stories. We hope you'll enjoy them.
About 900 years ago two green children arrived in a small village in south England. Their eyes and skin were green and they spoke a strange language. They were very tired and weak, so the people of the village looked after them. The boy died a year later, but the girl grew strong and lived the rest of her life there. And her skin color turned back to normal day by day. Scientists say that sometimes of people don't have enough food to eat for a long time, their skin goes very pale and can turn green.
Loch Ness is the largest lake in Scotland. It's a very deep and cold lake. For hundreds of years, people have talked about a monster called Nessie which lives in the lake. About seventy years ago, two people saw something moving in the lake. They said that the animal was playing and rolling around in the water. Since then many people say they have seen the monster. Their descriptions are always the same. It looks like a dinosaur, with a very long neck and a small head. It has a big bump on its back. People have tried to photograph the animal, but the pictures have not been very clear. Scientists don't know whether there is a monster or not. Some say it may be a whale or a very large fish. Some think it's a snake. Others say there's nothing at all-- nothing but people's imagination. Maybe we'll never know what's in Loch Ness. | middle112.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "At Tom's house"
},
"options": [
"At John's house",
"At Tom's house",
"At Ann's house",
"At the video house"
],
"question": "Where do Tom and John play video games?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},... | I'm Tom. My best friends are John and Ann. We do many things together. John lives near my house and we are in the same class. He's fifteen years old and he's tall and slim. He has blond hair and blue eyes. He's polite and very clever. He's very good at math and he sometimes helps me with my homework. He usually wears jeans and a T-shirt. We also play basketball at a nearby park together and sometimes we play video games at my house after school.
Our friend Ann isn't in our school. She's short and slim with straight brown hair and brown eyes. She's a little bit shy. We all have kung fu lesson every Tuesday and Friday afternoon. Ann is really good at kung fu. We call her the "kung fu kid". She sometimes plays basketball with us, too. She often wears a dress, a T-shirt and a baseball cap. The three of us have great fun together. | middle3291.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The City Art Museum"
},
"options": [
"The City Stadium",
"The City Art Museum",
"Grandview Mall",
"The Country Club"
],
"question": "People can see the photo show at _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_question... | Wonderful Events
HORSE RACING 100 YEARS OF PICTURES
ALL YEAR ROUND THEN AND NOW (Photo Show)
Races Starting at 3 p.m. February 1 - April 30
Every Sunday City Art Museum
Racetrack only 20 Miles Away 750, High Street
Lots of Parking Space Tuesday to Sunday
City Stadium 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Free Presents
No Children Allowed
WEEKEND SALES DANCE PARTY
This Saturday 2-6 p.m. CELEBRATE AN IMPORTANT DAY
EVERYTHING 20-50% OFF Bring Your Friends
Visit Us at Block G. Grandview Mall SUNDAY NIGHT, GOUNTRY CLUB
Realize Your Dream, Save Time and Live Band from 7 p.m.-10 p.m.
Money Y= 10, and adult
Fall in Love with our Prices Y= 2, a child | middle4298.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "At 6:30a.m."
},
"options": [
"At 6:00a.m.",
"At 6:30a.m.",
"At 7:00a.m.",
"At 7:30a.m."
],
"question": "When does Linda have to get up on weekdays?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer... | Dear Mr. Li,
I'm not happy. I have too many rules in my home. On weekdays I have to get up at half past six, read English for half an hour and then walk to school. I can't play with my friend after school because I have to my homework first and then walk my dog. I can't watch TV on school days. And I have to go to bed before ten o'clock, On weekends, I needn't get up at half past six. But I have to get up early, because I have to clean my room and wash my clothes. Then in the afternoon I have to go to the Children's Palace to learn dancing. When I come back, I have to help my mom make dinner. I can't play computer games. I never have fun. What can I do?
Yours,
Linda | middle2831.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Less than one and a half minutes."
},
"options": [
"About five minutes.",
"Less than one minute.",
"Less than one and a half minutes.",
"More than ten minutes."
],
"question": "How long will Chinese people wait ... | On May 23, Shenzhen introduced new rules in order to prevent the "Chinese style of crossing the road". "Chinese people cross roads without thinking about traffic lights, so long as they are part of a group of people," said a post on Sina Weibo.
A CCTV news program showed that in only an hour, more than 600 people jumped red lights when crossing a road in Shijiazhuang, Hebei.
Many people say that they jaywalk because the red light lasts too long. Such an opinion is supported by a research group at Tongji University. _ did research on people's waiting times at different road crossings for three years. They found that Chinese people would wait for 70 to 90 seconds before they lost their patience. "People are likely to ignore the light when the waiting time is longer than they can bear," said Ni Ying, a member of the research team.
However, a survey on Sina Weibo suggested that people jaywalk mainly because they ignore rules. "I always obey traffic rules. Time is important but safety should come first," someone wrote on his Weibo.
Many countries give out punishments to jaywalkers. In Singapore, the maximum can be three months in prison . Some Chinese cities have started taking some actions, too. For example, the first three people in a jaywalking group will be fined 50 yuan in Shijiazhuang.
But calling on people to obey rules is more important. To completely solve the problem, everyone should understand the importance of obeying the traffic rules. | middle7791.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "an organization"
},
"options": [
"a city",
"an organization",
"a volunteer",
"a school"
],
"question": "The Peace Corps is _ in the United States.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"a... | In every country, there are thousands of people who want to help out. Many join organizations run by their governments, for example, the Peace Corps in the United States and Voluntary Service Overseas in Britain. Since the powerful earthquake took place in Sichuan, more than 200 thousand volunteers across China have been helping there! They do all kinds of work or come up with ways to help improve life. Some offer their professional skills for free. Others have no qualifications , but they love to work hard to help.
One of the most famous volunteers in the world was Mother Teresa. She could be the best volunteer because she gave her life to helping the poorest people of Calcutta. She helped the homeless, cared for the sick, gave out food, and became the mother of those without families.
Now more and more teenagers actively look for volunteering opportunities, too. They volunteer because they think it will be fun or they will learn something. They also like the idea of being helpful to others, even if it is just handing out books for the teacher. As they get older, these reasons are still the same, but there are other important reasons for volunteering such as learning on-the-job, getting work experience, and improving their social life.
All volunteers bring joy to the people they help in so many ways. They might read books to the blind, fix up broken homes, find ways to get water for villages. Could you be a volunteer? What kind of volunteer work could you do? There is someone in the world who needs you. | middle674.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Three times."
},
"options": [
"Three times.",
"Four times.",
"Five times.",
"Six times."
],
"question": "How many times did Bluebird bathe every morning before she had beautiful blue feathers?",
"question_ty... | Long ago, Bluebird's feathers were the colour of dust. She did not like her ugly colour. She was attracted by the colour of the lake near her home. It was as blue as the sky after a storm. Bluebird wanted to be the colour of that beautiful lake very much. Flapping her wings one morning, Bluebird flew from her tree to the blue lake. Then she bathed in the water three times. After each bath, she sang, "Blue water. Still water. I went in. I am blue." Bluebird repeated this every morning. On the third day, she came out of the lake with beautiful blue feathers.
Now Coyote was a trickster --and hungry too. He stayed behind Bluebird's tree for a long time every day and watched her go to the lake. He pretended to be interested in everything she did. He wanted Bluebird for lunch, but he was afraid of the blue water. On the third morning, Coyote saw Bluebird come out of the lake with beautiful blue feathers. Impressed, he sat next to Bluebird's tree and waited for her. When she returned, he asked, "How did you get blue feathers? I want to be blue like the mountains too." Bluebird didn't believe Coyote, but she taught him how to bathe three times each morning and how to sing her song. Coyote did what she said, and after three days of bathing in the lake, his white fur turned deep blue.
Convinced that blue fur was even more beautiful than blue feathers, Coyote forgot all about being hungry. He ran as fast as he could to the top of the hill. Standing on his back legs, he raised his front legs off the ground and howled. But Coyote slipped and rolled down the hill. He couldn't stop himself, and the dust and dirt covered his new blue fur. He rolled and rolled until he hit into Bluebird's tree heavily. No matter how much he tried, foolish Coyote could not shake the dust from his fur. And so the fur of all coyotes had the dull colour of dust to this very day. | middle7949.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "has proclaimed the Dragon Boat Festival as a part of its cultural heritage"
},
"options": [
"has proclaimed the Dragon Boat Festival as a part of its cultural heritage",
"has the exactly same Dragon Boat Festival as China",
... | For Chinese, it's a time for dragon boat racing and Zongzi . But across the Yellow Sea, South Korea, wrestling and swing play are the _ .However, both events go by the same name-the Dragon Boat Festival-which falls on May 5 of the lunar calendar.
One festival, two cultures: does one nation have the right to call its own? It has been reported that South Korea will apply to the UNESCO to make the celebration its cultural heritage .If successful, people from other countries may see the Dragon Festival as a Korean creation.
As the birthplace of the yearly event more than 2,000 years ago, China is not happy with the situation."It would be a shame if another country successfully made a traditional Chinese festival part of its own cultural heritage ahead of China," said Zhou Heping, deputy culture minister.The Ministry of Culture is even thinking of making its own application to UNESCO, covering all traditional Chinese festivals, including the Dragon Boat event.
Over the years, the Dragon Boat Festival has spread throughout the world.In Japan and Viet Nam, as well as South Korea, the festival has mixed with and become part of local culture.
With this in mind, some experts say that it is meaningless to argue about which country the festival belongs to."No one can deny that it came from China," said Long Haiqing, an expert from Hunan Province."But if all the countries involved can protect culture heritage together, they will all benefit." | middle6100.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "guns are out of control in US schools"
},
"options": [
"the number of the expulsions is now large",
"the number of the expulsions is wrong",
"there are soldiers hiding among the students",
"guns are out of control in US... | More than 6000 children were expelled from US schools last year for bringng guns and bombs to school,the US Department of Education said on May 8.
The department gave a report on the expulsions as saying handguns accounted for 58 per cent of the 6093 expulsions in 1996--97,against 7 per cent for rifles or shotguns and 35 per cent for other types of firearms.
"The report is a clear sign that our nation's public schools are cracking down " on students who bring guns to school,"Education Secretary Richard Riey said in a statement."We need to be tough-minded about keeping guns out of our schools and do everything to keep our children safe."
In March 1997,an 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old using hand-guns and rifles shot dead four children and a teacher at a school in Jonesboro,Arkansas.In October,two were killed and seven wounded in a shooting at a Mississippi school.Two months later,a 14-year-old boy killed three high school students and wounded five in Daducab,Kentucky.
"Most of the expulsions,56 per cent,were from high schools,which have students from about age 13,34 per cent were from junior high schools and 9 per cent were from elementary schools." The report said. | middle3078.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "cover your mouth"
},
"options": [
"touch everything",
"cover your mouth",
"point out to the kids",
"pass the germs to others"
],
"question": "When you cough or sneeze, you should _ .",
"question_type": "c... | When you cough or sneeze, you'd better turn your head away from others and cover your mouth with the full part of your hand. And then, you should say, "Excuse me."
This seems so simple, but it is surprising how many kids have never been told to do this. Actually, I notice adults all the time who cough and sneeze in public without placing a hand over the mouth. One important thing I point out to the kids is that after they sneeze or cough on their hands, they should wash their hands as soon as possible. If not, they will be passing those germs along to everything and everyone they touch.
If you come to a door and someone is following you, hold the door. If the door opens by pulling, pull it open, stand to the side, and allow the other person to pass.
After a few weeks of seeing kids try to get through doors in the school and watching them enter restaurants as the door hit other people, I knew I had to discuss the problem with my students. Teaching them small acts of kindness, such as letting someone else go through a door first as they hold it open, may seem unimportant, but it can go a long way toward helping students realize how to be polite and think others. Once they've been told, they're halfway there.
When we have to go up moving stairs, we will stand to the right. That will give others who are in a hurry a choice of walking up the left-hand side of the moving stairs. When we are going to enter a lift, the underground, of a doorway, we will wait for others to exit before we enter.
After college when I moved to London, I was surprised at how polite everyone was in the subways. I was even more touched when I traveled to Japan. In both places, people made effort to make way for others. On moving stairs, everyone stood to the right and walked to the left. On lifts, everyone would stand over to the side and allow others to exit before they would begin to enter. | middle2366.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "come as if they send out brightness and warmth"
},
"options": [
"come when you are tired",
"are always right",
"are pleasing but not good",
"come as if they send out brightness and warmth"
],
"question": "The mo... | There are few experiences quite pleasant as getting a good idea.You've had a problem, you've thought about it till you were tired; you've forgotten it and perhaps slept on it, and then flash! When you weren't thinking about it, suddenly the answer has come to you, as a present from the gods.You're pleased with it, and feel good.It may not be right, but at least you can try it out.Of course all ideas don't come like that, but the interesting thing is that so many do, particularly the most important one.They come into the mind, glowing with the heat of creation. | middle2400.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Family members gather for a big meal."
},
"options": [
"Family members gather for a big meal.",
"Friends eat dumplings together.",
"They borrow money from friends.",
"They give each other hong bao."
],
"question... | The Spring Festival is the biggest festival for Chinese people all around the world.. The celebration usually lasts for 15 days. There is a lot to do.
On the eve of the Spring Festival, family members get together and have big meals. Their favourite dish on this day is dumplings.
Days before the Spring Festival, families will clean their homes. People think cleaning sweeps away bad luck. It makes the house ready for good luck.
The colour red is everywhere during the Spring Festival. People think red is a happy colour and will bring them a bright future. People wear red, too. They decorate their homes with pieces of red paper. Kids get a lot of "hong bao". It is a red paper bag with money in it. Usually, older people give younger ones hong bao. They think it brings good luck.
The Spring Festival is the time to make everybody happy. So don't say any bad words or do anything that will bring unhappiness to other people.
For instance, you'd better not say any bad words like "death". Don't break anything. People think that it means your luck is _
Also, don't borrow or lend money on these days. If you have borrowed money, return it before the Spring Festival.
,: | middle4071.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A lazy student"
},
"options": [
"An excellent student",
"A hardworking student",
"A bad student",
"A lazy student"
],
"question": "What do you think of the writer when she was a student?",
"question_type": n... | I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important. I wasn't an excellent student because I didn't do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn't have much to offer.
I then found myself a job, looking after two little girls. It wasn't too bad at first. But the problems began when I agreed to live in. I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week, she'd give me time off the next. But unluckily, it didn't often work out. I was getting very tired. Because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children.
One Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification if I wanted to work with children. I didn't think I would be accepted because I didn't take many exams in school. She asked me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part-time course. I had to leave my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten.
Now I've got a full-time job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that I could have a success, even if I am not top of the class at school. | middle1109.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Ten years old."
},
"options": [
"Three years old.",
"Nine years old.",
"Ten years old.",
"Four years old"
],
"question": "How old will Erica be next year?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
... | Erica is a nine-year-old girl. Today is a beautiful day for Erica. Her uncle will come from Australia today. Her uncle is twenty- seven. He lives there for three years. He will bring a big surprise for Erica.
The school is over. And Erica puts her books in the bag and goes out of the classroom. She is running home and thinking about her uncle. She wants to know the surprise.
"Is it a surfboard? That is fun! I can learn how to surf!"
"Are they Australian nuts ? Oh, I can eat nuts all day!"
"Or maybe he brings a kangaroo( )? That is not good. I don't have a place in my room for a kangaroo... "
Erica gets home at four o'clock. Her parents are there, and her uncle is there! She is very happy to see him. "Uncle, uncle," she calls, "What surprise do you have for me from Australia?"
"Well," her uncle smiles and answers, "I have for you an Australian uncle. " | middle6672.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Four."
},
"options": [
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five.",
"Six."
],
"question": "How many people are there in Mike's family?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | Mike comes from the USA. He is twelve years old. His father,Mr. Brown,works in a big factory in Beijing. His mother,Mrs. Brown,teaches English in No.10 Middle School in Beijing. Mike has a sister. Her name is Kate. She is eight years old. It is Sunday today. Mike's family are all at home. Mr. Brown is reading newspapers in a chair. Mrs. Brown isn't reading newspapers. She is in the garden. She is watering the flowers. Where is Mike?He is cleaning his new bike in front of the house.Is Kate with him?No,she isn't. She is in the study. She is playing with her toys. | middle4065.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "she had lived in the street for many years"
},
"options": [
"she had lived with her parents whose names were not known",
"she had lived in the street for many years",
"the workers knew her well",
"she had learned to wri... | The workers who brought the girl to the orphanage knew little about her. The street where they found her had been her home for many years. Her parents were unknown. They left her long ago. At the orphanage, the girl, like all the children there, was taught to read and write. While she was studying at the orphanage, she learned something else-to be independent . At twenty-one, she left the orphanage and began to work as a secretary. And then, in 1975, while she was still working as an ordinary secretary, something special happened. She entered the Miss Hong Kong Competition and won it. This was the turning point in her life. Now her name, Mary Cheung, was known to everybody.
Mary entered the competition because she wanted to show that orphanage girls could be something. Winning the competition gave her the chance to start a new life. This led her first into television and then into business as a manager. When she was working as a manager, she had trouble with her reports. "My English just wasn't good enough." she says. Luckily, she had a boyfriend (who later became her husband) to help her.
Mary studied management at Hong Kong Polytechnic and graduated in 1980. She started her own business in 1985. But she did not stop developing herself. She then studied at the University of Hong Kong. Since 1987, she had spent a lot of time on photography . She has held several exhibitions of her works in many places-China, New Zealand and Paris. She still found time, however, to work on TV, write for newspapers and support her family.
The girl from the street has come a long way, but her journey has not finished yet. | middle4703.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "front feet"
},
"options": [
"back feet",
"front feet",
"right feet",
"left feet"
],
"question": "Long ago, the horse had four toes on each of its _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"ans... | Have you ever seen a horse with toes? Millions of years ago, horses had many toes. They had four toes on each front foot. They had three toes on each back foot. The horses were smaller than cats.
These small horses lived in the forest. Their many toes helped the horses run over the soft wet ground.
It was very hot in the forest. But the weather changed. It became cold. Many trees couldn't live in cold weather. The trees died and fell. Forests became open field. The sun made the ground dry and hard. Horses began to change too. They began to get bigger. This took a long time. On the dry hard land, horses needed only their middle toes for running. At last their middle toes became hard. | middle2372.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "PE"
},
"options": [
"Maths",
"History",
"PE",
"Music"
],
"question": "What class does Sam have on Monday afternoon?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Today I went to Sam's school in the UK. It was really different from my school in China.
Girls wore grey skirts and white shirts, boys wore grey trousers, and everyone wore the school tie.
Some of Sam's lessons were a bit strange for me. We were reading Shakespeare in the English lesson, and there were quite some old words like "thou" and "thee" to mean "you". In history we studied 20th Century China. It was strange hearing a foreign side of history--and hearing English people trying to say all our Chinese names!
Classes were also a lot more relaxing than in China. Teachers were called "sir" or "miss", everyone shouted answers and raised their hands in classes. It was more like a _ than a class. A bell rang at the end of each lesson and everyone jumped up to go to the next class.
At break we bought potato chips and cookies in the dining room. Lunch was later than in China at 1 o'clock. We had big plates of pie with carrots. For dessert there was hot sweet rice called rice pudding.
It was good that I'd had an excellent lunch, because at Sam's school, Monday afternoons are taken up with sports.
I played my first game of netball--a bit like basketball, but with some differences. Fortunately , I'd had a quick look in the rule book before I tried to join in the game. | middle6114.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Something was wrong with his feet"
},
"options": [
"Joey didn't like running",
"Joey couldn't jump",
"Something was wrong with his feet",
"Joey was too young to run"
],
"question": "The doctor believed Joey woul... | My son Joey was born with club feet.The doctors told us that he would be able to walk,but would never run very well.By the time he was eight,you wouldn't know he had a problem when you saw him walk.
The children in our neighborhood ran around playing,and Joey would join them, run and play,too.We never told him that he probably wouldn't be able to run as well as the other children.So he didn't know.
In seventh grade he decided to go out for the cross-country team.Every day he worked harder and ran more than any of the others.Although the entire team runs,only the top seven runners score for the school.We didn't tell him he probably would never be on the team,so he didn't know.
He continued to run four to five miles a day,every day - even the day he had a high fever.I was worried,so I went to see him after school.I found him running all alone.I asked him how he felt."Okay," he said.He had two more miles to go.Yet he looked straight ahead and kept running.We never told him he couldn't run miles with a high fever.So he didn't know.
Two weeks later,the names of the team runners were called.Joey was Number Six on the list.Joey was on the team! He was in seventh grade.We never told him he couldn't do it! | middle3044.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "To see if anyone would move the rock away."
},
"options": [
"To see if anyone would move the rock away.",
"To see who was the most powerful.",
"To find out who was the most poorest.",
"To see how people walked around it... | Long long ago, a king had a big rock placed in the middle of a very busy road. Then he hid nearby to see if anyone would move the rock out of the way to make it convenient for others. Some of the king's wealthiest supporters came past and simply walked around it. Many others complained about the rock and some blamed the king for the problem. To the king's surprise, no one did anything about moving it out of the way.
Finally, a poor farmer came along, carrying a load of old vegetables. When he saw the rock, he put down his load, and tried to move the heavy rock to the side of the road. No one stopped to help him. Many laughed at him and made jokes as they walked past. Finally, after much pushing and straining, and with no help , the farmer managed to get the rock to the side of the road. As he bent down to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a small bag lying in the road, exactly where the rock had been. There was a lot of money and a note in the bag. The note was from the king saying that the money was for the person who moved the rock out of the way.
Taking responsibility is about solving hard problems. The farmer takes responsibility when no one else is prepared to. It does not always mean that you will get an instant reward, but it is a value that builds up a community, and makes life better for all of us. | middle1653.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Both A and B"
},
"options": [
"Children",
"Adults",
"Both A and B",
"Nobody"
],
"question": "Who loves to see the latest cartoon movie Zootopia?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": ... | The latest colorful 3D cartoon movie, Zootopia, has become a great success. It has not only won the hearts of children but also drawn the attention of adults.
The film tells about a rabbit called Judy who was born in carrot farmers. All her life, she's dreamed of being a police officer and finally leaves for Zootopia, a beautiful modern city, to go for her dream. It's a place where, according to her understanding, "anyone can be anything."
At first, she is put on parking duty, because nobody believes a rabbit can become a great policewoman compared to other big and strong predator animals .While on duty, she gets to know a sly-looking fox, Nick . They once misunderstand each other and have words with each other. But they work together to solve a secret _ successfully in the end .
From the movie we also can get a clear and powerful message: prejudice , in any form, is a terrible thing. We should say no to it. Luckily, we can see both predators and prey-predators can live in peace in Zootopia finally.
Anyway, Zootopia is a great piece of work with important life lessons: life's a little bit messy, and we all make mistakes;no matter what type of animal you are, change starts with you. So stick to your dream and work for it. You know, "everything is possible." | middle7222.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "The writer is a mother."
},
"options": [
"The daughter is a second-grader.",
"The writer is a mother.",
"The real tooth fairy in the story is the writer.",
"Several kids in the daughter's class lost one tooth."
],
... | My daughter finally lost her first tooth. She waited for this moment for more than a year.
Most of the kids in the first grade lost not only one tooth, but several. But my daughter kept waiting impatiently. Then, she finally got a loose tooth. I never saw her so happy -- except on Christmas, Children's Day or her birthday. Last Friday night, she was eating an apple, and the tooth started to become loose. Minutes later, my daughter shouted happily. The tooth was out!
I cleaned it off and put it under her pillow . When she went to bed that night, my daughter wondered, "Will the tooth fairy let me keep the tooth?" I told her _ might and _ 'd have to wait and see.
The tooth fairy comes from an old story. It's believed that when a kid loses his first tooth and puts it under his pillow, the tooth fairy will come to visit him when he is sleeping. If the tooth fairy sees the kid and loves him, she will leave some money under his pillow without taking away the tooth. If she doesn't think the kid lovely enough, she will still leave some money but take the tooth away.
And then I put a dollar in my bag so that I'd remember to put it under my daughter's pillow. However, I forgot. Luckily, her dear dad remembered. | middle6882.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Read the first two paragraphs and the last two paragraphs carefully."
},
"options": [
"Read the first two paragraphs and the last two paragraphs carefully.",
"Spend a lot of time reading the details.",
"Read the first and the... | Reading is a good habit, but the problem is, there's too much to read these days, and too little time to read every word of it. There are hundreds of skills to help you read more in less time. Here are two skills that I think are very good.
Preview -- if it's long and hard. Previewing is very useful for getting a general idea of heavy reading like long magazine articles and science reports.
Here is how to preview.
*Read the first two paragraphs and the last two paragraphs carefully.
*Then read only the first sentence of the other paragraphs.
Previewing doesn't give you all the details. It tells you not to spend time on things you don't really want or need to read.
Skim -- if it's short and simple. Skimming is a good way to get a general idea of light reading, like popular magazines or the sports of your daily paper.
Here's how to skim.
*Get your eyes to move fast. Sweep them across each line.
*Pick up only a few key words in each line.
Everybody skims differently. You and I may not pick up the same words when we skim the same piece, but perhaps we'll get the same idea of what it's all about. | middle7544.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "2."
},
"options": [
"1.",
"2.",
"3.",
"None."
],
"question": "How many Chinese friends does Andrew have?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer... | The thirteen-year-old Andrew is an American boy. He is a middle school student in Washington. Do you know Washington? It's the capital of America. Andrew has some pen friends. Two of them come from China. They are Molly and Simon. Their Chinese names are Zhao Mei and Ma Li. Zhao Mei is a girl and she is in Zhejiang; Ma Li is a boy and he is in Hebei. They are good at English, so they always write to Andrew in English. Andrew wants to know more about China, and he thinks Chinese is useful. He will come to China with his parents for a trip next month. Now Andrew is really happy and he wants to tell his friends about it.
Do you want to make friends with Andrew? You can write to him. His e-mail address is andrew008@hotmail.com. | middle5353.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "busy"
},
"options": [
"ill",
"busy",
"sad",
"happy"
],
"question": "Yesterday Wei Hua was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "O... | Wei Hua had a busy day yesterday. She got up before 7 o'clock in the morning, and quickly washed her hands and face. She got to school early. She had a little rest after lunch, but worked hard in class all day. She played basketball after school, and then she walked home.
Wei Hua's pen was broken, so she needed a new one. On her way home she bought a new pen at a shop. When she reached home, she had a short rest and a glass of water. After that she helped her parents. She quickly cooked the supper, and cleaned the house.
She watched TV for half an hour after supper. Then she started her homework. She finished it at half past nine. She went to bed before a quarter to ten. | middle4059.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "The Africans."
},
"options": [
"The Africans.",
"The Americans.",
"The Chinese.",
"The dentists."
],
"question": "Who brushes teeth with sticks first according to the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
... | Brush your teeth every day, dentists say. In the south of Africa, some people brush their teeth all day long.
They keep a small stick in their mouth to chew or scrub their teeth all day. People cut the sticks from trees. They are the African toothbrushes. People there are used to brushing their teeth with sticks.
Africans think the sticks work better than toothbrushes. The sticks come from nature, and it is said that there is something special about them. The special thing may stop many kinds of tooth problems. "If you have a bad tooth, it is a medicine," said Diop, a seller in Africa.
The sticks are also much cheaper than toothbrushes.
In Senegal ,the chewing stick is called "sothio". It means "to clean" in their language. In east Africa,the stick is called "mswaki". It's their word for "toothbrush".
Even the dentists agree that the sticks seem to clean teeth better. Nowadays, some nice health stores in the United States start to sell chewing sticks. They think that the stick is natural kind of tooth care. | middle6896.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Five"
},
"options": [
"Three",
"Four",
"Five",
"Six"
],
"question": "How many pieces of advice are mentioned in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"a... | Each summer,you hear news that some sports players are sent to hospitals because it is too hot. Our bodies can't be outside in the sun for a long time. So in hot summers,be careful about playing sports outside.
Firstly,to play sports safely in hot weather,you must drink water. Sports drinks are great for athletes,but they have so much sugar that they'll dehydrate you more. However,drinking a few bottles of sports drinks will be good for you.
Secondly,be sure to take enough breaks to let your body rest. If your coach doesn't let you take enough breaks in the heat,don't wait until you feel uncomfortable. Just be honest with your coach when you need breaks.
Thirdly,when you have a break,don't sit in the sun. With the sun beating down on you,you'll only heat up and sweat more. Take a seat under a tree,or even better,go indoors for a little while. Cooling yourself down can help you stay active longer.
Fourthly,remember that the earlier in the day you start your exercise,the cooler it will be. If you can start practice before the sun comes up,you have a few good hours to practise in the cool hours of the morning. Also,the earlier you practise,the earlier you can finish the exercise. If you need more practice time,come back to the field later in the evening,when the sun is setting.
Last but not least,you should watch what you eat. Eat food which is high in water,starch and carbonhydrate ,but be sure to get a good balance in your diet.
As long as you pay attention to the above,playing sports safely in the heat isn't a difficult thing. | middle7550.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "not relaxing"
},
"options": [
"pretty good",
"very boring",
"so interesting",
"not relaxing"
],
"question": "We can know that Susan's school life is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"... | My name is Susan. I am a junior high school student. I like my school and my friends. I like my school because we have good teachers. They teach us many things.
But then, I don't understand lots of things about school. I don't understand why we have to take so many tests . I have to take a heavy school bag with many books in it. I may have a test anytime. I don't like taking tests all the time.
I wonder if I like my school life. It is hard for me to answer this kind of question. On one hand I am not happy because there are so many tests in the school; on the other hand I am happy because I can learn a lot and I can make good friends in school.
. | middle1121.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "having a birthmark on his right eye"
},
"options": [
"having a birthmark on his left eye",
"having a birthmark on his right eye",
"his wonderful character",
"visiting the Maldives"
],
"question": "McDull is famo... | Do you have to be very smart to live a happy life? The character of McDull tells you that this is not true. He is famous for having a birthmark on his right eye. He is not very clever, but he has a heart of gold. He is also happy, with lots of dreams. McDull wanted to visit the Maldives . But his mother didn't have enough money for a trip there. So she lied to him and took him to a place called Hong Kong. The place has a sign that says, "Go to the Maldives." It made McDull very happy. He thought he was really excited in the Maldives!
McDull is just a common pig. He has many dreams, but they never come true. That doesn't stop him trying. McDull lives his life in a simple and happy way. His idea towards life is "Never give up".
The cartoon pig character was created in Hong Kong by Alice Mark and Brian Tse. McDull first showed up as a character in the McMug comics. McMug is another cartoon pig. But McDull is more popular with a huge number of fans everywhere! | middle1647.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "We can't feel the changes in temperature ."
},
"options": [
"Extra heat can only stay inside our body .",
"Viruses can't get into our body easily .",
"We can't feel the changes in temperature .",
"Our body can be guarde... | Your body is special - no two people in the world are alike , Although you are different from everyone else , you have exactly the same body parts as the people around you , doing different jobs that keep all of us alive .
What is inside my head ?
Your head _ the most valuable part of your body - your brain . As you are reading , your eyes send pictures to your brain which makes meaning from what you see . Your brain helps you to remember and think , and makes sure your body is doing what it should .
What is my skin for ?
Your skin covers your body . In most parts of your body , the skin is just as thick as half a centimeter . If you have your skin cut , it will have a quick cure and stop viruses from getting into your body . Your skin also helps you feel the heat and coldness of the environment around you . Hair grows from inside the skin . When you feel hot , extra heat comes out through your skin . As a result , your body temperature drops .
How do I move ?
Muscles are found in most parts of your body . They work with your bones to help you move - whenever you cry or smile , eat or speak , walk or dance , etc .
Why do I breathe ?
Your body needs to take in oxygen from the air and give out the unwanted carbon dioxide in the body . When you breathe , air comes through your nose and mouth into your lungs where oxygen flows to different parts of your body .
What makes me sneeze ?
When dust or a strong smell gets into your nose , you sneeze . This is the way your body cleans up the dust in your nose . Your lungs push out the air and try to clear your nose .
What does my heart do ?
Your heart is a very special muscle . It is slightly bigger than your fist and grows bigger as you do . If you place your hand on your heart , you will feel your heart beating which forces blood to move around your body . | middle7236.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Six"
},
"options": [
"Four",
"Five",
"Six",
"Seven"
],
"question": "How many kinds of animals are talked about in the passage?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
... | Come and see the Indian elephants and the new tigers from America. The bears are waiting to meet you, and the monkeys from China are waiting to throw things at you. The lovely dogs from Australia are waiting to laugh at you, and the giraffes from Zambia are waiting to look down on you.
Tickets
Grown-ups:$2.00
Children:Over 12 $ 1.00 Under 12 Free
Opening time
9:00 a.m.-- 4:00 p.m.
Except Friday 10:00 a.m. -- 3 :00 p.m.
! | middle8105.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "It helps to protect fish numbers."
},
"options": [
"It helps to protect fish numbers.",
"It helps to protect fish size.",
"It is the custom in most countries.",
"They will be punished if they don't."
],
"questio... | Fishing is a popular activity and every fisherman knows the rule: Keep the big ones, throw the smaller ones back. The idea behind Lt is simple - the larger fish are probably older. If you keep the smaller ones, they won't be able to reproduce, and the fish population is in danger.
But fishing out the largest fish from a population has an unwanted effect: Over time, fewer adult fish get really big. If only the smaller fish reproduce , then future generations become smaller. This is an example of evolution in action.
One scientist, Dr David Conover has spent the last decade studying the effects of the "keep the big ones" rule and if they can be reversed .
To set up his experiment, Conover and his team caught hundreds of silverside fish and divided them into six groups. For two groups, Conover followed the "keep the large ones" rule and took out the biggest fish. For two other groups, he removed only the small fish.
For the last two groups, he removed fish at random .
After five years, he measured the fish in each group. In the two groups where the largest fish were regularly removed, the average fish size was smaller than the average size in the other groups. Here was evolution in action: If only small fish survive to reproduce, then future generations of fish will also tend to be small.
For the second five years of his experiment, Conover changed the rules and took fish randomly from each group. At the end of the experiment, he found that the fish that were in the "keep the large ones" group for the first five years had started to get larger again, although he calculated it would take at least 12 years for the fish in that group to return to their original size.
In other words, it takes less time to shrink than it does to recover. | middle3050.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "three"
},
"options": [
"two",
"three",
"four",
"five"
],
"question": "The helpless mother has _ problems.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answe... | Dear Abby,
I'm a helpless mother.My son Tom is 15 years old.I find that the older he grows,the less we talk.I feel very sad and I really need help.
My first problem is about his hobbies.He spends almost all his spare time on computer games.When he gets home.he always turns on the computer and closes the door.I'm getting worried about him,especially when his English teacher tells me he always gets low marks in the English exams.
Second,he likes new technology,but I don't have enough money and I can't afford all the things he wants.
Recently,I've found that he is always alone.I've never seen him talking to his friends on the phone or going out with anyone on weekends.That is the last problem I have.
What should I do to help him?Please give me some advice.
A helpless mother | middle5421.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "By plane."
},
"options": [
"By train.",
"By plane.",
"By boat.",
"By car."
],
"question": "How did the writer travel to Paris?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | Last year I travelled to Paris by plane. I was very excited because I knew I would meet a lot of interesting people and see some amazing things there. On the night before I left, I was so excited that I couldn't sleep at all. When I sat on the plane the next day, I felt very tired. I wanted to have a good sleep during the 9-hour flight. Unluckily, there was a baby sitting next to me. It cried and screamed during the whole trip. How could I fall asleep with all of that noise?
When I arrived in Paris at last, it was already 8 o'clock in the evening. I felt even more tired. After getting off the plane, I went to my hotel at once. I paid no attention to the beautiful evening scenery of Paris. I just wanted to have a good rest in my room. When I lay down on the comfortable bed, I fell asleep very quickly.
A sudden noise woke me up at midnight. I didn't know what happened, so I turned on the light. What did I see? You wouldn't believe it! I saw two mice playing on the floor!
What a terrible trip! | middle338.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "his mother didn't say a word but to cry"
},
"options": [
"his mother didn't say a word but to cry",
"he decided to study hard from then on",
"his father just put his head down without saying anything",
"all his family w... | My life, as it really is, is always filled with sadness and little joy. However, no matter what happens, I can always face it bravely.
In July, last year, I couldn't believe the news that I was allowed to enter the only key high school in my hometown. Then I rushed to my home and told my parents. But my father didn't seem as excited as I was. They didn't say a word. My father just kept smoking and my mother put her head down and couldn't help crying.
What I saw didn't make me surprise. I knew very well what my family was like. My mum had been in bed for two years because of her disease. I knew my family lived a hard life and couldn't afford my tuition fee . I felt so upset at that moment, but I could say nothing to my parents.
I decided to help my father with his work to support my family instead of continuing my schooling.
To my surprise, things completely changed just three days before the beginning of the new term. My head teacher who had taught me three years came to my family with some money, which had been raised by my schoolmates. He encouraged me, "Always have dreams."
At the same time,my father also earned some extra money so that he could afford part of my tuition fee.
I knew I was such a lucky dog and decided to study harder in return. With tears in my eyes, I stepped into the key high school that I had dreamed of.
I have been studying hard since I entered the high school. Whenever I meet difficulties, I always think of my teacher and schoolmates, and I can always get enough courage to go on, because I have a college dream and must work hard for it no matter how hard the life is. I believe what the saying "where there is will, there is a way." tells us.
,. | middle3905.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Smoking is very important to me."
},
"options": [
"I don't smoke very often.",
"Smoking is very important to me.",
"I don't smoke at all.",
"I'm going to give up smoking."
],
"question": "The sentence \"Smoking ... | Peter is a sixth-grader at Woodland Primary School. He is only 12 years old but has been smoking for three years. John, 15, is a Junior 2 student at Woodland Secondary School. He began smoking four years ago. "Smoking is part of my life," John said. Peter and John are not those boys' real names. But their problem, smoking, is a very real problem. In many countries, smoking is becoming a bigger problem for young people. Most smokers start in their teens or earlier.
A study of 8,000 London students shows that smoking is a problem for many British kids. More than 21% of middle school students and 6% of primary school pupils said they smoked.
"If young people start smoking early, it will be very hard for them to give up later on," said a professor.
Every year, about four million people die because of smoking. And if people keep smoking that number will go up to about ten million a year by 2030 the World Health Organization (WTO) says. So we have to learn and tell others about dangers of smoking.
,. | middle3911.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "how to make a cheap trip in Chicago"
},
"options": [
"Chicago is a big and beautiful city",
"where we can see fine photos and paintings",
"how to make a cheap trip in Chicago",
"there are many free concerts in Chicago"
... | How to have fun in Chicago without spending a lot of money?
Sightseeing
The Art Institute of Chicago has a fine collection of photos and paintings. The ticket is $10.00, but go on Tuesdays and you'll get in free.
The Sears Tower is the world's third tallest building. By going to the 103rd floor, you can get a view of the whole city. All for only $8.50.
Free show
There are free concerts in Grant Park in summer. They are held Wednesday through Saturday nights at 7:30 P.M..
Attend the taping of a TV show for free. The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Jenny Jones Show both offer tourists free tickets. For the Oprah Winfrey Show, you'll have to book tickets at least a month before.
Places to stay
You can get a hotel for $100 to $300 a day. However, you can get a room in the dormitory at
Roosevelt University for $215 for a whole week! But you have to stay for 28 days to get this great rate . | middle6869.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "wear indoor shoes at school"
},
"options": [
"wear uniform",
"boys' heads should be shaved",
"wear indoor shoes at school",
"can't leave home after sunset"
],
"question": "Many Japanese students have to follow t... | Most students in China have their own school rules. So do the schools in other countries.
Japan: Most schools demand that students wear uniforms, such as sports suits or skirts. They also demand that girls' white socks be folded in a certain way and boys' heads be shaved
Other Japanese schools tell students that they may not date, go to movies, leave home after sunset or play video games without permission from school.
USA: For safety at home USA schools, students must have a pair of indoor shoes to change into at school every day. This makes sure students won't fall over on the slippery floors and keeps the schools clean. Gum chewing is not allowed in many USA school buildings, as it is difficult to clean up. And if students chew gum in class, they may not focus on study.
UK: Strange hairstyles are not allowed in some British schools. But they might allow students to wear certain hairstyles during the World Cup years. Two students had a special design shaved into their hair during 2002 World Cup. But they were not accepted by their school after that because the school said the rules changed since then. | middle1860.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "it is helpful to live with good neighbours."
},
"options": [
"they can share food with us.",
"they can tell interesting stories.",
"they can make us feel happy.",
"it is helpful to live with good neighbours."
],
... | When we buy a house, we all want to have nice neighbours, because most of us think that it is helpful to live with some good neighbours. But what kind of neighbour is good? The answers are different from people to people. Here are my answers.
First, it is very important to respect each other. If our neighbours try to know more about our life, what will we feel? He or she may also talk with others about our life. Do you want to live with him or her any more? The answer is "No". We will feel very sad to have this kind of neighbour and move away quickly.
Next, a good neighbour is always ready to give us a hand when we need him or her. For example, if we are not at home, our good neighbours will watch our house for us.
Finally, a good neighbour should love the environment . He or she never puts rubbish here and there. Good neighbours should keep the place clean, because the good environment can make us comfortable and happy.
I think we all should learn to be good neighbours, and I also hope everyone will have good neighbours and live a happy life. | middle4918.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "The sight of a father with a child in his arms."
},
"options": [
"The sight of the street lights.",
"The sight of the empty street.",
"The sight of a father with a child in his arms.",
"The sight of light in his own hou... | "BANG !" the door caused a reverberation . It was just standing there, with father standing on one side, and I on the other side.
We were both in great anger. "Never set foot in this house again!" stormed father. With tears welling up in my eyes, I rushed out of the flat and ran along the street.
The street lights were shining, causing rather sad feelings. I walked aimlessly.
A young father who held a child in his arms walked past me. I felt as if I saw my childhood from another space: happy and carefree.
But now ... I don't know whether it is because I have grown up or because dad is getting old. We differ in our ways of thinking. He always puts his opinions of behavior on me. Whenever I do something wrong, he never turns a blind eye to it. We are just like two people coming from two different worlds. It feels like there is an iron door between us that can never be opened.
I walked aimlessly on the streets, without an exact place in mind. My heart was frozen on this hot summer night. As I walked on there were fewer and fewer people on the streets, until I had only the street lights to be with me. When I finally reached the high-rise apartment block in which I lived.
I saw that all the lights were off except the father's.
I thought to myself: "Is father waiting for me, or is he still angry with me?" "Am I wrong?" I whispered, maybe... With the key in hand, I was as nervous as I had ever been. At last, I decided to open the door. As soon as I opened the door tears ran down my cheeks. I suddenly realized that there was no iron door between us at all. Love - it's second to none. | middle1848.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Jim."
},
"options": [
"Jim.",
"Tony.",
"Peter.",
"Tom."
],
"question": "Who wants to play volleyball?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_te... | Jim: Let's play volleyball, OK?
Tony: Sorry, I don't have a volleyball. But I have a basketball.
Jim: I don't want to play basketball. I only want to play volleyball.
Tony: Who has a volleyball? Do you know?
Jim: Maybe Tom has one. Let's go and ask him. (Say to Tom.)
Hi, Tom! Do you have a volleyball?
Tom: No. I don't. Does Peter have one?
Tony: Oh, yes, he does.
Tom: Hi, Peter! Do you have a volleyball?
Peter: Yes, I do. But it is at home.
Tom: Sorry to hear that!
Tony: Well, let's play basketball. OK?
Jim: OK!
Tom: Peter, please join us.
Peter: OK! Let's play!
,. | middle1690.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Three"
},
"options": [
"Nine",
"Six",
"Three",
"Two"
],
"question": "How many kids are interviewed about QQ?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"an... | What's your favorite English letter ? Many of you may say Q. Why ? Because so many of you chat with your friends on QQ .
What do you like about QQ? What do you talk about ? The CCTV reporter ,Miss Wang interviews three kids . Let's listen to what they say .
When do you chat on QQ ? What do you talk about ?
Lin Yuhan , Xi'an : On weekends . We talk about homework and chat with each other .
Tang Yuting ,Shanghai : On weekends and when I don't have much homework .We exchange test answers and chat .
Yang Yuhang , Dalian : Our class goes online together at 4--6pm on weekends , We complain about homework ,chat and talk about computer games .
What do you put on your QQ blog ( )?
Lin : I put good articles. I have found online on my blog . I also write articles myself . They are about funny things that have happened in my class .
Tang : I put pictures on my blog . Not my own photos , but pictures from my favorite Japanese cartoons likeTennis Prince and Conan .
Yang: I put DV films on my blog . I shoot ( )them during sports meetings and school parties .The most popular one is about a dancing teacher .It is so funny that everyone watches it .
How do you like QQ?
Lin : It's a good place for us to make a record of our lives of both good times and sad times .
Tang : My friends and I may not have time to chat at school .But we can do it on QQ. It's very helpful to our friendships .
Yang : If you chat with your friends on the telephone ,your parents sometimes listen in on your convercation . There is no such problem with QQ . You can relax and talk freely . | middle304.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "how to pay attention to the earth"
},
"options": [
"how to pay attention to the earth",
"how to learn English",
"how to go to the moon",
"how to make use of time"
],
"question": "Earth Day is a special day to le... | On Sunday , April 22nd , people all over the world take time out to appreciate the earth that we all share .It's Earth Day , a special day to learn about our planet and how to take care of it .
On Earth Day , some people listen to speeches about the environment . Others help clean up their offices or save water and electricity at home .Your parents may even decide to take a day off from driving their cars .
The idea for Earth Day came from a U.S. Senator . He was worried about pollution and the health of plants and animals . And the idea quickly caught on . In 1970 , the first Earth Day was celebrated . More than 20 million people in cities all over the U.S. took part in it .Since then, Earth Day has been used to educate people about their roles in taking care of our planet .
Now , Earth Day has become a worldwide celebration. In 1990, two hundred million people from 140 countries took part in clean-ups , tree planting and other environmental events on Earth Day . | middle2399.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "Her son."
},
"options": [
"Her husband.",
"Her daughter.",
"Her son.",
"Her mother."
],
"question": "Who was Nancy with in America?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | Nancy was new to America. She had an 8-year-old son.
They found a house in New York. They were there for only two months when a neighbor's dog jumped into their yard. The dog ran toward Nancy's son. Nancy put her body in between the dog and her son. The dog stopped when it saw Nancy standing in front of it. She was going to hit it on the nose. The dog turned around.
Shaking, Nancy took her son upstairs. They stayed in the house all the weekend. Then Nancy found another house. It was close to her son's school.
She and her son walked everywhere. They found there was a park and a supermarket near the house. Nancy was very happy. Her son Tommy liked playing badminton, and he could practice in the park every morning. | middle4930.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "A singer"
},
"options": [
"A writer",
"An actor",
"A scientist",
"A singer"
],
"question": "What does Wu Tong do?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
... | Rock singer Wu Tong says mixing musical styles is not only creative, it also shows that people can live together harmoniously. The track Linglong Tower was Wu's most popular piece when he performed in Tianjin, a city with a long tradition of quyi or narrative music.
Honored as the "Shakespeare of the Asian," Cao Yu was one of the greatest playwrights of 20th-Century China. "Sunrise", Cao Yu's second play, was published in 1936. Following his first work "Thunderstorm," In 1937, the young playwright's third play, "The Wilderness," was released. In 1940, Cao Yu completed the writing of his fifth play, "Peking Man,"
A winner of the 2011 L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards, Professor Reng Yonghua says she could not have done it without the backing of her family. As a mother of two daughters, 12 and 14, Reng said she is lucky to have been supported by her family.
Joan Chen, Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi - who's the next of their ilk? Most agree 24-year-old Liu Yifei is the likely contender to become an internationally Chinese actress.Born to a French-language professor and a dancer, Liu received training in dancing, singing and piano as a little girl. She moved to the United States at 10 and spent four years in New York City's Long Island.
Wang Zhiming grew up in a family of instrument makers, but he is the only one who could actually play a violin.Wang, 51, has been making violins for more than 30 years. He grew up around violins and musical instruments. He is the third generation of instrument makers in his family, following his grandfather and father.
, . | middle3939.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "learn something about it"
},
"options": [
"learn something about it",
"decide which hotel to live in",
"phone the restaurant for the tables",
"choose which bus to take"
],
"question": "Before we travel to a plac... | Do you like traveling? How can you make your trip more interesting? Here's some advice.
Read!
Before we leave, we should find some information about the place you want to go to, such as its geography, its history and its famous people. And we should read them carefully. So, we can really understand that place during our trip even though we don't have much time.
Take photos!
Most of us take a camera when we travel, If you want to take some photos, remember to choose the most special sights, Don't choose the sight we can see in other places. For example,Beidaihe, Qingdao and Zhuhai are _ cities. Don't only take photos of the sea. You should take photos of something special, too.
Taste!
Don't buy the food that you like most because you can buy it in your own city or town. You 'd better taste something special in that place. Food in some places is very delicious. And from food, you can find its food culture. So why not taste it? Maybe you have just one chance to taste it in your life.
Write!
When you visit a place, you should take a pen and a notebook, so you can write down what you see and what you think during the trip. Later, when you read it, you'll feel that you can find the pleasure during the trip.
,. | middle6699.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "bring food and waste"
},
"options": [
"provide pictures of cells",
"bring food and waste",
"from a stream",
"move around the heart"
],
"question": "Blood is important to our body because it can _",
"questio... | What does blood do for us? It brings food to all parts of our bodies and takes waste away from them. All parts of our bodies are made of cells. These cells are very small. They all need all the time. No one could make pictures of cells because no one could see them.
What makes the blood move round the body? The heart is a pump. It pumps the blood and sends it round the body. The heart has rooms with doors between them. It pumps blood in and out through these doors by changing the size of the rooms so that the doors are opened and shut. The heart keeps a stream of blood going all around the body and back again to itself. The heart is a very important part of one's body. When it stops beating, one will die. | middle462.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "elements 113, 115, 117, 118"
},
"options": [
"elements 113, 114, 115, 116",
"elements 113, 114, 117, 118",
"elements 113, 115, 117, 118",
"elements 113, 115, 117, 119"
],
"question": "The newly found elements ar... | Have you heard about the periodic table lately? Well, there's some big news about this special table, but first, remember that the periodic table is used for all the elements , or things that make up our world.
Elements are all around us. Iron is one of the most common elements found on the earth. You probably know the element oxygen , which is the element that we breathe in all the time. And elements can combine to make new things like H2O. This is hydrogen and oxygen put together, also known as water! Learning about these things helps us better understand the world we live in.
But have you ever noticed something missing in the periodic table? There were already 114 elements. But the seventh row of the table was not finished, until now!
In December, scientists from the IUPAC found the four elements that were missing. They are elements 113, 115, 117 and 118.
"To scientists, this is of greater value than an Olympic gold medal," Ryoji Noyori, a Nobel honored chemist said.
The new elements are heavy metals and were made in lab. These kinds of elements can't be found in nature. Scientists are still looking for ways to use these elements, and other elements in the eighth row in our daily lives.
Scientists have been working on this for 10 years, but the work is not done. Now they will prepare to look for "element 119 and _ ". But for now, be mindful when you read your science books because the periodic table might be outdated . | middle6841.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "confused"
},
"options": [
"bored",
"confused",
"amazed",
"worried"
],
"question": "When the writer read the story of the bird, he felt _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | As a kid, I read a story of a bird. It described a male bird which takes a lot of pain to build a house and the female bird takes care of the baby in it. When the baby bird learns to fly, the whole family flies off to a different place leaving behind the beautiful nest for other birds to grow their family in it. It made me confused : How could they so easily give up their house built with so much effort?
One night, I got this dream. I was walking on the endless road with beautiful trees on the either side. Attracted by the greenery, I went on, then I saw a wonderful house. I explored the house. There was a sloping roof which matched with the greenery around; the large central open yard reminded me of the activities that might have taken place there which felt lively even now. The small water body that kept the house cool added to the beauty of the house -- of course, it was all dried up now. Such liveliness turns the house into a home. People say "THE HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS", and now I felt it and was attracted deeply.
When I woke up from the dream, I was clear about everything. I realized what message my dream wanted to convey me. And years later, when I chose my career, I thought of the story of the bird and my dream, then I was sure what to do. I decided to choose _ as my career. I wanted to do the same thing that the male bird in the story did, to take pain in building a beautiful house and let others stay in it. My dream comes true and the happiness that I gain now from this career is great. | middle7587.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "The customer stole a ring for his girl friend."
},
"options": [
"The jewelry shop lost some rings.",
"The customer married a girl.",
"The customer stole a ring for his wife.",
"The customer stole a ring for his girl f... | Last month the manager of a jewelry shop ( ) received a letter. As he was very busy then, the letter lay on his desk till tea-time. He opened it and a 10-pound note( ) fell out onto the desk. Within the note was a letter which said:
Dear sir:
In 1935 I got engaged( ). But unfortunately I lost my job. At the time a lot of people were out of work. Six months later I got a job again, but of course I was very short of money. I came to your shop to buy a wedding ring( ). The assistant took out some rings for me to look at, but she was called away for a moment, and I put one of the rings in my pocket. When she came back, I said I didn't know the size of my girl's finger. So I left the shop without buying a ring. My wife died a short while ago and the fact that I never paid for the ring has been heavy in my heart all these years. At that time, the ring cost 2 pounds so I think it is 10 pounds at today's price and I'm sending 10 pounds.
Yours truly,
A customer ( ) | middle476.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "genetics, family size and birthplace"
},
"options": [
"genetics, grown--ups and birthplace",
"genetics, family size and birthplace",
"family size, grown--ups and failure",
"genetics, family size and freedom"
],
... | Are you shy? If you are, you are not alone. In fact, close to 50 percent of people are shy. Almost 80 percent of people feel shy at some point in their lives. These days, shyness is becoming more and more common. Now, scientists are trying to understand shyness. They have some interesting ideas about why people are shy.
Is it possible to be born shy? Many scientists say yes. They say 15 to 20 percent of babies behave shyly. These babies are a little quieter and more watchful than other babies. Interestingly, these shy babies usually have shy parents. As a result, scientists think that some shyness is _ .
Family size might cause people to be shy as well. Scientists at Harvard University studied shy children. They found that 66 percent of them had older brothers and sisters. As a result, they became shy. At the same time, children with no brothers and sisters may be shy as well. Growing up alone, they often play by themselves. They are not able to learn the same social skills as children from big families.
You may also be shy because of where you were born. When scientists studied shyness in different countries, they found surprising differences. In Japan, most people said they were shy. But in Israel, only one of three people said so. What explains the difference? One scientist says the Japanese and Israelis have different opinions of failure . In Japan, when people do not succeed, they feel bad about themselves. They blame themselves for their failure. In Israel, the opposite is true. Israelis often blame failure on outside reasons, such as family, teachers, friends, or bad luck. In Israel, freedom of opinion and risk taking are strongly supported. This may be why Israelis worry less about failure and are less shy.
For shy people, it can be difficult to make friends, speak in class, and even get a good job. But scientists say you can get over your shyness. They suggest trying new things and practicing conversation. And don't forget---if you are shy, you are not the only one. | middle6855.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "fun"
},
"options": [
"useful",
"hard",
"fun",
"quick"
],
"question": "Watching amusing TV shows is a _ way to study English.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | You ought to have fun when you study English. That way, you'll want to spend more time using the language. One way to do this is to watch amusing TV shows in English.
Chuck is an action comedy TV series about a character named Chuck. One day Chuck receives a classified e-mail from an old friend who is working at the CIA. The e-mail contains an entire database filled with classified U.S. government information. Chuck is the kind of person who naturally commits large amounts of information to memory, and all of the spy secrets are accidentally embedded in his mind. So Chuck becomes the most important person to the government. As a result, Chuck hides his identity and works as a computer expert at a store called Buy More. There are two secret agents who protect Chuck from danger. To ensure his safety, they also take undercover jobs as his girlfriend and a store employee. [:Z _ xx _ k.Com]
Without a doubt, watching Chuck is going to provide you with hours of rib-tickling laughter while you learn English. | middle5384.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "two daughters"
},
"options": [
"two English classes on Monday",
"two daughters",
"a soccer ball",
"one English class on Tuesday"
],
"question": "Miss Li has _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
... | Miss Li is my English teacher. She is from Shanghai. She has one English class every day. Oh, no! She has two English classes on Tuesday.
Miss Li has two daughters. One is in our class, Class Two. Sally likes sports. She plays soccer every day. Her favorite soccer player is Ronaldo from Brazil . Sally's twin sister Susan is in Class One. She doesn't like any subjects. She doesn't like to do her homework. She only likes playing with her friend, Jeff. Jeff is a white cat. | middle4924.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Milo"
},
"options": [
"Milo",
"Angie",
"Baker",
"himself"
],
"question": "Eddie's BFF is _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "He... | It is easy to say "to be Best Friends Forever (BFF)". However, a true BFF helps out when the other is in trouble, not just once or twice, but for a lifetime.
Milo is six years old. He has become Eddie's BFF. They are special because they are not humans, but dogs. Their owner, Angie Baker, brought them up. They spent many years playing together.
However, last year, Eddie suddenly started walking into dustbins and walls. Soon he lost his eyesight. When Milo felt something was wrong, he decided to act as Eddie's "guide" dog. He leads Eddie through the house. When they go for walks, he holds Eddie's leash .
Once, Milo had to spend a few nights at the hospital himself. Poor Eddie often bumped into walls and furniture. Ever worse, he got lost during walks. Angie realized how much Eddie depended on his friend. Luckily, Milo is now fine and back at his BFF's side, guiding him through life again. | middle3093.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 2,
"answer_text": "friendly"
},
"options": [
"famous",
"serious",
"friendly",
"smart"
],
"question": "From the passage, we can know that Junglee was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | There was a beautiful garden. Every year the king would go to the garden to decide which flower was the most beautiful one.
For the last few years, the rose was always Number One. Because of this, the rose Gulaab became _ It would never let birds stay on its flower. Then all the birds started staying away from Gulaab.
Behind Gulaab, there was a little yellow flower. People called it Junglee. Junglee wasn't more beautiful than Gulaab, but it welcomed the birds to stay on its flower. All the birds in the garden liked it.
This year the king went to the garden as before. The gardener pointed at the rose and said to the king, " Your favourite flower, my king."
Of course, the king also saw the yellow flower behind it and asked, "What flower is that?"
"Oh! That's Junglee, a wild flower."
" I didn't see a flower like it before. There are so many birds on it. I think it's much more beautiful than the rose. It will be the King Flower of this year!" said the king. | middle310.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "7.15 p.m."
},
"options": [
"10 a.m.",
"5 p.m.",
"7 p.m.",
"7.15 p.m."
],
"question": "You may watch So Young at _ on May 30.",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_in... | Cinemark Theatre Cinemark Theatre
So Young America Dreams in China
May 29~June 2: June 6~17(not June 10, 11, 12, 15)
Evenings at 7.15 p.m. (May 29 at 7 p.m.) June 6, 7, 8, 9, 16 at 7.45 p.m.
Tickets June 17 at 5 p.m.
Weekdays: $27 June 13, 14 at 8.00 p.m.
Sunday: $29 Tickets
Weekdays: $24
Sat. & Sun. : $26
Cinemark discount card: 20% off 3 tickets | middle1684.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "medicine"
},
"options": [
"wine",
"fruit",
"dessert",
"medicine"
],
"question": "The aspirin is a kind of _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"... | It was once thought that only time could mend a broken heart, but now scientists think taking a couple of aspirin might be the best way to get over a break-up.
Previous studies have shown that people experience feelings of romantic rejection in the same way that they experience physical pain. And Psychology Professor Water Michel, of Columbia University, also believes that the psychological pain of ending a relationship is similar to physical pain, and should be treated like any other injury. "When we speak about rejection experiences in terms of physical pain, it is not just a metaphor - the broken heart and emotional pain really do hurt in a physical way," he said. "When you look at a picture of the one who broke your heart, you experience a pain in a similar area of the brain which is activated when you burn your arm. "
Research shows that people who are given a simple painkiller, like aspirin, are able to handle feelings of rejection better than _ given a placebo .
'Take two aspirins and call me next morning' would be a cold-hearted response to a friend's late-night report of fresh heartbreak, but it has a solid basis in the research. | middle5385.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Four."
},
"options": [
"Three.",
"Four.",
"Five.",
"Six."
],
"question": "According to the passage, how many reading tips does the writer give us?",
"question_type": null
},
{
"answer": {
"answ... | When you are learning English, listening, speaking and writing are important, but reading can also be very helpful. When you read, you can not only learn some new words, but also learn how to use these English words. When you read, it gives you a good example for writing.
Good reading tips:
Try to read at the right level . Read something that you can (more or less) understand. If you need to stop every three words to use a dictionary, it is not interesting.
Try to increase the number of your new words. If there are four or five new words on a page, write them in your notebook. But you don't have to write them while you read. Instead, try to guess their meanings as you read: mark them with a pen. Then come back when you have finished reading to look them up in a dictionary and write them in your own vocabulary book. Then try to remember them.
Try to read regularly. For example, read for a short time once a day. Fifteen minutes every day is better than two hours every Sunday. Fix a time to read and keep to it. You could read for fifteen minutes when you go to bed, or when you get up or at lunchtime.
Read what interests you. Choose a book or a magazine about a subject that you like, because you are going to spend time and money reading it. So, choose an interesting book. You can also read newspapers. There are many English newspapers in China. For example, 21st Century Teens. It is easy enough for you to understand. There is something interesting in it. | middle7592.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Because they were allowed to bring any books and notes during the text."
},
"options": [
"Because it was their last exam in the college.",
"Because they knew there were only five questions.",
"Because they thought they were c... | It was the last day of the final exam in a college. On the steps of building, a group of engineering students were waiting for the last exam. On their faces was confidence .
They knew the exam would be easy. The professor (a teacher at a college) had said they could bring any books or notes during the test.
Right after they came into the classroom. The professor handed out the papers. There were only five questions on it.
Three hours passed. Then the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was nervous expression . The professor watched the worried faces before him, and then asked, "How many of you have finished all five questions?" No hand was raised. "How many of you have answered four?" Still no hands. "Three? Two?" The students moved restlessly in their seats. "One, then? Certainly somebody has finished one." But the class kept silent. The professor said, "That is exactly what I expected. I just want to make you know clearly that even though you have completed four years of engineering. There are still many things about the subject you don't know. These questions you could not answer are common in everyday practice." Then, smiling, he added, "You will all pass this course, your education has just begun."
The years have _ the name of this professor, but not the lesson he taught. | middle477.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "About two weeks"
},
"options": [
"About a week",
"About two weeks",
"About a month",
"About two months"
],
"question": "How long will they stay in space?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"... | Shenzhou X and three astronauts were sent up from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Gansu province, into a clear blue sky on Tuesday, bringing the nation one step closer to building its own space station in 2020.
Two men, mission commander Nie Haisheng and Zhang Xiaoguang, and China's second female astronaut, Wang Yaping, are expected to stay in space for 15 days.
They will teach young people about science and do two _ , between Shenzhou X and the unmanned Tiangong-1 space module, a technically difficult procedure that brings two spaceship together in high-speed orbit .
The trip is our country's fifth manned space mission, 10 years after the country's first astronaut, Yang Liwei, went into space in 2003. | middle1685.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "he had to support his family"
},
"options": [
"he didn't like to play the violin",
"he had to support his family",
"he wanted to play games",
"he didn't keep on practicing"
],
"question": "My father didn't learn... | On my eighth birthday, Dad bought me an accordion and said excitedly, "Once you learn to play, it'll stay with you for life." But I didn't want to play it. I just wanted to play games, But Dad asked me to take accordion lessons.
One day, I found a box in a corner. When I opened it, I saw a beautiful violin. "It was your father's," Mum said. "His parents bought it for him. I guess he got too busy on the farm to learn to play it."
I had to practice half an hour every day, and every day I tried to get out of it. But _ I asked why. He answered, "Because you can bring people joy. You can touch their hearts." He added softly, "Someday you'll have the chance I never had: you'll play beautiful music for your family. And you'll understand why you've worked so hard." I was speechless.
The lessons stopped after I finished high school. When I grew up, I got married and moved into a new house. I put the accordion in the attic .
One afternoon, my two children found the accordion by accident . They got very excited. "Play it. Play it," they laughed and said. I started to play some simple songs. I was surprised I could still remember them. Soon the kids were dancing. Even my wife was laughing and clapping to the beat.
At that moment, my father's words came back to me, "Someday you'll have the chance I never had. And you'll understand." I finally knew why Dad had asked me to practice hard. Dad never learnt to play his violin. But I told my family, "This is my father's music." | middle311.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "terrible"
},
"options": [
"terrible",
"friendly",
"impossible",
"wise"
],
"question": "At first, the writer thought the old man was _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
... | Last weekend, our family went to have Christmas dinner in a restaurant. We were the only family with a baby in the restaurant. Suddenly, my baby Erik became excited when we were enjoying our meal. I looked around and saw an old man with old clothes and dirty old shoes. His hair was unwashed. He was smiling at my Erik.
"He might hurt my Erik," I thought. Everyone in the restaurant looked at us and the old man. Then we decided to leave. The old man sat between the door and us.
As I walked closer to the man, I turned my back. Suddenly, Erik leaned over my arms, reaching with both arms in a baby's pick-me-up position . Before I could stop him, Erik had escaped from my arms to the man's. Soon the very old smelly man and my young baby developed a kind of friendship.
Erik put his little hand on the man's face, and I saw the old man closed his eyes and tears running down his face. His aged hands held my baby so gently . A moment later, the old man opened his eyes, passed me my baby and said, "Thank you, Madam. You've given me the best Christmas gift."
I cried, with my face burning hot. A child saw a soul , but a mother saw only a kind of clothes. | middle3092.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 1,
"answer_text": "Because dogs can read the emotions in humans' faces easily."
},
"options": [
"Because dogs are the closest animals to humans.",
"Because dogs can read the emotions in humans' faces easily.",
"Because dogs can understand us be... | It seems that there's a good reason why dogs are always seen as man's best friend. Scientists have found that dogs are the only animals that can read emotion in faces much like humans. The finding suggests that like an understanding friend, dogs can see if we are happy, sad, pleased or angry.
When humans look at a new face, their eyes usually look across the left, falling on the right hand side of the person's face first. A possible reason for this is that the right side of the human face is better at expressing emotions.
Scientists have now shown that pet dogs also have "left gaze bias ", but only when looking at human faces. No other animal has been known to do like this before. Dr. Kun Guo showed 17 dogs pictures of human, dog and monkey faces as well as something else with his team. The dogs' eyes and heads show a strong left gaze bias when the animals see human faces. But this did not happen when they were shown other pictures, including those of dogs.
Guo suggests that over thousands of years living with humans, dogs may have developed the left gaze bias as a way to guess our emotions.
"Recent studies show that the right side of our faces can express emotions better than the left. If true, then it makes sense for dogs and humans to see the right hand side of a face first." | middle3086.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "Amy."
},
"options": [
"Amy.",
"Brian.",
"Amy's sister.",
"Brian's brother."
],
"question": "Who likes fast food?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
... | Amy likes fast food very much. She wants to go to McDonald's for dinner today. She asks Brian to take her there.
Amy: Do you like McDonald's?
Brian: It's OK. But you know eating too much food there is not good for your health.
Amy: I know. But I like junk food.
Brian: Why?
Amy: It's _ .
Brian: Yeah, right. Fat and salt.
Amy: I don't care.
Brian: You're all right. Quite slim .
Amy: Let's go.
(Amy and Brian stand in front of the counter.)
Waitress: What would you like?
Amy: A cheeseburger, a small fries, and a cup of orange juice.
Waitress: 4.5 dollars.
Amy: OK.
Waitress: How about you?
Brian: A chicken sandwich and a cup of milk.
Waitress: That would be 2.5 dollars.
Brian: Here you are.
Waitress: Thanks. | middle4931.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "restaurant"
},
"options": [
"restaurant",
"shop",
"butcher's",
"chemist's"
],
"question": "The man went to buy a piece of meat in _ .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"a... | A man went to buy a piece of meat. As he didn't know how to cook meat, he asked the butcher to tell him the way of cooking it. The butcher told him how to cook it, "But I can't remember your words," the man said. "Will you please write them down for me?" The butcher was kind enough to write them down for him. The man went home happily with the meat in his hand and the note in his pocket . A dog followed him on the way. It jumped at him, took the meat away and ran off. The man stood there, not knowing what to do. Then he laughed and said, "never mind. You don't know how to eat it. The note is still in my pocket." | middle2398.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "help the students and their families enjoy reading"
},
"options": [
"show the parents how important reading is",
"ask each of the students to learn from Maria",
"let parents care about their children",
"help the student... | Whenever the house gets quiet, Mrs. Smith knows just where to find her 6-year-old daughter Maria: lost in the world of stories.
"I like to read every time of the day," said Maria, a student at Creel Elementary School in Australia.
Maria's headmaster, Mrs. White, wants each of her 850 students and their families to learn the love of reading this year. She wants reading at home to become an activity of choice in every family, even during holiday breaks. "I truly realize reading should be an important part of everyone's life, and nothing should stop it." said Mrs. White.
"The aim we want most of all is to help children understand they can enjoy reading, as well as practice their skills," said Hannas, an education researcher. He suggested parents take their children to the library and allow them to pick out books that interest them.
Each night, students take home two books to read with their parents or other family members. They have to return the books the next day with a signed note from their parents showing that the books were read, and have passing tests that check how well they understand the books.
"We're trying to get parents into the habit of reading with their kids." said the headmaster. "Nothing is better than sitting on a sofa with your child and reading and laughing."
Through books, Mrs. Smith, a parent, said she's able to give her two daughters more experiences than she could.
"I think reading opens all the doors and creates imaginations in children," she said, "I think if you read well, you can succeed in anything in life." | middle305.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "Socks"
},
"options": [
"Bag",
"Shoes",
"Hat",
"Socks"
],
"question": "In all goods , _ is(are)cheap .",
"question_type": "cloze_questions"
},
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_t... | Wen Feng Store Sale
Goods Colors Price(each)
Socks Black, white, green $3
Sweater Black $15
Hat Blue, white $4
T-shirt Red, green $14
Shoes Black and white $25
Bag Blue $5
,. | middle1691.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 0,
"answer_text": "They would reduce the textbooks."
},
"options": [
"They would reduce the textbooks.",
"They would tell the parents to help students.",
"They would tell the teachers to help students.",
"They would take students to schoo... | Who wants to carry a _ bag to school? No children. Nobody wants one shoulder to be lower than the other, and paining too. In India, most of us would look at the reduction of textbooks as a way out. But in a country like America, there are always more choices. A company called Goreader has created a "school bag" which is the size of a laptop computer, weighing about 2.5kg. The Goreader has a colour screen and can "hold" all the textbooks that a student may need, says a report in "The Asian Age" newspaper.
The company plans to work closely with the publishers of test books so that these books can be supplied on the Internet. All the students will have to download their textbooks. Making notes and marking important parts of a lesson can be done just as lots of students have done on their textbooks before.
At present, the plan is being tested out in a university. Richard Katzmann, the owner of the company is having his creation tested at Chicago's DePaul University, where he studied. Does that mean it is goodbye to the newspaper, and the smell of the black ink? | middle1849.txt |
[
{
"answer": {
"answer_index": 3,
"answer_text": "$l0.04."
},
"options": [
"$6.46.",
"$l0.20.",
"$l3.96.",
"$l0.04."
],
"question": "How much money can you save if you want to buy a medical book?",
"question_type": "factiod_questions"
},
{
"answer":... | Name: Container Gardens by Number
Cover price: $l5.95
Our price: $9.49
A book covers 50 easy-to-follow container designs. Each design provides a simple numbered planting plan that shows exactly how to create each display, with an instruction of the finished container and in-depth plant information. The plans are easy to follow and for any type of living space or garden.
Name: Off the Beaten Path
Cover price: $30.00
Our price: $l9.80
The best-selling Reader's Digest travel book has 40% new content including over 200 new places of interest, over 200 new full-color photographs, and all-new, up-to-date maps. It introduces over l, 000 of the United States' most beautiful must-see sights.
Name: l80l Home Treatment
Cover price: $40.00
Our price: $29.96
Plenty of health problems can be solved at home. Each and every treatment will be tested by a doctor to make sure it is safe and sound.
Lots of conditions are covered, from headaches, sunburn and bad breath to hiccups .
Name: Best Weekend Projects
Cover price: $l7.95
Our price: $l3.96
Choose from 80 ideas to create an unusual living space. The projects are practical, as well as attractive, and will improve your home and yard and can be made in a weekend. These 80 well-designed projects are presented in a clear, easy-to-follow style. | middle7586.txt |
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