instruction
stringlengths
104
6.76k
output
stringclasses
4 values
<extra_id_5>With her adopted son, she travels the world making movies and dispensing hope. Angelina Jolie lives in two worlds: Hollywood, where she makes movies and stays in five-star hotels, and the refugee camps of Africa and Asia, where she works with the UN, bringing hope to the homeless. She feels most alive, most herself, she says, working with refugees, yet still feel grateful for life. At 24, Jolie won an Oscar for playing in Girl Interrupted, but found little satisfac-tion in stardom or the wealth that came with it. The daughter of actor Jon Voight and actress Marcheline Bertrand, she had already seen the downside of celebrity--her parents divorced when Jolie was a child. And she always burst into tears when metioned that. After she finished shooting Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Jolie volunteered to be a UN ambassador and returned to Cambodia to visit refugee camps. She found a calling, and realized that her fame and money could be used to accomplish a world of good. Now the mother of son Maddox, 3, whom she adopted in Cambodia, Angelina Jolie hopes to adopt more children. We caught up with her in Beverly Hills on a day away from the set. She talked to us about her role as the mother of Alexander the Great (played by Colin Farrell) in her new movie, Alexander, her passion for helping the homeless, and her longing for a partner with whom she might share it all. How does Angelina Jolie feel while staying with homeless people? <extra_id_0>Lively. <extra_id_1>Sorry. <extra_id_2>Angry. <extra_id_3>Exeicted. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>One day a teacher was giving her young students a lesson on how the government works . She was trying to explain the principle of income tax . "You see ," she began , speaking slowly and carefully , "each person who works must pay part of his or her salary to the government . If you make a high salary , your taxes are high . If you don't make much money , your taxes are low ." "Is that clear ?" she asked . "Does everyone understand the meaning of income tax ?" The students nodded. "Are there any questions ?" she asked . The students shook their heads . "Very good !" she said . "Now ,I would like you to take a piece of paper and write a short paragraph on the subject of income tax ." Little Joey was a slow learner . He had lots of problems with spelling and grammar , but this time he at least seemed to understand the task . He took his pen and after a few minutes , he handed the teacher the following composition : Once I had a dog . His name was Tax . I opened the door and in come Tax . Little Joey _ . <extra_id_0>was clever <extra_id_1>understood what the teacher said <extra_id_2>was not clever enough <extra_id_3>did as what he was told to do <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>The US company iRobot made a new kind of sub-marine , called the Seaglider, last week. The robotic submarine was developed by researchers at the University of Washington. It is about 1.8 meters long and weighs about 52 kilograms. It moves through water at a speed of up to 20-25 kilometers a day and can stay at sea for up to six months before needing a battery recharged. This special character results from its special propulsion system . Unlike a traditional submarine, the Seaglider does not have a propeller . It has an air tank that is emptied and filled to adjust depth, as well as a pair of wings that help to guide and lead the submarine. A traditional submarine, on the other hand, "puts water inside tanks to make it heavier, or it will expel the water to make it lighter," explained Frederick, a professor at the University of Washington. Each time the Seaglider comes to the surface, it sends the data which it collects to its controllers by satellite. Operators can also send the submarine new information. For example, they can change its course in their office through giving the computer orders. Seagliders are already being used for scientific research, such as environmental studies. iRobot also hopes to sell the submarine to the military . At $100,000 each, the Seaglider is a cheap way to keep an eye on the ocean. "These things can go out there and monitor large areas of ocean because they're very persistent. They can go for thousands of miles on their own. At the same time, you can tell them to stay in one place and they can circle," says Helen Greiner, chairwoman of iRobot. "This is science fiction stuff in many ways, but it's really out there and working." It can be inferred from the passage that the Seaglider _ . <extra_id_0>can change its course itself <extra_id_1>doesn't need a battery recharged <extra_id_2>doesn't have a long life <extra_id_3>is not driven by a human being <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Does technology influence the purity of Chinese language? Yes! Many Chinese use messenger tools such as MSN or QQ, listen to music on MP3 players and blog on the Internet using ADSL ,but most people don't know the Chinese meanings of the abbreviations, as many English letters have become part of the local lexicon . some parents are so crazy about English letters that a couple tried to name their baby "@", they say the character used in email addresses reflects their love for the child. While the "@" is obviously familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word "at" to pronounce it , which sounds like ai ta, or "love him", to Putonghua speakers. "Nowadays, more and more English abbreviations are being used in Chinese, making them an important part of the modern language," said Hou Min, a professor at Communication University of China. "The abbreviations are very popular because they can be used easily," Hou said. "As more Chinese people learn foreign languages, especially English, in recent years, using abbreviations has become a trend among some educated people," she said. Some language scholars fear _ will influence the purity of Chinese and cause confusion in communication. Why do some parents name their baby"@"? <extra_id_0>Because some parents feel "@"is very interesting. <extra_id_1>Because some parents think "@"is a lucky word. <extra_id_2>Because some parents want to show their love. <extra_id_3>Because it is easy for children to write"@". <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Where did that number come from? Eleven and Twelve The reason behind the change in number naming is that eleven comes from the German term ainlif, which translates to "one left". Twelve follows the same rule. It comes from twalif--"two left". Why teen is used instead of lif for 13 through 19? There is something sadly lost in history. 911 for US Emergency Calls Early phones didn't use phone numbers--the operator had to connect your call by hand--and this led to the need for an emergency code . But later phone numbers became popular, that changed. In 1967, 911 was chosen as the nationwide emergency call because it was easy to remember and could be quickly dialed on the phone. 26.2 Miles in a Marathon The story began with an ancient Greek soldier carrying message from a battlefield in Marathon to Athens. The modern marathon was born as a flagship event in the first Olympic Games, in 1896, with a distance of about 25 miles (40 km), as long as the distance from Marathon to Athens. But race organizers for the 1908 Olympic Games in London wanted to add something special. The race began at Windsor Castle and ended at White City Stadium, with runners finishing only after passing the royal box. The distance was 26.2 miles (42.1 km). And since 1924 this distance has been kept in marathon. 28 Days in February Before using the Gregorian calendar that we use today, one of the first Roman calendars had only 304 days and ten months (March through December), with six months of 30 days and four of 31 days. The second king of Rome improved the old calendar. He added 50 days for January and February. To make the new months longer, he took one day from each of the 30-day months, making 56 days to divide between January and February (or 28 days each). Later January was given one more day to add up to 355 days a year, but February still had 28 days. That's how it became the shortest month and it stayed that way ever since. When was the number 911 chosen for US emergency calls? <extra_id_0>In 1896. <extra_id_1>In 1908. <extra_id_2>In 1924. <extra_id_3>In 1967. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>When disaster happens, you might find yourself without water, gas and electricity. You might even need to leave your home right away. So you are supposed to plan for the bad situations before the disaster comes. Here are some suggestions: First, have a family meeting. Plan a way to get your family members together if they can't find each other after the disaster. Choose two places for everyone to go to if it isn't safe to return home. The first should be near your house. You can go there in an emergency like a fire. The second meeting place should be outside your neighborhood. Next, choose a person outside your area who can help your family get in touch with each other. After a disaster, it is often easier to communicate over a long-distance call than a local one. The person can pass messages between your family members. Then, get a family disaster _ ready. It should include things your family needs. It can help you survive at least for three days like bread, water, medicine and things like that. Put them in a bag so you can carry it if you leave in a hurry. When doing it, remember that different people have different needs. Include special things necessary for elderly or young members of your family. Finally, practice your emergency plan, and update it as necessary. You may not be able to stop disasters, but with a little planning you can be helped. What's the best title of this passage? <extra_id_0>Planning for Disasters <extra_id_1>How Different Disasters Happen <extra_id_2>Practicing your Plan <extra_id_3>Where to Stay away from Disasters <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>Will you be excited when you finally get to relax? Here, three of the studetns tell us what they plan to do after the big exam. Li Junzhe, 15, Huaihua, Hunan Province My friends and I will travel to Beijing right after the exam. We planned to go by ourselves but were turned down by our parents. They said we were too young to travel alone. They said they would go with us. I'm okay with it because I've already traveled by myself. Zhu Hangian, 15, Dexing, Jiangxi Province What am I going to do this summer? Of course I'll go to see the Great Wall! But before that, I will watch movies. Because of the big exam, I haven't seen any movies for a long time. I will watch whatever is in the cinema! As for the Great Wall, I can't wait to see the beautiful views. Dong Xu, 14, Dalian, Liaoning Province I will, no doubt, play computer games for days after the big exam. My mother never let me during the past few years. I can't imagine how exciting it will be. Also my friends and I will go to see the Great Wall. The three students will be excited about their summer plans because _ . <extra_id_0>they will go to see Shanghai Expo <extra_id_1>they all want to see movies <extra_id_2>they will play games for days <extra_id_3>they will travel to Beijing <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Every day my husband parked his car in the same open-air car park in Zimbabwe. On this particular day, he had been running to his car with a pile of office papers under his arm. As he opened the car door, he suddenly lost control of his body. He felt a stabbing pain in his arm, and became totally breathless and lost consciousness. As he fell down, half in, half out of the car, his last thought was "what a way to die". A young woman getting into her own car in the deserted car park noticed what was going on and at once ran to my husband's aid, trying to bring his life back. Realizing time was important, she tried to move my husband to her car, calling the guard at the gate. Fearing an ambulance would take too long to arrive, she felt it better to get to the hospital as quickly as she could. She raced through traffic lights sounding her car's horn and rushed into the hospital, calling out, "I have an unknown man here who I think is having a heart attack. Having realized he was in capable hands, the woman returned to the car park, found his keys on the ground, collected his papers and piled them in the car. Having seen my husband come out of a certain building each day, the security guard thought he knew where he worked. The young woman managed to locate his colleagues and they in turn contacted my niece, who waited for me to return home so she could break the news to me. After careful tests it turned out that my husband's disease had nothing to do with heart. We were naturally eager to find the kind stranger who had come to his aid. After some weeks we discovered where the young woman worked. She was overjoyed when my husband walked into her office with a huge bouquet of flowers. She said she required no thanks, and preferred to remain anonymous . We now live in a different country, but each Christmas my husband remembers her act of kindness and sends a gift. We regard every day of his life as a bonus, all thanks to this kind stranger. What might be the most suitable title for the passage? <extra_id_0>The Gift of Life <extra_id_1>An Act of Gratitude <extra_id_2>The Attack of a Disease <extra_id_3>The Story of a Young Woman <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>Winter is dangerous for drivers because it's so difficult to know what is going to happen and accidents take place easily. Bad weather can be waiting to meet you. Ice might be hiding under the snow, waiting to send you off the road. The car coming towards you might suddenly move across the road. Here are two rules for driving safely on icy roads: Rule Number One is to drive smoothly. Irregular movements can make a car very difficult to manage. So each time you either turn the wheel, touch the brake or increase your speed, you must be as gentle and slow as possible. Just imagine you are driving with a full cup of hot coffee on the seat next to you. You should drive carefully enough in order that you wouldn't get the coffee out of the cup. Rule Number Two is to pay attention to what might happen. The more ice there is, the farther you have to look down the road. Test how long it takes to stop by gently braking. Remember that you may be driving more quickly than you think. Generally speaking, allow double your normal stopping distance when the road is wet, three times this distance on snow, and even more on ice. Try to stay in control of your car at all times, or you will get into trouble. Driving in winter is dangerous because _ . <extra_id_0>drivers usually have too much coffee <extra_id_1>people drive three times faster than usual <extra_id_2>unexpected things may often happen <extra_id_3>people drive more gently and slowly <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth. Most of it will miss our planet, but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth. On 17 July, a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth's atmosphere with a massive explosion. About half of the piece is destroyed, but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed. Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole. The wall of water, a kilometer high, rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned. Before the waves reach South America, the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina. Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains. The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean. The cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes. Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won't escape for long. Because of the explosions, the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero. Crops are ruined. The sun won't be seen again for many years. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later, no more than 10 million people remain alive. Could it really happen? Will we meet the same end? What is mainly described in the passage? <extra_id_0>A historic discovery. <extra_id_1>An event of imagination. <extra_id_2>An event will happen on the earth. <extra_id_3>A scientific adventure. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Many people seem to think that science fiction is typified by the Bug-eyed Monster, embodying every feature that most people find unpleasant. This is unfortunate because it degrades a worthwhile literary endeavor. Instead, the basic interest of science fiction lies in the relation between man and his technology and between man and the universe. Science fiction is a literature of change and a literature of the future, and the aspects of human life that it considers make it well worth reading and studying for no other literary form does quite the same things. What is science fiction? To begin, the following definition should be helpful: science fiction is a literary subgenre which postulates(...) a change (for human beings) from conditions as we know them and follows the implications of these changes to a conclusion. The first point that science fiction is a literary subgenre is a very important one, but one which is often overlooked. Specifically, science fiction is either a short story or a novel. There are only a few dramas which could be called science fiction; the body of poetry that might be labeled science fiction is only slightly larger. To say that science fiction is a subgenre of prose fiction is to say that it has all the basic characteristics and serves the same basic functions in much the same way as prose fiction in general, that is, it shares a great deal with all other novels and short stories. Everything that can be said about prose fiction, in general, applies to science fiction. Every piece of science fiction, whether short story or novel, must have a narrator, a story, a plot, characters, setting, and language. The themes of science fiction are concerned with interpreting man's nature and experience around him. Themes in science fiction are constructed and presented in exactly the same ways that themes are dealt with in any other kind of fiction. They are the result to a particular combination of a narrator, story, plot, character, setting, and language. In short, the reasons for reading and enjoying science fiction, and the ways of studying and analyzing it, are basically the same as they would be for any other story or novel. Science fiction is called a literary subgenre because _ . <extra_id_0>it is not important enough to be a literary genre <extra_id_1>it cannot be made into a dramatic presentation <extra_id_2>it shares characteristics with other types of prose fiction <extra_id_3>it has a great number of readers keen on reading <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Back in freshman year, I found myself wondering whether it should really be called "volunteering" if students only do it because they have to. I ended up volunteering at Weyrich Health Center, helping elderly patients with daily tasks. The more I did these tasks, the more disconnected I felt from the seniors. Though I felt bad for them, I did not want to interact with them. Then one rainy day, I met Colonel Hemsworth. He invited me to his table and asked for some company. I regarded this as another boring task. However, when I listened to his stories, I learned that he was a brilliant war veteran ,and I found his tales interesting. After my brief talk with the Colonel, I realized that I shared common characters with all the seniors. I felt like an oxygen molecule ---ready to form a relationship--rather than an isolated gas. I met with many learned senior citizens who shared their experiences and wisdom. No longer did I walk aimlessly down the hallways. I found myself enjoying talking with these people as I learned their histories. Why hadn't I realized sooner that volunteer work could enlighten me? Some people argue that volunteering and working for change does not help. However, they fail to realize that the world is constantly changing and humans must adapt My experience at Weyrich Health Center has taught me that refusing to change one's views and accept new ones leads to short-term goals that finally disappear. Communication with others is an important part of life. Volunteering is not just a requirement or a way to improve your resume, it is a time for service and personal growth. Now I enjoy volunteering my time surrounded by seniors who bring history alive for me. By communicating with them, I have developed into a more dynamic person. What's the author's initial attitude towards volunteering? <extra_id_0>Positive <extra_id_1>Satisfied. <extra_id_2>Doubtful. <extra_id_3>Unwilling. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Luo Jingyu, 19, has four years of experience of running business. He is also a freshman in the arts department of Hubei University. Luo Jingyu is from an ordinary family. He said, "My parents told me if I wanted something I should make an effort to get it, so I earned pocket money by doing housework when I was little." The dream of running his own business grew in his heart. He said, "I want to be a successful person, like Alibaba's Ma Yun." When Luo was a junior student, he had the idea of selling lanterns when he saw many people flying Chinese lanterns in a square. Luo bought some lanterns from a store, but the sales were not as good as he had expected. Then he found another way to do business. He bought lanterns on the Internet at a very low price. Finally he easily made 5,000 yuan in two days. With a happy beginning, Luo planned to open a dress shop. "My parents didn't support me opening a dress shop, so I had to borrow 120,000 yuan for it." Although he did market research before starting, the business wasn't very good because his taste in fashion wasn't accepted by customers. The shop eventually closed down after half a year. After experiencing a big loss, he decided to do something he was familiar with --- selling painting tools. As a fine arts student, he knew the market. He convinced his friends to invest one million yuan in his shop. With a good business mind and a lot of effort, the sales of the shop reached six million yuan in a year. Even though Luo is rich, he uses a cheap cell phone and does not wear luxury clothes. He has a simple lifestyle. "It isn't easy to make money, so money should be used on something worthwhile," he said. Which of the following statements is TRUE? <extra_id_0>Luo learnt to make lanterns from his father. <extra_id_1>Luo's friends advised him to sell painting tools. <extra_id_2>The loss at the dress shop taught Luo a lesson. <extra_id_3>Luo borrowed money from the bank to open shops. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>One day, Mr Smith is going to take a train to his hometown. When the train starts, one of his shoes falls to the ground. The train is going faster and faster, and he can't pick it up. Then he quickly takes off the other shoe and throw it on the ground near the fallen shoe. A little boy on the train asks him, "Why do you do that? You have lost one shoe. "Mr Smith answers, " If a man picks them up, he may get a pair of shoes. " Mr Smith is going to his hometown _ . <extra_id_0>by bus <extra_id_1>by train <extra_id_2>by bike <extra_id_3>on foot <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Language is always changing. In a society where life continues year after year with few changes, the language does not change either. The earliest known languages had difficult grammar but a small, limited vocabulary. Over the century, the grammar changed, and the vocabulary grew. For example, the English and Spanish people who came to America during the sixteenth century gave names to all the new plants and animals they found. In this way, hundreds of new words were introduced into English and Spanish vocabularies. Today life is changing very fast, and language is changing fast too. There are several major language families in the world. Some scientists say there are nine main families, but other scientists divide them differently. The languages in each family are connected, and scientists think that they came from the same parent language. About 3 percent of the people in the world speak languages that are not in these major families. What this article shows is that _ . <extra_id_0>languages change fast <extra_id_1>languages really don't want to change <extra_id_2>language really with changes in society <extra_id_3>Spanish and English change <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>The penny is getting a change. The United States Mint revealed four new designs for the 1-cent piece, to celebrate the coming 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth. United States Mint Director Ed Moy announced the new looks for the penny today in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. "These coins are a tribute to one of our greatest Presidents, whose legacy has had a lasting impact on our country," Moy said. The heads side of the new pennies will continue to bear the profile likeness of President Lincoln and the motto "In God We Trust." The back sides will pay tribute to four major parts of prefix = st1 /Lincoln's life. The first redesigned penny will feature a log cabin that represents Lincoln's birthplace, near Hodgenville,Kentucky. The second design showsLincolnreading a book while sitting on a log with his ax beside him. It shows how young Lincoln educated himself while working as a rail-splitter inIndiana. The third design shows Lincoln as a young man in front of the Capitol in Illinois. The fourth and final design shows a half-finished United States Capitol dome, which was completed in 1863 despite the violent Civil War. The writing, on the back sides of the coins will remain "United States of America," "E Pluribus Unum" and "One Cent." The first penny will be released into circulation on February 12, 2009, Lincoln's 200th birthday. This day is also the 100th anniversary of the release of the first penny, on February 12, 1909. One new coin will be released into circulation every three months in 2009. "This is an important occasion in the history of our nation's coin-age because these designs represent the first change in the Lincolncent in half a century," said Director Moy. A commemorative Lincoln silver dollar will also be released in 2009. How many new Lincolncoins will be released in 2009? _ <extra_id_0>One. <extra_id_1>Three. <extra_id_2>Four. <extra_id_3>Five. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Whether it is Mozart or Miley, your choice of music could determine whether you will perform well at your job. A new study suggests that listening to music in the office improves the speed and accuracy of tasks such as data entry, proofreading and problem solving. In an officebased experiment, 88 per cent of participants were found to produce their most accurate work when listening to music. The study also found that 81 per cent completed their work fastest when music was played. And it matters what type of music you listen to. For instance, if you're doing your tax returns, then classical music is the most effective as it improves maths skills. Listening to Jessie J or Justin Bieber could also improve your speed, with 58 per cent of participants completing data entry tasks faster while listening to pop songs. During proofreading, dance music, such as David Guetta, had the biggest positive impact with participants increasing their speed by 20 per cent compared to tests undertaken with no music at all. Dance music also had a positive effect on spellchecking with a 75 per cent pass rate compared to 68 per cent when no music was played at all. The research, undertaken by Brightonbased Mindlab International, suggests that silent offices may be the least productive. The Music Works experiment revealed a positive correlation between music and productivity. Overall, it showed that when listening to music, nine out of ten people performed better, said Dr David Lewis, chairman of Mindlab International. Whose music can help you do maths homework according to the study? <extra_id_0>The music of Justin Bieber. <extra_id_1>The music of Mozart. <extra_id_2>The music of David Guetta. <extra_id_3>The music of David Lewis. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Knowing the best way to study will help you to be a best student.By using your time properly,you can do your homework more quickly. Learning to study is not difficult. The first thing to remember is that you must be willing to learn.It doesn't mean that you must always like the subject.It does mean,however,that you must be willing to do whatever is necessary to learn. Try to understand why it is important and how it will help you now and later to do and learn other things.Knowing mathematics facts will be useful in your whole life. Knowing how to spell makes any kind of writing easier.Sometimes,the subject that you think is going to be uninteresting will be exciting when you begin to work at it and understand it more clearly. Learning things can be fun if you are willing to work with them. Here is some advice for you: have a certain time each day and a quiet place with good lighting for study,so that you can concentrate on your study without interruptions; have everything ready before you sit down to study, a dictionary,paper,a pen and books; be sure you understand what you should learn before you start; read carefully and pay special attention to the most important things; when memorizing,first find out the main parts and recite the whole thing, check your homework after you finish it; never forget the importance of review and preview. Don't try to spend a lot of time researching learning methods.There are many students who know many good learning methods but don't study well. They forget that the most important useful learning method is to study hard. The first thing to remember in study is that you must _ <extra_id_0>like the subject <extra_id_1>follow the teacher <extra_id_2>enjoy learning <extra_id_3>study hard <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer fun and cool relaxation from hot weather. But water also can be dangerous for kids if you don't take great care. Nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning. Here are some tips to keep your kids safe in the water: At the Lake or Pond *Don't let little kids swim alone without adult supervision-- lakes or ponds may be shallow near the bank and are suddenly deep sharply further out from shore. *Ponds and lakes may hide jagged rocks, broken glass, or rubbish. *Make sure kids wear foot protection; even in the water, they should wear socks or water shoes. *Watch out for weeds and grass in the water that could trap a leg or arm. *Most boating accidents, particularly among teenagers, are related to alcohol . Be sure teens know about the dangers of alcohol, on and off the water. At the Beach *Teach kids to always swim when and where a lifeguard is on duty. Unlike the calm waters of a swimming pool, the beach has special dangers like currents and tides . Check with the lifeguard when you arrive to find out about the water conditions. *Tell kids never to stand with their back to the water because a sudden wave can easily knock a child over. *Teach kids that if they're caught in a dangerous wave, they should swim parallel to the shore or should tread water and call for a lifeguard's help. Whether at the lake or at the beach, teach your child to get out of the water during bad weather, especially lightning. A child should _ at a lake. <extra_id_0>swim on his/her own <extra_id_1>be careful about weeds and grass <extra_id_2>swim without shoes on <extra_id_3>drink only a little wine <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Pieter has a reasonable excuse for his lost wedding ring: a crocodile ate it, along with part of his left arm. " It took my wedding ring. I think it ate the ring up. " He told a newspaper by telephone from his hospital as he recalled his struggle with a man-eating animal. " I took my horse for an evening swim in one of the farm dams. There are lots of crocodiles and hippos in the area and they move around all the time,from dam to dam and into the river and out again. I was on the lookout for hippos and didn't see any. It slipped my mind that there might be crocodiles," he said. He was standing in the water about 5 metres away from the shore when he felt a biting jolt in his left hip. He thought it was a hippo but quickly realized it was a crocodile. " I started to fight immediately. I hit the crocodile with my left arm and then it went for ray left forearm. It pulled me under the water for a few seconds. I realized if I didn't stand up my wife would never find me again. What I didn't realize at the time was that the crocodile let me go because it had taken part of my left arm off,'' said Pieter. With his right arm,Pieter then grabbed the rope of his horse, which took him to safety. He walked 200 metres to his house and his wife took him to the nearest hospital. " I'm lucky I didn't lose too much blood. The biggest problem with a crocodile bite is that it can be septic .Crocodiles never brush their teeth," said Pieter. Which of the following best describes Pieter when he fought with the crocodile? <extra_id_0>Clear-headed. <extra_id_1>Frightened. <extra_id_2>Regretful. <extra_id_3>Thoughtful. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>It's interesting to see how people make use of the time they spend on public transport in Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai. In crowded buses and trains people manage to take a short nap and some even reach the snoring stage. Or they spread out a newspaper over multiple knees and arms to read about the latest sport results or political crisis. Then there are the experienced travellers who have been playing cards with the same group over the last decade or so. They even have their specific seats so well-worn that you can make out the shape of their backsides. There is no doubt about it. Travelling by public transport is being in the thick of the seasons of life -- a sweaty life in summer where people, blissfully unaware of the rivers of sweat running down their brows and inside their clothes. At the first smell of a perfumed man or woman boarding the stuffy bus or train, most people feel they are reborn. During the rains you can't avoid getting wet or muddied. The windows, almost always, are not a perfect fit and if you're not drenched by a sudden, heavy rain shower then you are bound to catch a jet spray of muddy water caused by a fellow motorist driving fast through a puddle. Rains are a perfect time for people to switch their old umbrellas for new ones. Since there are so many that look alike, it's impossible to tell whose is whose. Winter is the time when it feels good -- or at least warm -- to be part of a crowd. It is amazing how much the collective breaths of a 100 or so people can raise the freezing temperature inside. Looking at the masses dressed in their bright red pullovers or green coats, it's fun to imagine what faces lie beneath their dark woolen hats. The cold winter passes, making way for spring. It is impossible not to see every little flower by the wayside blooming proudly. And the warm sun manages to transmit some of their pleasantness to the inside of a bus or train. Now, wouldn't it be perfect if we had a public transport worth the name in all our cities? We can infer from the passage that _ . <extra_id_0>Indian people don't mind switching umbrellas with others <extra_id_1>almost everyone in India wears perfume when they go out <extra_id_2>the buses and trains are old and in poor conditions <extra_id_3>Indian transport is the most crowded in the world <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Long long time ago,the Creator created a man and a woman,they lived together very happily for a time.But then they began to get angry with each other,and at last the woman left and started off to the Sun land in the east. The man followed alone and felt very sad,but the woman kept on ahead and never looked behind,until the Creator,took pity on him and asked him if he was still angry with his wife.He said he was not,and the Creator then asked him if he would like to have her back again.He answered yes. So the Creator created a patch of the finest ripe tomatoes along the way in front of the woman,but she passed by like seeing nothing at all.Later,he put a patch of beautiful flowers but again she refused to notice.Until suddenly she saw in front of her a patch of large ripe strawberries.They looked delicious. She stopped to pick a few to eat,and as she ate them she turned her face to the west by accident,and at once she remembered her husband and she found herself unable to go on.She sat down,but the longer she waited,the more she missed her husband,and at last she took a lot of the best strawberries and started back along the way to give them to him.He met her kindly and they went home together. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? <extra_id_0>The woman walked toward the Sun land in the west. <extra_id_1>The man was still angry with his wife when he followed the woman. <extra_id_2>The Creator helped the man without saying anything. <extra_id_3>The woman didn't go on when she remembered her husband. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>One day a mother camel and her son walked through a desert. They were looking for water and grass. The son asked, "What do water and grass look like, Mum?"His mother answered, "Water looks like the sky, blue and clear.While grass is green, fresh and nice." After they walked for a day and a night, the son suddenly cried, "Look!Mum,there is water and grass over there!" "What a foolish talk,my boy!" The water and grass were on the left,while the desert was on the right.But because the mother camel was blind( )in her left eye,she could only see a sea of yellow sand with her right eye.So she didn't believe what the young camel said. The next day they went on walking ,the young camel found a second _ ,but his mother still did not believe him. She said angrily, "No,that's not an oasis,but a desert. I have more knowledge and experience than you. You are wrong again. You should listen to me." This time the young camel was angry with his mother,too. So when he saw an oasis for the third time, he left his mother without telling her.He ran to the grass and ate his fill. But his poor mother was still walking on and she was still hungry and thirsty. Who couldn't eat grass all the time? <extra_id_0>The mother camel <extra_id_1>The young camel <extra_id_2>The writer <extra_id_3>Nobody <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>What do you usually do after class? When class is over, most students in my class go out of the classroom. We have twenty minutes' rest between classes. Look! Most of us are playing during (......)the rest time. Some students are on the playground. They are having a basketball match. Oh! A boy is running with a ball, and another is trying to stop him. They are so cool. And there are some girls watching the match. Some students are still in the classroom. They are talking. A few of them are reading and doing homework. Look! A girl is looking at the birds in a tree in front of the classroom. She must be thinking of something interesting because she is smiling. What are the teachers doing? Do you know? Some of them are doing work in the office, and some are talking with students. Everyone is busy with his or her things, busy and happy! The teachers are _ . <extra_id_0>having a basketball match <extra_id_1>doing work or talking with students <extra_id_2>reading newspapers <extra_id_3>playing with the students <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Do you want to have a friend whom you could tell everything to, like your deepest feelings and thoughts? Or are you afraid that your friend would laugh at you, or just can't understand what you are going through? Anne Frank chose the first kind. She lived in Amsterdam during World War II. Her family was Jewish so they had to hide, or they would be caught by the German soldiers. She and her family hid away for two years before they were discovered. During this time the only true friend was her diary, which she called Kitty. In a diary dated on Thursday 15 June, 1944, she wrote, "Dear Kitty, I wonder if it's because I haven't been able to be outdoors for so long that I've grown so mad about everything to do with nature. I can well remember that there was a time when a blue sky, the song of the birds, moonlight and flowers could never have kept me puzzled. That's changed since I was here for a year and a half." In her diary on Thursday 15, June, 1944, Anne expressed her strong wish for _ . <extra_id_0>friendship <extra_id_1>schooling <extra_id_2>free life <extra_id_3>free weather <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>If you go to Finland, you'll be surprised to find how "foolish" the Finnish people are. Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high class Benz with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then get off without paying your fare. And the driver would not show the least sign of worry. The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so their good faith is to wave their registration card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends and dine free of charge. With so many loopholes in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take "pretty advantages". But the strange things is, all the taxi-passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. As the Finns always act on good faith and always show an attitude of "which is which" and "what is what" in everything they do, so to live in such a society has turned everyone into a real "gentleman". In a society of such high moral practice, what need is there for people to take precautions against others? The dining rooms in all big hotels _ . <extra_id_0>check the guests' registration card carefully <extra_id_1>give people meals without paying <extra_id_2>serve their guests free of charge <extra_id_3>only serve their guests free breakfast <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>The best UK cottages for Christmas and New Year _ It's a solid little Victorian gatehouse outside Ballycastle. It has an association with Irish nationalist Roger Casement. Close to the Causeway Coast, the closest beach is five minutes' drive away. It is a good choice for those who want to avoid stairs, since all the main rooms are on the ground floor. Sleeps 2 adults + 2 children, PS730 a week at Christmas or New Year (three nights from PS389), 353 1 670 4733, irishlandmark.com _ It is located in a peaceful island, where a priory was built 1,400 years ago. Guests at Coastguard's Cottage, the latest addition to English Heritage's portfolio of holiday houses, can explore the priory ruins. The attractive whitewashed house is decorated with calming tones and contemporary furnishings and has views of Lindisfarne Castle. Sleeps 6, PS1,600 a week from 19 Dec, 0370 333 1187, english-heritage.org.uk _ It sits on a 350-acre private nature reserve. Surrounded by woodlands, wetlands and wild meadows, it's a heaven for wildlife. You might meet a few animals on a walk around the reserve. Built by local craftsmen using natural materials, it is a light-filled living space with huge windows, a woodburner and other essential for winter evenings -- a home cinema system. Sleeps 6, PS1,430 a week from 29 Dec, 01580 720770 kentandSussexcottages.co.uk _ In snowy winter, the quiet 16th-century cottage near Stowmarket is like a perfect picture on Christmas cards. The inside is also appealing, with a big farmhouse kitchen, antique furniture, comfortable carpets and an impressive fireplace. A good selection of films, music and books are provided. Approached via a single track lane, the cottage sits in three acres of wild meadow, surrounded by plenty of farmland. Sleeps 5, PS1,003 a week from 30 Dec (three nights PS725), 01787 211115, grove-cottages.co.uk If you want to book Farmhouse kitchen in Suffolk, you can go to the website _ . <extra_id_0>irishlandmark.com <extra_id_1>english-heritage.org.uk <extra_id_2>kentandsussexcottages.co.uk <extra_id_3>grove-cottages.co.uk <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Once there was an old farmer. He had a horse and the horse was almost as old as himself. One morning he set out with his young son to sell the horse before it died. The father and the son walked because the farmer did not want the horse to be too tired . They met two men on the road. They said, "Why are you walking, farmer? You have a horse. It's a long way to get to the market. "The farmer knew that this was true, so he rode on the horse while his son walked. Then they met two old ladies. "What are you doing up there, farmer? Can't you see how tired your son is? "So the farmer got down, and let his son ride on it. Twenty minutes later, three old men stopped them. One said, "Why are you walking, farmer? Get up; it's too hot for an old man like you to walk today. "So the farmer got up behind his son and they went on riding. Some time later, a young woman passed them. "Why aren't you walking?"She asked, "It isn't far to the market. Give your poor old horse a rest. " So the farmer and his son got down once again. It is a fact that you cannot please all the people all the time. The farmer was _ . <extra_id_0>nearly the same age as his horse <extra_id_1>almost always older than his horse <extra_id_2>not quite as old as his horse <extra_id_3>a little older than his horse <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>It's over three years since I began to learn English. I'm glad that I am getting on well with it. I find English quite difficult, but very interesting. When I first started, I thought I had only to remember the new words and learn some grammar I knew little about English idioms .I thought each English word had the same meaning in Chinese. When I learn to say"I see a book on the desk," I thought the English word "see " was just like the Chinese word " kan ",So one day when my teacher asked me," what are you doing?", I answered, "I'm seeing a book." "That's wrong ." the teacher said, "you don't see a book, You read a book. You can't use English word like a Chinese one.. Be sure not to make the same mistake again." After that I began to pay more attention to the differences between Chinese and English. For example, in English we say a" high mountain", but a" tall man. " In Chinese we use the same word "gao " for both.. Again in English we say" take part in the sports meeting ", " attend the meeting " and" join the army," while in Chinese we can use "can jia " for all three. Interesting ,isn't? So to study English doesn't only mean hard wok, it can be great fun, too! We not only have to pay attention to pronunciation, grammar spelling and handwriting, we also have to understand English idioms. We can learn English well only in the way! But all this is only a beginning and I still have a long way to go. I'll try my best and work even harder than before. I must speak and listen to English more both in and out of class. I must learn English well so that I can work well when I grow up. To study English well, we have to _ . <extra_id_0>remember the new words and learn more grammar <extra_id_1>know the differences between Chinese and English <extra_id_2>pay attention to pronunciation, spelling, handwriting and idioms <extra_id_3>do all the above things <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Ottawa is the capital of Canada. It is the second largest city in Ontario and the fourth largest city in the country. The Centre Block is the main building on Parliament Hill . It is also the location of several ceremonial spaces, such as the Hall of Honor and the Memorial Chamber. The present Centre Block is the second iteration of the building,after the first was destroyed by fire in 1916,and it is one of the most recognizable buildings in Canada. Downtown Ottawa is the commercial and economic centre of the city. Most of the buildings are office towers. While most of Ottawa's high tech industry is based elsewhere, it has a significant presence in the downtown core. The downtown also contains a number of apartments, hotels, and the older single family homes and townhouses along its edges. The National Gallery of Canada is one of Canada's premier art galleries. The Gallery has a large and varied collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and photographs. Although its focus is on Canadian art, it also holds works by some noted American and European artists. The Rideau Canal is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America. At the very beginning,the purpose of the Rideau Canal was military, as it was intended to provide a secure supply and communication route between Montreal and the British naval base in Kingston. It remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating, with most of its original structures undamaged. The locks on the system open for navigation in mid-May and close in mid-October. Which of the following is true about the Rideau Canal? _ . <extra_id_0>It is the oldest canal system inNorth America <extra_id_1>It was originally for the military purpose <extra_id_2>The original structures remain never changed <extra_id_3>People can only go boating from May to October <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>When I met him, I had a lot of anger inside me. I've lived my whole life in Spanish Harlem, but in my neighborhood, there are shoot-ups all the time. I know kids who have been shot or beaten up. I have friends who ended up in prison. I could have ended up that way, too, but Mr. Clark wouldn't let that happen. Mr. Clark worked long hours, making sure I did my work. My grades rose. In fact, the scores of our whole class rose. One day, he took our class to see The Phantom of the Opera, and it was the first time some kids had ever been out of Harlem. Before the show, he treated us to dinner at a restaurant and taught us not to talk with our mouths full. We did not want to let him down. Mr. Clark was selected as Disney's 2000 Teacher of the Year. He said he would draw three names out of a hat ; those students would go with him to Los Angles to get the award. But when the time came to draw names, Mr. Clark said, "You're all going." On graduation day, there were a lot of tears. We didn't want his class to end. In 2001, he moved to Atlanta, but he always kept in touch. He started giving lectures about education, and wrote a best-selling book based on his classroom rules, The Essential 55. In 2003, Mr. Clark took some of us on a trip to South Africa to deliver school supplies and visit orphanages . It was the most amazing experience of my life. It's now my dream to start a group of women's clubs one day, helping people from all backgrounds. How many students' names were finally drawn out of a hat by Mr. Clark? <extra_id_0>None <extra_id_1>Three <extra_id_2>Fifty-five <extra_id_3>All <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>In clear weather, a bright light can be seen for a long distance. In conditions of heavy fog, the visibility is greatly reduced. Which of the following explains the reduced visibility? <extra_id_0>Light is refracted by water vapor in the air. <extra_id_1>Light is scattered by water droplets in the air. <extra_id_2>Light is absorbed by water vapor near the ground. <extra_id_3>Light is reflected by water droplets on the ground. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>New findings from Queen's University biologists show that in the plant world, bigger isn't necessarily better. "Until now most of the thinking has suggested that to be a good competitor in the forest, you have to be a big plant," says Queen's Biology professor Lonnie Aarssen. "But our research shows it's virtually the other way around." Previous studies showed that larger plant species monopolize sunlight, water and other resources, limiting the number of smaller plant species that can exist around them. But the research has proved that _ is not generally the case in natural vegetation. In the Queen's project, PhD student Laura Keating targeted the largest "host plants" of 16 woody plant species growing in the Okanogan Valley, British Columbia. The research team calculated the number and variety of plants that neighbored each large host plant. They then randomly selected plots without host plants and calculated the plant species there as well. The research showed that the massive trees have no effect on the number of species with which they coexist. Smaller plants have many advantages over their overbearing neighbors, Professor Aarssen notes. Larger species generate physical space niches under their shelters where smaller species grow well. Smaller plants are much more effective than large trees at using available resources. They also produce seeds at a much younger age and higher rate than their bigger counterparts, and settle down much more quickly--thuscompeting with the newly-born plants of larger species. What's the main idea of the text? <extra_id_0>Smaller plants may have many advantages over their neighbors. <extra_id_1>In the plant world, the bigger is better than the smaller one. <extra_id_2>To be a good competitor in the forest, you have to be a small plant. <extra_id_3>Queen's University's students made a new research. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>Mr and Mrs Smith come from America. They teach English in Yangzhou. They like their jobs. They have a son, Tom and a daughter, Mary. They are all in China now. Mr Smith can speak Chinese. He likes swimming and singing. Mrs Smith likes swimming and running. Tom and Mary like playing chess. They often play games with Chinese boys and girls. Mr and Mrs Smith like Chinese food very much, but Tom and Mary don't like it. They like French fries and hamburgers. Mrs Smith wants them to eat more vegetables and fruit. One day, Mrs Smith cooks some vegetables for them. Tom sees them and says, " I am full ." And Mary says, "I have something to do." And she runs away. Why don't Tom and Mary eat the vegetables Mrs Smith cooks one day? <extra_id_0>Because they don't like them. <extra_id_1>Because they like Chinese food. <extra_id_2>Because they are full. <extra_id_3>Because they are busy. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>The old saying that practice makes perfect seems to make no sense when it comes to schoolwork. Many educators today are looking for evidence to support the case for homework, but are coming up empty-handed. Mary Jane Cera is the academic administrator for the Kino School, and she maintains a no-homework policy across all grades. The purpose of the policy is to make sure learning remains a joy, not a thing that discourages social time and creative activity. At the Kino school, Cera says children often choose to take their favorite parts of school home. "A lot of what we see kids doing is practicing music with their friends, and taking experiments home to show their parents," she says. Surveys of Kino graduates suggest that the early control they are given over their education continues to serve them well into college. "One of the reasons that we continue to assign much homework is our obsession with tests, although we can agree on the importance of kids doing better on tests through proper homework to some degree,"says author Alfie Kohn. In his book The Homework Myth, Kohn points out that no study has ever found a relation between homework and academic achievement and that if kids have no choice in the matter of homework, they're not really exercising judgment, and are instead losing their sense of self-control. However, many supporters of homework argue that life is filled with things we don't like to do, and that homework teaches self-discipline, time management and other non-academic life skills. Wherever the homework debate goes next, it's worth taking a moment to examine if we're doing the right thing about our children's education. The good news is -- it's never too late to start. Mary Jane Cera believes that _ . <extra_id_0>learning should develop creativity <extra_id_1>homework should be done at home <extra_id_2>learning remains to be a difficult task <extra_id_3>homework serves as a ticket to success <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>A.Choose the best answer (,) Carole's Cooking Journal Monday, April 6 This month, we had to choose an optional activity. Should it really be called "optional" if you have to do it? Unfortunately, I waited until the last minute to sign up. Many of the activities were already full, but I made a decision to join the Cooking Club because at least that way I would get a snack to eat. Tuesday, April 7 It was the first time to be here. Like many of my ideas, joining the Cooking Club made sense at first but was turning out to be a disaster. Most people have been in the club for more than a year, so they already know what they're doing. And since they all know each other, they weren't exactly interested in a newcomer. Thursday, April 9 What a terrible day! How could I know that if a recipe says to beat cookie batter , you couldn't do it with your fists ? I thought the other kids would never stop laughing. And it was not easy to get cookie batter off your clothes. Friday, April 10 I have more funny things in Cooking Club. Now I know that chocolate mousse is a dessert and it isn't spelled m-o-o-s-e. "Mousse" and "Moose" sound exactly the same. So I don't think my question about whether vegetarians can eat chocolate mousse was really that silly. Monday, April 13 One of my bright ideas worked out for a change! Everyone laughed when I handed out the chocolate "moose" cookie that I made yesterday, but this time I was laughing, too. The peanut butter antlers were a _ . We're even planning to bake more cookies for the school food festival next week. What did Carole think of mousse at beginning? <extra_id_0>She thought eating mousse was silly. <extra_id_1>She thought mousse was a kind of animal. <extra_id_2>She thought mousse didn't taste good. <extra_id_3>She thought only vegetarians can eat mousse. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>England has a longstanding problem with youngsters dropping out of training. Almost half of 17-year-olds in some parts of England have dropped out of fulltime education or training. The statistics show 49% in Thurrock and 44% in Salford have dropped out of school or job training. Across England,31%of 17-year-olds are not in education or training. The figures also reveal deep regional divides,with wealthier areas such as Richmon and Harrow recording18% of 17-year-olds out of official education. The statistics confirm England's poor international standing for staying-on rates in education. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development considers England's drop-out rates as among the worst among the industrialised countries. Regionally,the statistics show Yorkshire and the Humber have the highest rate of 17-year-olds not in full-time education or work-based training at 35%. Outer London has the highest staying-on rate,with l3%of 17-year-olds having dropped out of official learning. In the east of England this figure stands at 31%and at 29%in the South West. Edward Davey,Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Secretary,said the government "should be ashamed"that so many youngsters were dropping out of school. A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said the government had carried out a series of reforms,with aPS2.5 billion rise in funding for further education. Which part of England has the lowest rate of 17-year-olds dropping out of education? <extra_id_0>Thurrock and Salford. <extra_id_1>Outer London. <extra_id_2>Yorkshire and the Humber. <extra_id_3>Richmon and Harrow. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>When my brother and I were young, my mom would take us on Transportation Days. It goes like this: You can't take any means of transportation more than once. We would start from home, walking two blocks to the rail station. We'd take the train into the city center, then a bus, switching to the tram, then maybe a taxi. We always considered taking a horse carriage in the historic district, but we didn't like the way the horses were treated, so we never did. At the end of the day, we took the subway to our closest station, where Mom's friend was waiting to give us a ride home--our first car ride of the day. The good thing about Transportation Days is not only that Mom taught us how to get around. She was born to be multimodal . She understood that depending on cars only was a failure of imagination and, above all, a failure of confidence--the product of a childhood not spent exploring subway tunnels. Once you learn the route map and step with certainty over the gap between the train and the platform, nothing is frightening anymore. New cities are just light-rail lines to be explored. And your personal car, if you have one, becomes just one more tool in the toolbox--and often an inadequate one, limiting both your mobility and your wallet. On Transportation Days, we might stop for lunch on Chestnut Street or buy a new book or toy, but the transportation was the point. First, it was exciting enough to watch the world speed by from the train window. As I got older, my mom helped me unlock the mysteries that would otherwise have paralyzed my first attempts to do it myself: How do I know where to get off? How do I know how much it costs? How do I know when I need tickets, and where to get them? What track, what line, which direction, where's the stop, and will I get wet when we go under the river? I'm writing this right now on an airplane, a means we didn't try on our Transportation Days and, we now know, the dirtiest and most polluting of them all. My flight routed me through Philadelphia. My multimodal mom met me for dinner in the airport. She took a train to meet me. Which was forbidden by Mom on Transportation Days? <extra_id_0>Having a car ride. <extra_id_1>Taking the train twice. <extra_id_2>Buying more than one toy. <extra_id_3>Touring the historic district. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Throughout seafaring history, ships and sailors have been lost to storms, accidents and war. Until recently, most of these ships were weak wooden sailing vessel , their skeletons quickly eaten away by sea creatures. Now, large vessels made of steel float on the seas. Thousands of these huge ships have been lost in times of war and in times of peace. The bones of great metal ships, unlike the wooden vessels of old, survive the destruction of the sea long enough to become home and harbor for underwater life of all kinds. Shipwrecks often provide the only hard surface and structure at the sandy bottom of the sea, something many sea creatures need. The ship has been underwater for only five days. Its surface is still clean. Six weeks later, the wreck is covered with a slimy layer of algae , but it is still recognizable as a ship. Soon, animals that need to attach themselves to a hard surface, like the feather duster worms, make the wreck their home. In warm waters, coral polyps settle on the wreck and begin the process of building a rock-like _ on the ship. Small fish are attracted on all of these creatures. Larger fish come to feed on these small fish that hide in the wreckage. Eventually, the largest animals are attracted to the rich life on the shipwreck. Shipwrecks give us valuable information about how sea plants and animals develop. We know exactly how long this wreck has been under water and how long sea life has been growing on it. Yet even the strongest steel shipwreck will finally be destroyed by the flows of water. But long after this wreck has been broken apart, it will still act as a reef . Layer upon layer of sea life has formed a structure that is now more natural than artificial, and will remain an island of life under the sea. The writer's purpose in writing the article is to tell us _ . <extra_id_0>the differences between the ancient vessels and the modern ones <extra_id_1>how the ships become shipwrecks at sea <extra_id_2>how coral polyps live on the wreck in warm waters <extra_id_3>the value of studying shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added - a communications blackout caused by solar storms. After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London. Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London. "The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronalmass ejections occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. " A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots. Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available. The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares and explosions as they occur. Professor Richard Hold away, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advance warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. _ According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _ <extra_id_0>take images of the solar system <extra_id_1>provide early warning of thunderstorms <extra_id_2>keep track of solar activities <extra_id_3>improve the communications on Earth <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>Last night's meteor shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothschild, Emerald Valley's mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city's lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead. "My family was so frustrated," admitted town resident Duane Cosby, "We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment." Astronomers--scientists who study stars and planets--have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it. There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, "100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers." Countless more animal casualties result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings. But some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person's chances of getting cancer. Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night. Lighting regulations in Flagstaff, Arizona are put into effect to _ . <extra_id_0>lessen the chance of getting cancer <extra_id_1>create an ideal observation condition <extra_id_2>ensure citizens a good sleep at night <extra_id_3>enable all creatures to live in harmony <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Read the following interview with Dr John Bass, an international shark specialist who has spent many years studying sharks: First of all, doctor, are all sharks dangerous? No, they aren't. There are about 250 different kinds of sharks, but fewer than 30 of them are dangerous to humans. Certain sharks are very aggressive and we should fear them, but the danger of shark attacks is much lower than most people think. So which sharks are dangerous? The Great White shark is the most dangerous. Then there is the Tiger shark, which other sharks are afraid of, and the Blue shark. Both of them are very fast and dangerous. Which are the biggest and smallest sharks? The Whale shark is the biggest shark in the world. It grows up to 15 m in length and weighs as much as six large cars. The smallest shark, which is found near prefix = st1 /Japan, could fit into the palm of your hand because it is only 15-20 cm long. Do all sharks have teeth ? Yes, they do. Most sharks have hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of sharp teeth. These are arranged in rows of four or more. They fit quite loosely in the jaw. When the front ones break off or fall out, spare teeth move forwards from the rows behind: Sharks get a new set of teeth every two weeks. In 10 years, a Tiger may lose as many as 24,000 teeth! That's lots of teeth! What kind of food do sharks eat? Most sharks feed on small fish, and they keep the oceans healthy by eating sick and injured fish. However, hungry sharks will eat almost anything, including smaller sharks and even rubbish. Inside one Tiger shark which was found, there was a tin can, a bicycle tyre , a leather wallet and an alarm clock! And how do sharks find their food, doctor? A shark's sense of smell is excellent. It will follow the smell of blood across thousands of metres of ocean. They also see well, and they have good hearing. Sharks can feel movement in water very easily too, and it is possible for them to feel a fish moving as far as 30 m away. Sharks are helpful to us as _ . <extra_id_0>ocean cleaners <extra_id_1>small shark feeders <extra_id_2>big eaters <extra_id_3>fish hunters <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>There are some special traditions in Hawaii. People are very friendly and always welcome visitors. They give visitors a lei, a long necklace of beautiful fresh flowers. Men wear bright flowered shirt and women often wear long flowered dresses. There are traditional Chinese, Japanese and Filipino holidays and all the holidays from the United States. They call Hawaii the Aloha State. Aloha means both hello and goodbye. It also means " I love you". Usually when people from different countries, races and traditions live together, there are serious problems. There are so many people living in Hawaii, but in general, people have learned to live together in peace. Hawaiians get most of their money from visitors, and most of the visitors come from the mainland and from Japan. There are so many people living in Hawaii now that there are residential areas ( ) where there used to be farms. Some of the big sugar and pineapple companies have moved to the Philippines, where they do not have to pay workers as much money. The families of the first people who came from the U.S mainland own the important banks and companies .Japanese are also buying or starting business here. A lei is _ . <extra_id_0>group of flowers <extra_id_1>bright flowered shirt <extra_id_2>way to say hello and goodbye <extra_id_3>necklace of flowers <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>When I was a child I never said, "When I grow up, I want to be a CEO," but here I am. When I look back on my career, I realize the road to becoming a CEO isn't a straight, clearly clarified path. In fact, no two paths are the same. But whether you want to be a boss one day or not, there's a lot to learn from how leaders rise to the top of successful companies. As this series of stories shows, the paths to becoming a CEO may vary, but the people in that position share the qualities of commitment , work ethic and a strong desire for building something new. And every CEO take risks along the way--putting your life savings on the line to start a software company or leaving a big business to be one of the first employees at a startup. I grew up in Minnesota, and learned how to be an entrepreneur from my father, who has run a small business for almost 30 years. I went to Georgetown University and tried a lot of business activities in college with varying degrees of success. And I always had a dream job pattern: to walk to work, work for myself and build something for consumers. I'm only 29, so it's been a quick ride to CEO. Out of college, I worked for AOL as a product manager, then moved to Revolution Health and ran the consumer product team. In mid-2007 I left Revolution Health and started LivingSocial with several other colleagues, where I became a CEO. Career advice: Don't figure out where you want to work, or even what industry you'd like to work at. Figure out what makes you do so. What gives you a really big rush? Answer why you like things, not what you like doing...and then apply it to your work life. Also, just because you're graduating , don't stop learning. Read more books than you did in college. If you do, and they're not, you're really well in a position to succeed in whatever you do. According to the author, successful CEOs should _ . <extra_id_0>try not to take risks <extra_id_1>stay in the same business <extra_id_2>have a strong sense of creativity <extra_id_3>save every possible penny <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>News one: As the pace of life in big cities is getting faster, people are looking for more ways to relax. Let's take a look at one way people are reducing stress in Beijing. The game is "Room Escape". "Room Escape" was originally a computer game. In recent years, it has been adapted to a real life game. There are more than 10 places in Beijing where people can play this game. According to the rules, the players are first taken to a house with several iron doors. They then need to find a way out of the house in one hour. Different houses have different ways of escaping, all of which require players' bold , careful thought, and teamwork. News two: The Chinese government has published a list of 24 guidelines on how to take better care of parents. They are a modern update to 24 old stories about respectful children from the Yuan Dynasty. The guidelines list 24 things to do with parents, including giving them a call every week, teaching them to use the internet, and supporting single parents' remarriage. The guidelines stem from a Yuan Dynasty book, about 24 filial-hearted children who treated their parents very well. It is a value younger generations should never forget. Why do people play "Room Escape"? <extra_id_0>They play it for fun <extra_id_1>They want to know how clever they are. <extra_id_2>They want to find out different ways of escaping. <extra_id_3>To relax themselves. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>I used to be afraid of butterflies! It is true! Once, my mom took me to Seattle. There, we went to a special place. We went to the zoo! I saw lots of animals at the zoo. I saw bears. I saw tigers. I saw apes. I saw monkeys. I saw snakes. I loved seeing all these animals. They made me happy. We even saw one place where there were giant bugs and they didn't even scare me. In fact, I like bugs. But there was one place where you walked inside a big room where there were lots of plants and butterflies flying all over the place. You could buy sugar water to feed them and they could land on you. My mom and brother were so excited to go in, but I was scared. I wasn't sure that I wanted to be in the room with butterflies flying everywhere. My mom said I would be okay. My brother said I would be okay. They said butterflies were nice and beautiful. They said they would not hurt me. So I went in the room. Guess what? I was so scared when one landed on me that I went screaming for the door! The man watching the door to make sure butterflies did not escape or get hurt yelled at me to stop. He was mad at me for running out and not caring about the butterflies. I said I was sorry, but I was scared. He checked me for butterflies and then let me get out of there! I stayed outside and my mom and my brother enjoyed the butterflies. Since then, they would tease me about being afraid. They would try and get me to not be afraid. Last year for my birthday, mom bought me a butterfly book. She bought one for my brother, too. I tried really hard to not be afraid and to go out into the yard and find butterflies with my brother. It became really fun to do. Once, a butterfly landed on me and I laughed. I liked it. It tickled me. It did not hurt me. Now, I like butterflies! Where did the child go when he saw the butterflies? <extra_id_0>To the movie <extra_id_1>To school <extra_id_2>In the car <extra_id_3>To the zoo in Seattle <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Having experienced a shocking electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf,James Francos world became completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live. One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up 20 minutes later, lying face down in muddy water. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a tree and a muddy road. When Mrs. Franco came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years. The news of James regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a _ answer as to why this should happen. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since James lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock. Which of the following can be the best title for the text? <extra_id_0>A Terrible Electrical Accident <extra_id_1>What a Sudden Shock <extra_id_2>An Unforgettable Experience <extra_id_3>James Francoand His Wife <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Almost every Chinese person can recite the two lines of the famous poem, " _ ". But sadly, many of us don't actually get the real meaning of these lines: Don't waste food. A CCTV program reported that the food Chinese people throw away every year is enough to feed 200 million people for a year. Do we have too much food? Absolutely not. According to the UN World Food Program, there were 925 million hungry people around the world in 2011, especially in developing countries. Six million children die of hunger every year. Chinese people are well-known for being friendly and generous. Many even feel that they lose face if their guests have eaten all the food on the table. Luckily, a number of people have realized the importance of saving food. What should we do in our daily lives to waste less food? 1. Don't order too much in a restaurant. Only order as much as you want to eat. If you cannot eat all the food you ordered, take the rest of it home. 2. Don't leave any food in your bowls while having meals. 3. Keep an eye on what food you have at home. Don't buy too much, especially for vegetables and fruit. Which of the following is NOT true? <extra_id_0>A number of people have realized the importance of saving food. <extra_id_1>The food Chinese people throw away every year is enough to feed 200 million people for a year. <extra_id_2>200 million children die of hunger every year. <extra_id_3>Many Chinese feel that they lose face if guests have eaten all the food on the table. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Mark Twain, the famous American writer, liked to play jokes on others. But once a joke was played on him. One day Mark Twain was invited to give a talk in a small town. At lunch he met a young man, one of his friends. The young man said that he has an uncle with him. He told Twain that his uncle never laughed or smiled, and that nobody and nothing was able to make his uncle smile or laugh. "You bring your uncle to my talk tonight," said Mark Twain. "I'm sure I can make him laugh" That evening the young man and his uncle sat in the front. Mark Twain began to speak. He told several funny stories. This made everyone in the room laugh. But the man never even smiled. Mark Twain told more funny stories, but the old man still kept quiet. Mark Twain told his funny stories. Finally he stopped. He was tired and quite disappointed. Some days later, Mark Twain told another friend of his about what had happened. "Oh," said his friend. "I know that old man. He's been deaf for years." Mark Twain stopped telling stories at last because he was _ . <extra_id_0>thirsty <extra_id_1>tired <extra_id_2>angry <extra_id_3>sleepy <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Conor Grennan was unwilling to be a volunteer . The 29-year-old American was not sure if he had the skills or a strong feeling for it. However, he went to work at an orphanage in Nepal. His first thought was to make people impressed. "I thought that if I volunteered just once. I could retell the story over and over," Grennan said in a Huffington Post article. However, his three-month stay it the orphanage turned into in unusual experience. It was 2004 and Grennan had given up his job to begin a year-long around-the-world trip, His first three months were spent in Nepal. When he arrived in the village, he knew nothing about the children or the local culture. When he opened the gate of the Little Princes Children's Home, he was faced by the excited children. The young American ended up caring for 18 children. He later discovered that they were trafficked children. So he walked through the mountains with great difficulty to find the kids' families, "I started walking with photos of the kids." he told the Reuters reporter. "I would show up in villages and show photographs around. I went with 24 photos, and I found 24 families." At the same time, he put his heart into Nepalese culture. Grennan said, "Volunteering is the single best way to see how the rest of the world lives." He also encouraged others to do what he had done. He believes that volunteering needs only making decisions to show up. Grennan's fight against child-trafficking has changed him. His book, Little Prince, came out last week. At first, Grennan simply wanted to _ by volunteering in Nepal. <extra_id_0>write travel stories <extra_id_1>learn the skills <extra_id_2>help the kids there <extra_id_3>impress people <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>The children often play soccer in the garden .Sometimes they break Mrs. Smith's windows. One afternoon , Mrs. Smith is reading a newspaper at home.After a short time, she closes her eyes and goes to _ At that time a little boy knocks at the door.Mrs. Smith opens the door and asks, "Do you break my windows again ?" "Oh, no", says the boy." Your windows are open this time and our soccer is in your room.Can I get it back, please?" ,. The children often break Mrs. Smith's _ when they play soccer. <extra_id_0>doors <extra_id_1>gardens <extra_id_2>newspapers <extra_id_3>windows <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>When we heard that our friend astronaut Gregory Chamitorff was going to be on board the last flight of the space shuttle Endeavour, we asked him if he would answer some questions from space. He said yes! Here are our questions and Greg's answers from space. What's the best thing about being in space? Zero-gravity is by far the best thing about being in space. It does not really mean that there is no gravity. It means that we are moving around Earth in the same way the space station is moving around Earth. So we are floating inside the space station. We travel around Earth once every 90 minutes. That's 16 sunrises and sunsets every day. Really fast! Inside the station, we can fly around like superman. It's an amazing feeling, and I hope everyone gets a chance to fly in space someday to experience the wonder of zero-gravity. What do you do for fun in the space shuttle? There are so many things you can do in zero-gravity that are fun. Flying around is fun. Eating food that floats is fun. I like to play like Superman and see how far I can fly without touching any walls. Another fun thing is to play with water. Most of all, the most exciting thing to do is to look out the window at our beautiful planet Earth below. You never get tired of seeing it like that, the way it really is and it can never be seen that way while standing on its surface. What's the coolest thing about being on a spacewalk? Wow! Doing a spacewalk is cool. There is nothing more wonderful than floating in space in your own space suit. It's amazing, and when you are doing a spacewalk, you are "out there" just floating in empty space, like the earth, like the moon, like the sun, like the space station. It's not science fiction. It's real. Which of the following best shows how Greg feels? <extra_id_0>Frightened <extra_id_1>Excited <extra_id_2>Sad <extra_id_3>Surprised <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Happy Children's Palace MONDAY 19:00--20:30 English learning Prof. G. White Would you like to improve your English? This is for middle school students. (2 weeks) TUESDAY 17:30--19:00 Photography Mr. Green Learn to take good pictures. Bring your own camera with you. (4 weeks) WEDNESDAY 18:00--19:00 Office 2000 Prof. Wang Lan Learn how to use the new software. (10 weeks) FRIDAY 19:00--20:30 Painting Miss Yang Jing Would you like to learn painting? It is for beginners only. (16 weeks) SATURDAY 15:00--16:30 Cambridge Young Learner's English Prof. J. Brown This course is for the children at primary school . (20 weeks) SUNDAY 10:00--12:00 Swimming, club Coach: Liu Xin Want to swim as fast as a fish? (9 weeks) Which of the following statements is TRUE? <extra_id_0>Prof. G. White gives a talk about English learning for students on Monday morning. <extra_id_1>You can go to learn how to use Office 2000 from Prof. J. Brown. <extra_id_2>If you want to learn swimming, you should go there on Sunday afternoon. <extra_id_3>Prof. J. Brown teaches children English from 3:00--4:30 on Saturday afternoon. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Among the more color1ful characters of Leadville's golden age were H.A.W.Tabor and his second wife, Elizabeth McCourt, better known as "Baby Doe". Their history is fast becoming one of the legends of the Old West. Horace Austin Warner Tabor was a school teacher in Vermont. With his first wife and two children he left Vermont by covered wagon in 1855 to homestead in Kansas. Perhaps he did not find farming to his liking, or perhaps he was lured by rumors of fortunes to be made in Colorado mines. At any rate, a few years later he moved west to the small Colorado mining camp known as California Gulch, which he later renamed Leadville when he became its leading citizen. "Great deposits of lead are sure to be found here." he said. As it turned out, it was silver, not lead, that was to make Leadville's fortune and wealth. Tabor knew little about mining himself, so he opened a general store, which sold everything from boots to salt, flour, and tobacco.It was his custom to "grubstake" prospective miners, in other words, to supply them with food and supplies, or "grub", while they looked for ore , in return for which he would get a share in the mine if one was discovered. He did this for a number of years, but no one that he aided ever found anything of value. Finally one day in the year 1878, so the story goes, two miners came in and asked for "grub". Tabor had decided to quit supplying it because he had lost too much money that way. These were persistent, however, and Tabor was too busy to argue with them. "Oh help yourself. One more time won't make any difference," He said and went on selling shoes and hats to other customers. The two miners took $17 worth of supplies, in return for which they gave Tabor a one-third interest in their findings. They picked a barren place on the mountain side and began to dig. After nine days they struck a rich vein of silver. Tabor bought the shares of the other two men, and so the mine belonged to him alone. This mine, known as the "Pittsburgh Mine," made $1,300,000 for Tabor in return for his $17 investment. Later Tabor bought the Matchless Mine on another barren hillside just outside the town for $117,000. This turned out to be even more unbelievable than the Pittsburgh, yielding $35,000 worth of silver per day at one time. Leadville grew. Tabor became its first mayor, and later became lieutenant governor of the state. If this passage is the first part of an article,what might be introduced in the following part? <extra_id_0>Tabor's life. <extra_id_1>Tabor's second wife, Elizabeth McCourt. <extra_id_2>Other color1ful characters. <extra_id_3>Tabor's other careers. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>The following are some important sights in New York. American Museum of Natural History Four floors of exhibition halls here include the world-famous fossil halls with their skeletons of enormous dinosaurs and other creatures; the culture halls, representing a variety of indigenous peoples; and mammal, bird and reptile halls. The renovated Milstein hall of Ocean Life showcases the profusion of life in Earth's "last frontier". Also here: Rose Center for Earth and space, with Hayden Planetarium and exhibits on Earth and our universe. Open: Sunday-Thursday, 10:00-17:45; Friday-Saturday: 10:00-20:45 Empire State Building At 102 stories tall, the Empire State Building commands an inspiring view of Manhattan. Each year, over 3.5 million people come here for the view from the 86th-floor observatory, where they can take in the sights of the city from a glass-enclosed pavilion or the encircling open-air promenade. Observatory Hours: 8:00am to midnight daily. Last elevators go up at 11:15pm. Open daily 365 days a year. Metropolitan Museum of Art (One of the greatest museums in the world) It is impossible to "do" the entire museum in one day or describe everything you can see here. Go to the museum & spend some time in the Great Hall where you will find all types of help in many languages for planning your visit. If you can, get a guide before your visit or look at their website where you can plan well & learn about their many special exhibitions & programs. Fee: $12 adults, $7 students & seniors, under 12 with adult free. Open: Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday. 9:30-17:15; Friday-Saturday, 9:30-20:45. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) MoMA houses an outstanding collection of American & European paintings & sculptures from late 19th C. to present. Innovative in its definition of "art", it was a pioneer in exhibiting film, photography, and industrial design. Its retrospectives can draw record-breaking attendance. A happy place to take small children, as strollers are allowed. Open: Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10:30-17:45; Friday, 10:30-20:15. Suppose you are a high school student, who is going to visit Metropolitan Museum of Art with your parents, your 70-year-old Grandpa and your 6-year-old younger brother, how much will you have to pay in total? <extra_id_0>$42 <extra_id_1>$38 <extra_id_2>$45 <extra_id_3>$50 <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Beverage Service We serve a variety of soft drinks, coffee, tea and free of charge. However, as flying has a dehydrating effect, water and non-alcoholic beverages are recommended. Electronic Equipment Cellphones, FM/AM radios, portable television sets and electronic toys with remote controls must not be used in the cabin, as their signals may interfere with the aircrafts navigational instruments. Laptop computers and CD (MD, MP3) players may be used during cruising portions of the flight but not during the takeoff and landing. Inflight Entertainment A wide selection of international publications are available for your reading pleasure. You may keep this free copy of Morning Calm magazine, but kindly return all other reading materials after you have finished with them for the benefit of fellow passengers. A selection of music is available on eight channels, from channel 3 to 10. The channel changer is on your armrest. We also offer a selection of popular films; you may listen in English on channel 2. Paduk (go) and chess are available on request, and we have free postcards and stationery. Medical Needs We keep a selection of nonprescription medicine for any passenger suffering from mild sicknesses. An emergency medical kit is also available for more serious illnesses. Travelling with Infants and Children Baby bassinets are provided on a first come first serve basis and should be requested at the time of booking. Special meals for children and infants can be served if the request is made 24 hours before departure. Selected giveaways for children aged 2 to 12 are available on all international flights. If you turn on channel 5 on your armrest, what will you enjoy? <extra_id_0>International news. <extra_id_1>Free-of-charge drinks. <extra_id_2>Fashion magazines. <extra_id_3>Popular music. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Nowadays we can see ATMs everywhere. So we'd better learn how to use an ATM to withdraw money. First, we must find an ATM for your cards. Some ATMs can only work with certain bank's cards. But now more and more ATMs can use all the banks' cards. Second, we can put our cards in a slot on the right side of the machine. Make sure the card is facing the right way. Then , when the screen says, "Please enter your PIN," we can press the numbers. After that, we can select the type of transaction .So we can press the key for withdrawing money. Next, we can put in the amount of money we want to withdraw by pressing the numbers. Then the screen may say, "Please wait". After a short while, we can take our money from the slot at the bottom of the machine. At last, if we don't need other services, we can press the key for ending. Then our cards will come out from the slot we put it in. And we can finish our dealing and take the cards and money away. How many times should we press the numbers when withdrawing money once? <extra_id_0>Once. <extra_id_1>Twice. <extra_id_2>Three times. <extra_id_3>Four times. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>When foreigners come to Chengdu, a good alternative is to get around by taking the bus. Once getting used to going by bus, you will discover that it is actually not that bad. Although a ride usually covers two or twenty stops, a bus ride costs RMB 2 in Chengdu. It is important to carry enough small money with you, because it is not usual to get back changes. Even though it is cheap, you can pay less and save some trouble if you get a RMB 25 bus card at your local pharmacy, Hongqi Chain Store or bus station terminal office--note that personal identification is needed. Explain to the worker that you want to purchase a bus card. With this card, one bus drive costs only RMB 1 if you use a card based on frequency of your ride. If your card is based on the so called E-purse, you pay each time RMB 1.80 for the bus. If you require the use of subway, you can ask the cashier at the Hongqi Chain Store to activate the metro. After having your bus card, you can store money on your travel card. The fees for bus and metro have to be stored separately. It is important to keep in mind that the money on the card does not overlap. For example, you charge 40 bus rides on the card, but you only used 20 during the month, the rest 20 will be invalid at the beginning of the next month and you have to recharge the card. Therefore, it is important to calculate the exact numbers of bus rides you will have to take. After you have your own bus card, one swipe is only needed when you get on the bus at the front door. If you only manage to get on the bus at the back door, just ask the passengers to pass your card to the front and swipe it for you. With the bus card, you can transfer buses for fee if the travel time is within two hours. Furthermore, it is to stress that you should keep an eye on your belongings while being on the bus. Generally, Chengdu is a safe place but most of the thefts are occurring on buses, at train stations or crowded large area, like the shopping street Chunxi Road. Due to the fact that the place names are announced in Chinese, it is better to know the Chinese name of your destination. Even though there are announcements in English, they will sound like the following: "The next stop is Jinjiang Binguan (Jinjiang Hotel)" Why are the readers reminded to pay close attention to their personal possessions? <extra_id_0>Because Chengdu is not a safe place. <extra_id_1>Because some thieves like stealing things in crowded buses. <extra_id_2>Because people can transfer buses for fee within two hours. <extra_id_3>Because the bus card must be swiped at the front door. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>A little boy selling magazines for school walked up to a house that people seldom visited. The house was very old and the owner hardly ever came out. They boy's parents told him to stay away from the house, a lot of other neighborhoods children were told the same from their parents. As he was ready to walk away, the door slowly opened. "What do you want?" the old man said. "Uh, sir, I am selling these magazines and I was wondering if you would like to buy one." The old man stared at the boy. The boy could see inside the old man's house and saw that he had dog figurines on the fireplace mantle. "Do you collect dogs?" the little boy asked. "Yes, I have many collectibles in my house. They are my family here. They are all I have." The boy then felt sorry for the man, as it seemed that he was a very lonely soul . Then the old man was ready to close the door and said, "No, boy, I don't need any magazine of any kind, now goodbye." The little boy was sad that he was not going to make his quota with the sale. He was also sad for the old man being so alone in the big house. The boy went home and then had an idea. He knocked on the door again and this time the old man came right to the door. "Boy, I thought I told you no magazines." "No, sir. But I want to give you a gift. The boy handed him the figurine and the man's face lit up. "It's a Golden Retriever, and I have one at home, this is for you. The old man was simply stunned ; no one had ever given him such a gift and shown him so much kindness. From that day on, the old man started coming out of the house and _ people. He and the boy became friends; the boy even brought his dog to see the man weekly. Which of the following words can't describe the old man? <extra_id_0>Serious. <extra_id_1>Lonely. <extra_id_2>Outgoing. <extra_id_3>Persistent. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Mr. and Mrs Black live in a small house near London with their children. Usually Mr Black comes back from work very late. At that time, his wife and the children are sleeping. So he opens the front door of his house with his keys and comes into the house quietly. One night he comes home very late. It is 11:00 p.m. But he can't find his keys. He rings the bell . Nothing happens . He rings it again. Again nothing happens. No one can hear it. Mr. Black knocks on the bedroom window. He calls his wife's name. He shouts but his wife doesn't wake up. At last he stops and thinks for a few minutes. Then he begins to speak like a small child. "Mother," he says. "I want to go to WC." Mrs Black wakes up at once . Then he speaks to her, and she opens the door for him. Mr Black speaks like a little child because _ . <extra_id_0>he looks like a child <extra_id_1>he wants to wake up his children <extra_id_2>he wants to wake up his wife <extra_id_3>he wants to go to WC <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Humans need food to grow and survive. Food that is not used immediately by the body for energy is <extra_id_0>stored for future use <extra_id_1>converted to water for energy <extra_id_2>used to remove wastes from cells <extra_id_3>transformed into oxygen for survival <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>Have you ever heard of a great Chilean poet? He was once referred to as the _ of poetry. Beloved by Chileans of all classes, he is one of the most widely read and respected poets in history. And this year is the 110th birthday of Pablo Neruda (1904-1973). Born with the name Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basolto, he was a tall, shy and lonely boy. He loved to read and started to write poetry when he was ten. The American poet Walt Whitman, whose framed picture Neruda later kept on his table, became a major influence on his work. However, his father did not like the idea of having a poet for a son and tried to discourage him from writing. To cover up the publication of his first poem, he took the pen name Pablo Neruda. In 1924 Neruda gained fame with his most widely read work "Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair''. Yet his rich experience as a diplomat and exile made him go beyond the theme of love. His work also reflected the political struggle of the left and development of South America. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971. Neruda loved the sea which he saw as creative, destructive and forever moving. He found inspiration in the power and freedom of the waves and the seabirds on the coast. "I need the sea because it teaches me," he wrote. "I move in the university of the waves." He loved how the sea forever renewed itself, a renewal echoed in his work. Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basolto took the pen name Pablo Neruda because _ . <extra_id_0>he was greatly influenced by other poets <extra_id_1>literary greats usually used the pen name <extra_id_2>his father encouraged him to use the name <extra_id_3>he wanted to prevent his father knowing the publication <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his fortune ,largely to the cause of global health,during the course of his lifetime.With an estimated worth of more than $40 billion,according to Forbes,the project will be no small fate for Gates.Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $24 billion to address global health issues,Gates said that finally his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except "a few percent left for the kids". So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest?Gates believes that "the equality of opportunity "in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world. Improving the health of the populations,he says,has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially successful."National borders allow inequalities,"said Gates."We all need to take a more global view,rather than just saying my country is doing well.We have to step up these health issues,knowing how few resources are going into them." Gates said that both his parents set up an example for him as a child.His father,William H.Gates,was the head of the local Planned Parenthood,and his mother,Mary,volunteered for the United Way.As he gathered his fortune,Gates knew he would finally want to give back as well,but he didn't expect to devote himself wholeheartedly to one project until he was about 60. However,Gates,47,began to question his ability to wait that long."It seemed there was a real time urgency,"Gates said."I started to think how many lives I could save before then." It can be learned from the passage that Bill Gates thinks _ . <extra_id_0>Americans can be worldfamous by giving away vast fortune <extra_id_1>Americans should treat fellow citizens well <extra_id_2>Americans should devote themselves to certain projects <extra_id_3>Americans should care about people in other countries <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Childhood was an illusion and the illusion was this: everything was bigger. No, I mean everything, not just houses and shops and grown-ups, but colors and flowers and journeys, especially journeys which seemed endless. "Are we there yet, Daddy?" Funfairs were huge things that spread for miles around you with noise and lights and exciting danger. Rainy days at home when you were ill seemed to last for ever. Being a grown-up yourself was an unthinkable distant possibility. Every sound was louder, every game was grander, every pain unbearable. As I've grown old, life has become smaller. Tastes have dulled. Surprises have turned into shocks. Days go by unnoticed. How can I regain childhood when it was an illusion? I have only one repeatable and wonderful way and even in this way I can regain only part of that larger world. I can play upon the stage like a child and make the crowd laugh and laugh with them, sometimes helplessly like a child, and then, even though I'm a sixty-one-year-old man, I can almost catch the colors and sounds and stillness of those bigger years when I was little. The author thinks that everything was bigger in childhood because _ <extra_id_0>children could not make proper judgments. <extra_id_1>children were curious and eager about life <extra_id_2>things appeared really big in children's eyes <extra_id_3>to grow up seemed so long for children <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Helena investigates how enzymes are important to body processes. How is the role of enzymes in biochemical activity best explained? <extra_id_0>Enzymes work at all pH levels. <extra_id_1>Enzymes decrease the rate of metabolism. <extra_id_2>Enzymes enable reactions to occur at lower temperatures. <extra_id_3>Enzymes raise the activation energy needed for a reaction. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>If a flashlight is having difficulty working a person should check <extra_id_0>the bottom hook <extra_id_1>the energy hole <extra_id_2>the glass window <extra_id_3>the solar flares <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>The use of lotteries to allocate school places is to be reviewed by the British government because more than 20 percent of children are failing to get into their first-choice schools in parts of the country. The struggle for secondary school places has reached record levels this year, increasing anxiety for hundreds of thousands of families. A report from 43 local authorities suggests that in many areas, up to a fifth of children face disappointment. Families in London are the hardest hit. This week is admissions week, when about 570,000 families will receive notice about their child's secondary school acceptance. As the recession forces more parents to consider a state education rather than a private one for their children, more than a third of local authorities have noted rises in the number of applications for secondary school places. This year, just 62 percent of children in Richmond-upon-Thames got into their parents' first-choice school, down from 64 percent last year. The council said this was caused by an increase in applications. In another London authority, Tower Hamlet, 71.1 percent of children were admitted to their parents' first choice school. In Leeds and Warwickshire, 85 percent were successful. In Derby the figure was 81 percent, while in Wiltshire, Stockport and Lincolnshire, the figure was 89 percent. In many authorities, the figures are similar to those of last year. Exceptions include Brighton and Hove, which introduced a lottery system to allocate oversubscribed places last year. This year, it has seen a 3.5 percent increase in the number of children obtaining their first choice, bringing the total to nearly 88 percent. However, more than 5 percent of children in this area have been allocated a place at a school that was not among any of their choices. Lotteries are being used at the government's suggestion by a small number of oversubscribed schools in around twenty-five local authorities. They were meant to prevent middle-class parents from abusing the system by buying or renting homes close to the best schools. According to the passage, more and more parents in Britain prefer to send their children to _ . <extra_id_0>a state school <extra_id_1>a private school <extra_id_2>a school in London <extra_id_3>a school in Brighton <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>"Here is the Eight O' Clock News. " "Chinese people spent about 120 billion yuan during the first three days of the May Golden Week last year. This year it has increased t0 140 billion yuan." "The children of Beijing No. 2 Middle School sang with students from Toronto in Canada to celebrate the 20th anniversary. They had been sister schools since 1986. They spent about two weeks together in Beijing. They visited the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. They took a lot of photos in Beihai Park. " "Have you ever got tired of heavy shopping bags? A new shopping assistant robot which was invented by Japanese company could be the answer. The helpful robot can follow you around and carry several bags. The robot was tested at a shopping center in February 2006. " "About 500 people from different countries were in the 2006 "Rock Paper Scissors( ) " World Match in Canada. This event was founded in 1842. It is said playing this game is fun. and also a good way to solve problems among people. " "And now it' s time for Morning Music. " This year during the first three days of the May Golden Week, it cost Chinese people _ yuan more than that of last year. <extra_id_0>260, 000, 000. 000 <extra_id_1>120, 000. 000, 000 <extra_id_2>140. 000, 000, 000 <extra_id_3>20. 000. 000. 000 <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>A man died and was on his way to another world, either heaven or hell . He saw an extremely grand palace half way and the owner of the palace asked him to stay and live in the palace. The man said, "I have been working hard during my life and now I just want to eat and sleep without any work." The owner of the palace said, "If so, there is nowhere else better than here for you. There is plenty of seafood and delicacies in my palace, and you can eat whatever you like without anyone stopping you. And nothing needs to be done by you." Then, the man settled down in the palace. At the beginning, the man felt very happy at the cycle of eating and sleeping. But gradually, he felt a bit lonely and void. So he went to the palace owner and said, "It is very bored to live by just eating and sleeping every day. Now I show no interest in this kind of life any more. Could you help me find a job?" The owner replied, "Sorry, there is no job here at all." After another several months, the man could not go on with the life and went to the palace owner again, "I really can not stand this kind of life any more. If you do not offer me a job, I would prefer to go to hell instead of living here." The owner of the palace smiled contemptuously , "Do you think it is heaven here? It is actually hell!" ,. (10) The man saw a really grand palace _ . <extra_id_0>on his way home <extra_id_1>on his way to hell <extra_id_2>on his way to heaven <extra_id_3>on his way to another world after his death <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>In late summer or early fall the large, yellow seed heads of sunflowers will be ripening. If gardeners can keep off the birds and other wildlife trying to eat the seeds, they can have a large harvest. The bright yellow blooms will make a rainbow garden, brightening up any space. However, planting the sunflower seeds is a skilled job. Plant seeds no deeper than the full length of itself. Smaller sized sunflowers can be spaced a foot apart. Larger varieties will need to be spaced as far apart as three feet. This allows ripe plants enough space for the seed heads to ripen without knocking the ripe seeds off before gardeners have a chance to harvest them. Most sunflower seeds, especially those with eatable seeds, are large enough to handle without the need for seed sorters. This is why sunflowers make an excellent choice for a children's garden as well. Gardeners will want to mix plenty of soil fertilizers into the ground as sunflowers tend to be heavy feeders. Sunflowers can be slow starters and the tiny new plants don't seem to grow very rapidly. Gardeners should protect the new plants as they begin to grow. Once they get going, sunflowers are able to _ many weeds, making them easier to grow in the home vegetable garden than many other plants. Most pests and diseases are not a bother to the sunflower, however, more than one gardener has said that their lovely looking plants were destroyed overnight by hungry squirrels, mice or birds. To preserve their harvest, gardeners can cover the ripening seed head with stockings or net cloth to help keep the destroyers off the seeds. Planting sunflower seeds is easy and can help even the smallest gardener feel successful in their gardening attempts. Why should enough space be left between sunflowers? <extra_id_0>To prevent birds from eating sunflower seeds. <extra_id_1>To offer the sunflowers enough sunlight. <extra_id_2>To protect the ripe seed heads before harvest. <extra_id_3>To help the sunflowers grow stronger. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Welcome to Cambridge Dictionaries Online! Cambridge University Press publishes a range of dictionaries for learners of English all around the world. You can search our dictionaries using the search box at the top of the page. New for elementary learners We've added two new choices to Cambridge Dictionaries Online-Essential British English and Essential American English. Both are for elementary, and lower intermediate learners of English, and are specially written to make the definitions and examples easy to understand. They cover all of the vocabulary that elementary and lower intermediate students need to make progress, and help students to arrange their learning by showing the words that should be known at Al, A2, and B1 levels. You can look up the dictionaries from the dropdown box at the top of the page. More than just a dictionary Don't forget to visit our New Words, which keeps you up to date with those words and meanings that are just starting to be used in English. There's also About Words, our fascinating blog about how the English language behaves. You can give your opinion on new expressions or blog posts by voting or leaving comments, so get involved! Tell your friends! If you find something you like, you can now share it with your friends. Just elide on the relevant icon to spread the word. You can also become a fan on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or add a Cambridge Dictionary toolbar to your computer -- it's now easier than ever. Do you like Cambridge Dictionaries Online? Could you make it even better? Let us know your thoughts and ideas! Email us and let us know: dictionary@cambridge.org. Paul Heacock Dictionaries Publishing Manager Cambridge University Press If you have any suggestions for Cambridge dictionaries, you're advised to _ . <extra_id_0>writer a letter . <extra_id_1>write an e-mail <extra_id_2>leave a comment <extra_id_3>make a phone call. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>What are you feeling right now as you start to read this? Are you curious? Hoping that you'll learn something about yourself? Bored because this is something you have to do for school and you're not really into it -- or happy because it's a school project you enjoy? Perhaps you're attracted by something else, like feeling excited about your weekend plans or sad because you just went through a breakup. Emotions like these are part of human nature. They give us information about what we're experiencing and help us know how to react. We sense our emotions from the time we're babies. Young children react to their emotions with facial expressions or with actions like laughing or crying. They feel and show emotions, but they don't yet have the ability to name the emotion or say why they feel that way. As we grow up, we become more skilled in understanding emotions. Instead of just reacting like little kids do, we can identify what we feel and put it into words. With time and practice, we get better at knowing what we are feeling and why. This skill is called emotional awareness. Emotional awareness helps us know what we need and want, or don't want! It helps us build better relationships. That's because being aware of our emotions can help us talk about feelings more clearly, avoid or settle conflicts better, and move past difficult feelings more easily. Some people are naturally more in touch with their emotions than others. The good news is that everyone can be more aware of their emotions. It just takes practice. But it's worth the effort. Emotional awareness is the first step toward building emotional intelligence, a skill that can help people succeed in life. How do young children react to emotions? <extra_id_0>With laughter and shouts. <extra_id_1>With signs and expressions. <extra_id_2>With facial expressions and actions. <extra_id_3>With gestures of different kinds. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Qixi Festival, the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day that fell yesterday, was not only a disappointment for forgotten lovers, but also for businessmen left with empty pockets. The cold reception has prompted cultural experts to seriously worry that the lovers' festival, marked for generations since the Han Dynasty(206 BC-AD 220),is dying out. Some have even called for legislation to make the festival a legal --Chinese Lovers' Day, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar year. But the effectiveness of such a measure is in doubt, although efforts to preserve traditional festivals deserve highly praise. A growing number of traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, share the same fate of the Qixi Festival. Young people are showing less interest in traditional culture as symbolized by these festivals.Even if all traditional festivals are finally made legal, the risk of them becoming purely formalized celebrations with little meaning is not removed.If the younger generation fails to identify with the cultural significance of these holidays, there is little that can be done. While complaining about traditional festivals' fading appeal, decision-makers should reflect on cultural protection. Undeniably, our country has done a bad job of preserving culture and traditional festivals, compared to neighbouring Japan and the Republic of Korea(ROK). The 2,500-year-old Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The traditional customs and ceremonies of the occasion, which originated in China, have been better preserved in the ROK. Only a few years ago did China begin to realize the significance of preserving intangible cultural heritage when the ROK planned to apply to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to list its version of the Dragon Boat Festival as an important example of intangible culture. Concern about the traditional holidays also reminds people of the growing influence of foreign cultures as the country opens wider to the outside world. With traditional festivals becoming less important and imports such as Christmas and Valentine's Day gaining widespread popularity, the public including cultural professionals have tended to measure traditional Chinese festivals in economic terms. Business rather than culture has begun to play a dominant role. More and more people are preoccupied with how much money can be made during the holidays. In fact what makes traditional festivals unique and what keeps them alive is their cultural elements. After all, it is unique culture that contributes to the world's diversity with globalization. The public look at the effectiveness of the legalization of the Qixi Festival with a(n) _ attitude. <extra_id_0>indifferent <extra_id_1>positive <extra_id_2>doubtful <extra_id_3>hopeful <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>"Everything happens for the best," my mother said whenever I was disappointed. "Don't worry. One day your luck will change." I didn't pay attention to her words. After finishing my college education, I decided to look for a job in a radio station. I wanted to host a sports programme. I went to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station. ButI got turned down every time. In one station, a kind lady said to me that I hadn't got enough experience. "Get to a small station and work for some time," she said. When I went back home, my dad told me that 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," Mum said to me. Later, I tried another radio station in Iowa. But the owner, a nice man, told me he had already had someone to work for him. As I left his office, I asked, "How can someone be a sportsannouncer 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 let me sit in front of a microphone and asked me to try to imagine that I was giving my opinion on a football game, and finally I succeeded. On my way home, Mum's words came back to me, "One day your luck will change, Son." Why didn't the writer get the job in Chicago? <extra_id_0>Because he was too young. <extra_id_1>Because he didn't get a college education. <extra_id_2>Because he was not a good-looking person. <extra_id_3>Because he hadn't got enough experience. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Advertising gives useful information about which products to buy. But modern advertising does more than gives news about products and services. Today's advertisements, or ads, try to get consumers to buy certain brands. Writers of advertising are so skillful that they can, sometimes persuade a consumer to wear a certain kind of clothing, eat a special kind of cereal, or see a movie. Consumers might never even want a product if they did not see or hear advertisements for it. For example, you probab1y do not need the newest cereal in the supermarket. There are probably many cereal brands on your kitchen shelves. You may not have space on a shelf for another. But if you see ads about a new cereal that is your extra-tasty and has a free prize in the box, you may want it. Advertising must get attention. To be effective, it must be exciting, entertaining, or provide some pleasure. The secret of writing good advertising copy is to offer a good idea as well as a product. The idea is what the ad is really selling. One example is an ad that says eating a certain cereal will make a person do well in sports. That cereal brand may sell better if consumers think it offers strength and energy. What is discussed in this passage? <extra_id_0>The content of modern advertising. <extra_id_1>The skills of modern advertising. <extra_id_2>The results of modern advertising. <extra_id_3>The writing of modern advertising. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Here in the northeast Georgia mountains live an old man and his young grandson. A small sum of money given by the government is their only regular income. Man and boy walk up and down the highway daily collecting soft-drink bottles for resale. I stopped once, and tried to give the man a carton of empty bottles. Polite, but firmly, he refused my "charity". Exercising what I thought was the only reasonable matter. I was driving their part of road, throwing bottles out of the car window, when the flashing blue light of a Georgia State Patrol car filled my mirror. I took my lecture on litter laws, and then told the officer about the man and the boy. We could see the old man from where we were stopped, bending over to pick up a bottle. The officer warned me again, and told me to move on. As we both pulled onto the road, I looked in my mirror just in time to see two bottles sail out of the passenger window of the patrol car and land unbroken on the grass. The author threw bottles out of the car window because he wanted to _ . <extra_id_0>get rid of them <extra_id_1>attract the patrol car <extra_id_2>punish the man and the boy <extra_id_3>help the man and the boy <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>This is an excerpt from Emma Watsons speech at the United Nations headquarters. Today we are launching a campaign(called "He For She"). I am reaching out to you because we need your help. We want to end gender inequality, and to do this, we need everyone involved. This is the first campaign of this kind in the UN. We want to try to involve as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for change. I started questioning gender-based assumption a long time ago. When I was 8, I was confused being called bossy because I wanted to direct a play that we put on for our parents, but the boys were not. When I was 14, I started to be sexualized by certain elements of the media. At 15, my girlfriends started dropping out of a lot of sports teams because they didn't want to appear masculine. At 18, my male friends were unable to express their feelings. I decided that I was a feminist. This seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word. Women are choosing not to identify as feminists. Why has the word become such an uncomfortable one? I'm from Britain and I think it is right that I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decisions that will affect my life. I think it is right that socially, I am afforded the same respect as men. But sadly, I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights. No country in the world can yet say that they have achieved gender equality. These rights, I considered to be human rights, but I am one of the lucky ones. My life is a sheer privilege because my parents didn't love me less because I was born a daughter. My school did not limit me because I was a girl. My mentors didn't assume that I would end up nowhere because I might give birth to a child one day. These influences were the gender equality ambassadors that made me who I am today. They may not know it but they are the inadvertent feminists who are changing the world today. We need more of those. Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend you a formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too. Because to date, I've seen young men suffering from mental illness, unable to ask for help for fear it will make them less of a man, or less of men. I've seen men made fragile and insecure by distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don't have the benefits of equality, either. Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive, both men and women should be free to be strong. This is what "He For She" is about. It's about freedom. You might be thinking: who is this Harry Potter girl? What is she doing at the UN? I've been asking myself at the same thing. All I know is that I care about this problem and I want to make it better. And having seen what I've seen and given the chance, I feel my responsibility to say something. Statesman Edmund Burke said _ In my nervousness for this speech and in my moment of doubt, I told myself firmly: If not me, who? If not now, when? If you have similar doubts when opportunities are presented to you, I hope those words would be helpful. Because the reality is that if we do nothing, it will take 75 years, or for me it will be nearly 100 before women can be expected to be paid as same as men for the same work. 15.5 million girls will be married in the 16 years as children. At current rate, it will be until 2086 before all rural African girls can have secondary education. We are struggling for a uniting world, but the good news is we have a uniting movement. It is called "He For She". I am inviting you to step forward, to be seen and to ask yourself: if not me, who? If not now, when? Thank you. In the speech, Emma calls on people to _ . <extra_id_0>participate in the campaign actively and take actions <extra_id_1>admit that men and women should be equally paid <extra_id_2>pay more attention to men suffering from mental illnesses <extra_id_3>believe in her although she acted in the Harry Potter series <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>There was an old pear tree in a man's garden. In the past, tie tree fruited every year, .so the man would get many pears. But now, the tree got old. There were no more pears for the man. So the ungrateful man decided to cut the tree down. When he walked toward the tree with an axe in his hand, the tree said to him, "Please don't cut me down. I had so many pears for you in the past years. Now I will die soon. I only have a short time to live. Please don't kill a dying tree that has done so much for you." "I'm sorry. I have to do so," the man said, "because I need wood to make a chair." Then he began to wave his axe. At that moment, a bird in the old tree shouted at him, "Don't cut it down! Every time you go out and your wife feels lonely, she will come out to the garden and sit under the tree to enjoy its cool shade , and I sing songs to make her happy. We give much joy to your wife when you are away from home." The man didn't listen to the bird and drove it away. Just when he was about to cut the tree, some bees flew out of it and said, "Listen! If you agree not to kill this tree, we will give you nice honey every day. Would you please leave the tree with us?" The man got moved . He said, "You are so kind to the tree, although it has become old. Now I see that I shouldn't cut it down. It has done so much for me and my wife. Let the tree stay here, and let the bird _ its songs here." With these words, the man left. And the old tree lived there to its last day. Which is the most important reason for the man to cut down the tree? <extra_id_0>The tree was getting old. <extra_id_1>The man needed wood to' make a chair. <extra_id_2>The tree didn't give any shade. <extra_id_3>The man couldn't get any pears from it. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>People who averaged fewer than seven hours of sleep per night in the weeks before being exposed to the cold virus were nearly three times as likely to get sick as those who averaged eight hours or more, a new study found. Researchers used frequent telephone interviews to track the sleep habits of more than 150 men and women aged 21 to 55 over the last few weeks. Then they exposed the _ to the virus, quarantined them for five days and kept track of who got sick. Besides sleeping more, sleeping better also seemed to help the body fight illness: Patients who fared better on a measure known as "sleep efficiency"--the percentage of time in bed that you're actually sleeping--were also less likely to get sick. The results held true even after researchers adjusted for elements such as body-mass index, age, sex, smoking and pre-existing antibodies to the virus. The researchers aren't exactly sure why sleeping better makes you less likely to develop a cold. But they do try to give an answer: "Sleep disturbance influences the regulation of symptom mediators that are released in response to infection." In plain English, maybe tossing and turning when you're infected with the cold virus contributes to the symptoms that define a cold. The researchers were based at Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Virginia, and the study was funded by the National Institutes of Health. What's the best title of the passage? <extra_id_0>The Relationship Between Virus and Cold <extra_id_1>How to Sleep Well <extra_id_2>Good Sleep Helps Fight a Cold <extra_id_3>The More the Sleep, the Better Your Body <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Once upon a time there was a monster . He was very ugly and had no friends. No one wanted to talk to him. Even other monsters thought he was ugly. He lived alone and was very unhappy because he was so lonely. "I wish I had a friend." He said to himself every day, "One friend would be enough. Someone to talk to." He wrote a letter to a magazine. The magazine gave people advice. "Dear Editor," he wrote, "I am a ugly monster. How can I find a friend?" "Dear monster," the Editor replied, "Advertise for a friend in this magazine." The monster wrote an advertisement. "Monster wants a friend, male or female. I have two heads, four arms, six legs and three tails. I have one blue eye, one green eye and one brown eye. Smoke comes out of my nose. But I am really a kind monster and will be a good friend to someone. If you would like to meet me, please stand outside Blake's Store at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 7th. Write to Mr. A, Box 45, everybody's Magazine." A few days later he went to the magazine. "Do you have any letters for Box 45?" he asked. The clerk looked in Box 45. "Yes, there is one." She said, and gave it to him. The monster opened the letter, and read, "Dear Monster, I think a person's character is more important than his appearance. I will wait outside Blake's Store on Friday. Please carry a flower so that I will recognize you. Yours sincerely, Miss Alice Thwaite." How did the monster describe him in the advertisement? <extra_id_0>Ugly <extra_id_1>Lonely <extra_id_2>Kind <extra_id_3>Good-looking <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>the cells of golden retrievers can <extra_id_0>spontaneously combust <extra_id_1>change colors <extra_id_2>liquify <extra_id_3>specialize <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>What would life be like if you give up using your cell phone? Will it become boring? Twenty-eight eighth-graders at St. Matthew School in San Francisco will tell you it can still be rich and colorful. These students took part in their school's "tech-free" challenge. They couldn't use cell phones for two weeks from Nov 11 to Nov 22. The idea was to help students understand how technology has affected their lives, said Denise Uhl, principal of the school. Uhl did a survey on technology usage among the eighth-graders before thinking of the challenge. She found that 84 percent of the students said they didn't like it "when everyone was on their cell phones", but they didn't know what to do about it. The answer was actually easy --- to stop constantly using cell phones. To help students understand the point, Uhl created the activity. It was warmly welcomed among students. "I wanted to sign up for the tech-free challenge because it was just really a good idea to do it," eighth-grader Joe told local newspaper Catholic San Francisco. "I wanted to get closer to my family. And it really worked. I started to hang out with my family more. We watched more family movies and we played a lot of board games." The activity also helped students develop their interests. During the two weeks, Lucas said he spent much more time outside, picking lemons in his garden. Maddie finished a painting and Cassie created a scarf on a loom . Uhl's survey on technology usage showed that _ . <extra_id_0>students liked to play games together on their cell phones <extra_id_1>some students felt that they couldn't live without cell phones <extra_id_2>many students felt annoyed when others were on their phones <extra_id_3>some students believed that technology improved their studies <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>How much pocket money do you get from your parents every month? Maybe 200 yuan? But for Li Beibei, 30 yuan each month is enough. The only thing she buys is lunch--1.5 yuan each day. "Meat is too expensive for me," said Li. Li, 14, is a Junior 1 student at Beijing's Xingzhi Experimental School. Her parents are migrant workers . They came to Beijing from a village in Luohe, He'nan two years ago. Her father now works as a cleaner and gets 500 yuan every month. Her mother has no job. Li Beibei has 460 friends at Xingzhi. Every day, Li gets up at 5:30 am and rides her bike for 20 minutes to get to school. Like many teens, Li has a lot of homework--usually at least one hour every day. But that is not all her work. During the weekdays she helps her mum cook. On weekends, she helps wash clothes. "I could cook when I was eight. Dad said sometimes I cook better than Mum!" Li said she wanted to be a doctor. "I watch TV and find out there are many people with AIDS in He'nan. Some are kids. They need help," said Li. But she is afraid to leave school. "I hope I will always be in school," said Li. "Dad works hard to get money. I promise him I will study hard to be a good student and a good doctor in the future." The best title of the passage should be _ . <extra_id_0>A City Girl <extra_id_1>Hard But Happy Life <extra_id_2>A Village Girl's Hope <extra_id_3>A Girl's School Life <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Everyone wants some degree of success. Many people believe that they deserve success simply because they believe that they deserve success. But there is a widespread belief that people who get on in life may be successful not because they deserve it, but because of influential friends or the right background. Sometimes it may just be a comforting and harmless belief, while at the other extreme it can be very destructive. I once met a brilliant young engineer who worked in a chemical plant. Because of her knowledge and experience, she should have been promoted to Production Manager. Instead, the job went to a man who was totally unsuited for the post. Everyone knew that he only got it because he was politically acceptable to his superiors . This injustice discouraged the young engineer and many of her colleagues. It also meant that the factory was much less efficient than it could have been. At the same time, we should not be pessimistic . More and more the modern world depends on having people who are in the job because they are good enough, not just because their faces fit. There is a story of a factory owner who sent for an engineer to see to a machine which would not go. He examined it, then took out a hammer and tapped, once. The machine started up immediately. When he presented his bill, the owner protested, "This can't be right! $ 100 just for tapping a machine with a hammer?" The engineer wrote out a new bill: "For tapping a machine, $1; for knowing where to tap. $99." The engineer who repaired the machine was right in charging $ 100 because _ . <extra_id_0>he hit the machine to get it started again <extra_id_1>the factory owner could not have repaired it himself <extra_id_2>he was charging for his knowledge and expert skills <extra_id_3>he was the only person who could find out what was wrong with it <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Good morning, everyone! Welcome to our school. Now you are students of a middle school. All the things here are new. The life here is a little different. I think you must know what you can do and what you can't do. It can help you study well and live happily. Here are some rules of our school. You have to come to school from Monday to Friday. You will learn some important subjects, such as Chinese, math, English and science. Classes begin at 8:00. You have four classes in the morning. You have lunch in the school dining hall. You can't eat in the classroom. Classes are over at 3:30 in the afternoon and then you can join your favorite clubs to have fun. You can't play balls or run in the classroom and hallways. You mustn't _ these rules. I really hope you will have a happy life here. Thank you. On school days, students study _ hours every day. <extra_id_0>nine <extra_id_1>seven and a half <extra_id_2>eight <extra_id_3>eight and a half <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Colleges may try to do a lot to prepare students for study abroad -- telling about culture shock, warning about homesickness, and recommending books about the country. But when it comes to adjusting to campus life when they return, schools haven't done as much, even though the transition is sometimes almost as difficult. "They can feel disoriented and depressed. They find things are not exactly the way they were when they left," said Antonio Jimenez, director of the Center for International Affairs at California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, California, US. "They find that people don't care much about their experiences." Some colleges are now rethinking their approach to studying abroad, recognizing that students might need almost as much help adjusting to life back home as they did getting ready to leave: students experience a sort of reverse culture shock when they return to the US. They might be troubled by the wealth and waste they see back home or they might feel homesick for their new country and its customs. And when they try to talk about their experiences, people quickly lose interest, especially if they haven't lived abroad themselves. Down the road, they also might find it difficult to translate their time abroad into experience that an employer finds attractive. Some California universities have organized conferences to help students make the most of their time abroad. During a one-day event, students learn how to adjust after living abroad, talk about their experiences and incorporate (,) them into their lives and future careers. Blythe Cheney, 22, a senior who has studied in Thailand and Britain, found the workshops helpful. "Any experience abroad does have an effect on you," Cheney said. "When you come back, it's important to talk about it, especially with people who know what you've been through." Yet most universities focus more on preparation than reorientation . Which of the following is TRUE about the US students returning from studying overseas? <extra_id_0>They may still miss the country they studied in. <extra_id_1>They feel ashamed of the American way of wasting. <extra_id_2>They don't talk much about their overseas experience. <extra_id_3>They feel comfortable being back in their own country again. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>James was a nice old man who lived by himself. Every day he would walk down the road by his house and say hello to everyone. It was fun saying hello to everyone but he felt lonely sometimes. He wanted a pet to take care of. One day as he was walking down the road a little brown and spotted puppy came up to him and wanted James to pet him. James reached down and petted the puppy and smiled. James hoped to see the puppy again. Many days later James went for a walk again. He thought to himself, "I guess I won't ever see the brown puppy again. I hoped to see him again." A nice young lady said to James, "Would you like a puppy?" James said, "I would like a puppy that was like the one I petted before." The lady smiled. She was holding the little brown and spotted puppy. She told James that she found the little puppy in the woods. She said that the little puppy did not have a family. James said happily, "I would love to give the puppy a home!" So James grabbed the little brown and spotted puppy and took him home. James and the little brown puppy became great friends. James named him Spotty. What was James doing when he met the young lady? <extra_id_0>Eating. <extra_id_1>Walking down the road <extra_id_2>Planting a garden <extra_id_3>Playing ball <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>James shook his money box again. Nothing! He carefully counted the coins that lay on the bed. $24. 17 was all that he had. The bicycle he wanted was at least $90! How was he going to get the end of the money? He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was hard to hang around with people when you were the only one without wheels. He thought about what he could do. It was no use asking his parents, for he knew they had no money to save. There was only one way to get money, and that was to earn it. He would have to find a job. But who would hire him and what could he do? He decided to ask Mr. Clay for advice, who usually had opinions on most things. "Well, you can start right here," said Mr. Clay. "My windows need cleaning and my car needs washing. " That was the beginning of James' part-time job. For three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He was amazed by the different kinds of jobs that people found for him to do. He took dogs and babies for walks, cleared out cupboards, and mended books. He lost count of the number of cars he washed and windows he cleaned, but the money increased and he knew that he would soon have enough for the bicycle he was eager to have. The day finally came when James counted his money and found $94. 32. He wasted no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted. He rode proudly home, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard working for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more since he had bought it with his own money. The only way for James to earn money was to _ . <extra_id_0>find a part-time job <extra_id_1>borrow some from his parents <extra_id_2>ask Mr. Clay for help <extra_id_3>study very hard <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>Surviving the boredom of a school day can be bad enough, but when you have to worry about school gangs as well it's enough to make any student want to stay at home and under the covers! Unfortunately, gang culture can be found in many British schools, and it brings with it negative, and dangerous, side effects. The presence of weapons at or near school, the appearance of graffiti on buildings and lockers, and pressure to blow off school work and exams all follow where the gangs lead. None of these things contribute to a good education, but for school gangs that's exactly the point - school is for being popular and having fun, not learning anything or preparing for the future. Keep these tips in mind and say goodbye to school gangs. Know your own mind. Often it is those with low self-esteem and a poor self-image who become victims of school gangs. These students don't know their own mind or have a clear picture of what they would like to do in the future, so it is easy to be influenced by those who don't want to do any work today. Keep yourself busy. School gangs often hang around at or near schools with no real reason. Students who have nothing scheduled can easily be sucked into these groups, but if you are busy, busy, busy and always on the move there will be less chance that you'll have the time to stay and "play". Choose your friends wisely. With a core group of like-minded friends, it is much easier to stay away from school gangs because you simply don't need them. Remember that gangs are a source of power for members, but they can also be a source of intimidation. Work hard and have fun. No one likes a teacher's pet, but school gangs in particular hate them. Work hard and have fun at school, but don't annoy anyone with extreme goody-two-shoes behaviour. School gangs can be a nightmare if you must deal with them constantly. Stay away from gang hangouts and gang members, and don't involve yourself in any gang related activities. For the school gangs, school is _ . <extra_id_0>where they are instructed to behave themselves <extra_id_1>a good place to prepare for the future <extra_id_2>where they win popularity and enjoy themselves <extra_id_3>a place that contributes to a good education <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>A large number of people in the world eat fast food .Whenever you go into a fast food restaurant , you can see lots of people enjoying their meals there. How do you know in which country people like fast food best ? The English people are the world's biggest fans of fast food , while the French are the least interested in quick meals , according to a survey done last year. The survey of thirteen countries shows that 45% of the English people say they can't give up fast food because it's delicious. And 44% of Americans and 37% of Canadians say the same. The French , proud of their delicious and high-class cuisine , don't like fast food. 81% of them think it is unhealthy , followed by 75% of the Japanese . How about the Chinese ? How often do you have the hamburgers or fried chicken? It doesn't matter whether you like Western fast food or Chinese food . The most important thing is to have good eating habits to keep healthy . Some English people can't give up fast food because _ . <extra_id_0>it's cheap <extra_id_1>it's safe <extra_id_2>it's delicious <extra_id_3>it's healthy <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Kate, Jack and Sam are good friends. They are in the same school.Kate and Jack are classmates. But Sam is in a different grade-Grade Three. They often do sports or play games after school. This evening Jack is going to Sam's birthday party and he is going to give him a new book for his birthday because he likes reading very much. Kate wants to go to the party, too. But she has to stay at home because her mother isn't feeling well. She asks Jack to take a present to Sam for his birthday. She wants to give Sam a different present, so she gives him a very mice new pen. Whose mother isn't feeling well? <extra_id_0>Sam's. <extra_id_1>Jack's. <extra_id_2>Kate's <extra_id_3>The boy's <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Reseachers at the University of Kansas say that people can accurately juage 90 percent of a stranger's personality simply by looking at the person's shoes."Shoes convey useful information about their wearers,''the authors wrote in the new study published in the Journal of Research in Personality. Lead researcher Omri Gillath said the judgments were based on the style,cost,color and condition of someone's shoes.In the study,63 University of Kansas researchers looked at pictures showing 208 different pairs of shoes worn by the study's participants.Volunteers in the study were photographed in their most commonly worn shoes,and then filled out a personality questionnaire. Some of the results were expected:People with higher incomes most commonly wore expensive shoes,and flashier shoes were typically worn by outgoing people.However,some of the more specific results are strange enough.For example,"practical and functional'' shoes were generally worn by more "pleasant" people,while ankle boots were more linked with ''aggressive'' personalities.The strangest of all may be that those who wore' 'uncomfortable looking" shoes tend to have "calm" personalities.And if you have several pairs of new shoes or take extreme care of them,you may suffer from "attachment anxiety",spending lots of time worrying about what other people think of your appearance.There was even a political calculation in the mix with more liberal types wearing "shabbier and less expensive" shoes. The researchers noted that some people will choose shoe styles to mask their actual personalities,but researchers noted that volunteers were also likely to be unaware that their footwear choices were showing the deep side of their personalities. The author wrote the text in order to <extra_id_0>inform us of a new study <extra_id_1>introduce a research method <extra_id_2>teach how to choose shoes <extra_id_3>describe different personalitie <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_0>
<extra_id_5>Light that can burn skin is produced by a <extra_id_0>flashlight <extra_id_1>laser <extra_id_2>light bulb <extra_id_3>fluorescent light <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Joker found one of the biggest diamonds in the world in his own back yard. He sold the stone to a diamond dealer for over three hundred thousand dollars. In New York, the diamond was resold. This time for almost eight hundred thousand dollars. The true value of a diamond is never known until it has been cut. Once cut successfully, its value can increase a thousand times. It's easy to understand why the owner of the Joker diamond went to the best diamond cutter he knew, Kaplan. The cutter studied the diamond for twelve whole months. When he felt he was ready to start work, he discovered a flaw . He had to begin with his calculations all over again, or he might have made the stone useless. Six more months passed, and Kaplan finally said to the owner, "I m ready to start my work. There will be one excellent diamond that be comparable to any in the world, plus eleven small diamonds of first-class quality." Kaplan waited a few more days until be felt he was in the best physical and mental condition possible. He picked up his tools and held his breath as he made the first blow. The diamond split exactly as he promised. Kaplan studied the diamond for _ . <extra_id_0>one and a half years <extra_id_1>more than half a year <extra_id_2>over eighteen months <extra_id_3>more than nineteen months <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>Hummingbirds take what with them <extra_id_0>Bees <extra_id_1>energy <extra_id_2>Pollen <extra_id_3>Honey <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>
<extra_id_5>To Mr. Alcohol You've been with us for a long time. I won't forget all the pain you've caused for us. Do you remember the night you almost took my father's life? I do. He loves you. Sometimes I think he loves you more than he loves me. He's addicted to you, to the way you promise to rid him of his problems only to cause more of them. You just sat back and laughed as his car went spinning through the street, crashing into two other cars. He wasn't the only one hurt by you that night. Do you remember the night of my first high school party? You were there. My friends were _ by you. They treated you as if they were never going to see you again, drinking all of you that they could. I spent two hours that night helping my friends who had fallen completely. "I'm so embarrassed," they said as I held their hair back so that they could vomit . "I'm sorry," they said when I called taxies for them, walking them out and paying the driver in advance. "This won't happen again," they said as they were sent to the hospital to have their stomachs pumped . Two 15-year-old girls slept in hospital beds that night thanks to you. Do you remember the night when you took advantage of my 17-year-old neighbor who had to drive to pick up his sister from her dance lessons? Do you know how we all felt when he hit another car and killed the two people in the other car? He died the next morning too. His sister walked home from her dance lesson, and passed police cars and a crowd of people gathering on the sidewalk just two blocks away from the dance studio. She didn't realize her brother was in the midst of it all. She never saw him again. And it's all your fault. I wish you'd walk out of my life forever. I don't want anything to do with you. Look at all the pain you've caused. Sure, you've made people happy too from time to time. But the damage you've caused in the lives of millions is inexcusable. Stop luring in the people I love. Stop hurting me, please. What is author's purpose in writing to alcohol? <extra_id_0>To introduce Mr. Alcohol to the readers <extra_id_1>To show how much alcohol can hurt people. <extra_id_2>To describe the harm alcohol did to his family. <extra_id_3>To show the great fun that alcohol can bring to people's life. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>Noah Webster, born on October 16, 1758 , is known for The American Dictionary of the English Language. He has been called the " Father of American Scholarship and Education. " His " Blue-Backed Speller" books were used to teach spelling and reading to five generations of American children. But how much .do you know about him beyond that? At the age of 16, Noah Webster began attending ,Yale College. Unfortunately, he spent his four years at Yale during the American Revolutionary War, and, because of food shortages, many of his college classes were held in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Later, he served in the army. Having graduated from Yale in 1778, Webster wanted to continue his education in order to earn his law degree. He had to teach school in order to pay for his education. He set up many small schools that didn't survive, but he was a good teacher because instead of forcing his students to learn, like most teachers did, he rewarded them. He earned his law degree in 1781, but did not practice law until 1789. Once he started he found the law was not to his liking. Webster did not have much money. In 1793 , Alexander Hamilton lent him $ 1500 to move to New York City to edit a newspaper. In December, he founded New York ' s first daily newspaper, American Minerva, and edited it for four years. For decades, he published . textbooks, political essays, a report on some diseases, and newspaper articles for his party, He wrote so much that a modern list of his published works required 655 pages .Noah Webster died on May 28, 1843 and was buried in the Grove Street Cemetery. What did Noah want to be after graduation from Yale? <extra_id_0>A teacher. <extra_id_1>A lawyer. <extra_id_2>A headmaster. <extra_id_3>A scholar. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>The next time you look up at the sky and see a cloud that looks like Mickey Mouse or your favorite fruit, look again. It may not be a cloud, but a Flogo -- a logo that flies. It's a new form of advertising in the sky that's never been used before. It's a different way to market your products, logos, and events. These funny logos are made with soap bubbles mixed with a little helium gas ,which makes them lighter than air and float in the sky. Special machines are used to make these new funny Flogos. The machine, which can be rented for $ 2,500 a day, can make a Flogo every 15-25 seconds. Flogos can fly much higher or lower if needed. They can last from a few minutes to an hour anywhere in the sky, depending on the weather conditions. Though they can fly up to 20, 000 feet, they usually float around at 300- 500 feet. Flogos are only white now, but people hope to have more colorful Flogos in the near future. Flogos are Green, 100% environmentally safe, because the soap used to make the Flogo comes from plants and leaves. So this fun way of advertising is healthy and good for the environment. Why are Flogos healthy and good for the environment? <extra_id_0>Because they can float high and last for a long time in the sky. <extra_id_1>Because there is a little helium gas mixed with soap bubbles. <extra_id_2>Because the machines used to make them are special and expensive. <extra_id_3>Because the soap used to make them comes from plants and leaves. <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_3>
<extra_id_5>Do you want to know how you can succeed in a new school term? Here are several tips for you from some teachers. * Use a calendar or chart. Write down special tasks, activities and important dates on a calendar. This helps you remember things you need to do. You can also make a chart. Then, use colorful pens to circle or draw a line under your homework, reading tasks or other activities. By using a chart, you learn how to plan for your studies. * Buy folders in different colors. Put your notebooks in different folders according to the subject. This helps you keep papers and notes organized. * Books are great friends. Visit the bookstore or library every few weeks to find a new book to read. The more you get excited about reading, the more confident you will become. * Join all kinds of clubs or sports. It's important to communicate with teenagers outside of school. Joining sports clubs or other group activities is also a good way to help you learn how to get on with others. During this process , you can learn how to solve problems and respect others. * Ask for help. You're never too old to ask for help. You can turn to your teachers when there is a question about homework, projects or relationships with your family members. They are there to help solve problems and listen to you. You can NOT write down _ on a calendar. <extra_id_0>special tasks <extra_id_1>homework <extra_id_2>activities <extra_id_3>important dates <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_1>
<extra_id_5>How many coins nave you got in your pocket right now? Three? Two? A bent one? With a phonecard you can make up to 200 calls without any change at all. (1) What do you do with it? Go to a telephone box marked(you guessed it) "phonecard".Put in your card, make your call and when you've finished, a screen tells you how much is left on your card. (2) Now appear in a shop near you. Near each Cardphone place you'll find a shop where you can buy one. They're at bus, train and city tube stations . Many universities, hospitals and clubs. Restaurants and gas stations on the highway and shopping centres. At airports and seaports. (3) No more broken payphones. Most broken payphones are like that because they've been vandalized . There are no coins in Cardphone to excite thieves' interest in it. So you're not probably to find a vandalized one. Get a phonecard yourself and try it out ,or get a bigger wallet. The passage is most probably _ . <extra_id_0>a warning <extra_id_1>a note <extra_id_2>an advertisement <extra_id_3>an announcement <extra_id_4>
<extra_id_2>