instruction
stringlengths 104
6.76k
| output
stringclasses 4
values |
---|---|
<extra_id_5>Metal is sometimes what?
<extra_id_0>wooden
<extra_id_1>salty
<extra_id_2>polar opposite
<extra_id_3>wind
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>I'm perfectly aware that many people you know probably think you re crazy for wanting to travel instead of settling into a typical 9-5 lifestyle. It's difficult for others to understand your goals. Well, 1 certainly don't think you're crazy. In fact, every traveler I know would agree that you're only crazy if you decide not to go after your goals in life. I started traveling back in 1999, shortly after graduating from university. My plan was to backpack around Southeast Asia for three months and then return to the US to become a sports agent. However, just one week into that trip, I realized that tbree months of travel simply wasn't enough. The only problem was that I had less than $1,500 to my name. Fast forward lo today... Over the past 15 years, 1 have discovered, and taken advantage of, endless opportunities that have allowed me to continuously live, travel, study and earn money in over 85 countries. The point is, if I can make it happen with $1,500 and no idea what I was doing, you can make it happen as well. And with the knowledge and experience I'm about to pass on to you in this guide , you're going to have a much easier path ahead than I ever did! If you are constantly wondering how you can possibly achieve all of your travel goals during this lifetime, I just want to repeat everything you, re dreaming about really can be achieved. It'll take some haixl work and determination for sure, but when you find yourself living or traveling or working overseas, enjoying rewarding experiences, you'11 be thankful that you decided to choose a life of travel. And I honestly can't wait to meet up with you in some foreign land where we can swap travel stories over a beer or coffee or tea! How does the author sound when writing the passage?
<extra_id_0>Humorous.
<extra_id_1>Crazy.
<extra_id_2>Encouraging.
<extra_id_3>Anxious.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what`s important. ----Anonymous Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here`s what happened. I hopped in a taxi,and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when,all of a sudden,a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes,skidded,and missed the other car`s back end by just inches! The driver of the other car,who almost caused a big accident,started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean,he was friendly. So,I said,"Why did you just do that?This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck. " Many people are like garbage (rubbish)trucks. They run around full of garbage,full of frustration, full of anger,and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up,they need a place to dump it. And if you let them,they`ll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you,don`t take it personally. You just smile,wave,wish them well,and move on. You`ll be happy with what you did. I started thinking,how often do I led Garbage Trucks run right over me?And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work,at home,or on the streets?It was that day I said,"I`m not going to do anymore. " Successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you?If you let more garbage trucks pass you by,you`ll be happier. Life`s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So,Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don`t. What happened one day when the author was taking a taxi?
<extra_id_0>The taxi almost hit another car.
<extra_id_1>The taxi driver was injured.
<extra_id_2>The author scolded the driver of the other car.
<extra_id_3>The author learned a lesson from the driver of the garbage truck.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>If you haven't already, you too should switch to the latest eco-friendly, energy-efficient, energy-saving LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting. As the world becomes more focused on green issues, everyone should do their part in practicing energy efficiency, recycling, cutting down their CO2emissions and much, much more. One of the most successful campaigns that started in Australia is the now world-famous"Earth Hour". 2.2 million of Sydney's residents turned off their lights for an hour in a mass attempt to save energy. The following year, the same idea was adopted by a whole host of different cities. This is a great example of a campaign to promote eco-friendly options and energy efficiency. But while it clearly raises awareness, it is not a long-term solution to energy saving across the developed world. A long-term solution can be found in the form of switching to LED lighting rather than the traditional halogen lights found in a typical home. Put simply, LED lighting is the future of lighting. LED lamps use up only a fraction of the energy compared to that of regular lamps. They also produce a quality flicker-free light, and will last longer than a regular light with 50,000 hours being realistic. Not only are they longer lasting and more energy-efficient with no sacrifice in light quality, but they may quickly become a possible substitute for regular lamps that have been previously installed by homes and businesses. An ordinary 50 watt low-voltage halogen light on for 4 hours a day would cost $ 25 per year to run. With a life span of around 3,000 hours it will typically stop working at the two-year mark. Compared with the regular one, an LED light of 50 watts operating for the same period will cost roughly $ 6 per year to run and last 50,000 hours. That means it won't have to be replaced for 24 years! It really is a _ to switch to energy-saving LED lighting. Plus, you will be doing your bit for the environment by becoming more eco-friendly. Earth Houris held in the world every year in order to _ .
<extra_id_0>ask people to generate more energy for daily use
<extra_id_1>call on people to use less energy as much as possible
<extra_id_2>remind people to remember the days without lights
<extra_id_3>advise people to have a good rest after working hard
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Anyone who is afraid of failure and afraid to face challenges will never taste success, so said our professor in marketing. I laughed it off at that time, but got frightened when it actually happened in my life. I landed in a small city in the Middle East to set up a firm, a world-class car rental firm. Having decided on the project, I earnestly settled in preparation. With a positive mind, I told myself nothing should stop me now, and was more than keen to make it a success. However, the least expected thing happened. Iraq invaded Kuwait. Tension ran high in the region. Eventually the war broke out, and many people fled the country, leaving my firm in deep trouble. As usual, "things become difficult, and every effort seems to bring disappointment, it can be tempting to lower your expectations or even water down your goals and ambitions."I was no exception. I thought of running away. I remembered the words of Thomas Edison, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to succeed when they gave up." I decided to hang on, telling myself, "I am not afraid of challenges and obstacles." I stayed on through months of uncertainty and insecurity. Finances ran low, and banks could not wait to get their dues. To add to all this, the banks even threatened to take all my vehicles. I felt I made a wrong decision to move there. I was now ready to face failure. I was living against all hopes, believing that something good would happen. After 2 months the war ended. My persistence paid off: people started flooding back and the car bookings picked up, five times over. Success comes to the one who dares, even after failure, to think positively and look forward confidently. After all, it is only the experience that makes a man tough. Failure does not mean you will never make it. It means that it will take a little longer. It provides us with a learning experience. How did the author feel when the war between Iraq and Kuwait broke out?
<extra_id_0>Unconfident
<extra_id_1>Indifferent
<extra_id_2>Nervous
<extra_id_3>Calm
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>WASHINGTON(Reuters)-People who drink two or more sweetened soft drinks a week have a much higher risk of pancreatic cancer , an unusual but deadly cancer, researchers reported on Monday. People who drank mostly fruit juice instead of sodas did not have the same risk, the study of 60,000 people in Singapore found. "Sugar may be to blame but people who drink sweetened sodas regularly often have other poor health habits," said Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota, who led the study. "The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth," President said in a statement. Writing in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Pereira and his colleagues said they followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore--Chinese Health Study for 14 years. Over that time, 140 of the volunteers developed pancreatic cancer. Those who drank two or more sweetened soft drinks a week had an 87 percent higher risk of being among those who got pancreatic cancer. Pereira said he believed the findings would apply elsewhere. "Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent healthcare. Favorite pastimes are eating and shopping, so the findings should apply to other western countries." he said. But Susan Mayne of the Yale Cancer Center at Yale University in Connecticut was cautious. "Although this study found a risk, the finding was based on a relatively small number of cases and it remains unclear whether it was a causal connection or not." Said Mayne, who serves on thee board of the journal, which is published by the American Association for Cancer Research. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest form of cancer, with 230,000 cases globally. In the United States, 37,680 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in a year and 34, 290 die of it. We can infer from Pereira's word that _
<extra_id_0>the healthcare in Singapore should be greatly improved
<extra_id_1>2 soft drinks a day are considered harmful to health
<extra_id_2>87 out of 140 volunteers developed pancreatic cancer
<extra_id_3>sugar might not be the only cause of pancreatic cancer.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Mandara seemed to know something big was about to happen. So she let out a yell, caught hold of her 2-year-old daughter Kibibi and climbed up into a tree. She lives at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. And on Tuesday, August 23rd, witnesses say she seemed to sense the big earthquake that shook much of the East Coast before any humans knew what was going on. And she's not the only one. In the moments before the quake, an orangutan let out a loud call and then climbed to the top of her shelter. "It's very different from their normal call," said Brandie Smith, the zookeeper. "The lemurs (monkey-like animals of Madagascar) will sound an alarm call if they see or hear something highly unusual." But you can't see or hear an earthquake 15 minutes before it happens, can you? Maybe you can -- if you're an animal. "Animals can hear above and below our range of hearing," said Brandie Smith. "That's part of their special abilities. They're more sensitive to the environment, which is how they survive." Primates weren't the only animals that seemed to sense the quake before it happened. One of the elephants made a warning sound. And a huge lizard ran quickly for _ . The flamingoes (a kind of bird) gathered before the quake and stayed together until the shaking stopped. So what kind of vibrations were the animals picking up in the moments before the quake? Scientist Susan Hough says earthquakes produce two types of waves -- a weak "P" wave and then a much stronger "S" wave. The "P" stands for "primary". And the "S" stands for "secondary". She said she thinks the "P" wave might be what set the animals off. Not all the animals behaved unusually before the quake. For example, Smith says the zoo's giant pandas didn't jump up until the shaking actually began. But many of the other animals seemed to know something was coming before it happened. "I'm not surprised at all," Smith said. Which animal seems unable to sense a quake?
<extra_id_0>A giant panda.
<extra_id_1>A flamingo.
<extra_id_2>A lemur.
<extra_id_3>A lizard.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>Today, I will tell you a story about AbdulRahman, a friend of mine, who was the victim of the big name DHL. I am sure that 90% of you have at least heard of it. It is known for being the best company when it comes to shipping. It is thought to be fast ,reliable and safe. AbdulRahman's brother bought him a mobile phone while he was in the United Kingdom. He wanted to send it to him here in Kuwait . AbdulRahman specifically asked him to send it through DHL. He trusted the company that much, as most people do. But in the end, even though the company told him that it would take up to 5 days for the phone to arrive at AbdulRahman's door, he never received it. And after two weeks of him calling them and hearing the same response "We will investigate the matter, and let you know of our decision by next week. We might pay you back up to 50% of the item's cost." So they are not paying him the full price of the thing they have lost, or as we think, they have stolen. We have reason to think that way, because according to the records, the mobile phone went "missing" while it was in a "sorting facility" of the company. Last Tuesday, they stopped telling him "We are investigating the matter" and officially said, "We ended the investigation. Your shipment is missing." We are still waiting to hear their "decision" about whether they will try to make it up to him, by "maybe" paying him up to 50% , and nothing more. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
<extra_id_0>AbdulRahman doubted the service of DHL from the very start.
<extra_id_1>It took DHL several weeks to investigate the case.
<extra_id_2>DHL refused to accept AbdulRahman's complaint.
<extra_id_3>DHL promised to pay the full cost of the item.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Read the advertisements carefully. Then answer the questions that follow. INTERESTED IN CHILDCARE? Qualified person or preschool teacher needed for busy childcare center, south of the river. Full-time work guaranteed. Immediate start necessary. The candidate must be able to work as a co-operative team member, Phone 6345 2345 for an interview and fax resume to 6345 2346. WE NEED OFFICE CLEANERS! Three people are required for professional cleaning in the CBD area. Working hours from 5:00 p. m. on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. Approximately five hours per shift. A good record is necessary. Experience preferred. Phone 6345 7843 now. WANT TO WORK AS A DENTAL NURSE? This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified dental nurse with a confident and cheerful personality to work in the School Dental health Scheme. You must be able to get along well with children because work involves talking to groups about dental health practices. For further information, visit our website: _ And fax your resume to 6234 4567. FLORIST WANTED! Are you a creative and trained florist with at least two years of experience? Then this may be just what you are seeking. The city's leading Florist Artist Studio needs another part-time member on their wedding team. Please phone 6098 7888 now! The office cleaners will be required to work about _ hours a week.
<extra_id_0>5
<extra_id_1>10
<extra_id_2>15
<extra_id_3>20
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>It is obvious that doctors recognize obesity as a health problem. So why is it so hard for them to talk to their patients about it? The results of two surveys, one of primary care physicians and the other of patients, found that while most doctors want to help patients lose weight and think it is their responsibility to do so, they often don't know what to say. "So while doctors may tell patients they are overweight, the conversation often ends there," said Christine C. Ferguson, director of the _ . "Patients are not told about the possibility of diabetes ," she said. "And doctors don't feel they have good information to give. They felt that they didn't have adequate tools to address this problem. The lack of dialogue hurts patients, too. The patient survey, of over 1,000 adults, found that most overweight patients don't even know that they're too heavy. Only 39 percent of overweight people surveyed had ever been told by a health care provider that they were overweight. Of those who were told they were obese, 90 percent were also told by their doctors to lose weight, the survey found. In fact most have tried to lose weight and may have been successful in the past--and many are still trying, the survey found. And many understand that losing even a small amount of weight can have a positive impact on their health and reduce their risk of obesityrelated diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Dr. William Bestermann Jr., medical director of Holston Medical Group, in Kingsport, Tenn. , which ranks the 10th in obesity among metropolitan areas in the United States, said the dialogue had to be an ongoing one and could not be dropped after just one mention of the problem. "If you're to be successful with helping your patients lose weight, you have to talk to them at actually every visit about their progress, and find something to encourage them and coach them," he said. He acknowledged that many doctors tend to be not optimistic. "Part of this is that there's this common belief, and doctors are burdened by it, too, that overweight people are weak-willed and just don't have any willpower and are selfindulgent and all that business," he said. "If you think that way, you're not going to spend time having a productive conversation." According to the passage, which factor contributes to the lack of dialogue between doctors and patients?
<extra_id_0>Most doctors never think of warning their patients about their weight problem.
<extra_id_1>Many doctors find it difficult to persuade overweight people to lose weight.
<extra_id_2>Most patients are too weak-willed to do anything about their weight.
<extra_id_3>Many patients tend not to trust their doctors about their weight problem.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>World Future Society People People may live for up to 120 years and use new technology to help when people go blind, deaf and have other problems. The number of people over a hundred years old could go from 135,000 today to 2.2 million people by 2050. By 2015 people think that 100 million workers will be able to work from home for a company in a different country by using the Internet. Money Worldwide e-business will become even more successful with online shops that sell special products for each person, which will be brought to their house the next day. Environment The technology for making energy from wind and the Sun is growing very quickly. In the future wind and Sun energy could become much cheaper and many more countries could use it. This would be very useful in poor countries. The air in big cities would also become much cleaner and healthier as a result. Society and culture The Internet will help to create more worldwide friendships. Families may spend more time together as people will be able to do 24-hour online banking and shopping. Technology The new science of "nanotechnology" (very small robots or machines) will make all sorts of products smaller and lighter. Very, very small machines could take away rubbish, make things in factories, and help inside the human body by taking away fat. By 2012 people will be able to wear these small machines that look like watches, which will give them lots of information about their body and keep them healthy. The new science of "nanotechnology" will _ .
<extra_id_0>drive small machines to work for people
<extra_id_1>make good-quality watches
<extra_id_2>allow people to eat more
<extra_id_3>make very small products
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames. Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag. Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music. Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said,"Jazz and I grew up together." Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet at a boy's home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the steam-boats that travelled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal. In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song. His cornet playing had a deep humanity and warmth that caused many listeners to say,"Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over."He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most-admired people in the world. His death, on July 6 , 1971, was headline news around the world. Which would be best title for the text?
<extra_id_0>The Invention of the Jazz Music
<extra_id_1>The Father of the Jazz Style
<extra_id_2>The Making of a Musician
<extra_id_3>The Spread of Popular Music
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>For most of us, the purpose of the holidays is to bring peace, love, and goodwill towards all. Yet, for many, the holiday season often means stress, fatigue, pressure, disappointment and loneliness. These feelings, often known as the "holiday blues", may be even more prevalent, due to the emotional turmoil of the past few months, not to mention the unsteady economy. Experts say even the more ritual tasks of shopping, decorating, late-night parties, cooking, planning and family reunions can be holiday stressors. In addition, the psychological phenomenon known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, may bring a specific type of depression related to winter's shorter days and longer nights. "Certainly just because it's the holidays doesn't mean people are going to be happy," says Dr. Doug Jacobs of prefix = st1 /HarvardUniversity. "And this will be a particularly hard holiday for some who are dealing with a lost job, debt, or even a lost loved one." And with family reunions becoming less frequent events over the years, there is now the added pressure of getting just one chance to get it all right. "Families are much more different now. The disappointment and sense of alienation that often results from family gatherings, is actually a realization that the fantasy is not met." says John Stutesman, a clinical psychologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Still, say experts, the blues should be addressed. The most essential step, says Stutesman, is for the individual to acknowledge their feelings and the reason for their withdrawal. "Denial will only compound the stress they're feeling." Stutesman recommends people do things that are normally comforting in order to get a handle on the holiday stress. "If they're feeling a little blue, they should try to do things personally satisfying for them. Maybe this is exercise, cooking, reading a book, or massage." Stutesman also advises that sometimes "avoidance is actually not such a bad idea." In some situations, fulfilling social obligations may be self-destructive when the best thing may be to just stay home. The healthy choice has to do with taking care of oneself." Which of the followings is not the reason that causes the "holiday blues"?
<extra_id_0>Emotional turmoil of the past few months.
<extra_id_1>Summer's longer days and shorter nights.
<extra_id_2>Unsteady financial condition.
<extra_id_3>Ritual tasks of daily life.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Robert had just moved into the street and he felt strange that he was not wanted. He knew that perhaps the other boy students were trying to get an idea of what kind of a boy he was. This did not help to make him less lonely. He was new and he had to be tested. Still, proving himself would not be all that easy. He did not want to run with bad boys or get into something against the law to prove that he was strong. No! He must show what he was made of in a more helpful way. That would be better when he got the idea. The next day was Saturday. He knew that most of the boys would be down on the playground and choose up sides for the Saturday game. Robert knew he could play well and that just might be enough to prove he was strong and to make friends with them. He arrived early and did his step exercises. He shot the ball several times and did some other exercises--the most difficult and most wonderful in basketball. Then the boys came. Robert went through what he had done before the game and showed what he could do. No one said a word. The boys just looked at each other and thought about it. In the end, when it was all over, the biggest of the group just smiled and shook his head. Robert knew he had made it. When did Robert decide to prove himself by playing basketball?
<extra_id_0>After he had thought about the two wrong ways.
<extra_id_1>Long before he moved into the street.
<extra_id_2>When the other boys came down to the playground.
<extra_id_3>As soon as he showed what he was made of in front of the other boys.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>When NASA astronaut Scott Kelly completes his yearlong mission on the International Space Station next year, he'll come back just a little bit younger than his twin, Mark, than he was before. This is because time travels more slowly in space, a phenomenon first described by Albert Einstein's 1915 theory of general relativity. This December, universities and academies around the world are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the theory's publication. Even 60 years after his death, Einstein is still the most important scientist of the modern era. Looking back as far as 2,400 years ago, only Newton, Galileo and Aristotle were his equals. Born in the era of horse-drawn carriages, his ideas started a technological revolution that brought about more change in one century than in the 2,000 years before. In 1905, Einstein published four important scientific papers. These completely changed people's ideas about space, time, light and matter. In one of these papers Einstein. introduced his theory of special relativity. Two groundbreaking parts of the theory were about the relationship between mass and energy and the speed of light. Einstein was able to show that mass and energy were connected through the formula E=MC2. The theory also says that no object can travel faster than the speed of light. About 10 years later came his theory of general relativity, the theory that modern physics is really based on. In Einstein's mathematics, space has three dimensions, and the fourth dimension is time. Space and time are part of one continuum, called space-time. The presence of mass changes space-time, which explains where gravity comes from. Computers, satellites, telecommunication, lasers, television and nuclear power, many of the biggest developments in the modern world, can be linked to Einstein's work. "We are a different people than we were a century ago," said astrophysicist Michael Shara of the American Museum of Natural. History, "completely different, because of Einstein." However, there's more to him beyond the image of a science mastermind. Einstein, as a person, has also become a grandfatherly icon in our culture. He liked playing Mozart on his Violin and keeping fit by hiking and walking. Power was not his goal. In 1952, the young nation of Israel asked Einstein to be its president, but he refused. And, yes, he was eccentric. With hair like that, how could he not be? By using Michael Shara's words, the author intends to _ .
<extra_id_0>give high praise to Einstein's important publications
<extra_id_1>stress the great contribution that Einstein made to the modern world
<extra_id_2>suggest that more research needs to be done into Einstein and his work
<extra_id_3>say that there was more to Einstein than just being a science genius
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Chores were not popular at my house.My children didn't like to do chores.They always saw me do chores, but they hardly ever helped me do them. A year ago, I made a game called "The Endless Chore Game".It's really great.Here's how the game works. I made a card with forty squares ( ) and I write a different chore on each square.These chores can be easy and interesting like making dessert.Then my family roll the dice to decide what chores we have to do.The card also has a few squares with fun things, like watching TV and singing.If you are lucky, you can watch TV when the others are doing the chores. My son likes the game very much.He goes to the kitchen happily every morning to do the game.It is really a good way to make my children do chores.You can have a try if you have the same problem with me. The writer made this game to _ .
<extra_id_0>do less chores
<extra_id_1>tell us an interesting game
<extra_id_2>make her children happy
<extra_id_3>make her children do chores
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>For the 17 years my life was very happy. Then the first sad thing happened. My mother became very ill, and soon she knew that she was dying. Just before she died, she asked Elizabeth and me to go to her room. She held our hands and said, "Victor and Elizabeth, my children, I'm very happy because you love each other, and because one day you'll get married. Everyone in the family loves you, Elizabeth. Will you take my place in the family, my dear? I can die happy if you look after them when I have gone." My mother died and we were very sad, because we loved her dearly. Elizabeth was brave and helped us; her sweet smile gave us some happiness in the unhappy days after my mother's death. The time came for me to go to university. I didn't want to leave my sad family, but we all knew that I should go. It was hard to leave, too, because the parents of my good friend Henry would not let him go to university with me. So I had gone alone. On my first day at university I met my teacher, Professor Waldman, who was one of the greatest scientists in the world. He gave a wonderful talk to all the students who were starting at the university. He ended his talk by saying, "Some of you will become the greatest scientists of tomorrow. You must study hard and discover everything that you can. This is why God made you intelligent--to help other people." After the professor's talk, I thought very carefully. I remembered the storm when I was 15; I remembered how the lightning had destroyed the tree. From then on, I wanted to use electricity to help people, and I wanted to discover the secrets of life. I decided to work on these two things. I started to work the next day. I worked very hard and soon Professor Waldman and I realized that I could learn to be a very good scientist. The professor helped me very much, and other important scientists who were his friends helped me, too. I was interested in my work and I did not take one day's holiday during the next two years, I did not go home, and my letters to my family were very short. After two years, I had discovered many things and I built a scientific machine that was the best in the university. My machine would help me answer the most important question of all. How does life begin? Is it possible to put life into dead things? To answer these questions about life I had to learn first about death. I had to watch bodies from the moment when they died and the warm life left them. In the hospital and in the university, I watched the dying and the dead. Day after day, month after month, I followed death, so it was a dark and terrible time. I built a tall mast about 150 meters high, which is higher than the tallest building in the city, to catch lightning and send the electricity down to my machine in the lab. I believed I could use that electricity to give life to things that were dead. Then one day, the answer came to me. Suddenly I was sure that I knew the secret of life. According to the author, the secret of life is to _ .
<extra_id_0>give life to things that were dead
<extra_id_1>use electricity to help others
<extra_id_2>build the best machine to learn about death
<extra_id_3>become the greatest scientist of tomorrow
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>Glass can become a liquid if
<extra_id_0>it is baked
<extra_id_1>it is frozen
<extra_id_2>it is dampened
<extra_id_3>it is dyed
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>It may seem to be a hard task to trace back the history of rap music, though you often see the informal music associated with highly informal dance style. As far as the origin of rap music is concerned, most people agree that it is from Afro-American and Latino Street culture of New York City. Not only in this city but in the surrounding areas there is the influence of African people and their culture. Rap is a vocal style in which the performer speaks rhythmically and in rhyme, generally to a beat. The term of rap music is the same with hip-hop music typically-consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap. If we see it carefully, then we will definitely notice that the music usually is sung at higher pitches . Most of the time rap music is associated with chorus. Though rap music was primarily an American music style with African influence over its music and lyrics, recently it has been spread to almost the entire world. There is hardly any country or nation where rap music cannot be seen in some form or another, and it is one of the most popular music styles among the youngsters. However, when it comes to its history, it is believed that hip-hop or rap music started in the early 1970s,and gained much popularity throughout the world during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The history of rap music and hip-hop music is full of controversies and bans, as the lyrics sometimes relate to drugs and crime; even most famous pop stars and hip-hop musicians and singers were found to be associated with the controversies in their life. For that reason, no matter how popular this music style was or still is, it has always had a bad reputation in the eyes of mainstream society. The characteristics of rap music are _ .
<extra_id_0>solo, rhymes,beats and pops
<extra_id_1>speaking, rhythms,beats and solo
<extra_id_2>repeating, speaking, pops and chorus
<extra_id_3>speaking, rhymes, beats and chorus
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Guide dogs are a big help to blind people. A guide dog helps its owner cross the street and do many other things. But it is not easy to become a guide dog. Here's what a dog must do to get the job: 1. When the dog is very young, trainers watch the dog to make sure it is friendly and quiet. 2. For one year, the dog goes to live with a testing family. The family teaches the dog some simple words, like "Sit!" and "Stay!" 3. Then the dog goes to school, where trainers teach the dog to lead a person. The dog must learn to _ cars and other dangers in the street or in the neighborhood. 4. The trainers take the dog into town to practice going into stores and banks. 5. If the dog has done well at school, it is ready to meet his blind owner. Now they will work as a team. The story is probably written to _ .
<extra_id_0>explain how guide dogs are trained
<extra_id_1>tell people to get pet dogs
<extra_id_2>compare dogs with other pets
<extra_id_3>help blind people find the right pet
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>Drew was tried for the July 21 murder of Victor."Drew called Wilson to testify to alibi. On crossexamination of Wilson, the prosecution asked, "Isn't it a fact that you are Drew's first cousin?" The question is
<extra_id_0>proper, because it goes to bias.
<extra_id_1>proper, because a relative is not competent to give reputation testimony.
<extra_id_2>improper, because the question goes beyond the scope of direct examination.
<extra_id_3>improper, because the evidence being sought is irrelevant
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>What will you do if you get five million ? Different people give different answers. Sally If I get five million, I want to do business. I will do a lot of things for my family. For me nothing is more important than my family. I will buy a new house for them and travel around the world. Joe If I have five million, I will use the money to do everything I like. First, I will use two million to open my own shop. And I will use another two million to buy some new houses. In the future, the houses which I buy will become more expensive, and I will sell them to other people. Finally, I will use one million to buy some presents for my family and my best friends. Anna If I have five million, I will put three million in the bank and spend two million. I will visit Paris, London and New York. I will eat delicious food, play games, and build a house with a swimming pool. Jack I will buy an island if I have five million. Then I will be the king of the island. I will invite my friends to my island. ,. Who will do business if he / she gets five million?
<extra_id_0>Sally.
<extra_id_1>Jack.
<extra_id_2>Anna.
<extra_id_3>We don't know.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>To function, electrical energy is required for what kind of devices?
<extra_id_0>wet
<extra_id_1>zapping powered
<extra_id_2>hydro
<extra_id_3>watery
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Most penguins died after a huge iceberg grounded near their habitat in Antarctica,forcing them to make a long way to find food, scientists say in a newly published study. The B09B iceberg, measuring about 100 square kilometers, grounded in Commonwealth Bay in East Antarctica in December 2010, the researchers from Australia and New Zealand wrote in the "Antarctic Science" journal. The Adelie penguin population at the bay's Cape Denison was measured to be about 160,000 in February 2011 but by December 2013 it had decreased to about 10,000, they said. The iceberg's grounding meant the penguins had to walk more than 60 kilometers to find food, preventing their breeding attempts, said the researchers from the University of New South Wales' ( UNSW) Climate Change Research Centre and New Zealand's West Penguin Trust. "The Cape Denison population could disappear completely within 20 years unless B09B relocates or the fast ice within the bay breaks out,"they wrote in the research published in. Fast ice is sea ice which forms and stays along the coast. During their survey in December 2013 , the researchers said "hundreds of abandoned eggs were noted, and the freeze-dried dead bodies of previous season's little penguins lay everywhere on the ground." "It's strangely silent,"UNSW's Chris Turney , who led the 2013 exploration , told the"Sydney Morning Herald Friday"."The ones that we saw at Cape Denison were terribly low-spirited , almost unaware of your existence . The ones that are surviving are clearly struggling. They can hardly survive themselves , let alone give birth to the next generation. We saw lots of dead birds on the ground." In contrast, penguins living on the eastern edge of the bay just 8 kilometers from the fast ice edge were full of _ , the scientists said. The researchers said the study had important influence on the wider East Antarctic if the current situation of increasing sea ice continued. Sea ice around Antarctica is increasing, in contrast to the Arctic where global warming is causing ice to melt and icebergs to decrease. Scientists believe the growth in Antarctic sea ice is likely to be driven by changes in wind and local conditions before long. What's the main reason why the Adelie penguin population decreased?
<extra_id_0>Many Adelie penguins died from the cold weather in Antanctic.
<extra_id_1>They didn't have enough time to give birth to and raise babies.
<extra_id_2>The iceberg's grounding killed a number of Adelie penguins.
<extra_id_3>Adelie penguins lost their habitats so they couldn't breed.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Limit the use of private cars, improve public transport and encourage the use of bicycles to control traffic congestion during the 2008 Olympics, experts from foreign countries advised Beijing on Friday. Professor Nigel Wilson, of the civil and environmental engineering department of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said he was "supportive to the limiting of private cars during the Olympic Games", saying that in foreign countries, the method is also adopted during big events, but he was unsure about the approach. The government planned to keep an average of more than one million cars off the roads to improve traffic flow during the Olympics, said Liu Xiaoming, deputy director of the Beijing Traffic Committee, at the China Planning Network First Urban Transportation Congress. Sharing Wilson's view, Dr. Yoshitsugu Hayashi, dean of the Graduate School of Environmental Studies of Nagoya University, believed the reduction in car use should be achieved not by banning, but through _ . "Drivers who don't use their private cars could be given points," he said, "and the points could be exchanged for goods from online shopping." Wetzel stressed limiting the use of company cars. "Governmental officials should also be encouraged to use public transportation or ride bicycles," he said, adding that he himself is a bicycle-rider in London. Matthew Martimo, director of Traffic Engineering with Citilabs, said the bicycle was China's advantage. "Limiting private cars is an idea worth trying but it is just a temporary solution," he said. "The real cause of congestion is high density of people in Beijing and many have cars." Beijing, with a population of 15 million, is home to more than three million automobiles, and the number is rising by 1,000 a day. Professor Wilson said the Olympic Games was a great opportunity for Beijing to think about traffic problems and develop transportation, adding that the city had already been making public transport more efficient. Beijing has promised to stretch its 114-kilometer city railway to 200 kilometers before the opening of the Olympic Games. "We are looking forward to borrowing Beijing's experiences and drawing from its lessons in preparation for the 2012 Olympics," said Wetzel. The purpose of the passage is _ .
<extra_id_0>to limit the use of private cars, improve public transport
<extra_id_1>to encourage the use of bicycles to control traffic congestion during the 2008 Olympics
<extra_id_2>to borrow Beijing's experiences and draw from its lessons in preparation for the 2012 Olympics
<extra_id_3>to tell the advice given by foreign experts on traffic congestion during 2008 Beijing Olympics
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>The plate-tectonic model has achieved the status of a scientific theory due to which property of the model?
<extra_id_0>It has been empirically proved to be true.
<extra_id_1>It has passed extensive, independent tests of its predictions.
<extra_id_2>It is clearer, simpler, and more plausible than other models.
<extra_id_3>It provides guidelines for Earth-science investigations that are scientifically valid.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>There are all kinds of food in the world. Some people like the Chinese food. Firstly, the Chinese food has a lot of fruit and green vegetables. It has little sugar and fat. Secondly, the Chinese food is very delicious and has many dishes. So Chinese people can keep fit and have white teeth. However, some people enjoy the western food. Now many people, especially the workers in companies , are too busy to have lunch slowly so the western food meets their need and they can eat quickly. And the food is not too bad, too. It is a great pleasure to try eating a different style of food. In my opinion, I like the Chinese food more than the western food. First of all I'm a Chinese and used to Chinese food, it can keep us healthy. On the other hand, the western food is high in fat, sugar and salt. If you eat too much these food and don't take enough exercise, you'll get fat easily. The western food is too expensive and "not good value for money". The Chinese food has _ .
<extra_id_0>little sugar and green vegetables
<extra_id_1>a lot of fruit and green vegetables
<extra_id_2>no sugar and no fat
<extra_id_3>a lot of fruit and sugar
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Thousands of years ago, birthdays were considered special days. On birthdays, the bad spirits were able to harm you and change your life. It was believed that the only way to solve the problem was to have your friends and family around you, so that good wishes and presents would keep the bad spirits away. Also, noisemakers were thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits. The custom of lighting candles was created by people believing that the gods lived in the sky. By lighting candles and torches, they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods, so they could be answered. Blowing out the candles and making a wish were thought to be another way of sending a signal or a message. This is how the way we celebrate our birthdays came about. But different cultures celebrate in different ways. The birthday story in the Bible that we know best is about the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem(:). For nearly 2000 years since that day, the Christian world has been honoring this birth. The day many Englishmen celebrate is, of course, Christmas. There are other references to birthday parties. King Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by making a feast for his court followers. That was over 4000 years ago. The story of King Herod tells that on his birthday he made a supper for his lords, high captains and other special friends in Galilee (:). Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>People send messages to the gods by lighting or blowing out the candles.
<extra_id_1>The gods celebrate their birthdays by lighting candles.
<extra_id_2>The custom of lighting candles originated with the gods.
<extra_id_3>The gods will help people realize their dreams on their birthdays.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>Which traits could be pass along using reproduction and genetic material?
<extra_id_0>nose
<extra_id_1>thoughts
<extra_id_2>money
<extra_id_3>habits.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>You had me at "Hello"! It turns out our opening words speak volumes--people take less than a second to form an impression of someone's personality based on their voice alone. We know that our voices can convey information about our sex, age, even body strength and certain personality characteristics, but Phil McAleer at the University of Glasgow and his colleagues wondered whether we make an instant impression. To find out, they recorded 64 volunteers as they read a passage. They then picked the word "hello" and asked 320 listeners to mark the voices for personality characteristics--including trust, dominance and attractiveness. Although it's not clear how accurate such immediate judgements are, what is obvious is that we all make them, and very quickly. "We were surprised by just how similar people's marks were," says McAleer. It makes sense that decisions about personality should happen really fast, says McAleer. The impression that our voices convey appears to be related to several factors, such as sex differences and age groups, especially the pitch of voice on the top. For example, the pitch of a person's voice influenced how reliable they seemed. "A guy who raises his pitch becomes more trustworthy," says McAleer. "Whereas a girl who changes from a high to a low pitch is seen as more trustworthy than a girl whose voice goes up at the end of the word." It is possible to change some of these aspects of your voice, he says. "It has been said that Margaret Thatcher and the Queen were both trained to make their voices appear more dominant." Some aspects, though, can't be changeable. "The methods used in this paper are familiar, but the conclusions are new and very interesting," says Jody Kreiman, a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles. The way the study links personality to attractiveness and reproductive fitness makes sense biologically, she says. The team hope that their work can be used to help create artificial voices for people who have lost their own due to a medical condition, as well as creating lovely and charming voices for satnavs , and other robotics. "You might also use this kind of work to find the right person to front a team," says McAleer, "you don't want a really unreliable voice running your call centre." The study by Phil McAleer and his colleagues aims to find out .
<extra_id_0>how to change some aspects of voice
<extra_id_1>whether people can make an instant impression by voice
<extra_id_2>what role "hello" plays in communication
<extra_id_3>the relationship between voices and personality characteristics
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>However you decide to travel in Britain, a great starting point is Traveline-a very useful site that will help you plan your journey and get loads of information for national, regional and local travel. By Air Though Britain is a small country, flying can be a competitive choice, especially if you book ahead and travel early in the morning or late in the evening, you can get some great deals which can be cheaper than going by train. Airlines with good regional coverage are listed below... By Train Trains can be a rewarding , relaxing and, if you book in advance, good value way to travel round Britain. Lots of different companies run services in Britain. So start by contacting National Rail (Tel: 08705484950; outside UK + 44 1332 387601). It's a helpful, centralized service that provides timetable and fare information. To buy tickets, you have to contact individual train operating companies or use a website such as Traveline. Some of the major companies are listed below ... By Coach It is the cheapest way to travel long distances, and you can see a lot more of the country while you're traveling than by train. National Express-Largest national coach network with excellent value BritXplorer passes that you can use on the whole network for 7, 14 and 28 days. Tel: 08705808080 UK only. Meag Bus-Mega value, no-frills intercity travel. City Link-Scotland's leading coach company. Tel: 08705 505050 UK only. Traveling-Provide information about bus travel all over the country. Tel: 08706 082608 UK only. By Car Rental rates can be fairly high in the UK, but if there are several of you, hiring a car can be a good value way to travel. Try and book in advance for better deals. If you are planning on traveling extensively in Britain it might be worth buying a car to travel round and then selling it afterwards. Major rental companies include ... By Ferry The main ferries in Britain serve the islands west and north of Scotland. Caledonian Mac (Tel: 08705650000) is the main operator off the west coast. North-link Ferries (Tel: 08456 000449) is the main operator to Orkney and the only sea-going choice to the Shetlands. Check out the Ferry Information for more information. If you are planning to visit Britain, you'd better first visit _ .
<extra_id_0>National Rail
<extra_id_1>Northlink Ferries
<extra_id_2>Traveline
<extra_id_3>Ferry Information
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>I was at the post office early that morning, hoping to post a letter at the start of a busy day. Instead, , I found myself standing in a queue that went all the way into the hallway.I had never seen so many people there on a weekday. The queue moved very slowly.My patience ran out and I got angry. When I got to the counter finally, I finished my business quickly and briefly, and then walked past the queue that was now extending past the front door. Thinking I was going to be late for my dentist appointment, I was scowling as I headed into the parking lot. A woman was coming across the lot in my direction.She was walking with determination, and each step sounded very heavy.I noticed that she had a scowling on her face. Her body language said that she was having a really terrible day.My anger disappeared.I wished I could wrap her in a hug but I was a stranger. So I did what I could in a minute before she hurried past me-I smiled.In a second everything changed.She was surprised. Then her face softened and her shoulders relaxed.I saw her take a deep breath.Her pace slowed and she smiled back at me as we passed each other. I continued to smile all the way to my car. Wow, it's amazing what a simple smile can do.From then on, I became aware of people's expressions and my own, the way we show our feelings.Now I use that awareness in my everyday life to let it remind me that when facing the world, I can try a smile. Why did the writer become angry at the post office?
<extra_id_0>The worker there was impatient.
<extra_id_1>She failed to post her letter.
<extra_id_2>Some people cut in line.
<extra_id_3>She had to wait for a long time.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>When newspapers and radio describe the damage caused by a hurricane named Hazel, girls named Hazel are probably teased by their friends. To keep out of trouble, the Weather Bureau says,"Any _ between hurricane names and the names of particular girls is purely accidental." Some women became angry because hurricanes are given their names, but many other women are proud to see their names make headlines. They don't even care that they are the names of destructive storms. Because more women seem to like it than dislike it, the Weather Bureau has decided to continue using girl's names for hurricanes. In some ways a hurricane is like a person. After it is born, it grows and develops, then becomes old and dies. Each hurricane has a character of its own. Each follows its own path through the world, and people remember it long after it gone. So it is natural to give hurricanes' names, and to talk about them almost if they were alive. Public opinions make the Weather Bureau _ .
<extra_id_0>consider the disagreement of some women
<extra_id_1>go on naming hurricanes after women
<extra_id_2>name hurricanes after men
<extra_id_3>look for a new method to name hurricanes
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>China has become an increasingly appealing market for Hollywood films, so it was inevitable that Academy Award-winning director James Cameron would touch down in Beijing Wednesday to promote his latest big-budget movie, Avatar. During his 20-hour stay in the city, he shared with local media and some lucky fans details of his new film and shared his insights on China's growing film industry. Having toured numerous countries for the promotion of Avatar since the film globally premiered on December 10, Cameron said he _ the visit to China for some time and apologized for his hoarse and tired voice. "It is so sad for a director not being able to shout," he joked at the beginning of the press conference Wednesday afternoon, announcing that the 3D science fiction film will open in China on January 4. Cameron collected 360 million yuan (US$52.7 million) at the box office in China with his blockbuster Titanic in 1998, a record that held for ten years until it was broken by Transformers in 2008. Considering that another computer-generated, live action flick, 2012, has sold more movie tickets in China than in the US, the director said he is positive about Avatar's performance in China. "Our partner here, the China Film Group, has given us great confidence," he explained, saying that the number of 3D screens has grown from 500 to 600 in the past month, a never-seen-before growth in Chinese mainland. China is second only to the US as the country with the most 3D screens. Cameron said the screening of Avatar in China has specific importance as a test of future 3D film development. "I'm very interested in the 3D film market in China. I cannot predict the box office results here, but I look forward to the test results." Cameron is hopeful about Avatar's performance in China because _ .
<extra_id_0>Avatar is a newly-released 3D movie
<extra_id_1>Transformer held the record of box office in China
<extra_id_2>Avatar is directed by him alone
<extra_id_3>2012 had a higher box office in China than in the US
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Everyone has got two personalities -the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don't show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behavior, but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their positions. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in. If you go to sleep on your back, you're a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don't like to displease people. So you never express your real feelings. You're quite shy and you aren't quite sure of yourself. If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive person. You worry a lot and you're always easily upset. You always stick to your own opinions or judgment, but you don't raise your hopes too much. You usually live for today not tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time. If you sleep curled up , you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you're often defensive. You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You're easily hurt. If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well--balanced personality. You know your strengths and weakness. You're usually careful. You believe in yourself. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don't often get sad. You always say what you think even if it makes people rather angry When does the sleeping position best show your secret personality?
<extra_id_0>In the daytime
<extra_id_1>At the beginning of sleep
<extra_id_2>At night
<extra_id_3>During the deep sleep
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>On June 17, 1774, the officials from Maryland and Virginia held a talk with the Indians of the Six Nations. The Indians were invited to send boys to William and Mary College. In a letter the next day they refused the offer as follows: We know that you have a high opinion of the kind of learning taught in your colleges, and that the costs of living of our young men, while with you, would be very expensive to you. We are sure that you mean to do us good by your proposal ; and we thank you heartily. But you must know that different nations have different ways of looking at things, and you will therefore not be offended if our ideas of this kind of education happen not to be the same as yours. We have had some experience of it. Several of our young people were formerly brought up at the colleges of the northern provinces: they were taught all your sciences; but when they came back to us, they were bad manners, ignorant of every means of living in the woods-they were totally good for nothing. We are, however, not the less thankful by your kind offer, though we refuse to accept it; and, to show our grateful sense of it, if the gentlemen of Virginia will send us a dozen of their sons, we will take care of their education, teach them in all we know, and make men of them. According to the letter, the Indians believed that _ .
<extra_id_0>it would be better for their boys to receive some schooling
<extra_id_1>they were being insulted by the offer
<extra_id_2>they knew more about science than the officials
<extra_id_3>they had better way of educating young men
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Welcome to Our Clubs in Masonic Village Art Club The Art Club provides a place for aged people to paint, improve their artistic talents and show their works of art. Members can also sell items that they painted. The money raised goes toward providing painting supplies for club members. Anyone may join the Art Club, whether you already know how to paint or you want to learn how to better express your creativity. Painting supplies are provided by the club for free. Time: Wednesdays, Thursdays & Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Freemasons Cultural Center Art Studio. Cost: $12 per year Computer Club This club is meant for aged people with little knowledge of computers. Various topics are discussed at each meeting about computers (such as the Internet, software and email) as well as related technologies. The club has a computer lab with high-speed Internet connection. Members of the club have free access to the computer lab. Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Computer Resource Room on Level 2 of Smith North. Open general lab sessions are available for free. Cost: $35 per year Tai Chi for Arthritis Arthritis is a common disease for old people. The joints in the patients' body often hurt badly. Tai Chi for Arthritis is designed to improve the quality of life of those people who are suffering from arthritis using Sun-style Tai Chi. This style includes quick-moving steps and exercises that may improve mobility, breathing and relaxation. The movements don't require deep bending. Time: Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Irem Clubhouse. Cost: $65 per year For whom are these clubs probably designed for?
<extra_id_0>Retired workers.
<extra_id_1>Talented teenagers.
<extra_id_2>Curious kids.
<extra_id_3>Learned experts.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>Often you are not aware that you have to remove,but one day your job demands your move to another place in no time.You are at a loss about how to manage the whole complex process of remove with all your valuable possessions.You need not worry about this as moving boxes and supplies axe there to care for all your possessions.They have become very popular in New York in recent years! Redline Movers is unique in our city and is specially talked about for their durable form and varieties.Redline Movers offers a wide range of moving boxes and supplies specially designed for remove.They are available in various shapes and sizes.These moving boxes ale so designed that they guarantee the maximum load with safety and without any damage.There are different forms of moving boxes.For example,you get moving boxes for TVs,glassware,wall hangings and even a piano.The sizes vary according to the size of the item and you can select from the wide range.No matter what kinds of possessions you intend to move,we always have some moving boxes to satisfy your demand. Redline Movers has obvious advantages over other moving companies.Moving boxes and supplies of Redline Movers are low priced with quality guaranteed.We also provide storage facilities where customers can use our storage space for keeping their possessions for a month or two.If you take our storage facility,these moving boxes will help you the most.You can keep your articles in those moving boxes in our storage room, till you have time or enough room to arrange them.Of course,they are in safe and sound form! If you have to remove but scared of the complex process,don't worry.Redline Movers is there to help you in your safe and trouble--free moving.If you are interested in us, please visit www.redlinemovers.com for more details. What's the author's purpose in writing the text?
<extra_id_0>To analyze a modern kind of lifestyle.
<extra_id_1>To explain a perfect way of making a move.
<extra_id_2>To discuss a new kind of phenomenon in society.
<extra_id_3>To advertise a moving company-Redline Movers.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>When you are in England, you must be very careful in the streets because the traffic goes on the left. Before you cross the street, you must look to the right first and then the left. If the traffic lights are red, the traffic must stop . Then the people on foot can cross the road. If the lights are green, the traffic can go and people on foot mustn't cross. In the morning and in the evening, when people go to or come back from work, the streets are very busy. The traffic is the most dangerous then. When you go by bus in England, you have to be careful, too. You must always remember the cars drive on the left. In many English cities, there are big buses with two floors. You can sit on the second floor. From there, you can see the city very well. That'll be very interesting. Before you cross a street in London, you must look to _ .
<extra_id_0>the right side
<extra_id_1>the left side
<extra_id_2>the left first and then the right
<extra_id_3>the right first and then the left
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>What would it be like to take a walk on the surface of Mars? If you could design the tallest building in the world, what would it look like? Do you dream of being the next J.K. Rowling? This summer, you can experience all of these things, and more. All you need is an Internet connection and your imagination. A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that kids spend an average of 1 hour and 29 minutes online each day. Many kids like to use that time to chat with friends, play games or check emails. But the next time you get on the Web, try exploring the world instead. "With the Internet, you can go back 11,000 years in time, or go 11,000 kilometers across the planet." said Russell, Web search expert of Google. "The whole scope of history and the world is open to you." There is a wealth of information to be found online. For example, if your family is going on vacation somewhere,do a quick online search on the area before you even get in the car. "What's the background of the place; what's the history?" says Russell. "I like to tell my kids, 'Whenever you have a question, whenever you have a doubt, search it out.'" Ready to launch a virtual journey of your own? Here are a few starting points to get you thinking and to help you on your way. You can invite your parents along for the ride, too. Always ask for permission before downloading programs and software onto your computer. And check with a parent or an adult before visiting a new Web site. Navigate the world in 3D with Google Earth. Begin in outer space and zoom into the streets of any city, from Hong Kong to San Francisco. Or visit ancient monuments, watch the changing rainforests over time, and dive underwater to explore tropical reef. With the Moon in Google Earth tool, you can walk in Neil Armstrong's famous footsteps. Take a guided tour of the moon's surface with Armstrong's fellow shuttle mate astronaut Buzz Aldrin. When you're exploring that part of the solar system, hop on over to the Red Planet with Google Mars. There, you can move very quickly around the surface and see images from the Mars Rovers. How do you travel around the world in a day according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>By taking the time shuttle.
<extra_id_1>By making use of the Internet
<extra_id_2>By watching 3D films.
<extra_id_3>By finding a tourism company in Google
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Should Children Be Allowed to Get Bored? Children need time to stand and stare. They should be allowed to get bored to that they can develop their ability to be creative. Children are expected by their parents to be reading a textbook all the time. However, research shows that it may _ the development of their imagination, while boredom can give them opportunities to develop creativity. Boredom is often linked with loneliness, but a writer named Meera Syal said boredom had helped here in developing her mind. She told researchers about her childhood. Having few things todo, Syal often talked with her neighbors. She also tried to do things like learning to bake cakes. "But importantly, I Thought and wrote a lot, because I was bored," Syal said. She kept a diary, filling here time with short stories and poems she made up. Grayson Perry, an artist, grew up in a family with little money. He enjoyed himself by making up stories, drawing pictures for his stories and reading many books in the library. Bored but free, he spent hours looking out of the window, watching the changing clouds and seasons. Perry filled up his free time with what he liked. He became creative, because he could think freely. Dr. Belton is an expert on the effects of emotions on learning. "Boredom could be an uncomfortable feeling," she said. "But some young people cannot deal with that boredom creatively. So sometimes they may break a classroom window, or drive a car out for a mad race." Usually, when children have nothing to do, they would turn on the TV, the computer, or the phone. Their time on these things has increased, yet they need to have time to think about their experiences through play or just watching the world around them. It is this kind of thinking that can inspire the imagination. On the other hand, the TV or phone may cut short the thinking process. That can be harmful to the development of creativity. "For developing the ability to be creative," Dr. Belton advised, "perhaps we need to stand and stare, and stay off-line from time to time." What can we learn from the passage?
<extra_id_0>Boredom provides children with space to think freely.
<extra_id_1>It's much better for children to be busy than be bored.
<extra_id_2>Boredom helps children deal with difficulties properly.
<extra_id_3>It's boring for children to think about their experiences.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>In a small town, there lived a doctor. He was good and kind. He was ready to go and help people. People always went to him when they were ill. Many years later, the doctor began to forget things. The people were afraid and little by little, they stopped going to him. The doctor saw his business wasn't as good as before. He thought, "Well, if I were the patients(people who don't feel well), I'd be afraid to go to me too. Maybe it's time for me to stop being a doctor. But if this town has no doctor, what will the people do when they become ill?" His wife heard him talking to himself and said, "Why don't you find a young doctor _ ? Then people will have another good doctor to take care of them and I will get my husband back." The doctor did as what his wife said. He found a very good young doctor to help the people. The doctor and his wife then had time to take long walks together, go dancing, go traveling and spend the rest of their days together. This story is about _ .
<extra_id_0>a doctor
<extra_id_1>a wife
<extra_id_2>a nurse
<extra_id_3>a husband
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>It is now February 7, 2035. The search engine TalkTalk will be open to the public next week and this service will soon be something beyond your imagination. For the first time you can not only talk to the search engine, but you can discuss with it what you are looking for. For example, if you want to know more about the oil price, TalkTalk asks if you want to know the current oil price, the development of the oil price, or news related to the oil price. You say that you want to read news about it and TalkTalk then directs you to your source, or lets you have the latest news related to the oil price in order from the most respectable sources. Compared with other search services that use a certain algorithm to provide data from a search, the artificial intelligence behind TalkTalk is said to easily spot if a certain source is aiming to cheat the searcher. TalkTalk also judges and stores every given reply and discussion, to learn how to give correct answers. TalkTalk is also set to answer questions directly where there is a definite answer. How well this will work in the long run is yet to be seen, but thousands of people have tested TalkTalk and the quality is really good. The first talking search engine saw the light of day more than 30 years ago and was called Speegle. It could read the results from a written search on the Internet, and was mostly for blind people. So far, TalkTalk cannot read the information from a certain source to you by phone, if it is not freely available. There are currently talks to find an arrangement for this, but it would most likely be difficult because of copyright . TalkTalk is available over the Internet and also by phone, even though it only speaks English. There are no plans to add other languages in the near future, most likely because it will cost a lot of money. When you are tired of asking TalkTalk all your questions, just ask, "Where is TalkTalk?" and you will get an answer that will make you leave it with a smile on your lips. What would be the best title for the text?
<extra_id_0>Hello, TalkTalk
<extra_id_1>Where is TalkTalk
<extra_id_2>TalkTalk is improving
<extra_id_3>Development of search engines
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>In order to know a foreign language thoroughly , four things are necessary. First, we must understand the language when we hear it spoken. Secondly, we must be able to speak it ourselves, correctly with confidence and without hesitation . Thirdly, we must be able to write it. We must be able to make sentences that are correct in grammar. There is no short way to succeed in language learning. A good memory is a great help, but it is not enough only to memorize the rules from a grammar book. It is no much use learning by heart long lists of words and their meanings, studying the dictionary and so on. We must learn by using the language. If we are pleased with a few rules we have memorized, we are not really learning the language. We must "Learn through use". Practice is important. We must practise speaking and writing the language whenever we can. Which of the following is the most important in learning a foreign language?
<extra_id_0>A good memory.
<extra_id_1>Speaking and writing.
<extra_id_2>Practice.
<extra_id_3>Writing.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>A few years ago I was on a bicycle trip when I got off my bike for a rest. I sat down on the grass. A few seconds later, I was covered in ants. They were swarming all over me so I got up and brushed them off. It was a strange experience but I soon forgot about it. A couple of years later, I was living in Jordan. I had just moved into a modern flat and was unpacking plates when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked over at the kitchen drawer and there was a cockroach crawling out of it. I screamed. Then I grabbed a can of _ and sprayed it on the cockroach. He ran under the nearby bathroom door. It took me three days before I found the courage to open the bathroom door to see if he was still alive. He wasn't. Why did I react so violently to one lone insect when a closer encounter with hundreds of ants hardly affected me? The answer is easy: because cockroaches are creepy crawlies and ants aren't. Creepy crawlies are those little bugs which cause feelings such as anxiety - they make your skin crawl. Did you know that some people feel such a fear of bugs that it becomes a phobia ? Psychologists have offered many explanations. Some say we associate them with dirt and disease. Or that these are life forms that are so alien to us, that we find them disgusting for their dissimilarity. Insects, however, don't follow our rules - they just do what they want and invade our space. Unfortunately, although insects and bugs have been a successful animal species up to now, many of them, like many other species nowadays, are under threat of dying out. Entomologistswarn that this could upset entire ecosystems and lead to all kinds of disastrous consequences. So my advice to you is: the next time you feel the urge to stamp on, splatter or spray a creepy crawly, give a thought to the planet and stop. . Which of the following statements about bugs is NOT true according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Some people may be frightened so much by bugs that it leads to a psychological barrier to some degree.
<extra_id_1>The earth will have a better and cleaner environment if more creepy crawlies are killed.
<extra_id_2>Many bugs are in danger of dying out so we should not kill them due to fear or disgust.
<extra_id_3>Some bugs are extremely unpleasant that some people have a strong wish to destroy them.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Teenagers need family love and support at a time when lots of other things in their lives are changing . You can keep family relationships with your child strong through ordinary , everyday activities . Adolescence can be a difficult time ---your child is going through rapid physical changes as well as emotional ups and downs . Young people aren't sure where they fit , and they are still trying to work it out . Adolescence can also be a time when peer influences and relationships can cause stress for teenagers and their families , and family support can be vital (=very important) to getting through these challenges. During this time , your family can be a secure emotional base where your child feels loved and accepted , no matter what's going on in the rest of her life . Your family can build and support your child's self-belief , confidence and optimism .When your family set rules , boundaries and standard behaviour, you give your child a sense of consistency and predictability . And believe it or not , your life experiences and knowledge can be really useful to your child ---she just might not always want to know that . Supportive and close family relationships can reduce risky teenage behaviour, such as alcohol and drug abuse , and problems such as depression . They can also increase your child's feeling of being connected to school , and his desire to do well academically . Strong family relationships can go a long way toward helping your teenager grow into a well-adjusted , considerate and caring adult . Research suggests that just being around family is associated with fewer behaviour problems in teenagers. This could be as simple as being in the kitchen when your child's in her room , so she knows she could come and talk to you if she wanted to . Teenagers benefit from knowing that support is available , even though they might not be using it . According to the text , we can conclude _ .
<extra_id_0>school plays less role in educating children
<extra_id_1>family can be vital for children to spend adolescence
<extra_id_2>teenagers sometimes can obey what parents say
<extra_id_3>parents should often help children to study at home
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Inprefix = st1 /Kansas City,Missouri, a computer helps fire fighters. The computer, which works very fast, has information about all the 350,000 street addresses in the city. Within two or three seconds after a call is received, the computer provides necessary information for the fire fighters. The information is then sent to them by radio from the computer centre in the City Hall. The exact place of the burning building and its size, type and any other details are clear to them. TheKansas Citycomputer system also has a medical record of each of the city's 900 fire fighters. This kind of information is especially useful when a fire fighter is injured. With the information, doctors at hospital can treat the injured fire fighters more quickly and easily. The fire fighters themselves greatly appreciate the computer's help. They know about possible danger ahead of them and can prepare for it. Many times the computer information helps to save lives and property . Sometimes the lives are those of fire fighters themselves. Mike Horan, a fire fighter captain, says, "I feel as if the computer is watching over me to help me if I get hurt." The fire fighters can get information about a burning place which is sent by
<extra_id_0>the radio
<extra_id_1>the computer
<extra_id_2>the City Hall
<extra_id_3>the centre of the city
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>My name is Nick. I have four new good friends. They are Dick, Helen, Jack and Amy. Now, they're in the garden. Dick and Jack are boys. Dick is tall and strong. Jack is tall but he's not strong. He is thin. Helen and Amy are girls. They're twins. They are short and slim. Dick is thirteen. Helen is thirteen too. They're in the same class. Jack is in Class4. His shoes are black and his T-shirt is white. What colour is Jack's T-shirt?
<extra_id_0>Black
<extra_id_1>Red
<extra_id_2>White
<extra_id_3>Brown
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>Sixteen-year-old Karlos Dearman's future is looking much brighter than he might previously have imagined. "I love bikes, but I've never thought I'd end up with working with them," he says. "This program has changed my life." Karlos is learning to refurbish old bicycles in the workshop of ReCycle Bikes, an independent non-profit bike project in Sheffield. It provides training chances for young people aged 14 to 16 with the help of the local government, particularly those struggling in mainstream education or rejected from school. "It's about engaging young people with education and youth training by teaching them work and life skills," explains Des Pearce, workshop training manager. "These young people have so much potential, but often don't realize it." Founded in 2001, ReCycle Bikes repairs bicycles donated by the public, which are sold for PS20 after refurbished. Abandoned bikes supplied by the government make sure a steady flow of bikes, but a recently formed partnership with Sheffield University should improve the further development. "The student population presents a large and ready market," says Pearce. "So we approached the university last year and offered to host bike sales on the campus . They thought it was a great idea, and agreed to provide us with more support. This means we can train young people to repair extra 500 bikes over three years." Having set up ReCycle Bikes on his own, Pearce now has the staff and resources to track the profession development of those who have passed through his workshop. "But we are planning exit interviews with the young people to make sure what they plan to do, and these will allow us to check on their progress," says Pearce. That most of the teenagers enjoy the work is, according to Pearce, easily explained. "Most kids have ridden a bike and know how to oil a chain or mend a flat tyre. As low-cost transport, cycling gives the young and old a sense of freedom and independence, and the effect on their well-being is big. Add to that a growing concern for the environment, and it's no surprise that bike sales are on the increase." From the passage, we know ReCycle Bikes _ .
<extra_id_0>is a popular brand of bikes
<extra_id_1>provides training chances for young people
<extra_id_2>is a training project offered by the government
<extra_id_3>aims at making money by selling refurbished bicycles
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>After many years on the endangered list of animals, Japan'sAmami Black rabbit can finally breathe a sigh of relief -- That's because this year, the rare animal is no longer in danger of dying out! The effort to save the dark-furred rabbit, often called "a living fossil", began in 1921, when the Japanese government promoted it to the status of "natural monument". This meant that it could not be hunted down for food. However, when that did not work, it got yet another promotion to "special natural monument", which meant that the rabbit could not be trapped or hunted. While that helped, it was not enough -- By 2004 with only 2,000-5,000 specimen left in the wild, the Amami rabbit was officially declared endangered! The reason for the serious population decrease was due to loss of habitat caused by forest clearing for home and agriculture use and the introduction of a new species not native to the island -- the Mongoose. Brought in to get rid of the snake population, the Mongoose instead seemed to prefer the black rabbit. In 2005, the government carried out a strict mongoose capture order and slowly but surely, the rabbit started to come back. This rabbit live in a rather unusual lifestyle. Its ideal habitat is a forest that features both trees and large grasses -- the former to find acorns to feed on and the latter, to hide its babies. That's because to protect them from being eaten by their enemies, the Amami rabbit buries them deep into the ground among the grasses and covers them up with dirt during the day. Then, in the middle of the night, still keeping a _ eye out for their enemies, it digs them out from their hiding place and feeds them. No wonder the animal is sometimes called "midnight rabbit". Though many measures have been taken to stop this furry animal from being wiped out from the world, there are many more that are still in danger. We surely hope that officials in other parts of the worldtry their best to save the endangered species. The status of "natural monument" means _ .
<extra_id_0>you can't kill them
<extra_id_1>you can't capture them
<extra_id_2>you can't catch them for food
<extra_id_3>you can't trap or hunt them
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>One day we invited some friends to dinner. When it was about six o'clock, my wife found that we had little bread. So she asked our five-year-old daughter, Kathy, to buy some. 'Here's a dollar,' my wife said, 'get two loaves of bread, if they have it. If they don't have it, get anything. But hurry!' Kathy hurried off, and we waited and waited. By a quarter past six, all the friends had arrived. But Kathy had not returned. Finally we saw her dancing around the corner with a bright new hula hoop whirling round her middle. "Kathy!" her mother cried. "Where did you get that hula hoop, and where is the bread?" "Well, when I got to the shop, they had sold out all their bread," answered Kathy. "And you said 'If they don't have that, get anything!'" Why did she do this?
<extra_id_0>Because the shop had sold out all their bread.
<extra_id_1>Because her mother asked her to get anything if they hadn't had bread.
<extra_id_2>Because she loved playing with hula hoop.
<extra_id_3>All the above
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>I was born in Tuckahoe,Talbot Country,Maryland. I have no accurate knowledge of my age,never having seen any record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs,and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant .I do not remember having ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. They seldom come nearer to _ than plantingtime,harvesting,springtime,or falltime. A lack of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages,but I could not tell. Why the same right ought to be taken away from me!I was not allowed to ask my master about it. He considered all such questions on the part of a slave improper and impolite. The nearest estimate I can live makes me now between twentyseven and twentyeight years of age. I come to this,from hearing my master say,some time during 1835,I was about seventeen years old. My mother was named Harriet Bailey. She was the daughter of Isaac and Betsey Bailey,both colored,and quite dark. My father was a white man. The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father;but of the correctness of this opinion,I know nothing and I have no means to know. My mother and I were separated when I was but an infant--before I knew her as my mother. It is a common custom,in the part of Maryland from which I ran away,to part children from their mothers at a very early age. Frequently,before the child has reached its twelfth month,its mother is taken from it,and hired out on some farm a considerable distance off,and the child is placed under the care of an older woman,too old for field labor. It can be learned from the text that _ .
<extra_id_0>the slaves forgot the exact time when they were born
<extra_id_1>the writer didn't know whether his master was his father
<extra_id_2>the writer was about twentyseven years old in 1835
<extra_id_3>the writer's mother left him as soon as he was born
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Of all the areas of learning the most important is the development of attitudes. Emotional reactions as well as logical thought processes affect the behavior of most people. "The burnt child fears the fire" is one instance; another is the rise of figures like Hitler. Both these examples point up the fact that attitudes come from experience. In the one case the experience was direct and impressive; in the other it was indirect and gradual. The classroom teacher in the elementary school is in strategic position to influence attitudes. This is true partly because children acquire attitudes from those adults whose word they respect. Another reason it is true is that pupils often search somewhat deeply into a subject in school that has only been touched upon at home or has possibly never occurred to them before. To a child who has previously acquire little knowledge of Mexico, his teacher's method of handling such a unit would greatly affect his attitude toward Mexicans. The teacher can develop proper attitudes through social studies, science matters, the very atmosphere of the classroom, etc. However, when children come to school with undesirable attitudes, it is unwise to attempt to change their feelings by criticizing them. The teacher can achieve the proper effect by helping them obtain constructive experience. To illustrate, first-grade pupils, afraid of policemen will probably change their attitudes after a classroom talk with the neighborhood officer in which he explains how he protects them. In the same way, a class of older children can develop attitudes through discussion, research, outside reading and all-day trips. Finally, a teacher must constantly evaluate her own attitudes, because her influence can be harmful she has personal prejudices. This is especially true in respect to controversial issues and questions of which children should be encouraged to reach their own decisions as result of objective analysis of all the facts. The main readers of this passage may be _ .
<extra_id_0>psychologists conducting complicated experiments
<extra_id_1>parents who have children in school
<extra_id_2>school teachers
<extra_id_3>students in primary school
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>Have you ever noticed how much the number twelve is used? A ruler that is a foot long has twelve inches. A yardstick has three times twelves inches, or thirty-six inches. On a canlender you will see twelve months in each year. A clock face is numbered from one to twelve for the hours. The time span from noon to midnight is twelve hours; from midnight to noon there are twelve more hours. Each day is two times twelve, or twenty-four hours long. We buy eggs by the dozen, which means twelve at once. Sometimes we buy other things by the dozen. The stores sell different things by the dozen. In a store you may have seen a dozen pencils held together by a paper wrapping or a dozen oranges in a sack. Stores also buy things in lots of twelve dozens, or by the gross(,12 ) . One gross consists of twelve dozens, or one hundred and forty-four items. A foot-long ruler has _ inches.
<extra_id_0>six
<extra_id_1>twelve
<extra_id_2>twenty-four
<extra_id_3>thirty-six
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don't need to book. They end around 21:00. November 7th The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early "civil engineers". December 5th Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering, Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London's ice trade grew. February 6th An Update on the Cotswold Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play. March 6th Eyots and Aits-Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames had many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest. Online bookings:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book More info:www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson London Canal Museum 12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT www.canalmuseum.org.uk www.canalmuseum.mobi Tel:020 7713 0836 When is the talk on James Brindley?
<extra_id_0>November 7th.
<extra_id_1>March 6th.
<extra_id_2>February 6th.
<extra_id_3>December 5th.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>The First of May is a Bank Holiday--the first public holiday of the year in England. Most people consider it a special day ,the beginning of summer ,a day when the light lasts long into the evening ,and when we can look for warm weather .We don't always get it .We feel disappointed ,but not surprised if there are cold winds and frosts at night in May .Winter should be over .Most people know that in the past ,when farming occupied almost everyone ,the changing seasons were of great importance .In that older time there was every reason to celebrate May Day .Customs of those celebrations remain. Of these customs ,the best known is the choosing of a May Queen and the dancing round Maypole .Even these customs are little more than memories now--but in the last century it was quite common in villages and small towns ,and even in schools and colleges ,for a pretty and popular girl to be chosen Queen of the May .It was a great honour to be chosen .For a day she wore a light and flowery dress, carried garlands ,and was ceremonially crowned with flowers .She presided over a procession ,as a rule with a number of attendants ,and over the Maypole dancing and all kinds of entertainment .The Maypole was slender tree trunk ,cut off its branches, with beautiful ribbons fastened to the top .The dancing was designed in such a way that the dancer's movements move the ribbons into a pattern. This, as you can imagine ,required skill from the dancer ,and was not achieved without practice . It's the Celtic people who celebrated the First of May as a spring festival .Their celebration seems to have had little to do with taking pleasure in early ,beautiful flowers and in warmer weather! They called it Beltane--the fire of the god Bel .They lit fires ,in the expectation that their blaze would help the sun in its struggle to regain its strength. They drove their cattle between banks of flame in the expectation that the terrified beasts would be purified and protected from disease .A tree ,which must have been blackened with smoke ,stood in the middle of the fires ,and is thought to have been the origin of the Maypole .Their priests made sacrifices to the goods in the hope of good harvests and sufficient store of food for the winter. There was dancing certainly ,but it was noisy and cheerful ,since its purpose was not to weave a pattern of colored ribbons ,but to drive out evil spirits from the earth and to arouse those kind spirits. The best title for this passage is _ .
<extra_id_0>The First of May
<extra_id_1>The Beginning of Summer
<extra_id_2>May Queen
<extra_id_3>The Holiday of the Year
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>It pays to be smart. We are not all smart in the same way. Youmaybe a talented musician, but you might not be a good reader . Each of us is different . Psychologists have two different views on intelligence .Others believe there are many different intelligence .Some psychologists say there is one type of intelligence that can be measured with IQ tests .These psychologistssupport their view with research that concludes that people who dowell on one kind of test for mental ability do well on other tests .They do well on tests using words , numbers or pictures. They do well on individual orgroup tests , and written or oral tests .Those who do poorly on one test , do the same on all tests . Studies of the brain show that there is a biological basis for general intelligence . The brain waves of people with higher intelligence show a quicker reaction .Some researchers conclude that differences in intelligence resultfrom differences in the speed and effectiveness of information processing by the brain . Howard Gardner , a psychologist at the Harvard School of Education , has four children .He believes that all children are different and shouldn't be tested by one intelligence test .Although Gardner believes general intelligence exists , he doesn't think it tells much about the talents of a person outside of formal schooling .He think that the human mind has different intelligences .These intelligences allow us to solve the kinds ofproblems we are presented with in life .Each of us has different abilities within these intelligences .Gardner believes that the purpose of school should be to encourage development of all of our intelligences . Gardnerbelieves that _ .
<extra_id_0>all children are alike .
<extra_id_1>children should take one intelligence test .
<extra_id_2>there is no general intelligence .
<extra_id_3>children have different intelligences .
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>Are you looking for something fun and would you like to help other people in your free time? Then join us. We have jobs for people of all ages;Anyone from twelve-year-old children to 80-year-old people can become one of us. You can help people in many ways.Schools need help with taking care of children while their parents are working.Hospitals need us to look after children while their parents see a doctor.Animal lovers can help take care of thosedogs and cats without homes.There is something to do for everyone. "As a member of this group,I don't want to get anything.Seeing the children's happy faces,I am happy,too."said Susan,an old woman of 62. "I often played computer games in my free time before.Now I help older people learn how to use Computers,"said another one at the age of 18. If everyone helps out a bit,we'1l all have a better world to live in. Interested? Call us on 3847613 or visit our website :http://www. activol.com. Who does Susan look after?
<extra_id_0>Children.
<extra_id_1>Old people
<extra_id_2>Animals.
<extra_id_3>People in hospital.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>I have a friend named Monty Roberts. He has let me use his horse ranch to put on events to raise money for youth at risk programs. Last time I was there he introduced me by saying, "I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be when he grew up." "That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of owning a horse ranch someday. He put all his heart into the project and wrote about his dream in great detail. He even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of the buildings, stables and the track, and even a detailed floor plan for a 4000-square-foot house on it." "The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later ,he received a large red "F" on his paper with a note, 'See me after class.' The boy went to see the teacher and asked why. The teacher told him there was no way for a young boy like him to do that because owning a horse ranch required much money and resources, and then added 'If you'll rewrite his paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.'" "The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what to do. His father said, 'Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it's a very important decision for you.'" "Finally, a week later, the boy turned in the same paper without any change and stated, 'You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream.'" "I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace." Don't let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what. The author wrote this passage mainly to _
<extra_id_0>tell people how to describe their goals
<extra_id_1>warn people against dream stealers
<extra_id_2>encourage people to stick to their dreams
<extra_id_3>teach people how to write their papers
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>In Indonesian 2-year-old boy who hit the headlines last month due to a 40-a-day cigarette addiction has reportedly cut down to 15-a-day from 40, after the child received treatment. Images of a two-year-old boy smoking cigarettes have shocked people in Indonesia. The little boy, Ardi Rizal from Sumatra, is addicted to nicotine and smokes 40 cigarettes a day. His father, Mohammed Rizal, thinks there's no problem with his son's bad habit. He told reporters that his child looked healthy and that it was the only thing that was important. He went on to explain how Ardi took up smoking when he was 18 months old. That was when he gave his son his first cigarette. Now he's totally _ ; he screams if his father doesn't let him smoke. Ardi's story is part of a worrying trend in Indonesia. It has one of the worst smoking records in the world, with a population of 250 million people. Government statistics show 25 percent of Indonesia teenagers have smoked and that about 3 percent are regular smokers. Indonesia is the world's third largest smoking nation. It is reported that over a third of the country smokes, and 90% of the country's smokers smoke a native cigarette which has twice the levels of tat and nicotine in an average cigarette used around the world. Cigarettes are everywhere and smoking is still seen as a socially acceptable practice. Many people in the country do not know the health risks connected with smoking. Health Minister Endang Sedyaningsih said preventing youngsters from smoking would be very difficult because people believe smoking is a good thing. She said tobacco companies are well like because they sponsor many things from education to sporting and public events. She added, " This is the challenge we face in protecting youth from the danger of smoking". Indonesians who smoke regularly _ .
<extra_id_0>are seen as anti-social people.
<extra_id_1>sometimes worry about their health.
<extra_id_2>can't realize the harm to them.
<extra_id_3>receive good education.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>The law has a great many rules, showing when and how far a man is to be punished, or if he should be made to hand over money or property to his neighbors, and so on. These rules are contained in books. A lawyer learns them mainly by reading books. He begins by doing little else than reading, and after he has prepared himself by three years' study, still, he has to, almost every day, read more about some new questions which he has to answer. The power to use books, then, is a special skill which a would-be lawyer ought to possess. He ought to have enough flexibility to make it easy for him to collect ideas from printed words. He ought to have some readiness to find what a book contains, and something of an instinct for where to look for what he wants. But although this is the power which he will first feel in need of, it is not the most important. A lawyer does not study law to recite it; he studies it to use it and act upon the rules which he has learned in real life. His business is to try cases in court and to advise people what to do in order to keep out or get out of trouble. The first thing a law student has to do is to _ .
<extra_id_0>read books
<extra_id_1>hand over money
<extra_id_2>practice law
<extra_id_3>answer questions
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>As watering holes dry up more animals will
<extra_id_0>die
<extra_id_1>move in
<extra_id_2>join together
<extra_id_3>dig wells
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>You ought to have fun when you study English. That way, you'll want to spend more time using the language. One way to do this is to watch amusing TV shows in English. Chuck is an action comedy TV series about a character named Chuck. One day Chuck receives a classified e-mail from an old friend who is working at the CIA. The e-mail contains an entire database filled with classified U.S. government information. Chuck is the kind of person who naturally commits large amounts of information to memory, and all of the spy secrets are accidentally embedded in his mind. So Chuck becomes the most important person to the government. As a result, Chuck hides his identity and works as a computer expert at a store called Buy More. There are two secret agents who protect Chuck from danger. To ensure his safety, they also take undercover jobs as his girlfriend and a store employee. [:Z _ xx _ k.Com] Without a doubt, watching Chuck is going to provide you with hours of rib-tickling laughter while you learn English. Watching amusing TV shows is a _ way to study English.
<extra_id_0>useful
<extra_id_1>hard
<extra_id_2>fun
<extra_id_3>quick
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>Everyone knows how the story of Cinderella ends, but did you ever really think about how she spent her days before she met the prince? Her daily routine was not fascinating.She did everything from sweeping the floor to cooking the meals.If someone had asked Cinderella, "Are there any kinds of household work that you particularly hate?" she probably would have answered, "Why, none, of course.Housework is my duty!" In the real world, however, most people have definite dislikes for certain sorts of household work.Two of these tasks are ironing clothes and washing dishes. Ironing clothes is most hated because it is not a task that can be completed quickly or thoughtlessly. Each piece of clothing must be handled individually, so ironing a basket of laundry can take hours! After ironing a piece of clothing with great caution, which-requires smoothing out the fabric, and following the seams ,you need to place it on a hanger as soon as possible.If you do not follow these directions carefully, it might become wrinkled and you have to start over.Perhaps that is why ironing is not a favorite thing to do.It calls for extreme attention to detail from beginning to end. Another household job that many people dislike is washing dishes.Of course, some people claim that this work is no longer a problem because we have dishwashers now! However, no one would argue that dishes, silverware, and especially pots and pans washed in a dishwasher don't come out as clean as they do when washed by hand.For this reason, many of us continues to wash our dishes by hand, but we are not necessarily happy doing it.Cleaning dishes is a job that not only takes a lot of energy but also requires the patience to wash and dry them.In addition, unlike ironing clothes, washing dishes is a thing that usually must be done every day.I don't know how Cinderella felt about this particular task, but I believe that most people hate it as much as I do. In which way is ironing different from dishwashing?
<extra_id_0>It is not a daily routine.
<extra_id_1>It demands less care.
<extra_id_2>It requires patience.
<extra_id_3>It is not laborious.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>Why can a small fire be put out by placing a heavy blanket over it?
<extra_id_0>This lowers the temperature.
<extra_id_1>This makes the flames smaller.
<extra_id_2>This absorbs the burning substance.
<extra_id_3>This keeps oxygen from reaching the fire.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know? _ . Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbooks , which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times. Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia , though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books, science textbook, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets. What can we learn from the passage?
<extra_id_0>Fewer and fewer people will buy books.
<extra_id_1>A good dictionary should be kept in every home.
<extra_id_2>Books with hard covers sell better than paperbooks.
<extra_id_3>More people like TV programs about famous men.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Are animal brains too simple for thoughts and choices? Stories about animal kindness have really changed my point of view. In fact, some stories are amazing, especially when animals are meeting with people. Here are two stories that interest me. James, a wildlife writer, told a story that an African woman had placed her baby in the shade of a tree while she was working. An elephant group walked by and saw the baby. Several elephants pulled leafy branches from the tree covered the sleeping baby. Flies can be a problem in Africa and the branches protected the baby from the flies. The elephants were so gentle and quiet that they did not even wake up the baby. Then the elephants walked away. An English magazine offers another story. Bill, a cat, stayed at home while its master was away on a trip, but the man was injured in a railway accident and died a few days later in a hospital. At the funeral, the Man's brother was surprised to see that Bill was there. The faithful cat had traveled a long way to the hospital, looked at the coffin , and then sadly returned home. Humans are only one part of the earth. The beautiful flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horses and the great eagles, these are our brothers. The sky and mountains, the cows and men, all belong to the same family. These stories, I hope, will inspire more people to treat animals as our friends rather than pets or our next meal. What did the author used to believe?
<extra_id_0>people meet with animals often.
<extra_id_1>Animals brains are too simple to make choices.
<extra_id_2>We should change our old views about animals.
<extra_id_3>Animals stories have many amazing facts
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will "obey" spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word"obey"is hardly exact as a description of the eager and delighted co- operation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gestures and by making questioning noises. Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It's agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves out as particular expression like delight, pain, friendliness and so on. But since these can't be said to show the baby's intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self - imitation leads out to deliberate imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech. It is a problem we need to get our teeth into. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will. change as he gains more experience of the world. Thus the use, at seven months, of" mama" as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at another time for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself. I doubt, however , whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of his ability in an attempt to teach new words. Children who start speaking late _
<extra_id_0>may have problems with their listening
<extra_id_1>probably do not hear enough language spoken around them
<extra_id_2>usually pay close attention to what they hear
<extra_id_3>often take a long time in learning to listen properly
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>ohn Cruitt, 62, spent decades tracking down his third- grade teacher. He wanted to talk with Cecile Doyle about 1958--- the year his mother, who was seriously ill, passed away. Her death came just days before Christmas. Cruitt had been expecting to go home from school and decorate the Christmas tree. "When I found out she died, I could certainly relate to that, because when I was 11, my own father died," Doyle tells Cruitt at StoryCorps in Monroe, N.Y. "And you just don't know how you're going to go on without that person." When Cruitt returned to school, Doyle waited until all of the other children left the room at the end of the day, and told him that she was there if he needed her. "Then you kissed me on the head," Cruitt says. "And I felt that things really would be OK." "Well, Cruitt, I'm so glad that I could be there with you for that time," says Doyle, 82. Decades after his mother's death, Cruitt began to think more and more of Doyle. He finally wrote a letter: Dear Mrs. Doyle, If you are not the Cecile Doyle who taught English at Emerson School in Kearny, N.J., then I'm embarrassed, and you can disregard the letter. My name is John Cruitt, and I was in your third- grade class during the 1958-1959 school year. Two days before Christmas, my mother passed away, and you told me that you were there if I needed you. I hope life has been as kind to you as you were to me. God bless you. John Cruitt Doyle says his letter, which arrived in February, could not have come at a better time. Her husband, who passed away this August, was struggling with Parkinson's disease. "And I had just come home from the hospital, and I read this beautiful letter, and I just was overwhelmed," she says. "Well the funny thing is, when I finally wrote to you again after 54 years, I typed the letter--- I was afraid my penmanship wasn't going to meet your standards," Cruitt says as Doyle laughs. "John, what can I say--- I'm just glad that we made a difference in each other's life." After Cruitt's mother's death, _ .
<extra_id_0>Cruitt totally relied on his father
<extra_id_1>Doyle's words brought him comfort
<extra_id_2>Cruitt didn't go to school regularly
<extra_id_3>Doyle asked his classmates to help him
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>The opening of the Sherlock Holmes Museum to the public on March 27, 1990, was an event that should have happened several decades ago. Baker Street is, after all, one of the world's most famous streets because of its long association with the great detective. Thousands of people all over the world write to Sherlock Holmes, they form clubs and societies in his honor, and they celebrate his anniversaries. Now it is also possible to see where and how he lived in Victorian times! Here visitors will recognize familiar objects mentioned in the stories. You can take as many photographs as you want (the maid will be pleased to assist) and when you are ready to leave, a ride home in a horse-drawn carriage will complete your 19th century experience! Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street from about 1881 to 1904. Apartment 221b was on the first floor of a lodging house, which they rented from a Mrs Hudson. The famous study that Holmes and his friend Dr Watson shared for almost 25 years is on the first floor overlooking Baker Street. We know from Doctor Watson's descriptions that their sitting room overlooking Baker Street was "illuminated(, ) by two broad windows" and that it was quite small. Doctor Watson's bedroom was on the second floor next to Mrs Hudson's room and it overlooked an open yard at the back of the house. These rooms are used today for exhibits, where center stage is taken by a magnificant bronze bust of Mr Holmes. Visitors can browse through literature, paintings, photographs and newspapers of the period. Memorabilia from the adventures and a selection of letters written to and from Mr Holmes are also on display. The museum's large and attractive souvenir shop is located on the ground floor. Here you will find a unique collection of gifts, objects of art, figures, busts, prints, books, playing cards, T-shirts, -novelties of every description available exclusively to museum visitors. When in the museum, which of the following can visitors not do?
<extra_id_0>Take photos of the rooms or objects on show
<extra_id_1>Buy unusual and interesting souvenirs
<extra_id_2>Learn some news of Mr Holmes's times
<extra_id_3>Ask the maid to serve you tea in the Victorian times
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>What do you like most when you can get one of such things: freedom, true friends, love, honesty and so on? Here are some choices of students: Chen Cheng, 14, Jiangsu: I think I need a true friend. I had some friends before. However, it seemed that they didn't treat me well. I told them my secrets but they didn't share theirs with me. What's worse, they told my secrets to others, which made me very unhappy. I hope to find a true lifelong friend who can share happiness and sadness with me and keep my secrets. Gan Xiaoning 14, Heilongjiang: Freedom is what I want most. I am a bird in two cages. In school, I have to follow the school's rules and listen to teachers. At home, my parents don't allow me to do what I like, either. I have to do everything that they tell me to do: study, study and study some more. So, freedom is the only thing I really want! Yuan Siyu, 15, Guangxi: I am a boy from a poor family. My father works very hard but only makes a little money every month to support the family. I want to go to a key university so that I can find a good job in the future. Then, I can _ enough money to get my family out of poverty and offer my parents a happy life. Qu Yi, 15, Hebei: I want a complete family. My parents got divorced three years ago. Since then, I have had no chance to be together with both of them any more. Now, I am living with my mom and get her love, but I also want my dad's love. I am envious of my classmates who live with their parents. So, I would have a complete family if I could. What is not mentioned in the passage?
<extra_id_0>freedom
<extra_id_1>love
<extra_id_2>a true friend
<extra_id_3>hobby
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Hello, everyone. Because of the high rate of school violence in some areas, teenagers' safety becomes a serious problem. We are planning to set up an organization named School Watch to make sure that students have a safe environment. Please be part of our plan! What is School Watch? School Watch is a volunteer project in our school. It helps us stop violence and improve the quality of school life. It will keep yourself and your schoolmates safe. The other members of School Watch care for you and your classroom and you do the same for them. Is it for everyone? Anybody can become a member of School Watch because everyone has something to offer. What else can it do? School Watch makes it possible for us not only to help each other but also to make friends with each other. Some members may offer to help schoolmates who have problems with their homework. Who is the Best School Watcher? Our school will look for the Best School Watcher and give him or her lots of prizes. You could be the one! How do you start? To be part of this plan, the only thing you need to do is to talk to the director of the plan in your grade. If you want to get more information, check the official website atwww. schoolwatch. com. Anyone can become a member of School Watch because _ .
<extra_id_0>everyone may have problems
<extra_id_1>everyone can give help to others
<extra_id_2>everyone needs to make some friends
<extra_id_3>everyone needs help with his homework
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>In Britain in the 1890s there was a postcard "craze ". People formed clubs and collected and exchanged postcards. Even Queen Victoria had her own private collection. When Edward was the king, the British had a cheap and good postal system. If anyone wanted to tell a friend that they were coming for tea in the afternoon, they would send a postcard in the morning. "Drop me a card" was as common then as "give me a ring" as now. In 1902 an important step was taken. The government said that half of the side that was used for the address on the postcard could be used for messages, and the whole of the other side could be used for a picture. It was then that the simple postcard, as we know now, was created. In Britain in the 1890s, _ .
<extra_id_0>people were interested in sending cards
<extra_id_1>people were interested in playing cards
<extra_id_2>people were interested in collecting postcards
<extra_id_3>people were interested in buying postcards
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>A bag is useful and the word "bag" is useful, too. Here is an interesting phrase , "to let the cat out of the bag". In meaning it is the same as "to tell the secret ". And there is an old interesting story about _ . Long ago, when farmers wanted to sell chickens at the market, they would usually just throw the chickens in cloth bags. But cats were cheaper than chickens at that time, so many farmers would put cats into the cloth bags but not chickens. One day, a woman asked a man for a chicken. The man gave her a cloth bag in which there was a cat. _ When the man opened the cloth bag, a big black cat ran out. Not a chicken! The man's secret was out and everyone knew it. Now when we say someone gives away a secret, we say "he lets the cat out of the bag". And that is the story where the interesting phrase came from. The writer wrote the story to tell us _ .
<extra_id_0>the woman was smart
<extra_id_1>how farmers sold their cats
<extra_id_2>the phrase is useful
<extra_id_3>where the phrase came from
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>In the summer of 2011 my friend and I decided to go to Italy for a holiday and we decided to travel there without going through a travel agency. You know, you would not be seen among the tourists and lose lots of chances to get familiar with the country more closely. We started to think over our trip and tried to come up with a free tour to Italy. The trip was not very long but it was so exciting that we never forgot. We look forward to going there again! Of course, we spent lots of time arranging the trip, but it was well worth it! Of course I was afraid that something would go wrong and I was especially worried about my visa, but everything went quite well in the end. The most difficult part was getting a visa without an invitation. In the Italian consulate , one must hand in some official paper proving that one has a hotel booked for oneself in order to get the visa. Then we had to solve the ticket problem. Airlines often sell cheap tickets and we bought ours far earlier. The next step was to book a hotel. We finally booked a hotel about 30 km away from the centre of Rome and it was the perfect choice for our trip. Every day we took a train that carried us to the centre of Rome. Our big house was among the forest. The beautiful views, nice hosts, comfortable living conditions made us happy to no end. Besides this, we were very lucky that our hostess was Russian. She gave us a lot of advice that was of great use. She told us what transport to choose and where the best places to go. Don't be afraid to arrange your trip by yourself. It's not difficult! The only thing I'll say right now is that we really enjoy travelling by ourselves. We walked with a map and a guide-book wherever we wanted to go and we even met some of our countrymen on the way just two or three times. So, if you're also planning a "single" trip, don't forget to take a Russian-Italian phrasebook as people in Italy prefer to speak in their local language. From the passage, we know the writer chose the free tour to Italy because _ .
<extra_id_0>his friend invited him there
<extra_id_1>he wanted to spend less money
<extra_id_2>it was very hard for him to find a travel agency
<extra_id_3>he wanted to get familiar with the country more closely
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Picture the scene: You come home after work feeling too exhausted to cook -only to find a delicious meal worthy of a Michelin-starred restaurant waiting for you. It sounds like a fantasy, but it could be about to come true thanks to a robot chef developed by British scientists. Those scientists have come up with a set of robotic arms so smart that _ are capable of cooking meals all by themselves. The device will be sold from as early as 2017 as part of a purpose-built high-tech kitchen. Scientists at Moley Robotics spent almost 18 years developing the hands. According to its creators, the arms can chop, stir, whisk and baste well enough to recreate almost anything you would care to eat, whether it is a simple home-cooked supper, or a complicated creation designed by a world-class chef. The hands move a little slowly, hovering strangely above the work surface whenever they are not busy, but they imitate human movements closely enough that they can do things such as wiping a spoon on the edge of a pan to prevent drips. Mr Oleynik, who is leading the project, said, "All the things which are possible with the hand are possible here. There is no limitation. A lot of people want to go to Michelin-starred restaurants, but they are quite expensive and may be quite far from the home. This is an opportunity for people to enjoy very good food, and for a reasonable price. " The only cuisine that is off the robot's menu at the moment is sushi, which requires extremely steady pressure and nimble fingers to make, but the team plan to conquer that as well by the time it goes on sale. People go to Michelin-starred restaurants in order to _ .
<extra_id_0>appreciate car tires.
<extra_id_1>enjoy delicious meals
<extra_id_2>see the new robot chefs
<extra_id_3>escape from work
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>When I was growing up, I was ashamed to be seen with my father. He was severely disabled and very short, and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare. If he ever noticed or was bothered, he never let on. It was difficult to coordinate our steps--his slow, mine impatient--and because of that, we didn't say much as we went along. But as we started out, he always said, "You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you." He never talked about himself as an object of sympathy, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a "good heart", and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him. I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people, even though I still don't know accurately what a "good heart" is. Unable to join in many activities, my father still tried to participate in some way. I now know he participated in some things indirectly through me, his only son. When I played ball (poorly), he "played" too. When I joined the Navy, he "joined" too. And when I came home on leave, he saw to it that I visited his office. Introducing me, he was really saying, "This is my son, but it is also me, and I could have done this, too, if things had been different." Those words were never said aloud. He has been gone many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my unwillingness to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about small affairs, when I am envious of another's good fortune, when I don't have a "good heart". At such times I put my hand on his arm to regain my balance, and say, "You set the pace. I will try to adjust to you." The author felt unhappy walking with his father because _ .
<extra_id_0>he felt sympathy for his father's physical disability
<extra_id_1>it was hard for them to walk at the same pace
<extra_id_2>he didn't want others to know he had an ugly father
<extra_id_3>it was not easy for his father to keep balance
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>Just as the world's most respected scientific bodies have confirmed that the world is getting hotter, they have also stated that there is strong evidence that humans are driving the warming. Countless recent reports from the world's leading scientific bodies have said the same thing. For example, a 2010 summary of climate science by the Royal Society stated that: "There is strong evidence that the warming of the Earth over the last half-century has been caused largely by human activity." The idea that humans could change the planet's climate may be counter-intuitive , but the basic science is well understood. Each year, human activity causes billions of tons of greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere. As scientists have known for years, these gases hold heat that would otherwise escape to space, wrapping the planet in an invisible blanket. Of course, the planet's climate has always been changing thanks to "natural" factors such as changes in solar or volcanic activity, or cycles relating the Earth's going around the sun. According to the scientific literature, however, the warming recorded to date matches the pattern of warming we would expect from a build-up of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere - not the warming we would expect from other possible causes. Even if scientists did discover another reasonable explanation for the warming observed so far, that would beg a difficult question. As Robert Henson puts it in The Rough Guide to Climate Change: "If some newly discovered factor can account for the climate change, then why aren't carbon dioxide and the other greenhouse gases producing the warming that basic physics tells us they should be?" The only way to prove with 100% certainty that humans are responsible for global warming would be to run an experiment with two _ Earths - one with human influence and one without. That obviously isn't possible, and so most scientists are careful not to state human influence as an certainty. The underline word "identical" means _ .
<extra_id_0>totally different
<extra_id_1>exactly the same
<extra_id_2>extremely important
<extra_id_3>ly independent
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>Visiting the forest zoo Come and see the Indian elephants and the new tigers from Northeast of China. The beautiful birds from England are ready to sing songs for you, and the monkeys from Mount Emei will be happy to talk to you. The lovely dogs from Australia want to laugh at you. Sichuan pandas will play balls for you. The giraffes from Africa are waiting to look down on you. Tickets Opening time Grown-ups : 3 yuan 9:00 a.m.--4:00 p.m. (Monday--Saturday) Children over 1.4 m : 2 yuan except Friday (closed) Children under 1.4 m : Free 10:00 a.m. --3: 00 p.m. (Sunday) Keep the zoo clean! Do not touch , give food or go near to the animals. Why does the writer introduce so many animals from different places to us?
<extra_id_0>To frighten us in the zoo.
<extra_id_1>To make us lovely in the zoo.
<extra_id_2>To attract us to the zoo.
<extra_id_3>To show animals can do everything.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>Blair: Blair was the first to appear in movies in history. In 1905, Blair appeared in the movie Rescued by Rover . It is a British film that a baby is kidnapped by an old woman, but the faithful family dog Rover saves the baby at last. Though Rover is a common name, it became popular because of the dog hero in the movie. Lassie: lassie used to be the most famous dog in the world. She is a character who has starred in many movies, TV shows and books over the years. Lassie was created by Eric Knight and made her way into a short story in a newspaper in 1913 and into a novel in 1940. Laika: Laika is the first animal that has orbited the earth. On November 3, 1957, Laika was sent to space in the Soviet Union's Sputnik 2.(2). The Soviets admitted soon after the launch that the spacecraft would not return. It meant that the poor animal would die. People argued a lot about Laika's death. Several countries issued stamps in memory of Laika. She became the first animal to give her life for the exploration of space. Rin Tin Tin: Rin Tin Tin is the first American dog movie star. He first appeared in WhereThe North Begins in 1925. Rin Tin Tin went on to make 25 movies, he even signed his own contracts with paw prints . During his best time, he earned about 5 million dollars for those people who worked for him. Snoopy: snoopy may be the most famous cartoon dog in the world. As a hunting beagle from Charles Schultz' popular newspaper comic strip , Peanuts, snoopy first appeared in 1950. Though snoopy was at first a minor figure, he grew to become the strip's best-known character. He is famous for always sleeping on top of his doghouse and sometimes dressing up and pretending himself as a World War I airplane pilot. Snoopy appeared in the Peanuts comic strips until Schultz's retirement ( and death ) in February of 2000. Which dog is most worth respecting?
<extra_id_0>Laika.
<extra_id_1>Snoopy
<extra_id_2>Lassie.
<extra_id_3>Rin Tin Tin.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bicycles to work every day. In New York City, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City. They declare that if more people rode bicycles to work, there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown part of the city and so less dirty air from car engines. For several years this group has been trying to get the city government to help bicycle riders. For example. They want the city to draw special lanes for bicycles only on some of the main streets, because when bicycle riders must use the same lanes as cars, there are accidents. Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes. But no bicycle lanes have been drawn. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea-they say it will slow the traffic. Some store owners on the main streets don't like the idea-they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business. The city government has not yet decided what to do. It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park-the largest place of open ground in New York-is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bicycles only. But Bike for a Better City says that this is not enough and keeps fighting to get bicycle lanes downtown. Cars are not permitted to enter Central Park on weekends _ .
<extra_id_0>so that Bike for a Better City is pleased
<extra_id_1>so that everyone is happy
<extra_id_2>and bicycle lanes are drawn
<extra_id_3>but Bike for a Better City is still not satisfied
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Mom and dad are the most important people in your life. They have been looking after you since you were born, so you should always love them. You should also get on well with them. But some children don't know how to do this. Here are some ways to help you. Spend more time with your parents. Don't spend too much time playing computer games or watching TV. Ask your parents to play with you. Talk or go outside with them. Be kind to your parents. You can make them happy with a smile when you come home. You can send your mother a card on Mothers' Day or tell your father a joke on his birthday. You can also clean your room by yourself. Work hard. If you do your best in your studies, your parents will be proud of you. The most important people in your life are your _ .
<extra_id_0>friends
<extra_id_1>mom and dad
<extra_id_2>classmates
<extra_id_3>brother and sister
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>If you don't have a college degree, you're at greater risk of developing memory problems or even Alzheimer's . Education plays a key role in lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder, and it's well documented that those with a college degree possess a cognitive advantage over those less educated in middle and old age. Now, a large national study from Brandeis University published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that those with less schooling can significantly make up for poorer education by frequently engaging in mental exercises such as word games, puzzles, reading, and lectures. "The lifelong benefits of higher education for memory in later life are quite impressive, but we do not clearly understand how and why these effects last so long," said lead author Margie Lachman, a psychologist. She suggested that higher education may encourage lifelong interest in cognitive efforts, while those with less education may not engage as frequently in mental exercises that help keep the memory agile . But education early in adulthood does not appear to be the only route to maintain your memory. The study found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly made a difference. "Among individuals with low education, those who are engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles once a week or more had memory scores similar to people with more education," said Lachman. The study, called Midlife in the United States, assessed 3,343 men and women between the ages of 32 and 84 with an average age of 56 years. Almost 40 percent of the participants had at least a 4-year college degree. The researchers evaluated how the participants performed in two cognitive areas, verbal memory and executive function --- brain processes involved in planning, abstract thinking and cognitive flexibility. Participants were given a series of tests, including tests of verbal fluency, word recall, and backward counting. As expected, those with higher education said they engaged in cognitive activities more often and also did better on the memory tests, but some with lower education also did well, explained Lachman. "The findings are promising because they suggest there may be ways to level the playing field for those with lower educational achievement, and protect those at greatest risk for memory declines," said Lachman. "Although we can not rule out the possibility that those who have better memories are the ones who take on more activities, the evidence is consistent with cognitive plasticity , and suggests some degree of personal control over cognitive functioning in adulthood by adopting an intellectually active lifestyle." What is the text mainly about?
<extra_id_0>Higher education has a better cognitive advantage.
<extra_id_1>Better memories result from college degree.
<extra_id_2>Cognitive activity does good to one's mind.
<extra_id_3>Poor education has more risk of memory declines.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>A new study has found that it may be possible to train people to be more intelligent, increasing the brainpower they had at birth. Until now,it has been widely assumed that the kind of mental ability that allows us to solve new problems without having any relevant previous experience--what psychologists call fluid intelligence--is innate and cannot be taught(though people can raise their grades on tests of it by practicing). But in the new study,researchers describe a method for improving this skill,along with experiments to prove it works. The key, researchers found, was carefully structured training in working memory--the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number just long enough to dial it.This type of memory is closely related to fluid intelligence,so the researchers reasoned that improving it might lead to improvements in fluid intelligence. First they measured fluid intelligence of volunteers using standard tests.Then they trained each in a complicated memory task--the child's card game,in which they had to recall a card they saw and heard.During the course, they needed to ignore irrelevant items, monitor ongoing performance,manage two tasks at the same time and connect related items to one another in space and time. The four groups experienced a half-hour of training daily for 8, 12, 17 and 19 days, respectively.To make sure they were not just improving their test-taking skills,the researchers compared them with control groups that took the tests without the training. The results, published Monday in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,were striking.Improvement in the trained groups was a lot greater.Moreover,the longer they trained, the higher their scores were.All performers,from the weakest to the strongest,showed significant improvement. "Our results show you can increase your intelligence with proper training." said Dr Jaeggi, a co-author of the paper."No one knows how long the gains will last after training stops," he added, "and the experiment's design did not allow the researchers to determine whether more training would continue to produce further gains." .By writing the article,the writer intends to _ .
<extra_id_0>inform the readers of a new study
<extra_id_1>call on people to be trained to increase intelligence
<extra_id_2>prove one's born brainpower can be improved
<extra_id_3>tell people the improved intelligence will last forever
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>It was over two months before Christmas when 9-year-old Mary told her father and me that she wanted a new bike. Her old Barbi bike was too old and it often needed repairing. As Christmas came nearer; her dream for a bike seemed to disappear; for she didn't mention it again. Then much to our surprise; on December 24th; she said that she really wanted a bike as the Christmas present more than anything else. We didn't know what to do. It was too late. We were busy with Christmas dinner and packing presents for our children; parents and also friends till midnight. So there was no time to buy the "right bike" for our little girl. Thinking that we might in this way make our child unhappy on Christmas; we felt _ and sad. Suddenly my husband came up with an idea. "What if I make a little bike out of the clay and write a note that she could trade in the model bike for a real one after Christmas?" So he spent the next 5 hours working on a small clay bike. On Christmas morning; we were very excited and waited for Mary to open the little box with the beautiful red and white bike and the note. She opened the box and read the note loudly. She looked at me and said; "So; does this mean I can trade in this bike for a real one?" Smiling; I said; "yes." Mary had tears in her eyes when she replied; "I would never trade in this beautiful bike that Daddy made for me. I prefer to keep it rather than get a real one." At that moment; we thought we would have moved the god to buy her every bike on earth. Mary's parents didn't buy her a bike because she _ .
<extra_id_0>only asked for it again on December 24th
<extra_id_1>didn't want it any more
<extra_id_2>changed her mind for something else
<extra_id_3>didn't mention it in the past two months
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>While some scientists overlook the existence of a sixth sense for danger, a new research from Washington University in St. Louis has discovered a brain area that clearly acts as an early warning system and helps us adjust our behavior to avoid dangerous situations. "Our brains are better at picking up not obvious warning signs than we previously thought," said Joshua Brown, a PhD in psychology in the issue of the journal Science. The findings offer exact scientific evidence for a new way to form a concept of the complex control processes taking place in and around the ACC, a brain area located near the top of the frontal lobes and along the walls that divide the left and right hemispheres . "In the past, we found activity in the ACC when people had to make a difficult decision, or after they make a mistake," Brown said. "But now we find that this brain area can actually learn to recognize when you might make a mistake, even before a difficult decision has to be made. So the ACC appears to act as an early warning system---- it learns to warn us in advance when our behavior might lead to a negative outcome, so that we can be more careful and avoid making a mistake." By providing a clearer picture by which we self monitor and control our behavior, the study is an important step in efforts to develop more effective treatments for mental illnesses. It also provides a new way of understanding inappropriate behaviors that often accompany mental illnesses. "Our results suggest how injury of the ACC can lead to breakdowns in the early warning system, so that the brain fails to stop or control inappropriate behavior ahead of time," said Brown. "On the other hand, in those persons with mental disorder, the ACC might warn us of an upcoming problem even when no problem is in the existence." Known to be an important part of the brain's control system, the ACC is believed to help adjust between cold, hard, fact-based reasoning and emotional responses, such as love, fear or expectation. The new research is beneficial because it _ .
<extra_id_0>provides a new way of avoiding mistakes
<extra_id_1>adjusts emotional responses in time of danger
<extra_id_2>helps find better treatments for mental illnesses
<extra_id_3>assists people in predicting and avoiding danger
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>The wedding took place in a Birmingham hotel. The bride and her father arrived in a new black American sport car. Her father looked nervous and uncomfortable in front of the cameras. The bride wore a silk wedding dress. She smiled nervously at the waiting photographers and went to a room on the first floor where she met her future husband for the very first time. Carla Germaine and Greg Cordell were the winners of a radio station's competition. The aim of the competition was to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other. Miss Germaine, 23, is a model. Mr. Cordell, 27, is a TV salesman. They were among the two hundred people who entered a special "experiment" organized by BMRB radio in Birmingham, England, Greg, and Carla were among eight finalists who were interviewed live on a radio. They took a lie detector test and the station also spoke to their friends and family about their personalities. The competition judges include an astrologer who declared that they were suited. The couple celebrated their wedding with a wedding breakfast and a party for 100 guests in the evening, but not everyone shared their joy. Miss Germaine's mother looked anxious throughout the wedding and Mr. Cordell's parents are reported to be less than delighted. Organizations, including the marriage guidance Service Relate, have criticized the marriage. As one person put it, "We have enough problems getting young people to take marriage seriously without this. Marriage should always be about love." The couple are now on a Caribbean honeymoon followed by journalists. Their other prizes include a year's free use of a wonderful apartment in the center of Birmingham, and a car. But will it last? Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
<extra_id_0>A well-matched couple
<extra_id_1>A wedding based on love
<extra_id_2>A short-lived marriage
<extra_id_3>Two strangers and a wedding
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Going Zero Waste means more than just managing the rubbish we create.It means reducing it too.While it might seem like a difficult thing to do, it's well worth it.And what better time to start than Christmas? We need to copy the way Nature wastes nothing.Many things are created by human society that we know will soon become useless and be thrown out.How many plastic bottles or even PCs end up in the rubbish bin? Instead,we should design products that can be more easily repaired,reused and recycled. Kamikatsu, a Japanese village,has already gone Zero Waste.The 2,000 villagers compost their leftovers,and recycle everything else.There are 34 different boxes at the re-cycling centre! Residents grumble about the inconvenience,but they also see the benefits. People who live Zero Waste lives are careful about what they do.They never take more than they need.Reusing plastic bags at supermarkets is a great way to reduce waste.And those who plan before they shop avoid having to throw food out later.Also,it's best not to go food shopping when you're hungry:You'll be sure to buy too much! Let's think about how to enjoy a Zero Waste Christmas.By sending recyclable cards,we can help our friends and family reduce waste.And what better way to enjoy the spirit of Christmas than with a real tree that can be replanted in the spring? Going Zero Waste requires us to think more about what happens before and after we act.It takes ambition,and it's not always easy.But just think how good it would be,both for ourselves and for the environment, if we never had to waste anything. When is this passage probably written?
<extra_id_0>After a Christmas.
<extra_id_1>Before Zero Waste starts.
<extra_id_2>Before a Christmas.
<extra_id_3>When Zero Waste is very popular.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>The world is not only hungry but also thirsty for water. This may seem strange to you, since nearly 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water. But about 97% of that is sea water or salt water. Man can only drink and use the other 3% of fresh water from rivers, lakes, underground and so on. And we can not even use all of that because some of it has been made dirty. Earth Day is April 22. But on all other days, we must also remember how important water is. The water that we use is the most important natural resource on the earth. Today we face serious water problems. One of them is water pollution. All kinds of things from cars, factories, farms and homes make our rivers, lakes and oceans dirty. Polluted water is very bad for people to drink. And dirty water is bad for fish, too. How do cars and factories make our water dirty? First they pollute the air. Then when it rains, the rain water makes our drinking water dirty. Dirty rain, called acid rain is also bad for plants, animals and buildings. Scientists say that in 30 years, more than half of the people in the world won't have enough clean water. We have to learn how to stop wasting water. One of the first steps is to develop ways of reusing it. Today in most large cities, water is used only once and then sent out into a sewer system . From there it returns to the sea or goes underground. But even though every large city reused its water, we would still not have enough. So we should make use of sea water by removing the salt in it. If we can take these steps, fresh water won't be used up. What is the best title for this passage?
<extra_id_0>Fresh water and sea water
<extra_id_1>A thirsty country
<extra_id_2>The importance of water
<extra_id_3>The world's water problem
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>(Warsaw)? . Long long ago,there was a young man.His name was Wars.He lived in a little house near the River Vistula.He went there fishing every day for a living. One day he saw a beautiful girl in the river.The girl's name was Sawa.From then on,the young man and the beautiful girl met every day.They fell in love with each other.When Wars asked Sawa to marry him.Sawa was very sad.She told him that she was mermaid and she couldn't marry man.But she said she would give him something when they met again. The next day,Wars went to the river and met Sawa. Sawa was waiting for him with a sword in her right hand and a shield in her left hand.She told Wars that they wouldn't meet again.She gave the sword and the shield to him.She said he would be successful with the sword and the shield and become a great hero.Then she went away. Wars missed Sawa very much.He always remembered his first love.What the mermaid had told him came true.Wars became a great hero.He got the land by the River Vistula.There he set up a city. He called it Warsaw. Wars was a _ when he met Sawa for the first time
<extra_id_0>hero
<extra_id_1>fisherman
<extra_id_2>mermaid
<extra_id_3>soldier
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_1>
|
<extra_id_5>The tallest building in the United States, the One World Trade Center, opened on November 3, 2014 in New York. The building is 1,776 feet tall, making it the 3rd tallest building in the world. It has 104 floors. The building stands in the area where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood. On September 11, 2001, a group of terrorists destroyed these twin towers and killed nearly 3,000 people. It took 8 years to build the new One World Trade Center. Does the height of the building in feet reminds you of something in history? _ is the year when the United States declared its independence from Great Britain. One problem with such a tall building is how to clean the windows. Well, a platform hangs from ropes, and workers on the platform clean windows. On November 12, while two men were busy cleaning windows, a rope of the platform broke near the 68th floor. The two men were saved by cutting a hole in the glass window. The two tallest buildings in the world are the BurjKhalifa in Dubai, UAE and the Makkah Royal Clock Tower in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. When did the One World Trade Center open?
<extra_id_0>September 11, 2001.
<extra_id_1>September 11, 2011.
<extra_id_2>November 3, 2006.
<extra_id_3>November 3, 2014.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed a boy ahead of him. He had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with some clothes, a baseball bat and a glove. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the things. Since they were going the same way, he offered to carry some things for the boy. As they walked, Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill. He loved video games, baseball and history, but he was having trouble with some of his subjects. They arrived at Bill's home first. Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with some laughs and talk. Then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior school. Three days before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk. Bill reminded Mark of the day years ago when they had first met. "Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I took away all my things from school. I had stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills . I was going home to kill myself. But after we spent some time talking and laughing, I realized that if I had died, I would have missed so many good time. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more. " At Bill's home, they didn't _
<extra_id_0>drink some Coke
<extra_id_1>watch TV
<extra_id_2>have a pleasant talk
<extra_id_3>play video games
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_3>
|
<extra_id_5>The united States has about 475,000 school buses -- all painted yellow. Each day they carry more than 25,000,000 children, half of all schoolchildren in the country. But these buses, on average, use four liters of diesel fuel to travel less than sixteen kilometers. When the school year began last fall, diesel averaged 55 cents a liter nationally. The price nearly doubled, to a dollar and 8 cents, by the end of school in June. Bob Riley speaks for the American School Bus Council. He says fuel prices for schools are not much lower than others have to pay. As a result, schools are looking for ways to reduce transportation costs. Bus routes are being redrawn or, in some cases, canceled. Some areas are buying buses that use natural gas or other alternative fuels. Other steps include fewer field trips and less travel by sports teams. And some school districts may end any bus service not required by law. Studies show that school buses are the safest form of transportation to and from school. The American School Bus Council says cuts in bus service are bad for children and possibly the environment. It says removing buses from the road will mean an increase in other vehicles transporting students. Spokesman Bob Riley says another concern is that reducing bus services might reduce attendance. But it could also get more children to walk or bicycle to school. And that would surely make people happy at the National Center for Safe Routes to School. More kids walking or biking safely to school is the aim of a three-year-old federal program, part of an international movement. The goal is to increase physical activity and reduce air pollution. The United States will celebrate Walk to School Day on October eighth this year. But for some students, high fuel prices could make every day a walk-to-school day. What does this passage mainly tell us?
<extra_id_0>High fuel prices' influences on school buses.
<extra_id_1>New measures to transport school students.
<extra_id_2>The safest form of student transportation.
<extra_id_3>The origin of Walk to School Day.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>Tile Spring Festival is almost over,but the celebrations are continuing.The Chinese embassy in Sydney have devoted a day to celebrating the Spring Festival and Chinese culture. Tile carnival features a series of cultural performances and demonstrations,bringing the Spring Festival fun to Sydney.Over the past four years,the annual event has become popular not only with tile Chinese community but also with locals.And some have even set up their own stalls to allow more people to learn about China and the country's culture. This is my second time to have a stand here,but I've been here many times before."said Carole Kyle from Sydney.Carole has brought along some brochures about Project Hope which supports Chinese students who drop out of school due to poverty. China's Ambassador to Australia Ma Zhao xu hopes that this kind of event will facilitate a dialogue between people from the two countries. "In Chinese culture,we appreciate unity without uniformity,and harmony in diversity. Australian culture welcomes cultural diversity,so that is a good foundation for Sino-Australian relations,to further our understandings and strengthen our friendship."Ma said. Sydney's mayor Clover Moore was also present and echoed Ma's view. "In fact we have Chinese living in Australia since the middle of the 19th century,so it goes way back and there has been a strong link between China and Australia for many many years.We have a very ancient culture here,the aboriginal culture.You have a very ancient culture in China.We'd like to marry those two and celebrate them."Moore said. A centre about Chinese culture in Sydney is also set to have a test run in March,and will be the biggest of its kind in the Oceania region. For what purpose does Carole bring some brochures?
<extra_id_0>To encourage people to take part in the carnival.
<extra_id_1>To introduce the Spring Festival and Chinese culture.
<extra_id_2>To help the poor Chinese students dropping out of school.
<extra_id_3>To promote the communication between Australia and China.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>A mother had two daughters. She loved them very much, but two girls would fight with each other from their earliest years. As they grew older, they became total strangers. They had no contact with each other when they were adults. This caused the mother great pain. Then, later, she had an idea. She decided to write a letter to them. In this letter, she told them how much she loved them, and how she wanted them to love each other in this way. She also gave them news of herself and some guidance on how to live happier lives. When the letter was ready, she wrote out one copy for each daughter, but these copies were special. Each copy contained only every second sentence of the original letter: the copy for one daughter had only the even sentences, and the other daughter's copy contained only the odd sentences. Neither contained the fullness of the mother's message. When the two daughters received their letters, they were puzzled. To understand the half-letter, they would have to put the two letters together and read them as one, which meant they must approach one another again in love and respect. But they each blamed the other for not helping them when trying to read the half-letter. For a long time, the mother waited in vain. Then one day, when the mother had almost given up hope, there was a knock at the door. There they stood, together. "We've come home," they said at the same time. "We've finally put our letters together, and we've come to say how much we love you, Mum." Then she hugged them both, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, and welcomed them back home. Upon receiving their letters, the two daughters _ .
<extra_id_0>complained about each other as usual
<extra_id_1>blamed her mother for the half-letter
<extra_id_2>put the letters together and read them
<extra_id_3>understood the mother's purpose at once
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>The Celerifere, an early version of the bicycle, was built around 1791 by a French man, Comte Mede de Sivrac. It was basically a scooter with a high seat. There were no pedals---you had to push with your feet like you do with a skateboard or a scooter. Around 1816 Baron Karl Drais de Sauerbrun in Germany added a moveable steering handle. These early machines were often known as dandy horses or hobby horses, but weren't very popular. The improvement that made them popular was added by a Scottish blacksmith around 1839. Kirkpatrick Macmillan added pedals to enable it to get up hills. It was this improvement that made the bicycle a serious form of transportation. Bike were called velocipedes or bone-shakers, because of the lack of the proper tires made for a rough ride! It wasn't until around 1869 that they began to be called bicycles ("two-wheels"). Carriage makers in Paris (either Pierre and Ernest Michaux, or their employee Pierre Lallement) switched the pedal to the front wheel. That's why it is usually either Lallement or the Michauxs, not Macmillan, who are considered as the inventor of the bicycle. In 1869 the penny-farthing or high-wheeler was invented. With the large wheel the rider could go much farther with each push of the pedal, but caused many accidents because the seat was so far off the ground. In the mid-1880s Englishman James Starley manufactured what he called the "safety bicycle" , which had two similarly-sized wheels and a major improvement--- a chain and sprocket driven rear wheel, with the pedals between the two wheels like modern bicycles. One more historical note---it's possible that the idea of the bicycle was thought of almost 400 years before it was actually invented. There is a drawing of a bicycle-like machine in one of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, which dates back to about 1493. What's the best title of the passage?
<extra_id_0>The Inventor of the Bicycle
<extra_id_1>Modern Bicycles
<extra_id_2>The History of the Bicycle
<extra_id_3>Leonardo da Vinci and the Bicycle
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>The United States covers a large part of the North American continent. Its neighbours are Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. Although the United States is a big country, it is not the largest in the world. In 1964, its population was over 185,000,000. When this land first became a nation, after winning its independence from England, it had thirteen states. Each of the states was represented on the American flag by a star. All these states were in the eastern part of the continent. As the nation grew toward the west, new states were added and new stars appeared on the flag. For a long time, there were 48 stars. In 1959, however, two more stars were added to the flag, representing the new states of Alaska and Hawaii. Indians were the first people of the land which is now the United States. There are still many thousands of Indians now living in all parts of the country. Sometimes it is said that the Indians are "the only real Americans". Most Americans come from all over the world. Those who came first in greatest numbers to make their homes on the eastern coast of North America were mostly from England. It is for that reason that the official language of the United States is English and that its culture and customs are more like those of England than those of any other country in the world. Why is English the official language of America?
<extra_id_0>English is the Indian's native language.
<extra_id_1>Most Americans come from all over the world.
<extra_id_2>Most of the people who first settled in America were from England.
<extra_id_3>Canada is America's nearest neighbour.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>A mother of a cheerful five-year-old just returned from a meeting of the National Organization for Women. Inspired by exciting dreams for the possibilities of womanhood, she asked her daughter what she wanted to be when she grew up. Little Lisa quickly answered, "A nurse." There was a time when nursing was thought of as a woman's job and the answer somehow seemed not to be satisfied. She had, after all, just returned from a new meeting. "You can be anything you want to be," she reminded her daughter. "You can be a lawyer, a doctor, a banker, president of the country -- you can be anything." "Anything?" Lisa asked. "Anything!" her mother smiled. "I know," Lisa said. "I want to be a horse!" Lisa's dream may need some improvement, but there is plenty of time for that. When do we give up dreaming about the future? When do we resign ourselves to simply replaying dreams from the past? Maybe her dream needs to mature a bit, but would you rather have the optimism of a five-year-old girl who wants to be a horse, or the pessimism of an adult who says in despair, "I can't be anything at all"? Teddy Roosevelt said, _ believe that is the way to make those dreams come true. It begins with looking up and dreaming of something beautiful. The lesson we can learn from the passage is that we should _ .
<extra_id_0>stop children dreaming of something strange
<extra_id_1>advise parents how to educate children
<extra_id_2>encourage adults to learn from children
<extra_id_3>help children to set up a big goal
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_2>
|
<extra_id_5>Fire can help people in many ways. But it can also be very harmful. Fire can make water hot and house warm, give light and cook food. But fire can burn things, too. It can make trees, houses, animals and other things catch fire . If some people can't run away from fire, it can kill them. This happens in every country every year. Sometimes big fire can burn forests. A month ago, a large forest fire broke out in Yunnan Province. It lasted nearly half a month. The forest in Heilongjiang Province and the grassland in Inner Mongolia caught fire in May, 2006. After more than ten days' fight, over 30,000 people and soldiers put out the fire at last. Nobody knows clearly when people began to make fire, but there are many interesting stories about the first time a man or a woman started a fire. One story from Australia tells about a man who went to the sun and brought fire down a long time ago. Today people know how to make a fire with matches . Children sometimes like to play with them. But matches can be very dangerous. The match can burn a piece of paper and then it can burn a house. A small fire can become a big fire, and destroy many things. Fire kills many people every year. So you must be careful with fire. ,. The main idea of the passage is that _ .
<extra_id_0>fire is dangerous and harmful
<extra_id_1>forest fire can be easily put out
<extra_id_2>who started a fire the first time
<extra_id_3>every month there is a forest fire in Yunnan Province
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
<extra_id_5>Dick is seven years old, and his sister May is five. One day, their mother takes them to their aunt' s house to play and she goes to the town to buy some new clothes. The children play for an hour, then at half past four their aunt takes Dick into the kitchen. She gives him a nice cake and a knife and says to him, "Now here is a knife, Dick. Cut this cake in half and give one of the pieces to your sister, but remember to do it like a gentleman ." "Like a gentleman?" Dick asks. "How do gentlemen do it?" "They always give the bigger piece to the other person," answers his aunt. "Oh," says Dick. He thinks about this for a few seconds . Then he takes the cake to his sister and says to her, "Cut this cake in half, May." Which child is younger? _ .
<extra_id_0>May is
<extra_id_1>Dick is
<extra_id_2>May is as old as Dick
<extra_id_3>Dick's brother is.
<extra_id_4>
|
<extra_id_0>
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.