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<extra_id_5>It was the small hours of the morning when we reached London Airport. I had rung London from Amsterdam, and there was a hired car to meet, but there was one more unfortunate happening before I reached my flat. In all my travels I have never, but for that once, been required by the British customs to open a single bag or to do more than state that I carried no goods liable to duty, or rather, to declare. It was, of course, my fault; the extreme tiredness and nervous tension of the journey had destroyed my normal state of mind. I was, for whichever reason, so tired that I could hardly stand, and to the question, "have you read this?" I replied with extreme foolishness, "Yes, hundreds of times." "And you have nothing to declare?" "Nothing." "How long have you been out of this country?" "About three months." "And during that time you have acquired nothing?" "Nothing but what is on the list I have given you." He seemed momentarily at a loss, but then he attacked. The attack, when it came, was completely unexpected. "Where did you get that watch?" I could have kicked myself. Two days before, when playing water games with a friend in the bath, I had forgotten to take off my ROLEX OYSTER, and it had, not unnaturally, stopped. I had gone into the market and bought, for no more than ten pounds, an ugly time piece that made a strange noise. It had stopped twice, without any reason, during the journey. I explained, but I had already lost face. I produced my own watch from a pocket, and added that I should be grateful if he would _ the replacement. "It is not a question of confiscation; you will have it," he said, "there is a fine for failing to declare dutiable goods. And now may I please examine that Rolex?" It took another quarter of an hour to persuade him that the Rolex was not contraband ; then he began to search my luggage. What did the writer think of the watch he bought in the market? <extra_id_0>He was fond of the watch because it was a Rolex. <extra_id_1>He will replace the Rolex with the new watch. <extra_id_2>He found the watch useful though it was very cheap. <extra_id_3>He didn't like the watch at all. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>It was once unheard-of to be a businessman in China. Nowadays, though, it's quite common to become your own boss. Let's say you have an idea. Maybe you want to open an English school or sell Japanese comics. First, you need a business plan. It sets out what you'll sell and how much everything will cost. Most businesses that fail didn't have this. If you need to borrow money at the start, banks will ask for a detailed plan. The best starting place for a business plan is the 4Ps: product, place, price and promotion. All these must be strong to be successful. #Product Your product must have something unique. What makes it special compared to other similar products? If you want to start a noodle shop that has nothing new, don't expect people to show much interest. You can research your product. For food, let people try it for free. For toys, let a few children play with them to see if they like them. #Place There's no point having a product that people want to buy if your shop is in an empty mall. Think about which type of person is going to buy what you sell. Where do they usually go shopping? When looking at possible places, spend the day there. See how many people pass by. Also, are there other shops nearby selling similar products? _ , how can you be better than them? #Price Work out how much it costs to make or provide your product. As a general rule, your price will be double the cost. After all, you're also paying for rent, staff and you need to eat too! #Promotion How can you attract people to your shop? Advertising in newspapers and on TV is expensive. Perhaps you can get free advertising by getting a newspaper to write about your business. What's the best title for the passage? <extra_id_0>How to start a business. <extra_id_1>Starting a business soon. <extra_id_2>Starting your own business. <extra_id_3>Preparations for starting a business. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A boy smacks another child in the face. The child cries because <extra_id_0>it was harmed <extra_id_1>it was sitting <extra_id_2>it was happy <extra_id_3>it was lonely <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A Book Review--The Snake-Stoneby Berlie Doherty The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages. The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James' swimming coach says to him: "You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going." The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents . Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters inThe Snake-Stone, James' parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically. The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James' foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, "the snake stone" which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: "Take good care of Sammie. It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there. The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger's door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discoveryThe Snake-Stonealso provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, "I was home." It can be concluded that James' journey is _ . <extra_id_0>worthwhile <extra_id_1>boring <extra_id_2>comfortable <extra_id_3>disappointing <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Five-year-old Susie loved to listen to her older sister, Emma, play the piano. Susie wanted to play it, too. But every time Susie asked to play, her mother would tell her how much work it needed to learn to play the piano well. Susie was sure she could learn to play it. She decided to make her mother believe that she was ready to learn to play the piano, so Susie helped her mom do the dishes and clean the house. "Mom, can I start taking the piano lesson?" asked Susie. "Susie, if you take the piano lesson, you must practice every day," said her mom. Susie was so excited. She could not wait to learn how to play her favorite songs! Susie was excited for her first piano lesson. When she was finally in class, she was surprised: her teacher had flashcards and a book for her. Susie didn't know there were so many other things to know about the piano first. During that first lesson, the teacher didn't let Susie play the piano. The next day, after Susie got home from school, she ran outside. "Where are you going?" asked her mom. "Outside to play volleyball," said Susie. "Bye, Mom!" "You must study your piano flashcards," said her mom. "Susie, this is what you wanted, now you have to do it." Mom didn't let Susie learn to play the piano at first, because Mom thought playing the piano _ . <extra_id_0>cost a lot of money <extra_id_1>needed a lot of practice <extra_id_2>was difficult for a five-year-old girl <extra_id_3>would make Susie have no time to study <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Wanted:Babysitter Do you like children?Do you have free time in the afternoon?We need a babysitter for our son.He's 5 years old.Hours are from Monday to Friday,2:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.Sometimes you will work the whole day at the weekend.Pay is PS4 per hour. *Watch our son *Read to him *Play with him You will work in our house.We live in London,near City Hall Subway Station. Please call 2956-4938.Ask for Ms White. The babysitter will work _ hours from Monday to Friday together. <extra_id_0>6 <extra_id_1>10 <extra_id_2>15 <extra_id_3>20 <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Sam hated doing chores. And he had many chores. For example,on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays he took out the rubbish. And on weekends he always washed his father's car. He also cleaned his own room once a week. What a chore that was! Sometimes he even had to look after his little sister and brother. Sam had a foreign friend at school. His name was Kumar. Doing chores in Kumar's family was very different. In the house only the girls did chores. His sisters made all the beds and cleaned all the rooms too, even his bedroom.His mother always cooked the meals, and his sisters helped her to go shopping, and prepare the food. They worked hard at home,doing all the chores with their mother. So when Kumar talked to his friend Sam about chores, he felt very lucky. One day, Sam had an idea. He asked Kumar,"Could I borrow your sisters? " He wanted them to help him clean his room,but they said " no " Instead, they asked Sam to teach their brother how to do chores, so he could make his own bed. Sam and Kumar are very good at science. They are going to be scientists after university. They want to make a robot to do the chores. Then everyone-mothers and fathers, sons and daughters-will be happy! Which of the following is right ? <extra_id_0>Sam liked doing chores. <extra_id_1>Sam did chores only on weekends. <extra_id_2>Sam liked doing chores only on weekends. <extra_id_3>Sam really didn't like doing chores. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Two new whale sharks arrived at the world's largest aquarium on Friday. Both whale sharks, the world's largest fish, arrived at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta after 6 a.m. The pair had been flown 8,000 miles from Taipei, Taiwan. They will join the aquarium's three whale sharks--the only ones on display outside of Asia. " We re the only people in the world that can claim three times, " aquarium director Jeff Swanagan said, " Each time we learn more and more." The two young males were given Asian names. One is Taroko, named after Taroko Gorge, a national park in Taiwan. The other is Yushan, which means "Jade Mountain", and is named after a mountain in Taiwan. The sharks were flown from Taiwan on a plane in 20-foot-long tanks with oxygen machines and other equipment to keep the water suitable for them. They arrived at about 3:30 a.m. in Atlanta, where their tanks were moved to two trucks and driven to the aquarium surrounded by some of Atlanta police cars with their blue lights flashing. They were lowered into their new home--as Norton and two females, Alice and Trixie, circled nearby, seemingly curious about the new arrivals. It is difficult to tell the age of the whale sharks, but at least one of the new arrivals is believed to be the smallest the aquarium has got. They are believed to be the aquarium's youngest whale sharks yet. The two new whale sharks _ <extra_id_0>are the largest in America <extra_id_1>have Asian names <extra_id_2>have got used to living in America. <extra_id_3>arrived at the aquarium at 3:30 am <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A study finds that not enough morning light causes teenagers not to get enough sleep at night. "As teenagers spend more time indoors, they miss necessary morning light. Day light is needed to keep the balance of the body's 24-hour biological system , which regulates body temperature and sleep styles," reports Dr. Mariana Figueiro. "These teenagers who receive little morning light are going to bed later, getting less sleep and doing badly in tests. They are more likely to fail in their exams." In the study, Dr. Figueiro asked 11 students in Grade 8 to wear special glasses to prevent blue morning light from reaching their eyes. At the end of the 5-day study she found that they fell asleep 30 minutes later than usual. Throughout her research, Dr. Figueiro has been very worried about teenagers going to bed too late. The problem is that today's schools require teenagers to be in school very early in the morning. These students are likely to miss the morning light because they often go to school before the sun is up or as it's just rising. Furthermore , the schools are not likely to provide enough electric light to keep the balance of this biological system. Our biological system is much more sensitive to blue light. Therefore, having lots of light in the classroom does not make sure that there is enough light to keep our biological system balanced. What's the problem of the students according to the study? <extra_id_0>There are not enough electric lights in the classroom. <extra_id_1>Being in school early affects their study habits. <extra_id_2>They have to go to bed very early to have enough sleep. <extra_id_3>They go to school too early to get enough morning light. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>People are being lured onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages. Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they're paying for Facebook because people don't really know what their personal data is worth. The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook--you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things-- your city, your photo, your friends' names--were set, by default to be shared with everyone on the Internet. According to Facebook's vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don't share information, they have a "less satisfying experience". Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends? The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April. Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites."I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them," Schrage admits. I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it's only the beginning, which is why I'm considering deactivating my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't know. That's too high a price to pay. What does the author say about most Facebook users? <extra_id_0>They are reluctant to give up their personal information. <extra_id_1>They don't know their personal data enriches Facebook. <extra_id_2>They don't identify themselves when using the website. <extra_id_3>They care very little about their personal information. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Which best describes transportation technology? <extra_id_0>a system that is used to move people and products <extra_id_1>an enterprise that changes raw materials into goods <extra_id_2>the building and finishing of structures <extra_id_3>the conversion of mechanical energy into heat energy <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The first time I went for a walk around my father-in-law's neighborhood was garbage day, and I was shocked to see what people were throwing out. It was back in 1981, and I saw many people gathered in someone's front yard. As I went nearer to see what was happening I got my first introduction to yard sales. For the few dollars I had in my wallet, I was able to buy a seven-inch black-and-white portable TV. I also bought a flashlight. The following weekend, at another yard sale, I saw a 14-inch color1 TV being sold for almost nothing. I felt I could not miss the offer and bought it. Now I had two sets and couldn't wait to see what else I could afford the next weekend. Spring ended, and by then I had accumulated almost every type of electronic equipment I had always wished to have back home. Then this new idea came to mind. I had heard about a man who traveled back home every few months. He drove a truck filled with boxes of new and used stuff that people were sending to s. So I told my father that I would send as many types of items as I could so that he could start his resale business. Every few months I would gather several boxes of American "junk" --- televisions, toasters, fans, hair dryers, etc. and send them home. As word got out about my father's "trash" market, people all came to buy these things. Three years later, when I visited my family for the first time since leaving home, I learned that many of the families in our neighborhood had a piece of "trash". It proved that I had the responsibility to keep people back home up to date with the latest technology you no longer need.(304words) According to the text, a yard sale is a place where people _ . <extra_id_0>sell their front yards at a low price <extra_id_1>throw away their trash in someone's yard <extra_id_2>gather in someone's yard to enjoy things <extra_id_3>sell unwanted things in their own yards <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>If you want to take the whole family on holiday,and keep everybody happy.then I have found just the place for you.I recently went with a group of friends to stay at the Greenwood Holiday Village, which is open from May until October. Built in the centre of a forest,Greenwood is a great place to stay whatever the weather is like, Its main attraction for families is the indoor World of Water,where young and old Can have fun in the different pools.Some of these,however,are for serious swimmers only. For sporty, people,the Country Club offers tennis,squash and badminton.If your children are too young to join in these sports,there are activity clubs.Greenwood is a good place for families as it is traffic-free----you explore on foot or by bike.Some people complained that this was inconvenient,but I was pleased to be out in the fresh air.For evening entertainment,there are shows and cinemas. Accommodation is in a variety of apartments of different sizes.These have up to four bedrooms,a kitchen and a bathroom,as well as a dining area.Before going,I thought the apartments might not be big enough for all of us,but I was pleasantly surprised--it was not too crowded at all. I'll definitely go back to Greenwood next year.Why don't you give it a try? Visit their website for further information now! Which of the following statements about the apartments is TRUE? <extra_id_0>There is not much space between them <extra_id_1>Each one has its own bathroom. <extra_id_2>They all have four bedrooms. <extra_id_3>Not all of them have dining areas. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>For history fans, Margaret Thatcher is one of the most interesting of the British Prime Ministers. She is praised by both British and American conservatives for her firm principles and accomplishments of her term. Being so popular, it is only appropriate that a solid movie be made to detail the life of the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The film Iron Lady focuses on Thatcher (Meryl Streep) and her dementia , with certain items in her house reminding her of periods of her life, which then start series of flashbacks. Thatcher also fantasies of her husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent), and holds conversations with him throughout the film. In a world controlled by men and where women are thought to belong to the kitchen, Thatcher struggles to break through the barriers of sex to win a seat in Parliament . Not only does she struggle with her sex, but being the daughter of a simple shopkeeper, she struggles with class barriers. After winning a seat in Parliament in 1959, Thatcher was appointed Secretary of State for Education and Science(SES). The film details how the leadership of her party didn't take her or her opinions seriously. Thatcher became tired of being unheard and decided to challenge the leadership of the party and run for Leader of the Opposition. Not expecting to win the position, she took off in popularity, continuing a strong campaign even after her manager was killed by the Irish Republican Army. Thatcher, after the conservative party won a majority in Parliament, became the first woman Prime Minister of the UK. She took off in popularity until an economic decline hit the country. She regained popularity after the Falklands War. The film, in many cases, shows archive footage to convey the historic timeline of the movie. The film does an excellent job in recording the complex life of one of Britain's most complex women. It examines the price that Lady Thatcher paid for power, the class and sex struggles she overcame, and the burden of dementia. The film strikes an astonishingly dear portrait of the "Iron Lady" and will be sure to stand the test of time. According to the passage, the film Iron Lady is mainly about _ . <extra_id_0>Margaret Thatcher and her dementia <extra_id_1>Thatcher's principles and achievements <extra_id_2>the British Prime Ministers' interests <extra_id_3>Margaret Thatcher and her husband <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A man living absolutely alone in a desert or forest is free from other people; but he is not absolutely free. His freedom is limited in several ways. Firstly, by the things around him, such as wild animals or cliffs too steep to climb. Secondly, by his own needs: he must have sleep, water, food and shelter from extreme heat or cold. Lastly, by his own nature as a man: disease may attack him, and death will certainly come to him sooner or later. When men live together, on the other hand, protection against wild animals is easier and they can work together to get food and build shelters; but each man has to give up some of his freedom so that he can live happily with the others. When men become organized into very large groups, and civilization develops, it is possible to get freedom from hunger, thirst, cold, heat and many diseases, so that each person can live a happier life than he could if he were living alone; but such a society can not work successfully unless the freedom of each human being is to some extent limited so that he is kept from hurting others. I am not free to kill others, nor to steal someone else's property, nor to behave in a way that offends against the moral sense of the society in which I live. I have to limit my own freedom myself so that others will not limit it too much: I agree to respect the rights of others, and in return they agree to respect mine. The advantages of such an agreement are great: one man can become a doctor, knowing that others will grow food, make clothes and build a house for him, in return for the work he does to keep them healthy. If each man had to grow his own food, make his own clothes, build his own house and learn to be his own doctor, he would find it impossible to do any one of these jobs really well. By working together, we make it possible for society to provide us all with food, clothes, shelter and medical care, while leaving each of us with as much freedom as it can. According to the passage, to do all his own jobs one would _ . <extra_id_0>enjoy a complete freedom. <extra_id_1>find it a happy thing to do everything at his own will <extra_id_2>find it a very hard job to deal with everything by himself <extra_id_3>feel quite fantastic and encouraged. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers (young people aged from 13-19) from all over the world will spend about ten months in U. S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world. Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George's family. In turn, George's son Mike spent a year in Fred's home in America. Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months' study, the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected-much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities. Family life, too, was different. The father's word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual . Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car. "Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it." At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. "I suppose I should criticize American schools", he says. "It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe you schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two." After experiencing the American school life, Mike thought _ . <extra_id_0>German schools trained students to be better citizens <extra_id_1>a better education should include something good from both America and Germany <extra_id_2>American schools were not as good as German schools <extra_id_3>the easy life in the American school was more helpful to students <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A Robot Fish has been developed by National University of Singapore's researchers from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.This robot fish has movements which have been inspired by the movements of the carp . There are various purposes that it can be used for.It can help in underwater archaeology ( ).For example, it can enter a sunken city where human divers cannot enter.Just like a fish , it can also look at all the comers of particular wreckage.This robot can also be used for general purposes such as detection of leakages in a pipeline or for laying down communication cables across oceans.It also has possible military uses. In order to copy carp movements, Mr.Fan studied the movements of the fish for around 3 months.He studied all the different movements of carp using different cameras and then converted these movements mathematically to transfer this data to the robot using many actuators . Professor Xu commented on the robot that the current models that copy fish movements are capable only of 2D movements which limits their capability as they are not able to dive into water.He said that his model is the first model with 3D movements which allows it to dive as well as float with the help of its fins, just as a normal fish would do.Hence, this fish model robot has much greater movement capability.It would be much harder for enemies to detect as compared to traditional ones when used for military purposes. The researches want to make their robot fish even smaller, more realistic while adding more sensors such as GPS and video camera to it.This will improve its autonomous 3D movement.They are also planning to test the fish by giving it more difficult tasks such as detecting various objects. Which is NOT true about the 3D Robot Fish? <extra_id_0>It is capable of diving into water. <extra_id_1>It cannot dive into water. <extra_id_2>It can float using its fins. <extra_id_3>It is difficult to detect. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A little stream ran down from a high mountain through many villages and forests. Then it reached a desert,"I went through so many difficulties. I should have no problem crossing the desert,"she thought. As she started, she found herself slowly disappearing into the sand. After many tries, she still failed. At this time, a deep voice said,"if a breeze can cross the desert, so can a river."It was the voice of the desert. But the little stream answered,"that's because a breeze can fly, but I can't." "That's because you can't give up what you are. Let yourself evaporate into the breeze, and _ can take you across,"said the desert. "Give up what I am now? No! No!"The little stream could not accept this idea. "The breeze can carry the vapor across the desert and let it leave as rain. The rain will form a river again,"said the desert."And whether you're a river or vapor, your nature never changes." Hearing this, the little stream went into the open arms of the breeze. It carried her to the next stage of her life. What did the stream do in the end? <extra_id_0>Crossed the desert. <extra_id_1>Stopped trying. <extra_id_2>Failed to get to the ocean. <extra_id_3>Died. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Some good news for online holiday shoppers: bargain-hunting binges will drive prices down as web-based retailers compete to offer bigger discounts, marketing researchers predict. A recent survey by Shopzilla found that nearly 84 percent of online retailers would offer Cyber Monday discounts, up 12 percent from last year. Cyber Monday, the first Monday after Thanksgiving, is the online response to Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when stores are traditionally flooded with customers, some of whom camp at the entrances overnight to take advantage of discounts. However, in the current economic climate, online retailers have felt pressure to offer sales and discounts even before Black Friday. But how online retailers decide to offer those big savings isn't a simple matter of trying to attract the consumers who are watching their wallets, Bohlmann of Sabanci University in Istanbul says. Online stores will also pay attention to the deals their competitors are offering, potentially leading to price wars between certain retailers to attract all those potential bargain-hunting customers. Online shoppers can be divided into two types, Bohlmann said, --switchers and --loyals. Switchers compare prices between retailers and go for the cheapest one, while loyals stick to one brand or store. It almost doesn't matter what price you charge. Online retailers will look at the percentage of switchers and loyals they have in order to decide whether to offer discounts. The more switchers they have, the more likely they will offer discounts. But retailers don't just look at the percentage of their own customers; they also look at the competition. If one online store has a higher percentage of loyals than the competitor, it can afford to keep prices higher. On the contrary, if it has a higher percentage of switchers than the competitor, it might want to lower prices. It can be inferred from the text that _ <extra_id_0>retailers should know more about customers' interest <extra_id_1>There will be no shoppers who go out in crowds <extra_id_2>Barnes&Noble's prices are lower than other companies' <extra_id_3>Retailers like the switchers more than the loyals <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>If babies are given more love and feelings by their mothers, they will deal better with stress and anxiety when they grow up , research has shown. The study of eight-month-old children shows even the very earliest life experiences can influence our happiness. Lots of mother love makes children form a safe bond with their mothers , so they are able to feel safe in relationships when they grow up ,and they will have better social skills and deal with life's difficulties. The researchers, led by Dr.Joanna Maselko of Duke University in North Carolina, studied the relationships of 482 eight--month - old babies with their mothers during daily development. They studied how well the mother had dealt with her child's developmental text and how she had responded child's performance.Mental health was then assessed when the babies had grown up - at the average of 34. The more feelings and attention a mother gave to her child, the better her child would be. This kind of child had the lowest levels of anxiety, hostility and general difficulties. If children are given more love and attention, what will they have in the future? <extra_id_0>They will have a successful life. <extra_id_1>They will have less stress and anxiety. <extra_id_2>They will work better. <extra_id_3>They will grow up better. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>NO.4 Middle School Kunming, Yunnan April 2nd, 2004 Dear editor I live in a beautiful city. Many visitors come to my city. There are so many colorful peacocks here .The peacocks mostly live on the grass land of Dongfeng Square They are given food freely by visitors ,They usually throw food to them ,and don't think about at all whether the food is right or not. Some of the peacocks became ill, some even died after eating the bad food given by the visitors . I'm sure most of the visitors who throw food to the peacocks really like the birds ,but don't realize that they may be doing them harm .The visitors should be told that what have done is very harmful to the birds , and this kind of thing must be stopped from happening Perhaps we can build some small shops beside Dongfeng Square to sell peacock food .For us every person, it's our duty to give more love to these beautiful birds and to look after them carefully. Yours, Sun Yan Many visitors come to the writer's city to _ <extra_id_0>do some shopping <extra_id_1>see beautiful peacocks <extra_id_2>play on Dongfeng Square <extra_id_3>eat nice food <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Which food provides the most energy for the body in the shortest amount of time? <extra_id_0>potato <extra_id_1>meat <extra_id_2>milk <extra_id_3>fruit <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Friendship Restaurant We have different kinds of Japanese food here. The food menu is in Japanese and Chinese. All the waiters and waitresses can speak at least one foreign language. Tel: 312-9997 Time: 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Volunteer Project Maybe you want to help others but don't know how to do it. Then Volunteer Project will help you. Here you will get the best idea of volunteering. Call 822-5566 to join it. E-mail address:lisa@hotmail.com Dream corner Do you want to improve your English? Do you want to practice your English with native speakers? If yes, why not join the Dream Corner? Come here on Friday afternoon every week. Red Bird club Do you like dance? Do you want to show off your cool dance at parties? Join us and make your dream come true. Closed on Tuesday. Call 822-3331 for more information. The Underwater World Here you will find different kinds of fishes and even some kinds of sharks. You will feel you are in the sea but of course this is not true. If you like fishes, I suggest that you pay a visit to it. Tel: 846-3809 Time: 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ,. You can eat _ food in the Friendship Restaurant. <extra_id_0>English <extra_id_1>Japanese <extra_id_2>French <extra_id_3>Chinese <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Mr. Selfridge, the Wisconsin-born retailer who left school at 14, rose to become a partner in Marshall Field's. Chicago. Founded in 1852, it was one of the first and most ambitious US department scores. Mr. Selfridge had done well with Marshall Field's. He liked to say, "The customer is always right," which made the Chicago store popular. And he is believed to have invented the phrase "Only [so many] Shopping Days until Christmas". When he visited London on holiday in 1906 he was surprised to find most of the city's department stores were no match of their American and Parisian competitors. This led Selfridge to leave the US and establish Selfridges. a department store named after him. at the west end of London's Oxford Street. In Oxford Street, Selfridge's design team shaped an ambitious classical palacc building with a wall of plate glass windows. Opened in 1909, Selfridges offered customers a hundred departments along with restaurants, a roof garden, reading and writing rooms, reception areas for foreign visitors, a first aid room and. most importantly, a small army of knowledgeable floor-walking assistants who served as guides as well as being thoroughly instructed in the art of making a sale. Mr. Selfridge did much to make the department store a destination rather than just a big and comprehensively stocked city shop. It became a place to meet and for ladies to lunch. Mr. Selfridge later introduced the department store as a key element of the 20th Century culture, and Chaplin acknowledged the growing trend for shopping in the department store in his film The Floorwalker. What is the main purpose of the article? <extra_id_0>To introduce the history of Selfridge . <extra_id_1>To compare different department stores. <extra_id_2>To encourage readers to spend more. <extra_id_3>To explain how to start a department store. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Oprah Winfrey, the queen of American daytime talk TV, is considered one of the most powerful women in the world.Now, after 25 years' hosting The Oprah Winfrey Show, the star has announced she is calling it quits. According to the Los Angeles Times, the move "signals the beginning of the decline for the daytime talk show." More women are working full-time jobs, and people are turning to cable and pre-recorded shows for their entertainment. It may be that Oprah isn't quitting so much as moving on.She has created the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), and will most likely move her show to the network.If audiences around the world need Oprah, they well know where to look. Oprah Winfrey was born to a single teenage mother in a small town in rural Mississippi, US.As a child, she lived with poverty and abuse.But she got a job at a local radio station, where her honesty, emotional style won her many fans.She quickly rose through the ranks of radio and television before launching her own production company and starting her own show. Oprah's talk show was not the first of its kind, but it quickly became the best and most popular.It made talk shows popular, and others jumped in to start similar shows.But while other talk shows turned ugly, featuring guests who argued and attacked each other with chairs, _ "Part of her power lies in the fact that her life story resonates with her audience, as a kind of version of the American dream," writes Kevin Connolly, a reporter with the BBC. She became a star because of the way she opened up about her problems to her audience.She shared her own struggles with relationships and weight.She focused on self-help.Connolly believes "something in her honesty and her sometimes painfully emotional directness struck home with a certain type of American". According to the text, Oprah _ . <extra_id_0>always volunteers to help those who need help <extra_id_1>has practiced presentational skills since she was young <extra_id_2>believes that one should rely on himself to solve problems <extra_id_3>calls on women to work full-time jobs <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A good modern newspaper is an extraordinary piece of reading. It is unusual for what it contains: the news from local crime to international politics, from sports to business to fashion to science, and the comments and special features as well, from editorial page to feature articles, from interviews to criticism of books, art, theatre, and music. A newspaper is even more unusual for the way one reads it never completely, never straight through, but always by jumping from here to there, in and out, glancing at one piece, reading another article all the way through, reading just a few paragraphs of the next. A good modern newspaper offers a variety to attract many different readers, but far more than any one reader is interested in. What brings this variety together in one place is its _ , that is, its immediate relation to what is happening in your world and your locality now. But this immediacy and the speed of production that goes with it also mean that much of what appears in a newspaper has no more than temporary value. For all these reasons, no two people really read the same paper: what each person does is to put together, out of the pages of that day's paper, his own selection and order, his own newspaper. For all these reasons, reading newspapers efficiently which means getting what you want from them without missing things you need but without wasting time, demands skill and self-awareness as you change and apply the techniques of reading. According to the passage, the reason why no two people really read the same newspaper is that _ . <extra_id_0>people are interested in the same kind of news <extra_id_1>different people prefer different newspapers <extra_id_2>people scan for the news they are interested in <extra_id_3>people have different views about what a good newspaper is <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Chinese star Yao Ming has retired. Yao made it official Wednesday, telling a news conference that a series of foot and leg injuries forced him to end his playing career at the age of 30. "I will formally end my career,'' said Yao, who became a household name in China before starting his NBA career with the Houston Rockets in 2002. Yao played eight seasons in the NBA. "Today is an important day for me and holds a special meaning for both my basketball career and my future,'' Yao said. "I had to leave the court since I suffered a stress fracture in my left foot for the third time at the end of last year. My past six months were a painful wait. I have been thinking about my future over and over. Today I am announcing a personal decision, ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire. But one door is closing and another one is opening.'' Yao said he would return to work with his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, with the possibility of becoming general manager. He already owns the club and wants to contribute more. "My playing career started with the club. I hope I can do something for it,'' Yao said. He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the crowd. He thanked a lot of people -- his family, former coaches, even players like Shaquille O'Neal -- "for making me a better player.'' Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was among those attending the farewell conference Wednesday. Morey made the long trip from Houston. Morey said 20 hours on planes was tiring but "I would be sorry if I wasn't here." "It's a big moment,'' Morey added. "Yao had a sense of humor, a great attitude and sense of responsibility. I hope we can continue his culture in the NBA.'' Yao Ming was _ before he decided to end his career as a basketball player. <extra_id_0>peaceful <extra_id_1>upset <extra_id_2>confident <extra_id_3>proud <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Get a Life is a website that helps middle school students answer the question --What do you want to be when you grow up? "It encourages teenagers to have a big dream; it tries to find out what is possible; it makes a plan for children to get where they want to go," said Combs, one of the persons who set up the website. [:ZSSxxSSk.Com] Get a Life suggests teenagers let their hobbies and interests decide what to do in the future. It encourages them to look for activities that help them try to do some jobs and get important knowledge and skills. It also offers information about fast-growing and well-paid jobs, and provides job training for teenagers. "Middle school is the perfect time for students to find out their interests, to have many different experiences and do something for their future jobs," a middle school teacher said. "Our world will become a better place if we make our _ s wide and try new things. Our students can't wait until high school or university to begin building their dreams. Right now is the right time to get a life." "This website is exactly what these children need for a better future. If our children can make better plans for their future, it is more possible for them to succeed," Combs said. Which of the following about Get a Life is NOT true? <extra_id_0>It helps teenagers to have a big dream. <extra_id_1>It helps teenagers to prepare for their classes. <extra_id_2>It provides information about jobs for teenagers. <extra_id_3>It tells teenagers how to choose future jobs. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>If prefix = st1 /U.S.software companies don't pay more attention to quality, they could kiss their business good-bye. BothIndiaandBrazilare developing a world-class software industry. Their weapon is quality and one of their jobs is to attract the topU.S.quality specialists whose voices are not listened to in their country. Already, of the world's 12 software houses that have earned the highest rating in the world, seven are in India. That's largely because they have used new methods rejected by American software specialists. For example, for decades, quality specialists, W. Edwards Deming and J. M. Juran had urgedU.S.software companies to change their attitudes to quality. But their quality call mainly fell on deaf ears in the U.S -- but not in Japan. By the 1970s and 1980s,Japanwas grabbing market share with better, cheaper products. They used Deming's and Juran's ideas to bring down the cost of good quality to as little as 5% of total production costs. InU.S.factories, the cost of quality then was 10 times as high: 50%. In software, it still is. Watts S. Humphrey spent 27 years at IBM heading up software production and then quality assurance. But his advice was seldom paid attention to. He retired from IBM in 1986. In 1987, he worked out a system for assessing(evaluating) and improving software quality. It has proved its value time and again. For example, in 1990 the cost of quality at Raytheon Electronics Systems was almost 60% of total software production costs. It fell to 15% in 1996 and has since further dropped to below 10%. Like Deming and Juran, Humphrey seems to be winning more praises overseas than at home. The Indian government and several companies have just founded the Watts Humphrey Software Quality Institute at the Software Technology Park in Chennai,India. Let's hope thatU.S.lead in software will not be eaten up by its quality problems. What is the writer worrying about? <extra_id_0>Many USsoftware specialists are working forJapan. <extra_id_1>The quality problem has become a worldwide problem. <extra_id_2>India and Japanare joining hands to compete with theUS. <extra_id_3>The US will no longer be the first software player in the world. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Most mornings, the line begins to form at dawn: scores of silent women with babies on their backs, buckets balanced on their heads, and in each hand a bright-blue plastic jug. On good days, they will wait less than an hour before a water tanker goes across the dirt path that serves as a road in Kesum Purbahari, a slum on the southern edge of New Delhi. On bad days, when there is no electricity for the pumps, the tankers don't come at all. "That water kills people," a young mother named Shoba said one recent Saturday morning, pointing to a row of pails filled with thick, caramel -colored liquid. "Whoever drinks it will die." The water was from a pipe shared by thousands of people in the poor neibourhood. Women often use it to wash clothes and bathe their children, but nobody is desperate enough to drink it. There is no standard for how much water a person needs each day, but experts usually put the minimum at fifty litres. The government of India promises (but rarely provides) forty. Most people drink two or three litres--less than it takes to wash a toilet. The rest is typically used for cooking and bathing. Americans consume between four hundred and six hundred litres of water each day, more than any other people on earth. Most Europeans use less than half that. The women of Kesum Purbahari each hoped to drag away a hundred litres that day--two or three buckets' worth. Shoba has a husband and five children, and that much water doesn't go far in a family of seven, particularly when the temperature reaches a hundred and ten degrees before noon. She often makes up the difference with bottled water, which costs more than water delivered any other way. Sometimes she just buys milk; it's cheaper. Like the poorest people everywhere, the people of New Delhi's slums spend a far greater percentage of their incomes on water than anyone lucky enough to live in a house connected to a system of pipes. The passage mainly tells us _ . <extra_id_0>how India government manages to solve the problem of water gets their water <extra_id_1>how women in Kesum Purbahari <extra_id_2>how much water a day a person deeds <extra_id_3>that India lacks water badly <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>At present, too much carbon dioxide makes the earth warmer and warmer and causes terrible effect to human beings. To save our planet, to save ourselves, a new lifestyle called low-carbon life becomes popular. Low carbon means low energy and no waste. It is necessary for everybody to learn to live a low-carbon life. To live a low-carbon life, we'd better save energy as possible. Turn off the lights and TV whenever they are not needed. If possible, use cold water to wash clothes or dishes. Take a short shower and try to take a cold one when the weather gets warm. Don't do the cooking with electricity. To live a low-carbon life, we should eat less meat. Everybody knows eating too much meat makes people fat and easy to have heart disease, but maybe you don't know keeping animals for food produces even more carbon dioxide than all the cars in the world, and being a vegetarian can help reduce one and a half tons of carbon dioxide a year. Maybe _ is a little difficult, but it's really necessary. To live a low-carbon life, we are supposed to do less shopping. When we go shopping, we may drive a car or take other transportations. On the one hand, these machines pollute the air and waste energy. On the other hand, most of us always buy some useless things because of some advertisements. It is not only a waste of money but also causes trouble to the earth, because as you know, making everything will produce carbon dioxide more or less. There are many other ways to live low-carbon life, such as recycling things, planting trees and reusing textbooks. If we can keep it a habit in our daily life, the earth will become a safer planet for us to live on. ,. _ makes the weather on the earth get warmer. <extra_id_0>Little rubbish <extra_id_1>A waste of money <extra_id_2>Too much carbon dioxide <extra_id_3>A waste of water <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Enjoyable Saturday Do your children enjoy interesting stories,funny games,and exciting dances?Captain Goodfellow will be ready to do all these things with children at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00,free. Movies at the Museum Two European movies will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre.See Broken Window at 1:30.The Workers will be at 3:45.For further information,call 4987898. International Picnic Are you tired of eating the same food every day?Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food a11 over the world.Delicious and not expensive.Noon to 5:00 P.M. Take Me out to the Ballgame It's November,and Saturday night(7:00--9:00)is your last chance to see the Red Birds this year.Get your tickets at the game.It might be cold.Don't forget sweaters and jackets. Do You Want to Hear "The Zoo"? "The Zoo",a popular rock group from Australia,will give their first US concert this Saturday night,at 8 at Rose Hall,City College. The Red Birds ballgame_. <extra_id_0>is in the afternoon <extra_id_1>is outside <extra_id_2>is at the gate <extra_id_3>might be cold <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The main reason people come to America is said to be that they can chase the American Dream. Everyone has heard of it, and many have died fighting for it. The only thing is that there is no clear definition of the American Dream. It is not defined by one dream, but by all the opportunities that the United States offers. Since the founding of the United States, people have been _ to define the American Dream. In the playDeath of a Salesman, every character is trying to realize his own version of the American Dream. Willy feels that he has done so. He has spent his whole life as a not very successful salesman. As he gets older, he starts having conflicts with everyone in his life, and feels that only by killing himself will the people around him be able to finally be happy. Bernard, on the other hand, feels that the American Dream can only be achieved through career success. He shows that through hard work and dedication he will be crowned with success. The dialogue of the characters reveals the different attitudes they have toward the American Dream, and the reaction of Willy to the fact that Bernard is very successful while he is not. Many people try to achieve the American Dream, but few actually do so. As with any goal, it takes hard work and dedication to achieve the American Dream. InDeath of a Salesman, all aspects of this goal are examined. For the goal to be achieved, the dream must be an attainable one which is worth working toward. It also must be a dream that the professional world accepts and finds useful. According to the author, Bernard is successful because _ . <extra_id_0>he understands the real world <extra_id_1>he knows how to take advantage of his knowledge <extra_id_2>he works hard to achieve his goals <extra_id_3>he is popular around the world <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Metal things are made of metal, glass things are made of glass, iron things, however, are made of what material? <extra_id_0>Iron <extra_id_1>Plastic <extra_id_2>candy <extra_id_3>milk <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Geena David knew she wanted to be a movie star when she was very young. She was not sure what gave her the idea, but she wanted to look like a movie star. "I have a lot of pictures from my childhood of me wearing sunglasses," she says. "I used to wear them to watch TV." Early movie actors started wearing sunglasses not because they looked good, but because their eyes hurt. The lights used on movie sets were extremely bright and could cause a painful problem known as "Klieg eyes". It was named after the Klieg brothers who invented the lights. Actors wore sunglasses to give their eyes a rest. But when movie stars began wearing their sunglasses in public, they quickly became a must. Eventually actors started wearing sunglasses in their movies as well as on the street. Audrey Hephburn wore ultra-cool Ray-Ban sunglasses in the 1961 movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's. As a result, Ray-Ban sunglasses started to appear more and more in the movies. In 1979, Ray-Ban "Wayfarers" were worn by Jake and Elwood in The Blue Brothers. Tom Cruise wore Ray-Ban "Aviator" sunglasses in the 1986 hit, Top Gun. Then in 1997, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones made Ray-Ban "Predator" sunglasses famous in Men in Black. Of course sunglasses aren't just a fashion statement. The main reason to wear sunglasses is to protect our eyes against UV radiation. UV radiation can damage our eyes, so people now choose their sunglasses carefully. But you don't have to give up style for safety. The choice of frames and lenses available these days is huge. So you can protect your eyes and still be the coolest person on the beach. Now people wear sunglasses _ . <extra_id_0>for fashion and to protect their eyes <extra_id_1>just to protect their eyes <extra_id_2>because of bright lights <extra_id_3>because movie stars wear them <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Many people in the world have not seen snow. Some countries never have snow; some have only a little on top of the high mountains. In the north of England, there is quite a lot of snow every winter, but in the south of England, there is usually little. When a student from a warm country comes to England in autumn for the first time, he feels cold at first. There are often clouds, grey sky and cold rain in England in autumn, and most students from warm countries do not like this. But snow is different. It is beautiful. Perhaps, after several mornings, the student wakes up one day, and there is a lot of light in his room. He thinks, "Is it so late?" and jumps out of bed. But no, it is not very late. He looks out of the window and there is snow on the ground and on the houses and everywhere. Snow is _ . <extra_id_0>beautiful <extra_id_1>dark <extra_id_2>warm <extra_id_3>happy <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Seth DeBolt is a plant scientist at the University of Kentucky US. He and other scientists wanted to find a source of fuel that poor people in rural areas of developing countries could use to make electricity. The United Nations Development Program says a billion and a half people have no electricity. A billion others have an undependable supply. Professor DeBolt went on a study trip to rural Indonesia. He saw that there was very little waste in the use of agricultural products. Everything that farmers grew was used for something. Even the remains of fruit that people did not eat were fed to chickens. Little waste meant there was little that could be used for fuel. Growing a separate fuel crop would take land away from food crops. That was something Professor DeBolt did not want to do. DeBOLT said, "The people at most risk with respect to energy poverty, typically they're the same people who have food insecurity issues as it is. And then any change in availability would be most damaging to that group of people." But he found one item that was in plentiful supply and would not create competition between food and fuel. Coconut shells are generally thrown out. Yet Professor DeBolt says it has an "excellent" heating value. All someone needs is a way to release that energy. DeBolt says he and his team see possibilities for coconut power. "Coconuts are growing here and these are the areas where there is possibility for energy poverty to be eased at least in part by these small-scale production systems." The researchers say these systems could provide as much as thirteen percent of the energy needs of a country like Indonesia. Other tropical countries with large crops of coconuts and similar fruit could benefit, as well. But DeBolt says this is not a perfect solution. There are technical questions, like how to safely deal with the dangerous waste produced in the process. And there needs to be money to get these projects started. DeBolt thought it was not a good idea to grow fuel crops because _ . <extra_id_0>there are plenty of coconuts <extra_id_1>local farmers have no interest in it <extra_id_2>it would make food problems worse <extra_id_3>fuel crop has little use for local farmers <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>In some countries,open campus is widely accepted. For example, French students have a two-hour lunch break from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. During their lunch break, they can eat at home or at a restaurant. But students in the Philippines have a tougher schedule. They have only two 15-minute breaks and an hour for lunch. What Schedule would be best for American schools? Having breaks between classes is great, but having breaks off campus is even better. There are several advantages to open campus, including simple conveniences such as being able to eat different meals during lunchtime, rather than having the cafeteria dishes, as well as having the chance to take a break at home. However, there are more reasons I disagree with allowing high school students the right to have an open campus. Sure, it's great being able to escape school during the day for a while, but soon enough that may easily become the rest of the day. If open campus is allowed, it is very possible that such freedom will make it all too easy for students to skip their afternoon classes. Of course, there will be students responsible enough to come back to school. But unexpected problems such as heavy traffic, city bus delays or cars breaking down may prevent them from returning to school. It benefits the students to stay in school during lunch hours to avoid transportation issues. Depending on how close the school is to restaurants and students' homes, open campus could be a great idea. Unfortunately, though, most public schools in America are not located close enough to restaurants or students' homes, thus causing the negative results to outweigh the positives in the end. In the author's opinion, open campus will probably _ . <extra_id_0>lead to heavy traffic <extra_id_1>cause students to cut school <extra_id_2>attract more students to school <extra_id_3>increase students' sense of responsibility <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Flowers start die when <extra_id_0>They are pulled from the ground <extra_id_1>They are sung too <extra_id_2>They are given water <extra_id_3>They have lots of sunlight <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Over the years, Americans have become used to salt.Most people have no idea how much salt they consume-on average, about 9 to 12 gram per person per day, according to the American Heart Association.That's twice the amount recommended by the government. A new study last week showed eating even a little less salt could greatly help the heart.The scientists said the results would be thirteen percent fewer heart attacks, eight percent fewer strokes , four percent fewer deaths and eleven percent fewer new cases of heart disease. Researchers also found that the benefits would be greatest for African Americans and women.As a group, African Americans tend to have higher blood pressure than the general population, and "many studies suggest that they may be more sensitive to salt," says Dr.Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco.Her analysis found that a reduction of 3 gram of salt per day would reduce heart attacks 8% on average; among African Americans, that rate would drop 10%.A similar result was found in women, whose stroke risk dropped 8% with a 3-g reduction in salt intake; in men, the risk fell 5%. They and public health professionals in the United States are interested in a national campaign to persuade people to eat less salt. However, other scientists say such a campaign is an experiment with the health of millions of people. Michael Alderman, a high blood pressure expert and professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, says that eating less salt results in lower blood pressure.But he says studies have not clearly shown that lowering salt means fewer heart attacks or strokes. "Salt has other biological effects. Calling for reductions in the national diet could have good effects, as well as harmful results. There is not enough evidence either way,"said Michael Alderman. What's the best title of the passage? <extra_id_0>The Benefits of Eating Less Salt. <extra_id_1>A New Study on Salt and Diseases. <extra_id_2>An Argument Over Salt and Health. <extra_id_3>The Harm Caused by Too Much Salt. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>We are already familiar with computers--computers work for us at home, in offices and in factories. But it is also true that many children today are using computers at schools before they can write. What does this mean for the future? Are these children lucky or not? Many people who do not know about computers think of them as machines that children play with. They worry that children do not learn from experience but just from pressing a button and that this is not good for them. They think that children are growing not knowing about the real world. But people who understand more about computers say that computers can be very good for children. A computer can help them to learn about the real world more quickly, to learn what they want to learn and think for themselves. And for the future, don't we need people who can think clearly, who know how to get information quickly and use it well? What do you think? What can computers help children to do? <extra_id_0>To think clearly, to do homework and to write. <extra_id_1>To play games, to do math and to copy. <extra_id_2>To think clearly, to get information and to use it well. <extra_id_3>To count, to clean the house and to get information. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>An African-American man named John Henry was the hero of former slaves and the people who built the railroads in the US in the 19th century. John Henry was born a slave. He was known for his strength. Many people say he represents the spirit of growth in America during that period. John Henry grew up in a world that _ . Before he was six years old, he was carrying stones for workers building a nearby railroad. By the time John Henry was a young man, he was one of the best railroad workers in the country. John Henry was asked to lead workers on a hard project, creating a tunnel through a mountain. The project required about 1,000 laborers and lasted three years. Hundreds of men became sick as a result of the hot weather and tiredness. John Henry was the strongest and fastest man. Concerned his friends might lose their jobs, he picked up their hammers and began doing their work. He worked day and night, rarely stopping to have a rest. One day, a salesman came to the work area with a new drilling machine powered by steam. He said it could drill holes faster than twelve men working together.[: _ Z _ X _ X _ K] John Henry looked at the machine and saw images of the future. He saw machines taking the place of America's best laborers. He saw himself and his friends unemployed and sanding by a road, asking for food. He decided he would never let the machine take their jobs. Therefore, a competition between a man and a machine began .At first, the steam-powered drill worked twice faster. Then, John Henry started working with a hammer in each hand. He worked faster and faster. People cheered when the machine broke down and was pulled away. But they were sad to find John Henry fall to the ground, with blood spilling all around, and still holding a hammer in one of his hands."I beat them,"he said. Then he took his last breath. Which of the following best describes John Henry? <extra_id_0>Kind and determined. <extra_id_1>Cautious and considerate. <extra_id_2>Brave and strict. <extra_id_3>Hardworking and stubborn. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Winter is a very special time in Northern Norway. Winter also means skiing, and Narvik can offer some of the best skiing in Norway. The view and light change frequently and no two days are the same. For many people, the northern lights are an unforgettable sight, and in Narvik the sky is especially clear and great for watching at night. The tourist season lasts from February to April, although May can be fascinating too, often with fantastic dry snow and an unbelievable light lasting well into the evening. Ski hire It is possible for adults and children to hire skiing equipment such as snowboards. All equipment is prepared for us. If you would like to book your equipment, please email Narvikfjellet. Cross-country skiing There are 12 kilometers of cross country ski run in Narvik. You need to bring your own skis as there is no cross-country hire. However, equipment can be bought at local sports shops in and around Narvik. Off-piste skiing In order to explore Narvik's off-piste opportunities you need to know the dangers when choosing routes. It is suggested that you bring necessary equipment such as a shovel and a GPS locator. Ask Narvikfjellet for an experienced guide. With a guide you can explore Narvik's special off-piste areas in a safe manner. Sometimes it is nice to do something different and not everybody enjoys skiing. Then you can go horse-riding, or visit the local museums. Price examples for the 2013--2014 season Time Children(8-15 years old) Adults 1 day NOK 230 NOK 325 3 days NOK 590 NOK 835 5 days NOK 815 NOK 1,170 7 days NOK 970 NOK 1,375 Children 0-7 years can enjoy the service for free . When you go off-piste skiing, the following are a must EXCEPT _ . <extra_id_0>a shovel <extra_id_1>a horse <extra_id_2>a guide <extra_id_3>a GPS locator <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>An old farmer spent all his life on his farm in the country in the southeast of England. One day he decided to visit the big city. Everything was new and strange to him, because he had never traveled to the city before. The old farmer visited a lot of interesting places in the city. He rushed into a large tall building and saw a lift. When he was watching, an old woman got into the lift and closed the door. After a while, the door opened again and a very perfect young girl came out. The old farmer was very surprised, "What a funny little room!" He said to himself, "It's magic. It can change an old woman into a young girl. The next time I come here, I'm going to bring my wife to take the lift. " From the passage, we can guess the old farmer _ . <extra_id_0>knew the lift well <extra_id_1>didn't know anything about the lift <extra_id_2>wanted to buy a lift <extra_id_3>didn't like the lift <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Who stalks dragonflies south? <extra_id_0>clouds <extra_id_1>electricity <extra_id_2>kestrels <extra_id_3>polar bears <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>In 1980,Candy Lightner's 13-year-old daughter Cad was killed by a drunk driver as she walked down a suburban street in California. "I promised myself on the day of my daughter's death that I would fight to make this needless accident count for something positive in the years ahead," Candy Lightener later wrote. The drunk driver received a two-year prison sentence. However, he avoided prison by serving time in a work camp and a halfway house. Ms. Lightner was very angry about that and so organized Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), which later changed to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The aim of her organization was to raise public awareness of the serious nature of drunk driving and to promote tough legislation against the crime. Before Ms. Lightner's MADD, intoxication , including drunk driving, was not taken seriously. Intoxication was often used as an excuse for otherwise unacceptable behavior: "I didn't know what I was doing--I was drunk." Candy Lightner appeared on major television shows, spoke before the US Congress, addressed professional and business, groups, and worked tirelessly for years to change public attitudes, change judicial behaviour, and promote tough new legislation. Ms. Lightner left MADD because the organization that she herself created is changing its focus. "I didn't start MADD to deal with alcohol. I started MADD to deal with the issue of drunk driving." The President of the United States awarded her the President's Volunteer Action Award and she was the subject of the movie "Mothers Against Drunk Drivers: the Candy Lightner Story". One of the purposes of MADD was to _ . <extra_id_0>make the public aware of the danger of drunk driving <extra_id_1>fight against the drunk hit-and-run drivers on the road <extra_id_2>make new laws against crimes caused by drinking <extra_id_3>warn people not to drink alcohol while driving <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Visiting Mineral City! Mineral City is an interesting place to visit. It is a beautiful little town with many old buildings. Take a walk through the center of the town on Main Street. Look first at the Mineral City Hotel. It is on the corner of Main Street and Glenn Avenue. It is about 150 years old and people will stay there. There is an interesting old building across the street from the hotel. This was a post office. Now it is a store for books and videos. There are many places to eat on Main Street. You can get lunch or dinner in one of these places. There is a park between Main Street and Oak Street. You can sit on a bench in the park. It is nice and quiet, and you can enjoy the trees and flowers. You can also take a walk down Glenn Avenue. Look at the old buildings and interesting little stores on this street. There is a _ park between Main Street and Oak Street. <extra_id_0>beautiful and old <extra_id_1>nice and quiet <extra_id_2>busy and dirty <extra_id_3>big and interesting <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>"Fire! Fire!" What terrible words to hear when one wakes up in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, old, wooden house and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, opened the door and stepped outside the house. There was full of thick smoke. I began to run, but as I was still only half-awake, instead of going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I could see fire all around. The floor became hot under my bare feet. I found an open door and ran into a room to get to the window. But before I could reach it, one of my feet caught in something soft and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a bundle of clothes, and I picked it up to protect my face from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor gave way under me and I crashed to the floor below with pieces of burning wood all around me. I saw a doorway in fire, then I put the bundle over my face and ran. My feet burned me terrible, but I got through. As I reached the cold air outside, my bundle of clothes gave a thin cry, I nearly dropped it in my surprise. Then I was in a crowd gathered in the street. A woman in a night-dress and a borrowed man's coat screamed as she saw me and came running madly. She was the Mayor's wife, and I had saved her baby. He ran in the wrong direction because he _ . <extra_id_0>was a stranger there <extra_id_1>could see nothing <extra_id_2>was not completely awake <extra_id_3>Both A and C <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Four-bedroom house for sale This house is on a quiet street only a few meters from the beach. It has a wonderful view of the sea and would suit a family or an investor . There are many international cafes and restaurants nearby, and it is only a short walk to the stores. It's near the bus stops. The house has two floors. On the first floor there is a modern kitchen, a large sitting room, a dining room, and a bathroom. On the second floor you will find four bedrooms. There are also two bathrooms. There is also a swimming pool and a beautiful garden around the house. Please telephone Jim Watson at 014-735-8383.One -bedroom apartment for sale This apartment is on the top floor of a six-floor building and has a wonderful view of the city. There is a big park near the building. It is near the centre of the city. It will be a good home for a young couple . The apartment is freshly painted. A modern kitchen and a tidy bathroom make it very comfortable. The owners need money, so they are eager to sell it. Call Julie Kelly at 014-735-8484 for more information There are _ bedrooms on the second floor of the house. <extra_id_0>four <extra_id_1>five <extra_id_2>six <extra_id_3>seven <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Once a clever man was crossing a turbulent river. He wished to amuse himself by talking to the boatman. "Do you know mathematics?" he asked. "No sir." answered the boatman. "Then you have lost one quarter of your life," said the wise man. "Do you know history?" "No sir." answered the boatman. "Then you have lost three quarters of your life." Just then a sudden gust of wind overturned the boat. "Do you know how to swim?" asked the boatman. "No," answered the wise(="clever)" man. "Well then," replied the boatman, "you have lost your whole life." The clever man knew a lot of knowledge except _ . <extra_id_0>mathematics <extra_id_1>philosophy <extra_id_2>history <extra_id_3>swimming <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>To the Editor, I have been reading your newspaper, theHometown Gazette, for the past two years, ever since I moved to Smithville. We moved here from New York City, so I am accustomed to reading excellent newspapers such asThe New York Times. In fact, we still have theTimesdelivered on Sundays. The entire family enjoys reading the recipes in the newspaper, as well as the Styles section. TheTimesis great, but theGazetteis another story. I've never read an article that doesn't contain at least three or four spelling or grammatical errors. For instance, in last week's issue, you misspelled the word "secretary" used a singular verb with a plural noun, and used "it's" as a possessive . And that was just in the lead story! In case you never went to elementary school, "it's" means "it is". It's not a possessive adjective! It's a pity that this tiny little hick town has only one newspaper, because I' d like to have an alternative to the rag you publish. I find it hard to believe your news stories. If you can' t spell correctly, how can you get your facts right? I've been meaning to get this off my chest for some time. Please cancel my subscription . And buy yourself a dictionary. Sincerely, Jane Z. Jones The author's tone in this passage can best be described as _ . <extra_id_0>happy <extra_id_1>humorous <extra_id_2>objective <extra_id_3>angry <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness,happiness,goodness,and selfrespect?The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized (......) as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings. Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness. Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item.If we keep silent,and profit from the clerk's mistake,we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement.Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune.On the other hand,if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item,the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty.We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul. Then,what is it to do with our sense of happiness? In the first case,where we don't tell the clerk,a couple of things would happen.Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief.In the process,we would lose some peace of mind and selfrespect.We would also demonstrate that we cannot be trusted,since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends.We damage our own reputations by telling others.In contrast, _ causes different things to happen.Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable.Upon leaving the store,we feel honorable and our selfrespect is increased.Whenever we take honorable actions we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility. There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions.Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions.Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence.And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy.While the positive cycle can be difficult to start,once it's started,it's easy to continue.Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind,which is important for our happiness. How will we feel if we let the clerk know the mistake? <extra_id_0>We'll be very excited. <extra_id_1>We'll feel unfortunate. <extra_id_2>We'll have a sense of honor. <extra_id_3>We'll feel sorry for the clerk. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The policeman moved up the avenue impressively.It was barely 10 o'clock at night,but the chilly wind with rain had kept people out of the streets. The policeman suddenly slowed his walk.In the doorway of a darkened store a man leaned,with an unlighted cigar in his mouth.As the policeman walked up to him the man spoke up quickly. "It's all right,officer,"he said,"I'm just waiting for a friend.It's an appointment made twenty years ago.Well,about that long ago there used to be a restaurant where this store stands--'Big Joe'Brady's restaurant." "Until five years ago,"said the policeman."It was torn down then." The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar.The light showed a pale,squarejawed face with keen eyes,and a little white scar near his right eyebrow.His scarf pin was a large diamond. "Twenty years ago tonight,"said the man,"I dined here at 'Big Joe'Brady's with Jimmy Wells,my best friend,and the finest guy in the world.He and I were raised here in New York,just like two brothers,together.I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty.The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune.You couldn't have dragged Jimmy out of New York;he thought it was the only place on earth.Well,we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time,no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come.We figured that in twenty years each of us ought to have our fortunes made,whatever they were going to be." "It sounds pretty interesting," said the policeman."Rather a long time between meets,though,it seems to me.Haven't you heard from your friend since you left?" "Well,yes,for a time we corresponded," said the other."But after a year or two we lost track of each other.Yet I know Jimmy will meet me here if he's alive,for he always was the truest guy in the world.He'll never forget.I came a thousand miles to stand in this door tonight,and it's worth it if my old partner turns up." The policeman twirled his club and took a step or two,saying:"I'll be on my way.Hope your friend comes around all right." "I'll give him half an hour at least.If Jimmy is alive he'll be here by that time.So long,officer." "Goodnight,sir," the policeman went away. The man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment with the friend of his youth,smoked his cigar and waited. About twenty minutes he waited,and then a tall man in a long overcoat,with collar turned up to his ears,hurried across from the opposite side of the street.He went directly to the waiting man. "Is that you,Bob?" he asked,doubtfully. "Is that you,Jimmy Wells?" cried the man in the door. "Bless my heart!" exclaimed the new arrival,grasping both the other's hands with his own."It's Bob,sure as fate.I was certain I'd find you here.Well,twenty years is a long time." "You've changed lots,Jimmy.I never thought you were so tall by two or three inches." "Oh,I grew a bit after I was twenty.Come on,Bob;we'll go around to a place I know of,and have a good long talk about old times." The two men started up the street,arm in arm.The man from the West,his egotism enlarged by success,was beginning to outline the history of his career.The other,hidden in his overcoat,listened with interest. At the corner stood a drugstore,brilliant with electric lights.When they came in,each of them turned to gaze upon the other's face. The man from the West stopped suddenly and released his arm. "You're not Jimmy Wells," he said sharply. "Twenty years is a long time,but not long enough to change a man's nose from straight to flat." The tall man said,"You've been under arrest for ten minutes,Bob.Chicago thinks you may have dropped over our way and asks us to have a chat with you.Going quietly,are you?That's sensible.Now,before we go on to the station here's a note to you.You may read it here at the window.It's from Patrolman Wells." The man from the West unfolded the little piece of paper.His hand was steady when he began to read,but it trembled a little when he had finished.The note was rather short. "Bob:I was at the appointed place on time.When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago.Somehow I couldn't do it myself,so I went around and got a plain clothes man to do the job.JIMMY." The end of the story shows that _ . <extra_id_0>time will wait for no man <extra_id_1>friendship is precious <extra_id_2>justice can hardly be done <extra_id_3>life is hard to predict <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>What do Napoleon, Clinton and Wang Nan have in common? They are all left-handed. Today about 15% of the people are left-handed. But why are people left-handed? The answer is the way the brain works. The brain has two halves---the right half and the left half. The right half controls the left side of the body, and the left half controls the right side of the body. So right-handed people have a strong left brain, and the left -handed people have a strong right brain. The two halves of the brain are about the same size. But each side controls different things. The left side controls language, Maths and logic . When you remember new words, or when you put things in order, you use your left side. The right side of the brain controls colour and music. It is also good at recognizing faces. This does not mean that all artists are left-handed and all accountants are right-handed. Some right-handers have a strong right brain, and some left-handers have a strong left brain. Whether people are right-handed or left-handed is mostly decided by _ . <extra_id_0>their parents <extra_id_1>their minds <extra_id_2>the way the brain works <extra_id_3>the way the head works <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>I moved to this area seven years ago. For years I have had noisy neighbours. Ever since I moved into this flat, I've had to put up with noise during the night. I decided I'd had enough and I've been looking for a new flat since the beginning of the year. I haven't found anything till now. Every week I go to the estate agent's office, but it's the same story. "I might have something by the end of the week" he says, or, "Wait till next week. I think I might have a few flats by then." I've seen a few flats during my search, but I don't like any of them. One flat I saw has been empty for two years. "It's got a busy road on one side and a railway on the other!" I said loudly, "I want peace and quiet." Last week I visited the agent again. "I won't leave till you show me something," I said. "I've got just the flat for you." I went to see it and I was frightened. "But it's next to a cemetery!" I cried. "But you won't have noisy neighbours," my agent said. "It's exactly right for peace and quiet!" The main idea of the passage is _ . <extra_id_0>how the agent tried to help the writer find a flat <extra_id_1>why the writer was satisfied with the agent's service <extra_id_2>how difficult it was to find a new flat <extra_id_3>you can depend on the estate agents for a nice flat <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Unconventional in every way, Edward Estlin Cummings made striking use of grammar. His arts were poetry, painting, and drama, and in all of them he was an experimenter. The poetry -- for which he is best remembered -- was marked by strange combinations of words and expressions and produced in very strange print. The unusual techniques that Cummings used served to present his ideas more forcefully and effectively than would have been the case with more ordinary styles. Cummings was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Oct. 14, 1894. He graduated from Harvard College in 1915 and received a master's degree in 1916. During World War I he served as an ambulance driver in France. He spent six months in prison because of his friendship with another American who had supposedly criticized the countries that fought against Germany in the First World War. This experience increased his distrust of all officialdom , a distrust that showed itself in many of his later poems as well as in his first book, "The Enormous Room", published in 1922. Between the two world wars Cummings divided his time between Paris and New York City. His first book of poetry was "Tulips and Chimneys" (1923). The poems in the book were collected in "Complete Poems" (1968). The strangeness of his style was criticized by some, but others found it meaningful. Among Cummings' plays were "Him", first performed in 1927, and "Tom" (1935), a work based on "Uncle Tom's Cabin". An experimental prose book, "Eimi" (1933), recorded a 36-day visit to the Soviet Union. Cummings died at his home in North Conway, N.H., on Sept. 3, 1962. He was the second most widely read poet in the United States, after Robert Frost. He was buried in Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. What do we know about Cummings from the text? <extra_id_0>His poems were seldom read in the United States. <extra_id_1>He wrote three plays during his life. <extra_id_2>He published his first book of poetry in 1922. <extra_id_3>His writing style was unique. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>It was Saturday when the entire summer world was bright and fresh. Tom looked at the fence, which was long and high, feeling all enthusiasm leaving him. He dipped his brush into the whitewash before moving it along the top board of the fence. He knew other boys would arrive soon with all minds of interesting plans for this day. As walking past him, they would tease him for having to work on a beautiful Saturday--which burnt him like fire. He, putting his hands into his pockets and taking out all he owned with the expectation of letting someone paint, found nothing that could buy half an hour of freedom. At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea occurred to him, pouring a great bright light into his mind. He took up his brush and continued to work pleasantly with calm and quietness. Presently, Ben Rogers came in sight--munching an apple and making joyful noises like the sound of a riverboat as he walked along. Tom went on whitewashing, paying no attention to the steamboat. "Hello!" Ben said, "I'm going swimming, but you can't go, can you?" No answer. Tom moved his brush gently along the fence and surveyed the result. Ben came nearer. Tom's mouth watered for Ben's apple while he kept painting the fence. Ben said, "That's a lot of work, isn't it?" Tom turned suddenly saying "Here you are! Ben! I didn't notice you." "I'm going swimming," Ben said. "Don't you wish you could go? Or would you rather work?" Tom said, "Work? What do you mean 'work'?" "Isn't that work?" Tom continued painting and answered carelessly, "Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. All I know is it suits Tom Sawyer." "Do you mean that you enjoy it?" "I don't see why I oughtn't to enjoy it." "Does a boy have a chance to paint a fence frequently" said Tom. Ben stopped munching his apple. Tom moved his brush back and forth--stepped back to note the effect--added a little paint here and there. Ben watched every move, getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. After a short time, he said, "Tom, let me whitewash a little." Tom seemed to be thinking for a moment before he said, "No, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. If it was the back fence, maybe you could do it. But this fence beside the street is where everybody can see it. It has to be done right." "Oh, come on, let me try. I'll be careful. Listen, Tom. I'll give you part of my apple if you let me paint." "No, Ben, I'm afraid--" "I'll give you all the apple!" Tom handed the brush to Ben with unwillingness on his face but _ in his heart. While the riverboat worked and sweated in the hot sun, Tom, an artist sat in the shade close by, munching his apple, and planning how he could trick more of the boys. Before long there were enough boys each of whom came along the street; stopped to laugh but soon begged to be allowed to paint. By the middle of the afternoon, Tom had got many treasures while the fence had had three layers of whitewash on it. If he hadn't run out of whitewash, he would have owned everything belonging to the boys in the village. Tom said to himself that the world was not so depressing after all. He had discovered a great law of human action: in order to make a man cover a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? _ <extra_id_0>Tom did not want to go swimming at all <extra_id_1>Tom was asked to help Aunt Polly paint the fence <extra_id_2>Tom did not get along well with his friends <extra_id_3>Tom was very busy that Saturday afternoon. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The number of lines found in a tree bore will tell you? <extra_id_0>variety <extra_id_1>sturdiness <extra_id_2>the age <extra_id_3>the height <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>What do you usually do after school? Playing football? Watching TV? Let's see how kids in foreign countries spend their free time? Mess around with Dress-up Do your parents have any old clothes? See if you can get an old box and start collecting hats, shoes and clothes now! Then, when your friends come over after school,you can play dress-up. See if you can make yourself into a doctor, or a cowboy, or even a spaceman! If you are really clever, you could even put on a show for your family! Let your imagination run wild! Start a Club Want to learn new things after school? Want to make new friends who aren't in your class? You can get both of them in clubs. In other countries' schools,there are usually all kinds of clubs for kids to join. There is a French club,a student government, a theatre,a choir and a photography club. Take a photography club as an example. One may learn all the skills about taking photos. For example,you will learn how to choose a camera,how to use the light and how to develop pictures. One can also make a lot of friends in clubs. It's always good to enjoy your free time with friends, isn't it? For foreign kids, what do they collect clothes and shoes for? _ . <extra_id_0>having them in future <extra_id_1>changing with their friends <extra_id_2>making themselves into other person <extra_id_3>preparing for parties <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>XI'AN - China has introduced various emergency responses and long-term measures against air pollution in the central and eastern regions. The air quality index (AQI) for Xi'an reached 500 on Wednesday afternoon, at the top of the AQI scale, according to the national air quality monitoring website. Xi'an weather forecasters predict the smog will continue for the next week and air pollution may worsen. "I have to keep buying masks for my family," said Liu, buying masks at a pharmacy near her home in downtown Xi'an. "This is the only thing we can do to protect ourselves." On Wednesday, a city government emergency response plan was put into action, _ all construction and taking at least 50 percent of government vehicles off the road. Power plants must limit their output and reduce emissions. Nearly half the country, more than 100 cities in 20 provinces, has suffered from smog since last December. Many have taken action, including experimenting with artificial methods to reduce smog, limiting vehicle use and fining polluters. Assessments based on GDP alone were abandoned last month and more emphasis has been put on public well-being and the environment. Whether the move will be effective in forcing local governments consider environmental issues over economic growth remains to be seen. Environmental protection professionals are doubtful about the immediacy of the effects of these measures. Xiao Hang, an urban researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it took London 50 years to lose the moniker "foggy London town", and Los Angeles still struggles to control its photochemical smog. "We can't ignore environmental problems during the development process and China has a long way to go," he said. What Xiao Hang said indicates _ . <extra_id_0>London still has serious air pollution after 50 years of effort <extra_id_1>the development of China is more important <extra_id_2>solving environmental problems requires great effort <extra_id_3>it's normal for China to have environmental problems <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Over 60%of pupils in South African schools choose English for learning and teaching, but only 7%of pupils speak English as their home language, a recent South Africa survey shows. Out of the country's 12.2 million pupils only 851,536 speak English at home, yet 7.6 million pupils choose English as their favorite language of learning and teaching. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language, spoken by over 3.1 million pupils. However, less than a third of them choose to be taught in Zulu. The same thing is true of Pedi-speaking pupils, only a third of such pupils choosing to be taught in their home language. Besides English, Afrikaans is the only language that has more pupils choosing it as their language of instruction than it has pupils who speak it at home. In primary schools, most pupils will choose African languages. As early as grade four, many would choose English or Afrikaans in their lessons. The rising number of English-learning pupils is mainly caused by social and cultural reasons. English is the most common spoken language in official and public life in South Africa, the survey reports. In April 2011, the leaders of higher education and training said that they would take some steps to improve the university teaching and prevent the continuing _ of African languages. They suggested that in future every South African university student could be required to learn at least one African language in order to complete their studies at school. We can learn from the passage that most South African pupils _ . <extra_id_0>speak English both at home and at school <extra_id_1>are required to learn two languages at school <extra_id_2>choose English as their primary school language <extra_id_3>are expected to speak their native language at home. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Earthquakes can be very scary . But you need to keep your mind stable in order to make sure you are safe. Be calm and try not to run here and there. If you manage to come out of your house, go to an open space like a garden or a park where you will be a lot safer. If you live quite some floors above in your building, try to find a place near a bulky object such as a bed. Curl up and sit on the floor and make sure you are not near a window, fireplace, gas stove and so on. Remember don't use lifts or escalators. Some people say you should stand on a doorway. That is not true. If the doorway jambs are weak, they might fall on you. Also if people want to pass through that door, you may stop them. Leave all doorways free. Another important thing to keep in mind is that you mustn't climb down the stairs during an Earthquake. If the tremors stop, after a few seconds, just climb down the stairs as quickly as you can and move out of the building, but don't run. Earthquakes usually destroy gas pipes and electrical wires. Turn off the main gas. And don't light candles or lighters and create an even bigger disaster. If you're driving and feel a shake, stop your car at the side of the road and get out. Make sure you are not on a bridge. Bridges and overhead roads have the biggest danger of falling. The best title for the passage should be _ . <extra_id_0>Dos and Don'ts Before an Earthquake. <extra_id_1>What to Do in Case of Earthquake <extra_id_2>Tips for Earthquake Preventions <extra_id_3>Tips for Children in Earthquake. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A little boy went to a farmer who had some puppies to sell and said, "I want to buy one of your puppies." Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look." "Sure," said the farmer. Then he called his dog, "Here, Dolly!" Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else moving inside the doghouse. Slowly, another little ball appeared. This one was much smaller than the others. Down the ramp it slid . Then in a somewhat awkward manner the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up... "I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the slow dog. The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs will." With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of trousers. There was a steel brace running down both sides of his leg. It was joined to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, "You see, sir, I don't run very well myself, and he will need someone who understands." The world is full of people who need someone who understands. The little boy decided to buy the smallest puppy because _ . <extra_id_0>he was disabled and decided to be a vet to cure it <extra_id_1>he knew the smallest puppy needed understanding and care most <extra_id_2>he liked puppies that were unable to run fast <extra_id_3>he didn't have enough money to buy a different one <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>One afternoon, my son came home from school and asked me, "Are all people the same even if their skin color is different?" I thought for a moment, then I said, "I'll explain. Let's go to a fruit store first. I have something interesting to show you." At the store, I told him that we needed to buy apples. And we bought some red apples, green apples and yellow apples. After we got home, I told Adam, "It's time to answer your question." I put one of each type of apple on the table: first a red apple, followed by a green apple and then a yellow apple. Then I looked at Adam, who was sitting on the other side of the table. "Adam, people are just like apples. They come in different colors, shapes and sizes. See, some may not even look as delicious as others." As I was talking, Adam was examining each one carefully. Then, I took each of the apples and peeled them, placing them back on the table, but in a different place. "OK, Adam, tell me which one is the red apple, the green apple and the yellow apple." He said, "I can't tell. They all look the same now." "Take a bite of each one. See if that helps you tell which one is which." He took big bites, and then a huge smile came across his face. "People are just like apples! They are all different, but if you take off the outside, they're pretty much the same on the inside." "Right," I agreed. "Just like everyone has their own features but they are nearly the same." He completely got it. I didn't need to say or do anything else. Now, when I eat an apple, it tastes a little sweeter than before. What perfect fruit it is! I feel that apples taste a little sweeter than before because _ . <extra_id_0>they are delicious enough <extra_id_1>they are perfect fruit for thinking <extra_id_2>they are safe fruit <extra_id_3>my son falls in love with them <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>As in the field of space travel, new technologies continue to appear in undersea exploration. They share a number of similarities with each other -- as well as some important differences. Manned submersibles , like spaceships, must maintain living conditions in an unnatural environment. While a spaceship must simply be sealed against the vacuum space, a submersible must be able to bear extreme pressure if it is not to break up in deep water. In exploring space, unmanned vehicles were employed before astronauts. In undersea exploration, on the other hand, men paved the way, and only recently have unmanned remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) been put to use. One reason for this is that communicating with vehicles in orbit is much easier than talking to those underwater. A vacuum is an ideal medium for radio communications, but underwater communications are limited to much slower sound waves. Thus, most undersea vehicles -- particularly ROVs -- operate at the end of long ropes. For a similar reason, knowing where you are undersea is much more difficult than in space. A spaceship's position can be located by following its radio signal, or by using telescopes and radar. For an undersea vehicle, however, a special network of sonar devices must be laid out in advance on the ocean floor in the area of a dive to locate the vehicle's position. Though undersea exploration is more challenging than outer space in a number of respects, it has a distinct advantage: going to the ocean depths doesn't require the power necessary to escape Earth's gravity. Thus, it remains far less expensive. The purpose of the passage is _ . <extra_id_0>to persuade you to explore the depths of the ocean <extra_id_1>to stress the importance of the undersea exploration <extra_id_2>to make you believe that the undersea exploration is better <extra_id_3>to tell some differences between two kinds of explorations <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>It's not often a tomato is described as so sweet 'whenever people see it they just want to hug it'--but this was no ordinary piece of fruit. The heart-shaped tomato was grown by the retired worker, Rod Matless, who said he was surprised when he noticed it in his field. Mr Matless, 69, who had a heart attack a few years ago, was so _ the fruit that he decided to sell it and donate the money to the British Heart Foundation. The 64g tomato was bought for PS16 on eBay by a woman from Wales--who said she planned to give it to someone special. Mr Matless, of Wymondham, near Norwich, said: 'I spent a couple of days thinking about what to do with it and I wasn't really sure, but this seems like a good use. I hope it will do someone somewhere a bit of good'. He added: 'It's very sweet--whenever people see it they just want to hug it.' But with the tomato's freshness a key factor , Mr Matless was up against the clock to send it to its new owner before it went bad. He said: 'I didn't want to send someone something horrible . I probably could have raised a bit more money with more time but I was worried about it.' 'It will certainly make a nice present for a loved one. I hope that they like it and I'm glad I got to help. It's all been very good fun and I've really enjoyed growing this very special tomato.' We can learn from the text that the tomato grown by Rod Matless _ . <extra_id_0>is very big <extra_id_1>is very sweet <extra_id_2>is very special <extra_id_3>is good for health <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Tom and Edward are brothers. They are very different in many aspects . Tom likes basketball very much. It's very interesting for him. He likes tennis, too. But he doesn't like soccer. He thinks it's difficult and boring. Edward, his brother, likes soccer best. He thinks it's so exciting and interesting. He plays it every day, and he has a collection of four tennis balls. But he doesn't like tennis. They also like different food. Tom likes eggs and fruits. Apples are his favorite. But Edward likes meat and vegetables, and broccoli is his favorite. But they also have the same hobbies. They like rock music very much. They like Beatles very much. They can also play the drums and the guitar well. They make a band with their best friend, Cindy. The band's name is Sea. The people around like their band very much. Who likes broccoli best? <extra_id_0>Edward <extra_id_1>Tom. <extra_id_2>Cindy. <extra_id_3>We don't know. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Camping is one of the most popular forms of outdoor activities. Now, most people are under too much pressure and like going outdoors to relax. Other activities like hunting and fishing, are often connected with camping trips. It's also a good idea to spend time camping with your family during a holiday. That will help you create some of the best memories with the family. Here are some things you have to consider while planning your camping trip. The first thing that you need to think about is deciding the camping destination. For most people who like camping, the best place to choose is the spot that they haven't visited before. As soon as you get to your destination, there will be a lot you will have to do, such as putting up your tent. Of course, food is another necessary factor to be considered. You'd better carry some convenient food like biscuits, nuts and boiled eggs. When all the things are done, fun activities should be planned. It's a good chance for you to spend time with your family. Lots of open space is perfect when you want to do something as simple as letting your kids ride their bicycles. If your kids are old enough, activities like fishing and horse-riding are also good to choose. These are a few ideas about having fun camping. Once you get ready for it, you don't need to worry about anything. Go ahead and be a happy camper. Which is true according to the passage? <extra_id_0>It's good to cook by yourself while camping <extra_id_1>It's a good idea to carry some convenient food. <extra_id_2>Fishing is a good activity for kids. <extra_id_3>Camping isn't good for kids. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>As a kid, Fan Yang was crazy about the beauty of bubbles . A waterfall at a river near his childhood home in Vietnam created hundreds of tiny bubbles. "I saw another world in bubbles, and I imagined how nice it would be if I could create a big bubble and be inside it," he says. Many years later, Fan realized that dream. He has formed bubbles around hundreds of people, made large bubbles that his daughter can walk through, and even made square bubbles. Fan calls himself a "bubble artist" and "bubble scientist." "So far, I haven't met any other bubble scientist!" he says. To achieve what he wanted, Fan worked hard for years. "After many years of failure, I finally came out with a bubble solution that made big bubbles with beautiful color1s." Five years later, after lots of more practice and experiments, he created the world's largest bubble which was 156 feet long. Fan designed a program called the Gazillion Bubble Show. He has many performance tips to offer. He says it's good to make the audience feel tension so that they are surprised at the end of a trick. He also suggests doing performances that are fun to watch, so that the audience will stay interested the whole time To perform his tricks, Fan uses bubbles equipment that he created himself. He wants to know that they're not limited by anything except their imaginations, and they can create whatever they want to help them follow their interests. "To make art, you need time, love and hard work, which guided my life and made me successful. I am proud to say that I used something simple--- bubbles---and brought it to a completely new world." What can we know about Fan Yang? <extra_id_0>He created the world's smallest bubbles. <extra_id_1>He made all his bubble equipment by himself. <extra_id_2>He is one of the best bubble scientists in the world. <extra_id_3>His daughter is studying bubble performances under him. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>It's six forty in the morning. The children are coming into the classroom. A girl is opening the windows. Some are laughing and talking. Some are listening to them. Some are reading books. Some are doing their homework. Miss Lin is standing behind the teacher's desk. She is writing on the blackboard. Sue and Anna are wearing their new dresses today. Ann is cleaning her desk. Mike is helping her. They all look happy. What are Bill and Bob doing? Oh, dear! They are still playing basketball. The children are _ . <extra_id_0>in the school <extra_id_1>at home <extra_id_2>in a boat <extra_id_3>on the hill <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The World Health Organization(WHO)planned to study the relationship between the eating habits of the people and the disease.Two doctors were chosen to make the study. They flew to Africa south of the Sahara and during the next two months visited ten countries.They found that serious diseases of poor eating, often mistaken for other diseases, existed in all parts of Africa.The diseases were similar and could therefore all be named kwashiorkor .The diseased children are usually from one to four years old.As the illness progresses, the child's stomach becomes swollen by liquid collecting in the body.The skin changes colour and may break out in open sores.The hair changes colour and starts to fall out.The patient loses all interest in his surroundings and even in food, and becomes so weak that he wants to lie down all the time.Stomach liquids are no longer produced. The doctors reasoned that kwashiorkor was found in the young children of this age in many parts of Africa because of lack of milk or meat.Their mothers gave them foods full of starches instead of greatly needed proteins.They found that the addition of milk to the food of children suffering from kwashiorkor saved many lives. What's the best title for the article? <extra_id_0>Milk and Meat Are Daily Necessities <extra_id_1>Kwashiorkor and Bad Eating Habits <extra_id_2>A New Form of Illness in Africa <extra_id_3>A Case of Eating Habits <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Stephen Hawking was born in Oxford, England, on January 8, 1942. At the age of 17, he entered University College, Oxford. He wanted to study mathematics, but took up the study of physics when math was unavailable. He received a Ph.D. in physics despite being diagnosed with Ameliotrophic Lateral Sclerosis while at Oxford in 1963. In 1985 he became ill with pneumonia , and since then has required 24-hour nursing. Dr. Hawking's determination, along with the help of his family and associates, has allowed him to continue to work. In 1970 he began studying black holes. His research led him to predict that black holes send out radiation in the X-ray to gamma-ray range of the spectrum . In the 1980s he returned to an earlier interest, the origins of the universe. He has co-authored many publications, such as 300 Years of Gravity and The Large Scale Structure of Space time. Dr. Hawking has also written books such as A Brief History of Time, Black Holes and Baby Universes and other Essays, The Universe in a Nutshell and others. He continues to give lectures, despite having been unable to speak since 1985, with the aid of a speech synthesizer and a portable computer. He currently holds Isaac Newton's chair as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University in England. Which of the following books was NOT written by Dr. Hawking alone? <extra_id_0>300 Years of Gravity <extra_id_1>A Brief History of Time <extra_id_2>The Universe in a Nutshell <extra_id_3>Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>(CBS/AP)Lawyers for the stepfather of an 11-year-old girl tried to convince Massachusetts' highest court on Tuesday that he should have a say on whether his stepdaughter is removed from life support. If the girl dies, Jason Strickland could face a murder charge for illegally taking part in the beating that left her comatose . Jason Strickland is asking the court to overturn a juvenile court judge's decision allowing the state to remove Haleigh Poutre from her ventilator and feeding tube. Haleigh Poutre was hospitalized in September after her stepfather and adoptive mother kicked her and beat her nearly to death with a baseball bat. Within two weeks of being charged, the adoptive mother, who was also Haleigh's aunt, was found dead. Strickland is free on bail while awaiting trial. Sharyn Alfonsi from CBS reports that the girl's biological mother, Allison Avrett, gave up her parental right years ago and now she has no say in what happens to Halleigh--but she wants life support to be relieved. "I want her to rest," Avrett told Alfonsi."Being kept alive like that, it's not a life." The state Department of Social Services wants to remove her from life support, according to opinions from her doctors that the girl is in a permanent vegetative state.And Strickland could face a murder charge if she dies. Both of Haleigh's doctors agree that she should be removed from the ventilator, but they can't decide whether her feeding tube should be disconnected.They have said that with her feeding tube alone, Haleigh could live as long as two months. Haleigh was adopted by her aunt about five years ago her biological mother moved to Virginia with a new boyfriend.Jason Strickland never formally adopted the girl, but is arguing that as the stepfather, he should be a _ parent and allowed to have a say in whether she lives or dies. Why did Haleigh's stepfather demand that her life support not be removed? <extra_id_0>Because he might be accused of murder if she died. <extra_id_1>Because she might be comatose if the life support was removed. <extra_id_2>Because Haleigh's biological mother hopes so too. <extra_id_3>Because he hopes that Haleigh will live with him. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The sun is the what that is closest to earth? <extra_id_0>battery <extra_id_1>astral light <extra_id_2>person <extra_id_3>moon <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Which of these can be mined from Earth and used as an energy source? <extra_id_0>Coal <extra_id_1>Gravel <extra_id_2>Granite <extra_id_3>Limestone <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>One day, a farmer was walking along a road with his son Thomas. The father said. "Look! There's a horseshoe. Pick it up and put it in your bag." Thomas said, "It isn't worth the trouble." His father said nothing but picked it up himself. When they got to a nearby town, they had a rest. There the farmer sold the horseshoe and with the pennies he bought some grapes. It was very hot, and there wasn't a house or a tree where they could have a rest. Thomas felt too thirsty to walk on. At this time. his father dropped a grape on the ground and Thomas picked it up quickly and ate it. After a while. his father dropped another grape and once again. his son picked it up and put it in his mouth. And so they went on. The old farmer dropped the grapes and the son picked them up. When Thomas had eaten up all the grapes, his father said to him. "My dear son, if you had bent down early to pick up that horseshoe. It would not have been necessary for you to bend so many times for the grapes, always remember the lesson : A person who does not worry about the little things will find that he can not do the great things." From the passage, we can learn that _ . <extra_id_0>if we want to eat grapes. we must pick up a horseshoe <extra_id_1>a horseshoe is so expensive that it can bring us much money <extra_id_2>we should worry about small things before we do the great things <extra_id_3>It's important to pick up a horseshoe on the road <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Throughout history, gold has been a sign of purity, beauty and power. Calling something golden means it has great quality and value. For example, the golden rule is possibly the world's most widespread moral rule. It says people should treat others the way they themselves would like to be treated. Every major religion has its own version of this idea. The golden ratio is found in art, architecture and nature. It describes a rectangle with a length about one and one-half times its width. Objects using this ratio in their design seem to please the eye more than others. Philosophers have their own golden idea. The golden mean says moderation in all things is the best way to live one's life. It is an idea linked to the Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Similar thoughts exist in Buddhism and Confucianism. Ancient Greek myths told of a time long ago when people lived in peace and happiness. Poets called it the Golden Age. A golden age now describes a historical period of great artistic, scientific or economic progress. It can even recall a time of success and popularity for an industry. For example, the nineteen thirties and forties were called the Golden Age of Radio. You may have heard the proverb silence is golden. This means silence is of great value. It is sometimes better to say nothing than to speak. You might say your child was good as gold when he behaved well at school. British writer Charles Dickens used this expression in eighteen forty-three. He was describing the child Tiny Tim in the book "A Christmas Carol." In nineteen thirty-seven, American playwright Clifford Odets wrote a play called "The Golden Boy." This expression describes a young man who has many good qualities and a bright future. You might tell someone you are golden when that person does something very well. Gold digger is another description. But this does not say something nice about a person. A gold digger is someone who seeks to marry a rich person because he or she is only interested in that person's money. Maybe you like old songs from the nineteen fifties or sixties that are still well known and popular today. These are called golden oldies. In the nineteen eighties and nineties, an American television comedy series told about four older women living in Miami, Florida. The Golden Girls often dealt with social issues in a funny way. Today, most older people look forward to reaching their golden years. This is when hard-working people can retire to a life of ease and fulfillment. The article mainly tells us _ <extra_id_0>the value of gold <extra_id_1>the expressions with "gold" <extra_id_2>the history of gold industry <extra_id_3>the purity,beauty and power of gold <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>TIME IS IT.Over 92% of people who own exercise equipment snd 88% of people who own health club memberships do not exercise.A 4-minute complete workout is no longer hard to believe for all the people who have bought our excellent Range of Motion machine (ROM) since 1990.Over 97% of people who rent our ROM for 30 days end up buying it,due to the health benefits experienced during that tryout and the ROM performance score that tells the story of health and fitness improvement.At under 20 cents per use,the 4-minute ROM exercise is the least expensive full body complete exercise a person can do.How do we know that it is under 20 cents per use?Over 90% of ROM machines go to private homes,but we have a few that are in commercial use for 12 years and they have endured over 80,000 uses each,without need of repair.The ROM 4-minute workout is for people from 10 to over 100 years old and highly trained athletes as well.The ROM balances blood sugar,and repairs bad backs and shoulders.Too good to be ture?Get our free video and see for yourself.The best proof for us is that 97% of rentals become sales.Please visit our websit at www. Fitness.com or call (800)123-6460. Factory Showroom : EOMFAB. 823 Main Street , Batom Ronge , LA70893 Fax(800)123-6461 Email: sakes @fitness. Com The advertisement is made believable by _ . <extra_id_0>telling stories <extra_id_1>using figures <extra_id_2>making comparisons <extra_id_3>asking question <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Long Beach, a 28-mile area of beach, lies in southwestern Washington, and is generally called Long Beach Peninsula. Communities there take you back to old days of a simple life. Here, visitors can relax and enjoy the good of a total rest. Bird watching There are different kinds of birds on Long Beach. It's best if you watch them from a distance and don't try to frighten them. The Southwest Loop Route Map can be got through the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Office by calling 1-800-451-2542. Horses A popular activity on Long Beach is horseback riding. Two businesses in the city of Long Beach offer guided horseback tours along the beach: Black Country Wilderness Outfitters and Skipper's Equestrian Center. You may also bring your own horse. Among the adventures offered with horses is a wagon ride along the beach, a carriage ride through Seaview or Long Beach, a back country pack trip, or a sunset ride by horseback on the beach. Camping RV and tent camping aren't allowed on the beach. Camp fires are allowed within 100 feet off the beach, but must be away from the dry grass. Swimming and other activities Swimming is allowed, but you must be careful. The waters are very cold and dangerous. Surfing is advised only for experienced surfers. Beach driving is allowed at certain areas on the beach. The speed limit is 25 mph. Building sand castles, digging sand to find something, riding bicycles and flying kites are also popular activities in the area. Enjoy your trip to Long Beach, Washington! Which of the following might be the best title? <extra_id_0>The scenery of Long Beach <extra_id_1>Long Beach, the longest beach <extra_id_2>Long Beach, an unforgettable place <extra_id_3>Travel information about Long Beach <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>One day in the early March of 1993, Pauline and Tom Nichter and their 11-year-old son, Jason, were shopping for a toy in Buena Park, CA. Suddenly, Pauline saw a wallet lying on the floor. When she looked inside, she found $200. The family, homeless and without work, knew that could change their lives. But they took the wallet to the nearby police station and turned it in. The wallet was found to have some other pockets, and more money in them--over $2,000! The police called the man who lost the wallet to pick it up. The man thanked the Nichters and shook their hands, but did not Luckily for the family, a TV news reporter filmed the story. People from all over the world heard the story and sent them letters, money, and even offered them jobs. A businessman even let them live in his house for free for six months. So far, the family has received over $100,000. Now the Nichters' future is bright. The best title for the passage would be " _ ". <extra_id_0>Money Is Everything <extra_id_1>A Lost Wallet and a Family <extra_id_2>A Kind Businessman <extra_id_3>A Lost Wallet and the Police <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Mozart was a great man born with a given talent. He was writing songs at the age of five and performing before the queen by the time he was six years old. Early on, Mozart realized what his talents were, practiced or honed what he was born to do and used his natural abilities to create amazing pieces of music. Mozart was not the first to be born with natural talents and he wasn't the last. We all have them. We only need to discover what they are and use them to the best of our abilities. You have been given amazing gifts that are meant to be shared with the world. Your job is to find out what those talents are and master them. Finding your natural talents may not be an easy task. Perhaps your parents except fewer wouldn't approve of your artistic ability to paint or sing, because they want you to be a successful doctor or lawyer. Maybe your gift wouldn't seem to have the ability to bring the kind of wealth you hope. These may be excuses; it's up to you. Have you ever noticed that when you engage in an activity in which you are naturally talented, you feel active and excited? That's a sign that these are the things you should do. Discover your brilliance in life and practice, practice, practice. Look at the world's greatest athletes. They practice what they're naturally good at, and what they love. You don't see Jordan sitting trying to study DNA. If that was something he was talented at, that's what he would be doing. But it's not. He's a brilliant athlete. He sticks to what he does best and he realizes his dream. There are only two steps to success--discover your brilliance and perfect it. In the writer's opinion Mozart's success lies in _ . <extra_id_0>his great given talent <extra_id_1>making good use of his natural talent <extra_id_2>learning from others <extra_id_3>his favorable conditions <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>In ancient China, the State of Wu made an attack on the State of Yue. The king of Wu was badly hurt and soon died. His son Fu Chai became the new king. Fu was very sad and angry and he decided to fight back for his father's death. He trained his army strictly until it was very strong. Three years later, he led his army against the State of Yue and caught its king Gou Jian, who was taken to the State of Wu. Gou Jian was put into a small black stone house which was full of terrible smell and was made to raise horses. Gou worked hard and tried to keep himself quiet, but he never forgot his pain. Many years later, he was set free. Gou secretly trained his army after he went back to his own state. In order to make himself strong-minded he slept on firewood and ate a gall bladder before having dinner and going to bed every night. After a few years, his country became strong once more. Then Gou took hold of a golden chance to fight against Wu and won the war in the end. If one voluntarily works very hard and voluntarily stands up to pains and difficulties in order to succeed, we might call him a"Gou Jian", and his story, a"Gou Jian's story". The story mainly tells us that _ <extra_id_0>a country without a strong army is easy to defeat <extra_id_1>if someone attacks you , you should just fight back <extra_id_2>if you fail in doing something, it's better for you to forget the pain <extra_id_3>if you face difficulties bravely without giving up , you'll finally succeed <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>At the U.S. Open championships in Flushing Meadows, New York last week, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) held an unusual youth press conference . I say "unusual" because the main idea wasn't to promote the sport for young children. Yes, there was a youth tennis exhibition in which a group of fresh-faced kids from the area showed off their well developed skills. They used junior racquets and larger, low-pressure balls on a half-size tennis court-a way the organization supports as a means to help children have early success and stick with the game. But the event's real purpose was to help parents realize the importance of introducing kids to all kinds of athletic programs rather than focusing specially on one. _ may sound like something easy to do, but it's not. In today's achievement-oriented ( ) environment, children are being pushed to specialize in a single sport-whether it's tennis, hockey, soccer, or gymnastics - at ever-younger ages. Tom Farrey, executive director of the nonprofit Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program, says year-round sports programs are now offered down to age 5, too early an age for a child to limit himself or herself to a single activity. While parents naturally want the best for their child, they are being pressured by coaches to let him or her stick with one thing. The result: More kids under age 12 are suffering injuries or, worse, burnout. According to the Aspen Institute's report, Project Play, fewer kids today are staying involved with sports than five years ago, partly because of forced specialization. Today's children are already on track to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents because of obesity and related diseases, and this trend is only worsening matters. Multi-sport participation, however, leads to better performance (because kids get a chance to develop different sets of skills ) and greater enjoyment of the game, says Farrey. The headlining athletes at the event repeated the idea that having kids do more than one sport is a plus (good for them). Fewer kids are staying involved with sports now than five years ago partly because they _ . <extra_id_0>become too fat to take part in sports <extra_id_1>have too much school work to complete <extra_id_2>get too many injuries when they do sports <extra_id_3>are pushed into specialized sport too hard <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The story began with a young mother who had three sons. Unfortunately, the youngest son developed slow thinking skills, not having the intelligence of his brothers. With double duty as the mother of the household, she was exhausted, so that the youngest was often the target of anger and annoyance. Bad words, such as "you little fool" and the like, served as a daily meal for the youngest. The words and curses he got from the mother and ridicule from friends convinced him that he was distressing and embarrassing his family. Every morning he woke up with his own face staring from the mirror reflection, he started to say quietly and sadly, "The fool is going to school." As adult citizens, there was compulsory military service which should be lived. Thus, the youngest son also signed up and started to follow the various tests: a medical, physical ability test and other tests. On the day of the announcement, he was called into the board of examiners. In his mind, he convinced himself that he was the fool and couldn't pass the tests this time as he entered the room with his head down. It was not expected at all. The tests turned out to have the highest praise from the board of examiners. "Congratulations, young man! Your test results are incredible! You are really a great and talented young man. "Words from the board of examiners became the discovery of a new side of himself that was not known in advance. Voice kept echoing in his mind, such as "I, the great man, am in the shower", "The great man washes his face", "The talented young man again brushes his teeth" and so on. Confidence and improved self-image came beyond usual. 20 years later, the youngest established himself as a successful businessman who was admired and respected, and received many awards. The mindset and belief are the power behind the success that is within us. Whatever we think and believe in or minds continuously, it will eventually materialize in reality. That's the universally applicable law. Why was the youngest often scolded by his mother? <extra_id_0>He was not as clever as his brothers. <extra_id_1>He considered himself to be a fool. <extra_id_2>He didn't behave himself at school. <extra_id_3>He didn't cook meals for his mother. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>It's important to learn about protecting our environment. Here is a 5R rule for us: 1. Reduce If you want to reduce waste, you should use things wisely. Millions of trees are being cut down to make paper. If everyone uses a little paper carelessly and throw it out, soon we would not have any trees left. Other things are also being wasted, and people don't know what to do with the waste in big cities. So it is necessary to reduce the waste 2. Reuse You should always think of reusing the usable things before throwing them out. Give your clothes you do not use or the ones which are too small to the poor. With a family, you may pass on such clothes to younger brothers or sisters. 3. Recycle Bottles, cans and paper can easily be recycled. By doing so, we save lots of time and money. For example, coke cans are sent to a factory, where they are smashed flat and melted and the melted things are made for new coke cans. 4. Recover When you buy a box of apples, there may be a few rotten apples. You have two choices: one is to throw the whole apple away, or you could cut off the rotten parts and eat the good parts. In this way, you are recovering the eatable parts of food. 5. Repair If one of the legs of your table is broken, you can repair it instead of throwing it away. If you want to change for better ones, It is better for you to sell the old things or give them to other people who can use them after doing some repair. It is true that North America is a "throw-away" society . But the time has come to change our way of life so that we can protect our environment. Every one of us should try our best. Which of the following is true? <extra_id_0>We will have no resources of nature unless we can do with the waste. <extra_id_1>Recycling is the best way to save resources. <extra_id_2>If we waste less, we can save more resources of nature. <extra_id_3>More things are wasted in developed countries than in developing ones. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Many Americans are turning to Japan, they think, a country of high academic achievement and economic success, for possible answers. However, the answers provided by Japanese preschools are not the ones Americans expected to find. In most Japanese preschools, surprisingly little emphasis is put on academic instruction. In one survey, 300 Japanese and 210 American preschool teachers, child development specialists, and parents were asked about various aspects of early childhood education. Only 2 percent of the Japanese respondents listed "to give children a good start academically" as one of their top three reasons for a society to have preschools. In contrast, over half the American respondents chose this as one of their top three choices. To prepare children for successful careers in first grade and beyond, Japanese schools do not teach reading, writing, and mathematics, but rather skills such as determination, concentration, and the ability to work as a member of a group. The huge majority of young Japanese children are taught to read at home by their parents. Like in America, there is diversity in Japanese early childhood education. Some Japanese kindergartens have specific aims, such as early musical training or potential development. In large cities, some kindergartens are attached to universities that have elementary and secondary schools. Some Japanese parents believe that if their young children attend a university-based program, it will increase the children's chances of eventually being admitted to top-rated schools and universities. Several more progressive programs have introduced free play as a way out for the heavy intellectualizing in some Japanese kindergartens. Free play has been introduced in some Japanese kindergartens in order to _ . <extra_id_0>broaden children's knowledge <extra_id_1>train children's creativity <extra_id_2>lighten children's study load <extra_id_3>enrich children's experience <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Springtime in Paris Departures: May 5, 12, 19 and June 9 4 days for $129 per person Paris in the Springtime was, is and always will be, something rather special. Why not experience it for yourself with this excellent break for four days? This attractive city has something to offer everyone and with prices at just $129. It's great value too. Your break begins with executive coach transfer from regional pickup points and travel to Paris is via crosschannel ferry , arriving at your hotel in the evening. The Ibis is an excellent quality hotel with private facilities in all rooms: satellite TV, radio, telephone and alarm clock. It has a bar and a restaurant and is situated about two miles south of Notre Dame enabling you to explore Paris with ease. The following day, after continental breakfast (included), the coach takes you on a comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will see the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, L'Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, in fact almost every famous landmark you will ever have heard of. You then leave Paris and take a short drive to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the home of Louis XIV. The tour ends midafternoon back in Paris where you will have the remainder of the day at your leisure. In the evening there is a 'Paris By Night' tour showing you the beautiful buildings with bright lights. Day three takes you to Montmartre, perhaps the most picturesque quarter of Paris and home of the Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge. In the afternoon you are free to explore this beautiful city as you wish, perhaps a pleasure voyage on the River Seine, wander around the picturesque gardens or look through among the antique shops . In the evening you will have the opportunity to visit the best nightclub in the city, the splendid Patin. On the final day it's back to the UK via channel ferry. Included in the price of $129 per person: * Return executive coach travel to Paris; * Return ferry crossings; * Three nights accommodation in a twin bedded room in a Central Paris hotel with private facilities; * Continental breakfast during your stay; * Guided sightseeing tour of "Paris By Day" and "Paris By Night"; * Visit to Chateau of Versailles (admission not included); * Tour on Montmartre; * Services of an experienced bilingual tour guide at all times. During the stay in Paris, the tourists will _ . <extra_id_0>have a free time of half day <extra_id_1>have a "Paris By Night" on the first evening <extra_id_2>have a pleasure voyage on the River Seine together <extra_id_3>live in a hotel two miles away from Paris <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A man was on the side of the road hitchhiking on a very dark night in the middle of a terrible rainstorm, with no cars on the road.The storm was so strong that the man could hardly see a few feet ahead of him.Suddenly, he saw a car come towards him and stop.The man, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door and only then did he realize that there was nobody behind the steering wheel ! The car started to move very slowly. The man looked at the road and saw a curve coming his way. Terrified, he started to pray, begging for his life. He had not come out of shock when, just before the car hit the curve, a hand suddenly appeared through the window and moved the wheel. The man, paralyzed with fear, watched how the hand appeared every time the car was drawing near a curve.Finally, although terrified, the man managed to open the door and jump out of the spooky car. Without looking back, the man ran through the storm all the way to the nearest town. In a state of complete horror, the man walked into a nearby bar and asked for two glasses of Scotch whisky. Then, still shaking with fright, he started telling everybody in the bar about the horrible experience he just went through in the spooky car. Everyone in the bar listened in silence and became frightened, with hair standing on end, when they realized the man was telling the truth because he was crying and he was certainly not drunk! About half an hour later, two other young men walked into the same bar and one said to the other, "Hey, there's a stupid man who jumped into the car while we were pushing it!" After he entered the car, the man found _ . <extra_id_0>it didn't move at all. <extra_id_1>it moved very quickly. <extra_id_2>there was no driver in it. <extra_id_3>someone was pushing it. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Last year, I worked as a young marketing person in a company. It was one of those busy days...management meetings, sale calls, planning my travels, booking hotels, and the list was endless. By the end of the day, I was not only tired but was getting angry with myself and everyone around me. It was at this time that Paul invited me to his house for a "chill out ( )." Although tired, I was all excited to chat up with Paul and share and learn through his rich experience in marketing. As we entered through the main door to his house, Paul started singing a song : I have a dream, to help me through in everything...and so on. I was in no mood to listen to his song; I wanted to hear about how he dealt with difficult sale calls! As I told him about just that, I was totally surprised at what I saw next. Two young girls, aged between 17 and 20, walked over to Paul and hugged him. They couldn't walk steadily, and neither could they talk properly. Their faces were full of smiles and they also sang a song: No Mummy's kisses only Daddy's smiles. Nobody wants us. Daddy hugs us tonight. Curious to know, I asked Paul who these girls were. I knew that Paul lived in that house but I had never seen these girls. Paul explained: "I also have a dream, a dream to make these girls happy. They are my daughters and they were born as 'special children'". And he further added, "They don't have a mother. My wife died when they were very young", and that he is both mother and father to these beautiful daughters. I was moved to tears. In the office, no one knew what Paul was going through in his personal life. He never looked for any pity from his friends. In fact, he always helped us and encouraged us to move forward in life. I finished my tea and made my way out, when Paul said to me, "All of us have dreams." Why did the writer like to have a chat with Paul? <extra_id_0>Because he could enjoy the beautiful song from the young girls. <extra_id_1>Because he could learn how to deal with life cheerfully <extra_id_2>Because he could learn how to handle marketing effectively. <extra_id_3>Because he could escape from the work pressure for a time. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Garden Route, South Africa Take in this fresh sea air in this beautiful coastal setting as you cruise the famous Garden Route in the Western Cape in South Africa. A wild life break is a must, as is enjoying great meal stops along the route. There are wild life reserves throughout the Garden Route National Park you can swing into and spend a sleepy morning in a car looking for giraffes and lions. And just over your shoulder in the big blue there are whales to be watched (if the season is right). Top tip: Add a trip to the Eastern Cape to your Garden Route trip. It is much less known than the Western Cape and full of landscapes. The gas station is occasionally seen. Great Ocean Road, Australia Sweep along this dramatic coastal road in Australia with views of the Sourthern Ocean from Geelong to Portland, in Victoria, and you won't regret it. Anyone who has driven it just can't stop talking about it, and with good reason. There're loads to see and plenty of great stops. There's whale-watching here too, and other natural life. And to top it all, there'll be plenty of good old Aussie kindness and welcome when you pull in for lunch or a coffee stop. Top tip: Rent an open-top car so you can really drink in that sea air. Stelvio Pass, Italy If you like snake-like paths and mountain passes, you'll love this. Stelvio in Italy. The mountain slopes stretch away on either side of the road, with snow-topped peaks within sight. There's a great view down the pass. And from the top, it's just a short sweep away from the Swiss border, so if you are gripped by mountain road driving, you can drive from here down to Swiss ski resort Davos. Stelvio has 48 hairpins on the north side and 12 on the decent to Bormio, so this route is not recommended for new drivers, or those with a fear of heights. This decent is is often featured in the Giro d'Italia, the Italian version of the Tour de France, so you may have glimpsed it on the television. Top tip: Take some Swiss Francs as well as some Euros, so you can make the trip a cross-border experience. In which travel routes can one enjoy whale-watching? _ <extra_id_0>Stelvio Pass, Italy and Garden Route, South Africa <extra_id_1>Great Ocean Road, Australia and Stelvio Pass, Italy <extra_id_2>Garden Route, South Africa and no other route <extra_id_3>Great Ocean Road, Australia and Garden Route, South Africa <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The earth is the only planet that scientists think has life. Why does the earth have life while the other planets don't? For one thing, the earth is just the right temperature. As from the sun, the earth seems to be just the right distance away. The planets which are closer to the sun are hot that their surfaces bake in the sun. The farthest planets are cold balls. When the earth developed -- which scientists believe may have happened about 4 billion years ago -- many gases covered the earth. The gases caused the earth to be hot. But something wonderful happened. The temperature was just right for thick clouds to form. It rained very hard for a very long time. This gave the earth its oceans. Water made it possible for plants to grow. The plants created oxygen in the atmosphere. Oxygen is the gas that humans and animals breathe. Only one other planet in the solar system seems to be something like the earth. That planet is Mars . Mars is smaller than the earth, and it is quite a bit cooler. But it is not too cold for humans. On some days, the temperatures are as low as a winter day in the northern United States. If you wore a special space suit, you could walk around on Mars. You would have to bring your own air to breathe, the air on Mars is too thin to breathe. Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system. It is sixteen miles high. The highest volcano on the earth is five miles high. The most unexpected sight on Mars is dried up river beds. Scientists believe that Mars was once much better than it is now. Does this mean there could have been living things on Mars? Scientists are not sure, but there has been no sign so far. Which of the following is NOT the reason that the earth has life? <extra_id_0>The earth is just the right temperature. <extra_id_1>The volcanos on earth are lower than those on Mars. <extra_id_2>There is oxygen in the atmosphere of the earth. <extra_id_3>The earth seems to be just the right distance away from the sun. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>About 15 years ago, readers of The Independent, a daily national newspaper, were asked by its travel journalists what they missed when they were away from home, and what they looked forward to when they returned. Apart from "family", "friends" and "favorite foods", many people mentioned "the Sunday newspapers" and "the crossword puzzle". It's certainly true that among their many hobbies, the English enjoy words, above all reading them and playing with them. Reading books is one of the most popular relaxation activities, with approximately 100,000 books a year published. Over 80 per cent of the population regularly read a daily newspaper, and there are more newspapers per person than any other country except Japan. The weekend newspapers generally contain hundreds of pages, and even the most popular hobbies -- fishing, stamp collecting, train-spotting, bird-watching, walking, sports, pets, flower-arranging, knitting and pigeon-fancying -- have at least _ , if not several specialist magazines, devoted to them. In fact, many people probably spend more time reading about their hobbies than actually doing them. It's also undoubtedly true that word games, puzzles and competitions are hugely popular in newspapers, on the radio and even on television. One of the most popular television games in the 1980s and 1990s was "Call My Bluff" where two teams of players had to guess which of three meanings of an unfamiliar word was correct. In many cases newspapers have a word games section, such as a "Words within Words" competition where the aim is to make as many words as possible with the letters of a single word. Above all, crossword puzzles are the most familiar word game, with clues ranging from words which have the same meaning as other words, to the "Cryptic" where the meaning of the word is expressed in a very indirect way, and in a variety of linguistic and cultural references. Apparently, some people choose their newspaper not because of the quality of the news coverage but because of the crossword puzzle. You may think that you would need an excellent command of the English language to enjoy playing with words as much as the English do. But many of the word games are very simple and good fun, and in fact, the only skill you must have is to speak and listen or read and write a little. How many types of word games are mentioned in the passage? <extra_id_0>2 <extra_id_1>3 <extra_id_2>4 <extra_id_3>5 <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Sometimes people give us nicknames in order to be mean or make fun of us, which can really hurt. Four eyes. Metal Mouth. Dumbo, Slow Poke, Crater Face. We've all heard kids calling unpleasant nicknames like these. Maybe you've even used similar nicknames on other kids, or been stuck with one yourself. A playground _ or cut usually disappears after a couple of days, but the pain and anger coming from being called a cruel nickname can last a lot longer than that. If you've ever picked on another kid by making up or using a tease nickname, or of you've ever been on the receiving end of one, you know that names like Fatso, Smelly, and Short Stuff can be very hurtful. Plus, they have a habit of sticking to us like glue! People use negative nicknames as a way of keeping someone out of a group of gaining power over someone, or of making themselves feel more important. You may know a kid in your class who always comes up with nicknames for the other kids. This student likes to feel cool by acting like the official "nicknamer." This can give a student a feeling of power, but that power comes at the cost of making other kids feel bad. Kids who give others hurtful nicknames are often trying to cover up the fact that they really feel bad about themselves. Like other kinds of insults , a cruel nickname can be used to make a kid feel being left out or angry. Sometimes they're even nastier than most ways of being mean, because they can be so hard to shake off. A kid often gives other kids nicknames in order to_. <extra_id_0>show off his power <extra_id_1>present his creative ideas <extra_id_2>win reputation <extra_id_3>make himself hurt by others <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Mary is an American girl. She is now in Beijing with her parents. Mary doesn't know much Chinese, but she is studying it. She often speaks Chinese with her Chinese friends. Sometimes they can't understand her, because she can't speak Chinese very well. It's Saturday morning. She goes out. She is walking in the street. She wants to go to the zoo to see the elephants and monkeys, but she doesn't know how to get there. She asks a Chinese boy the way. The boy can't understand her. Then she takes out a pen and a piece of paper. She draws an elephant on it, and shows the picture to the boy. The boy understands, and shows her the way to the zoo. At last the boy _ . <extra_id_0>can understand Mary's Chinese <extra_id_1>takes her to the zoo <extra_id_2>shows her the way to the zoo <extra_id_3>draws a picture for Mary, too <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Australia is famous for its beautiful beaches. And Australian people love swimming and going to the beach. But it wasn't always that way. Different Climate, Different habits When Europeans first invaded Australia, the only people here who were good at swimming were the Aboriginal people. The Europeans came from climates where it was too cold to swim. Also some people worried that they would get sick if they wet their whole body. However the warm climate of Australia soon changed their attitude to swimming. At first, only men swam. They swam naked - there were no women to see them. Cover up! By the 1880's and 90's visiting the beach was very fashionable and a lot of people went there, especially in warm weather. They wore everyday street clothes - much more than people wear at the beach today. In those days, people believed they should cover most of their body so it would not be seen by the opposite sex. Special bathing costumes were designed for women. These costumes used a lot of cloth and were very heavy when wet, making it difficult to swim. Laws Made and Laws Changed The government decided to stop men swimming naked.It passed a law which forbade bathing between 6am and 7pm. Many people objected to this law and wrote letters to the government asking it to change the laws. In 1903, the laws changed; people could swim in the daytime, but they had to wear neck-to-knee costumes. The Shrinking Costume As time passed, swimming costumes became smaller and more convenient. At first men and women were covered from neck to knee. Then the arms became bare. Then more of the legs were uncovered.Each new change was regarded by many as shocking and rude and people wrote letters to the newspapers complaining about the new costumes. Nowadays some people go to special "nude beaches" to swim naked. However, most people cover their bodies more than they did ten years ago -- not because they think bare skin is shocking -- but to protect their skin from the harmful rays of the sun. During the late 19th century, swimmers should _ . <extra_id_0>hide when they see a person of the opposite sex <extra_id_1>cover their bodies <extra_id_2>wear many heavy clothes <extra_id_3>take no notice of their clothes <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A glacier is made of <extra_id_0>ice trays <extra_id_1>solid water <extra_id_2>warm water <extra_id_3>buckets of oil <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A little boy selling magazines for school walked up to a house that people rarely visited. The house was very old and the owner hardly ever came out. When he did, he would not say hello to neighbors or passers-by, but simply glare at them. The boy knocked on the door and waited, sweating from fear of the old man. As he was ready to walk away, the door slowly opened. "What do you want?" the old man said. "Uh, sir, I uh am selling these magazines and, uh, I was wondering if you would like to buy one." The old man just stared at the boy. The boy could see inside the old man's house and saw that he had dog figurines on the fireplace. "Do you collect dogs?" the little boy asked. "Yes, I have many collectibles in my house. They are my family here. They are all I have." The boy then felt sorry for the man, as it seemed that he was a very lonely soul. "Well, I do have a magazine here for collectors. It is perfect for you. I also have one about dogs since you like dogs so much." The old man was ready to close the door and said: "No, boy, I don't need any magazines of any kind, now goodbye." The little boy was sad for the old man because he was alone in the big house. Then he thought of a little dog figurine that he had got some years earlier from an aunt. The boy headed back down to the old man's house with it. He knocked on the door again and this time the old man came right to the door. "Boy, I thought I told you no magazines." "No, sir. I know that. I wanted to bring you a gift." The boy handed him the figurine and the old man's face lit up. The old man was surprised and said: "Boy, you have a big heart. Why are you doing this?" The boy smiled at the man and said: "Because you like dogs." From that day on, the old man started coming out of the house and greeting people. He and the boy became friends. This simple nice act changed both of their lives forever. With the story, the author tries to show us that _ . <extra_id_0>smiling is the best way to make others feel comfortable <extra_id_1>we should help strangers if they are angry <extra_id_2>being kind to others can have a positive effect on our lives <extra_id_3>you need to do something special if you want to make friends <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The students are talking about their weekend plans. Mavish: What are you going to do at the weekend, Amy? Amy: I'm going to do my homework on Sunday. I've got a lot of homework. I didn't do in the week. Mavish: Then we could all do something on Saturday? Tom: I'm going swimming in the morning. But I'm not doing anything in the afternoon or evening. Milly: I'm not doing anything then, either. Lu: Raj and I are going to the news film in the afternoon. Let's all go out in the evening. Let's go to the club with a snooker table. I like playing snooker. I'm getting better at it. Milly: Good idea. What about you, Ben? Can you come? Ben: Yes, I can. That's a great idea. I like snooker too. Amy: I don't like snooker that much, but I'm not going to stay home if you are all going out! I'm going to come too. Mavish: OK, so we will meet in the town center and go to the club. What time does the film finish, Raj? Raj: The film finishes at about five. We are going to have a burger and a drink after the film. Let's all meet and eat and then go to the club. Ben: Good idea. Let's meet at about five and eat. Milly, Tom, Mavish and Amy: OK. What is the best title of this passage? <extra_id_0>Seven students <extra_id_1>Weekday plans <extra_id_2>The meaningful things <extra_id_3>Weekend plans <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>When I lived in Spain,some Spanish friends of mine decided to visit England by car,before they left,they asked me about how to find accommodation .I suggested that they should stay at "bed and breakfast" houses,because this kind of accommodation gives a foreign visitor a good chance to speak English with the family.My friends listened to my advice,but they came back with some funny stories. "We didn't stay at bed and breakfast houses,"they said."Because we found that most families were away on holiday." I thought this was strange.Finally I understood what had happened My friends spoke little English,and they thought "VACANCIES" meant "holidays" because Spanish word for "holiday" is "vacaciones".So they did not go to houses where the sign outside said "VACANCIES",which in English meant there are free rooms.Then my friends went to houses where the sign said "NO VACANCIES",because they thought this meant the people who owned the house were not away on holiday.But they found that these houses were all full.As a result,they stayed at hotels! We laughed about this and about mistakes my friends made in reading other signs.In Spanish,a word very similar to "DIVERSION" means fun.In English it means that workman is repairing the road,and that you must take a different road when my friends saw the word "DIVERSION" on a road sign,they thought they were going to have fun.Instead, the road ended in a large hole. English people have problems too when they learn foreign languages.Once in Paris,when someone offered me some more coffee,I said "Thank you" in French.I meant that I would like some more.However,to my surprise the coffee pot was taken away! Later I found out that "Thank you" in French means "No,thank you". My Spanish friends wanted advice about _ . <extra_id_0>learning English <extra_id_1>finding places to stay in England <extra_id_2>driving their car on English roads <extra_id_3>going to England by car <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Warm water freezes more quickly than cold water. Sir Francis Bacon said that almost four hundred years ago. But few people believed him until 1970. In that year a Canadian scientist George Kill proved the English professor was right. Dr Kill filled an open oil pail with cold water. He filled another with warm water. He put both in the same low temperature. The warm water froze first. The lack of covers on the pails is the secret. Some of the warm water changed into vapor. This meant that less of the warm water was left to be frozen. And so the warm water froze faster than the cold water even though it had a greater temperature drop to make. Leave a pail with warm water and another pail with cold water in the same low temperature, you'll find that _ . <extra_id_0>cold water freezes first <extra_id_1>warm water turns into ice before cold water <extra_id_2>warm water and cold water freeze at the same time <extra_id_3>much of cold water is changed into air. <extra_id_4>
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