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<extra_id_5>Harry met Bill, who was known to him to be a burglar, in a bar. Harry told Bill that he needed money. He promised to pay Bill $500 if Bill would go to Harry's house the following night and take some silverware. Harry explained to Bill that, although the silverware was legally his, his wife would object to his selling it. Harry pointed out his home, one of a group of similar tract houses. He drew a floor plan of the house that showed the location of the silverware. Harry said that his wife usually took several sleeping pills before retiring, and that he would make sure that she took them the next night. He promised to leave a window unlocked. Everything went according to the plan except that Bill, deceived by the similarity of the tract houses, went to the wrong house. He found a window unlocked, climbed in, and found silver where Harry had indicated. He took the silver to the cocktail lounge where the payoff was to take place. At that point police arrested the two men."Bill's best argument for acquittal of burglary is that he <extra_id_0>acted under a mistake of law. <extra_id_1>had the consent of the owner. <extra_id_2>reasonably thought he was in Harry's house. <extra_id_3>found the window unlocked <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>QQ is one of the most popular chat tools among teenagers. We regard it as an important chat tool in our dailylife because it has some advantages. First, we can make lots of e-friends on QQ. It is easy to find the person who has the same interest as us, and we can talk with him or her happily. Second, we can also join a QQ group to find the information we need. For example, if we want to learn English well, we can choose a group with many English lovers in it. Third, we can also play games with our friends on QQ and always have fun. QQ brings us a lot of benefits , but it can also cause some problems. It's dangerous to tell strangers on QQ our real personal information like telephone number, address and ID number. If we spend too much time chatting online, it won't be good for our study and health. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage <extra_id_0>We can get lots of information on QQ. <extra_id_1>We can make friends on QQ <extra_id_2>We can get everything on QQ. <extra_id_3>We can play games with friends on QQ. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A good way to pass an exam is to work hard every day in the year. You may fail in an exam if you are lazy for most of the year and then work hard only a few days before the exam. Do not remember only grammar when you are learning English. Try to read stories in English and speak in English as often as you can. A few days before the exam you should go to bed early. Do not study late at night. Before you start the exam, read carefully over the exam paper. Try to understand the exact meaning of each question before you pick up your pen to write. When you have finished your exam, read your answers again. Correct the mistakes if there are any and make sure you have not missed anything out. If you want to learn English well, you must _ . <extra_id_0>try to read as many English stories as you can <extra_id_1>learn grammar well <extra_id_2>try to speak in English as much as possible <extra_id_3>A, B and C <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>About five hundred years ago, an earthquake happened in a small village. Luckily for them, it didn't destroy anything and no one was hurt. But a large stone fell from a nearby mountain and stopped in the middle of the road. When the earthquake stopped, many people came to the road and saw the stone. Some of the strongest men wanted to move it away, they tried again and again but at last they failed. "Well," they said sadly ,"there's nothing we can do about it, we'll have to change the way." At this time a boy of 12 years old said , " I think I can move the stone away." "You?" all the strong men laughed at the boy, "What are you talking about ?" The next morning people were all surprised to see that the stone was gone. It wasn't on the road any longer and it wasn't even near the road. The boy smiled and said "I _ it." The people looked rather surprised. "You see," he said , "I dug a deep hole next to the stone and I dug a small incline up to the stone and the stone rolled down into the hole itself. Then I covered it with earth. "The villagers shouted "Clever boy! Clever boy!" and some of them said, " Why didn't we think out this good idea ?" _ moved the stone out of the road at last . <extra_id_0>An old man <extra_id_1>A young man <extra_id_2>A boy <extra_id_3>Some strong men <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>As you probably know, J.Paul Getty was one of the richest and moat successful American industrialists in history.Quite ambitious from an early age, Getty made his first million at age 23 in 1916.He later went on to found the Getty oil company, In 1957, Fortune magazine named him the richest living American and in 1966, the Guinness Book of Records named him as the world's richest private citizen. Although he is highly regarded by vast numbers of people for his financial success, as a younger man, his drive to acquire power and money had a _ l impact on other aspects of his life, particularly in his relationships with women.He was, at one point quoted assaying "A lasting relationship with a woman is only possible if you are a business failure." He married five times, having children with four of these wives.He couldn't seem to keep a marriage going for very long.His obsession with having a fortune and power alienated each of his wives, eventually driving them away. His marriage with his first wife Jeanette lasted for only three years, with Allene for two years, Adolphine, four years, Ann, four years, and finally Louise, nineteen years. Perhaps as a young man, Getty was willing to pay whatever price for financial success.Yet Paul came to feel some regret in regard to his life priorities as he approached his later years when he Wrote: "I hate and regret the failure of my marriages.I would gladly give all of my millions for just one lasting marriage success." At the end of Getty's life, all of the wealth that he had got meant very little to him.It was only then that he became wise enough to understand what really mattered most.Despite all of his accomplishments, he died with great regret. It' s a sad story and a cautionary tale for those of us who may have chosen to make career building our highest priority , thereby ignoring our relationships.Like any other living organism, relationships require care and attention in order to grow.Even the strongest relationships will he damaged, if there is not enough care. J.Paul Getty's marriage that lasted for the longest time was with _ . <extra_id_0>Ann <extra_id_1>Adolphine <extra_id_2>Allene <extra_id_3>Louise <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes , Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance. After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar , and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones--a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources. Jason Swencki"s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone." Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages. These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people--225 to date--who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000--in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean. Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now." Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _ . <extra_id_0>diabetics to communicate <extra_id_1>volunteers to find jobs <extra_id_2>children to amuse themselves <extra_id_3>rock stars to share resources. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Which of the following relies on vibrating matter to work? <extra_id_0>soda cans <extra_id_1>dog food <extra_id_2>baseball caps <extra_id_3>violas <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>It's so beautiful outside that spending the day in the office would be very boring. So why not take the vacations off? A new survey found that 31%of U.S workers don't always take all of their vacation days. Americans have 12 vacation days on average each year, but they give back an average of 3 vacation days each year. So why don't they use up their vacation days? Some say they would rather get money back for their unused days; some busy workers say they just can't leave their work. Americans have fewer vacation days than workers in any other country surveyed. The French take their vacations seriously. French workers get an average of 39 vacation days, and 40% plan to take at least one there-to-four-week vacation. Workers in Sweden receive an average of 25 vacation days a year, but they can't find time to use them all. More workers there return vacation days than any other country surveyed. British workers have the longest working week in Europe ,with 23 vacation days --the shortest vacation. So they feel overworked.75% say their weekends or vacations are too short and 40% would _ a day's pay for one more vacation day. What does the word "sacrifice" mean in the last sentence? <extra_id_0>Use up. <extra_id_1>Put up. <extra_id_2>Take up. <extra_id_3>Give up. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>There was once an old wise man living on the top of a mountain. Whenever the villagers had a problem, they would climb up the mountain and ask the old man for advice. One day a young man arrived. "Wise man," he asked, "What makes a man truly great?" The old man said, "Do you sincerely want to know?" "Yes, yes!" the young man replied. "Well," the wise old man said to him, "Let me tell you in the form of a story." There was once a Greek man who suffered from a deadly disease. Knowing that he would die soon, he was the first to join the army when his country was in a battle with the enemy. Hoping to die in battle, he would fight in the front line, risking himself without any worry for his life. Finally they won the battle and he was still alive. His general was so impressed with his bravery which contributed much to the victory. The general decided to promote him and award him with medals of bravery and honor. On the day of presentation , he was looking very down and sad. Curiously, the general asked him why he was so sad on a day he should be so proud. The soldier told him of his deadly disease. "How could I let such a brave soldier die?" the general thought. So the general hired the best physician and finally cured the soldier. But from that day on, the once _ soldier was no longer seen at the front. He would always avoid danger and tried his best to protect his life. "Young man," the wise man said, "if you want to be truly great, you must not be afraid of dying, you must be daring." What the old man really wanted the young man to do was _ . <extra_id_0>trying to be kind to the people in trouble <extra_id_1>mastering the skills of telling <extra_id_2>joining the army to fight for his country <extra_id_3>learning a lesson from the Greek man <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (MGHfC) have invented a new term that describes dangers associated with cigarette smoke: third-hand smoke. Study results published in January, 2009 discuss how third-hand smoke is especially dangerous for children. Have you ever walked into a room that had the smell of cigarette smoke, regardless of the fact that a fan was moving the air and no one was smoking at the time? This is what researchers are calling third-hand smoke -- and it represents the poisonous deposits that are left behind long after a cigarette is put out. Cigarette smoke contains gases and small particles that are deposited on every surface it comes in contact with, for example, the smoker's hair and clothing, or the environment the cigarette was smoked in. It's dangerous for young children who may crawl on polluted surfaces. Third-hand smoke is a serious health risk for our kids, especially those who live in the homes of smokers. Jonathan Winickoff, lead author of the study, explains, "When you come into contact with your baby, even if you're not smoking at the time, he or she comes in contact with those poisons. And if you breast-feed, the poisons will transfer to your baby in your breast milk." Winickoff adds however, that nursing a baby if you're a smoker is still a better choice than bottle-feeding. Researchers involved in the study also surveyed more than 1,500 families in an effort to learn about adult attitudes regarding the danger third-hand smoke represents to their children and how that might affect smoking in the home. Approximately 95 percent of nonsmokers and 84 percent of smokers believe that secondhand smoke is dangerous for children. On the issue of whether third-hand smoke threatens the health of children, 65 percent of nonsmokers and 43 percent of smokers felt that third-hand smoke harms kids. When asked about rules regarding smoking in the home, approximately 88 percent of nonsmokers said they don't allow smoking, while only 27 percent of smokers forbid smoking in the home. However, both non-smokers and smokers who felt that third-hand smoking was harmful to children's health were more inclined to restrict smoking in their homes. How does the text explain what third-hand smoke is? <extra_id_0>By telling results of a survey. <extra_id_1>By giving statistics. <extra_id_2>By making comparisons. <extra_id_3>By giving an example. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Mark began to introduce the guest speaker to the listeners, but then stopped for a while. He had forgotten her name. Barbara hid her valuable things when she went on vacation. When she came back, she couldn't remember where she'd put them. Perhaps you've had such experiences like these. Most people have. But most of them haven't realized that they have a memory problem. Neither do they know a simple but important fact: Memory can be improved. If you'll just accept that, the following will show you how. First, relax. If you are over worried about something, you'll forget it. If you keep telling yourself that your memory is bad, your mind will come to believe it and you won't remember things. When you forget something, don't follow up with saying like "Oh, my god! I always forget things!" Such words will have a bad result on you and your memory. But relaxing isn't enough. To improve your memory, you'll need to take an active role. Like your body, your memory can be made strong through exercise. Look for _ to exercise your memory. For example, if you're learning a language, try to actively remember a lot of new words. If you don't take notice of things actively, you won't remember them. So, you can make pictures of what you see in your mind every day. For example, don't just put your keys down! If you want to find them again, make a mind picture of the place where you're putting them. When you forget things, you _ . <extra_id_0>must be too careless <extra_id_1>shouldn't take notice of the result <extra_id_2>must accept the fact <extra_id_3>shouldn't lose heart about your memory <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A student is asked to bring something that feels rough to class. Which would be BEST for him to bring? <extra_id_0>Pillow <extra_id_1>Marble <extra_id_2>Sandpaper <extra_id_3>Trading card <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>I would like to tell you a story about my uncle Theo. He is my oldest uncle, a tall, thin, grey-haired man whose thoughts are always on learning and nothing else. He is quiet, gentle and absent-minded and with about as much sense as a child where money is concerned. Well, he applied a post in Camford University. It was a very good post and there were hundreds of candidates who applied for it, and about fifteen, including Theo, were asked to be interviewed. Camford is a very small town; there is only one hotel in it, and it was so full that they had to put many of the candidates two in a room. Theo was one of these, and the man who shared the room with him was a self-confident fellow called Adams, about twenty years younger than Theo, with a loud voice, and a laugh that you could hear all over the hotel. But he was a clever fellow all the same and had a good post in Iscaiot College, Narkover. Well, the Dean, who was the head of the department of the University, and the committee interviewed all the candidates; and as a result of this interview, the number of the candidates was reduced to two, Uncle Theo and Adams. The committee couldn't decide which of the two to take, so they decided to make their final choice after each of the candidates had given a public lecture in the college lecture-hall. The subject they had to speak on was "The Civilization of the Ancient Summerians"; and the lecture had to be given in three days' time. Well, for these three days Uncle Theo never left his room. He worked day and night at that lecture, writing it out and memorizing it, almost without eating or sleeping. Adams didn't seem to do any preparation at all. You could hear his voice and his laughter where he had a crowd of people around him. He came to his room late at night, asked Uncle Theo how he was getting on with his lecture, and then told him how he had spent the evening playing bridge, or at the music hall. He ate like a horse and slept like a log; and Uncle Theo sat up working at his lecture. The day of the lecture arrived. They all went into the lecture hall and Theo and Adams took their seats on the platform. And then, Theo discovered, to his horror, that typewritten copy of his speech had disappeared! The Dean said they would call on the candidates on the alphabetical order, Adams first; and the despair in his heart, Theo watched Adams calmly take the stolen speech out of pocket and read it to the professors who were gathered to hear it. And how well he read it! Even Uncle Theo had to admit he couldn't have read it nearly so eloquently himself, and when Adams finished there was a great burst of applause. Adams bowed and smiled, and sat down. Now, it was Theo's turn. But what could he do? He had put everything he knew into the lecture. His mind was too much upset to put the same thoughts in another way. With a burning face he could only repeat, word for word, in a low, dull voice, the lecture that Adams had spoken so eloquently. There was hardly any applause when he sat down. The Dean and the committee went out to decide who the successful candidate was, but everyone was sure what their decision would be. Adams leaned across to Theo and patted him on the back and said, smilingly, "Hard luck, old fellow, but after all, only one of us could win". Then the Dean and the committee came back, "Gentlemen", the Dean said, "the candidate we have chosen is Mr. Hobdell." Uncle Theo had won! The audience were completely taken by surprise, and the Dean continued, "I think I ought to tell you how we arrived at the decision. We were all filled with admiration at the learning and eloquence of Mr. Adams. I was greatly impressed. But, you will remember, Mr. Adams read his lecture to us. When Mr. Hobdell's turn came, he repeated that speech, word by word from memory, though, of course, he couldn't have seen a line of it before. Now a fine memory is absolutely necessary for this post; and what a memory Mr. Hobdell must have! This is why we decided that Mr. Hobdell was exactly the man we wanted! " As they walked out of the room, the Dean came up to Uncle Theo, who was so confused but so happy that he hardly knew whether he was standing on his head or heels; and as he shook Theo's hand he said, "Congratulations, Mr. Hobdell! But, my dear fellow, when you are on our staff, you must be more careful and not leave valuable papers lying about!" When the committee went out to make a decision, Adams _ . <extra_id_0>could not help feeling worried. <extra_id_1>could hardly wait to show his joy. <extra_id_2>felt sorry for Theo and tried to cheer him up. <extra_id_3>felt ashamed and tried to chat with Theo. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Father's Day is the third Sunday in June. It is a day to thank fathers. On that day, fathers usually receive greeting gifts and cards. On the cards, children will write, "Thanks, father." "Best wishes for Father's Day" and so on. Father's Day is also a day families get together at home as well as in the restaurants. Where does the idea for the holiday come from? We should thank an American. In 1909 she wrote letters to some important persons. In her letter she advised to make Father's Day on the third Sunday in June. In June in 1910, people celebrated the first Father's Day in Washington. People whose parents are dead often decorated their parents' graves with flowers on these days. These are days of family fun and creating good feelings and memories. When is Father's Day? <extra_id_0>The second Sunday in May. <extra_id_1>The third Saturday in June. <extra_id_2>The third Sunday in June. <extra_id_3>The second Sunday in March. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Learning to communicate in another language may be challenging, but it is also a very rewarding and enriching experience. It is the best passport to discovering another culture. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of the experience. Work at your own pace. Make the most of the time you have available to study. You will find you can learn more effectively if you study for half an hour every day, rather than try to do a whole unit in one sitting. Why not learn with someone else? It helps if you can learn with someone else. If you can persuade a friend or family member to study with you, it will give you extra motivation to keep working. Remember that you can go a long way with just a little language. Even if you feel unsure about your ability to form right sentences, you'll find that it is possible to communicate with just a few words. Above all, don't worry about getting things wrong: people will still be able to understand you. The more confidence you gain in communicating, the more fluent you'll become. Build up your vocabulary. A wide vocabulary is the key to successful language learning but don't try to learn too much at once. It's best to study frequently. Put words into sentences to fix them in mind, and come back to them later. Learning vocabulary in this way is usually very effective. And most of all, have fun! Learning to speak a foreign language is the key to enjoying another _ . <extra_id_0>challenge <extra_id_1>culture <extra_id_2>experience <extra_id_3>discovery <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A little under one-third of U.S. families have no Internet access and do not plan to get it, with most of the holdouts seeing little use for it in their lives, according to a survey released on Friday. Park Associates, a Dallas-based technology market research firm, said 29 percent of U.S. families, or 31 million homes, do not have Internet access and do not intend to subscribe to an Internet service over the next 12 months. The second annual National Technology Scan conducted by Park found that the main reason why potential customers say they do not subscribe to the Internet is because of the low value to their daily lives rather than concerns over cost. Forty-four percent of these families say they are not interested in anything on the Internet, versus just 22 percent who say they cannot afford a computer or the cost of Internet service, the survey showed. The answer "I'm not sure how to use the Internet" came from 17 percent of participants who do not subscribe. The response "I do all my e-commerce shopping and YouTube-watching at work" was cited by 14 percent of Internet-access refuseniks. Three percent said the Internet doesn't reach their homes. The study found U.S. broadband adoption grew to 52 percent over 2006, up from 42 percent in 2005. Roughly half of new subscribers converted from slower-speed, dial-up Internet access while the other half of families had no prior access. "The industry continues to chip away at the core of non-subscribers, but has a long way to go," said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates. "Entertainment applications will be the key. If anything will pull in the holdouts, it's going to be applications that make the Internet more similar to pay-TV," he predicted. According to John Barrett, what is the key to attracting more U.S. families to broadband service? <extra_id_0>making the Internet look more similar to TV set <extra_id_1>applying the Internet more to entertainment <extra_id_2>providing more pay-TV programs <extra_id_3>chipping away at the core of non-subscribers <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Researchers have established that when people are mentally engaged, biochemical changes occur in the brain that allow it to act more effectively in cognitive areas such as attention and memory. This is true regardless of age. People will be alert and receptive if they are faced with information that gets them to think about things they are interested in. And someone with a history of doing more rather than less will go into old age more cognitively sound than someone who has not had an active mind. Many experts are so convinced of the benefits of challenging in the brain that they are putting the theory to work in their own lives. "The idea is not necessarily to learn to memorize large amounts of information," says James Fozard, associate director of the National Institute of Ageing. "Most of us don't need that kind of skill. Such specific training is of less interest than being able to maintain mental alertness." Fozard and others say they challenge their brains with different mental skills, both because they enjoy them and because they are sure that their range of activities will help the way their brains work. Gene Cohen, acting director of the same institute, suggests that people in their old age should engage in mental and physical activities individually as well as in groups. Cohen says that we are frequently advised to keep physically active as we age, but older people need to keep mentally active as well. Those who do are more likely to maintain their intellectual abilities and to be generally happier and better adjusted. "The point is, you need to do both," Cohen says. Intellectual activity actually influences brain-cell health and size. Which of the following statements would Cohen most probably support? <extra_id_0>Older people should keep mentally active by challenging their brains. <extra_id_1>No matter whether it is done in group or alone, mental activity is always good for brain-cell health. <extra_id_2>Physical strength is more important to older people than mental health. <extra_id_3>People who engage in more mental activities but less physical ones are always happier. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>How often one hears children wishing they were grown up, and the old wishing they were young again! Each age has its pleasure and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting any time in useless regrets. Children is a time when there are few duties to make life hard. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after, and loved whatever he may do. It's impossible for him to be given so much again in his life without having to do anything in return. Besides, life is always giving new things to the child. A child finds pleasure in playing in the rain, or in the snow. His first visit to the seaside makes him wild. But a child has his pains; he is not so free to do as he wishes. He is continually being told not to do this, not to do that, or being punished for what he has done wrong. His life is therefore not perfectly happy. When the young man starts to make his own living, he becomes free from the rules of school and parents; but at the time he is forced to accept duties. He can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes and his room, but has to work for them if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry and suffer. And if he breaks the law of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison, lf, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble, and has good health, he can have the great happiness of seeing himself make steady progress in his job and of building up his own position in society and enjoy success and good reputation.. Old age has always been thought of as the worst age to be, but it is not necessary for the old to be unhappy. Old age has its own happiness. They can have the joy of seeing their children making progress in life; they can watch their grandchildren growing up around them and, perhaps, best of all, they can, if their life has been a useful one, feel the happiness of having come through the battle of life safely and of having reached a time when they can lie back and rest, leaving others to continue the fight. According to the passage, what is a child's greatest dissatisfaction? <extra_id_0>He thinks he has not got the equal freedom as his seniors. <extra_id_1>He thinks he knows less about things than the older do. <extra_id_2>He thinks it easy for him to do something wrong. <extra_id_3>He thinks the society doesn't believe in him. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>It's interesting to see how people make use of the time they spend on public transport in Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai. In crowded buses and trains people manage to take a short nap and some even reach the snoring stage. Or they spread out a newspaper over multiple knees and arms to read about the latest sport results or political crisis. Then there are the experienced travellers who have been playing cards with the same group over the last decade or so. They even have their specific seats so well-worn that you can make out the shape of their backsides. There is no doubt about it. Travelling by public transport is being in the thick of the seasons of life -- a sweaty life in summer where people, blissfully unaware of the rivers of sweat running down their brows and inside their clothes. At the first smell of a perfumed man or woman boarding the stuffy bus or train, most people feel they are reborn. During the rains you can't avoid getting wet or muddied. The windows, almost always, are not a perfect fit and if you're not drenched by a sudden, heavy rain shower then you are bound to catch a jet spray of muddy water caused by a fellow motorist driving fast through a puddle. Rains are a perfect time for people to switch their old umbrellas for new ones. Since there are so many that look alike, it's impossible to tell whose is whose. Winter is the time when it feels good -- or at least warm -- to be part of a crowd. It is amazing how much the collective breaths of a 100 or so people can raise the freezing temperature inside. Looking at the masses dressed in their bright red pullovers or green coats, it's fun to imagine what faces lie beneath their dark woolen hats. The cold winter passes, making way for spring. It is impossible not to see every little flower by the wayside blooming proudly. And the warm sun manages to transmit some of their pleasantness to the inside of a bus or train. Now, wouldn't it be perfect if we had a public transport worth the name in all our cities? On Indian public transport, you can always expect to see people _ . <extra_id_0>sleeping and reading newspapers <extra_id_1>arguing and playing games <extra_id_2>enjoying the view and playing cards <extra_id_3>carrying umbrellas and whispering politely <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program (ISP) at the International Center provides a welcoming place for immigrants where they can build the skills they need to fully participate in the professional and social life of their new country. About the Program The Andrew Romay Immigrant Support Program (ISP) at the International Center provides an integrated set of educational, cultural, and professional activities at ICNY to help immigrants: *improve their English *develop the networks they need to achieve their goals and fully participate in American life *find a welcoming "home away from home" Participants have access to a wide-range of programming, including: *more than 40 weekly classes in English language and American culture *practical and career-skills workshops *opportunities to explore New York City and the nearby area through trips and tours[ ISP is particularly focused on helping newly arrived immigrants at a critical point in their lives. Recent arrivals in financial need receive one-year scholarships and low-cost meals. ISP is funded by Andrew Romay and a sum of money from the Open Society Institute. If you are interested in applying for ISP, please fill out our online application or contact ISP Program Manager, Elaine Roberts at (212) 255-9555 or at eroberts@intlcenter. org. Resources for Current ISP Members RECOMMENDED CLASSES *Intermediate level: Introduction to Writing & Interviewing Skills on Wednesday, from 11 am - l2:l0pm. *High Intermediate/Advanced: Tips for Success at Work and Beyond on Tuesday, from 2-3:25pm. *Advanced: Career Skills Workshop on Wednesday, from 6-8pm. Sign-up required. *For all levels: Interviewing Skills Workshop on Saturday, from 11 am. - 2 pm. Sign-up required. UPCOMING EVENTS To see a list of upcoming events, visit our News & Events page. OTHER RESOURCES If you would like helpful resources on topics such as ESOL, healthcare, housing, or finding a job, please visit our Member Resources page. You can become a member of ISP by _ . <extra_id_0>visiting News & Events page <extra_id_1>contacting Elaine <extra_id_2>contacting Andrew <extra_id_3>surfing Member Resources page <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>When a store sells goods or services at a price lower than usual, it is called a sale. Sales last for a limited time. Then the price returns to normal. There are many kinds of sales. For example, a "back-to-school" sale is held near the beginning of the school year. A "midnight madness" event starts very late at night. An "early bird special" sale starts very early in the morning, usually before the sunrise. This kind of sale is popular the day after Thanksgiving in November. A favorite sale among many people is the "buy one, get one free" sale. You buy one thing and get a second one without cost. When people see the word "free" in an advertisement they think they will _ . Another kind of sale is a "going out of business" sale. This is when a storekeeper tries to sell all the goods before closing the business for ever. Take the store selling floor coverings for example, the owner lowers the prices and puts up a sign:"Going out of business sale. All items MUST be sold by tomorrow." People who buy the floor coverings think they are getting a special price because everything must be sold in a short period of time. Then, a few days later they see the store did not close. And they see the same sign that says the store is going out of business. Some business owners really do not end the business but want to make more money. In prefix = st1 /America, you can always find a good sale, no matter the day or the time of a year . There is the Independence Day sale, Veteran's Day sale, clearance sale, sidewalk sale, red tag sale, white sale, blue light special, liquidation sale, half-off sale, warehouse sale, tent sale... According to the passage, if you go to a "going out of business"sale, you will find _ . <extra_id_0>you are clever enough <extra_id_1>the goods worth the prices <extra_id_2>the prices are especially lower <extra_id_3>yourself cheated by the owner <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Towards evening, Jennifer was walking on the beach with a gentle breeze blowing through her hair. Looking up at the golden red sun ball, she was surprised by its color, deep red in the middle, softly fading into yellow. She could hear nothing but the waves and the seagulls flying up above in the sky. The atmosphere relaxed her. This was what she needed. "It's getting late," she thought, "I must go home. My parents will be wondering where I am." She wondered how her parents would react when she got home after the three days she was missing. She kept on walking, directing herself to bungalow 163, where she spent every summer holiday. The road was deserted. She walked slowly and silently. Just in a few hundred meters, she would have been safe in her house. It was really getting dark now. She wished she had her favorite coat on. It might keep her really warm. She imagined having it with her. This thought dissipated when she finally saw her front door. It seemed different. Nobody had taken care of the outside garden for a few days. She was shocked: her father was usually so strict about keeping everything clean and tidy, and now... She entered the house. First, she went into the kitchen and saw a note written by her father, "Dear Ellen, there's some coffee ready; I went looking." But where was Ellen? On the right side of the hallway was her parents' room. She went in and saw her. Her mother, lying on the bed, was sleeping. Her face looked so tired, as if she hadn't slept for days. She was really pale. Jennifer would have wanted to wake her up, but she looked too tired. So Jennifer just fell asleep beside her. When Jennifer woke up something was different. She wasn't in her mother's room and she wasn't wearing the old clothes she ran away in. She was in her cozy bed in her pajamas . It felt so good being back home. Suddenly she heard a voice. "Are you feeling better now, dear? You know you got us very, very scared." Jennifer decided to go home because _ . <extra_id_0>it was getting cold <extra_id_1>she realized her parents were worried <extra_id_2>she began to miss her parents <extra_id_3>she knew nobody would take care of the garden <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>How much do you want to pay for a CD by your favorite singer Jay Chou? Five Yuan for a pirated one, or more for a real one? Wang Ye, 14, said she would like the real one although the pirated one is cheaper." A real one is worth keeping for years." said the girl from No.1 middle school in Wu Han, Anhui. "Real CDs always sound better to me." What can we do? People want to do more to help those like Wang to get real CDs. This week the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry asked many countries to act against piracy . In many places in China, the government is checking audio and video products. Pirated ones are broken into pieces. Piracy is in your daily life. Don't believe it? A study by 21st Century Teens found that more than 75 percent of juniors had listened to pirated music. They say this is because pirated products are usually much cheaper than the real ones. Why are real CDs so expensive? When a music company makes music, it needs to pay the song writers and singers. It costs a lot of money! This makes the price of the CDs go up. Piracy like stealing. People who make pirated copies of CDs take away the writers' and singers' work without paying them. They even don't ask them if they can. So next time you'd better keep your eyes brightened when you see cheap CDs. Remember you're helping someone to do something wrong if you buy them. How do you know what's real. Already made up your mind to buy real ones? Well, you should get to know what real CDs look like. A real CD has the name and trademark of the music company on the cover. The company's address, telephone number and fax number are on it. If you open the CD box you'll see the singer's name and the album title. Most important of all, a real CD has a number from the IFPI on it. But people who make pirated CDs only need the real CD and disks to copy them. That's why some CDs are only five Yuan, but some many sell for 150 Yuan. Buying pirated CDs is just like _ . <extra_id_0>stealing <extra_id_1>robbing <extra_id_2>helping someone to do something wrong <extra_id_3>helping someone <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Different colours can affect us in many different ways, according to Verity Allen. In her new series ' Colour me Healthy', Verity looks at the ways that colours can influence how hard we work and the choices we make. They can even change our emotions and influence how healthy we are. "Have you ever noticed how people always use the same colours for the same things ?" says Verity. " Our toothpaste is always white or blue or maybe red. It's never green. For some reason we consider green products as being a bit unacceptable. It's the same for businesses. We respect a company writing its name in blue or black, but we don't respect one that uses pink or orange. People designing new products can use these ideas to influence what we buy." During the four-part series, Verity studies eight different colours, two colours in each programme. She meets people who work in all aspects of the colour industry, from people designing food packets , to people naming the colours of lipsticks . Some of the people she meets clearly have very little scientific knowledge to support their ideas, such as the American " Colour Doctor" who believes that serious diseases can be treated by the use of coloured lights. However, she also interviews real scientists who are studying the effects of green and red lights on mice, with some surprising results. In a word, it's an interesting show, and anyone who watches it will probably find out something new. But because Verity goes out of her way to be polite to everyone she meets on the series, it's up to the viewers to make their own decisions about how much they should believe. Which of the following would be the best title for the text? <extra_id_0>Enjoy It; But Don't Believe Everything ! <extra_id_1>Don't Miss This If You Work in Business ! <extra_id_2>Watch This Programme to Make You Healthy ! <extra_id_3>Enjoy Another Great Show from Verity Allen ! <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A few months before I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around to welcome me into the world a few months later. As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special position. My parents were complementary instructors:Mom taught me the words, and Dad taught me to obey them. But the stranger... He was our storyteller. He would keep us _ for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies . If I wanted to know anything about politics,history or science,he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind. I now know that my early concepts about relationship were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom blamed...and NEVER asked to leave. More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in but is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you were to walk into my parent's room today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures. His name? We just call him..."TV". He has a younger sister now. We call her "Computer". The stranger can do all the following things EXCEPT that he can _ . <extra_id_0>tell us some funny stories <extra_id_1>reject our proposals <extra_id_2>influence the children's character <extra_id_3>predict the future <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>I decided to go back to school in the fall of 2008 after not being happy with my current job and financial status. I obtained my Associate's Degree in May 2002 in Commercial Arts. After graduation, I had trouble obtaining a job in that field. For years, I was going from one job to another feeling unfilled, and I was not satisfied with the instability. I decided to go back to school for either International Business or Psychology. I weighed the pros and cons of both professions and Psychology won. I like helping my friends and family, when they go through hard situations in their life by giving them sound advice and being honest with them. Also, I was interested in "the mind". I was searching for online schools because my work schedule at my current job would not allow me to attend a regular class. I was nervous about starting online classes because I heard mixed stories from other friends who were taking online classes. I decided to do it anyway to experience something different. I wanted to find an online school that was affordable and reputable. Through my search, I discovered Walden University, which is specially for working adults who want to obtain a bachelor's degree or higher. The process of getting accepted was easy, which included writing an essay on why I wanted to attend their school, transferring my previous credits, etc. I am currently enrolled in the Bachelors program for psychology, and I am paying for college via financial-aid loans and grants. This experience has been interesting yet trying as sometimes it was difficult to balance work, school and home life. I learned a lot about psychology and myself. For example, I like writing about current events, relationships and traveling. I thought my English composition was ordinary, but after taking a few classes at Walden University, I improved my English composition and it made me feel confident enough to start writing professionally so I became a freelance writer. Currently, I am only three classes away from obtaining my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology! It was one of the best decisions I made in my life. What did the author study originally when he was in college? <extra_id_0>Psychology <extra_id_1>Commercial Arts <extra_id_2>International Business <extra_id_3>English Composition <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>You get anxious if there's no wi-fi in the hotel or mobile phone signal up the mountain. You feel upset if your phone is getting low on power, and you secretly worry things will go wrong at work if you're not there. All these can be called "always on" stress caused by smart phone addiction. For some people, smart phones have liberated them from the nine-to-five work. Flexible working has given them more autonomy in their working lives and enabled them to spend more time with their friends and families. For many others though, smart phones have become tyrants in their pockets, never allowing them to turn them off, relax and recharge their batteries. Pittsburgh-based developer Kevin Holesh was worried about how much he was ignoring his family and friends in favour of his iPhone. So he developed an app -- Moment -- to monitor his usage. The app enables users to see how much time they're spending on the device and set up warnings if the usage limits are breached . "Moment's goal is to promote balance in your life," his website explains. "Some time on your phone, some time off it enjoying your loving family and friends around you." Dr Christine Grant, an occupational psychologist at Coventry University, said, "The effects of this 'always on' culture are that your mind is never resting, and you're not giving your body time to recover, so you're always stressed. And the more tired and stressed we get, the more mistakes we make. Physical and mental health can suffer." And as the number of connected smart phones is increasing, so is the amount of data. This is leading to a sort of decision paralysis and is creating more stress in the workplace because people have to receive a broader range of data and communications which are often difficult to manage. "It actually makes it more difficult to make decisions and many do less because they're controlled by it all and feel they can never escape the office," said Dr Christine Grant. What's Dr Christine Grant's attitude towards "always on" culture? <extra_id_0>Confused. <extra_id_1>Positive. <extra_id_2>Doubtful. <extra_id_3>Critical. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A senior United Nations Children's Fund(UNICEF) official on May 29 praised China for its remarkable achievements in children's welfare . A. H. M. Farook, UNICEF's operations area officer for prefix = st1 /ChinaandMongoliasaid thatChina"can be very satisfied to tell the whole world what can be done with limited resources to help its children to grow healthily and happily." China's child population makes up one-fifth of the world's total. "The reason behind the tremendous achievement is China's long tradition of caring for children both at home and in society," he said. "What's more is that Chinese people have always given special attention to children who are in special need." The UN official made the remarks when addressing a group of 50 children and staff from the Beijing Children's Welfare Home at the Shangri-la Hotel, Beijing. The hotel invited the orphans to share snacks , sing, dance and play games at a park inside the hotel for a "Share the Sunshine" party, as a prelude to celebrations to mark the Children's Day. The Beijingchildren's Welfare Home, set up soon after New China was founded in 1949, has at present more than 400 children. A leading official of the welfare institution said that the children live a happy life and that the agency spends 400--500 yuana month for an average orphan. An average Chinese workers earned 440yuana month during the first quarter this year. Gu Xiaojin, deputy secretary-general of the China Youth Development Foundation(CYDF), said people from all walks of life have contributed to the welfare of the Chinese children. She said that CYDF set up the Project Hope in 1989, which calls on people across the country to donate money to help poor children to continue their schooling. By the end of last year, she said, CYDF had collected nearly 700 million yuanin donations, which has helped the establishment of 2, 074 Hope primary schools and enabled more than 1. 25 million dropouts to return to school classrooms. Three "Hope Stars" also attended the party. They were model teenagers chosen among students who are economically supported by the Project Hope to further their nine-year compulsory studies in the poverty-stricken regions. They will be torchbearers for the Chinese Team for the up coming Atlanta Olympic Games this year. We can infer from the text that _ . <extra_id_0>Every Chinese child has its own special need, so we should pay special attention to each. <extra_id_1>All the children in the poverty-stricken regions of Chinaare too poor to go to school. <extra_id_2>Ever since liberation. the Chinese Communist Party has been concerned about the growth of the younger generation. <extra_id_3>With the help of UNICEF officials, there are no more dropouts in China. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>$? While the 2008 Olympics were the first to be broadcast entirely in HD, the 2012 Olympics are the first to broadcast in HD as well as 3D. Sean Taylor, a spokesperson for Panasonic - provider of some of the technologies - said it effectively, "Each Games, from a technology perspective, tries to have a first. London will be the first HD and 3D Games." The games were first televised in Berlin in 1936 and played on big screens about the city. Then came the first games to enter households (strictly in London that is) in 1948, followed by the first internationally televised games during the 1960 Olympics in Rome. And ever since, that feeling of physically standing in the crowd and watching these mighty contestants has only gotten clearer, more defined. Now, they more literally than ever actually compete in your living room. SS A _ is presented as the London games celebrate both the Industrial Revolution (a.k.a. the birth of pollution) and a spirit of committed environmentalism; London will be the first to actively measure its own carbon footprint during these games, designing a stadium and accommodations that cut-back on negative emissions when at all possible. They are also shooting for a world record via the "Javelin," designed specifically to keep as many exhaust pipes at bay as humanly possible. What can be the best title for the text? <extra_id_0>The History of Olympic Games. <extra_id_1>Two Firsts about 2012 London Olympics <extra_id_2>2012 London Olympics --- Eco-Conscious Games <extra_id_3>2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>There are many famous writers in the English world, among whom Jane Austen (1775--1817) has been popular with all ages. But then Jane Austen wrote her novels in England, she was writing about a world that most of us would not recognize. But today Austen's books are in greater demand than ever. In the last ten years, five of the six novels have been made into Hollywood films, while her books continue to be bestsellers. So why is Austen still popular? Richard Jenkyns, a professor of English at Oxford University, argues that her novels still appeal to people because they focus on issues that are as _ today as they were when she wrote them. Her novels are about women trying to find a perfect husband, but also explore issues surrounding marriage, friendship and the family. "The plots are fairly timeless stories about human interaction which are familiar to us," Jenkyns says. The most famous book Austen wrote is Pride and Prejudice,a love story betweenElizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. At first the two characters do not get on. They finally fall in love, but still have to overcome opposition to their relationship from their families. All of Austen's books are easy to read, making them popular with children and adults, but they work on different levels so people can take what they need from them, author Kate Henry says. Austen is often praised as the greatest romance writer in the English language, so it is surprising she remained unmarried. "Maybe she was too much of a romantic, waiting for a perfect man," Henry says. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? <extra_id_0>More and more people like reading Austen's novels. <extra_id_1>Austen died when she was 42 years old. <extra_id_2>Pride and Prejudice is a novel about love. <extra_id_3>Austen is often regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>My wife and I used to feel that it was impossible to be a true friend to someone whose name we didn't know. How wrong we were! Years of Sunday-morning bus trips through the city with the same group of "nameless" people have changed our thinking. Before the bus takes off, we all join in a conversation: where's the silent woman who sits up front and never responds to our cheery greetings? Here she comes. Her worn clothing suggests she doesn't have much money to spare, but she always takes an extra cup of coffee for the driver. We get smiles from a Mexican couple as they get on the bus hand in hand. When they get off, they're still holding hands. The woman was pregnant late last year, and one day her change of shape confirmed that she'd delivered the child. We even felt a little pride at the thought of our extended family. For many months, our only sadness lay in our inability to _ the same friendship with the silent woman at the front of the bus. Then, one evening, we went to a fish restaurant. We were shown to a table alongside someone sitting alone. It was the woman from the bus. We greeted her with friendly familiarity we'd shown all year, but this time her face softened, then a shy smile. When she spoke, the words escaped awkwardly from her lips. All at once we realized why she hadn't spoken to us before. Talking was hard for her. Over dinner; we learned the stay of a single mother with a disabled son who was receiving special care away from home. She missed him desperately, she explained. "I love him... and he loves me, even though he doesn't express it very well," she murmured. "Lots of us have that problem, don't we? We don't say what we want to say, what we should be saying. And that's not good enough."The candles flared on our tables. Our fish had never tasted better. But the atmosphere grew pleasant, and when we parted as friends--we shared names. Which of the following might be the best title of this passage? <extra_id_0>Friends of the Road <extra_id_1>The Silent Woman on the Bus <extra_id_2>Going to Work by Bus <extra_id_3>Different Kinds of Friendship <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Don Ritchie, a famous Australian man. For nearly 50 years, he successfully stopped 160 people from killing themselves at a cliff called 'the Gap' - with just a kind word and a smile. Ritchie had served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. In 1964, he moved into a house on Old South Head Road. He began saving strangers soon after. Ritchie was a real gentleman who purposely chose to live right across the street from 'the Gap', just because he wanted to continue saving lives. He would wake up every morning and look out of the window for anyone standing too close to the edge of the cliff. If he saw someone and thought they might jump, he would simply walk over with a smile and say, "Is there something I could do to help you?" That sounds very simple, but it worked - Ritchie tried to have a talk with these people and ended up inviting them back to his house for tea or breakfast. In 2006, Ritchie was given the Medal of the Order of Australia for all his saving lives. In 2010, he and his wife were named Woollahra Council's citizens of the year and in 2011, he was given the Local Hero Award for Australia by the National Australia Day Council. In a situation where most would turn a blind eye, Don has taken action. With such simple actions Don has saved a number of lives. Don's story touched the hearts of all Australians and challenged us to rethink what it means to be a good neighbor. What is the nationality of Don Ritchie? <extra_id_0>American. <extra_id_1>Canadian. <extra_id_2>Australian. <extra_id_3>Britain. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>My first day of high school was like any other first day: registering, finding new classmates, meeting new teachers, and seeking new friends. During lunch, I ran into my first snag of the day. At the dining hall, as the checkout lady asked for my money, I realized that I had forgotten my money. When I told her about it, I heard a voice behind me. I turned around and there stood a teacher telling her he will pay for my lunch. He told me his name was Mr. Peter Walker, and said, "If you get a chance, you should take my history class." I recognize his name, and told him I was in his class later that day. Mr. Walker befriended me on the very first day of school at a very crucial time of the day---lunch! He always told us we should do more than we ever thought. He pushed us to do all things better. He coached many sports, and sponsored many after class activities. If we were interested in something, he would find a way to expose us to it, say, inviting speakers, taking us on field trips, or obtaining information for us. Two years later, my junior year in school was clicking along nicely when one day I was riding my motorcycle and I was hit by a car. I spent six days in hospital and was at home in bed for two weeks before returning to school. Mr. Walker stopped by the hospital each day with my work from my teachers. Once I was at home, he would bring my work too. After high school, I attended the United States Army Airborne School in Georgia. I knew my parents would be there the day I graduated, but they brought an unexpected guest. They came across Mr. Walker at lunch several days before and told him I was about to graduate. His visit, however, was not a surprise to me. At the dining hall, _ . <extra_id_0>Mr. Walker didn't know the author was his student <extra_id_1>the author knew Mr. Walker was right behind him <extra_id_2>the author decided to invite Mr. Walker to lunch <extra_id_3>the lady didn't want to charge the author for his lunch <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>LONDON (Reuters) Ecotourism is causing a lot of damage to wildlife and may be endangering the survival of the very animals people are flocking to see, according to researchers. Biologists and conservationists are worried because polar bears, dolphins, penguins and other creatures are getting stressed and losing weight and some are dying. "Evidence is growing that many animals do not react well to tourists in their backyard," New Scientist magazine said. The immediate effects "researchers have noticed are changes in behavior, heart rates. or stress hormone levels but they fear it could get much worse and over the long term " could endanger the survival of the very wildlife they want to see. " Although money produced through ecotourism, which has been growing at about 10-30 percent a year, has major benefits for poor countries and people living in rural areas, the Swiss-based World Conservation Union (IUCN) and some governments fear not all projects are audited and based on environmentally friendly policies,according to the magazine. Transmission of disease to wildlife,or small changes to wildlife health through disturbance of daily life or increased stress levels, while not obvious to the casual observer, may translate to lower survival and breeding," said Philip Seddon , of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. Scientists have noticed that bottleneck dolphins along the northeastern coast of New Zealand become nervously excited when tourist boats arrive. Similar changes in behavior have been observed in polar bears and yellow-eyed penguins in areas visited by colorists are producing smaller babies. Conservationists are now calling for more research into the effect of ecotourism on animals and say the industry must be developed carefully. They also want studies done before new ecotourism projects are started. _ said Rochelle Constantine of the University of Auckland in New Zealand Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text? <extra_id_0>Many animals do not react well in their backyard <extra_id_1>Studies should be done before new ecotourism projects are started <extra_id_2>Ecotourism has been growing at about 10--30 percent a year. <extra_id_3>polar bears in areas visited by ecotourists are producing smaller babies. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>When a finger is cut and bleeds, platelets and plasma proteins move to the cut to stop the bleeding. As these move to the cut, this stimulates more platelets and proteins to move to the cut to stop the bleeding. What type of mechanism is being illustrated? <extra_id_0>negative feedback <extra_id_1>positive feedback <extra_id_2>regulatory feedback <extra_id_3>stimulation feedback <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>You are watching a film in which two men are having a fight. They hit one another hard. At the start they only fight with their fists .But soon they begin hitting one another over the heads with chairs. And so it goes on until one of the men crashes through a window and falls thirty feet to the ground below. He is dead! Of course he isn't really dead. With any luck he isn't even hurt. Why ? Because the men who fall out of high windows or jump from fast moving trains, who crash cars of even catching fire, are professionals .They do this for a living. These men are called stuntmen. That is to say, they perform tricks . There are two sides to their work. They actually do most of the things you see on the screen. For example, they fall from a high building. However, they do not fall on to hard ground but on to empty cardboard boxes covered with a mattress . Again, when they hit one another with chairs, the chairs are made of soft wood and when they crash through windows, the glass is made of sugar! But although their work depend on trick of this sort, it also requires a high degree of skill and training. Often a stuntman's success depends on careful timing .For example, when he is "blown up" in a battle scene, he has to jump out of the way of the explosion just at the right moment. Naturally stuntmen are well paid for their work, but they lead dangerous lives. They often get seriously injured, and sometimes killed. A Norwegian stuntman, for example, skied over the edge of a cliff a thousand feet high. His parachute failed to open, and he was killed. In spite of all the risks, this is no longer a profession for men only. Men no longer dress up as women when actresses have to perform some dangerous action. For nowadays there are stuntgirls too! When a stuntman falls from a high building, _ <extra_id_0>he needs little protection <extra_id_1>he will be covered with a mattress <extra_id_2>his life is endangered <extra_id_3>his safety is generally all right <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A student wants to use a stream table to test the influence of water acidity on the erosion rate of a stream. Which variable should be constant in this experiment? <extra_id_0>angle of tilt of the table <extra_id_1>acidity of the water <extra_id_2>amount of sediment eroded <extra_id_3>rate that sediment is eroded <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>They think they're lucky that they're living and it's Christmas again. They can't see that we live on a dirty street in a shabby house among people who aren't much good. Johnny and the children can't see how pitiful it is that our neighbors have to make happiness out of this filth and dirt. My children must get out of this. But how? The money that we've saved isn't nearly enough. The McGaritys have money, but they are show-offs with it. The McGarity girl just yesterday stood out there in the street eating from a bag of cookies while a ring of hungry children watched her. I saw those children looking at her and crying in their hearts, and when she couldn't eat any more, she shrew the rest down the sewer . Miss Jackson who teaches at the Settlement House isn't rich, but she knows things. She understands people. Her eyes look straight into yours when she talks with you. Everybody else here looks away because they're ashamed of their lives. I'd like to see the children be like Miss Jackson when they grew up. Which of the following is TRUE? <extra_id_0>The writer's family is the poorest one on that street. <extra_id_1>Watching the rich girl eating cookies, those hungry children cried. <extra_id_2>The writer wants to move out of that district. <extra_id_3>The writer hopes that her children will become teachers. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Having a teenager at home can be a real headache. Many teenagers smoke, drink and even fight. They often do something dangerous. Earlier studies have shown that teenagers are more likely to make _ decisions than people from any other age group, including children and adults. Is it that teenagers are too young to tell right from wrong? Not really. So what's the reason? According to Laurence, a teacher from a US university, the reason is that teenagers care a lot about how their peers view them--that is "peer influence". As children enter their teenage years, they spend more time with their friends and classmates, and also they care more about what they think of them. This makes teenagers make decisions without thinking about the costs. In a test, a group of teenagers were asked to play a video driving game. When they played with their friends watching around them, they took more chances and drove more carelessly because that would increase their possibility of winning. But when they played alone, they drove more safely. Why do peers have such a big influence on teens' behavior? As Laurence sees it, a teenager's brain is like a car with a good accelerator but a weak brake . The "accelerator" is fully developed by teenage years while the "brake" is still not fully developed. When teenagers are watched by their peers, they usually push hard on the accelerator. With their weak brake, it is likely that they are going to end up in an accident. But the good news is that a violent teenager doesn't necessarily become a violent adult. About two-thirds to three-quarters of violent youth grow out of it. "They get more self-controlled." Why are teenagers likely to make wrong decisions according to the text? <extra_id_0>They like difficult tasks. <extra_id_1>They don't care about costs. <extra_id_2>They are too young to tell right from wrong. <extra_id_3>They care a lot about what their peers think of them. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Overlooking the swollen banks of the Missouri River at Omaha's riverfront landing, one scientist has an important explanation for the past three months of flooding .While many consider the flood to be man-made, a result of water released by the US. Army Corps of Engineers upriver, his theory aims to look deeper into the root of the problem. "The Missouri River is flooding," said Dr. James Hansen, Director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, during a visit to Omaha on Tuesday."We've had floods that usually only happen once in every hundred years a couple of times on the Missouri River recently. That's one of the expected consequences of the increasing level of atmospheric carbon dioxide." Hansen, who is considered to be one of the world's leading experts on global warming , said the Missouri River is an example of how global warming is affecting the earth ."Unless you do statistics ,and you see that the frequency of these events is changing , it's not so easy to see that changes are occurring , because the climate system has large inertia ,"he said . Hansen explained, "The ocean is four kilometers deep, and the ice sheets are two or three kilometers thick , so they don't respond immediately as we begin to change the atmospheric composition .We've only experienced about half of the warming that will be caused by the gases already in the atmosphere .The full effect is going to be felt by our children and grandchildren .And if we continue to increase the amount of CO2, the effect will be even larger." Hansen drew a comparison, "If we spend more money than what we're taking in , we're leaving a debt for our children and grandchildren to deal with ."According to Hansen, the responsibility lies in effective policy making to fight against global warming .That includes a gradual reduction in carbon emissions .Hansen suggests that a rising price be placed on carbon emissions, which should be collected from the fossil fuel companies at the first sale . Without effective measures taken by the government, Hansen said the public could expect more of the recent extreme weather patterns,, including more severe droughts and floods in the decades ahead . Many people think the reason for the flooding of the Missouri River is _ . <extra_id_0>the army releasing water upriver <extra_id_1>the effects of global warming <extra_id_2>the increasing level of carbon dioxide <extra_id_3>the dam at Omaha's riverfront breaking <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A program in our college helps you work part-time to ease your pressure from costs. If you need more money to cover all of your education-related costs, this program may be fit for you. Advantages Work experience: Last year, more than 1,400 positions were available across all departments. The jobs wary from one department to the next, and in most cases, participants find a position in their chosen field. Money: During the regular academic year(September to April), you can work party-time and earn $3,200---sometimes more---while you take courses! During the summer time, you work full-time and can earn around $6,000 over 18 weeks. Easy access: Applying for the program is easy. There is no need for face-to-face interview. All the forms you need are online; just fill in the forms and email us; we accept no letter or phone application! Did you know? At the University of Ottawa, it is not necessary to receive government assistance to qualify for our Work-Study Program. _ You could have one of these great Work-Study jobs: *Student ambassador *Computing and network technician *Marketing assistant *Sports team manager *Researcher/translator/Writer And more! The admission Section receives and evaluates applications to undergraduate programs, in addition to answering applicants' questions. Phone: 613-562-5315 Toll-free: 1-877-868-8292(#5315) To be admitted to the program, you need to _ . <extra_id_0>get some government assistance. <extra_id_1>show your financial need. <extra_id_2>perform well in your studies. <extra_id_3>posses computing techniques <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Good morning, class! We know that there are too many net bars around us. The Internet is popular and it makes our lives colorful. Many of us like going online very much because we can learn how to use the computer and get more information from the Internet. We can learn English. We can read some good newspapers and magazines. It can make us clever in playing computer games. We can send E-mails to our friends quickly. We can chat freely online with our friends. It can help us get in touch with people from all over the world. But some students spend too much time in playing computer game and some stay in the net bars all day and all night. Teenagers even get to have boyfriends or girlfriends online. They write too many letters to each other. It takes them to much time to chat online so they do worse and worse in their lessons and they don't study well any more. I think we mustn't get online when it is time for us to study. We can do it in summer or winter holidays. We should get online with adults --our teacher or parents. At the same time, if we have lots of free time, we can do some out-of-class activities at school. We usually have activities from 4:50 to 5:50 in the afternoon. We have different kinds of activities. If you are interested in sports, you can play basketball or football. We can go to the English Corner. We can practice talking in English there. We hope we can spend more time on our subjects or on such activities that we can learn a lot from and less time on the Internet. Thank you for listening to me. That's all. The Internet can make our lives _ . <extra_id_0>helpful and important <extra_id_1>enjoyable and interesting <extra_id_2>enjoyable but expensive <extra_id_3>different kinds of activities <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Books are not Nadia Konyk's thing. Her mother brings them home from the library, but Nadia rarely shows interest. Instead, like so many other teenagers, Nadia, 15, is addicted to the Internet. She regularly spends at least six hours a day in front of the computer, spending most of her time reading and commenting on stories written by other users. Her mother, Deborah Konyk, would prefer that Nadia read books for a change. As teenagers' scores on reading tests have declined, some argue that the hours spent surfing the Internet are the enemy of reading--destroying a precious common culture that exists only through the reading of books. Critics have warned that electronic media would destroy reading. Others say the Internet has created a new kind of reading. The Web inspires a teenager like Nadia, who might otherwise spend most of her leisure time watching television, to read and write. What is different now, some literacy experts say, is that spending time on the Web engages viewers with text. Web supporters believe that strong readers on the Web may eventually surpass those who rely on books. Reading five Web sites, experts say, can be more enriching than reading one book. "It takes a long time to read a 400-page book," said Spiro. "In a tenth of the time," he said, the Internet allows a reader to "cover a lot more of the topic from different points of view." Some literacy experts say that reading itself should be redefined. Interpreting videos or pictures, they say, may be as important a skill as analyzing a novel or a poem. "Kids are using sound and images so they have a world of ideas to put together," said Donna Alvermann, a professor of literacy education at the University of Georgia. "Books aren't out of the picture, but they're only one way of experiencing information in the world today." Next year, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which gives reading, math and science tests to 15-year-old students in more than 50 countries, will add an electronic reading component . The United States says it will not participate because an additional test would overburden schools. Why did the US refuse to participate in the tests with an added electronic reading component? It is because _ . <extra_id_0>the teachers and students considered it useless <extra_id_1>such a test would give schools more extra work <extra_id_2>they thought reading was the only way to get information <extra_id_3>none of them showed interest in such an additional test <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>When shopping in a store, I met a boy. When I saw him waving his hands excitedly in the air and shouting in a loud voice, " Mommy, I'm here," I knew he was mentally challenged. I asked his name and he said proudly, " My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother." "Wow," I said, " That's a cool name. How old are you, Denny?" " How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother. " You're fifteen years old, Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by." I continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. _ Denny's mom thanked me for talking with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, let alone talk to him. I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said, " There are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in the garden, however, 'Blue roses'are very _ and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness . Denny is a 'Blue ses'and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and kindness, then they've missed a chance to appreciate the beauty." She was silent for a second, and then went away with tears in her eyes. What's wrong with the boy? <extra_id_0>He didn't know his name and age <extra_id_1>There was something wrong with his mind <extra_id_2>He lost his way <extra_id_3>He couldn't find his mother. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Roger Alvarez, 22, was one of the 52 percent of students who didn't make it through his senior year at Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles. He dropped out several years ago, but by the time he was in ninth grade, Alvarez says he already knew he wasn't going to graduate. "There's a certain amount of knowledge you have to have when you enter in a specific grade, and I didn't have it." Alvarez says,"Every class I used to go in, I was like, 'Do I know this? I don't know this.'" It was a shameful attitude, he tells his former English teacher, Antero Garcia, 29. "You were determined to help me, but what was I willing to give? I could have actually tried." For his part, Garcia wants to know how he could have reached out to Alvarez better, but Alvarez says Garcia had always been helpful. "I mean, you could cheer me up, and then I see other students doing way better," Alvarez says,"So then, I get nervous. I get stuck, and then _ ." He felt the situation was hopeless. "You talked to me like if I could do it, but inside me, I knew I couldn't." he tells Garcia,"I just didn't want you to think that I'm...stupid." Now, school is a life tool that Alvarez says he's missing--but his teacher isn't to blame. "Always, I just wanted you to know...you were a good teacher, and I always respected you." he tells Garcia,"Some teachers, I felt like they only wanted to teach a certain group of people. But you looked at me and you paid attention." "Maybe it didn't get me to graduate, but there're a lot of teachers, they don't take the time to take a look. And it was never your fault." Alvarez now works the night shift at a loading dock . He still hopes to get his degree one day. The passage mainly tells us that _ . <extra_id_0>a dropout complains about being treated badly <extra_id_1>a dropout plans to get his degree again <extra_id_2>a dropout shows respect for not graduating <extra_id_3>a dropout has thanks to his teacher not blame <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Right in front of the Minneapolis Central Library,a row of green bikes sits parked in a special stand.Each bike is designed with the logo"Nice Ride"--the name of the city's bike-share program. Nice Ride bikes are a lot like the library books that people come here to borrow.To rent a bike,you simply use your membership card at a Nice Ride bike station.Members can rent one of 1,200 bikes from 138 stations throughout Minnesota's largest city.People use the Nice Ride bikes to go to work,to go out on business,or just to enjoy the city's many bike paths. The rise of bike-share programs like Nice Ride is encouraging more people than ever to choose biking over driving.Rising gas prices and concerns about the environment have also gotten people to dust off their bike helmets, pump air into flat tires,and hit the road. Why ride? Not only is biking good exercise,but switching from a car to a bike also reduces the amount of pollution in the air.Carbon dioxide,a greenhouse gas linked to climate change,is one of the many polluting substances that come out of a car's tallpipe. Bike-share systems are found around the world in cities like London,Paris,Barcelona,and Melbourne,Australia.The largest program-with 70,000 bikes-is in Wuhan,China. To make roads friendlier to non-motorists,the U.S.Department of Transportation has invested more than a billion dollars in cycling and pedestrian projects in recent years.The money went toward building thousands of miles of on-street bike lanes and bike-and pedestrian-only passages called green ways. The author's purpose in writing this text is to _ . <extra_id_0>spread bike-share programs <extra_id_1>seek advice for Nice Ride <extra_id_2>compare Nice Ride with libraries <extra_id_3>introduce the public bike system <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>What is funny? The short answer is: Who knows? The joke that causes a burst of laughter from one listener might be met with a puzzled look from another. In general, you should avoid jokes at any business or social gathering where there are more than two people in your conversational group. If there are only two people -- and they consist of you and your best friend -- go ahead and tell it. Admittedly, a few people possess a perfect sense of timing, appropriateness, and joke delivery. You are probably not one of them. You might be quite funny and have many great jokes. But there's a place for jokes -- over dinner with family, hiking with friends, but business or social affairs with colleagues and acquaintances are not it. It takes a whole other level of joke-telling ability to put a joke into the more formal conversations. The best jokes come into the conversation so that by the time listeners realize a joke is in progress, the punchline that produces humour is being delivered -- to their surprise and delight. Jokes don't translate well when you're in a group with mixed backgrounds: those whose first language is not English, those who might not understand a special term or an "in" expression, young people who wouldn't catch a reference to some bit of culture familiar to older people -- and vice versa . Never joke about another person in the group -- about their name, habits, hometown, profession, appearance, or past. It's not a question of whether the joke is cheery or appropriate. No one enjoys being singled out this way. When you are the subject of the joke, the laughter doesn't feel good no matter how hard you try to tell yourself they're not laughing at you. Because that's what it feels like. What do you say if you realize your joke upset someone? Apologize as briefly and as sincerely as you can, and hope that someone changes the subject. Try saying: "I'm sorry. I should have known better" or "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." What do you do if people don't get your joke or don't appear to find it as funny as you do? First, do not retell it, only louder this time, hoping the point of the joke will be seen. Second, don't try to push people to get it. People do not like people whose jokes they don't understand. They feel stupid and need to blame someone. If you want to leave with the goodwill of your listeners, say something to make them feel less foolish. You could say: "I don't know why I tell jokes when I'm so poor at it." The world needs laughter, and good humour is a success wherever it goes, so this caveat about joke-telling is not meant to dampen high spirits or to advocate dull conversation. If you're a gifted story-teller and you know people love your jokes, go for it. We need your kind. The rest of us will save our jokes for family and close friends. According to the passage, it might be appropriate for you to tell a joke at a business or social gathering if _ . <extra_id_0>the joke is well chosen <extra_id_1>you have complete confidence in your listeners' sense of humor <extra_id_2>only you and your best friend are involved in the conversation <extra_id_3>the audience consists of your colleagues and acquaintances <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Will Nanfang University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen announce a new beginning for China's higher education reform? It's too early to answer. But its presence is challenging the Ministry of Education. Even without the approval of the ministry it seems that the school is determined to move forward and enroll 50 students, so-called child prodigies , to begin classes on March l, 2011.On graduating in 2015, these students will receive a diploma unauthorized by the Ministry of Education----unlike the students of their age from the state-run universities. The school is committed to modeling itself on Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, but if the government will not approve the school, the situation could cause a lot of trouble for those 50 students if they want to do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions. Other schools could turn their applications down for their unauthorized diplomas. The difficulties, however, have not frightened students and their parents away. On Dec.18, 2010 more than 1,000 students and their parents visited Nanfang University of Science and Technology for interviews. Private investment marks the school out from other higher learning institutions in the nation. Not a penny comes from the government. So the government will have no voice in how the school will be run. The Ministry of Education has published a comprehensive plan for education reform and development between 2011 and 2020.The goal is to make China's higher education internationally competitive. To accomplish this goal, the government should have the courage to let the educators who have big ideas try them out. The ministry should have applauded the independence. The school in Shenzhen has shown and encouraged more to do likewise. Education reform in China has reached a new and crucial stage. Nanfang University of Science and Technology has a long way to go to prove itself competitive rather than a diploma mill. Over 1,000 students and parents visited the school because _ . <extra_id_0>they believe that the school will have a bright future <extra_id_1>they believe the government is sure to approve the school <extra_id_2>the school models itself on Hong Kong University successfully <extra_id_3>they will never do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Mnrk Zuckerberg, born on May 14. 1984, is an American computer programmer and businessman. As a Harvard student. He created the online social website Facebook, a site popular among students worldwide, with fellow computer science major students and his roommates Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes. He serves as Facebook's CEO. He has been the subject of argument for the origins of his business and his wealth. Time Magazine added Zuckerherg as one of The World's Most Influential people 2008. Zuckerberg grew up in prefix = st1 /Dobbs Ferry,New York. Early on. Zuckerlrg enjoyed making computer programs, especially communication tools and games. He started programming when he was in middle school. While attending Phillips Exeter Academy in high school, he built a program to help the workers in his dad's office communicate and a version of the game Risk. He also built a music player named Synapse that can learn the user's listening habits. Microsoft and AOL tried to purchase Synapse and employ Zuckerberg, but instead he decided to attend HarvardUniversity. Zuckerberg started Facebook from his Harvard dorm room on February 4, 2004. it quickly became a success at Harvard and more than two-thirds of the school's studetts signed up in the first two weeks. It started off as just a "Havard-Thing," until Zuckerberg then decided to spread Facebook to other schools and enlisted the help of roommate Dustin Moskovitz. They first spread it to Stanford, Dartmouth, Columbia, Cornell and Yale, and then to other schools with social contacts with Harvard. By the beginning of the summer, Zuckerberg and Moskovitz had made Facebook available at almost forty-five schools and hundreds of thousands of people were using it. Which word can best describe Zuckerberg? <extra_id_0>Modest. <extra_id_1>Creative. <extra_id_2>Outgoing. <extra_id_3>Sensitive. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>As people in Beijing and northern China struggle with severe air pollution this winter,the toxic air is also making life hard for plants and even food crops of China. "in the last 50 years there has been a 1 6-fold increase in ozone pollution"in the Beijing area,said Hanqin Tian of Auburn University in Alabama,who studies the effects of China's pollution and climate change on plants. Ozone is particularly harmful to plants because it damages the pores on leaves,called stomata,which plants use to regulate how much water evaporates from the leaves.That,in turn,affectS how much water a plant must take up through its roots.Changes in water uptake by plants have been documented in other parts of the world,including the United States,as having major impacts on regional groundwater and surface water supplies. In studies of the long-term productivity of plants,Hanqin Tian and some of his colleagues show that ozone pollution,along with climate change,has been lowering plant productivity in China,which reduces the amount of carbon and other pollutants that the plants Can absorb to fight all the emissions from the burning offossil fuels. The worst effects on plants are likely to be in areas where the growing pollution problem is just fairly new, said Arthur Chappelka, also a plant researcher at Auburn University.Some plants are more resistant to pollutants than others,he said,and the plants that are living today in long-polluted urban areas are likely to be only those that are very pollution tolerant. Away from the cities, however, where crops are necded to feed China's yast population, the effeets of the growing pollution on crops is a significant concern. "In some ways it affects the crop production and food securiy of China,"said Hanqin Tian."Air quality is really important for human health, plants and ecosystem and sustainability." The problem is bound to get worse as China continues to develop economically, he said, and so he and other researchers continue to urge the Chinese government to take action to reduce emissions from cars and industries. ozone does harm to plants mainly by _ . <extra_id_0>exposing them to strong sunlight <extra_id_1>damaging the structure of their leaves <extra_id_2>adding more pores to the roots <extra_id_3>making the land unfit for the plants to grow <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Strong winds have the ability to uproot large trees in a wooded area. Which of these organisms would most likely benefit from this change in a habitat? <extra_id_0>a bee colony that needs a hive <extra_id_1>a bird that needs to build a nest <extra_id_2>a squirrel that needs to find shelter <extra_id_3>a plant that needs sunlight to grow <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Dickson Despommier, a public health professor at Columbia University in New York City developed an idea with his students nine years ago. They imagined people in cities growing crops inside a tall building. Tomatoes could grow on one floor of the skyscraper , potatoes on the next, small animals and fish on the floor above. This vertical farm, or "farmscraper", could have space for restaurants and other places that serve food, like schools or hospitals. They could serve foods that are truly locally grown. But why would anyone want to build a farm indoors in a city? Dickson Despommier believes it will become necessary. The world needs to find places to produce enough food to feed the growing population. Space, he says, is an all-important issue. The professor also points to the problems of traditional farms. They use a lot of freshwater. Their fertilizer and animal waste can pollute water resources. And their growing seasons can be limited. But inside the vertical farm, crops could grow all year. And there would be no wind to blow away soil. Farmers would not have to worry about too much or too little rain, or about hot summers, freezing winters or insects. And without insects there would be no need for chemicals to kill them. Farm machines that .use fossil fuels, like tractors, would not be needed either. And water could be recycled for drinking. "The vertical farm reuses everything, so there is no waste," says Professor Despommier. Even buildings could be saved. Old buildings could become new farms and provide jobs. The professor has been actively proposing the idea to cities as far away as Dubai and Canada. But so far it exists only in plans and drawings, and a model at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Critics say building a farmscraper would cost too much, especially considering the price of land in many cities. Dickson Despommier estimates the cost at about twenty to thirty million dollars. But he says the building would not have to be very tall. And his graduate students have found many empty lots and unused buildings in New York City that could provide space. According to the passage the purpose of proposing the idea of a farm scraper is to _ <extra_id_0>find places to produce enough food <extra_id_1>serve food that are truly locally grown <extra_id_2>prevent polluting the limited land <extra_id_3>save fresh water <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>They're WILD animals By Ernst-Ulrich Franzen March 11, 2010(3) Comments The story about the woman who lost some fingers while feeding a bear at a zoo in Manitowoc, after she ignored warnings and barriers , reminded me of the story I heard about a couple who put their baby on the back of a wild horse in South Dakota to get a really cute picture. We all do silly things at times -- no one is immune -- but treating wild animals as lovely pets has to fall into a special category. Teddy bears and Disney movies aren't actually representative of real bears. Comments (3) View Comments 3 Comments _ 1. TosaLeft - Mar 11, 2010 10:46AM Don't you think that maybe, just maybe some alcohol was involved? 2. tk421 - Mar 11, 2010 11:09 AM It was already approved that alcohol was involved. Stories that begin with a drunk person saying "Hey, I got an idea, watch this!" rarely end well. 3. Tristan Kloss - Mar 11, 2010 11:41 AM Alcohol certainly isn't involved when people decide to keep "pets" like chimpanzees, baby tigers, etc. Stupidity, definitely. Dogs are pets because of thousands of years of domestication. Even farm animals, which have been kept by humans for thousands of years as well, aren't let in the house. So why keep animals that treat human contact with, at best, indifference(, ) and, at worst, violence? In Ernst-Ulrich Franzen's opinion, the woman lost her fingers because _ . <extra_id_0>the zoo keepers didn't warn her of the danger <extra_id_1>she didn't know the bear was a wild animal <extra_id_2>she was somehow influenced by cartoon characters <extra_id_3>she climbed over the barriers and angered the bea <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Here is an examination notice. Mrs. Dickson gave it to her students last week. Read it and answer the questions. To the students of Class 3 *Examinations start on June 22 and end on June 23. *The time for each of the subjects is: English June 22 9:30 A.M.- 10:30 A.M. Math June 22 11:00 A.M.- 12:00 A.M. History June 22 2:30 P.M.- 3:30 P.M. PE June 23 8:00 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. Music June 23 1:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M. *For the PE test, go to the playground. For the music test, go to the Piano Room. All else are written tests. They will be held in classroom 3. *No student can get into the examination room more than 15 minutes after the exam starts. *No food or drink during ANY test. *No dictionaries during the English exam. *Wear sports shoes and clothes for the PE exam. If you have questions, go to the Teachers' Office before the tests. Who could not take the English exam? <extra_id_0>Nancy. She wore her sports shoes on June 22. <extra_id_1>Richard. He did not have breakfast before the exam. <extra_id_2>Wendy. She forgot to take an English dictionary with her. <extra_id_3>Tony. He went to school at 9:50 on the morning of June 22. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Japanese workers who run secretly out of the office and spend their afternoons hanging around coffee shops may soon be caught out by their bosses. A new cellphonebased tracking device from Hitachi can show, on an employer's computer screen, not only the whereabouts of their workers but also whether they are standing, walking, running--or have fallen over. The system, called Partout, was originally developed as a monitoring device for the families of people with dementia, who may wander off and need to be located. "It's estimated that the number of elderly people with symptoms of dementia will reach 1.5 million in Japan next year," says Hitachi's Keisaku Shibatani. But the high cost of the system--early prices are around PS27,000--has put it out of reach of most families. Indeed, companies with large sales forces and police departments who want to track officers on dangerous patrol duties are interested in the system. Partout uses a multifunction location sensing unit that tracks users through global positioning satellites. The user's body motion is determined by an accelerometer inside the sensing unit: no movement means the subject has stopped, slow movement means they are walking, fast movement means they are running, and strong and unexpectedly sudden movement means the user may have fallen. The date is relayed through the user's cell phone to computer, which displays their position on a map. Graphics record the motion or position of the subject's body. What would be the best title for the text? <extra_id_0>You Can Run, but You Can't Hide <extra_id_1>New Cell phones in Need <extra_id_2>The Future of Cell phones <extra_id_3>Modern Technology and Personal Secret <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Brazil has become one of the developing world's great successes at reducing population growth, but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard. Brazil's population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries. Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas and installment plans introduced in the 1970s. Both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world's biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil's most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities. "Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values-not many children, different attitudes towards life, women working," says Martine. "They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people aware of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package." What can you infer from the passage about many Third World countries ? <extra_id_0>They haven't attached much importance to birth control. <extra_id_1>They would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate. <extra_id_2>They haven't yet found an effective measure to control their population. <extra_id_3>They neglected the role of TV plays in family planning <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Jill ran upstairs as soon as she got home from school. Today she was a sad and angry girl. Her teacher had given her a lot of homework. Jill always thought homework wasn't fair. But she thought it was extra unfair today because she wanted to play with a new toy. The new toy was called Wiggle Giggle and Jill's friends said it was very fun. When Jill ran into her room, she jumped up on her bed. Frowning, she tried to think of a way to get her homework done very quickly. While she was thinking, she unwrapped a brownie and began to eat it. Brownies were her favorite snack and it made her feel a little better. Suddenly, Jill came up with a plan. She jumped down from the bed and stuffed the rest of the snack in her mouth. As she chewed, she opened her toy chest. Jill had to dig way down to the bottom, but she soon found what she was looking for: parts from a few broken toys. Things were looking up! Jill's plan was to build a robot to do her homework. Nothing would get in the way of her plan. It took her hours to finish it, but she was proud of her work. When it was done, she named the robot Mister Sparks. She told it, "Mister Sparks, do my homework!" Then Jill had to go eat dinner. After dinner, Jill spent the rest of the night playing Wiggle Giggle. It was so much fun! But Jill got some bad news before going to bed. Mister Sparks had not done any of the homework! Why was Jill sad after school? <extra_id_0>Her mom was angry at her <extra_id_1>She didn't eat dinner <extra_id_2>Her new toy wasn't fun to play with <extra_id_3>Her teacher had given her a lot of homework <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>In the human body the digestion of proteins takes place primarily in which two organs? <extra_id_0>Mouth and stomach <extra_id_1>Stomach and small intestine <extra_id_2>Liver and gall bladder <extra_id_3>Pancreas and large intestine <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Thirty years ago, the Earnshaw family lived at Wuthering Heights, with two teenaged children Hindley and Catherine. Mr. Earnshaw travels to Liverpool, where he adopts a homeless Gypsy boy, naming him "Heathcliff". Hindley finds himself robbed of his father's love and care and becomes bitterly jealous of the newcomer. However, Catherine grows very attached to him. Soon, the two children spend hours on the moors together and hate every moment apart. Because of the conflict , Hindley is eventually sent to college. However, he marries a woman named Frances and returns three years later, after Mr. Earnshaw dies. He becomes master of Wuthering Heights, making Heathcliff their servant instead of a family member. Months after Hindley's return, Heathcliff and Catherine travel to Thrushcross Grange to spy on the Linton family. However, they are found and try to escape. Catherine is caught by a dog, and then brought inside the Grange to have injuries tended to while Heathcliff is sent home. Catherine eventually returns to Wuthering Heights as a changed woman, looking and acting as a lady. She laughs at HeathcIiff's dirty appearance. When the Lintons visit the next day, Heathcliff dresses up to impress her. It fails, however, when Edgar, one of the Lintons' children, argues with him. Heathcliff is locked in the attic, where Catherine later tries to comfort him. He swears revenge on Hindley. In the summer of the next year, Frances gives birth to a son, Hareton, but she dies before the year is out. This leads Hindley to fall into a life of drunkenness and waste. Two years pass and Catherine has become close friends with Edgar, growing more distant from Heathcliff. One day in August, while Hindley is absent, Edgar comes to visit Catherine. Before long, they declare themselves lovers. Catherine explains to Nelly, her servant, that she does not really love Edgar but Heathcliff. Unfortunately, she could never marry Heathcliff because of his lack of status and education. She therefore plans to marry Edgar and use that position to help raise Heathcliff's status. Unfortunately, Heathcliff has overheard _ and runs away, disappearing without a trace. After three years, Edgar and Catherine are married. Six months after their marriage, Heathcliff returns as a gentleman, having grown stronger and richer. Catherine is delighted to see him although Edgar is not so keen. Edgar's sister, Isabella, now eighteen, falls in love with Heathcliff. He looks down upon her but encourages the adolescent love, seeing it as a chance for revenge on Edgar. When he embraces Isabella one day at the Grange, there is an argument with Edgar, which causes Catherine to lock herself in her room and fall ill. Heathcliff has been staying at the Heights, gambling with Hindley and teaching Hareton bad habits. Hindley is gradually losing his wealth, mortgaging the farmhouse to Heathcliff to repay his debts. While Catherine is ill, Heathcliff leaves with Isabella, causing Edgar to disown (......) his sister. The two marry and return two months later to Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff hears that Catherine is ill and arranges to visit her in secret. In the early hours of the day after their meeting, Catherine gives birth to her daughter, Cathy, and then dies. Hindley dies six months after Catherine. Heathcliff finds himself the master of Wuthering Heights and the guardian of Hareton. After Frances dies, Hindley _ . <extra_id_0>lives a disordered life <extra_id_1>locks Heathcliff in the attic <extra_id_2>argues with Heathcliff very often <extra_id_3>returns to Wuthering Heights as a changed man . <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, a famous scientist has warned.Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans , encourage instant satisfaction and make children more self-centered. Warnings from neuroscientist Susan Greenfield will disturb the millions whose social lives depend on surfing their favorite websites each day.But they will strike a chord with parents and teachers who complain that many teenagers lack the ability to communicate or concentrate away from their screens. More than 150 million use Facebook to keep in touch with friends, share photographs and videos and post regular updates of their movements and thoughts.A further six million have signed up to Twitter, the "micro-blogging" service that lets users exchange text messages about themselves.But while the sites are popular and extremely profitable, a growing number of psychologists and neuroscientists believe they may be doing more harm than good. Baroness Tarot, an Oxford University neuroscientist believes repeated exposure could rewire the brain.Computer games and fast-paced TV shows were also a factor, she said."My fear is that these technologies are weakening the brain to the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and live for the moment." "I often wonder whether real conversation in real time may eventually give way to these easier and faster screen dialogues, in much the same way as killing and butchering an animal to eat has been replaced by the convenience of packages on the supermarket shelf," she said. Psychologists have also argued that digital technology is changing the way we think.They point out that students no longer need to plan their term papers before starting to write--thanks to word processors they can edit as they go along. A study by the Broadcaster Audience Board found teenagers now spend seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen.Educational psychologist Jane Healy believes children should be kept away from computer games until they are seven.Most games only excite the "flight or fight" areas of the brain, rather than the areas responsible reasoning. Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, said: "We are seeing children's brain development damaged because they don't engage in the activity they have engaged in for thousands of years.I'm not against technology and computers.But before they start social networking, they need to learn to make real relationships with people." According to the passage, social networking websites might _ . <extra_id_0>make young users more selfish <extra_id_1>lengthen young users' attention span <extra_id_2>encourage young users constant satisfaction <extra_id_3>help young users communicate better with their families <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Bury trip--June 18th,2016 We will be leaving the Perse School at 13:45.Please be at the school gate 10minutes early.If you are late,you may miss the bus and not be able to go!If you miss the bus,you won't get your money back.The bus is planned to arrive in Bury at 14:30,although this depends on traffic.You will have free time to walk around and we will meet at the same location where we arrived at 17:15to return to the Perse School by about 18:00. Things to do Visit the Abbey The Abbey is the min of a church which was built more than 1,000years ago.There are many nice gardens in it.And next to the Abbey,there is a big new church. Have a drink in the Nutshell This little bar is famous in Britain because it is officially the smallest bar in the country.Good things are put in small bags,and the Nutshell serves some of the area's finest beer,as well as fascinating photos. Have a look at a beer shop At the Greene King shop you can taste and buy some of the local beer,as well as food such as potato chips.There are also clothes available to buy. Several places are listed,but feel free to plan your own visit. The Nutshell is famous in Britain because of its _ . <extra_id_0>small size <extra_id_1>good service <extra_id_2>best beer <extra_id_3>interesting photos <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Let children learn to judge their own work. A child learning to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time :if corrected too much, he will stop talking. He notices a thousand times a day the difference between the language he uses and the language those Around him use. Bit by bit .he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people's. In the same way, children learn to do all the other things: they should learn to do without being taught, such as to walk, run, climb, whistle, ride a bicycle--compare their own performances with those of more skilled people, and slowly make the needed changes. But in school we never give a child a chance to find out his mistakes and correct them for himself. We do it all for him. We act as if we thought that he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him, or correct it unless he was made to .Let him work out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says, what the answer is to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or not. If it is a matter of right answer, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such routine work? Our job should be to help the child when he tells us that he can't find the way to get the right answer .Let the children learn what all educated persons must some day learn ,how to measure their own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know. The passage suggests that learning to speak and learning to ride a bicycle are _ <extra_id_0>different from learning other skills <extra_id_1>the same as learning other skills <extra_id_2>more important than other skills <extra_id_3>not really important skills <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A man died and was on his way to another world, either heaven or hell . He saw an extremely grand palace half way and the owner of the palace asked him to stay and live in the palace. The man said, "I have been working hard during my life and now I just want to eat and sleep without any work." The owner of the palace said, "If so, there is nowhere else better than here for you. There is plenty of seafood and delicacies in my palace, and you can eat whatever you like without anyone stopping you. And nothing needs to be done by you." Then, the man settled down in the palace. At the beginning, the man felt very happy at the cycle of eating and sleeping. But gradually, he felt a bit lonely and void. So he went to the palace owner and said, "It is very bored to live by just eating and sleeping every day. Now I show no interest in this kind of life any more. Could you help me find a job?" The owner replied, "Sorry, there is no job here at all." After another several months, the man could not go on with the life and went to the palace owner again, "I really can not stand this kind of life any more. If you do not offer me a job, I would prefer to go to hell instead of living here." The owner of the palace smiled contemptuously , "Do you think it is heaven here? It is actually hell!" ,. (10) Where did the man think he was? <extra_id_0>In heaven. <extra_id_1>In hell. <extra_id_2>At his home. <extra_id_3>On the Earth. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Brief News Report Huiyin fire Huiyin Household Appliances Store on West Wenchang Road was damaged in a fire last night. The fire, which was discovered at about 11 o'clock, spread very quickly. Nobody was injured but tens of people had to be rescued from an upstairs room. A number of household appliances are believed to have been destroyed. It isn't known how the fire started. Road delays Repair work started yesterday on the Grand Canal Road. The road is being resurfaced and there will be long delays. Drivers are asked to choose another way if possible. The work is expected to last two weeks. Next Sunday the road will be closed and traffic will be diverted . Accident A woman was taken to hospital after her car collided with a truck near Jiangdu Hotel yesterday. She was allowed home later after treatment. The road was blocked for an hour after the accident and the traffic had to be diverted. A policeman said afterwards, "The woman was lucky. She could have been killed." As a result of the traffic accident yesterday, _ . <extra_id_0>the traffic had to be diverted <extra_id_1>the car was seriously damaged <extra_id_2>a lot of valuable things were broken <extra_id_3>a woman was too lucky to kill herself <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Five million people visit Grand Canyon in the US every year. For the purpose of helping project Grand Canyon for your fellow visitors and future generations, please follow the guidelines below. Camping To protect the park, camping is allowed only within permitted campgrounds. Permits are required for overnight camping at the North Rim. Advance booking can be received by mail. Please write: Information Center, P. O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 Fires Because of the extreme fire danger, campfires are not allowed except at Mather and Desert View campgrounds. Collection of firewood is not allowed either. Hiking Please stay on permitted paths. If you don't do so, you may destroy desert plants. _ , so you leave no signs of your visit. It is important to keep in mind that you are in a national park where wildlife exists. Weather The weather at Grand Canyon can change very quickly. With so much rock, lightning causes a particular danger during sudden summer storms. These storms also frequently bring floods inside valleys, a danger to hikers. Watch the skies and check daily weather reports. Wildlife Do not feed park wildlife. There have been a few cases at Grand Canyon National Park where deer were purposely shot because they ate plastic bags that left them sick and weak. Hungry deer can be a danger and have kicked and bitten visitors at Grand Canyon. Some other animals will also beg and bite. For your own safety and the well-being of the animals, please do not feed wildlife, no matter how gentle they may appear. What can you do first if you want to go camping? <extra_id_0>Know the permitted paths. <extra_id_1>Book campgrounds in advance. <extra_id_2>Make sure not to make a fire. <extra_id_3>Stop at Mather and Desert View. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Nature is full of color, from rainbows and roses to butterfly wings and peacock tails. Even the fruits and vegetables you eat have different colors: blue blueberries, red strawberries, green broccoli, and orange carrots. Plant and animals often use color to attract attention. The substances responsible for these colors belong to a class of chemical called antioxidants . Plants make antioxidant to protect themselves from the sun's ultraviolet(UV) light. Ultraviolet light causes chemicals called free radicals to form within plant cells. They can destroy parts of plant. Free radicals also have damaging effects on human beings. Some of these effects like wrinkled skin can be seen. The damage is caused by the free radicals attacking cells in our bodies. Certain cancers and heart disease are linked to free radicals. Our bodies have natural defences for fighting off free radicals. While we are young, our defences are pretty strong. However, they get weaker as we get older. The body's built-in defences can only go so far without extra help. The key to fighting free radicals with fruits and vegetables is to mix and match colors. It's like sunscreen for the inside of your body. Go for a range of very bright colors. Colorful foods contain hundreds of healthy chemicals not found anywhere else. Research into how chemicals in blueberries affect the brain's function in rats suggests that these chemicals may help our own brains work more efficiently. Don't just blame the sun. Ultraviolet light isn't the only source of free radicals. If you breathe polluted air such as smog, automobile exhaust , or wasted gas from a factory, you take in chemicals that also cause such damage. And, the body itself produces free radicals as it processes food. We need extra help for fighting off free radicals from fruits and vegetables because _ . <extra_id_0>our bodies' defences are not natural <extra_id_1>we are too young to defend ourselves <extra_id_2>our defences get weaker as we get older <extra_id_3>our bodies' built-in defences can only go away <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Please help! I live in Germany with my wife and three kids. My parents live in the UK. I want my kids to have as much contact with their grandparents as possible. The kids all use e-mail, Skype and SMS but my parents won't. I've bought them a laptop, paid for broadband, given them both mobile phones and a digital camera, but they won't use them. My parents say they hate computers and new technology. What can I do with these " _ "? Daniel, Buremburg, Germany Actually, the original technophobes were the Luddites, a group of cloth workers in 19thcentury Britain during the Industrial Revolution. The Luddite cloth workers, who traditionally made cloth by hand, were worried that machines were going to take away their jobs and way of life. These machines could make cloth much faster and cheaper than humans. In 1811 and 1812 the Luddites destroyed the machines that they hated so much, but the British government supported the factory owners. Many Luddites were arrested. Charlotte Bronte's novel Shirley will tell your parents all about it. Laura, Valencia, Spain Laura makes some interesting points, I think. Technophobes has been a common theme in science fiction. Frankenstein, one of the first science fiction, is a warning of what could happen if humans began to experiment with human life. Freda, Copenhagen, Denmark One thing you could try is to find hardware that is designed for older people to use. An example is the mobiles made by the US company, Jitterbug. Instead of icons and menus the Jitterbug phones ask users simple "yes/no" questions and have larger keypads. The company realized that there are potentially 100 million older users in the US alone. Graham, Patras, Greece Who has put forward a practical and useful suggestions? <extra_id_0>Laura. <extra_id_1>Freda. <extra_id_2>Daniel. <extra_id_3>Graham. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Look! There are thousands of people waiting to buy tickets home in the railway station. Each time when Spring Festival comes, buying tickets of train trip would be very hard. And things seem to be getting worse and worse, although we have greatly increased the mileage of railway network and speeded up trains. Why? It's because too many people want to go back home to spend Spring Festival with their family. Many people become angry with the Ministry of Railways. They wonder why it is hopeless for them to get the tickets from the railway station Instead, they sometimes can only buy them from ticket scalpers at much higher price. The Ministry of Railways estimated that about 188 million passengers would travel by train during the 40-day peak period surrounding the 2009 Spring Festival holiday. The number of travelers will be 8% higher than that of 2008. This problem even drew the President Hu Jintao's attention. He wrote a note to Liu Zhijun,Minister of the Ministry of Railways, asking him to take action to improve passenger convenience. Afterward, officials from the Ministry of Railways said they would try their best not to let any ticket-buyers spend Spring Festival at the railway station. How many people took the train trip during the peak period surrounding the 2008 Spring Festival holiday? <extra_id_0>About 203 million. <extra_id_1>About 188 million. <extra_id_2>About 180 million. <extra_id_3>About 174 million. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>One of the qualities that most people admire in others is the willingness to admit one's mistakes. It is extremely hard sometimes to say a simple thing like "I was wrong about that, "and it is even harder to say, "I was wrong, and you were right about that. " I had an experience recently with someone admitting to me that he had made a mistake fifteen years ago. He told me he had been the manager of a certain grocery store in the neighborhood where I grew up, and he asked me if I remembered the egg cartons . Then he related an incident and I began to remember clearly the incident he was describing. I was about eight years old at the time, and I had gone into the store with my mother to do the weekly grocery shopping. On that particular day, I must have found my way to the dairy food department where the incident took place. There must have been a special sale on eggs that day because there was an impressive display of eggs in dozen and half-dozen cartons. The cartons were stacked three or four feet high. I must have stopped in front of a display to admire the stacks. Just then a woman came by pushing her grocery cart and knocked off the stacks of cartons. For some reason, I decided it was up to me to put the display back together, so I went to work. The Manager heard the noise and came rushing over to see what had happened. When he appeared, I was on my knees inspecting (examining)some of the cartons to see if any of the eggs were broken, but to him it looked as though I was the criminal. He severely scolded me and wanted me to pay for any broken eggs. I protested my innocence and tried to explain, but it did no good. Even though I quickly forgot all about the incident, obviously the manager did not. Who was to blame for knocking off the stacks of cartons? <extra_id_0>The author. <extra_id_1>The manager. <extra_id_2>The woman. <extra_id_3>The author's mother. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>My mother got divorced when I was 5 and was left to raise me and my two younger brothers. She didn't have a formal education, so she had to work two full-time jobs to make ends meet. One day several years later, I was determined to help. I told the manager of the Don Carlos Motel in Nana Point that I was 15, so I could get a work permit to work as a maid. Since then, I've started to work alongside some of America's top leaders, written books, and achieved financial independence. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifices. But what if I was 15 years old today? Would I be able to accomplish the same things in this new, highly competitive world with so many global challenges? It seems hard work and sacrifices aren't enough anymore. Today, you need to be extremely adaptable. To progress in your career, it's not enough to know one thing well. As my friend Sean Harvey, product manager at Google put it when we were speaking to students, "Today, companies aren't hiring people for a specific position but rather people who are smart and flexible. The way you prove that is by showing you can do multiple things well." People need to take more risks to succeed now than ever. The combination of unemployment and slow wage growth means that we are not only at greater financial risk, but we have to take more risks to succeed. Luckily, the new Internet world of all-the-time connectedness means that anyone with a hot idea, product or service can create a business out of almost nothing. And success can be quick and big. But that success demands more "out of the box" thinking. And what about our kids? It makes me think a lot about the future that my 3-years-old daughter faces. But no matter what the future brings, I think the best message I'll give her is to believe in herself. Life won't get any easier, but the opportunities will come -- as they always have -- to those who work hard, adapt as they need to, and trust their abilities. Compared to the past, people who want to succeed now need _ . <extra_id_0>more time <extra_id_1>more money <extra_id_2>to work harder <extra_id_3>to be more creative <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Eye color in human beings is an <extra_id_0>instinct. <extra_id_1>acquired trait. <extra_id_2>inherited trait. <extra_id_3>environmentally influenced trait. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>An element with which property would be best to use in electrical wiring? <extra_id_0>insulator <extra_id_1>conductor <extra_id_2>malleable <extra_id_3>porous <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>April Fool's Day , was a day of laughing and jokes. This day is kept in many countries, not only in Britain and the USA. This is a day to play jokes and make people laugh. Nobody knows when was the beginning of this custom. Some people connect it with the end of winter and the return of spring which make people merry and ready to play jokes. In Scotland young people were sent for hen's teeth or bird's milk and everybody laughed when they could find such things. In the USA and Britain some people could place a sign on a person's back with the words "push me!" Children often tell a grown-up that his sock is torn or he has something black on his face, and then shout "April Fool!" There is also the old purse trick. A purse is left lying in the street, but when someone wants to take it, it is quickly pulled back by a string which the hidden joker holds in his hand. Or the purse may be filled with stones. Sometimes invitations are sent to people, asking them to come and visit somebody, but when they come they see that nobody expects them. Some people like to telephone to the zoo on the day and ask for Mr. Fish, Miss Fox or Mrs. Cat. All these jokes are very old but still they make people laugh. Many tricks are played on April Fool's day except _ . <extra_id_0>phoning the zoo <extra_id_1>placing a sign on someone's back <extra_id_2>playing cards <extra_id_3>leaving a purse in the street <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Dan Bebber is a senior research fellow at the University of Exeter in Britain. He says research has shown that wild plants and animals are moving toward Earth's North and South poles as the planet warms. Mr Bebber wanted to know if the same thing was happening with organisms that attack agricultural crops. He examined reports of first sightings of new insects and diseases around the world. The records came from CABI - the Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International. He says the group began collecting information from developing and industrialized countries years ago. Dan Bebber and his research team studied 612 different organisms - from viruses and bacteria to insects like beetles and butterflies. They found that since 1960, crop pests and diseases have been moving toward the poles at an average rate of about 3 kilometers each year. Mr Bebber says this puts the most productive farmland in the world in danger. "As new species of pests and diseases evolve and potentially the environment for them becomes more _ at higher latitudes, the pressure on the breadbaskets of the world is going to increase." Farmers face other threats. Invasive species passed through trade are also causing problems. Gene Kritsky is an Entomologist at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio. He specialises in the study of insects. He says climate change may improve conditions for some invasive species. "It means that species in other parts of the world that might do well in warmer temperatures can now do well in the breadbasket of America." Another Entomologist Christian Krupke of Purdue University says the effects of these changes will depend very much on the crop, the insect and the disease. But he says the research is a warning sign that people should care about climate change and do something about it. The purpose of Dan Bebber's research was to find _ . <extra_id_0>if farmland could be moved to colder places thanks to global warming <extra_id_1>if diseases and insects harmful to crops were going towards colder areas <extra_id_2>if organisms were moving to the north and south poles <extra_id_3>if the number of crop pests was increasing <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The state of Erehwon has a statute providing that an unsuccessful candidate in a primary election for a party's nomination for elected public office may not become a candidate for the same office at the following general election by nominating petition or by write-in votes. Sabel sought her party's nomination for governor in the May primary election. After losing in the primary, Sabel filed nominating petitions containing the requisite number of signatures to become a candidate for the office of governor in the following general election. The chief elections officer of Erehwon refused to certify Sabel's petitions solely because of the above statute. Sabel then filed suit in federal district court challenging the constitutionality of this Erehwon statute. As a matter of constitutional law, which of the following is the proper burden of persuasion in this suit? <extra_id_0>Sabel must demonstrate that the statute is not necessary to achieve a compelling state interest. <extra_id_1>Sabel must demonstrate that the statute is not rationally related to a legitimate state interest. <extra_id_2>The state must demonstrate that the statute is the least restrictive means of achieving a compelling state interest. <extra_id_3>The state must demonstrate that the statute is rationally related to a legitimate state interest. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Today I went to Sam's school in the UK. It was really different from my school in China. Girls wore grey skirts and white shirts, boys wore grey trousers, and everyone wore the school tie. Some of Sam's lessons were a bit strange for me. We were reading Shakespeare in the English lesson, and there were quite some old words like "thou" and "thee" to mean "you". In history we studied 20th Century China. It was strange hearing a foreign side of history--and hearing English people trying to say all our Chinese names! Classes were also a lot more relaxing than in China. Teachers were called "sir" or "miss", everyone shouted answers and raised their hands in classes. It was more like a _ than a class. A bell rang at the end of each lesson and everyone jumped up to go to the next class. At break we bought potato chips and cookies in the dining room. Lunch was later than in China at 1 o'clock. We had big plates of pie with carrots. For dessert there was hot sweet rice called rice pudding. It was good that I'd had an excellent lunch, because at Sam's school, Monday afternoons are taken up with sports. I played my first game of netball--a bit like basketball, but with some differences. Fortunately , I'd had a quick look in the rule book before I tried to join in the game. What's the best title for the passage? <extra_id_0>Relaxed classes in the UK <extra_id_1>Clothes, food and sports in a UK school <extra_id_2>Strange lessons in Sam's school <extra_id_3>A day in Sam's school <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Car Pollution Some cars do not run the way they should. Bad smoke from a car can get into the air. This bad smoke is called pollution. Pollution turns the air a gray color1. It is very dirty. It is not good for people to breathe this dirty air. To keep pollution down, the states tests cars every two years. This test checks to make sure the cars do not pollute the air. If a car does not pass the test, the owner cannot drive it the next year. Some car owners drive their cars even though they cannot pass the test. It is also very bad for the air. People want to find a way to get these cars off the road. So a state program was started that now seems to be helping. In this program the States buys cars that cannot pass the test or will help pay for repairs. This program has been helping people buy better cars or fix their old ones. It has also been helping to cut down on pollution. To meet the needs for the program, a car must be drivable and the owner must meet certain income restrictions . In order to get help from the program, a motorist must have a family income of no more than 185% of the national poverty guidelines . For a family of four, that would be no more than $32,653 each year. The state program that takes polluting cars off the road has just finished its first year, and people say it has been successful. For the past year, the state program has been buying cars that can't pass the test. Some car owners get as much as $1,000 for their old ones, while others receive as much as $500 for repairs. The cars bought by the States through the program are put out of use and sent to dismantlers . Cars get tested every two years to make sure _ . <extra_id_0>the owners can get some money <extra_id_1>they can get repaired on time <extra_id_2>they don't pollute the air <extra_id_3>the government can decide to buy them or not <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A healthy amount of sunshine may be the secret to staying young. British scientists have discovered. Vitamin D is produced naturally by the skin in response to(...) sunlight and may help to slow the ageing process and protect against heart disease, according to the study. Researchers from King's College London studied 2,160 women aged between 18 and 79, looking at their telomeres--- a biological marker of ageing found in DNA. As people get older, their telomeres get shorter and they become more susceptible to certain illnesses. But the study found women with high levels of vitamin D had comparatively longer telomeres--- a sign of being biologically younger and healthier. The study suggests vitamin D may help to slow down the ageing process of DNA, and therefore the ageing process as a whole. Lead researcher Dr Brent Richards said, "These results are exciting because they show for the first time that people who have higher levels of vitamin D may age more slowly than people with lower levels of vitamin D." This could help to explain how vitamin D has a protective effect on many ageing related diseases, such as heart disease and cancer." Professor Tim Spector, a co-author of the report, added, "Although it might sound absurd , it's possible that the same sunshine which may increase our risk of skin cancer may also have a healthy effect on the general ageing process." Vitamin D made by the action of sunlight on the skin accounts for 90 percent of the body's supply, but lower levels can also be got through food such as fish, eggs and breakfast cereals . Other studies have suggested the vitamin plays a key role in protecting against cancer and heart disease. A certain amount of sunshine helps people stay young because _ . <extra_id_0>people feel happy and energetic in the sun <extra_id_1>sunshine protects people against heart disease <extra_id_2>vitamin D makes one's skin look young and healthy <extra_id_3>vitamin D may help to slow the ageing process <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Rome had the Forum . London has Speaker's Corner. Now always-on-the-go New Yorkers have Liz and Bill. Liz and Bill, two college graduates in their early 20s, have spent a whole year trying to have thousands of people talk to them in subway stations and on busy street corners. And just talk. Using a 2-foot-tall sign that says, " Talk to Me," they attract conversationalists, who one evening included a mental patient, and men in business suits. They don't collect money. They don't push religion . So what's the point? " To see what happens," said Liz. " We simply enjoy life with open talk." Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, they decided to walk from New York City to Washington, a 270-mile trip. They found they loved talking to people along the way and wanted to continue talking with strangers after their return. " It started as a crazy idea." Liz said. " We were so curious about all the strangers walking by with their life stories. People will talk to us about anything: their job, their clothes, their childhood experiences, anything." Denise wanted to talk about an exam she was about to take. She had stopped by for the second time in two days, to let the two listeners know how it went. Marcia had led her husband to a serious disease. "That was very heavy on my mind." Marcia said. " To be able to talk about it to total strangers was very good," she explained. To celebrate a year of talking, the two held a get-together in a city park for all the people they had met over the past year. A few hundred people appeared, as well as some television cameramen and reporters. They may plan more parties or try to attract more people to join their informal talks. Some publishers have expressed interest in a book, something the two say they'll consider before making a decision. What they have been doing can be described as _ . <extra_id_0>pointless <extra_id_1>normal( ) <extra_id_2>crazy <extra_id_3>successful <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Inventions named after people Many new things are invented each year. Interestingly, some inventions are named after the people who invented them, making the inventions and inventors easier to be remembered. The bowler hat is named after London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler. The brothers received an order from Edward Coke, the younger brother of the 2ndEarl of Leicester. They were asked to design a hat for Coke's gamekeepers to protect _ heads from branches while on horseback. Later, the stylish hat became popular in Europe and the United States. Another invention that is named after its inventor is Braille, a writing system used by blind people. French educator Louis Braille developed a new system of reading and writing after learning the cryptography of French Captain Charles Barbier during the war. The captain had come up with a code of dots on paper that allowed soldiers to communicate in the dark. The diesel engine is also named after its inventor----German engineer Rudolf Diesel. After a few dangerous tests, he invented a new and more efficient engine in 1892 and the engine was later called the diesel engine. The engines were widely used in buses, trucks, trains and ships, and Rudolf Diesel became a millionaire. Who invented the bowler hat? <extra_id_0>Edward Coke. <extra_id_1>Thomas and William Bowler. <extra_id_2>The 2 ndEarl of Leicester. <extra_id_3>Edward Coke's gamekeepers. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Tom walked into a shop. It had a sign outside: " Second-hand clothes bought and sold. " He was carrying an old pair of trousers and asked the owner of the shop, " How much will you give me for these? " The owner looked at them and said " Two dollars. " " What? " Tom said, " I had guessed they were worth at least five dollars. " " No. " said the owner, " They weren't worth a cent more than two dollars." "Well," said Tom, taking two dollars out of his pocket. " Here is your money. These trousers were hanging outside your shop. The list price was six dollars and a half. But I thought that was too much money, so I wanted to find out how much they were really worth." Then he walked out of the shop with the pair of trousers and disappeared before the owner could think of anything to say. In fact, the trousers _ . <extra_id_0>were hanging inside the shop <extra_id_1>were stolen by Tom from the shop <extra_id_2>had been the shop owner's <extra_id_3>had been Tom's <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Group-buying in China Modeled after US hot website Groupon.com, group buying websites are now popular in China. These websites use the power of group buying to get competitive discounts for a daily deal on some best stuff to do, see, eat and buy in the cities across China. Discounts are available within just one click. Zhao lei, a software engineer in Beijing, loves the one-hour lunch break at noon, as it is the best time for him to check "today's special" at his favorite group buying websites . Sometimes he searches for great deals at directory sites devoted to the new shopping space. Zhao spends around 800 yuan ($117.65) on group buying every month, mostly to buy food coupons for eating at some nice restaurants and occasionally to find something fun to do. ''I love group buying. In addition to the competitive discounts it offers, it helps me get something fun, exciting and new, and such surprises give me a reason to try something new," he said. When he finds a really good bargain, he will send the link to friends or colleagues through MSN,QQ, or e-mail, or share the information at some social networking websites. In doing so, he often gets a certain cut off the price. At some sites, buyers are invited to leave notes about what they want to buy and the website will consider it if similar applications reach a certain number. That is how Zuo got her digital camera after waiting for two months. "It is cool. I want to buy a new digital camera for my trip to Switzerland this winter, but I never expected such cheap prices!"Zuo said. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? <extra_id_0>Zhao Lei has to spend about 800 yuan on group buying per month. <extra_id_1>Zhao Lei never surfs at other directory sites for group buying. <extra_id_2>Zhao Lei finds it easy to do group buying. <extra_id_3>Zhao Lei can't buy food coupons to eat at a nice restaurant. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>"Norton," Sheppard said, "I saw Rufus Johnson yesterday. Do you know what he was doing?" The child looked at him with a kind of half attention, his eyes forward but not yet engaged. They were a paler blue than his father's as if they might have faded like the shirt; one of them listed, almost imperceptibly , toward the outer rim. "He was in a path," Sheppard said, "and he had his hand in a garbage can. He was trying to get something to eat out of it." He paused to let this soak in. "He was hungry," he finished, and tried to pierce the child's conscience with his gaze. The boy picked up the piece of chocolate cake and began to bite it from one corner. "Norton," Sheppard said, "do you have any idea what it means to share?" A flicker of attention. "Some of it is yours," Norton said. "Some of it is his," Sheppard said heavily. It was hopeless. Almost any fault would have been preferable to selfishness--a violent temper, even a tendency to lie. The child turned the bottle of tomato sauce upside-down and began thumping sauce onto the cake. Sheppard's look of pain increased. "You are ten and Rufus Johnson is fourteen," he said. "Yet, I'm sure your shirts would fit Rufus." Rufus Johnson was a boy whom he had been trying to help at the reformatory for the past year. He had been released two months ago. "When he was in the reformatory, he looked pretty good, but when I saw him yesterday, he was skin and bones. He hasn't been eating cake with peanut butter on it for breakfast." The child paused. "It's not fresh," he said. "That's why I have to put stuff on it." Sheppard turned his face to the window at the end of the bar. The side lawn, green and even, sloped fifty feet or so down to a small suburban wood. When his wife was living, they had often eaten outside, even breakfast on the grass. He had never noticed then that the child was selfish. ks5u "Listen to me," he said, turning back to him, "look at me and listen." The boy looked at him. At least his eyes were forward. "I gave Rufus a key to the house when he left the reformatory---to show my confidence in him and so he would have a place he could come to and feel welcome any time. He didn't use it, but I think he'll use it now because he's seen me and he's hungry. And if he doesn't use it, I'm going out and find him and bring him here. I can't see a child eating out of garbage cans." The boy frowned. It was dawning upon him that something of his was threatened. Sheppard's mouth stretched in disgust. "Rufus's father died before he was born," he said. "His mother is in the state penitentiary . He was raised by his grandfather in a shack without water or electricity and the old man beat him every day. How would you like to belong to a family like that?" "I don't know" the child said lamely. "Well, you might think about it sometime," Sheppard said. Sheppard was City Recreational Director. On Saturday he worked at the reformatory as a counselor, receiving nothing for it but the satisfaction of knowing he was helping boys no one else cared about. Johnson was the most intelligent boy he had worked with. Norton turned what was left of the cake over as if he no longer wanted it. "You started that, now finish it," Sheppard said. "Maybe he won't come," the child said and his eyes brightened slightly. What is the point of this conversation between father and son? <extra_id_0>The father intends to make his son accept the idea that Rufus may stay in their house. <extra_id_1>The father wants his son to learn from Rufus. <extra_id_2>The father wants to look after Rufus because he is skin and bones now. <extra_id_3>The father intends to give his son a lesson because he seems to be spoilt. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Music comes in many forms;most countries have a style of their own. Poland has its folks. Hungary has its czardas. Argentina is famous for the tango. The U.S.A.is known for jazz,the type of music that has gained worldwide popularity. Jazz is an American contribution to popular music. While classical music follows formal European tradition,jazz is rather a free form. It is full of energy,expressing the moods,interests,and emotions of the people. It is breaking and exciting with a modern sound. In the 1920s jazz sounded like America. And so it does today. The origins of the music are as interesting as the music itself. Jazz was invented by American Negroes,or blacks,as they are called today,who were brought to the southern states as slaves. They were sold to farm owners and forced to work long hours in the cotton and tobacco fields. This work was hard and life was short. When a Negro died his friends and s would gather and carry the body to have a ceremony before they buried him. There was always a band with them. On the way to the ceremony the band played slowly,solemn music suitable for the situation. But on the way home the mood changed. Spirits lifted. Everyone was happy. Death had removed one of their members,but the living were glad to be alive. The band played happy music. This music made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of jazz. Music has always been important in Negro life. The black,who were brought to American from West Africa,had a rich musical tradition. In the fields,they made up work songs. Singing made the hard work go faster. And when they got to Christianity,they made lovely spirituals,which have become an everlasting part of American music. From the passage,we can see that jazz _ . <extra_id_0>is a kind of African music <extra_id_1>started from Africa but is popular in America <extra_id_2>was started by blacks working in Africa <extra_id_3>was started by blacks in America <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Want to save money when traveling by train? Here are some ways. Day Returns This ticket can save you up to 45% on the standard fare. You have to travel after the rush hour period Mon.--Fri . but can travel at any time on Sat. or Sun. Big City Savers These are special low-priced tickets on certain trains. You have to book in advance--at the latest by 16:00 the day before you travel. It's first come, first served. Weekend Returns Weekend Returns are available for most journeys over 60 miles. Go on Fri. Sat. or Sun, and return the same weekend on Sat. or Sun, and save up to 35% on the standard fare. Monthly Returns These are available for most journeys over 65 miles. Go any day and return within a month. Monthly returns save up to 25% on the standard fare. Family Railcard For PS20 this railcard allows you to take a second adult and up to 4 children for only PS3 each when you buy single or return tickets. You can travel as often as you like until the card becomes out of date. How many ways does the author give us to save money when traveling by train? <extra_id_0>Six <extra_id_1>Five <extra_id_2>Four <extra_id_3>Three <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The term "multitasking" originally referred to a computer's ability to carry out several tasks at one time. For many people, multitasking has become a way of life and even a key to success. In fact, some excellent mental aerobic exercises involve engaging the brain in two or more challenging activities at a time. Although checking e-mail while talking on a phone and reading the newspaper may be second nature for some people, many times multitasking can make us less productive, rather than more. And studies show that too much multitasking can lead to increased stress, anxiety and memory loss. In order to multitask, the brain uses an area known as the prefrontal cortex . Brain scans of volunteers performing multiple tasks together show that as they shift from task to task, this front part of the brain actually takes a moment of rest between tasks. You may have experienced a prefrontal cortex "moment of rest" yourself if you've ever dialed a phone number and suddenly forgotten who you dialed when the line is answered. What probably occurred is that between the dialing and the answering, your mind shifted to anther thought or task, and then took that "moment" to come back. Research has also shown that for many volunteers, job efficiency declines while multitasking, as compared to when they perform only one task at a time. Multitasking is easiest when at least one of the tasks is habitual, or requires little thought. Most people don't find it difficult to eat and read the newspaper at the same time. However, when two or more attention-requiring tasks are attempted at one time, people sometimes make mistakes. We often don't remember things as well when we're trying to manage several details at the same time. Without mental focus, we may not pay enough attention to new information coming in, so it never makes it into our memory stores. That is one of the main reasons we forget people's names--even sometimes right after they have introduced themselves. Multitasking can also affect our relationships. If someone checks their e-mail while on the phone with a friend, they may come off as absent-minded or disinterested. It can also cause that person to miss or overlook key information being passed on to them. What is the main idea of the passage? <extra_id_0>Multitasking has become a way of life. <extra_id_1>Multitasking exercises need to be improved. <extra_id_2>Multitasking often leads to efficiency decline. <extra_id_3>Multitasking enables people to remember things better. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The first field season is now over at the hut village of the workmen who built the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. However, the archaeologists working on the excavation have found that they still have a great deal to do. The sun, the wind and tourists have left their mark on the village, originally discovered by Bernard Bruyere in 1935. "From our modern perspective, it is upsetting to see how the village was first excavated and then left to be destroyed. Passers-by have used the huts as rubbish dumps and restrooms," says Jaana Toivari-Viitala, a teacher at the University of Helsinki. "Fortunately, while we still have some surface cleaning to do, conservation are off to a good start." The hut village offers rare insight into everyday life in ancient Egypt. "In the early twentieth century, archaeologists were only interested in the tombs of kings. The workmen's huts they discovered were seen as a necessary evil in the quest for the real treasures." "Now several international research groups on different excavations are examining everyday life and work in the Valley of the Kings. This seems to be a trend in archaeology right now," Toivari-Viitala says. Her research group wants to find out why the hut village was built on the slope of a mountain, halfway between the construction site and Deir-el-Medina. They are also interested in how many workers lived in the village at a time, when they lived there, and what their role was in the construction work. "Comparing the names found in the village and in Deir-el-Medina provides useful information. Judging from the construction methods, settlement in the village can be divided into two separate periods: the initial settlement and a later one." For the time being, much is up to guessing, but Toivari-Viitala believes that the coming four field seasons, three months each, will see results. "The working conditions are not nearly as difficult as I thought they would be. The cool winds in the mountains nicely _ the heat." The research group working on the "Workmen's huts in the Theban mountains" project is planning to return to the Valley of the Kings in October. We can infer from the passage that _ . <extra_id_0>people know little about the hut village by now <extra_id_1>the workmen's huts were not discovered until very recently. <extra_id_2>the research group working on the "Workmen's huts will suffer a lot <extra_id_3>the hut village is much more valued by archaeologists than the tombs <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Hello!This Chinese boy is Li Lei. He's 12. He's in No.3 Middle School. He's in Class 2,Grade 1. His good friend is Jack. He's an English boy. He's in Li Lei's school. He's in Class1.Grade2. Mrs Read is an English teacher in their school.She's an English woman. Jack an Li Lei has a secret ----Jack is their English teacher's son. Is Jack Mrs Read's son? <extra_id_0>Yes, he is. <extra_id_1>No, he isn't. <extra_id_2>Yes, he isn't. <extra_id_3>No, he is. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>MIANYANG--At a corner of the city's Jiuzhou Stadium, one of the biggest camps set up for those left homeless in the earthquake, 62-year-old Liu Yaorong was leaning against a window on Thursday. Pointing to a quilt and clothes he received from the local government, he said: "These are all I have. My home collapsed in the quake, and everything in the town was flooded." He used to live in Xuanping town of Beichuan county which was destroyed by the quake. Adding to his _ , rivers blocked by landslides led to flooding in the town. But Liu said he was lucky because he was healthy, otherwise he would not have the energy to walk 10 hours on damaged and dangerous mountainous roads to escape the flood on Monday. He said the trip used to take him about 90 minutes when the roads were in good condition. The journey was difficult and "rocks kept falling," he said, showing injured legs and black, split toenails. Liu said his three sons were working in eastern cities as migrant workers. "I've been living alone in the mountains for more than 20 years. My wife died 30 years ago," he said in a low voice. During his journey to Mianyang, Liu said he saw many elderly people who chose to stay. "Soldiers were persuading them to leave for fear of floods," he said. Talking about his home before the quake struck, Liu's mood lifted. "I raised pigs and chickens, and grew vegetables. I could have rice, meat and greens almost every day," he said. "But now, I have only biscuits and instant noodles." Liu said one of his sons returned home from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, after the quake, but left because the father refused to go with him. "I don't want to leave home. And I know it is difficult for them out there. How could I add to their burden?" he asked, his eyes red. "I still want to go back to my home. Given a small piece of land, I could live by myself." It is learnt that resettlement plans for displaced people have not been finalized. However, not every elderly person is as strong-willed as Liu. Psychologists said the elderly need as much comfort as children. Lu Jianguo, a psychologist from Chengdu Medical College, said "We will first let them cry and tell their stories, and then help them regain confidence." Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? <extra_id_0>Liu Yaorong spent 8.5 hours more than usual covering the roads in escaping the flood. <extra_id_1>The flood was followed by an earthquake in Xuanping in the same day. <extra_id_2>Liu Yaorong was in time to escape the quake without being hurt. <extra_id_3>Being healthy, Liu Yaorong was the only old man to escape the flood. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Mrs. Smith is Jim's mother. She loves her family very much. She goes to the store every day. She often buys food, fruit and clothes for Jim and her husband . Now many clothes are on sale at Renmin Clothes Store. They are very cheap. Mrs. Smith comes to the store and she wants to buy some clothes for her family. There they have sweaters in all colors for Y=15 each and sports shoes for only Y=28. Mrs Smith likes the red sweater and she buys one for herself. She buys a pair of sports shoes for her son. The great T-shirts in the store are just Y=18! She buys a white one for Mr Smith. And that's not all. The socks, in all colors, are Y=2 each. She buys the socks in many colors for her family. She is really a Rood mother and a good wife Mrs Smith likes the _ <extra_id_0>red sweater <extra_id_1>blue T-shirt <extra_id_2>green sweater <extra_id_3>red hat <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Difference John and Bobby joined a company at the same time . They both worked very hard . After several years , Bobby became the manager , but John thought it was unfair , so he gave his resignation to the boss . When the boss found out the reason why John wanted to leave , he said , "I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave . " John agreed . The boss asked him to find out if anyone was selling watermelons at the market . John went and soon returned . He said he had found a man selling watermelons . The boss asked him how much they were . John shook his head and went back to the market . When he returned , he told the boss they were $ 1.2 per kg . Then the boss asked Bobby to find a watermelon seller at the market . Bobby went , returned and said , "Only one person is selling watermelons . $ 1.2 per kg , 340 melons in all , and each melon weighs about 2 kg . They are fresh . " John realized the difference between himself and Bobby . He decided not to leave but to learn from Bobby. What's the difference between John and Bobby ? <extra_id_0>John is foolish , but Bobby is clever . <extra_id_1>Bobby knows that market better than John . <extra_id_2>Bobby is clever knows how to work better . <extra_id_3>John is lazy , he doesn't like working . <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The first time I saw Carlos I would never have believed he was going to change my life.I had my arms full of books and I was rushing into the classroom when 1 ran into something solid. It was Carlos. "My... you're tall," he said. The whole class burst out laughing . "Take that seat," Mr. McCarthy told the cocky newcomer Carlos,pointing to the only empty one , in the back of the room. Carlos laughed widely. "But I need a couple of dictionaries." The bell rang for classes. As I stood up to go, I saw Carlos coming toward me. "I'm sorry I embarrassed you," he said . I looked straight ahead over the top of his black hair. "That's all right." "I ought to know better." He was still blocking my way. "What's your name?" "Karen Forbes." He held out his hand. Unwillingly, I shook hands with him. He looked up at me seriously with his brown eyes. " I am Carlos . I don't see why you're so _ " It was the school elections that made me think of Carlos again. Carlos was voted vice-president."How come ?"I kept asking myself, "How come this shrimp who's only been in town for a little over a month gets to be so popular?" So on that morning,I stopped Carlos and said,"It doesn't seem to bother you -- being short." He looked up at me, "Of course I mind being short.But there isn't anything I can do about it. When I realized I was going to have to spend my life in this undersized skin, I just decided to make the best of it and concentrate on being myself." "You seem to get along great," I admitted, "But what about me? The trouble with you is you're afraid to be yourself. You're smart. And you could be pretty. In fact, you might be more than pretty." I felt myself turning red... From the text, we can see Carlos is _ . <extra_id_0>handsome and proud <extra_id_1>humorous and confident <extra_id_2>diligent but shy <extra_id_3>honest but sensitive <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Hi, my name's Alan. I'm fourteen years old. I go to Canyon Middle School in America. I go to school on weekdays, but not on Saturday or Sunday. I usually have breakfast at eight o'clock. I enjoy some bread and milk for breakfast. My class starts at ten to nine. My friend Lisa sits in front of me, and my friend Peter sits next to me. We have three lessons in the morning, and we usually have English, maths in the morning. In the afternoon, we usually have a PE lesson and we often play basketball. That's my favourite. I don't like history or geography because they are difficult. After school, I usually go back home at once. In the evening, I enjoy watching TV. Which of the following is TRUE? <extra_id_0>Alan usually spends six days at school. <extra_id_1>Lisa, Peter and Alan are studying in the same class. <extra_id_2>Alan likes art best, but he doesn't like history. <extra_id_3>Alan watches TV in the evening every day. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The United States has many different kinds of climate .On the west coast ,the temperature changes very little between summer and winter,but the north central states have a very different kind of climate.In these states,people wear light clothes during the summer,and they need heavy wool or fur clothes in winter. In the southwest,the climate is quite warm during the winter,but hot in summer. In the eastern part of the United States,summer temperatures are very different from winter temperatures.Summers are usually hot,and winters are usually cold.Spring temperatures are comfortably warm,and autumn temperatures are quite cool. Years ago,people in the cold areas of the United States did not often get vegetables and fresh fruits during the winter.Today trucks and trains carry fruits and vegetables very quickly to all parts of the United States.In this way,Americans"send their climate"to people in other states. The best title of the passage should be _ . <extra_id_0>The Climate of the United States <extra_id_1>Vegetables and Fruits <extra_id_2>The Climate and Fruits <extra_id_3>The United States <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Congress enacts a statute punishing "each and every conspiracy entered into by any two or more persons for the purpose of denying persons housing, employment, or education, solely because of their race." Under which of the following constitutional provisions is the authority of Congress to pass such a statute most clearly and easily justifiable? <extra_id_0>The obligation of contracts clause. <extra_id_1>The general welfare clause of Article I, §8. <extra_id_2>The Thirteenth Amendment. <extra_id_3>The Fourteenth Amendment <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Which is the most basic unit of living things? <extra_id_0>Cells <extra_id_1>Bones <extra_id_2>Tissues <extra_id_3>Organs <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Karl Fleming joined the military because he needed a change in his life. He had a successful career with a shipping company but he wanted to do something more. He found that something in the U.S. army. Fleming began his service in 2009 and never looked back. A few years later, Fleming volunteered to go to Afghanistan. There, he worked as a bodyguard for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He enjoyed it, except for the almost-nightly rocket attacks. Karl was never hit directly by a rocket, but he didn't need to be to feel its effects. The rockets caused severe shaking, shaking so bad that Fleming was left with many injuries. He was also diagnosed with concussions and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD). Fleming said he was down but not out. Once he returned from Afghanistan, Fleming underwent one test after another. At first, Fleming said he thought he could recover or be able to return to duty and realize his dream of becoming an officer. But then came the news he had never imagined: Fleming would never be an officer because he was too injured to continue. Fleming said he was depressed after learning his military career was over. Add that to the memory loss, extreme anxiety and the many painful medical procedures he was already experiencing. He rarely ventured outside on the weekend. Instead, he preferred to sleep in. All that changed, however, with Fleming's service dog, Kuchar. Fleming said he had heard dogs could help people suffering from PTSD, so he started doing research. Karl eventually selected K9s for Warriors, which is where he met Kuchar, a yellow lab. Fleming and Kuchar trained together for weeks, before returning to Fort Benning. K9s for Warriors provided Fleming with Kuchar and the training for free. Life with Kuchar has been life-changing. Fleming doesn't sleep in any more because Kuchar won't let him. Instead, they venture out into a world Karl was once afraid of -- a world for Fleming that now seems impossible to imagine without Kuchar by his side. Fleming suffered from the following illnesses except _ . <extra_id_0>concussions <extra_id_1>PTSD <extra_id_2>memory loss <extra_id_3>a heart attack <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The computer is fast, and never makes a mistake, while people are too slow, and full of mistakes sometimes. That's what people often say when they talk about computers. For over a quarter of a century, scientists have been making better and better computers. Now a computer can do a lot of everyday jobs wonderfully. It is widely used in factories, hospitals, post offices and airports. A computer can report, decide and control in almost every field. Many computer scientists are now thinking of making the computer "think" like a man. With the help of a person, a computer can draw pictures, write music, talk with people, play chess, recognize voices, translate languages and so on. Perhaps computers will one day really think and feel. Do you think the people will be afraid when they find that the computer is too clever to listen to and serve the people? Which of the following can computers not do now? <extra_id_0>Draw pictures. <extra_id_1>Talk. <extra_id_2>Invent new things. <extra_id_3>Serve the people. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Bissel is a small village of the West Sahara. It lies next to a l.5-square-kilometer oasis , from where three days and nights are generally required to go out of the desert. However, before Ken Levin discovered it in 1926, none of the Bissel villagers had ever walked out of the desert. Reportedly, they were not unwilling to leave this barren land. Many had previously tried but failed, always somehow finding themselves back at the oasis after several days of trying to walk out. When interviewed by Ken Levin, an expert at the British Royal College of Sciences, the villagers explained that no matter which direction they walked it always brought them back to the village.Why couldn't the Bissel villagers walk out of the desert? Levin was very puzzled. He had, by himself, managed to walk north from the village and reach the nearest town in three and a half days. He decided to carry out an experiment to solve the mystery. He and a Bissel villager called Argutel, would walk out of the desert together. They prepared enough water for a half-a-month journey and two camels. But this time Ken Levin didn't bring his compass. Levin would follow Argutel. Ten days later, they had walked for about 500 miles but were still in the desert. On the 11th morning, an oasis came into their view. They were back at Bissel. Levin now understood why the Bissel people couldn't escape the desert. They had no knowledge of the North Star, which had for centuries provided sailors and other travelers with a point of direction. In the desert, if a person goes forward relying only on their senses, they will not be able to travel in a straight line. Rather they will travel in a very large circle and eventually track back to where they began. Levin explained to Argutel the function of the North Star and said, "As long as you rest in the daytime and walk towards the brightest star at night, you would be able to walk out of the desert." Argutel did as he was told. Three days later, he came to the edge of the desert. Now in the West Sahara, Bissel has become a bright pearl, where tens of thousands of tourists come every year. Argutel's bronze statue stands in the center of the town. On its base are the words: _ . Ken Levin asked Argutel to walk to the north in order to _ . <extra_id_0>prove that people could walk out of the desert see <extra_id_1>how far away Bissel was to the edge of the desert <extra_id_2>tell people not to walk in circles <extra_id_3>show Argutel was a great person <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>In 1886 explorer Robert Peary traveled to Greenland for the U.S. Navy. Before his journey, no one knew Greenland's size or shape. On Peary's first trips, he explored Greenland, mapping parts of it. When Peary returned to the United States, he went to a businessman to sell some furs. There he met Matthew Henson, an African American mechanic, builder and navigator. When Peary went to Nicaragua on a Navy mission ,Henson went with him. When that job was over, the two headed to the Arctic. Henson and Peary set sail for Greenland. When they landed, Henson built a house for their base camp. Peary and his men set out to explore the land by dog sledge . Henson was injured and had to stay at the base. While there, he made friends with the Inuit, the native people. In 1895 Henson, Peary and Hugh Lee went out on another dog sledge journey. This time, they found Greenland's northernmost point. They now knew that the North Pole lay under the frozen Arctic Ocean. Peary had hoped to cross the ice. but the group ran out of food and returned to base camp. In the years that followed, Peary and Henson tried several times to reach the North Pole, but each time they failed. On one trip, Peary's feet froze, and he lost his toes . Peary and Henson planned last trip when Peary was 53 years old. They started across the sea ice from Ellesmere Island, which is located north of Canada. The temperature dropped as low as--51 degrees Celsius. The explores' cheeks froze , and they suffered snow blindness from the sun's glare. They experienced high winds and storms, and they also faced a hidden danger. Under the frozen ocean were powerful currents . The ice moved and broke apart leaving open water, called leads. Twice Peary fell into leads. But eventually he and Henson became the first persons to reach the North Pole. What did Peary and Henson find in 1895? <extra_id_0>Greenland is near the Artic Ocean. <extra_id_1>Ellesmere Island is located north of Canada. <extra_id_2>The North Pole is located in the Artic Ocean. <extra_id_3>Greenland's northernmost point is the North Pole. <extra_id_4>
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