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<extra_id_5>Afraid that her son would be too tired, Ms. Wendy would sometimes tell the boy to skip school, but each time, Fabian would insist on going to school. "I don't like _ because when I return to school, I don't know what's going on," the 12-year-old boy explained. He suffers for SMA-a neuromuscular disease that leads to weakness in muscles-and gets around in a wheelchair. Fabian's determination to excel in his studies was evident when he was disappointed that he got a total score of 236 yesterday in his Primary School Leaving Examination. He was hoping for a score of at least 240, but his mother was full of pride. "I am happy with his results. He's very motivated," said Ms. Wendy. When Fabian was two months old, he was diagnosed with SMA. Ms. Wendy, who used to go to other homes to teach piano lessons, started teaching lessons at home so she could take care of her son. Fabian proved to be a fighter. Ms. Wendy said, " He would study every day on his own even though he was weak and his spine was already starting to curve quite badly." Fabian is also active in the Singapore Disability Sports Council, where he plays boccia , a ball sport for those who require a wheelchair due to physical disability. At just 133cm tall and weighing 14kg, he knows that he will have to rely on others all his life. "I'm afraid that when my parents grow older, they will not be able to carry me and that there will be nobody to carry me," said Fabian. "But for now, I feel lucky that I get to go out and do a lot of things that I thought I couldn't." His dreams aren't lofty either-all he want to be able to do is work and provide for his parents. "I just want to study hard so that I can be a businessman, like my dad." He is planning to apply to study at Victoria School. Which words can best describe Fabian? <extra_id_0>Sensitive and weak. <extra_id_1>Active and optimistic. <extra_id_2>Clever and strong. <extra_id_3>Stressed and concerned. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Mrs. Smith is Jim's mother. She loves her family very much. She often buys food, fruit and clothes for Jim and his father. Now many clothes are on sale at good prices. Mrs. Smith comes to the store and she wants to buy some clothes. It has sweaters in all colors for Y=15 each and sports shoes for only Y=28. Mrs. Smith likes the red sweater and she buys one for herself. She buys a pair of sports shoes for her son. The T-shirts in the store are just Y=18! She buys a white one for Mr. Smith. And that's not all. The socks, in all colors, are Y=2 each. She buys five pairs. Mrs. Smith often buys _ for her family? <extra_id_0>books and food <extra_id_1>fruit, coffee and shoes <extra_id_2>food, fruit and clothes <extra_id_3>tea and school things <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A human can, merely by pushing on it, cause a visible alteration in the shape of a <extra_id_0>manly sculpture <extra_id_1>inhumanly tall building <extra_id_2>plastic dinner container <extra_id_3>standard burning sun <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>In the book The Best Little Girl in the World, Kessa has a serious eating disorder called anorexia nervosa. But she is not alone. Many people have this eating disorder. In the beginning of her story, Kessa is a normal 15-year-old. She is good at many things, especially dancing. She has danced for many years and loves it. One day her dance teacher tells her to continue eating right, but maybe lose a few pounds. Once Kessa hears this, she takes things too far. Instead of cutting down on snacks and junk food, she decides not to eat at all. She does not eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner. She begins losing weight and becomes slimmer and slimmer. But she loses weight to a point where she is unhealthy. As her poor eating habits continue, her parents start getting as much help as possible to cure their beautiful daughter. But it is just as hard for Kessa's parents to deal with her disorder as it is for her. Everyday she exercises to lose more pounds and plans what and when she will eat. Her parents try everything, but Kessa decides not to have any fat on her body. Kessa's doctor and parents finally take her to the hospital. She is now so thin that she can hardly walk. There, she is given good care. In the rest of the book, Kessa goes through a lot of trouble in order to cure her eating disorder. This book, I think, can help to prevent people from doing this to themselves. It shows the trouble that people go through just to be slimmer, and all the terrible things they must experience to be cured. It is a book I think every teenager should read. What do we know about Kessa's eating disorder? <extra_id_0>It is caused by her dance teacher. <extra_id_1>It makes her suffer a lot. <extra_id_2>It's too serious to be cured. <extra_id_3>It's an unusual illness. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Tom saw an advertisement in a newspaper for a beautiful bicycle. It cost 55 pounds. So he went to the shop and asked to see one of the wonderful bicycles. The owner of the shop was harpy to show one to Tom. Tom examined it carefully, and turned to the owner and said, "There isn't a lamp on this bicycle. hut there was one on the bicycle in your advertisement." "Yes, Sir, "answered the man." But the lamp isn't included in the price of bicycle." "Not included in the price of bicycle?" Tom said angrily. "But that's not honest. If the lamp is in the advertisement, it should be included in the price.""Well, Sir," answered the shop owner coldly. "There is also a girl on the bicycle in the advertisement. but we cannot give you a girl with the bicycle, either." After he read the advertisement, Tom decided to _ . <extra_id_0>see and buy the lamp <extra_id_1>examine the bicycle <extra_id_2>see and buy the bike <extra_id_3>ask the shop owner <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Reptiles become more active as the day gets warmer. This is because <extra_id_0>they have scaly skin. <extra_id_1>they have slimy skin. <extra_id_2>their body temperature stays at a constant level. <extra_id_3>their body temperature changes with the environment. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>If things are deposited consistently in dark, cavernous area, then a thing that could develop is <extra_id_0>apple juice <extra_id_1>a stalactite <extra_id_2>road rash <extra_id_3>blue jeans <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>In the city of Chicago I met a man I will never forget. He drove a bus that ran from downtown to the edge of the city. Each night I watched him. As the passengers got on the bus, he smiled at each one. It was fun to see how many passengers forgot their troubles and smiled back. There was one passenger, I noticed, that had never smiled back. He usually coughed roughly through his mustache as he got on the bus. And he never covered his mouth. But that wasn't enough to stop the bus driver's smile. He gave the man with the mustache and the rough cough his biggest smile. The man with the mustache never seemed to see that smile. He would sit on the edge of his seat and complained about the way that the bus driver was driving. He only complained for a short time, but he spoke loudly enough so everybody could hear. It was enough to make me sick. But the driver never said a word. He just went on smiling at passengers as they got on the bus. I wanted to get to know this bus driver better. One night I stayed on the bus to the end of the line. I asked the driver, "Why don't you throw that man with the mustache out of the bus?" The bus driver looked at me and gave me one of his famous smiles. "I don't care about that," he said. "Let me tell you about my friend's dog. The man next door to me has a dog. Every time the moon shines, the dog barks and barks all night." "Well, what about the dog and the moon?" I asked. "Oh, the moon keeps on shining," he said. What did the man with a mustache usually do on the bus? <extra_id_0>He never said a word. <extra_id_1>He talked loudly to others. <extra_id_2>He complained about the way to the city. <extra_id_3>He complained that the driver didn't drive well. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Odum owned Brightacre (a tract of land) in fee simple. He conveyed it "to Pike, his heirs and assigns; but if Farley shall be living 30 years from the date of this deed, then to Farley, his heirs and assigns." The limitation "to Farley, his heirs and assigns" is <extra_id_0>valid, because Farley's interest is a reversion <extra_id_1>valid, because the interest will vest, if at all, within a life in being. <extra_id_2>valid, because Farley's interest is vested subject to divestment. <extra_id_3>invalid. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>With the cost of college rising in the U.S., some students are washing their hands of the American education system, grabbing their passports, and seeking cheaper degrees abroad. The number of students doing so has increased 2 percent annually in recent years, according to the Department of Education. In 2009, Jessica Fuller, then 25, was employed at a small private university in Philadelphia as a clerk in an office. Bored with her job and becoming increasingly interested in healthcare industry, Fuller knew she would need a master's degree in public health for her dream career. At first, Fuller wanted a school in New York and Pennsylvania, but with many programs costing over $30,000 per year for tuition alone, she decided on an option she could better afford ---- the Netherlands. A similar degree in health economics cost less than $ 17,000 for a one-year program. To finance her education at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, Fuller took out a $30,000 bank loan through her mother's credit, which covered tuition and fees, as well as air travel and living expenses for her year abroad. The cost may be lower, but is the quality of education overseas just as good as an American university? Jessica Fuller says in her case, yes: she found a consulting job with Marsh Inc. as an International Knowledge Manager shortly after she graduated from Erasmus University, and says that the university ---and its location---- were definitely a factor. "Many Erasmus professors were world famous experts in their fields," says Fuller. "Considering the variety of the students, the class discussions were very robust. Having an "international" advantage made a huge difference." Why did Jessica Fuller want to study for a master's degree? <extra_id_0>She could afford tuition at Erasmus University. <extra_id_1>Her job required more professional skills. <extra_id_2>She was bored with healthcare industry. <extra_id_3>Her interest was in public health. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>August was one of the nastiest months I can remember: torrential rain; a hailstorm or two; cold, bitter winds; and mists. But we are accustomed to such weather in England. Lord Byron used to say that an English summer begins on July 31 and ends on Aug. 1. He called 1816 "the year without a summer." He spent it gazing across Lake Geneva, watching the storms, with 18-year-old Mary Shelley. The lightening flickering across the lake inspired her Frankenstein, the tale of the man-made monster galvanized into life by electricity. This summer's atrocious weather tempted me to tease a Green whom I know. "Well, what about your weather theory now?" (One of the characteristics of Greens is that they know no history.) He replied: "Yes, this weather is unprecedented. England has never had such an August before. It's global warming, of course." That's the Greens' stock response to anything weather-related. Too much sun? "Global warming." Too little sun? "Global warming." Drought? "Global warming." Floods? "Global warming." Freezing cold? "Global warming." I wish the great philosopher Sir Karl Popper were alive to _ the unscientific nature of global warming. He was a student when Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity was first published and then successfully tested. Einstein said that for his theory to be valid it would have to pass three tests. "If," Einstein wrote to British scientist Sir Arthur Eddington, "it were proved that this effect does not exist in nature, then the whole theory would have to be abandoned." The idea that human beings have changed and are changing the basic climate system of the Earth through their industrial activities and burning of fossil fuels--the essence of the Greens' theory of global warming--has not much basis in science. Global warming, like Marxism, is a political theory of actions, demanding compliance with its rules. Those who buy in to global warming wish to drastically curb human economic and industrial activities, regardless of the consequences for people, especially the poor. If the theory's conclusions are accepted and agreed upon, the destructive results will be felt most severely in those states that adhere to the rule of law and will observe restrictions most faithfully. The global warming activists' target is the U.S. If America is driven to accept crippling restraints on its economy it will rapidly become unable to shoulder its burdens as the world's sole superpower and ultimate defender of human freedoms. We shall all suffer, however, as progress falters and then ceases and living standards decline. Sir Arthur Eddington could be inferred as a _ . <extra_id_0>politician <extra_id_1>poet <extra_id_2>Greenpeacer <extra_id_3>physicist <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Think of life as a game in which you are playing with five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit and you keep all of them in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce( )back. But the other four balls, family, health, friends and spirit, are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be broken. They will never be the same. You must understand that and try to have balance in your life. How? Don't look down on your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different and each of us is special. Don't let other people set goals for you. Only you know what is best to yourself. Don't give up when you still have something to give. _ Don't be afraid of difficulties. Be brave! Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is a treasure you can always carry easily. Don't use time or words carelessly. You can't get them back. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery , and today is a gift; that's why we call it " the present". Life is not a competition, but a trip ,step by step. If you run through life so fast, you will _ . <extra_id_0>lose your own treasure that you can always carry easily <extra_id_1>forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. <extra_id_2>look down on your worth <extra_id_3>not be afraid of difficulties. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Argentina in the late nineteenth century was an exciting place.Around 1870,it was experiencing an economic boom,and the capital,Buenos Aires,attracted many people.Farmers,as well as a flood of foreigners from Spain and Italy,came to Buenos Aires seeking jobs.These jobs didn't pay well,and the people felt lonely and disappointed with their new life in the city.As the unhappy newcomers mixed together in the poor parts of the city,the dance known as the tango came into being. At the beginning the tango was a dance of the lower classes.It was danced in the bars and streets.At that time there were many fewer women than men,so if a man didn't want to be left out,his only choice was to dance with another man so that he could attract the attention of the few available women.Gradually,the dance spread into the upper classes of Argentinean society and became more respectable. In Europe at this time,strong interest in dance from around the world was beginning.This interest in international dance was especially evident in Paris.Every kind of dance from ballet to belly dancing could be found on the stages of the Paris theaters.After tango dancers from Argentina arrived in Europe,they began to draw the interest of the public as they performed their exciting dance in cafes.Though not everyone approved of the new dance,saying it was a little too shocking,the dance did find enough supporters to make it popular. The popularity of the tango continued to grow in many other parts of the world.Soldiers who returned to the United States from World War I brought the tango to North America.It reached Japan in 1926,and in 2003 the Argentinean embassy in Seoul hired a local tango dancer to act as a kind of dance ambassador,and promote tango dancing throughout South Korea. Before World War I,the tango spread to _ . <extra_id_0>America <extra_id_1>Japan <extra_id_2>France <extra_id_3>South Korea <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>We often think of future. We often wonder what the world would be like in a hundred years'time. Think of space,perhaps a permanent station on the moon will have been set up. Perhaps people will be able to visit the moon as tourists. Cheap rockets for space travel will have been developed,permitting long journeys throughout the solar system . When that time comes,people will be taking holidays in space and visiting other planets. Great progress will have been made in medicine,too. Perhaps a cure will have been discovered for the most terrible of all diseases--cancer. Pollution is a problem we must solve. In a hundred years'time it will have been controlled. All the world will have been developed -- even Antarctica. There will be large cities in Antarctica. We already have supersonic flight,but in a hundred years'time we will have supersonic land travel as well. We will have used up most of earth's land to build our cities, so floating cities will have been built. The Japanese already have plans for cities of this kind. And there will be cities under the sea. The first of these will have been completed. We will have developed _ in a hundred years'time,permitting long journeys all over the solar system. <extra_id_0>cheap rockets for space travel <extra_id_1>a plane <extra_id_2>a spaceship <extra_id_3>a satellite <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>WHAT happens to a teenage kid when the world he thought he knew suddenly changes? Find out in Little Brother by American author Cory Doctorow. It is a fascinating book for a new generation of sci-fi readers. Marcus Yallow, 17, from San Francisco is much more comfortable in front of a computer than obeying the rules of society. Smart, fast and wise to the ways of the networked world, he has no trouble outwitting his high school's monitoring system.This way he and his friends get to head off to play a popular online game in real life. While they are playing, a bomb explodes on the Bay Bridge. Marcus stops a military vehicle to get help for his injured friend, but this simple act throws him into a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secret prison.There he is treated as a possible terrorist. He is eventually let go after four days, but his injured friend disappears. When he returns, Marcus discovers that there are many "security measures" in place and that now all citizens are treated like potential terrorists. While some consider this government action necessary for public safety, Marcus sees this as a complete _ of the rights he is supposed to have as a citizen. He knows that no one will believe his story, which leaves him with only one thing to do: to take down the DHS himself. He helps organize a large network called Xnet to spread the truth, anonymously . The book presents a young man who is irresponsible, but learns about himself, and grows, in the course of the story. As part of this learning and growing he becomes aware of very serious issues about his society. Marcus Yallow was sent to prison because _ . <extra_id_0>he killed his friend <extra_id_1>he bombed a military vehicle <extra_id_2>he did something that a possible terrorist could do <extra_id_3>his injured friend disappeared <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The Panama Canal opened almost 100 years ago.It connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and reduces travel by about 13,000 kilometers and avoids the need for ships to sail around Cape Horn at the bottom of South America. Built from 1904 to 1914,the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 ships in 2008.In total,over 815,000 ships have passed through the canal.It has been named one of the seven modern wonders of the world.More than forty ships pass through the canal each day. Now,a major expansion project will permit more ships and bigger ships to pass through the canal.Jorge Quijano,the Panama Canal's executive vice president of engineering,says,"The present canal has a total capacity of about 340 million tons a year.With the expansion we expect to double that." For years,shipbuilders limited the size of many ships so that they could pass through the Panama Canal.But now many shipping companies use bigger ships to transport more goods as a way to reduce costs.Mr.Quijano says the expansion project will allow many of these larger ships to use the canal. Workers are building the new locks alongside the old ones,which will remain in use.The existing locks are 305 meters long and 33.5 meters wide.The new ones will be 427 meters long and 55 meters wide.They will be able to handle ships with drafts of more than 15 meters.At present,ships can ride only 12 meters deep in the canal. Engineers could not make the new locks too big.Mr.Quijano says the plans have to balance the size of the locks with the cost for ships to use the canal. The cost of the expansion is estimated at more than five billion dollars.The new locks are set to open in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal. After the expansion of the Panama Canal, _ . <extra_id_0>there will be no limitation to the size of ships through it <extra_id_1>it will have a total capacity of 500 million tons a year <extra_id_2>the cost of transporting goods will be relatively low <extra_id_3>the charge for using the canal will be reduced <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Passage 1 Captain Good fellow Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Good fellow will be ready to teach all these things to children at the City Theater on Saturday morning at 10:00, free. Films at the Museum Two American films will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theater. See Broken Window at 1:30. The Workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898. International Picnic Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 p. m. Take me out to the Ball game It's October, and Saturday night (7:00-9:00) is your last chance to see the Red Birds this year. Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold. Don't forget sweaters and jackets. Do you want to hear "The Zoo" "The Zoo", a popular music group from Australia, will give their first U.S. concert this Saturday night, at 8:00 in Rose Hall, City College. ,. On Saturday morning, you can _ . <extra_id_0>go to watch a ball game <extra_id_1>take children to play games at the City Theater <extra_id_2>go to the Central Park for a picnic <extra_id_3>go to concert at Rose Hall, City College <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>My interest in Chinese food started years a90, when l was a young reporter for the Washington Post. Our office wasn't far from Chinatown, where I found some very good Chinese restaurants. The first time I ever ate Chinese food I loved it. I noticed the fresh taste of the meat and vegetables. When I learned more about the food, I began to understand why it has this special feature. Many years ago, China had an energy crisis because it lost much of its wood due to over population and poor management of its forests. This loss was very bad for the country, of course, but it turned out to be very good for the food. Wood became very expensive and hard to get,so the Chinese had to either find a substitute for their valuable wood,or learn how to use it better. There weren't any substitutes so people found ways to economize. In order to economize in cookin9, they had to use very little wood. So they started cutting their meat and vegetables into small pieces before they put them in the hot oil.That way,the food cooked faster and they saved their fuel. The food prepared in this way kept its fresh flavorand it's this flavor that attracts people from other countries to the art of Chinese cooking. The author mentioned the energy crisis to show _ . <extra_id_0>it is important to protect the forests <extra_id_1>it is necessary to find substitutes for wood <extra_id_2>why the Chinese changed their way of cooking <extra_id_3>what problems a big population is causing China today <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>About a third of all common cancers in the United States, China and Britain could be prevented each year if people ate healthier food, drank less alcohol and exercised more, health experts said on Friday. Reports from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) suggest that making simple lifestyle changes could prevent some 40 percent of breast cancers alone in Britain and the United States, as well as tens of thousands of stomach cancers. "Even in 2011, people are dying unnecessarily from cancers that could be prevented through keeping a healthy weight, diet, physical activity and other lifestyle factors," said a WCRF medical and scientific adviser. WCRF findings are supported by World Health Organization (WHO) reports, which say regular exercise can prevent many diseases such as cancers and heart diseases. Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world and its incidence is rising. Each year around 12.7 million people discover they have cancer and 7.6 million people die from some form of the disease. There are about 200 known types of cancer. Rachel Thompson, the WCRF's head of science, said that while the message was simple -- that not smoking, eating good food and being a healthy weight can help _ many cancers -- it was still a difficult one to get across. The WHO says adults should do at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. This could be done by walking for 30 minutes five times per week or by cycling to work every day. Peter Baldini, head of the World Lung Foundation, also called on all governments to introduce smoke-free laws and raise the price of cigarettes. Tobacco kills millions of smokers every year, and tobacco-related lung cancers also kill hundreds of thousands of people who don't smoke but have been exposed to it second-hand. "There isn't a magic bullet to cure all forms of cancer, but we have the opportunity and the duty to protect people from developing cancer wherever possible," Baldini said. Which of the following statements is Not true according to the text? <extra_id_0>Exercising and eating healthily can help to reduce cancer risk. <extra_id_1>Each year about 12.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer around the world. <extra_id_2>Every year millions of people die from smoking and lung cancers. <extra_id_3>Adults should walk for fifty minutes three times per week. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>We see with our eyes and taste with our tongues. Ears are for hearing, skin is for feeling and noses are for smelling. Would anyone say that ears can smell, or that tongues can see? Actually, yes. Paul Bach-y-Rita, a scientist at the University of Wisconsin, believes that the senses can changeable. For example, a tongue can be used for seeing. The brain, as we know, is a complex organ . Even when part of it is hurt, it will try to carry out the same function by sending the function to another area of the brain. A college student was asked to take part in an experiment. In the experiment, his eyes were covered with a small video camera. The camera was connected to a long plastic line which went into his mouth. A computer would change the video's picture. The picture would travel through the plastic line as an electric current , reaching the electrodes inside the student's mouth. The scientist would roll a ball towards his right side, left side, or centre, and the student would have to catch it. When the scientist rolled the ball, pain passed over the student's tongue. For the position of the pain on the tongue, the student reached out his hand and caught the ball. If the brain can see a ball through a camera and a wet tongue, blindness and deafness can be overcame. What could be the best title for the passage? <extra_id_0>Senses Are Important <extra_id_1>An Interesting Experiment <extra_id_2>A Famous Scientist <extra_id_3>Senses Are Changeable <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>My grandfather had a small farm where he raised beef and some grain for feed. He also worked diligently as a factory laborer and country pastor. He was a good neighbor and well-respected for honoring his word. When harvest time came, he'd piece together his old one-row corn picker and oil it up for the season. All his life he worked hard, helped others, and you could count on him to keep his promises. He had promised to harvest a few ribbons of corn on a friend's farm, but after harvesting his own corn, Grandpa's little corn picker coughed and quit. It would be out of commission until a particular part could be ordered, but that would take far too long to help this year. The factory where Grandpa worked began to require overtime. In order to keep his job there he had to leave the farm before dawn and get home until well after sunset. One autumn night, while harvest time was running out, he and his wife sat at the kitchen table and trying to figure a way out of their dilemma. "There's nothing you can do," said my grandma. "You'll just have to tell him that you can't help with the corn this year." "Well that just doesn't sit well with me," said my grandpa. "My friend is depending on me. I can't exactly let my neighbor's harvest rot in the field, can I?" "When do you think you'd have time to do it?" she asked. "With the overtime you've been working you'd be up all night." "I know of one night that I could do it!" he said, running to the bookshelf. He grabbed the Farmer's Almanac and started flipping through the pages. "Aha! There's still one more full moon in October." They say it's called the harvest moon because it gives farmers more light and more time to collect their crops. And so a few days later, after a long shift at the factory, my grandpa made his way to the field where my grandma met him in the truck with dinner. The weather was cold but clear, and the moon was brilliant. He worked through the night to keep his word. I know this story well, so sometimes, when I'm tempted to cut corners or to put off responsibilities, I think of my grandfather with his scythe cutting wide arcs of corn in the light of the harvest moon. Which of the following can NOT be concluded from the passage? <extra_id_0>My grandfather cared about his work in the factory very much. <extra_id_1>My grandmother supported my grandfather's decision to harvest the friend's corn at the full moon night. <extra_id_2>My grandfather must have stayed up all night to help his friend harvest. <extra_id_3>My grandfather didn't manage to help his friend in time. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>It is a fine Saturday morning. Lily and Lucy get up at six thirty. They want to go to the Great Wall with their mother. At seven fifty they are in a big bus to the Great Wall. There are forty people in it. Some of them are Americans, some are English. There are two Chinese in the bus, too. One is a woman. She is driving the bus. The other is a young man. He's now talking about the Great Wall in English. They are listening to him. At about nine o'clock, they get to the Great Wall. Lily and Lucy want to go to the Great Wall _ . <extra_id_0>on Saturday morning <extra_id_1>on Sunday morning <extra_id_2>in a fine day <extra_id_3>in a cloudy morning <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Rhinos are big and can be dangerous. They are also shy and seldom seen. Once there were hundreds of rhino species, but today there are only five. One ancient rhino called Indricotherium was the largest land mammal that ever lived. It was 5m high at the shoulders, and 8.5m long-- twice the size of today's biggest elephant! The living rhinos are still big, averaging 2-3m long and weighing up to 3,600kg. To see all five species of living rhino you would need to do a bit of exploring. First you might visit Africa for a look at the white rhino and the black rhino. They live in Africa's dry woodlands and grasslands. Then you could head to India and Nepal for a look at the Indian rhino. It lives in the high grasslands near rivers, where you have to ride an elephant to find one. Finally you might travel to the rainforests on the islands of Indonesia to see the Sumatran and Javan rhinos. These are the smallest and rarest rhinos in the world and extremely difficult to find. Most rhinos are gentle and timid .They have a bad reputation for being very , but that may be partly because they get frightened easily. Also, they have poor eyesight. They rely on their strong sense of smell to tell them a stranger is approaching, but if the wind is blowing the wrong way, they may not know someone is there until it's too late. Rhinos can be found only in their habitats, which is why habitat destruction has caused rhino populations to decline. As they disappear from certain places, their absence leads to many changes to the landscape. For example, black rhinos in Africa only eat shrubs and small trees, pruning the plants and limiting their growth. Many other species benefit from this, and as rhinos disappear, so do many other animals sharing their habitat. Bushes and trees take over the land and force species like the antelope to leave in search of food. In a short time the whole habitat has changed. What can we conclude from Paragraph 2? <extra_id_0>Most rhinos live alone. <extra_id_1>Rhinos are disappearing from their habitats. <extra_id_2>The five rhino species are all different in colour. <extra_id_3>Rhinos' habitat ranges from rainforests to grasslands. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Some of Earth's water is stored underground in porous rock formations known as aquifers. Which of these could use up groundwater in aquifers? <extra_id_0>abundant rain in the Ozarks <extra_id_1>excessive pumping from wells <extra_id_2>dams on the lower Mississippi <extra_id_3>community water conservation <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Peter: Let's play computer games! Barry: That sounds interesting, but I don't have a computer. Peter: Well, do you have a volleyball? Barry: Yes. Peter: Then let's play volleyball. Barry: Oh, volleyball is so difficult. Peter: OK, let's watch TV. Barry: That sounds boring. Hmmm, let's play soccer! Do you have a soccer ball? Peter: No, I don't. Barry: Oh, well, do you have a basketball? Peter: Yes, I do. Let's play basketball! Barry: That sounds fun! Can Barry play volleyball? <extra_id_0>Yes, he can. <extra_id_1>No, he can't <extra_id_2>Yes, he does <extra_id_3>No, he doesn't. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A student examines a new watch design. The watch has a small solar cell on its face. The main function of the solar cell is to <extra_id_0>reduce the cost of the watch. <extra_id_1>provide an energy source for the watch. <extra_id_2>make the watch more attractive. <extra_id_3>stop the watch from speeding up. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>After a day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day. There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other. Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs your eyeballs begin to move quickly (although your eyelids are closed). This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement. If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very slowly and very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion that counting sheep will put you to sleep. During REM _ . <extra_id_0>your eyes move quickly <extra_id_1>you dream <extra_id_2>you are restless <extra_id_3>both A and B <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>For any person who must speak in public, to business or pleasure groups, humor is a helpful, and necessary, tool for getting your message across. Why does humor work a lot? There are several reasons. People will enjoy what you have to say if it is presented with humor. But, more importantly, if you are in a situation where important, and perhaps controversial , ideas must be presented to less than open minds, humor allows those ideas to be presented in a non-threatening manner. Abraham Lincoln was famous for his ability to relate humorous stories to make a point. Humor used carefully throughout a presentation will also keep the listener's interest high. In a word, individuals learning how to use humor in their speeches can strengthen arguments, support interesting presentations and, most of all, entertain their audience in a positive and comfortable way. While popular culture may well hold many kinds of humor, some of it has no place in presentations that are designed to educate and encourage the audience. If you want to become a professional stand-up comedian whose goal is 100% entertainment, then you may be able to use some of the reference materials like The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking. They can help you develop your skills and sources of humor. To that _ , your participation in this study of humor will become necessary. Hopefully, you will come to appreciate the special difficulty of entertaining the audience with good and clean humor. What's the purpose of stand-up comedians? <extra_id_0>To educate the audience. <extra_id_1>To encourage the audience. <extra_id_2>To entertain the audience. <extra_id_3>To exchange with the audience. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Just 10 years ago, I sat across the desk from a doctor. "Yes," he said, "there is something wrong with the left, upper lobe . You have a moderately advanced case... You'll have to give up work at once and go to bed. Later on, we'll see." Feeling like a man who is in midcareer has suddenly been placed under sentence of death, I left the doctor's office, walked over to the park, and sat down on a bench. I needed to think. In the next 3 days, I cleared up my affairs, then I went home, got into bed, and set my watch to tick off not the minutes, but the months. Two years later, I left my bed and began the long climb back. It was another year before I made it. I speak of this experience because _ that passed so slowly taught me what to value and what to believe. I realise now that this world I'm living in is not my oyster to be opened but my opportunity to be grasped. Each day, to me, is a precious thing. The sun comes up and presents me with 24 brandnew, wonderful hours--not to pass, but to fill. I've learned to appreciate those little, allimportant things I never thought I had the time to notice before:the play of light on running water, the music of the wind in my favourite pine tree. I seem now to see and hear and feel with some of the recovered freshness of childhood. How well, for instance, I recall the touch of the springy earth under my feet the day I first stepped upon it after the years in bed. Frequently, I sit back and say to myself, "Let me make note of this moment I'm living right now, because in it I'm well, happy and hard at work doing what I like best to do. It won't always be like this, so while it is, I'll make the most of it--and afterwards, I remember--and be grateful. All this, I owe to that long time spent on the sidelines of life." Which word can best describe the author's feeling after visiting the doctor? <extra_id_0>Hopeless. <extra_id_1>Curious. <extra_id_2>Confused. <extra_id_3>Energetic. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>What makes solar energy different from most other energy that people use? <extra_id_0>Solar energy involves the most dangerous equipment. <extra_id_1>Solar energy requires the most complicated technology. <extra_id_2>The supply of solar energy will not change for billions of years. <extra_id_3>The supply of solar energy causes it to be the cheapest kind of energy. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>I was walking down the street the other day when I suddenly saw a small wallet lying on the ground. I picked it up and opened to see if I could find the owner's name. There was nothing inside it except some money and an old photo of a woman and a young girl about twelve years old. The girl looked like the woman's daughter. I put the photo back and took the wallet to the police station. There I gave it to a policeman. Before I left, the policeman took down my name and address so that the owner could write and thank me if they found it. That evening I went for dinner with my aunt and uncle. They also asked a young woman, so there were four people at table. Her face seemed familiar . I was quite sure that we had met before, but I could not remember where I had seen her. During the talking, the young woman said that she had lost her wallet that afternoon. At once I knew where I had seen her. She was just the young girl in the photo though she was now much older. She was very surprised, of course, when I was able to tell her what her wallet was like. My uncle said that we should go to the police station at once to get the wallet. As that policeman handed it over, he said it was an interesting coincidence ----I not only found the wallet, but also made friends with the person who had lost it. The policeman wrote down my name and address because _ . <extra_id_0>he wanted to write a report to the newspaper. <extra_id_1>he would let the owner of the wallet know who helped him. <extra_id_2>he wanted the owner to give me some money for thanks. <extra_id_3>he did so just that was his job. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A poem starts with a thought, an idea, or an emotion felt from the heart.Poems can be happy or sad, deep-thinking or even humorous.The choice is up to you and your imagination as to what you will create. Your first step is to write down the idea or thought that you have and you want to turn into a poem.Next, you should turn the thought into a free verse poem.Free verse poems are much easier to write as there are no _ rules to write them.Some free verse doesn't even have any rhyme or meter. Now, rewrite your thoughts into lines.Now is the time to look at your lines and remember that the poem should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like a story, a book, or a movie. Reread your poem several times and listen to the words and to the rhythm of each line.Now is the time to shorten or lengthen each line in order to create a smooth-sounding poem.Even though it is a free verse poem, you can choose to make each line rhyme with the next line if you want to. Now go back and reread your poem again. Check for proper punctuation as well as for the proper spelling of each word. Think up a suitable title for your poem. It would be a good idea to set your poem aside for a while and then return to it later. Then, reread it again with a fresh mind and make some necessary changes. If you decided to continue writing poetry, it would be a good idea to investigate some books about creating poetry, and to attend some local workshops. Check out the available resources on the Internet as well as what is available at your local public library. What can we infer from the end of the passage? <extra_id_0>There is still a lot to learn about writing good poems. <extra_id_1>Poems must depend on the Internet, workshops and libraries. <extra_id_2>Writing poems is meaningful but rather difficult. <extra_id_3>Not all people can succeed in writing poems. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Parents who help their children with homework may actually be bringing down their school grades. Other forms of prenatal involvement, including volunteering at school and observing a child's class, also fail to help, according to the most recent study on the topic. The findings challenge a key principle of modern parenting where schools except them to act as partners in their children's education. Previous generations concentrated on getting children to school on time, fed, dressed and ready to learn. Kaith Robinson, the author of the study, said, "I really don't know if the public is ready for this but there are some ways parents can be involved in their kids' education that leads to declines in their academic performance. One of the things that was consistently negative was parents' help with homework." Robinson suggested that may be because parents themselves struggle to understand the task." They may either not remember the material their kids are studying now, or in some cases never learnt it themselves, but they're still offering advice." Robinson assessed parental involvement performance and found one of the most damaging things a parent could do was to punish their children for poor marks. In general, about 20% of parental involvement was positive, about 45% negative and the rest statistically insignificant. Common sense suggests it was a good thing for parents to get involved because "children with good academic success do have involved parents ", admitted Robinson. But he argued that this did not prove parental involvement was the root cause of that success." A big surprise was that Asian-American parents whose kids are doing so well in school hardly involved. They took a more reasonable approach, conveying to their children how success at school could improve their lives." The example of Asian-American parents implies that parents should _ . <extra_id_0>help children realize the importance of schooling <extra_id_1>set a specific life goal for their children <extra_id_2>spend more time improving their own lives <extra_id_3>take a more active part in school management <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Does solving a math problem give you a headache? Do you feel nervous when you sit a math exam? For most students, math can be tough but scientists have proved that math problems can actually trigger physical pain. Scientists came to his conclusion with an in-depth experiment, which was published in the Public Library of Science One journal. They began by finding out how much participants fear math. Those involved were asked a series of questions such as how they feel when they receive a math textbook or when they walk into a math lesson. Based on their answers, participants were divided into groups. One group was made up of people who were particularly afraid of math and participants in the other group were more comfortable with the subject. Both groups were then given either math tasks or word tasks. When a math task was going to come next, a yellow circle would appear but when a word task was soon to come, a blue square would be shown. Using a brain-scan machine, scientists noticed that whenever people from Group One saw a yellow circle, their brain would respond in a way similar to when their body is feeling pain. It was like the pain they would fee, for example, if they burnt their hand on a hot stove. But they reacted less strongly when they knew that they would be faced with a word task. However, scientists saw no strong brain response from people in the second group. Math can be difficult, and for those with high levels of mathematics-anxiety (HMA), math is associated with tension, apprehension and fear. "When you are really thinking about the math problems, your mind is racing and you are worrying about all the things that could go wrong," explained Ian Lyons from University of Chicago, US, leader of the study. "The higher a person's anxiety of a maths task, the more he activated brain regions associated with threat detection, and the experience of pain." More interestingly, the brain activity disappeared when participants actually started dealing with the math tasks. "This means that it's not that math itself hurts; rather, the anticipation of math is painful," Lyons said. Based on the study, scientists suggested that things could be done to help students worry less and move past their fear of math, which might mean they perform better in tests. What can be concluded from the experiment? <extra_id_0>The anticipation of math has no relation to students' confidence in math. <extra_id_1>Moderate mathematic anxiety promotes students' academic performance. <extra_id_2>Physical pain caused by HMA disappears in the process of doing math problem. <extra_id_3>Effective solutions have been worked out to lower students' anxiety of math. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The Attack on September 11th New York: When the first jet struck Tower 1 at World Trade Center at 8: 48 am on Tuesday, the people in Tower 2 at World Trade Center with a view of the instant damage across the divide had the clearest sense of what they too must do : get out fast. Katherine Ilachinski, who had been knocked off her chair by the blast of heat exploding from the neighboring tower, was one of those. Despite her 70 years of age, Ms Ilachinski, an architect working on the 91st floor of Tower 2 at World Trade Center, the south tower, went for the stairs. Twelve floors above her, Judy Wein, a manager, screamed and set off too. But others up and down the 110 floors, many without clear views of the damage across the way and thus unclear about what was happening, were not so sure. And the 18 minutes before the next plane would hit were ticking off. Among the uncertainty about what was the best thing to do, formal announcements inside the south tower instructed people to _ , assuring them that the building was sound and the threat was limited to the other tower. Some left, others stayed, some began to climb down and, when met with more announcements and other warning to stop or return, went back up. The decisions made in those instants proved to be of great importance, because many who chose to stay, were doomed when the second jet crashed into the south tower killing many and stranding (...) many more in the floors above where the jet hit. One of those caught in indecision was the manager at Fuji Bank USA. Richard Jacobs of Fuji Bank left the 79th floor with the other office workers, but on the 48th floor they heard the announcement that the situation was under control. Several got in the lifts and went back up two minutes or so before the plane crashed into their floor. From the passage , we know that the south tower was hit by the plane _ <extra_id_0>at 8: 30 <extra_id_1>18 minutes earlier than the north tower <extra_id_2>at around 9: 06 <extra_id_3>at 8: 48 <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Study-abroad programs are a great way to learn about different cultures. Sometimes students don't have the money to join in these programs. That is why scholarships for study-abroad programs are starting to become popular. Study-abroad programs can often be quite expensive. Finding scholarships is not that difficult. Usually, you can just visit the study-abroad office at your educational institution or even the financial services office. They will have a large directory of available scholarships. If your school does not have these offices, you can just quickly have a look on the Internet and find a wide variety of scholarships you might qualify for. The credentials you need to be considered for a scholarship vary greatly. But, to be a candidate for any scholarship, you generally need to have good grades, be an outstanding person, and be able to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to you. You will be able to show why you are a good candidate through the application process. The application process for each scholarship varies, which usually includes submitting an academic record, an essay, and sometimes an interview. Usually, you will have to submit your academic records. The administrators of the scholarship will know that you take your academic studies seriously. Next you usually need to write an essay. This could be on a wide variety of subjects, but they usually focus on something related to 'why you should get this scholarship' to determine how much you want the scholarship and how good of a candidate you would be. After this, the final few applicants may be asked in for an interview to learn about you and why you would be a good recipient of the scholarship. If you satisfy all these requirements, there is a good chance you will get a scholarship. If you don't have enough money, don't give up but use plenty of scholarship opportunities for you! To prove whether you take your academic studies seriously, you should _ . <extra_id_0>write an essay on why you should get this scholarship <extra_id_1>submit your academic records <extra_id_2>be interviewed by the administrators of the scholarship <extra_id_3>prove you are a good recipient of the scholarship <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>When you run, you put force that is equal to three times your body weight on your feet. The human foot contains twenty muscles. This means that there is a lot that can go wrong when you run. Most sports have some kind of running or jumping So experts at many shoe companies work hard to design good sport shoes. First, a designer enters a plan for a shoe into a computer .Engineers then improve the design. A second computer designs a model for the shoe. Then a few pairs are made. Next, the shoe is tested. Different kinds of sports shoes are made for different uses. Some are made to help marathon runners save energy during a race. Some are made for the stop-and-go kind of running tennis players. But all sport shoes have one thing in common: they are designed to help people's feet comfortable during sports. Today, nearly every sport has its own special shoe designed for just the kind of running that sport needs. How many steps are there in the making of a shoe? <extra_id_0>Three <extra_id_1>Four <extra_id_2>Five <extra_id_3>Six <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Expo 2010 Shanghai China Duration: May 1 to Oct 31, 2010 Welcome to the World Expo 2010 Shanghai China. In order to ensure a safe and orderly visit, the organizer of Expo 2010 has formulated these rules. Operation Time The operation time of the Expo Site shall be 9:00~24:00. The opening hours of the pavilions shall be 9:30 ~ 22:30. Visitors shall enter the Expo Site before 21:00 and leave before 24:00 on the day of admission. Those with evening admission tickets may enter the Expo Site between 17:00 and 21:00. Orderly Entry Visitors shall go through ticket check and security check before entering the Expo Site. Those who refuse to cooperate may be denied entry. Children eligible for free admission and other visitors with walking difficulties may only enter the Expo Site when accompanied by adults. Codes of Conduct Visitors are required to observe public order within the Expo Site, and shall queue up to enter the pavilions or event venues . In the Expo Site, visitors are prohibited from: (1) damaging any buildings, facilities or exhibits. (2) climbing over any buildings or fences (3) conducting any exhibitions or promotional or fundraising activities without permission. Special Management Measures In case of bad weather, too many visitors and technical problems, the organizer may restrict the entry of visitors into the Expo Site, pavilions or event venues. _ Visitors Service Centers are available in the Expo Site, providing visitors with such services as inquiries, rental, lost and found, first aid, mother-baby service, and assistance for lost persons. The centers also accept and process visitors' complaints. Free rental of wheelchairs are available for the disabled. Which of the following can be filled in the blank in the last part? <extra_id_0>Visitor Service <extra_id_1>Visitor Complains <extra_id_2>Reservation <extra_id_3>Exhibitions and Performances <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>On October 11, NASCAR announced the car of tomorrow after a seven-year design program. People used to believe that science would promise a future of endless spare time and very cheap electricity. Nowadays the scientists' predictions are a great deal less optimistic: the world is challenged by climate change and decreasing resources. In fact, the car of tomorrow is a symbol of hope. The emission of carbon dioxide has contributed to global warming, but the car producers are waking up to their responsibilities. Investment in new technology to maximize efficiency and minimize environmental damage is not only improving the car industry's act but also setting an example to other industries. It is said that most cars of today run about 15 percent efficiency, which does highlight the potential for improvement. Get it right, and we could continue to enjoy the freedom that comes with owning a car, without the worries. Of course, many advances have already been made. There's evidence that the public is eager to buy cleaner and greener cars. And with petrol prices increasing there is no doubt that the cars with economical, efficient engines are going to be in great demand. The good news is that we can all drive the car of tomorrow today, without having to worry about the purchase cost. By choosing our holiday hired cars wisely we can cut down on our fuel costs and experience an eco-friendly drive. Hire a green car and you'll make a difference to the environment. Designers will always enjoy catching our imagination with "concept cars" that look more like miniature spaceships than anything you see on the highway. Whether these creations will eventually become family cars remains to be seen. However, for the moment, there's no doubt at all what the car of tomorrow will be, and it's here today: something familiar and friendly that does its job with considerably less trouble and much greater efficiency than the car of yesterday. The writer of the text intends to _ . <extra_id_0>suggest <extra_id_1>inform <extra_id_2>approve <extra_id_3>instruct <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Which is the best way a science student can help to maintain laboratory equipment? <extra_id_0>perform investigations using only new materials <extra_id_1>throw away glass items after investigations are complete <extra_id_2>clean up all materials and workspaces after investigations <extra_id_3>eat in the laboratory only after investigations are complete <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>You're listening to Radio Five. Regular listeners know that every Tuesday I give a list of places in the city that are looking for volunteers. Tiny Tot Preschool is looking for someone who will sing songs to the children on Thursday mornings. The best person for this job would be someone who can play the piano or the guitar. Primary School 39 needs volunteers to teach students English after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.If you are good at English,this is a great chace. The Parks Department needs volunteers to help plant many trees before May Day. If you like to work outside and protect the environment, this job is just for you. Lastly, the Community Center is looking for volunteers to work with old people on weekends. You can help read newspapers to the old people with bad eyesight. The Center also needs a few students to do fix-up work on houses. If you often help your grandfather repair his house, maybe this is the best job for you. If you are interested in any of the jobs, you can call us at 5478-6638. That's all for now. People need your help. Volunteer Today. We can get some information about volunteers on Radio Five _ . <extra_id_0>on Sunday <extra_id_1>on Tuesday <extra_id_2>on Wednesday <extra_id_3>on Thursday <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>High-quality customer service is preached by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done. Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of a retail store, but instead will alert their friends, s, co-workers, strangers--and anyone who will listen. Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide to frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde Group and Wharton School. "Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers," said Paula Courtney, President of the Verde Group. "The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement." On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four others, and will no longer visit the specific store. For every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative review. The resulting "snowball effect" can be disastrous to retailers. According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. Ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers. The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople. During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved parking problems by getting moonlighting local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty parking spaces. This guidance eliminated the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space. Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers. "Retailers who're responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren't so friendly," said Professor Stephen Hoch. "Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help." Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.ks5u Shop owners often hire moonlighting police as parking attendants so that shoppers _ . <extra_id_0>can stay longer browsing in the store <extra_id_1>won't have trouble parking their cars <extra_id_2>won't have any worrier about security <extra_id_3>can find their cars easily after shopping <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Dear God, Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed away. I have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tell them. I am blessed with the dear mother who is still alive. I appreciate her more each day. My mother does not change, but I do. As I grow older and wiser, I realize what an extraordinary person she is. How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence, but they flow easily from my pen. How does a daughter begin to thank her mother for life itself? For the love, patience and just plain hard work that go into raising a child? For running after a toddler, for understanding a moody teenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? For waiting for the day when a daughter realizes how wise her mother really is? How does a grown woman thank a mother for continuing to be a mother? For being ready with advice (when asked) or remaining silent when it is most appreciated? For not saying, "I told you so", when she could have said these words dozens of times? For being essentially herself -- loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving? I don't know how, dear God, except to bless her as richly as she deserves and to help me live up to the example she has set. I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of my children as my mother looks in mine. A daughter According to the passage, the writer's friends _ before their mothers died. <extra_id_0>could tell them their appreciation <extra_id_1>never completely said "thank you" to their mothers <extra_id_2>lived to their mother <extra_id_3>were very thankful <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>(CNN)-China will sometimes say "no" and the world should get used to it. That message came through when China joined Russia in blocking action on Syria. "Do not mistakenly think that because China takes a careful and responsible position on the Syria issue, China will not use its veto power or will always abstain ," said Cui Tiankai, China's vice foreign minister, "When China must use its veto power to say no, it will surely use it." On Saturday, Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, called the vetoes "disgusting and shameful." He Wenping, director of African Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the veto shows China's confidence in foreign affairs. "A country expressing its true opinion - that's progress. China opposes the use of threat or force to achieve regime change in other countries. This agrees with China's long-standing diplomacy principle. It is also not acceptable for China to rush a U.N. vote without sufficient discussion." So why did China use its veto this time? China's critics say China's veto of the U.N. draft proposal was in part due to Beijing's fear that allowing a regime change in Syria could encourage the spread of the Arab revolution and eventually threaten China. He Wenping disagrees, "China has a completely different political system and economic development path. If someone in the international community thinks that the Arab Spring will happen in China, then I think they misjudge the situation in China, exaggerate some problems in the Chinese society and underestimate the ability of the Chinese government to control the situation in China." What is the international reaction to China's veto on the Syria issue? <extra_id_0>Russia supports China <extra_id_1>The U.S. feels very unhappy. <extra_id_2>The international community is used to it. <extra_id_3>The Arab countries show no concern. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Li Ming: Hi, Lingling,! Nice to meet you! Lingling: Hi, Li Ming! _ Li Ming: How are you, Lingling? Lingling: Fine, thanks. Mum, this is my friend, Li Ming. Li Ming, this is my mum, Mrs. Wang. Li Ming: Good afternoon, Mrs. Wang ! Mrs. Wang : Good afternoon, Li Ming! Welcome to our home! Li Ming: _ . ? <extra_id_0>In the morning. <extra_id_1>At noon . <extra_id_2>In the afternoon. <extra_id_3>In the evening . <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Japanese couples, too busy for a normal social life, are increasingly turning to actors to play their friends on the most important days of their lives. Several agencies have sprung up offering actors to attend weddings or even funerals.The first guest-for-hire company was established about nine years ago and around 10 agencies now send out dozens of pretend friends to family events. Agencies such as Hagemashi Tai, which means "I want to cheer you up", charge around PS100 for each "guest". Other services such as giving a speech in praise of a bride or the groom cost extra. The appearance of the small fake friends industry has been linked to social and economic changes in Japan.With lifetime employment a thing of the past, couples feel uncomfortable about inviting work colleagues to their wedding.Increasingly busy and put upon, many Japanese surround themselves with only a very small circle of friends. When they marry, however, they are under pressure to match the number of their new partner's wedding guests. Office Agents, the largest provider of pretend friends, makes sure that its employees have done their homework and know all about the bride or groom before the wedding. Hiroshi Mizutani, the company's founder, said the fake friends he provides must look happy, be well dressed and look like people with good jobs. What is the best title of this passage? <extra_id_0>Japanese Couples are Under Pressure to Get Married <extra_id_1>Japanese Couples' Social Life <extra_id_2>The First Guest-for-hire Company in Japan <extra_id_3>Japanese Couples Rely on Fake Friends <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>We now think of chocolate as sweet, but once it was bitter. We think of it as a candy, but once it was a medicine. Today, chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or just a snack. Sometimes it is an ingredient in the main course of a meal. Mexicans make a hot chocolate sauce called mole and pour it over chicken. The Mexicans also eat chocolate with spices like chili peppers. Chocolate is a product of the tropical cacao tree. The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys say "Ugh!" and run away. Workers must first dry and then roast the beans. This removes the bitter taste. The word "chocolate" comes from a Mayan word. The Mayas were an ancient people who once lived in Mexico. They valued the cacao tree. Some used the beans for money, while others crushed them to make a drink. When the Spaniards came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, they started drinking cacao too. Because the drink was strong and bitter, they thought it was a medicine. No one had the idea of adding sugar. The Spaniards took some beans back to Europe and opened cafes. Wealthy people drank cacao and said it was good for the digestion. In the 1800s, the owner of a chocolate factory in England discovered that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao. It quickly became a cheap and popular drink. Soon afterwards, a factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate. Later on, another factory mixed milk and chocolate together. People liked the taste of milk chocolate even better. Besides the chocolate candy bar, one of the most popular American snacks is the chocolate chip cookie. Favorite desserts are chocolate cream pie and of course an ice cream sundae with hot fudge sauce. It was _ that discovered sugar could remove the bitter taste of cacao. <extra_id_0>the workers in the chocolate factory <extra_id_1>the Spaniards <extra_id_2>the people in England <extra_id_3>the owner of a chocolate factory. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>All matter is made up of particles called <extra_id_0>cells <extra_id_1>molecules <extra_id_2>atoms <extra_id_3>compounds <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>When Mr. Jones went to a restaurant one day, he left his coat near the door. There was nothing in the pockets of the coat when he left it, so he was very surprised when he took his coat after his meal and found the pockets full of jewelry .There was a waiter near the door, so Mr. Jones said to him, "Somebody has made a mistake. He has put some jewelry in my coat. Take it, and when he comes back, give it to him." The waiter took it and went away. Suddenly another man came in with a coat just like Mr. Jones's. "I'm sorry ",said this man. "but I made a mistake. I mistook your coat and you have got mine. Please give me my coat and jewelry ."Mr. Jones answered, "I gave the jewelry to the waiter. He will give it to you." Mr. Jones called the manager of the restaurant at once, but the manager said, "We have no waiter here. We only have waitresses." "You gave the jewelry to a thief !" Shouted the other man. "I shall call the police!" Mr. Jones was frightened and paid the man a lot of money for the jewelry. Why was Mr. Jones frightened? <extra_id_0>The man wanted to beat him. <extra_id_1>He was afraid of the police. <extra_id_2>He had no money to pay. <extra_id_3>He was afraid of the manager. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>People have their own ways of saying things with their own special expressions. Some of these expressions are easy to understand. "As Easy as Falling off a Log " is one such expression. It describes a job that does not take much effort. If you ever tried to walk on a falling tree log, you may understand what the expression means. It is easier to fall off the log than to stay on it. There are several other expressions that mean the same thing. And their meaning is as easy to understand as falling off a log. One is "Easy as Pie." Nothing is easier than eating a piece of sweet juicy pie, unless it is a piece of cake. "A Piece of Cake" is another expression that means something is extremely easy to do. Another expression is "As Easy as Shooting Fish in a Barrel ". Clearly, fish in a barrel will be much easier to shoot than fish in a river. In fact, it would be as easy as falling off a log. Sometimes, things that come to us easily also leave us just as easily. In fact, there is an expression "Easy Come Easy Go". Another easy expression is "To Go Easy on a Person". It means to treat a person kindly or gently, especially in a situation where you might be expected to be angry with him. A wife might ask her husband to go easy on their son, because the boy did not mean to destroy the toy. If you want to borrow some money to fix the car, you should look for a friend who is an "Easy Touch". An easy touch or a soft touch is someone who is kind and helpful. And there is one more expression that means do not worry or work too hard. Try to keep away from difficult situations. "Take it easy", until we meet again. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? <extra_id_0>That he goes easy on me means that he is angry with me. <extra_id_1>He is always helping others, so he is an easy touch. <extra_id_2>When he asks me to repair his broken bike, I say, "A piece of cake. I can help repair it." <extra_id_3>When a girl loses her way, I say, "Take it easy, I will send you home." <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The lce Bucket Challenge, in which people dump a bucket of ice water on their heads and challenge others to do the same, has brought in millions of dollars in donations for the ALS Association, and is among the biggest viral phenomena 2.4 million vides related to the ice bucket challenge have been shared on the social network, and more than 28 million people have posted, commented or liked a post relating to the challenge. "Marrying the Internet's love of challenges with donation and charity is _ ." Said Neetzan Zimmerman, a former editor at Gawaker who's widely considered as an expert in viral phenomena. "There is no other way to say this--it's absolutely pure brilliance ." The nature of the Ice Bucket Challenge is, in itself, quick in spread. "People want to look good to others, so it's hard to turn down a prosocial cause," said Jonah Berger, an author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On. "ALS is a great cause, so when someone asks you directly to do this, it's hard to turn them down without seeming like a bad person." The Ice Bucket Challenge campaign has been great for the ALS Association, a non-profit organization that does research and provides help for patients with Lou Gehrig's disease. It has received $ 22.9 million since July 29 and the donations are coming not only from existing donors, but from nearly half a million new donors. Celebrities have been interested in the cause, which has undoubtedly accelerated the spread. At this point, it's almost difficult to find a celebrity who hasn't had ice water dumped on his or her head. Kobe and Lcbron have done it and Bieber has done it twice. "If you are doing, it's as if you could stand in for them," said Jennifer Cool, an anthropologist at USC who studies Internet culture and history. "You can be in the shoes of Lady Gaga or Bill Gates, too." And, of course, there's showing off factor, Internet is a place to show off and promote yourself, filled with incredible vacation photos, reminders to all that you're in love with challenges. You may have some friends who've seemed eager to show off their bikini or swim trunk bodies in their Ice Bucket Challenge videos. At this point, some celebrities seem to be trying to one-up each other. Bill Gates released a highly produced video of himself designing a method of dumping water on himself. Hockey player Paul Bissonnette, for some reason, had a helicopter drop glacier water on him. Why does the author call the Ice Bucket Challenge a viral phenomenon? <extra_id_0>Because it does harm to charity. <extra_id_1>Because it is popular with celebrities. <extra_id_2>Because it challenges a person's courage. <extra_id_3>Because it spreads quickly. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>On a hot summer's day Jonathan and his classmates were anxiously sitting in their classroom, waiting for the final bell of the day to sound. Jonathan prayed that the bell would ring soon, because he wanted to quickly run home before the three huge, fat, smelly bullies could see him. Every day the three bullies would wait there for an innocent school kid to tease and bully. The moment the bell sounded, Jonathan rushed out with his bag. He sped off across the school field and out onto the walkway. However, all of his effort was useless because leaning on a fence were the three bullies. Jonathan thought about crossing the street next to him, but it would be too risky. So he hid behind a small bush in hope that the three would leave. But he moved too quickly and was seen by one of the bullies. They approached him then. One bully grabbed Jonathan by the collar of his shirt and grabbed the money out of Jonathan's pocket and put it into his own. "G-Give it back", Jonathan weakly said. "G-G-Give it b-back", mocked the bully. The other two bullies laughed. Beside them was a small dirty stream. "Let's throw him in there", said one of the bullies. Then they threw Jonathan into the stream and walked off down the walkway. Jonathan shakily picked himself up out of the creek and continued his walk home with his head down and tears in his eyes. He dared not cry because he knew boys didn't cry. Jonathan arrived at his house where his mother was waiting outside the front door with an angry look on her face. "Why are you so late and dirty?" she asked curiously. "I slipped", he quietly replied. How did the bullies find Jonathan? <extra_id_0>They ran after him till they caught up with him. <extra_id_1>They waited on Jonathan's way home by chance. <extra_id_2>One of the bullies noticed Jonathan hiding himself. <extra_id_3>Jonathan was given away by one of his classmates. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A person wanting to protect the environment could avoid <extra_id_0>yelping <extra_id_1>singing <extra_id_2>smoking <extra_id_3>breathing <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>DALLAS - A suburban Dallas woman accused of killing her two young children told a 911 operator that she first tried to poison them because they were autistic and she wanted "normal kids," then choked them with a wire until they stopped moving, according to the recorded call. Irving police on Wednesday released recordings of the 911 call after Saiqa Akhter was charged with capital murder in the death of her 5-year-old son, Zain Akhter and her 2-year-old daughter, Faryaal Akhter. Police said the children were attacked at the family's apartment Monday night. In the recording released Wednesday, the woman identified herself as Saiqa Akhter and repeatedly told the operator she killed her two children. At one point, the woman hung up and the dispatcher called her back. "I killed both of them. I told you," she told the operator. Later, she explained that both children were lying motionless on the bed in the master bedroom. "They are not doing anything. They are just blue and they are not taking any breaths and ... their heart is not beating," she said. She told the operator she initially tried to poison the children with bathroom cleaner but they refused to drink it. When that didn't work, "I used a wire on their necks," she said. When the operator asked the woman why she attacked her children, she said, "They're both not normal, not normal. They're autistic. Both are autistic." Pressed further, she said, "I don't want my children to be like that. ... I want normal kids." Later, the dispatcher asked the woman what she was feeling. "Nothing," she responded. At one point, water could be heard running in the background and the dispatcher asked what the woman what she was doing. She told the operator she was trying to wash the smell of cleaner off of her hands. The dispatcher then told the woman to go sit on a couch in the living room and wait for police. At the end of the recording, police can be heard arriving at the home. The woman killed her two young children by _ . <extra_id_0>poisoning them <extra_id_1>choking them <extra_id_2>first poisoning and then choking them <extra_id_3>striking them with bathroom cleaner <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>If you are a computer game fan, you must have heard of StarCraft. Recently, the University of Florida opened a StarCraft class for students. Maybe you feel confused when you hear of the news, maybe you think I am joking. But that's true. In our mind, students are not allowed to play computer games by teachers and parents. Don't you believe that the StarCraft class was set up in the University of Florida? Please read more. Nowadays, the world is developing in a fast way, so it is very important for students to be good at skills such as solving problems, making decisions and critical thinking . It is said that all these skills appear in StarCraft. Therefore, StarCraft can provide a high _ environment for students to consider and take action in difficult situations. "A student who gets a university education and goes into the business world could realize that something he learned in his StarCraft class helps him to think in a different way," said one teacher in the University of Florida. "The StarCraft class offers a new way to students to study. Study is not only about learning things from books," said another teacher. Not all the students can take the StarCraft class. The class is only open to the students who have some knowledge about the game. Some don't believe that the StarCraft class was opened in a university because _ . <extra_id_0>most students don't like StarCraft. <extra_id_1>they think StarCraft is not easy to play <extra_id_2>they think that the StarCraft class can't bring enjoyment to students <extra_id_3>they don't think students are allowed to play computer games at school <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>When Siva Kalyan was born, his backbone was deformed resulting in a lifelong difficulty in walking. But that hasn't stopped the nine-year-old from becoming a prodigy . Until he was three-and-a-half years old, Siva could not even crawl. Wanting the best treatment for their son, Siva's parents moved with him from India to Australia and later to the USA. In the USA, his parents enrolled him in the second grade based on his age. But his teachers soon realized they had a genius. Siva was then tested for the eighth grade, but it was soon found out that he was actually qualified for college courses. As one advanced course was not enough, the brilliant boy is now taking two courses from Stanford University. Due to the treatment he received, Siva's physical condition has improved as well. But none of _ "just happened". It was his parents' understanding and correct guidance, and the loving care of his grandparents that contributed to the growth of the genius. Siva's highly educated and hardworking family has brought him up on the basis of certain principles. The family believes that once a strong foundation is built for the child in English and mathematics, the child is equipped to master any other subject, law, history, or engineering. It is equally important to recognize the strengths of a child rather than forcing the child to do things that he may not want to do. Siva's parents helped. Siva focus his energies on his strength, which is mathematics. At the same time they took care to see that he had friends to play with and enjoyed a few recreational activities. The only activity that's restricted for Siva is viewing television. Siva watches TV only for 30 minutes a day and video games are a bonus for special occasions. Thanks to his mother who is a singer, Siva has also learned music and even won the first and second prize at two competitions. In sports, he likes to swim. He began to learn swimming to strengthen his muscles, and by the age of eight he was able to swim a kilometer in both the backstroke and the freestyle. Why did Siva's parents move to the USA? <extra_id_0>They wanted to give their son the best education. <extra_id_1>They wanted their son to receive the best treatment. <extra_id_2>They weren't used to life in India or Australia. <extra_id_3>They wanted their son to go to Stanford University. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Modern man has cleared the forests for farmland and for wood, and has also carelessly burned them. More than that, though, he has also interfered with the invisible bonds between the living things in the forests. There are many examples of this kind of destruction. The harmfulness of man's interference can be seen in what happened many years ago in the forest of the Kaibab plateau of northern Arizona. Man tried to improve on the natural web of forest life and destroyed it instead. The Kaibab had a storybook forest of large sized pine, Douglas fir, white fir, blue and _ . In 1882 a visitor noted, "We, who ... have wandered through its forests and parks, have come to regard it as the most enchanting region it has ever been our privilege to visit." This was also the living place of the Rocky Mountain mule deer. Indians hunted there every autumn to gather meat and skins. The forest also had mountain lions, timber wolves and bobcats that kept the deer from multiplying too rapidly. Then, in 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt made the Kaibab a national game preserve. Deer hunting was forbidden. Government hunters started killing off the deer's enemies. In 25 years' time, 6,250 mountain lions, wolves and bobcats were killed. Before the program, there were about 4,000 deer in the Kaibab, by 1924, there were about 100,000. The deer ate every leaf and twig they could reach. But there was not nearly enough food. Hunting of deer was permitted again. This caused a slight decrease in the deer herd ,but a far greater loss resulted from starvation and disease. Some 60 percent of the deer herd died in two winters. By 1930 the herd had dropped to 20,000 animals. By 1942 it was down to 8,000. The number of the deer in the Kaibab had increased enormously in _ years' time. <extra_id_0>25 <extra_id_1>6 <extra_id_2>12 <extra_id_3>18 <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>If you find an animal that isnt breathing, it is safe to assume that thing <extra_id_0>watched TV <extra_id_1>cried <extra_id_2>perished <extra_id_3>laughed <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Joey got a German Shepherd for his birthday present. He had never had any pets before, but was always excited to see the other dogs and cats in his neighborhood. Since his birthday was in June, he spent a lot of time playing outside with his new puppy, which he named Max. Max and Joey would often run through fields in a game of chase. They also liked to go through the small forest behind the house, making a game of hide and seek. They never went near the lake because Joey was afraid of water. One day, Max hid a little too well and Joey couldn't find him. Joey spent the afternoon looking for his German Shepherd where they often played, like the field and forest. Joey was a shy boy who often read by himself, and Max was his best friend. After dinner, he went to look for Max one last time before he had to take a bath and go to bed. He heard some barking on the next street, so he ran to see if it was his puppy. Sure enough, he saw Max playing with a poodle. The dogs were having so much fun. Joey brought Max home, happy that he had his puppy back. Max seemed to be happy to have his human by his side as well as a new doggy friend. All summer long, Joey took Max to the poodle's house so they could play without having to worry about losing his present. Where did Joey look for his dog? <extra_id_0>At his friend's house <extra_id_1>The field, forest and neighborhood <extra_id_2>In the garage <extra_id_3>By the lake <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Singles Day falls on every November 11th, and as the name suggests, this holiday is one specially for people who are still living the single life. It's surprising that China is the only country in the world that has set up a special day for singles to celebrate their lives. To find out more about this celebration, read on. An old story goes that once there were four single men, leading very boring lives. None of them were married , or had lovers, or did anything exciting. They just sat around all day and played Mahjong . One day they played Mahjong from 11am until 11 pm. During the game, no matter who won, the winning card was always the 'Sitiao' card. And that day happened to be November 11th. In order to remember the day, they called it Singles Day. For breakfast on Singles Day, singles often eat four youtiao, which means the four "ones" in "11.11". Many singles also choose to say goodbye to their single lives on this day. So they take part in _ , trying to find someone they love and many people choose to marry on this day. Besides the meaning of 'single', the four 'ones' of the date can also mean the 'only one' in one's heart. Singles often have _ for breakfast on Singles Day. <extra_id_0>some bread <extra_id_1>noodles <extra_id_2>4 youtiao <extra_id_3>nothing <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Fund Tianhong Zenglibao has become the first fund in China to hit 100 billion yuan ($16.30 billion) of sales thanks to its cooperation with Yu'ebao, Alibaba's wealth management product. Alipay , attached to the e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, announced in June it would offer its users the option to directly invest with the private Tianhong Fund using spare cash from Alipay accounts. The business is called Yu'ebao. The past five months have seen this fund blossom, owing to the prosperous Interet e-commerce platform, and the Singles Day shopping spree on November 11 had helped Yu'ebao. In the process of a deal on Taobao, once the buyer pays for the order, his or her money is first accepted by Alipay, then after he or she receives the goods, a final confirmation is made and Alipay then gives the money to the seller. If a buyer forgets to confirm payment, the money is transferred into the seller's account after 10 days by the system. The Singles Day had a total volume of 35 billion yuan($5.75 billion) and thus a large amount of money passed through Alipay's account. Analysts estimated that Alipay may have also bought the fund using the extra income, which powerfully enlarged the scale of Yu'ebao. Profit purchasing investors tend to choose safe financial management tools. The relatively stable yields of Yu'ebao is favored by most customers, the report said. Chinese e-commerence giant Alibaba allows consumers to invest their spare cash in the money market funds through its Alipay online payment service. The product, called Yu'ebao, or "Leftovers Treasure," has netted 130 billion yuan so far, making the fund's management firm, Tianhong Fund, the country's largest fund management company. Meanwhile, due to the cooperation with Alipay, the management scale of Tianhong monetary fund has doubled from 55.653 billion yuan at the end of September to over 100 billion yuan. During the Singles Day, the frequency of payment of Alipay and Yu'ebao exceeded 188 million and 16.79 million with total transaction volume at 35 billion yuan and 6 billion yuan. From the passage, we can know that Alipay _ . <extra_id_0>allows sellers to invest their spare cash in the money market funds <extra_id_1>offers the business called Yu'ebao <extra_id_2>has doubled to 55.653 billion yuan at the end of September <extra_id_3>transfers the money from the buyer to the seller directly <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>As my bride of many years greeted me one evening, her voice was heard through the door, "Guess what?" I always take a deep breath on this very leading question. "What?" I asked. "I just won a sales contest at work and the prize is dinner for two at the new fancy restaurant down by the river front!" Her excitement was inspiring. We knew the restaurant was superior because we could only understand parts of the menu. "See? I told you there would be a place for me to wear my new spring outfit," she shyly reminded me. "Two can play at that game," I responded. "I will wear my gray suit, my Borsalino imported straw hat and a new silk tie. We will be dressed very well. This town will never be the same. Almost like our first date." It was early spring and nearing dusk as the head waiter showed us to a table by a window, with a view of the river. The table was beautifully set, with a smoke-gray tablecloth decorated by bright red napkins, lemon slices in the long-stemmed water glasses, fresh flowers. A delicious meal served in such an atmosphere should be remembered a long time. As it turned out, this would probably never be forgotten. As the shadows lengthened, the riverboats rocking in the river, I murmured, "Why don't we walk down the path like we did in Paris a few years ago? Remember the fun we had?" Hand in hand, we walked by the stores. People smiled and nodded. Lots of smiling and nodding, in fact. "I never realized there were so many friendly people as we have seen this evening, dear," I observed. "Probably your new straw hat. Or the fact that you're such a handsome guy," she answered. We completed the walking tour past the store windows. After acknowledging many smiles, we found ourselves back at the restaurant, looking at our reflection in the window. It was then that I saw the reason for all the smiles. Caught in the fly of my trousers and hanging down for all to see was a bright red napkin from the restaurant! How did the couple feel when they were greeted with so many smiles? <extra_id_0>Ashamed <extra_id_1>Shy <extra_id_2>Stupid <extra_id_3>Proud <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>One day in April, a special activity called"Food Street"was held on the playground at Railway No. 1 Middle School in Xi'an. This activity was part of the English Art Festival in the school. The students in each class were divided into some groups. Each group sold different kinds of foods. The students did the shopping and the cooking all by themselves. The students cooked delicious food such as fried chicken, potato chips and vegetables. They all worked hard and sold the food at low prices. The customers were all the students, teachers and parents. They were all pleased with the nice food. "It's really hard work," said one of the students who took part in the activity. "We must make a plan before the cooking. We must know how much we should spend on the things we need. Also, we must learn how to serve customers well." "This activity is to give a chance to students to develop their practical abilities ," said one teacher, "What's more, the students will not only learn how to make money by their own hands, but also know the meaning of life. " Before the activity, the students _ . <extra_id_0>had to be customers <extra_id_1>made a plan about the cooking <extra_id_2>asked their parents to do the shopping <extra_id_3>had to serve the customers well <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Keeping fish as pets is a popular hobby. Fish take up little room, are inexpensive to feed, and provide an interesting and color1ful display in any room. A tank, or an aquarium , must be chosen carefully. Many new aquarium owners buy too many fish for their tanks. Fish cannot be crowded. Two fish can live comfortably in each gallon of water, only ten fish can live in a five-gallon tank. Can you see why a goldfish would not live long in a tiny , round bowl? If too many fish are kept together, they will not have enough oxygen or room to swim about freely. They will have more diseases. Also, some kinds of fish cannot be kept together. They will fight and may even kill one another. As your interest in fish grows, the number of fish you have may grow, too. Then you may want to _ in another tank. If you start with a ten-gallon aquarium, what kind of fish would be best? The two major groups of tropical fish are those that lay eggs and those that give birth to live young. If you want to raise young fish, guppies would be the best choice because they can produce many babies in a short time. You can buy fish and aquariums in most pet stores. Ask the owner to help you choose the right fish. You can also find many books about tropical fish in the library. If nine fish live in three gallons of water, the fish may _ . <extra_id_0>breathe easily <extra_id_1>swim about freely <extra_id_2>get ill <extra_id_3>not get enough to eat <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Jamaican natives have a dark skin tone do to <extra_id_0>lack of nutrients <extra_id_1>camouflage <extra_id_2>solar radiation <extra_id_3>their diet <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>When talking with young Swedish students, Mo Yan showed respect for Chinese authors that he learned writing from, particularly Shen Congwen, who was twice nominated for the Nobel Prize. "Lu Xun, Lao She, Mao Dun and Shen Congwen, they are more qualified for the Nobel Prize than me," he said,. Among the writers he learned from, he said he especially felt close to Shen Congwen, as they have similar life experiences. Both of them left school early and did not get formal education. Shen quit after high school and Mo only finished the fifth grade. They both joined the army after school. " We both learned from the book of life," said Mo. The themes of their writing are also similar. Both writers have their hometown as the theme and root of their writings. Shen'works are mostly about his hometown, Xiangxi, and most of Mo's stories are set in his hometown, Gaomi, in Shandong Province. Mo said he also learned from Shen how to deal with characters in a fiction. Unlike most Chinese writers, Shen has a humanistic touch towards all of his characters. Said Mo, "In his works, there are no particularly bad person or good person. Even gangsters and thieves have their humane side," he said. "I try to use the same approach in my writing. It shows the ability of a novelist when he treats all the characters as humans," he said. Mo said he also learned Lu Xun's depth and Lao She's humor. "They are all my teachers, and I am the student," he said. "I feel ashamed from my heart that teachers did not get the prize, but the student got it." By saying "We both learned from the book of life", what did Mo Yan mean? <extra_id_0>They both love reading throughout their life. <extra_id_1>They both earned their living by writing books. <extra_id_2>They both got nutrition from life. <extra_id_3>They both experienced many difficulties. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>This is the SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, I'm Barbara Klein. Animal experts say one of the world's most beautiful and rare kinds of big cat is close to disappearing from the wild. A study earlier this year found that about thirty Amur leopards still live free. The cats are also called Far Eastern leopards. Recently, their number has been reduced by one, Some person shot a female Amur, then beat her to death. The animal's body was discovered last month in the Barsovy National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Russia. An official of the World Wildlife Fund, Darron, said this was the third such killing in the area in the past fives years. Mr, Collins said the death of even one adult female is a huge loss for the endangered cat, He noted that the killing reduces the possibility for cubs or young. It is not clear how many Amur leopards still live free. One population count was performed in February and March. Wildlife expert Dmitry Pikuuov led this study. It found evidence of seven to nine males. The study identified three to seven females without cubs, Four leopards were identified as females with cubs. In all, five or six cubs were recorded, Six to eight animals could not be identified. Most of the land where the Amur leopard once lived was in China.New roads and climate change there threatened the animals. So did hunters who kill big cats for their body parts. Mr. Pikuuov says adult Amurs need about five hundred square kilometers with good forests to survive. He said they also need a large and continuing supply of animals like deer for food. He believes the answer to saving the Amur leopard is for governments to provide protected spaces for wildlife. According to the experts the Amur leopards _ . <extra_id_0>are living on plants <extra_id_1>are living in the zoo <extra_id_2>are well protected by people <extra_id_3>are endangered <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>About five years ago I started at a new school when my family moved to Iowa. I was just a little ex-cited, but I worried I would never fit in with the other sixth graders. Lucy, a girl in my class, who I thought was not ready for change, didn't like me from the start. In fact, I was pretty sure she hated me. I would ask her a question, and I could tell she thought I was a total fool. My teacher made us sit by each other for the last term. Lucy was horrified . I didn't wear make-up , and I didn't wear those terrible bell-bottom pants. I didn't exactly look like the coolest girl. But, I kept smiling at her, though she rolled her eyes, and I kept telling her she looked beautiful, even when she was angry. Finally, Lucy let me talk to her, even in sight of her "cool" friends. She started telling me how beautiful I looked. I still remember that first time when she smiled at me saying that, and I smiled right back, telling her thanks. Lucy invited me over to her house for a party, and talked to me all the time instead of her other friends. Lucy, the girl who hated me, called me her best friend. After that, we still were good friends a whole year later. I may have moved to Arizona after that, but I will never forget Lucy. It's funny -- I still remember her birthday. She was a great friend. And to think, she considered me her enemy at first. Though it was hard, and it felt like I was wasting my time, and losing my dignity , I still smiled at Lucy when she made fun of me. I'm not stupid, I didn't think she was right in doing those things, but I still put up with it. And we became great friends. About two weeks ago, I read a sentence by Abraham Lincoln: "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" Immediately, I smiled, thinking of Lucy. That sentence just reminded me how great it was for me to change Lucy into my friend in that state of Iowa five years ago. What is the main idea of this passage? <extra_id_0>Patience is important in making friends. <extra_id_1>Friendship needs to be cared for. <extra_id_2>Making friends means losing enemies. <extra_id_3>Kindness can defeat any enemy. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>We have to accept the truth: Sometimes, we just want to shout out loud. For example, we all have days like this: our dog has made a mess on the floor we just cleaned, or our friend called to tell us he or she couldn't come at the last minute when we had cooked dinner for him or her. We may be really angry but we tried to bear things like those. According to ancient Chinese wisdom, we should shout in a loud voice instead of keeping silent. In fact, it's good for our health. "Chinese people have passed on the practice from ancient times to now as a part of traditional medicine," said Mrs. Li, a 60-year-old woman from Hangzhou. "My parents taught me to do this. It's a part of our folk culture. " Mrs. Li is a member of a group of people who love shouting. Each morning, she and some of her friends climb to the top of a hill and let out loud shouts before starting their daily exercise. They believe that shouting is good exercise for their lungs and it brings them a lot of fun. "Sometimes I shout out and other shout back," said Mrs. Gu, another shouting lover. "It makes you happy. You laugh and then you feel very comfortable. " Dr. Peter Calafiura, an American doctor, agrees that shouting can have a positive influence on people's health. So, next time you start your morning run, why not try to shout out first? It will make you healthier. The passage is mainly about _ . <extra_id_0>a shouting 1over <extra_id_1>a shouting club <extra_id_2>the advantages of shouting <extra_id_3>the history of shouting <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>I'm not so sure I like my friends any more. I used to like them-to be honest. We'd have lunch, talk on the phone or exchange emails, and they all seemed normal enough. But then came Face Book, and I was introduced to a sad fact: many of my friends have dark sides that they had kept from me. Today my friends show off the more unpleasant aspects of their personalities via FaceBook. No longer hidden, they're thrown in my face like TV commercials -unavoidable and endless advertisements for the worst of their personalities. Take Fred. If you were to have lunch with him, you'd find him warm, and self-effacing .Read his FaceBook and you'll realize he's an unbearable, food-obsessed boring man. He'd pause to have a cup of coffee on his way to save a drowning man-and then write about it. Take Andy. You won't find a smarter CEO anywhere, but now he's a CEO without a company to run. So he plays Mafia Wars on FaceBook. He's doing well-level 731. Thanks to FaceBook, I know he's playing about 18 hours a day. Andy, you've run four companies-and this is how you spend your downtime? What happned to golf?What happened to getting another job? Take Liz. She is positive that the flu vaccine will kill us all and that we should avoid it. And then comes Chris who likes to post at least 20 times a day on every website he can find, so I get to read his thoughts twice, once on FaceBook and once on Twitter. In real life, I don't see these sides of people. Face to face, my friends show me their best. They're nice, smart people. But face to FaceBook, my friends is like a blind date which goes horribly wrong. I'm left with a dilemma. Who is my real friend?Is it the Liz I have lunch with or the anti-vaccine madman on FaceBook? Is it the Fred I can grab a sandwich with or the Fred who weeps if he's at a party and the wine isn't up to his standard? According to the text, FaceBook tends to _ . <extra_id_0>present another side of people <extra_id_1>offer some foods for free <extra_id_2>show endless advertisements <extra_id_3>get you to more parties <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Treasure hunts have excited people's imagination for hundreds of years both in real life and in books such as Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island .Kit Williams ,a modern writer ,had the idea of combining the real excitement of a treasure hunt with clues found in a book when he wrote a children's story Masquerade, in 1979. The book was about a hare ,and a month before it came out, Williams buried a gold hare in a park in Bedfordshire .The book contained a large number of clues to help readers find the hare ,but Williams put in a lot of "red herrings ",or false clues ,to mislead _ Ken Roberts ,the man who found the hare ,had been looking for it for nearly two years .Although he had been searching in the wrong area most of the time ,he found it by logic ,not by luck .His success came from the fact that he had gained an important clue at the start .He had realized that the words :"One of Six to Eight" under the first picture in the book connected the hare in some way to Katherine of Aragon ,the first of Henry VIII's six wives. Even here ,however ,Williams had succeeded in misleading him .Ken knew that Katherine of Aragon had died at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire in 1536 and thought that Williams had buried the hare there .He had been digging there for over a year before a new idea occurred to him. He found out that Kit Williams had spent his childhood near Ampthill ,in Befordshire and thought that he must have buried the hare in a place he knew well ,but he still could not see the connection with Katherine of Aragon ,until one day he came across two stone crosses in Ampthill Park and learnt that they had been built in her honor in 1773. Even then his search had not come to an end. It was only after he had spent several nights digging around the cross that he decided to write to Kit Williams to find out if he was wasting his time there .Williams encouraged him to continue ,and on February 24th 1982 ,he found the treasure. It was worth PS 3000 in the beginning ,but the excitement it had caused since its burial made it much more valuable . What is the subject discussed in the text ? <extra_id_0>An exciting historical event <extra_id_1>A modern treasure hunt <extra_id_2>The attraction of Masquerade <extra_id_3>The importance of logical thinking <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Where: Becket, Massachusetts When: June 15-Aug. 24 Each summer, this influential dance center presents a number of classes and performances by more than 50 companies from around the world. Highlights this season include the Dance Theater of Harlem's production of Alvin Ailey's "The Lark Ascending", which opens the festival. Many events are free. Ticketed performances start at $22. jacobspillow.org. Moab Music Festival Where: Moab, Utah When: Aug. 29-Sept. 9 This area is better known for mountain biking than for music. But since 1992, it has hosted a private festival that brings classical, jazz, Latin and other types of music to the land. This year there will be 16 concerts, including three "Grotto Concerts", where guests take a 45-minute boat ride down the Colorado River to performances. Events start at $25. moabmusicfest.org. Cheyenne Frontier Days Where: Cheyenne, Wyoming When: July 19-28 There's something for everyone at this 117-year-old festival, from an "Indian village" and Old West museum to country concerts. But the competition is still the main attraction, with cowboys and cowgirls competing for major money in the world's largest outdoor stage. Competition tickets start at $18, and concert tickets at $23. cfdrodeo.com. The Glimmerglass Festival Where: Cooperstown, New York When: July 6-Aug. 24 Each summer, opera lovers from around the country (and the world) travel to upstate New York to watch productions that include stars like Nathan Gunn and Ginger Costa-Jackson. This year's performances include Wagner's "The Flying Dutchman" and Verdi's "King for a Day", in honor of the 200th birthdays of both composers . Tickets start at $26. glimmerglass.org. If you are a big fan of Wagner, you're advised to go to _ . <extra_id_0>Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival <extra_id_1>the Glimmerglass Festival <extra_id_2>Cheyenne Frontier Days <extra_id_3>Moab Music Festival <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>One of the secrets of successful people is that they have good habits. The good habits help them to be successful. What are good habits? How can you get into good habits? Here is some advice for you. First, everyone has his merits . You should always look for the good points in people and learn from them. Second, you should try to learn new things and new skills every day. Reading a few pages of a book or a newspaper every day also helps you. Third, start the day the right way. When you get up in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you must keep your good habits today. I think the last one is the most important. No matter what good habits you decide to have, you should try to keep them. Then you can live a successful and happy life. ,. What makes some people successful? <extra_id_0>They eat healthy food. <extra_id_1>They keep good habits. <extra_id_2>They meet good friends. <extra_id_3>They have successful parents. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>When people ask me what Down Syndrome is, I tell them it's an extra chromosome . A doctor would tell you the extra chromosome causes an intellectual disability that makes it harder for me to learn things. Even though I have Down Syndrome, my life is a lot like yours. I read books and watch TV. I listen to music with my friends. I'm on the swim team and in chorus at school. I think about the future, and I like the one who I'll marry. And I get along with my sisters---except when they take CDs without asking! I'm a hard worker, a good person, and I care about my friends. Some of my classes are with typical kids, and some are with kids with learning disabilities. I have an aid who goes with me to my harder classes, like math and biology. She helps me take notes and gives me tips on how I should study for tests. It really helps, but I also challenge myself to do well. For instance, my goal was to be in a typical English class by 12thgrade. That's exactly what happened this year! It's true that I don't learn some things as fast as other people do. But that won't stop me from trying. I just know that if I work really hard and by myself I can do almost anything. I can't change the fact that I have Down Syndrome, but one thing I would change is what people think of me. I'd tell them, "Judge me as a whole person, not just the person you see. Treat me with respect, and accept me for who I am. The most important---just be my friend." A person with Down Syndrome _ according to the passage. <extra_id_0>can learn things almost as fast as normal people do <extra_id_1>has one more chromosome than normal people <extra_id_2>is hard to get along with <extra_id_3>is easy to get along with <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Autumn means different things to different people. "It all depends on your personality," said British naturalist Richard Mabey. "Personality shapes your view of the season," he said. "You may see it as a fading-away,a packing-up ,or as a time of packing in another sense--the exciting gathering of resources before a long journey." If this is true,perhaps it tells us a little about,for instance,Thomas Hood,the 19th Century English poet. About November,he wrote: No warmth,no cheerfulness,no healthful ease No shade,no shine,no butterflies,no bees November! On the other hand,another English poet John Keats,already sensing he was seriously ill,was inspired by a late September day to pen one of the most famous poems in the English language,To Autumn. He wrote to a friend afterwards that there was something comforting and healing about it. According to Richard Mabey,Keats has the biological evidence on his side. Autumn is not a time of slowing down,but a time of new beginnings and great movements of creatures. For example,just at the moment that Keats's "gathering swallows" ( in To Autumn)are departing for Africa,millions of creatures are fleeing from the frozen north like Iceland,Greenland and Russia to winter along the east and south coasts of Britain. According to scientists,before falling,the leaves transfer their chlorophyll and carbohydrates into the woody parts of the tree for safe keeping over winter. What remains is the natural antioxidants in the leaves: the yellow and orange carotenoids ,and another protective chemical specially produced for autumn,the bright-red anthocyanin .High colour is not a signal of deterioration and decline,but of detox ability and good health. A century after Keats,the American poet Loren Eiseley wrote in his journal: "Suppose we saw ourselves burning-like maples in a golden autumn. And that we could break up like autumn leaves...dropping their substance like chlorophyll. Wouldn't our attitude towards death be different?" From the passage we can learn that _ . <extra_id_0>autumn has different faces in different people's eyes <extra_id_1>John Keats was a good biologist as well as a poet <extra_id_2>all creatures move from the cold north to Britain for winter <extra_id_3>the three poets were only known for their poems about autumn <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Bob and his family like eating fish very much. He often buys some fish in the shop and takes them home for dinner. His wife often asks her friends to their home to have lunch and eat fish. One day, Bob buys some fish home and goes to his office to work. His wife sees the fish and thinks, "Good! I can ask my friends to come for lunch." When Bob comes home from work in the evening, he can't find his fish. His wife says, " Oh, It's your cat. Your cat eats it." And she gives Bob some bread for dinner. The husband is very angry . He takes the cat and his wife to the shop near their home to _ the cat. Then he asks his wife, "You see, my fish is one kilo, and this cat is one kilo, too. My fish is here. Then where is my cat?" ,. What does Bob's wife give him for dinner? <extra_id_0>Some bread. <extra_id_1>Some chicken. <extra_id_2>Some fish. <extra_id_3>Some rice. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Most people know that theprefix = st1 /United Statesis made up of fifty states . However , few people know a lot about all fifty of them , Sufjan Stevens is a young American musician . He wants to change this situation Sufjan Stevens plans to make an album about each of the fifty American states . During college he played in several musical groups and recorded an album of his own music . However , he wanted to be a writer , not a musician . So after college he moved toNew York Cityto study writing. In New York , Stevens had trouble writing stories , He discovered that he missed music , He also discovered that most of the stories he did write were about his home state ofMichigan. So , Sufjan Stevens decided to make an album of songs aboutMichigan " Greetings fromMichigan: The Great Lakes State " was released three years ago . Here is the song " Say Yes toMichigan" ( music ) The album was a big success . Many young people and music critics liked it . Before long , Stevens announced that he wanted to make an album for every state . He called it his " fifty states project " Stevens choseIllinoisas his next state . He read many books aboutIllinois. He studied police documents and old newspapers . He talked to people who lived in the state . The CD "Illinois" was released last year . Critics loved the album , It won many awards awards . " Illinois " became popular at colleges throughout theUnited States. People said the CD sounded different form anything else they had ever heard . Here is a song called "Chicago" . (music) sufjan Stevens is keeping his next state a secret from reporters . People have said that he is writing about Oregon , Rhode Island , orMinnesota. However , no one but Stevens knows for sure . We leave you with the song " Decatur " or " Round of Applause For Your Stepmother ," from the CD "Illinois" (music) We can infer that to make an album of sons about a state _ . <extra_id_0>is an easy job <extra_id_1>takes too much time <extra_id_2>needs lots of knowledge <extra_id_3>is a pleasure of critics <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>BC Social Report, August 14, 2010 Scandinavians may spend a lot of the winter in darkness but they are the happiest people in Europe, according to a study showed this month. Countries like Denmark and Finland scored highest on the study of happiness in Europe carried out by Cambridge University, which also found that the sunny southern countries of Italy, Portugal and Greece got the least joy out of life. The survey entitled: "No Man is an Island" showed that countries where people enjoy time with friends and family, have trust in government and national institutions were more likely to be happy than those living in a sunny climate. The study rated respondent on their overall sense of happiness and life satisfaction on a _ of one to 10. Danes --who expressed a high level of trust in their politicians and public institutions--came top of the field at 8.3. Italians--who reported lower levels of satisfaction with their national quality of government--came last at 6.49.' "Italy, Greece, Portugal, Germany and France report the lowest levels of happiness while the Scandinavian Countries, Netherlands and Luxembourg report the highest," the study said. Although Europeans are generally four times wealthier than their fathers and grandfathers, their levels of happiness are either equal to or lower than 40 years ago. The study also looked at factors contributing to happiness within countries and surprisingly found that an interest in politics actually increased happiness. Lead researcher Luisa Corrado said tax cuts and throwing money at social problems appeared to have no effect on the happiness of citizens when compared with government policies which strengthened and supported wider social networks. "People are less naive ( ) than one would expect, politicians need to adapted their policies and target specific problems in specific areas," she said. According to the passage, we can know _ <extra_id_0>Scandinavians are the happiest people in the world <extra_id_1>the research is carried out by Oxford University <extra_id_2>the people of the northern countries are much happier <extra_id_3>Italians expressed their trust in politics and institutions <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A wood fire can be handy when you ' re camping. You can roast marshmallows or stay warm, for example. Forest fires that rage out of control, however, are a big problem. Wildfires cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage every year. And the amount of destruction has grown over the last 2 decades,especially in the western United States. To understand better why the northern Rocky Mountains region has been hit especially hard by wildfires, scientists from the University of Arizona in Tucson looked at weather, snow, and fire records from 1970 to 2003. Their study showed that, between 1987 and 2003, fires burned an area 6. 5 times larger than the area burned between 1970 and 1986. The fire season also started earlier-, and its average length increased by 78 days. Warmer spring and summer temperatures appear to be part of the explanation for this change. The average temperature in the study's more recent period was 0.871 higher than it was in the earlier period. And this trend is likely to continue. Experts predict that average summer temperatures may rise between 23/4 and 53/4 by the year 2050 in western North America. Hie timing of snowmelt appears to be another cause of the fire boom. When snow melts early in the season,forests become drier through the summer and catch fire and burn more easily. Western snow packs now typically melt a week to a month earlier than they did 50 years ago, according to recent studies. Some people have blamed the growing fire risk on policies that allow bush and branches to build up on forest floors. But clearing bush by itself won' t help much if changes in climate are largely responsible for increasingly severe forest fires. The main purpose of studying the records from 1970 to 2003 was to _ . <extra_id_0>find out solutions to forest fires <extra_id_1>prevent wildfires from happening frequently - <extra_id_2>know more about the climate changes in the past decades <extra_id_3>find out the causes of wildfires in the northern Rocky Mountains region <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Australia is the largest island in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is in the south of the earth. Australia is big, but its population is small. The population of it is nearly as large as that of Shanghai. We cannot believe it is such a big country with so small population! Enough laws have been made to fight against pollution. The cities in Australia have little air or water pollution. The sky is blue and the water is clean. You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers. Plants grow very well. Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flowers. Exhibition In spring every year Perth has the wild flower exhibition. After visting Perth, we spent a day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of the hill. But what we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we could--there were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path! Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos. After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep. Sheep ,sheep, everwhere are sheep. Peth is _ . <extra_id_0>the capital of Australia <extra_id_1>in the west of Australia <extra_id_2>in the east of Australia <extra_id_3>the biggest city in Australia <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Speed-reading is a necessary skill in the Internet age.We skim over articles, e-mails and WeChat to try to grasp key words and the essential meaning of a certain text.Surrounded with information from our electronic devices, it would be impossible to cope if we read word by word, line by line.But a new trend calls on people to unplug and enjoy reading slowly, listing benefits beyond the intelligent stimulation. A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, New Zealand, where members meet in a cafe and turn off their smartphones.They sink into cozy chairs and read in silence for an hour. Unlike traditional book clubs, the point of the slow reading club isn't exchanging ideas about a certain book, but to get away from electronic devices and read in a quiet, relaxed environment. According to the Journal, the Wellington book club is just one example of a movement started by book lovers who miss the old-fashioned way of reading before the Internet and smartphones. Slow readers, such as The Atlantic's Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration, reduces stress levels and deepens the ability to sympathize. Another study published last year in Science showed that reading novels helps people understand other's mental states and beliefs, a fundamental skill in building relationships. Yet technology has made us less attentive readers. Screens have changed our reading patterns from the straight and information.left-to-right sequence to a wild skimming and skipping pattern as we hunt for important words and information. Reading text punctuated with links leads to weaker comprehension than reading plain text. The Internet may have made us stupider, says Patrick Kingsley from The Guardian. Because of the Internet, he says, we have become very good at collecting a wide range of interesting news, but we are also gradually forgetting how to sit back, reflect, and relate all these facts to each other. Slow reading means a return to an uninterrupted, straight pattern, in a quiet environment free of distractions. Aim for 30 minutes a day, advises Kelly from The Atlantic. "You can squeeze in that half hour pretty easily if only during your free moments, you pick up a meaningful work of literature," Kelly said. "Reach for your e-reader, if you like. Kindles make books like War and Peace less heavy, not less substantive, and also ensure you'll never lose your place." According to Patrick Kingsley, people are stupider partly because of _ . <extra_id_0>a non-stop reading pattern <extra_id_1>the straight, left-to-right screen <extra_id_2>a wide range of interesting news <extra_id_3>the lack of reflection <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Television is good.You'd like to watch it all day and all night.But too much TV is a very bad thing.Scientists found that kids who watch too much TV may have more trouble learning to read.They can't focus on their work. Kids learn language skills best by reading,talking and playing with others.If they spend too much time watching TV,they'll have less time for those things. Watching too much TV is bad for people's health.People don't move much while watching TV.What's more,they may eat a lot of food while watching.This can make them fat.We call these people"couch potatoes". Fighting on TV is a big problem for kids.Young people are good at following.Scientists have found that those who watch a lot of fighting programmes are more likely to fight. Scientists say if kids watch too much TV,they will _ . <extra_id_0>learn language skills more easily <extra_id_1>be healthier <extra_id_2>find it hard to learn to read <extra_id_3>eat less food <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>This August, we'll welcome guests from all over the world. Some of them follow their own special cultural traditions. It's important for us to know about them. *In many countries, such as Thailand, India and Malaysia, people believe that the left hand is unclean. So, it's not proper to use one's left hand to hold food, touch others or pass objects, Doing so may _ certain guests. *Some Westerners may be offended if you touch them or their personal things-even by accident. If this happens, say sorry politely. *Some elderly Westerners may be offended if you try to help them without their agreement. *People think numbers can be lucky or unlucky. Some Westerners avoid the number 13 because they believe it is unlucky. *Muslims do not eat pork, and words like pigs are not considered proper. *People from Brazil, Italy and Pakistan do not give handkerchiefs as gifts. They believe a handkerchief is closely connected with unhappy feelings. *Wine is not sent as a gift in many parts of western and middle Asia, where most Muslims live. What does the passage mainly talk about? <extra_id_0>Lucky numbers. <extra_id_1>Traditional food. <extra_id_2>Culture differences. <extra_id_3>Hands and handkerchiefs. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Lucy, whose skeleton was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974, died shortly after she fell out of a tree, according to a new study published Monday in the British journalNature. For their research, Kappelman and Dr. Richard Ketcham used a CT scanner to create more than 35,000 "slices" of Lucy's skeleton. Scientists named her Lucy from the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", which was played at the camp the night of her discovery. The following analysis of the slices showed sharp, clean breaks seen at the end of Lucy's right humerus are similar to bone breaks seen in victims of falls. The researchers concluded that these and other breaks in her skeleton show that Lucy, who is believed to have stood about 3 feet 6 inches and weighed about 60 pounds, fell feet first and used her arms to support herself -- but that the injury was too severe to have been survivable. The researchers estimate that Lucy was going about 35 miles an hour when she hit the ground after falling from a height of roughly 40 feet, according to the statement. That sounds _ . But other scientists are doubtful. "There are countless explanations for bone breaks," Dr, Donald C, Johanson, director of the Institute of Human Origins and one of the scientists who discovered Lucy, said, "The suggestion that she fell out of a tree is largely a just-so story and therefore unprovable." Johanson said it was more likely that Lucy's breaks occurred long after she died, saying that "elephant bones appear to have the same kind of breaks, It's unlikely they fell out of a tree. " But the new research focused on "a small number of breaks" that are consistent with "high-energy bone-to-bone influences" and which differ from the sorts of breaks commonly seen in other collected bones. Kappelman responded in an email, "These appear to have occurred at or near the time of death." What conclusion can we draw from the passage? <extra_id_0>Lucy didn't die from falling out of a tree. <extra_id_1>The newly published study was meaningless. <extra_id_2>The argument on how Lucy died will continue. <extra_id_3>Scientists will find another way to solve the problem. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Every day, young people across the globe are doing their part to keep the Earth healthy and green. These are just a few kid heroes for the planet. Manatee Minder When she was in second grade, Stephanie Cohen read about a baby manatee hit by a boat off the coast of Florida. Marine biologists saved the manatee. But caring for the sea creature was costly. Stephanie took up a collection and raised $ 27 in one day. Now 18, Stephanie still raises money to help these " gentle giants". She sells manatee decorations, candles and cards on her website kmad. Org. Color Us Green! At Clarendon Elementary School, in Secaucus, New Jersey, the students know what to do with old, used and broken crayons .Recycle them ! They collect the crayons and send them to Crazy Crayons, where they are made into different shapes and sizes. In the past eight years, new Jersey students have recycled nearly nine tons of crayons. Goodbye, Paper Bags! When Adrienne Boukis, 15, was in sixth grade, in Walnut Creek, California, she noticed that many of her classmates carried paper lunch bags. To help kids cut down on waste, she invented a reusable lunch bag, which is partially made from recycled plastic bottles. She sells the bags at greengearbag. Com and some of the _ go to charity that is in need of money. He' s Skiiing to Save the Earth Parker Liautaud, 15, wanted to raise awareness about the effects of climate change on the polar regions. He set out to become one of the youngest people ever to ski to the North Pole. Parker feels he met his goal to inspire others. "All young people have the power to make a change."he said in an interview. What do the kid heroes have in common ? <extra_id_0>They are all high school students. <extra_id_1>They all involve themselves in green activities. <extra_id_2>They all raise money for green activities. <extra_id_3>They are all from poor families. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>In class, your teachers will talk about topics that you are studying. The information they provide will be important for you to know when you take tests. You must be able to take good written notes from what your teachers say. Taking good notes is a three-stage process in which there are certain things you should do before class, during class and after class. Review your notes from the previous class before you come to class. This will help remember what was covered and get you ready to understand new information your teacher provide. Complete all assigned readings before you come to class. Your teacher will expect that you have done this and will use and build upon this information. Bring all notetaking materials with you to class. Have several pens and pencils as well as your notebook. Keep your attention focused on what your teacher is saying. Listen for "signal statements" that tell you that what your teacher is about to say is important to write in your notes. Write quickly so that you can include all the information in your notes. Place a "?" next to information you write in your notes that you are not sure of. Rewrite your notes to make them more complete by changing short words into whole words, symbols into words and shortened sentences into longer sentences. Make your notes more _ by answering any questions you had when writing your notes in class. Use your textbook and reference sources to obtain the information you need to answer your questions. If necessary, ask your teacher or other students for help. Check with other students to be sure you did not leave out important information. Having good class note will help you to be better prepared for tests. You should do the following thing before class EXCEPT _ . <extra_id_0>going over the notes you took in the last class <extra_id_1>finishing reading some materials your teacher gave you in last class <extra_id_2>taking some materials you will use in your class <extra_id_3>checking your answers with other students <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow perched on their window. The father asked his son, "What is this?" The son replied, "It is a crow." After a few minutes, the father asked his son the 2 time, "What is this?" The son said, "Father, I have just now told you 'It's a crow'." After a little while, the old father again asked his son the 3 time, "What is this?" At this time some expression of was felt in the son's tone when he said to his father. "It's a crow, a crow, a crow." A little after, the father again asked his son the 4 time, "What is this?" This time the son shouted at his father, "Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times 'IT IS A CROW'. Are you not able to understand this?" A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered diary, which he had maintained since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page. When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary: "Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow was sitting on the window. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not at all feel irritated, I rather felt affection for my innocent child." The reason why the father did not feel irritated when his son asked him the same question for 23 times is that _ . <extra_id_0>he knew his son was still so innocent <extra_id_1>the father was more patient than the son <extra_id_2>the father had already got used to this kind of situation <extra_id_3>the father loved his son so much that he never got tired of doing this again and again <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Recently I overheard a father and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. The airline had announced her departure and standing near the security gate,they hugged and he said,"I love you. I wish you enough" She in turn said,"Dad,our life together has been more than enough. Your love is a11 I ever needed. I wish you enough,too,Dad. "They kissed and she left He walked over toward the window where I was seated Standing there I could see he wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to disturb his privacy, but he welcomed me in by asking,"Did you ever say good--bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'' "Yes,I have. "I replied"Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?""I'm old and she lives much too far away I have challenges ahead,and the reality is,the next trip back will be for my funeral. "He said. "When you were saying good-bye 1 heard you say,'1 wish you enough. 'm ay I ask what that means?" He began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down for many generations within my family. My parents used to say it to everyone. " He paused for a moment,looking up as if trying to remember it in detail,and then he smiled even more"When we said'I wish you enough',we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain(...)them. ,,He continued and then turning toward me be shared the following: "I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate a11 that you possess I wish you enough 'Hellos' to get you enough the final 'Good--byes'" Then he walked away. I WISH YOU ENOUGH ! The father at the airport to_. <extra_id_0>see his daughter off <extra_id_1>welcome his daughter home <extra_id_2>meet his daughter and the author <extra_id_3>share the touching poem with the author <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>How do the spines of a cactus help it survive? <extra_id_0>Spines help the cactus get moisture. <extra_id_1>Spines anchor the cactus in the ground. <extra_id_2>Spines protect the cactus from animals. <extra_id_3>Spines support the stems and branches of the cactus. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>From Earth, the Sun appears brighter than any other star because the Sun is the <extra_id_0>newest star. <extra_id_1>largest star. <extra_id_2>hottest star. <extra_id_3>closest star. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>If you want to improve your child's results at school, you could do a lot worse than ensuring that they do plenty of exercise. Scientists have already shown that physical activity can make you brainier. But a team in America has used scans to show that an important part of the brain actually grows in children who are fit. These youngsters tend to be more intelligent and have better memories than those who are inactive. Scientists also found that one of the most important parts of their brains was 12 percent larger than those of unfit children. They believe that encouraging children to take exercise from a very young age could help them do better at school later. Researchers from the University of Illinois, in the U.S., studied the brains of 49 children aged nine and ten using a magnetic resonance imaging scan , a technique which provides very detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body. They also tested the fitness levels of the children by making them run on a treadmill . The scientists found that the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning, was around 12 percent larger in the fitter children. Professor Art Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Brain Research, said the findings had important implications for encouraging individuals to take part in sport from a young age. "We knew that experience and environmental factors and socioeconomic status all impact brain development," he said. "If you get some terrible genes from your parents, you can't really fix that, and it's not easy to do something about your economic status. But here's something that we can do something about." All the following factors that have some influence on one's brain are mentioned EXCEPT _ . <extra_id_0>genetic factor <extra_id_1>economic status <extra_id_2>physical fitness <extra_id_3>economic development <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>(BEIJING, August 10)--The Beijing Dailyhas put together a number of tips for cost-efficient travel in Beijing. Subway transfer "Transfer" is a word frequently used by volunteers helping visitors choose the best way of transport during the ongoing Beijing Olympics to save time. On the seven subway lines now in operation, the transport authorities have set up a total of 16 transfer stations: Transfer between Line 2 and Line 1 at Jianguomen and Fuxingmen stations; Transfer between Line 2 and Line 5 at Chongwenmen and Yonghegong stations; Transfer between Line 2 and Line 13 at Dongzhimen and Xizhimen stations; Dongzhimen station can also bring you to Beijing Capital International Airport via the Airport Line; Transfer between Line 1 and Line Batong at Sihui and Sihuidong stations; Transfer from Line 1 to Line 10 at Guomao station to reach Zhongguancun, the north Third Ring Road (going north and west) or Jinsong (going south). Via Line 10, transfer to Line 8 at Beitucheng station to reach the Olympic central zone, where the "Bird's Nest" and other venues are located; transfer to Line 5 at Huixinxijie Nankou; transfer to Line 13 at Zhichunlu and Shaoyaoju stations; Sanyuanqiao station takes you to the airport via the Airport Line. From subway to bus Beijing's subway system is thoroughly linked with bus routes. The Beijing Railway Station, which can be reached via the Line 2 subway, has bus lines going north, southeast and to the West Railway Station, covering Chaoyang, Tongzhou, Daxing and other districts. Xizhimen station is linked to many bus routes that go south and northeast. The long-distance bus routes near Dongzhimen station pass through Shunyi, Pinggu and other outskirts. Park and ride Park and ride facilities allow commuters to leave their personal vehicles in a parking lot and transfer to a bus or rail system. In Beijing, because of city planning and other factors, park and ride is limited to bus and subway stations beyond the Fourth Ring Road. Since the Line 5 subway began operating, a low-fare parking lot, the largest in Beijing, was created at Tiantongyuan Beizhan station. Drivers are encouraged to spend just two yuan per day parking their vehicles and take the subway into the city. According to the tips, if you take Line 2, how can you reach Zhongguancun? <extra_id_0>Transfer to Line 1 at Jianguomen station, and then transfer to Line 10 at Guomao station. <extra_id_1>Transfer to Line 5 at Chongwenmen station, and then transfer to Line 10 at Guomao station. <extra_id_2>Transfer to Line 13 at Dongzhimen station, and then transfer to Line 8 at Beituchengstation. <extra_id_3>Transfer to Line 1 at Dongzhimen station, and then transfer to Line 10 at Guomao station. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>The New York Times announced Wednesday that it intended to charge frequent readers for access to its website, a step being debated across the industry that nearly every major newspaper has so far feared to take. Starting in early 2011, visitors to NYTimes.com will get a certain number of articles free every month before being asked to pay a standard and fixed fee for unlimited access. Subscribers to the newspaper's print edition will receive full access to the site. But executives of The New York Times Company said they could not yet answer fundamental questions about the plan, like how much it would cost or what the limit would be on free reading. They stressed that the amount of free access could change with time, in response to economic conditions and reader demand. Still, publishers fear that money from digital subscriptions would not make up for the resulting loss of audience and advertising income. NYTimes.com is by far the most popular newspaper site in the country, with more than 17 million readers a month in the United States, according to Nielsen Online, and analysts say it is the leader in advertising income, as well. That may make it better positioned than other general-interest papers to charge--and also gives The Times more to lose if the move produces an opposed result. The Times Company has been studying the matter for almost a year, searching for common ground between pro-and-anti pay campaigns--a debate mirrored in dozens of media-watching blogs-- and the system will not go into effect until January 2011. Executives said they were not bothered by the possibility of absorbing barbs for moving cautiously. "There's no prize for getting it quick," said Janet L. Robinson, the company's president and chief executive. "There's more of a prize for getting it right." Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? <extra_id_0>Non-paying subscribers will get no access to NYTimes.com. <extra_id_1>Readers will be charged more to read articles on NYTimes.com. <extra_id_2>Readers will get more free online articles to log on NYTimes. com more often. <extra_id_3>Subscribers to the paper's print edition will also enjoy full access to the site. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Going Zero Waste means more than dealing with the rubbish we create. It means reducing _ , too. People who go Zero Waste are careful about what they do. They never take more than they need, they reuse plastic bags, and they make good plans not to buy more than necessary before going shopping. Kamikatsu, a Japanese village, has already gone Zero Waste. The 2,000 villagers recycle everything possible. There are 34 different boxes at the recycling center! The villagers sometimes just feel unhappy about what they have to do, but they also see the good side. Let's think about how to enjoy a Zero Waste Christmas. By sending recyclable cards, we can help our friends and family reduce waste. And wouldn't it be better to enjoy the spirit of Christmas with a real tree that can be re-planted in spring? Going Zero Waste requires us to think more about what happens before and after we act. It is not always easy. But just think how good it would be, both for ourselves and for the earth we live on, if we never had to waste anything. Which of the following is a way of going Zero Waste? <extra_id_0>Plant trees at Christmas. <extra_id_1>Using plastic bags when shopping. <extra_id_2>Sending recyclable cards for Christmas. <extra_id_3>Buying things when you are very hungry. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>A story from the Bible tells of old Babylon, where the men decided to build a tower that would touch the sky.But God was unhappy, and he made them speak different languages.They couldn't understand each other, so their dream never came true. Yet the dream remains alive: if all men speak the same language, they can do anything.L.L.Zamenhof from Poland was among the men who this dream.He developed Esperanto between 1877 and 1885. As the most successful man-made world language, it is spoken by over two million people around the world.Last month, the World Esperanto Congress , dealing with language rights, ended in Sweden.The 2004 conference will be held in Beijing.Most Esperanto speakers are in Central and Eastern Europe and in East Asia, particularly Chinese mainland. Esperanto has two advantages.First, it's easy.Each letter has exactly one sound and there are just 16 basic grammar rules.The second advantage is that it belongs to no one country.But Esperanto has only reached a small number of people compared with natural languages widely used around the world-such as English or Chinese.While these languages are deeply connected with their nations and cultures, Esperanto doesn't have this background. Will Esperanto really become a global language? It remains a question. The writer tells us a story at the beginning to _ . <extra_id_0>explain why men have been making the effort to create a language shared by all <extra_id_1>explain why men now speak different languages <extra_id_2>show the relationship between man and God <extra_id_3>prove that language is very important <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Airtight plastic bags can help farmers protect their harvests without the use of harmful chemicals. These bags are designed to keep air out of crops in storage. Using them is a simple way to fight insects and keep crops fresh. Ten countries in West and Central Africa are involved in a project to improve the storage of cowpeas, also known as black-eyed peas. Farmers can lose much of the harvest to insects called bruchids , which grow from egg to adult in a few weeks and then lay forty to sixty eggs. They can destroy the whole harvest within months. Farmers can sell their crops immediately. But selling at harvest time means more competition and lower prices.Or they can use pesticides to kill the bugs. But a crop scientist Dieudonne Baributsa says, "They end up misusing or overusing the pesticide. In Nigeria, they have reported a lot of cases of death. They usually call cowpeas 'killer beans' in Nigeria." Mr. Baributsa is a researcher at Purdue University in Indiana, America. The project is called PICS---Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage. He says the storage bags are thick enough that any insects already in the cowpeas willdie from a lack of oxygen. The lack of air will also help prevent the growth of bacteria that can ruin the harvest. The bags cost about two dollars each. Mr. Baributsa says that is not much, especially if it means farmers can wait long enough to get a better price for their crops. The bags are produced locally. Donors currently support the project, but the groups involved are working to build a lasting market for the bags because donation for the project will not lastforever. A company based in the United States called GrainPro makes another kind of airtight bags. These are called SuperGrainbags. Phil Villers, the company's president, says storing a harvest safely not only helps farmers earn more money, but also reduces the amount of the harvest loss to insects, spoilage and mishandling. "What does not get wasted and eaten means it is possible to feed a hungry world," said Phil Villers. Which statement of the following is NOT true? <extra_id_0>Any insects in the bags will soon use up the air and then die. <extra_id_1>The airtight plastic bags currently sold on the market do not last long. <extra_id_2>The project provides the farmers with the bags for free at present. <extra_id_3>What farmers can earn from the use of the bags is more than they have to pay. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>As I was leaving to meet Lynne,my roommate told me that I'd better take some money,but I didn't listen to him. I thought that Lynne would pay because she had invited me. I arrived at the restaurant exactly on time. I'd been told that Americans expect you to be on time. Lynne and I sat at a table in the corner of the restaurant and a waitress came and took our order. The dinner was a great success. I talked a lot about Saudi Arabia and Lynne told me all about herself. After two hours the waitress finally came and asked if we wanted one check or two. Lynne said two. We went to the cashier and Lynne paid her check. I was embarrassed when the cashier gave me my bill. I had no money to pay for my meal. Then I had an idea. I pretended to look for something in my pockets and said,"Oh!I forgot my money! Can I call my roommate,please?" The cashier showed me where the phone was and I quickly called my roommate. In a few minutes he arrived with some money,but he couldn't hide how he felt. He laughed all the way home. Now,I think it's funny too. But at the time I was terribly embarrassed. I thought that an invitation to have dinner meant the same thing in the United States as in my country. I guess you have to understand that your customs are only your customs. When you visit a foreign country,you have to learn about their customs,too. The roommate laughed all the way home because the writer _ . <extra_id_0>was embarrassed when he couldn't pay his breakfast <extra_id_1>would not listen to him when he left the house <extra_id_2>telephoned him to bring some books to him <extra_id_3>hadn't told Lynne the truth <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Jack drives a school bus.His bus is different from other school buses because it doesn't carry children.Jack's bus takes dogs to school in the morning and brings them home at night.Jack takes the dogs to "The Dog School".There four men teach the dogs to obey and protect their owners.All kinds of dogs go to the school--large dogs,small dogs,young dogs and old dogs Jack says that young dogs are the easiest to teach,but the old ones can learn,too. Do you have a dog? Maybe it would like to go to "The Dog School". The best title of the passage is _ . <extra_id_0>A School for Dogs <extra_id_1>Taking Children to School <extra_id_2>How to Find Dogs <extra_id_3>How to Drive a Bus <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Should students do the grading? The Supreme Court says the practice doesn't violate a student's right to privacy, but is it right for students to grade one another? Walter Potenza, California The Supreme Court was absolutely correct to say it's OK for students to grade one another's homework, quizzes, and tests: in fact, it's a great idea. By grading one another's papers and seeing the problems their classmates have, students double their exposure to the troubles that they may meet on future exams and tests. Grading one another's papers may be one of the best ways for students to _ within themselves the ways to master the most difficult parts of what they are learning. Teachers are underappreciated and underpaid for the number of hours they have to work to be able to teach really well. Grading all their students' papers can take hours. Some of that time and energy can be saved by spending a few minutes in class, while providing an extremely valuable learning experience. I understand that some individuals are sensitive to their classmates seeing their work or grades. Any good teacher would be considerate of students who don't want their classmates to grade their assignments. Winston Smith, North Carolina A girl moves back as her classmate announces her failing test grade and hands her the paper. The quiet classroom heats up. With the increase in student grading over the past few years, scenes like this have become a bitter reality in schools across the nation. Teachers and schools should not advocate student grading and public announcement of grades because it provides a violation of privacy for students and causes unfair judgments and treatment by their classmates. Since 1974, a law known as the Buckley Amendment has forbidden the release of education records in order to protect the privacy of students and their families. I strongly disagree with the Court's ruling that this law does not include student grading. I can think of no greater violation of privacy than the exposure of one's personal information to a group of peers . This can be very embarrassing. Releasing this sort of personal information should be avoided, especially by institutions that seek to provide a supportive environment during essential years of human development. What does Winston Smith seem to agree? <extra_id_0>Student grading is not related to families' privacy. <extra_id_1>The Supreme Court should change its decision. <extra_id_2>The Buckley Amendment doesn't apply to student grading. <extra_id_3>Student grading is OK, but not public announcement of grades. <extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>For years we have been told that encouraging a child's self-respect is important to his or her success in life. But child experts are now learning that too much praise can lead to the opposite effect. _ who expect it at every turn may become teens who seek the same kind of approval from their friends when asked if they want to go in the backseat of the car. The implication of saying "You are the prettiest girl in class," or talking about the goals she scored but not her overall effort, is that you love her only when she looks the best, scores the highest, achieves the most. And this carries over to the classroom. Social psychologist Carol Dweck, PHD, tested the effects of over-praise on 400 fifth graders while she was at Columbia University. She found that kids praised for "trying hard" did better on tests and were more likely to take on difficult assignments than those praised for being "smart". "Praising attributes or abilities makes a false promise that success will come to you because you have that quality, and it devalues effort, so children are afraid to take on challenges," says Dweck, now at Stanford University, "They figure they'd better quit while they're ahead." We can infer from the passage that _ . <extra_id_0>praise for efforts should be more encouraged <extra_id_1>praise for results works better than praise for efforts <extra_id_2>praising a child's achievements benefits his or her success in life <extra_id_3>praising a child's abilities encourages him or her to take on challenges <extra_id_4>
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