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<extra_id_5>Starting next month, people in prefix = st1 /Washingtonwill be able to rent a bicycle day and night with a membership card. A new company called SmartBike will make 120 bicycles available at 10 spots in the city. "There's a lot of stress on our transit systems," said Jim Sebastian, who manages bicycle and pedestrian programs forWashington's Transportation Department. Offering another choice, Mr Sebastian said, "It will help us reduce traffic jam and pollution, as well as parking problems." In the deal, the company will have the advertising rights in the city's bus shelters and it has reached a similar deal with San Erancisco. Chicago andPortland,Ore., are also considering the program. For a $40 annual membership fee, SmartBike users can check out three-speed bicycles for three hours at a time. The program will not provide helmets but does encourage their use. Similar programs have proved successful in Europe. The Ve1ib program in Paris and Bicing in Barcelona, Spain, both started around a year ago and already offer thousands of bicycles. Mr Sebastian, who started trying to bring bike-sharing to Washington even before its success in Paris and Barcelona, said he believed that the program could grow within a year and hoped that it would eventually offer 1 000 bicycles. "But studies showed that many bikes would get stolen in a day, or within a few weeks," said Paul DeMaio, a Washington-area bike-sharing consultant. Improved technology allows programs to better protect bicycles. In Washington, SmartBike users who keep bicycles longer than the three-hour maximum will receive demerits and could eventually lose renting privileges. Bicycles gone for more than 48 hours will be considered lost, with the last user charged a $200 replacement fee. The low cost could be one of the program's major selling points. At GeorgeWashingtonUniversityin Foggy Bottom, one of the program's 10 locations, students were unsure how often they would use SmartBike, but said its price made it worth a try. From the text, we can know _ .
<extra_id_0>the SmartBike company can only make money by renting the bikes
<extra_id_1>there are many other cities which show great interest in the program
<extra_id_2>the SmartBike company will be the first one to run bike-renting business
<extra_id_3>the SmartBike company will have 1 000 bicycles at the renting spots
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<extra_id_5>Maps of the world's population show that the majority of people today live near water. We live along coastlines, around bays, up the course of rivers and streams and on islands. We also vacation at the beach and find comfort fishing on a lake. Nothing makes small children happier than the chance of playing in water. More surprisingly, this human favor for water makes evolutionary sense. Sure, we need drinking water to live, but we have also benefited from what's swimming under the waves. Neuroscientist Crawford of the University of North London has proposed that our ancient ancestors attached to the sea, and that their devotion paid off by allowing the human species to develop large and complex brains. Crawford claims that when humans separated from apes and appeared in the forests of Africa, they stuck close to rivers and beaches and started catching fish, clams and crabs. That seafood was packed with omega-3 fatty acids, essential fatty acids that promote brain cell growth. It's no coincidence, Crawford claims, that human brain growth began to increase rapidly once we left the woods and headed for the beach. Scientists have also discovered that people who eat fish regularly are less likely to suffer from depression than those who eat less seafood. Biochemist Hibbelin of the National Institutes of Health has shown that across cultures there is a direct link between amount of fish eaten each week and rates of depression. More interestingly, Hibbelin and researcher Laura have found that fish is commonly used as a symbol of happiness and good health in various religions and cultures. We know that fish and the sea are good for us, and so we seek them out. We vacation on the coast and see the waves come and go, feeling happiness has taken over our brain. When we move inland, or go home from vacation, we lose touch with our sea roots and feel unhappy. Human beings have benefited a lot from seafood because _ .
<extra_id_0>seafood has enough water and is fresh
<extra_id_1>fishes in the sea have large and complex brains
<extra_id_2>our ancestors had nothing to eat but seafood
<extra_id_3>it is abundant in fatty acids promoting brain cell growth
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<extra_id_5>I think lots of students like the pop singer named Jay. I also like him very much. Do you know as a boy, Jay was called _ . But his mother noticed that the quiet, shy boy seemed to dance well when he heard the Western pop music. His mother sent him to a piano school when he was four. When he grows up, he has an ability for playing the piano beyond his years. I learned to play the piano from 7 years old to 13 years old. I often feel bored when I practice playing the piano. But Jay was always crazy about playing the piano. I think he really likes music. He is my hero.. I admire Jay. The real reason is when the others all denied him, he never gave up. He tried his best to change his life. I think it is good for everybody. I hope that everyone can learn from him--try our best to do everything. Then I think we will be the winners. How long did the writer learn to play the piano?
<extra_id_0>For 4 years
<extra_id_1>For 7 years
<extra_id_2>For 6 years.
<extra_id_3>For 13 years.
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<extra_id_5>Almost everyone suffers from a headache occasionally. But some people suffer from repeated, frequent headaches. What is headache? What causes it? What can be done about a headache? What research is being done on headaches? The dictionary defines headache simply as "a pain in the head." What most people mean by headache is a pain which lasts several minutes or hours. It covers the whole head, or one side of it, or perhaps the front or the back of the head. To add to the confusion about a definition, some people call tight feeling in the head a headache. A headache is important because it can be the first warning of a serious condition which probably could be controlled if discovered early. If a person removes the warning, day after day, with a pain-killer, he may pass the point of easy control. The professional name for covering up a symptom is "masking" (,). A headache specialist once said, "Masking symptoms is not the best way of treatment." He compared taking a pain-killer for a headache before a cause is known with taking iron pills for anemia while bleeding continues undiscovered. He added, "Sometimes it is wiser to stand still than to advance in darkness. A headache is important also because it interferes needlessly with normal, happy living. The employee with a headache does less work. In a flash of temper he may upset his fellow workers or customers, causing a direct of indirect loss to his organization. The mother with a headache suffers and disturbs the family. She upsets her husband and children. Which is true according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Headache may last several minutes.
<extra_id_1>Headache maybe cover the whole body.
<extra_id_2>Headache has nothing to do with others.
<extra_id_3>Headache maybe anything except the tight feeling in the head.
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<extra_id_5>One day, John Randolph rode on his horse to a town many miles from his home. The road was strange to him, so he traveled very slowly. When the night fell, he stopped at a nice roadside inn for accommodation .The innkeeper welcomed him. A fine supper was prepared. The innkeeper talked about the weather, the roads, the crops. However, his guest ate silently. Next morning after breakfast, Mr. Randolph paid his bill and was ready for his journey. Leading his horse to the door, the innkeeper said, "Which way will you travel, sir?" Mr. Randolph looked at him and answered, "I've paid you my bill. Should I pay you anything more? I travel the way I wish to go." But not far from the inn, to his surprise, there were two ways. He searched for a while but there was no sign to help him. The innkeeper was still standing by the door. He called to him: "My friend, which road leads to Lynchburg?" The innkeeper answered, "Sir, you have paid your bill and don't owe me a cent. Travel the way you wish to go. Good-bye!" As bad luck would have it, Mr. Randolph took the wrong road. Though out of his way, he lost much time, all because of his rudeness. We can learn from the story that
<extra_id_0>we shouldn't tell others we are rich
<extra_id_1>we shouldn't travel on a horse
<extra_id_2>we shouldn't be rude to others
<extra_id_3>we shouldn't stay in a roadside inn
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<extra_id_5>Joseph Banks was born in 1743,the only son of a wealthy land-owning family. From an early age, he was interested in natural history, and in particular, botany. In the early 1760 's he chose to make this dream to the full. In 1766 he travelled to Newfoundland and Labrador to collect plants, animals and rocks. For him, joining Captain Cook' s 1768 expedition to Tahiti was like a present- day scientist being given the chance of a trip to another planet, a chance to study new plants in unknown lands. They made collections and observations in South America, Tahiti and New Zealand before reaching Australia. His major landfalls on the eastern coast of Australia were at Botany Bay and at the Endeavor River. He thought collection of plants was grown so large that it was necessary that some extraordinary care should be taken of them in case they should destroy. The plant material collected and sorted on the voyage was huge, with the herbarium specimens about 1300 new species. After returning from this voyage, Banks travelled to Scotland, Wales, Holland and Iceland, collecting more and more _ . Among many other activities, without thinking running out of his money, he controlled the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and was a Trustee of the British Museum. Although Linneaus' suggestion of naming the new country of Australia "Banksia" was not accepted, Banks' name was bestowed upon Australian plants and he made his mark upon Australian history in other ways, later he became the well-known authority on matters relating to New South Wales. He had a great impact on the study of natural history in both Britain and Australia. He died in 1820. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
<extra_id_0>Australian people loved Banks.
<extra_id_1>Banks died at the age of 76.
<extra_id_2>Banks' trips to many places laid foundation for his achievements in botany.
<extra_id_3>Both Banks and Linneaus devoted their whole loves to investigating plants.
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<extra_id_5>It's no secret that doing good makes others happy - but did you know it can make you happy as well? According to a study, people participating in meaningful activities were happier and felt that their lives had more purpose than people who only engaged in pleasure-seeking behaviors. Try giving these four things to others to start your journey to a happier and healthier lifestyle. 1. Your Time With a busy life, it can be hard to find any time to give away. However, volunteering your time has great benefits, including making new friends and connections, learning new skills and even advancing your career. According to a paper about the link between health and volunteering, volunteering is connected with lower instances of depression and reduces the risk of dying by 22 percent. 2. Your Attention Most of us think we're good listeners, but according to psychologist Paul Donoghue, most people are aware that others don't listen as well as they could. In addition, they're not fully aware that they themselves aren't listening. When practicing mindfulness meditation , you focus on what you experience in the moment and let your thoughts and emotions pass through without judgment. Did you know that giving someone your undivided attention helps you also? When done well, active listening strengthens your focus-which is a major part of good meditation. 3. Your Compassion The psychological meaning of compassion is the ability to understand another person's emotional state. Compassion differs from empathy in that those who experience compassion not only put themselves in another person's shoes, but also want to reduce that person's suffering. A brain-imaging study showed that the brain's pleasure centers are equally active when we give money to the poor as when we receive money ourselves. 4. Your Money According to an experiment, those who spend money on other people are significantly happier than those who spend the same quantity of money on themselves. Whether or not you can offer other gifts, donating money helps make real change happen. It represents time spent, compassion and careful attention to the needs of others. What is the purpose of the passage?
<extra_id_0>To encourage people to help others.
<extra_id_1>To give the meaning of "happiness".
<extra_id_2>To offer a practical way of life.
<extra_id_3>To show his kindness.
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<extra_id_5>People often tear
<extra_id_0>rain
<extra_id_1>evaporation
<extra_id_2>voltage
<extra_id_3>private documents
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<extra_id_5>It all started when I was two years old. My parents didn't get along and got divorced . I hated that I couldn't see both of my parents at the same time. So my dad, my younger sister, Alexis, and I went to live with my grandma and grandpa. We lived with them for almost six years. My mom, on the other hand, lived with her boyfriend Michael in Oklahoma. My life was really good, but when my mom called to check up on my sister and me, I cried myself to sleep. I missed her so much. My life at my grandparents' house was really nice. And then on Friday, May 15, 2002, my grandpa died of cancer. I cried for seven days straight. My dad and his new wife were worried about me. So they took me to the doctor and they said that I was too sad and that I needed to find something happy and healthy to do during the day. I prayed to God every night saying that I was sorry for getting myself sick and I also prayed for him to take care of my grandpa. I still pray to this day. And now, at my mom's house, she has a four-year-old girl, my half-sister, Macie. And I have my step-dad , Michael, there for me. I really like Michael. He's really good to me and my sister. And at my dad's house, I have two little brothers, Blake and Justin. Blake is two years old and Justin is ten months old. I have so much to be thankful for, but I'm still looking for more. Half-sister means the writer and Macie have the same _ .
<extra_id_0>father but different mothers
<extra_id_1>mother but different fathers
<extra_id_2>grandmother but different grandfathers
<extra_id_3>grandfather but different grandmothers
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<extra_id_5>My cat's name is Lucy. She is a very pretty cat. Her hair is _ . She has four children. She is very happy with her young babies. The four children are not all like Lucy very much. The biggest child is quite black. It is black with white feet and white ears. Two children are like their mother. They are black. My daughter says, "Aren't they pretty ? Can' t I have the black and white one? Isn't he a tomcat ?" I say, "I don't know, but I know the yellow and black ones are female ." "Are they? How do you know?" "For they are yellow and black. Tomcats never have that colour. I' ll tell you something about that. Listen---" The biggest baby is _ with _ feet and _ ears.
<extra_id_0>black; white; yellow
<extra_id_1>black; yellow; white
<extra_id_2>black; black and yellow; red
<extra_id_3>black; white; white
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<extra_id_5>Rose has four cousins.They are Ann, Betty, Peter and Bill.Pose is the oldest of them.Betty is thirteen years old.She is two years younger than Pose and one year older than Peter.Bill is nine.Ann, the youngest is seven. Betty and Peter are good at running.But Peter runs faster.Pose and Ann like to play basketball.Rose plays better than Ann.Bill is the best singer of them five.Rose an Betty study in a middle school.Ann, Peter and Bill study in a primary school.These five children all work hard at their lessons.But Betty works the hardest. Peter is _ years old
<extra_id_0>nine
<extra_id_1>twelve
<extra_id_2>thirteen
<extra_id_3>fifteen
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<extra_id_5>Why Rent Textbooks? Renting textbooks is a relatively new idea for everyone. Back in the old days, the idea of renting one never existed since the books are affordable or readily available in libraries. But the time has changed and with the changes in educational system and various economic challenges happening across the globe, the price of textbooks increased. Given such fact, textbook renting is now a new fashion among college students. Research was made to find out if renting helps one save money and time rather than buying new textbooks and realized that it really is. Let's examine carefully further and see why renting books is a cost-effective way to still get to have your textbooks without _ too much money from your pocket. Gives value for your money You don't have to buy all of your textbooks. Those non-major subjects, are better acquired through renting. It saves one money and helps you give out the money you save on some other personal possessions you need in college. Renting textbooks allows you to save at least 50% off the standard retail price for each item. You can tell, with a little research, that renting is a lot cheaper compared to buying used books aside from looking way better than the former. Saves time You can save a great deal of time when renting a textbook. Instead of browsing your way for hours trying to look for better deals online, you can simply go to a popular book renting marketplace online and just order away. There is literally no need to skimming for hours and see where you can find a great deal. Often, the rental company gives you prepaid postage slip just to get you going and do the same when you decide to return the book. This process not only saves you time, it also saves other resources like gas if you decide to go to the nearest bookstore to buy books or spend hours using electricity just to find a good deal. User Friendly Aside from being able to save money and time, renting textbooks brings convenience to all users. Imagine trying to scan the virtual bookshelf and checking on comments of previous users and figuring out which ones got bad comments and which had great ones. It could be fun at first but if you are short of time, the process can become annoying. If you rent books, you will only be needing the book's ISBN number and find it right away. No more time-wasting site search. Type in the ISBN number, order the book, and wait for it to get shipped to your home. The reason why people haven't the habit of renting textbooks in the old days is that _ .
<extra_id_0>the educational system has not changed by now
<extra_id_1>people can afford books or get books easily in libraries
<extra_id_2>different economic challenges happen across the world
<extra_id_3>the price of textbooks is much higher than that of nowadays
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<extra_id_5>Dear Cassy, Thanks for reminding me by e-mail that you want to baby-sit our children. Although you are only 12 years old, my wife and I would be willing to consider your application if you can meet a few requirements: 1)Send us three letters from teachers who will prove that you have never failed to follow instructions perfectly in class and never failed to hand in your homework on time. 2)Send us a note from two doctors who will prove that you are in perfect health, have never been sick, and never will be sick. 3)Send us a document from your physical education teacher or team coach that proves that you can do each of the following: Run two miles in less than four minutes, climb an oiled rope to a height of twenty feet in thirty seconds while balancing a glass of water on your nose, and walk in bare feet over hot coals and broken glass without injury. 4)Send us notarized letters from at least two mental health experts saying that you have never had an envious thought towards other people. 5)Play and defeat five expert chess players while blindfolded after going without sleep for 48 hours. 6)Wait patiently for two years while we have investigators certify that all your documents are real. Your loving and trusting friends, The Smiths What is the attitude of the Smiths about hiring the 12-year old girl to look after their baby?
<extra_id_0>The Smiths try to tell her how to baby-sit children.
<extra_id_1>The Smiths don't think a girl is good for the job.
<extra_id_2>The Smiths don't want to hire her.
<extra_id_3>The Smiths are willing to offer her the job.
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<extra_id_5>how come a person can blow into a balloon and use the same air to fill a soccer ball?
<extra_id_0>it is the law of thermodynamics
<extra_id_1>it is the ability of it to conform
<extra_id_2>it is a shift in the cosmos
<extra_id_3>all of these
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<extra_id_5>A book experiences tearing so it
<extra_id_0>has lost status as whole
<extra_id_1>lacks any real mass
<extra_id_2>is completely intact now
<extra_id_3>is a whole book
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<extra_id_5>Mr. Li was in bed and was trying to go to sleep when he heard the bell ring . He turned on the light and looked at his clock. It was half past twelve. "Who can it be at this time of night?" he wondered. He decided to go and find out .So he got out of bed, put on his dressing gown and went to the door. When he opened the door, there was nobody there. "That's very strange." He thought. Then he went back to his bedroom, took off his dressing gown, got back into bed, turned off the light and tried to go to sleep. A few minutes later he heard the bell ring again. Mr. Li jumped out of bed very quickly and rushed to the door. He opened it, but again he found no one there. He shut the door and found a piece of paper with some words on it: "It is now after midnight, so it is April 1st. April fool to you!" "Oh, it was the English boy next door!" Mr. Li exclaimed, and almost smiled, He went back to bed and fell asleep immediately. The bell did not ring again. There were some words on the piece of paper: "It is now _ April 1st . April fool to you!"
<extra_id_0>before midnight, so it is
<extra_id_1>after midnight, so it is
<extra_id_2>before noon, so it will be
<extra_id_3>after noon, so it was
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<extra_id_5>Dinner, for the English people, is the richest meal of a day and is, different from Chinese dinner, a very formal meal. Many people even wear special clothes for dinner. So if you are asked out to dinner, you must find out whether you are expected to wear a formal suit. You would feel upset if, when you got there, you were the only person in ordinary clothes. Dinner is generally served at about half past seven. All the members of the family sit down together and are on their best behavior. The guest of honor will sit on the right of the lady of the house. There are two schools of thought as to the seating of the hostess. One is that she sits at the foot of the table but this may mess up the man-woman-man setting order. The other way is for the guest of honor to sit at the foot and the hostess to sit on his right. The wife of the guest of honor will sit on the right of the host. This is subject to change according to the wishes of your employer. During the meal when conversation is carried on, you should try to get into conversation with the person on your right or left, but you should not try to talk to someone who is a long way from you. Don't forget to drop your hosts a thank-you note or make a brief phone call. The passage mainly tells us _ .
<extra_id_0>that dinner is most important in the English people's lives
<extra_id_1>that the English people is very rich
<extra_id_2>that the people with good manners are respected by the English people
<extra_id_3>about the dinner of English people
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<extra_id_5>The organization representing British universities has expressed concern about the potential effect of tuition fees after figures showed a drop of more than 6% in student applications with less than a month to go before the deadline for 2013 applications. Data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) showed there were 265,784 university applications by UK-based candiates up to 17 Decemeber, 6.3% down on the parallel period in the admissions cycle the year before. While this is less than the 8.4% year-on-uear fall seen in earlier Ucas figures, released in mid-November, the coming January deadline makes it ever more likely that the total 2013 applicant figure will see a second sizeable fall following the introduction of annual fees of up to PS9,000. Nicola Dandridge, the chairman of Universities UK, said : "However, we must be concerned about any drops in the numbers applying to university and in particular, we must look closely at how the increase in graduate contributions in England may be affecting the decisions of promising students. However ,the December figures show a drop in numbers across the UK, suggesting that it is not only a question of tuition fees in England putting off from applying." A report of the Uncas figures to mid-December shows a 6.5% fall for applicants in England and 11.7% for those in Wales, with smaller drops of 3.9% for Scotland and 0.5% for Nortern Ireland. Scotiish students at home insitiutions pay on fees, while those from Nothern Ireland have fees capped to PS3,575 for Northern Irish universities. Dandridge added: "No one should be put off applying to university because of worries about finance." "It is important that no one is put off applying to university because they do not have information about the student support available to them. Most new students don't need to pay directly. There will be more financial support for those from poorer families and everyone will make lower loan repayments thatn they do now once they are in well paid jobs." Which of the following is true?
<extra_id_0>The application for universities is on a rise continuously.
<extra_id_1>The fall for applications is due to family problems.
<extra_id_2>The education in Scotland and Northern Ireland is worse.
<extra_id_3>The rise of tuition fees has an effect on applications.
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<extra_id_5>Thousands of years ago, birthdays were considered special days. On birthdays, the bad spirits were able to harm you and change your life. It was believed that the only way to solve the problem was to have your friends and family around you, so that good wishes and presents would keep the bad spirits away. Also, noisemakers were thought to be used at parties as a way of scaring away the evil spirits. The custom of lighting candles was created by people believing that the gods lived in the sky. By lighting candles and torches, they were sending a signal or prayer to the gods, so they could be answered. Blowing out the candles and making a wish were thought to be another way of sending a signal or a message. This is how the way we celebrate our birthdays came about. But different cultures celebrate in different ways. The birthday story in the Bible that we know best is about the birth of the Christ in Bethlehem(:). For nearly 2000 years since that day, the Christian world has been honoring this birth. The day many Englishmen celebrate is, of course, Christmas. There are other references to birthday parties. King Pharaoh celebrated his birthday by making a feast for his court followers. That was over 4000 years ago. The story of King Herod tells that on his birthday he made a supper for his lords, high captains and other special friends in Galilee (:). According to the passage, good wishes and presents given by one's friends and family on his birthday can _ .
<extra_id_0>cheer him up
<extra_id_1>push bad spirits away
<extra_id_2>bring him a big fortune
<extra_id_3>prove that he's a popular person
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<extra_id_5>Edward Nino Hernandez is 24 years old. In many ways,he is a traditional Colombian man. He loves to dance, dreams of owning a fast car and wants to see the world. However, he has just been officially _ as the world's shortest living man by Guinness World Records with a height of 27 inches( [?]0. 7m). Although he has cataracts in both of his eyes that require an operation that the family can't afford, he said, " I feel happy because I'm special. " He also said he has a girlfriend. Nino works part time as a dancer. Recently, he has won a part in a new film, playing a drug thief. Nino said there are some disadvantages of being the world's smallest man. "It bothers me that people are always touching me and picking me up,"he said. Nino's mother, Noemi Hernandez,has 5 children and Nino is the oldest. She said, " He hasn't grown since he was 2 years old. " She added that doctors could not explain why Nino was so small. She said Nino weighed just 3. 3 lb( 1. 5kg) when he was born and was just 15 inches long. Doctors at first wondered why he was so small and studied him until he was three years old, but then" lost interest" . She and her husband lost a daughter who was born similarly small in 1992. Their youngest child, Miguel Augel, 11, stands 37 inches tall. The other three boys are of normal height and appearance. Nino had to repeat several years of school before dropping out when he was about 13. His mother said he loves to travel, though he hasn't been outside Colombia. The former smallest man in the world was He Pingping of China ,who was 1. 5 inches taller than Nino and recognized by Guinness as the shortest man. He died in March. What was the height of He Pingping?
<extra_id_0>27 inches.
<extra_id_1>37 inches.
<extra_id_2>28. 5 inches.
<extra_id_3>38. 5 inches.
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<extra_id_5>The Lionfish Invasion! Lionfish are popular saltwater aquarium fish all over the world, especially in the United States. Nowadays, they also live in Atlantic waters off the East Coast of the United States. These lionfish are what scientists call an invasive species or an "alien invader." Local divers off the coast of North Carolina were not expecting to see what they found one day in August 2002--the beautiful lionfish, common to the warm waters of the western Pacific, but unknown of the Carolina coast. They provided the first solid evidence that lionfish were in the Atlantic. A year later, scientists documented 19 lionfish sightings at eight locations along the North Carolina continental shelf. Then, lionfish were observed off the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, and even as far north as Long Island, New York! Between 2000 and 2003, lionfish sightings were reported at 16 different shipwrecks and natural hard bottom locations. During a summer 2004 research expedition, NOAA(The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) scientists collected 155 lionfish at 19 different locations off the North Carolina coast alone. The jump in numbers and distributions over such a short time strongly indicates that the lionfish is reproducing in the Atlantic Ocean. If this is true, it's the first time that a western Pacific fish has populated the U.S. Atlantic coast. These lionfish were likely released on purpose when people no longer wanted them! The swift and warm Gulf Stream, which transported the floating lionfish eggs from Florida northward, helped the lionfish's Atlantic journey. In Florida waters and along the continental shelf near the Gulf Stream the temperatures are very similar to the lionfish's native waters. However, from north Florida upward, the waters along the coastline are too cold in the winter for lionfish to survive. Scientists expect them to survive the winter only at water depths greater than 120ft because this is where the Gulf Stream has influence all year long. Very importantly, the types of predators and competitors present in the Atlantic are very different from the native range of the lionfish. Generally, the lionfish have not been found to endanger marine ecosystems because they were not likely to survive long. What is the author's attitude towards the lionfish invasion?
<extra_id_0>Serious.
<extra_id_1>Disapproving.
<extra_id_2>Optimistic.
<extra_id_3>Indifferent.
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<extra_id_5>A year ago, August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan. His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but it was hard for Dave to find work, and the price of everything was rising. The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years. Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift--$7,000, a legacy from their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident. "It really made a difference when we were meeting difficulty ."says Dave. But the Fusses weren't the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches. Dozens of other families were touched by what the Hatches had done. In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars; in others, it was more than $100,000. It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than $3 million--they were an elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm. Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving. They preferred comparison shopping and would go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase. Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camps when their parents couldn't afford it. "Ish and Arlene never asked if you needed anything," says their friend Sandy Van Weelden, "They could see things they could do to make you happier, and they would do them." Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches gave away their farmland. It was the Hatches' wish that their legacy--a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cents--should enrich the whole community and last for generations to come. Neighbors helping neighbors--that was Ish and Arlene Hatch's story. According to the text, the Fusses _ .
<extra_id_0>were employed by a truck company
<extra_id_1>led a difficult life
<extra_id_2>worked in a school cafeteria
<extra_id_3>lost their home
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<extra_id_5>The first robot was invented in the 1920s. Robots have appeared in many American films. In some films, they are stronger, faster and cleverer than people. In real life, robots are mainly used in factories. They do some dangerous and difficult jobs for humans. Robots also help disabled people, for example, blind people. Today many blind people have a guide dog to help them. In the future, guide dogs might be robot dogs. One kind of robot guide dog has wheels. It moves in front of the owner. It is very clever. It knows the speed of its owner's walk. The owner wears a special belt. The belt sends instructions to the owner from the dog, such as "Stop here" "Turn left" or "Turn right". In the United States, another kind of robot helps disabled people to take care of themselves in their daily life. The robot hears the sound of its owner's voice. It follows instructions such as. "Turn the page" or "Make a cup of coffee". Robots are also used in American hospitals. They can do simple jobs. At one hospital, for example, a robot takes meals from the kitchen to patients' rooms. It never gets lost because this robot has a map of the hospital in its computer memory. Though robots can help people in many different ways, they will never take the place of humans. ,. Some disabled people need robots' help to _ .
<extra_id_0>take care of themselves
<extra_id_1>talk to other people
<extra_id_2>become scientists
<extra_id_3>do dangerous jobs.
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<extra_id_5>Jeremy Wirick, 9, has been back in school for less than two months, but he has already had several asthma attacks. A recent attack happened on October 2, after he pushed himself too hard in gym class. Running, power walking, jogging and push-ups took their toll. When Jeremy got home an hour or two later, he was out of breath. He needed to use a nebulizer, a machine that helps send medicine quickly to the lungs, to get his breathing back to normal. Asthma attacks like Jeremy increase in September and October. More than six times as many asthma sufferers who are elementary-school age need hospital treatment in the fall as in the summer. Experts believe many factors can contribute to back-to-school asthma. Kids get together in close spaces, they start passing viruses around. A viral infection can cause an asthma attack. There are also certain fall allergies that can cause attacks. Exercise is another common cause of an attack. Besides, the stress of school can make asthma worse. Parents can play a big role in helping kids with asthma start the school year right. Dawne Gee's10-year-old son, Alexander, has had asthma since he was a baby. Before the school year starts, she tells school workers in writing about her son's asthma. The Gees live in Kentucky, which has passed laws allowing students to carry their asthma medication with them at school. Alexander's mom makes sure he has his inhaler with him when he goes to school and that he keeps it on hand at all times. In Delaware, where Jeremy lives, kids are allowed to carry their inhalers at school. The American Lung Association says that about 6.2 million American children suffer from asthma. Asthma is the chronic illness that causes students to miss the most days of school. There are many things that schools can do to help students control their asthma Which of the following statements is NOT supported by the passage?
<extra_id_0>Kids are likely to suffer asthma attacks in the fall
<extra_id_1>Stress can add to the risk of asthma attacks
<extra_id_2>Medical officials should be blamed for asthma attacks
<extra_id_3>Asthma attacks will need necessary medical treatment
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<extra_id_5>You're jogging at a steady pace, enjoying your favorite music through your headphones. Your breath is short and your heart is pumping. Your legs feel like they couldn't carry you any faster. And then you hear the groan of a zombie over your right shoulder. You must run or be eaten. The zombie apocalypse isn't upon you. You're just taking part in the latest fitness craze--Smartphone apps that make a fun and interactive game out of your daily workout. Software developers are taking advantage of Smartphone's advanced technology--GPS, accelerometers , MP3 players--to create "immersive" fitness games that appeal to both desperate and reluctant exercises. It's part of an overall trend in the fitness industry toward making your daily workout "a fun experience rather than something you have to do," said Jessica Matthews, an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. "We are attempting more "play" opportunities as opposed to working out, basically getting people to move and having fun while they are doing it," Matthews said. One popular fitness game app, Zombies, Run!, places you in the role of a supplies runner for a walled community trying to survive against the walking dead. During your run, the game's surprising complex story unfolds through your headphones. You "pick up" supplies for the community as you jog along. At certain intervals, you're warned that zombies are nearby, and if you don't pick up the pace, you'll have to pitch some supplies to keep from being caught. The game doesn't end once your jog is over. After your workout, you can use the supplies you picked up during your running to fortify your community. The GPS statistics from your run are uploaded automatically to the game's website, so you can review your average speed and the estimated calories you burned. Teemo, Nexercise and Fitocracy all allow you to post your latest workout to share with friends. Some games have you work with friends to reach a common goal--completing a relay race, for example--while others encourage competition. "That's another big area, having that social component," Matthews said, "Having social support of some kind is a critical factor in adhering to an exercise program. For some people, having that friendly competition or the feeling of being on a team can help them stay motivated." Smartphone's advanced technology is used to _ .
<extra_id_0>steady the jogger's pace
<extra_id_1>make exercisers' hearts pump
<extra_id_2>control the rate of workout
<extra_id_3>create a virtual health game
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<extra_id_5>BEIJING, July 21-More and more parents in Shanghai have found that their children are forgetting how to use Shanghai dialect to express themselves, according to a report in the city's Jiefang Daily on July 11, and some have begun forcing them to speak it at home. Language experts say that the promotion of Putonghua, and the large number of non-Shanghainese setting down in the city have meant that the local dialect has lost its previous high social status, according to the report. They have urged that the dialect be protected alongside Putonghua (also known as Mandarin), the nation's common tongue that has been systematically promoted since new China was founded in 1949. In their opinion, dialects carry and preserve local culture . They say that a dialect is not only a linguistic tool. But is also like a person's "birthmark" and part of their local identity and feeling of belonging. They recommended that TV and radio stations set up channels and programs using dialects , and that schools offer selective courses in which the dialects are taught. The experts also suggested that dialect be protected while maintaining high standards of Putonghua and a multicultural environment in the city. Shanghai dialect has lost its previous high social status, Which of the following is NOT cause ?
<extra_id_0>Many people from other places come to live in Shanghai
<extra_id_1>Putonhua is widely used.
<extra_id_2>Few TV channels or schools use local dialects.
<extra_id_3>Parents forget to force their children to speak Shanghai dialect.
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<extra_id_5>One Sunday morning, I decided to buy a computer to use for school. I went to the biggest store in town, which sold all kinds of computers. There were so many computers there that I didn't know how to choose a right one. "Hi! What can I do for you?" A young man greeted me with a sweet smile. He looked like not a salesman but a student like me. I sensed a strange feeling -- as if I had met him before. He began patiently showing me each model. With his help, I decided to buy one computer with enough functions at a very low price. I enjoyed this shopping experience because of his smile. A few months later, something was wrong with my computer. I went back to the store to have it fixed. When I arrived there, what I saw was still his smile. As soon as I told him my problem, he comforted me immediately and tried his best to solve the problem for me. I was quite grateful for his sweet smile and good service. When I went back to school, his smile often appeared in my mind. I don't know whether we'll meet each other again, but his sweet smile will stay there in my memory and deep in my heart. Smiling is the most peaceful language in the daily life. According to the passage, why was the writer grateful to this salesman?
<extra_id_0>Because the salesman recommended the cheapest computer.
<extra_id_1>Because the salesman gave the writer his sweet smile and good service.
<extra_id_2>Because the salesman recommended the computer with enough functions.
<extra_id_3>Because the salesman showed how to use the computer correctly.
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<extra_id_5>The Chinese word"Shanzhai" means a small mountain village, but now it becomes an accepted name for fakes after" Shanzhai cell phones " produced by small workshops in southern China ,became popular in the mainland market over the past few years. Besides" Shanzhai" electronic products, there are "Shanzhai" movies, "Shanzhai" stars and even a "Shanzhai" Spring Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve. " Shanzhai" has become a culture of its own,symbolizing anything that _ something famous. The phenomenon has caused a public debate over whether it is healthy or sick being a copycat. In southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality,a "Shanzhai" -version"Bird's Nest" woven by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention and the"Shanzhai"-version "Water Cube"is popular with tourists too. Both are copies of the famous Olympics buildings in Beijing. Xie Xizhang,a literature critic,said that taking the "Shanzhai" Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the "Shanzhai" version appears naturally to attract people. "In spite of its poor techniques and operation, 'Shanzhai' culture meets the psychological demands of common people and could be a comfort to their minds," Xie said. Tian Huiqun,a professor at Beijing Normal University,said that "Shanzhai" culture never copies classic things,only trendy products. In that sense,it's like a computer virus, multiplying without meaning. Though controversial,"Shanzhai" culture is becoming a widely accepted phenomenon. "To the mainstream culture, the rise of 'Shanzhai' culture is a challenge as well as a motivation," said Xie. Tian said different kinds of cultures developing together is an ideal situation and it is for the public to choose. The Chinese word "Shanzhai" may have its origin in _ .
<extra_id_0>fake cell phones
<extra_id_1>electronic products
<extra_id_2>Spring Festival Gala
<extra_id_3>Olympics buildings
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<extra_id_5>How many coins have you got in your pocket right now?Three?Two?Or one?With a phonecard you can make up to 200 calls without any change at all. 1.What do you do with it? Go to a telephone box marked "Phonecard".Put in your card,make your call and when you've finished,a screen tells you how much is left on your card.It costs no extra for the cards,and the calls cast 10 per unit,the same as any other payphone call.You can put them in units of 10,20,40,100 or 200. 2.Now appearing in a shop near you Near each card phone place you'll find a shop where you can buy one.They're at bus,train and city tube stations.Many universities,hospitals and clubs,restaurants and gas stations on the highway and shopping centers.At airports and seaports. 3.No more broken payphones Most broken payphones are like that they've been vandalized .There are no coins in Cardphone to excite thieves' interest in it.So you're not probably to find a vandalized one.Get a phonecard yourself and try it out.Or get a bigger wallet. The last sentence "Or get a bigger wallet"means" _ ".
<extra_id_0>Phonecards are cheap
<extra_id_1>You cannot use all payphones
<extra_id_2>Thieves will not break card phones
<extra_id_3>People do not like carrying a lot of coins
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<extra_id_5>I once had a house guest from Cuba. During his visit, I happened to throw an old broken blender in the trash. The next day it was sitting on my counter - in working order. In his world, people simply cannot afford to replace an item which doesn't work properly. They take the time and figure out how to fix it. In Cuba, they are still driving cars from the 1960's, mainly because they do not have a choice. In contrast, the U.S. is a "throw-away society." Statistics show that each American produces six pounds of trash per day. I believe a combination of factors has contributed to this phenomenon. "Planned obsolescence " is not a secret. It is a manufacturing philosophy developed in the 1920's and 1930's, when mass production became popular. The goal is to make a product or part that will fail, or become less desirable over time or after a certain amount of use. This pressures the consumer to buy again. Planned obsolescence does keep costs down. Instead of making an expensive product that will last a long time, businesses produce more affordable, disposable items. Some electronic items have become so inexpensive that it is cheaper to replace them than to repair them.[:&&Z&X&X&K] Busy people often value their time and convenience more than money. If a car starts to have mechanical problems, replacing it with a newer, more reliable model may be more appealing than tolerating it being in the garage for a week. In addition, advertising trains consumers to want what is new and improved. It convinces them that the more they have, the happier they will be. Unlike people in many developing countries, we live in a world of abundance. A study by Dr. Timothy Jones of the University of Arizona also found that in the U.S., 40-50 percent of all food ready for harvest is wasted. Abundance and waste soon became closely associated in the American way of life. Which of the following is NOT true about the "throw-away society" in the U.S.?
<extra_id_0>People prefer to buy a new blender rather than repair the broken one.
<extra_id_1>A large quantity of food has been wasted.
<extra_id_2>People believe that the more they have, the happier they will be.
<extra_id_3>People all hold the belief that money comes first.
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<extra_id_5>It's still there, the Vietnamese school where my brother and I used to go. Even with a new coat of paint and the high wire fence, the school I knew ten years ago remains the same. Every day at 5 p.m., instead of flying kites with our friends, my brother and I had to go to Vietnamese school. No amount of kicking, screaming, or arguing could stop my mother, who was determined to have us learn the language of our culture. She held us by the collar and walked with us the seven long, hilly blocks from our home to school, leaving our tearful faces before the front of the school. We all sat in little chairs in a big empty room, which had a slight smell of old clothes that had been stored for a long time. I hated that smell. There was a stage far to the right, with an American flag on one side and the flag of the Republic of Vietnam on the other side. Although the school mainly taught language ---- speaking, reading, dictation ---- the lessons always began with an exercise in politeness. With the entrance of the teacher, the best student would tap a bell and everyone would get up, and say in Vietnamese, "How are you, teacher?" The language always made me embarrassed. More often than not, I had tried to separate myself from the loud voice that followed me whenever I went to the American supermarket outside our area. The voice belonged to my grandmother, a small old woman who could shout louder than anyone on the street. Her Vietnamese was quick, it was loud, and it was not beautiful. In our area, the comings and goings of hundreds of Vietnamese on their daily tasks sounded crazy. I did not want to be thought of as being mad, as talking stupid. When I spoke English, people nodded at me, smiled and encouraged me. Even Vietnamese people would laugh and say that I'd do well in life. My brother was even stricter than I about speaking English. He was especially cruel towards my mother, scolding her for her poor English. Bits of Vietnamese were often mixed in her conversation. After two years of struggle, I finally divorced my culture. I was permitted to stop Vietnamese school. I thought of myself as American. At last, I thought I was one of you; I wasn't one of them. Sadly, I am only an American. What's the theme of the passage?
<extra_id_0>It is important to adapt to a new environment.
<extra_id_1>It is important to remember your childhood.
<extra_id_2>It is important to appreciate your own culture.
<extra_id_3>It is important to learn a foreign language.
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<extra_id_5>Our village, Cinderland, was founded in 2000. It is a fully-sustainable eco-village on the Big Island of Hawaii located about 29 miles southeast of Hilo and 9 miles east of Pahoa. And it is within easy walking distance of the coastline--one mile north of Hwy 132, just off Hwy 137. Solar power supplies our electrical needs, and water catchment tanks hold enough rain water for our use. Fruit trees and vegetable gardens are located throughout our tropical landscape and can be harvested at any time by the residents for their own personal consumption . We accept all lifestyles and belief systems, and encourage individuality and diversity. A good attitude and an easy-going manner are most important to us; those qualities go a long, long way here! Tuesdays are a fun and big day here. In the morning, we all get together for a few hours for various work projects. In the afternoon, many will hop in the truck for a trip to the town of Pahoa. That evening, we then are all treated to what is well-known throughout this region as "Taco Tuesday". Anyone is welcome to join us from the surrounding areas, which makes for a large gathering each week. It's certain that drummers and other musicians will be playing around the fire pit each "Taco Tuesday". With the exception of the few hours of work on Tuesdays, residents are free to do whatever they please. Some just relax, while others may snorkel , surf, swim, shop, backpack, camp, go sightseeing, watch the lava flow, etc. It's rare that someone leaves this area without feeling it is a life-changing experience. There are also many who decide to make it their permanent home. We are very welcoming. Come to give us a visit! Mahalo! Residents in Cinderland grow fruit trees and vegetables to _ .
<extra_id_0>treat guests
<extra_id_1>make money
<extra_id_2>satisfy their own needs
<extra_id_3>attract tourists
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<extra_id_5>What is the major function of the human excretory system?
<extra_id_0>eliminate waste materials
<extra_id_1>respond to stimuli
<extra_id_2>break down food mechanically
<extra_id_3>absorb nutrients from food
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<extra_id_5>The phone rings. It's a friend who wants to tell you his or her latest health problems. You hate to be impolite and cut your friend off, but what can you do? Stephanie Winston, author of Stephanie Winston's Best Organizing Tips, offers his advice: Don't ask questions like "What's new?" They give the information that you have time to talk. After "hello", get right to the heart of the matter. Time your calls wisely. If you make a call right before lunch or dinner, or at the end of the workday, people chat less. Set a time limit. Start with, "Hi, I've only got a few minutes, but I wanted to talk to you about...." Or, "Gee, I'd love to talk more, but I only have a couple of minutes before I have to leave." Jump on a pause. Even the most talkative caller has to pause now and then. Quickly say, "It has been great talking with you." Then end the conversation. Forget niceties. Some people just don't take a hint. Cut your caller off and say, "I'd like to talk to you longer, but I'm afraid I have no enough time. Good bye." Then hang up. Find "a partner in crime". If nothing else works, ask someone in your home to help you. For example, one woman gives a sign to her husband, who shouts, "Jane, I think the roast chicken is burning." Avoid the phone completely. Use an answering machine to screen calls. If you have an important message for a chatterbox, leave the message when he or she isn't in. What's the good time to make a call so that people can chat less?
<extra_id_0>After lunch or dinner.
<extra_id_1>In the middle of the workday.
<extra_id_2>Before lunch or dinner.
<extra_id_3>At the beginning of the workday.
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<extra_id_5>Today, people want to keep healthy through sports and exercise. But some of them have some wrong ideas about it. "A plate of chicken is a good meal before games because it has much energy." In fact, the best meal before games should have carbohydrates . Food like potatoes, bread, bananas are rich (......) in it, but chicken and meat are not. "The best time to exercise is early in the morning." No. Morning is a good time to exercise, but it may not be suitable for you. If an afternoon or evening period is suitable for you, and you enjoy the feeling of getting healthier, you can choose any time to exercise. So there is no _ time for you to exercise. "If you drink water when you exercise, you'll feel tired." The fact is that you must have some water during breaks when you exercise. And after exercising, you must have enough water. If you don't drink enough water, then you may feel tired. "Exercising every day is quite important." Wrong. Too much exercise is bad for our health. You need to give your body a day of rest. It is good for you to eat _ before games.
<extra_id_0>bananas
<extra_id_1>chicken
<extra_id_2>meat
<extra_id_3>beef
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<extra_id_5>According to a study by SallieMae, 84 percent of undergraduate students have credit cards, and by the time they are seniors, they have accumulated US $ 4,100 in debt, on top of whatever student loans they may have taken out. Credit cards are the most convenient form of payment, and they are aggressively marketed to college students.Reportedly, a typical college student carries 4.6 credit cards and US $ 3,173 in credit card debt. Credit cards seem to be a fact of life, not just student life. In the long term, using a credit card properly and paying off the balance can help establish a card history and increase your credit score, which will _ when you need an important loan, for a house or car, for example.Your credit score can affect even unrelated things like insurance rates.Credit cards also offer more protection for users than debit cards .Under federal law, the credit card holder is only responsible for the first US $ 50in fraudulent purchases in cases of theft or loss.However, debit card users are responsible for the first US $ 500. SallieMae found some good news in the fact that two thirds of students had discussed credit issues with their parents, but 84 percent said they needed more information.Those who didn't get any guidance were more likely to be surprised when they found out how much they owed. While credit cards offer the easiest access to money, they make it easy to live outside your means.Less than a fifth of students surveyed paid off their balance every month, and carrying a balance brings finance charges, sometimes at a very high interest rates. SallieMae found that almost 40 percent of students chose their first credit card based on direct mail, which is probably why students get credit card offers in the mail. But when the credit card offers flow in, be sure that you read the fine print.Offers of low or no interest rates can disappear, leaving you a debt that climbs beyond your ability to pay it off. According to SallieMae, what is the possible reason why students get so many credit card offers in the mail?
<extra_id_0>Many students' first credit card is based on direct mail.
<extra_id_1>it costs the banks little to mail out credit cards.
<extra_id_2>Students don't like to go to the bank to open a credit card account.
<extra_id_3>Banks have no other way to let students use their credit cards.
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<extra_id_5>When you feel sad, tears will come down from your eyes. When you are happy, especially when you laugh hard, tears will also come down from your eyes. But tears have a more important job than showing your feelings. Tears keep your eyes clean and healthy. They wash away dirt and germs just like bath. Your eyes also need tears to keep them wet. And eyes must be wet so that they can move smoothly. Your eyes are busy looking here and there all day long. They move quickly from one thing to another. If you didn't have tears, your eyes couldn't move, and soon you would be blind. Maybe you don't like tears, but your eyes can't do without them. Tears help you by _ .
<extra_id_0>showing how you feel
<extra_id_1>making your face clean
<extra_id_2>washing things from your eyes
<extra_id_3>making your eyes bright
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<extra_id_5>George Gershwin was born in New York City in 1898. His parents were Russian Jews who had immigrated to the United States. George and his two brothers and sister had a close, happy family life. George liked playing games on the streets of New York. He liked exploring the city. He did not like school or studying. While exploring the city, George heard jazz and blues music in and out of public drinking places. However, he did not become seriously interested in music until he heard another boy playing the violin in a concert at his school. George began to take piano lessons. His teacher was a fine classical musician. He immediately recognized George's unusual ability. The teacher wrote about him to a friend: "I have a student who will make his mark in music, if anybody will. The boy is a genius, without doubt. " George studied classical piano. But his strongest interest continued to be jazz and popular music. At the age of fifteen, he left school and went to work in the music business. At that time, the New York City street where most music publishers had their offices was called "Tin Pan Alley." The piano players played the songs all day long to interested singers and other performers. George Gershwin was one of the youngest piano players in Tin Pan Alley. Soon, he was considered one of the finest there. He was already writing his own songs. He succeeded in getting one published when he was only eighteen years old. George Gershwin was now a real composer. The rest of his life was an unbroken record of success. He wrote song after song. His ideas were so endless that he was not even troubled when he once lost some music he had been writing. "There is plenty more where that came from," he said. George Gershwin had his first big hit in 1919, when he was twenty-one years old. It was a song called "Swanee." A popular entertainer, Al Jolson, sang the song. "Swanee" was made into one of the first musical recordings. George Gershwin was suddenly famous. What made George Gershwin become famous in his twenties?
<extra_id_0>He played the piano in Tin Pan Alley
<extra_id_1>He wrote a song named "Swanee."
<extra_id_2>He sang the song "Swanee."with Al Jolson
<extra_id_3>He lost some music he was writing.
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<extra_id_5>Mapping Your World Different forms of maps are appearing.They allow independent travelers to get local knowledge of places they are visiting, from the official to the unusual.Meanwhile, hi-tech developments are creating new ways for us to map the world.Here are two of our favorites: Green Maps Green Maps allows people to share with the world their knowledge of environmentally friendly places and attractions in the local areas.Users add information with a set of icons , making it easy to read any map, whatever the nationalities of those who produce it.At present there are over five hundred map projects being developed in 54 countries.Green Maps' advertised idea is "think global, map local".It is a wonderful way of gaining all sorts of information of a place, ranging from community gardens to good places of birdwatching. Green Maps is not specifically intended for travelers.Not all of its maps are online, so it may be necessary for some users to communicate with the producers through the Green Maps website. Maps Mashups Many people use online maps developed by Google, but not many know about the mashups of them.Working in a similar way to Green Maps, Map Mashups allows people to add icons of their own to existing maps to express a certain topic.The mashups is so called because it combines all the knowledge you could ever need.It ranges from the extremely useful, such as where all the World Heritage Sites are, to the most bizarre ,such as where America's drunkest cities are.With the mashups added to the basic Google Maps, a multi-layered map can be created. According to the passage, which of the following is a characteristic of Green Maps?
<extra_id_0>Introducing local attractions with icons
<extra_id_1>Aiming at environmental protection
<extra_id_2>Offering advice to independent travelers.
<extra_id_3>Collecting icons worldwide for local maps.
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<extra_id_5>Before the law sits a gatekeeper.To this gatekeeper comes a man from the country who asks to gain entry into the law.But the gatekeeper says that he cannot grant him entry at the moment.The man thinks about it and then asks if he will be allowed to come in sometime later on."It is possible," says the gatekeeper,"but not now." 1The gate to the law stands open,as always,and the gatekeeper walks to the side,so the man bends over in order to see through the gate into the inside.When the gatekeeper notices that,he laughs and says: _ The man from the country has not expected such difficulties: the law should always be accessible for everyone,he thinks,but as he now looks more closely at the gatekeeper in his fur coat,at his large pointed nose and his long,thin,black Tartar's beard,he decides that it would be better to wait until he gets permission to go inside.The gatekeeper gives him a stool and allows him to sit down at the side in front of the gate.There he sits for days and years.He makes many attempts to be let in,and he wears the gatekeeper out with his requests.The gatekeeper often interrogates him briefly,questioning him about his homeland and many other things,but they are indifferent questions,the kind great men put,and at the end he always tells him once more that he cannot let him inside yet.The man,who has equipped himself with many things for his journey,spends everything,no matter how valuable,to win over the gatekeeper.The latter takes it all but,as he does so,says,"I am taking this only so that you do not think you have failed to do anything." 2 During the many years the man observes the gatekeeper almost continuously.He forgets the other gatekeepers,and this first one seems to him the only barrier for entry into the law.He curses the unlucky circumstance,in the first years thoughtlessly and out loud; later,as he grows old,he only mumbles to himself.He becomes childish and,since in the long years studying the gatekeeper he has also come to know the fleas in his fur collar,he even asks the fleas to help him persuade the gatekeeper.Finally his eyesight grows weak,and he does not know whether things are really darker around him or whether his eyes are merely deceiving him.But he recognizes now in the darkness a ray of light which breaks out of the gateway to the law.Now he no longer has much time to live. Before his death he gathers in his head all his experiences of the entire time up into one question which he has not yet put to the gatekeeper.He waves to him,since he can no longer lift up his stiffening body.The gatekeeper has to bend way down to him,for the great difference has changed things considerably to the disadvantage of the man.3 "You are insatiable ." "Everyone strives after the law," says the man,"so how is it that in these many years no one except me has requested entry?" The gatekeeper sees that the man is already dying and,in order to reach his diminishing sense of hearing,he shouts at him,"Here no one else can gain entry,since this entrance was assigned only to you.I'm going now to close it." 4 The sentence "What do you still want to know now?" asks the gatekeeper.can be put in_.
<extra_id_0>1
<extra_id_1>2
<extra_id_2>3
<extra_id_3>4
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<extra_id_5>Imagine a boy from a small village in East Africa, He from a very early age has been looking after cattle. At twelve years old he knows more about cattle than most of you. However, he has never been to school. Has this boy ever had any education? Education is discovering about ourselves and about the people and things around us. All the people who care about us -- our parents, brothers, sisters, friends -- are our teachers. In fact, we learn something from everyone we meet. We start learning on the day we are born, not on the first day" we go to school. Every day we have new experiences, like finding a bird's nest, discovering a new street in our neighborhood, making friends with someone we didn't like before. New experiences are even more fun when we share them with other people. Encouragement from the people around us enables us to explore things as much as possible. As we grow up, we begin to find out what we are capable of doing. You may be good at cooking, or singing or playing football. You find this out by doing these things. Just thinking about cooking doesn't tell you if you are good at it. We learn so much just living from day to day. So why is school important? Of course you can learn some things better at home than at school, like how to do the shopping, and how to help old or disabled people who can' t do everything for themselves. At school, teachers help us to read and write. With their guidance, we begin to see things in different ways. In the eyes of the writer _ .
<extra_id_0>we have to learn from the people around us
<extra_id_1>school is not important at all
<extra_id_2>only the people caring for us can teach us
<extra_id_3>education takes place everywhere
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<extra_id_5>Hello, Chicago. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy ,tonight is your answer. ...... I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $ 5 and $ 10 and $ 20 to the cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy , who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep. It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth. This is your victory. And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime--two wars, a planet in peril , the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. ...... The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there. This passage is most probably taken from a (an) _ .
<extra_id_0>report
<extra_id_1>lecture
<extra_id_2>speech
<extra_id_3>announcement
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<extra_id_5>In the United States, many low income parents cannot afford to buy enough food for their children. A program called Kids Cafe is helping some of these children by providing free nutritious snacks and meals during after-school programs. At a community center in Virginia just outside of Washington, D.C., children make a snack as part of their afterschool program. "The snack is very healthy for your body, but the main thing is that it tastes really, really good," Keith Clements tells them. He runs the Kids Cafe program. The children are between the ages of 5 and 11 and are from several local schools. About half have parents from Ethiopia. Many of the children eat their traditional food at home. Kids Cafe, with food offered free by a food bank, gives them an opportunity to try different types of food. "It's good," says one girl. But Rebecca Nance, whose parents are from the US, is not so sure. "The taste is weird." Her mother, Daffany Nance has two children in the program. She's glad her kids are getting nutritious food. "Even in my house we don't have much junk food," she says, "so it's very important that it's healthy and continues to help them grow better." The charity , Feeding America, started the national Kids Cafe program in 1993. The charity says more than 16 million children in the United States do not have enough healthy food to eat. Kids Cafe became part of the afterschool program at this community center five years ago. Lori McFail heads the afterschool program. She says some children do not eat good evening meals because their parents work late or cannot afford healthy food. She hopes the children will make full use of what they've learned about nutrition in their lives. What can we learn about Daffany Nance?
<extra_id_0>She is from Ethiopia and has two children.
<extra_id_1>She cared little about her children's diet before.
<extra_id_2>She believes the program is good for her children.
<extra_id_3>She hopes more types of food can be offered for free.
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<extra_id_5>Are you afraid of moving up to senior high school? It is a completely new experience, but you shouldn't worry. We've put together a guide to help you. You are not alone Remember that everybody else in your grade is in the same boat. You may not notice it, but they are just as nervous as you are. Moving up to senior high school is a chance, not a problem. Things are different, and all you need to do is be polite and learn the new rules. The teachers will help If you don't know what to do or are worried about something, then ask for help. Teachers are probably the best people to turn to because they have experience in helping new students. Everything changes There are lots of differences between junior high school and senior high school. You will have your lessons with different teachers in different rooms. You will have homework for different subjects on different days, so make sure you get organized. Other points If you've got an elder brother or sister at senior high school, then ask them for advice. Be yourself! It sounds simple, but people will respond much better to you if you act naturally. Going to bed early makes a difference. You'll also find it easier to get up in the morning! The main purpose of the passage is to _ ?
<extra_id_0>Tell students about a new experience
<extra_id_1>help students that are going to senior high school
<extra_id_2>tell students that teachers are the best helpers
<extra_id_3>teach students how to organize themselves
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<extra_id_5>More than half of teachers in a UK survey said they thought _ from the Internet is a problem. Some students who steal essays wholly from the Web, they said, are so lazy they don't even bother to take the ads off the cut-and-pasted text. 58 percent of the teachers interviewed in the Association of Teachers and Lectures(ALT) questionnaire had come across plagiarism among their pupils. Gill Bullen from Itchen College in Southampton, for example, said pieces handed in by two students were the same and significantly better than either of them could have done." "Not only that, the essays given in didn't quite answer the title question I had set." A teacher from Leeds said, " I had one piece of work so obviously 'cut and pasted' that it still contained ads from the Web page" Connie Robinson from Stockton Riverside College, Stockton, said, " With less able students, it is easy to spot plagiarism as the writing style changes mid-assignment, but with more able students, it is sometimes necessary for teachers to carry out Internet research to find out the source of the plagiarism." Mary Bousted, general secretary of the ALT, said, "Teachers are struggling under a mountain of cut-and-pasting to spot whether work was the student's own or plagiarism." She called for strong policies to oppose plagiarism, and asked for help from the government in providing resources and techniques to delete cheats. According to Mary Bousted, we can learn that _ .
<extra_id_0>the government doesn't complete its duty to stop plagiarism
<extra_id_1>it's very easy for teachers to spot plagiarism
<extra_id_2>plagiarism causes the teachers great trouble
<extra_id_3>only the government can find cheats
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<extra_id_5>If a tree in your backyard rots away for is knocked over by the wind, you can just
<extra_id_0>plant another
<extra_id_1>Draw one
<extra_id_2>climb one
<extra_id_3>do nothing
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<extra_id_5>Beautifully cut grass, elegant white clothes, cheering fans and exciting matches make Wimbledon, in London, the home of tennis. Last Monday, the famous British tournament opened at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. It is the third Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season. Wimbledon comes after the Australian Open and the French Open, and is followed by the US Open. As the oldest tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon is famous for its special rules and traditions. The players' clothing, including their shoes, must be entirely white. In 2002, the Russian player Anna Kournikova was forced to change from her black shorts into another pair on court. Between 1988 and 1990, US legend Andre Agassi refused to play because of the all-white rule. The UK's unpredictable summer weather is part of the tournament. If it begins to rain, players and fans have to wait patiently for it to stop. Then, they cheer when the covers come off the grass courts. Many British fans do not think the courts should have a roof, because they want to keep tradition. Wimbledon is not just famous for great tennis matches. Fans like to eat strawberries and cream while watching. Every year 27,000 kilos of strawberries and 7,000 liters of cream are eaten. Many British people are very proud of the tournament, but disappointment is another Wimbledon tradition for loyal fans of British players. Wimbledon has not been won by a British woman since 1977, and not by a British man since 1938. Which of the following tournaments is the last to be held?
<extra_id_0>The Australian Open.
<extra_id_1>The French Open.
<extra_id_2>The Wimbledon Open.
<extra_id_3>The US Open.
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<extra_id_5>One day Peng Xianzhe learned he would go to the Mashan School in Guizhou. The 16-year-old boy tried to imagine how serious the drought was for the students at that school. However, he realized it was more serious than he had imagined when he saw the sign "DON'T wash clothes with water,or you will be punished . " Because of drought, the school has been short of water for a long time. Each student has only one bottle of water every day for washing and drinking. The drought has made the poor students much poorer. Peng is a student from Beijing Chaoyang Foreign Language School. He took part in the school's Rain & Bow Project from April 2 to 10. The project idea came from Peng's principal . One day, she heard a sad story about Li Guoxian, a poor girl in the Mashan School,who stopped going to school because of drought. The principal started this project to help the school. In one day, 3,000 students made over 10,000 donations of water,books and clothes. Peng and other four students went to the Mashan School and gave the donations with five teachers. They visited poor families, made surveys and had classes at the school. Ding Zhentao,16,was worried about the school's poor learning environment. "The blackboards and playground are too _ to use,"Ding said. "Besides, there really aren't enough teachers. A teacher has to teach both history and English, and even the cook is a class teacher. " Although life isn't easy, students at the school have a positive attitude towards life and they are quite willing to learn. That's what moved 16-year-old Chen Shi most. "They sang their songs together as usual before class every afternoon. After class, the students asked us to tell them things about Beijing and our studies," Chen said. "You can see the passion in them. I believe it will make a difference. Their futures will be bright. " ,. Who started the school's Rain & Bow Project?
<extra_id_0>The principal of the foreign language school.
<extra_id_1>Peng Xianzhe, a 16-year-old boy.
<extra_id_2>Chen Shi, a student from Beijing.
<extra_id_3>Li Guoxian, a poor girl in Guizhou.
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<extra_id_5>A higher barometer reading means
<extra_id_0>lower air pressure in the atmosphere
<extra_id_1>an atmosphere lacking in air pressure
<extra_id_2>greater air pressure in the atmosphere
<extra_id_3>that the barometer is broken
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<extra_id_5>Air pollution is a leading cause of cancer and classified among Group 1,or top, human carcinogens , said the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer agency, on Oct 17,2013. The most widely used system for classifying carcinogens comes from the IARC, which places them into five groups. Group 1 carcinogens definitely cause cancer in humans. Group 2A is probably carcinogenic to humans, Group 2B is possibly carcinogenic, the carcinogenicity of Group 3 in humans is unclassifiable, and Group 4 is probably not carcinogenic to humans. Only a little more than 100 are classified as Group 1 cancer-causing substances, including ultraviolet radiation and tobacco smoke. "Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants," the lARC's Dana Loomis said in a statement. "The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction: the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution." In 2010, lung cancer resulting from air pollution killed 223,000 people worldwide, and there was also convincing evidence that it increases the risk of bladder cancer, according to the IARC. Air pollution is already known to raise risks for a wide range of illnesses, including respiratory and heart diseases. Air pollution is global, although the levels of it vary over space and time. Loomis said people in Asia, eastern North America, some places in Central America and Mexico, as well as North Africa have relatively high exposure. Developing countries with large populations and booming manufacturing sectors, such as China, are particularly at risk. Many cities in China, such as Beijing, frequently see smog. This week, Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang province, became the first Chinese city to officially suspend classes due to serious smog Many developed countries face similar problems, although to a lesser degree than most developing nations. In Europe, levels of many pollutants have fallen. But between 91 and 96 percent of Europeans living in cities are exposed to levels of PM2.5--tiny particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers--that are higher than the WHO safety limits, says a report published by the European Environment Agency on Oct 15. Although both the composition and levels of air pollution can vary dramatically from one location to the other, the 1ARC said its conclusions apply to all regions of the world. "Given the scale of the exposure affecting people worldwide, this report should send a strong signal to the international community to take action without further delay," said Christopher Wild, director of the IARC. What might be the best title of the passage?
<extra_id_0>Signals of air pollution
<extra_id_1>Safety limits of air pollution
<extra_id_2>Air pollution, cancer risk
<extra_id_3>Air pollution, smog risk
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<extra_id_5>From my first day, I was attending press conferences and other media events all over town. I got to attend events at places I had never thought I'd get to: the White House, the Senate and House of Representative buildings at the Capitol , the Department of Health and Human Services, just to name a few. And I was sent to cover these events as if I were a reporter, not just an intern . In fact, I never really felt like an intern. I was given the opportunity to do the work that everyone else at the paper was doing. I covered stories on my own and wrote the articles myself. I was included in discussions for story ideas. I helped to edit the articles that went into the paper. I was able to take part in every aspect of the newspaper that I wanted to experience. The best part of working at the Nation's Health was the staff. They were supportive in letting me go out and do things on my own, while I always knew that they would be more than happy to answer any questions or help me with any problems I might have. Best of all, they treated me as their equal, not just an intern whom they could get to do all the work they didn't want to do. After interning at the Nation's Health for nearly seven months and having more than 30 articles published, I had to move on. My experience there gave me insight into how the media work, which helps me when I'm trying to choose stories. In addition, it showed me that work really can be fun. We can infer that the author had thought an intern would be made to _ .
<extra_id_0>go to as many places as possible
<extra_id_1>do the boring things that others didn't want to do
<extra_id_2>treat people equally, no matter who they were.
<extra_id_3>get help from a professional reporter
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<extra_id_5>Starving polar bears are eating one another in the Arctic. Flowers are blooming too soon and die. The ice caps are melting so fast that rising water levels will threaten coastal towns along Florida within several decades. These are just a few examples of the terrible consequences of climate change supported by a new analysis inNature. In the past three decades, average global temperatures have risen about 0. 6degC and are _ to jump by about 1. 7degC by the end of the century, says Cynthia Rosenzweig, who leads the Climate Impacts Group at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University in New York. "We've already seen that a relatively low amount of warming," she says, "can lead to a broad range of changes. " The unnatural warming caused by man-made greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide produced by cars and coal-powered plants, brings trouble for entire ecosystems. In North America alone, scientists have identified 89 species of plants, such as the American holly that have flowered earlier in the spring. In Spain, apple trees bloom 35 days ahead of schedule in response to the higher temperatures. Other wildlife, like the insects that use certain plants for food and the birds that feed on the insects, must then move forward their seasonal stirrings and mating patterns to survive. To try to follow this time shift, some birds such as robins, the classic symbol of winter'sthaw , are returning to Colorado from their migrations some two weeks earlier than in years past. All these changes can throw a food chain in disorder. Some bird species that arrive before the insects reappear may starve to death. "Around the world, plants and animals are waking up to an earlier alarm clock than they used to," says Terry Root, a biologist from Stanford University. What can we know about robins according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Farmers depend on them to tell the time.
<extra_id_1>They used to come back when spring came.
<extra_id_2>They used to predict the change of weather.
<extra_id_3>They usually migrate when seasons change.
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<extra_id_5>The woman at the airline ticket counter in prefix = st1 /Munich,Germany, just shook her head. "I'm sorry, but there's no more availability on this flight," she said. God, I thought. My husband, Bob, and I had enjoyed every moment of our dream vacation, two weeks in Europe, but I was ready to go home toShreveport,Louisiana, and sleep in my own bed. Bob could see how frustrated I was. "We'll just have to try to get on the flight tomorrow," he said. "Let's enjoy the extra day." My son Joe, a First Lieutenant in the Army 82nd Airborne Division , would be returning to Ft. Bragg in North Carolina for a short rest and recovery from his tour of duty in Baghdad, and we weren't sure we'd be able to see him in the little time he'd be stateside. Plus, the time was so up in the air! Back at our hotel, I checked my e-mail to see if our daughter-in-law Monica had any news on when Joe was due to arrive. Sure enough, there was a message. "Joe's been delayed again," it read. The next morning we made it onto our flight back to the States. Unfortunately, we had to stop in Atlanta. Our connecting flight there was delayed because of bad weather. The hours passed. I felt the frustration building. "That's it!" I finally said. "I just want to get home!" That's when I saw a group of soldiers coming down the ramp from one of the gates. I thought of Joe. They're coming back from a war, I reminded myself, while I'm coming back from vacation. What right do I have to be frustrated? Maybe the troops were God's way of reminding me to trust in his time. Bob grabbed my arm. "Look at those soldiers coming down the ramp." "I see them," I said. Bob persisted, "Do you see who's in front?" Suddenly, all those delays across all those miles made perfect sense. I rushed toward my son Joe's open arms. The author felt frustrated because_.
<extra_id_0>their flight couldn't land as a result of bad weather
<extra_id_1>the bad weather caused their flight to be put off an hour
<extra_id_2>they didn't wait for their son Joe to match on the airport
<extra_id_3>the bad weather had made their connecting flight delay
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<extra_id_5>Become a professional dog trainer, dog walker or pet sitter with our expert education adn lifetime business support. Top Dog Trainers School will teach you everything you need to know about running your new business. A diploma from Top Dog Trainers School will take you into an enjoyable careet with animals. * We help you create a profitable and successful business from the bottom up with little overhead costs. * We have 10 years lf animal care experience. * We run a Dog Training business making over$150,00per year. * You will leam how to rank your website at the top of search engines. * Hands-on experience with animals and customer relations. * We guide you through business insurance,taxes,licenses,and more. Dog Trainers Course In this 2 week course you will be taught how to run a profitable and enjoyable dog training business. You will have hands on experience training and caring for at least 12 dogs ofall sorts ranging in size from a toy poodle to an Anatolian Shepherd. You will leam about all available training techniques and equipment so you can provide personalized training for four customers. We will train you how to run classes and private in-home lessons. How to run a safe and secure kennel including advance animal health care. Dog Walkers and Pet Sitters Course In this 1 week course you will have experience caring for over a dozen dogs,parrots,chickens, ducks,cats,and horses. We will teach you the secrets of successful dog walkers with hours of dog ,parrots,chickens,ducks,cats,and horses. We will teach you the secrets of successful dog walkers with hours of walking experience. We will teach you how to wash dogs and horses. We will teach you how to properly care for cats and birds. We can infer from the passage that the Anatolian Shepherd,compared with a toy poodbl,is _ .
<extra_id_0>much more expensive to buy
<extra_id_1>much smaller in size
<extra_id_2>more difficult to care for
<extra_id_3>more troblesome in training
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<extra_id_5>Daniel Anderson, a famous psychologist, believes it's important to distinguish television's influences on children from those of the family. We tend to blame TV, he says, for problems it doesn't really cause, overlooking our own roles in shaping children's minds. One traditional belief about television is that it reduces a child's ability to think and to understand the world. While watching TV, children do not merely absorb words and images . Instead, they learn both explicit and hidden meanings from what they see. Actually, children learn early the psychology of characters in TV shows. Furthermore, as many teachers agree, children understand far more when parents watch TV with them, explaining new words and ideas. Yet, most parents use an educational program as a chance to park their kids in front of the set and do something in another room. Another argument against television is that it replaces reading as a form of entertainment. But according to Anderson, the amount of time spent watching television is not related to reading ability. TV doesn't take the place of reading for most children; it takes the place of similar sorts of recreation, such as listening to the radio and playing sports. Things like parents' educational background have a stronger influence on a child's reading. "A child's reading ability is best predicted by how much a parent reads." Anderson says. Traditional wisdom also has it that heavy television-watching lowers IQ scores and affects school performance. But here, too, Anderson notes that no studies have proved it. In fact, research suggests that it's the other way around. "If you're smart young, you'll watch less TV when you're older," Anderson says. Yet, people of lower IQ tend to be lifelong television viewers. For years researchers have attempted to show that television is dangerous to children. However, by showing that television promotes none of the dangerous effects as conventionally believed, Anderson suggests that television cannot be condemned without considering other influences. What is the main purpose of the passage?
<extra_id_0>To advise on the educational use of TV.
<extra_id_1>To describe TV's harmful effects on children.
<extra_id_2>To explain traditional views on TV influences.
<extra_id_3>To present Anderson's unconventional ideas.
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<extra_id_5>Dear Reader, I receive many letters from children and can't answer them all--there wouldn't be time enough in a day. That is why I am sending you this printed reply to your letter. I'll try to answer some of the questions that are commonly asked. Where did I get the idea for Stuart Little and for Charlotte's Web? Well, many years ago I went to bed one night in a railway sleeping car, and during the night I dreamed about a tiny boy who acted rather like a mouse. That's how the story of Stuart Little got started. As for Charlotte's Web, I like animals and my barn is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours. One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die. This made me sad. So I started thinking of ways to save a pig's life. I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving. Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation on a farm. Three years after I started writing it, it was published. (I am not a fast worker, as you can see.) Sometimes I'm asked how old I was when I started to write, and what made me want to write. I started early--as soon as I could spell. In fact, I can't remember any time in my life when I wasn't busy writing. I don't know what caused me to do it, or why I enjoyed it, but I think children often find pleasure and satisfaction in trying to set their thoughts down on paper, either in words or in pictures. I was no good at drawing, so I used words instead. As I grew older, I found that writing can be a way of earning a living. Some of my readers want me to visit their school. Some want me to send a picture, or an autograph, or a book. And some ask questions about my family and my animals and my pets. Much as I'd like to, I can't go visiting. I can't send books, either--you can find them in a bookstore or a library. Many children assume that a writer owns (or even makes) his own books. This is not true--books are made by the publisher. If a writer wants a copy, he must buy it. That's why I can't send books. And I do not send signatures--I leave that to the movie stars. I live most of the year in the country, in New England. From our windows we can look out at the sea and the mountains. I live near my married son and three grandchildren. Are my stories true, you ask? No, they are imaginary tales, containing fantastic characters and events. In real life, a family doesn't have a child who looks like a mouse; in real life, a spider doesn't spin words in her web. In real life, a swan doesn't blow a trumpet. But real life is only one kind of life--there is also the life of the imagination. And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too--truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act. Yours sincerely:E.B. White From Para.5, we can learn that _ .
<extra_id_0>many famous people like to visit schools
<extra_id_1>movie stars will send autographs to readers
<extra_id_2>many people think authors have copies of their own books
<extra_id_3>the author lives with his married son and three grandchildren
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<extra_id_5>Money management should be easy, right? You earn money. Then you use it to pay bills and taxes, donate some if you can and save some. I have paid out more than I earned in the past. I have been stingy occasionally and been sorry later. My biggest regret about money, however, is regarding savings. When I was 30 years old, I started saving money. Finally, I had a well-paid job with a salary that would grow with time and seniority. I purchased my home and moved in. The next logical step was to save money. So I did. In one year I put away $5,000. My goal was to build another $5,000 and start investing . I was pleased with my progress. Unfortunately, life stepped in. A family member became disabled and needed financial assistance. I could not seem to control my spending, and my checking account ran dry. My credit card bills rose. I carry no regret to any necessities that I bought for my family. However, as I look back, I realize that I did not research enough about balancing my budget before spending my savings account. I used the money to buy fast food just for convenience. I would go to the store for food when my cupboards were still not empty, because I wanted something special. I bought convenient items to save time, not considering that I was wasting money. I should have given up the name brand paper towels and used more dish rags. My $5,000 was gone quickly. That was just over 10 years ago. If I had kept the savings and restarted my savings after the emergency, I might have doubled that $5,000 by now. When I am a senior, I will still regret that $5,000. My credit card debt will be paid back soon. I will be as wise in my charity donations as possible. But I shall always mourn my savings account. After moving into his new home, the author _ .
<extra_id_0>started to invest.
<extra_id_1>owed 10, 000 dollars in total.
<extra_id_2>saved 5,000 dollars altogether.
<extra_id_3>wasn't content with his position.
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<extra_id_5>A spirit of adventure, curiosity about different cultures and the desire for a challenge can be found in young people everywhere. More and more students inprefix = st1 /Chinaare backpacking around the country. According to the China Youth Travel Service, Hainan, Dalian, Zhangjiajie andQingdaowere among the most popular spots for young Chinese backpackers last year. Backpacking allows the traveler a greater sense of independence. "I can no longer put up with the instructions of a tourist guide," said Huang Ye, a 19-year-old college student inBeijing. "They are always driving you to places that you do not want to go to and trying to make you buy local souvenirs." Huang likes to travel as a backpacker. She prefers an independent trip that she took with two friends to Jiuzhaigou inSichuanProvince. There, they chose some scenic spots to visit and avoided the masses of tourists. Backpackers see the difficulties of such travel as a challenge. Living on bread and water for days on end, wearing the same clothes over and over again and carrying a heavy bag on their backs while climbing a mountain are all character-building experiences. But perhaps the greatest challenge that a backpacker faces is not a physical one, but mental. They may face loneliness if they travel alone. Chen Xuewei, 21, suffered when he took off aroundChinalast year."I felt very lonely at the beginning of my journey. A walkman didn't make me feel better, but rather heightened the sense of loneliness I felt. I even called up my friends to tell them that I wanted to give up and go back toBeijing," he recalled. But he kept going. He started to make friends and appreciate the local customs. He took lots of photos to record his trip and now he is glad he stuck it out. Backpackers generally find themselves to be mature after their experiences. "Their travel logs track their development as people." "When I feel _ , I read my travel log again," said Tang Weifeng, a postgraduate atPekingUniversity. "By reading it, I get a sense that I am better off now than I was when I wrote those words by the light of a torch in a hot tent." Which of the following is NOT mentioned as one of the advantages of backpacking according to the story?
<extra_id_0>It builds up your character.
<extra_id_1>Through the experience, you learn to live in a tent.
<extra_id_2>Through the experience, you learn to rely on yourself.
<extra_id_3>Through the experience, you learn to cope with loneliness.
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<extra_id_5>When the famous dancer Fred was interviewed for a job by a Hollywood producer , the movie Expert turned him down, saying,"Can't sing. Can't act. Dances a little." Here's another stupid mistake. When the great scientist Albert Einstein was at school, his teachers considered him rather dull. And a final story, the famous Polish pianist Paderewski was told by a teacher that he'd never be a success as a performer because the middle finger on each hand was too short. What lessons can be drawn from these three experiences? First, true genius cann't be suppressed .For some reason or other it works its way out. Second, early judgments of a person's abilities may be unfair or just wrong. Third, when there is a real determination to succeed, obstacles fall by the wayside. The famous motto "ad astra per aspera" can be translated as " To the stars through hardships". Astaire, Einstein and Paderewski proved their critics wrong. Ad astra per aspera is used in the passage _ .
<extra_id_0>As a motto for the three men's lives
<extra_id_1>To show the value of Latin
<extra_id_2>To send the reader to the dictionary
<extra_id_3>To point out that genius is always recognized early
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<extra_id_5>Is there a connection between a nation's contributions to international aid programs and the happiness of its citizens? According to a study of nine European donor countries, there is a direct relationship between the level of foreign aid and level of happiness in the UK and France but for other European countries there seems to be no link. Full details of the analysis and its conclusions are published this month in the journal Global Business and Economics Review. Mark Arvin and Byron Lew of Department of Economics, Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, have investigated the old proverb that it's better to give than receive. Previous research has suggested that for individuals giving money to worthy causes brings more happiness than spending it oneself. Elizabeth Dunn and colleagues at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, found that people said they were much happier if they were spending money "pro-socially" -- that is on gifts for others or on charitable donations -- rather than spending it on themselves. Whether this proposal translates to the national level is open to question, but Arvin and Lew hoped to confirm that it is indeed the case by looking at the foreign aid disbursements of nine donor countries in Europe and using general measures of happiness among a nation's citizens. Their statistical analysis hoped to reveal whether happiness levels could predict levels of aid offered. "Our results reveal that for two important European donors, France and the UK, the aid-happiness link is a positive causal relationship from happiness to aid," the team says. "In addition, for France, there is also a positive causal connection from aid to happiness. This leads us to suspect that aid and happiness are likely both naturally born -- at least for some countries." The researchers point out that it is not surprising that there is a different effect in countries other than the UK and France because there are different attitudes towards foreign aid. Some nations have smaller public parts others donate at the institutional level and through private channels. Nevertheless, public giving seems to bring greater happiness to a nation as a whole as well as assisting those less fortunate. Which can be the best title of the passage?
<extra_id_0>Different Attitudes, Different Effects
<extra_id_1>Happier to Give than to Receive
<extra_id_2>Donations and Contributions
<extra_id_3>A Relationship from Happiness to Aid
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<extra_id_5>The first time I went for a walk around my father-in-law's neighborhood was garbage day, and I was shocked to see what people were throwing out. It was back in 1981, and I saw many people gathered in someone's front yard. As I went nearer to see what was happening I got my first introduction to yard sales. For the few dollars I had in my wallet, I was able to buy a seven-inch black-and-white portable TV. I also bought a flashlight. The following weekend, at another yard sale, I saw a 14-inch color1 TV being sold for almost nothing. I felt I could not miss the offer and bought it. Now I had two sets and couldn't wait to see what else I could afford the next weekend. Spring ended, and by then I had accumulated almost every type of electronic equipment I had always wished to have back home. Then this new idea came to mind. I had heard about a man who traveled back home every few months. He drove a truck filled with boxes of new and used stuff that people were sending to s. So I told my father that I would send as many types of items as I could so that he could start his resale business. Every few months I would gather several boxes of American "junk" --- televisions, toasters, fans, hair dryers, etc. and send them home. As word got out about my father's "trash" market, people all came to buy these things. Three years later, when I visited my family for the first time since leaving home, I learned that many of the families in our neighborhood had a piece of "trash". It proved that I had the responsibility to keep people back home up to date with the latest technology you no longer need.(304words) What did the author think of the "junk" he bought?
<extra_id_0>He was not surprised to see them thrown away.
<extra_id_1>He thought they were valuable.
<extra_id_2>He thought they were worth buying.
<extra_id_3>He thought he could sell them for a good price.
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<extra_id_5>China produces 58,000 tons of silk each year.Yet one of the most popular silk companies in the world is Jim Thompson, a brand based in Thailand.Thompson, a Delaware native, was trained to be an architect in the mid-1920s, but then joined the United States army during the World War II.He was soon appointed to the CIA and traveled around the world, including Thailand, where he fell in love with the people and their country. Being aware of the potential in silk trade, Thompson returned to Thailand to start his own silk business upon his retirement in 1946. At that time, silk production was becoming weaker due to the slow collection process. To revive the business, in 1947, he took a variety of silk clothes back to New York City to see if the product would be marketable to foreign consumers. He received a positive response, so the Jim Thompson Silk Company was founded in 1948. After the establishment of his company, silk costumes soon appeared in Broadway plays and popular films such as Ben Hur, and Thai royalty, such as Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, began wearing silk often.Many also think his work contributed greatly to the Thai economy, since the silk industry continues to employ thousands of Thai citizens even today. Jim Thompson's success is no mystery.However, his disappearance on March 26, 1967 certainly is one.Thompson made a trip to Malaysia to visit friends and one day , ventured into the jungle on an afternoon walk.He was never seen again despite search parties sent out by the Royal Army Air Corps and British troops.Many have their own theories on his disappearance, but none have been completely confirmed. What does the author think of Thompson's disappearance? _
<extra_id_0>Expected
<extra_id_1>Unbelievable
<extra_id_2>Alarming
<extra_id_3>Confusing
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<extra_id_5>"I Love My Neighborhood" Poster Contest The "I Love My Neighborhood" Poster Contest was developed in l993.It aims to educate your students and their families about neighborhood pride and duty.Lessons and activities are provided in a teacher's guide.Students can learn about the sources of litter and pollution prevention. RULES All children in primary schools are invited to submit one piece of work. The Winning posters will be reproduced and handed out throughout the neighborhood. *Students are encouraged to bravely use different colors and to be as creative as possible! It is up to the student and you to decide which art tool to use such as crayons. Color pencils are not advised because they do not reproduce well. *The topic, "I am part of my neighborhood!" must be included in the design of each poster. The Committee requires that students include their mascot in each poster. *All work must be on normal-sized paper for winning posters reproduction purposes. Over-sized posters will have no chance of taking part in the final competition. *All work submitted must be the child's own work.Your students can be guided by you or their parents; we simply want to avoid poster not drawn by themselves. *Please review each poster before submitting. Each work to be submitted must include the student's name, grade level,your name and school name on the BACK of each poster. For more information or questions about the 2012 "I Love My Neighborhood" Poster Contest, contact Jaixen Webb at (818) 551-6933 or ' The text is mainly written for _ .
<extra_id_0>students
<extra_id_1>neighborhood committees
<extra_id_2>teachers
<extra_id_3>parents
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<extra_id_5>Some school officials want to change class time from 8:00am to 9:00am.What do you think? Jill----"I think it's a good idea! I usually get up at 6:10 and it's difficult for me. At night I have to do lots of homework and I like to watch TV . I go to bed at about 11:00 pm. I usually can't catch the bus at 7:30 in the morning. I am often late for school." Sally---"I don't think it's a good idea. I always get up at 5:30 in the morning. It's the best time of the day. First I do some morning exercises. Then I read and have breakfast. So I will be happy if class begins at 8:00 ." Billy---"I never get up before 6:30.I always go to school without breakfast. A morning class is not good for me. I hope I can go to school after 8:30." Which is true?
<extra_id_0>Sally works hard
<extra_id_1>Billy says there are no buses early in the morning.
<extra_id_2>Sally likes to watch TV in the evening.
<extra_id_3>Jill is never late for school.
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<extra_id_5>Light Company is the sole distributor of electrical power in City. The Company owns and maintains all of the electric poles and equipment in City. Light Company has complied with the National Electrical Safety Code, which establishes minimum requirements for the installation and maintenance of power poles. The Code has been approved by the federal and state governments. Light Company has had to replace insulators on its poles repeatedly because unknown persons repeatedly shoot at and destroy them. This causes the power lines to fall to the ground. On one of these occasions, Paul, Faber's fiveyear-old son, wandered out of Faber's yard, intentionally touched a downed wire, and was seriously burned. If a claim on Paul's behalf is asserted against Light Company, the probable result is that Paul will
<extra_id_0>recover if Light Company could have taken reasonable steps to prevent the lines from falling when the insulators were destroyed.
<extra_id_1>recover, because a supplier of electricity is strictly liable in tort.
<extra_id_2>not recover unless Light Company failed to exercise reasonable care to stop the destruction of the insulators.
<extra_id_3>not recover, because the destruction of the insulators was intentional
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<extra_id_5>A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas playing in the mud,with empty food boxes and wrappers thrown all around the front yard. The door of his wife's car was open,as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Walking into the entry,he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel,and the family room was thrown with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen,dishes filled the sink,breakfast food was spilled on the counter,the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor,a broken glass lay under the table,and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs,stepping over toys and more piles of clothes,looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill,or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small drop of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he looked inside he found wet towels, soap and more toys thrown over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been put over the mirror and walls. As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still sleeping in the bed in her pajamas,reading a novel. She looked up at him,smiled,and asked how his day went. He looked at her puzzled and asked, "What happened here today?" She again smiled and answered,"You know every day when you come home from work and ask me what in the world I did today?" "Yes," was his reply. She answered,"Well,today I didn't do it." What can we know from the passage?
<extra_id_0>The dog was opening the door of the car.
<extra_id_1>The children were playing in the room.
<extra_id_2>The TV set was on,broadcasting a children's program.
<extra_id_3>The fridge door was left open with dog food in it.
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<extra_id_5>Chinese scientists have found a new way to use cells found in human urine that could aid in the treatment of a range of nerve disorders.That is a new technique for reprogramming cells in human urine into nerve progenitor cells that can grow into multi-functional nerve and brain cells. The technique is expected to be used in the study and treatment of nerve disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and other nerve disorders. Pei Duanqing, a professor at Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said his research team has combined an episomal system to deliver reprogramming factors with a chemically defined culture medium to reprogram kidney epithelial cells in urine into NPCs. These NPCs, normally only found in the human brain, were later proven to be transgene-free and self-renewing, he said. "These nerve and brain cells can survive for up to one month when transplanted into the brain of a newborn rat," said Pei. "My team is working hard to understand why our experimental condition allowed the urine cells to become NPCs, because we want to improve the technique and make it more efficient". Scientists have long searched to treat and study neural disorders by obtaining and transplanting neural stem cells. However, the previous method of getting and using cells from either fetal or adult human tissue remains challenging due to ethical concerns and immune system rejections, he said. Pei hopes the discovery will be used to generate NPCs from patients with nerve disorders such as Parkinson's disease. "These NPCs from patients may help us discover new drugs for these diseases." "It is a remarkable advance in the stem cell field. The results and methods obtained from this study will be of great value and significance to the field, " said Fred Gage,a professor with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. What is the challenge of making NPCs in the previous method?
<extra_id_0>The ethical comcerns and immune system refusal
<extra_id_1>The difificulties in getting cells from human.
<extra_id_2>The under-developed techniques in medical science.
<extra_id_3>The lack of financial support from the government.
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<extra_id_5>The Horn of Plenty is one of the largest natural health food stores within the Greater Hamilton area. We are big supporters of buying locally and we are here to tell you why it is so important for your family, the community and the environment. The concept of buying locally is simple: buy food produced, grown, or raised as close to your home as possible. Not only will your food be fresher and tastier, but you are helping protect the environment and are supporting businesses within your community and reducing pollution. Better for the environment Sustainability and global warming are such hot topics at the moment, and many people want to do their bit to help support a healthier environment. Small action carried out by many people can make a big difference. Most materials in an average North American meal have traveled about 1,500 miles to get from farm to plate. To cut out a big part of this travel would greatly reduce not only pollution from transportation and refrigeration but also customers' expenses as well. Taste and nutritional content Locally-grown fruits and vegetables are usually sold within 24 hours of being harvested. Because they are picked at the height of ripeness and travel only a short distance to the market, their freshness, nutrition, and flavor are kept. Produce trucked in from far away may lose both taste and nutritional content. Community and home values When you buy direct from a farmer or buy locally-grown foods, you are engaged in a time-honored tradition between a grower and an eater. You also help keep dollars within your community. According to the author, when you buy locally-grown foods _ .
<extra_id_0>you can see how fruits and vegetables grow
<extra_id_1>you will contribute to protecting the environment
<extra_id_2>you will become much healthier and prettier
<extra_id_3>you are making money from your community
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<extra_id_5>Jenny, I often think if I am as important to you as you are to me. We had an unhappy time yesterday. I really felt sad after it and almost apologized to you. However,you could still laugh and talk with others like nothing had happened. I suddenly realized that I was not that important to you. You didn't even realize that I was angry and sad. What's more,you even forgot my birthday this year. Goodbye,my friend. I have closed my feeling toward you. It is sad to say goodbye,my friend. But it is meaningless for us to be friends any longer. Lucy Dear Lucy, I'm sorry that I hurt you so much yesterday. But here is something I really need to tell you. I never thought the quarrel we had yesterday was as serious as you thought. I just felt tired and didn't feel like going shopping. Susan and Lily are also my good friends. I couldn't pretend not seeing them when they passed by. I also couldn't let them know I was blue because of the quarrel. I didn't want them to feel sad just because I was sad. I'm your best friend,but I don't want to be your only friend. I don't want to be with you all the time because sometimes I need to have my own time. I want to spend some time with my other friends and my brother. Please try to make more friends. You will feel much happier if you have more friends. And remember,I'm your best friend forever! Jenny What's the purpose of Lucy's letter?
<extra_id_0>To tell Jenny that she is really sorry for what happened yesterday.
<extra_id_1>To tell Jenny she doesn't want to be friends with her any longer.
<extra_id_2>To ask Jenny not to be friends with Susan or Lily.
<extra_id_3>To ask Jenny if she means much to her.
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<extra_id_5>Though the last book of the spectacular Harry Potter series was released seven years ago in 2007, the young wizard continues to be extremely popular with both kids and adults. Over the years, Harry Potter fans have been able to experience numerous aspects of the young wizard's life, right down to his favorite drink -- butter beer. Now thanks to a British hotel, they can also spend a night in the wizard's Hogwarts Castle dormitory room. The four-star Georgian Hotel in Central London, which recently opened its two wizard chambers , is ideally suited to reproducing J.K. Rowling's school of wizardry . That's because the hotel, which is still run by the descendants of the original owners, dates all the way back to 1851. It still remains its original styles inside. According to the owner of the 163-year-old Georgian Hotel, the idea originated as a way to create a kid-friendly environment in a hotel that is well-known for its Victoria Classic and Belgravia Boutique rooms. The wizard chambers that have been refinished to resemble the Hogwarts Castle dormitory rooms are furnished with everything a wizard fan could think of -- four-poster beds, stone wash basins, potion bottles, cauldrons (,), spelling books and even study tables. In order to make them appear even more magical, the hotel owners have added their own special touches that include placing a wand in the hand of the Mona Lisa painting that is in one of the chambers. As you may have guessed, these unique accommodations are not cheap. The rooms, breakfast included, cost about $350 for two people. Kids sharing the same room pay only an additional $40 each. Given that the big wizard chamber can contain up to five people, the overall cost is perfect for families that are all Harry Potter fans. Special packages include a Muggle Walking Tour that takes Harry Potter fans through the areas of the city where parts of the movies were filmed or a visit to Warner Brothers Studio, home of the Harry Potter films' sets and props . The hotel is certainly generating a lot of buzz among Harry Potter fans! The best title of the passage is _ .
<extra_id_0>Stay in the magical Harry Potter rooms
<extra_id_1>Play with Harry Potter
<extra_id_2>A recent Harry Potter Hotel
<extra_id_3>A Expensive Hotel
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<extra_id_5>One man tells of driving on a long and lonely road, the last 65 miles of it unpaved, in order to watch Indian dances in the state of Arizona.After the dances, he returned to his car only to find that it had a flat tire.He put on the spare and drove to the only service station in that town. "Do you fix flats?" he inquired of the attendant. "Yes," came the answer. "How much do you charge?" he asked. With a twinkle in his eye, the man replied, "What difference does it make?" This is what has been called a "Hobson's choice".A Hobson's choice is a situation that forces a person to accept whatever is offered or go without. According to Barbara Berliner, the phrase was inspired by sixteenth-century entrepreneur Thomas Hobson.There was no choice by the customer -- it was strictly Hobson's choice. But often we really have a choice, and the choice does make a difference.We may not always believe it.We may feel as if we have no choice, but almost always there is a choice in the matter.And when we realize that we do most things by choice, then we are taking control of our own lives. Someone challenged me to try an experiment that completely changed my perspective(,)."For the next seven days," he said, "remove the words 'I have to' from your vocabulary and say 'I choose to'.Don't say, 'I have to work late tonight'.Instead, say, 'I choose to work late'.When you choose to do it, you take control of your life.Instead of saying 'I have to stay home', try 'I choose to stay home'.The way you spend your time is your choice.You are responsible.You have control." In just seven days I was no longer saying "I have to" and I felt better about my decisions.I learned that there is very little in my life I actually have to do.You and I decide to do certain things because we believe that it will be for the best.When we remove "I have to" from our vocabularies, we take control. Try it for a week and you see what happens.I think you'll see it's a change for the better. The author learnt from the experiment that he _ .
<extra_id_0>actually changed his attitudes towards life
<extra_id_1>could spend more time relaxing himself
<extra_id_2>should take pleasure in helping others
<extra_id_3>could become more challenging
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<extra_id_5>Mrs. King is an American doctor. She is now in China. She works in a Children's Hospital in Beijing. She is also learning Chinese medicine there. She likes Chinese medicine very much. She loves working for children. She works hard in the day and reads English books on Chinese medicine at night. She learns Chinese from the Chinese doctors and her Chinese friends. Now she can speak some Chinese. She can read some Chinese books, too. Her husband Mr. King is a teacher. He teaches English in a junior high school in Beijing. He works hard, too. He works from Monday to Friday. He teaches three classes every day. Sometimes, on Saturdays and Sundays, he teaches other English classes. He wants to make more money . Both of the Kings _ .
<extra_id_0>live in America
<extra_id_1>live in Shanghai
<extra_id_2>work hard
<extra_id_3>work every day
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<extra_id_5>By 2050 there will have been an extra 2.5 billion people on earth. And what will they eat? To solve the problem, we should have to double our food production. We can also develop a diet of algae , insects and meat grown in laboratories. Algae can grow very quickly at sea, in polluted water and in places that would normally kill food crops. They are already eaten widely in Japan and China and they are eaten by almost everything from shrimps to blue whales. They can fix CO2 in the atmosphere and provide fats and sugars. Man-made meat looks like meat, feels like meat and it is meat, although it's never been from a living, breathing animal. Instead, it is grown from cells in big containers. Moreover, studies show that producing man-made meat will use far less water, energy and land. China has developed "green super rice", a series of rice types which produce more grain and have stronger ability to fight against floods, salty water, insects and disease. We used traditional plant breeding techniques to cross-breed more than 250 rice types. Green super rice, which is enough to feed an extra 100 million people, will be planted widely in the coming years. Insects like ants are not on most European menus but at least 1,400 kinds are eaten across Africa, Latin America and Asia. Now, with rising food prices and worldwide land shortages, such insects are getting more and more popular. Not only are many insects rich in protein , low in fat and high in Ca and Fe, but insect farms need little space. And they can grow well on paper, algae and industrial wastes. Green super rice _
<extra_id_0>has to be watered with salty water
<extra_id_1>can grow even in a bad environment
<extra_id_2>includes no more than 250 rice kinds
<extra_id_3>was developed with new technologies
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<extra_id_5>Scattered throughout the various reports on sleep research are several that describe some unusual behavior by people who are sleepwalking. These include eating, making phone calls and even murder. Now, there's a new case appearing in one more study on this strange phenomenon: sleep e-mailing. In an article published in journal Sleep Medicine, prefix = st1 /SetonHallUniversityresearchers document the following case of a 44-year-old woman: This woman received a puzzling phone call from a friend who said she was accepting her dinner invitation -- an invitation that the woman could not remember having made. The friend reminded the woman of the e-mail she had sent the night before -- an e-mail of which the woman also had no recollection . However, a quick search through her sent e-mail folder did turn up one strange e-mail. She had apparently sent it to her friend -- at 11:47 the previous night. The puzzling message said: "I don't get it. Please explain Lucy! Come tomorrow and sort this out! Dinner and drinks, 4 pm? Wine and caviar to bring only. Everything else, a guess? There were two other e-mails sent to her friend at 11:50pm and 11:53 pm, each of which seemed to be written in a strange language, full of capitalization errors and phrases that didn't make sense. According to Dr Fouzia Siddiqui, lead author of the case study, this particular sleepwalking case was unique and was the first and only published account of "sleep e-mailing". "Sleepwalking has occurred in the past where people would undertake other activities such as cooking or moving furniture around," Siddiqui said. " But this case is unique in that she wasn't just sleeping but doing complex things like turning on her computer, remembering her user name and password and typing entire e-mails." Just what is sleepwalking? It is actually a kind of sleep disorder. Studies have found that somewhere between 5 and 10 percent of people are sleepwalkers. It comes from a mixture of wakefulness and non-REM sleep. Sleepwalkers can carry out complex behavior such as driving, walking, e-mailing and telephoning in a sleep-like state. People with high levels of stress and anxiety, or those who have a family history of sleepwalking are more likely to experience it. Why does Siddiqui say the case of the sleepwalking woman is unique?
<extra_id_0>Two of her e-mails sent while sleepwalking seemed like works from outer space .
<extra_id_1>The case of the sleepwalking woman has interested scientists in the world.
<extra_id_2>The case of the woman is the first known account of "sleeping e-mailing".
<extra_id_3>The sleepwalking woman took a lot of complex actions.
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<extra_id_5>It changes from winter to spring because of a
<extra_id_0>moon
<extra_id_1>cloud
<extra_id_2>star
<extra_id_3>sky
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<extra_id_5>There's a guy like me in every state and federal prison in America, I guess -- I'm the guy who can get these for you: cigarettes, a bag of cigar, if you want that, a bottle of wine to celebrate yourson or daughter's high school graduation, or almost anything else. . . within reason, that is. It wasn't always that way. I came to Shawshank when I was just twenty, and I am one of the few people in the prison who is willing to admit what he did. I committed murder . I put a large insurance policy on my wife, who was three years older than I was, and then I fixed the brakes of the car her father had given us as a wedding present. It worked out exactly as I had planned, except I hadn't planned on her stopping to pick up the neighbor woman and the woman's son on the way down Castle Hill and into town. The brakes let go and the car crashed through the bushes, gathering speed. Bystanders said it must have been doing fifty or better when it hit the base of the Civil War statue in the town arid burst into flames. I also hadn't planned on getting caught, but I was caught. I got a pass into this place. My state has no death penalty , but I was tried for all three deaths and given three life sentences, to run one after the other. That fixed up any chance of parole I might have, for a long, long time. The judge called what I had done 'an extremely evil crime', and it was, but it is also in the past now. Have I transformed myself, you ask? I don't know what that word means, at least as far as prisons and corrections go. I think it's a politician's word. It may have some other meaning, and it may be that I will have a chance to find out, but that is the future. . . I was young, good-looking, and from the poor side of town. I met a pretty, headstrong girl who lived in one of the fine old houses on Carbine Street. She got pregnant later. Her father was agreeable to the marriage if I would take a job in the company he owned and 'work my way up'. I found out that what he really had in mind was keeping me in his house and under his thumb, like a disagreeable pet that has not quite been housebroken and which may bite. Enough hate eventually piled up to cause me to do what I did. Given a second chance I would not do it again, but I'm not sure whether that means I am transformed. By saying that "I got a pass into this place" (in Para. 3), the man means that _ .
<extra_id_0>he had to stay in prison
<extra_id_1>he was allowed to go home
<extra_id_2>he was caught by the police without a pass
<extra_id_3>he has stayed in the federal prison before
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_0>
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<extra_id_5>Steve and Yaser first met in their chemistry class at an American university. Yaser was an international student from Jordan. He wanted to learn more about American culture and hoped that he and Steve would become good friends. At first, Steve seemed very friendly. He always greeted Yaser warmly before class. Sometimes he offered to study with Yaser. He even invited Yaser to have lunch with him. But after the term was over, Steve seemed distant. The two former classmates didn't see each other very often at school. One day Yaser decided to call Steve. Steve didn't seem very interested in talking to him. Yaser was hurt by Steve's change of attitude. "Steve said we were friends," Yaser complained, "and I thought friends were friends forever." Yaser was a little confused. As a foreigner, he doesn't understand the way Americans view friendship. Americans use the word "friend" in a very general way. They may call both casual acquaintances(;) and close companions "friends". These friendships are based on common interests. When the shared activity ends, the friendship may fade . Now as Steve and Yaser are no longer classmates, their "friendship" has changed. In some cultures friendship means a strong lifelong bond between two people. In these cultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to last. American society is one of rapid change. Studies show that one out five American families moves every year. American friendships develop quickly, and _ may change just quickly as well. People from the United States may at first seem friendly. Americans often chat easily with strangers. But American friendliness is not always an offer of true friendship. After an experience like Yaser's , people who've been in this country for only a few months may consider Americans to be fickle . Learning how Americans view friendship can help non-Americans avoid misunderstandings. It can also help them make friends in the American way. According to the passage, _ made Yaser a little confused.
<extra_id_0>Steve's inviting him to dinner
<extra_id_1>Steve's cold attitude
<extra_id_2>Steve's studying with him
<extra_id_3>Steve's misunderstanding him
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>Last spring, members of Alaska's Troop 34, based in Fairbanks, trudged out into the snowy wilderness to take part in their state's Take a Kid Trapping program. In many parts of the state, beavers are pests and need to be controlled. The 10-to-12-year-old girls found out where beavers lived, set traps, and skinned the two animals they caught. The girls hope to catch ten more beavers so that the entire troop can make mittens and hats with the fur. They also want to cook beaver meat. Troop leaders and members say the Scouts are doing a good deed by helping control the state's beaver population. But animal-rights activists say trapping is cruel. They want the Girl Scouts to stop in their tracks. Beavers aren't only causing a problem in Alaska. Residents in Sampson County, N.C., have turned to a local committee to help them battle the growing beaver population there. County landowners are frustrated after the county spent more than $ 50,000 in eight years trying to reduce the beaver population through a government program. The joint state and federal program included paying money to trappers for every beaver carcass they trapped. Many local residents say that the program didn't work because there were too few trappers. That's why the county set up its own committee to investigate other ways to control the area's beaver population. The county will rely on its own beaver-trapping program. It has hired a trapper to set traps in various areas. The county will pay $10 for every beaver carcass. Why do many people say that beavers are a nuisance? For beavers to survive, they need lots of water. Water provides the large rodent with a place to hide from meat - eating animals. Beavers also store food underwater for the winter. When there's not enough water in a particular area, beavers get busy building dams. Beaver dams can cause major flooding and damage to the surrounding countryside as the animals cut down trees to use in their construction projects. Beavers build canals to transport heavy objects. Local residents hate beavers because they can _ .
<extra_id_0>cause damage to dams
<extra_id_1>block up canals with heavy objects.
<extra_id_2>do great harm to construction projects.
<extra_id_3>badly damage the environment and cause floods.
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<extra_id_3>
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<extra_id_5>The sounds you make while chewing have a significant effect on the amount of food you eat, a new study has found. The results suggest that people are likely to consume less if they can hear themselves eating. Researchers at Brigham Young University and Colorado State University have found that your TV, radio, and computer are making you fat. Not by bombarding you with food ads (though they totally are) but by blocking the sounds of your chewing. In a recent study, they found that the noise your food makes while you're eating can have a significant effect on how much food you eat. "Sound is typically labeled as the forgotten food sense," adds Ryan Elder, assistant professor of marketing at BYU's Marriott School of Management. "But if people are more focused on the sound the food makes, it could reduce consumption." "For the most part, consumers and researchers have overlooked food sound as an important sensory cue in the eating experience." said study coauthor Gina Mohr, an assistant professor of marketing at CSU. The team carried out three separate experiments to quantify the effects of "food sound salience" on quantity of food consumed during a meal. In one experiment, participants were given snacks to eat while they wore headphones playing either loud or quiet noises. The ones loud enough to mask the sound of chewing made subjects eat more -- 4 pretzels compared to 2.75 pretzels for the "quiet" group. In another of their experiments they found that just having people hear chewing sounds through an advertisement can decrease the amount they eat. Elder and Morh call this the "Crunch Effect." The main takeaway of their work should be the idea of mindfulness, they said. Being more mindful of not just the taste and physical appearance of food, but also of the sound it makes can help consumers to eat less. "When you mask the sound of consumption, like when you watch TV while eating, you take away one of those senses and it may cause you to eat more than you would normally," Elder said. "The effects may not seem huge --one less pretzel-- but over the course of a week, month, or year, it could really add up." So next time you sit down for a meal, take your headphones off and mute the TV or find a movie where there's a lot of very audible chewing. Where can we most probably find this passage?
<extra_id_0>An advertisement.
<extra_id_1>A science magazine.
<extra_id_2>A notice board.
<extra_id_3>A medical journal.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>Nanjing and Hangzhou summer camps offered We are looking for hard-working and open-minded English teachers to join the Nanjing ( Jiangsu Province) and Hangzhou ( Zhejiang Province) summer camps ! Both of the summer camps will run from the beginning of July to the end of August. You will be expected to teach spoken English to Chinese students of different ages. We encourage you to bring your own culture to the classes to make things more interesting. The information of the Nanjing camp: * Working hours: 40 hours per week, 5 working days per week. * Salary: about 7, 000 RMB per month. * Accommodation: free (single room). The information of the Hangzhou camp: * Working hours: 5 hours per day ( = 50 min./class x 6 classes), one day rest per week. * Salary: 20,160 RMB in total (420 RMB per day = 70 RMB/class x 6 classes). * Accommodation: free (shared room). The requirements of the summer camps: * Native English speakers (US, England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand). * A university degree. * Teaching experience. Please send us your resume , copies of certificates and passport if you are interested in the camps. E-mail: teacher1324@ sina. com. cn For more information you can visit our website at http://www. English summer camps. com. cn. Look forward to hearing from you soon! What kind of people is the passage mainly written for?
<extra_id_0>Chinese-English teachers.
<extra_id_1>Foreign-English teachers.
<extra_id_2>Chinese-speaking students.
<extra_id_3>English-learning students.
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>Car needs gas to run as your body needs food to work for you. Eating the right kinds of food is very important. A good eating habit can help your body grow strong if you take care of what you eat. There are four main food groups altogether. The _ group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all of these foods together, you will be given enough energy during the day. It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may be easier to eat fish and chips for your supper all the time. But you will find yourself tired and you will not be able to think quickly. Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having good eating habits with some exercise is the key to your health. In this passage the writer mainly tells us that _ .
<extra_id_0>every person needs food to grow well.
<extra_id_1>taking exercise can keep your body strong.
<extra_id_2>the right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy.
<extra_id_3>enough energy helps people think more quickly.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_2>
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<extra_id_5>I stepped into my hotel room to a pleasant surprise. Lots of room surrounded an inviting king-size bed, with armchairs nearby resting against sliding glass doors that opened onto a private yard. A small dining table sat next to a kitchen with a refrigerator and coffee machine. "Wow," I thought to myself. "Nice place." I love hotels. I love to enter a clean room, hang my clothes and gaze out the window, walk out in the morning and when I return, someone else will have made the bed. I like in-room dining and the way they greet you so professionally. "Nice to have you with us again, Mr. Goldsborough." Very cool. The problem is that unless Alison travels with me, I never sleep well in hotels. I miss my family, even though Linus and Camille, at ages 4 and almost 2, find a way to interrupt even the best night's sleep at home. I'm deeply troubled by the number of parents who wake up too late with the realization: "My children grew up too fast. In the busy career and corporate rat race , I missed their childhood." What they fail to say but too often think causes me even more pain: "...and I barely even know them." A hundred years from now, no one will remember the size of your bank account, the car you drove or the size of your house. The world might differ greatly however, based on your impact in the life of a small child. If you pay attention to your significant others, make the choice to put them first. Think of one specific action that you can take, and take it. Then think of another one and take that, too. Challenge yourself to find new ways to express your appreciation and love on a daily basis. It will pay off ten-fold at home. We can infer from the passage that the author _ .
<extra_id_0>often goes out on business
<extra_id_1>didn't get along well with his/her family
<extra_id_2>has not grown into an adult
<extra_id_3>comes from a rich family
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<extra_id_0>
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<extra_id_5>Imagine having an idea, drawing it on paper, bringing it to a store and seeing it turned into a physical object. This is now possible with the help of 3D printers. Such machines were once used just by universities and big companies, but now, stores with 3D printing services are appearing around the United States. Bryan Jaycox and his wife opened The Build Shop LLC in Los Angeles two years ago. The store is filled with tools like a laser cutter, an industrial sewing machine and 3D printers. The Jaycoxs offer 3D printing classes and services for anyone who is interested. "I think 3D printing is going to be huge. It's going to have a huge effect on society as a whole." One of the students in a recent class was KiChong Tran. He plans to open a 3D printing business in Cambodia. 3D printing services are becoming available for American consumers. The UPS Store is a nationwide retailer ( ) that provides shipping, copying and other services. The UPS Store recently put 3D printers in three of its independently-owned stores. Burke Jones owns one of the stores in San Diego. "The demand has been amazing. It's been much more than I would have imagined." The UPS Store plans to add 3D printers in three more stores. At The UPS Store, the cost of the object depends on the amount of materials used. The store charges up to $95 an hour to design the object with computer software that creates a digital file to guide the printer. Mr. Jaycox predicts that within five years, 3D printing technology could become more popular. But KiChong Tran says even current technology can make a difference in a developing country like Cambodia. "With 3D printing, you can give them tools; you put it in their hands so they are responsible more for their own development and they learn skills beyond just learning English and becoming a tour guide or something like that or working at a bank; you can actually create things that give value to the world." He says it's not just in Cambodia but anywhere where there is a 3D printer that it can turn a good idea into reality. At the UPS Store, the price of a 3D object depends on _
<extra_id_0>the person who makes it
<extra_id_1>the materials to make it and time to design it
<extra_id_2>the size of the object
<extra_id_3>the labor service it needs
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_2>
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<extra_id_5>which of these eventually form crude oil after millions of years in the earth?
<extra_id_0>a plastic set of cups
<extra_id_1>a family of dogs
<extra_id_2>a twelve pack of beer cans
<extra_id_3>a set of silverware
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>Read the instructions of the medicine before you take your choices. Adults : 2 tablespoonfuls Children: according to age 10----14 years 4 teaspoonfuls 5----10years 2 teaspoonfuls 3----6 years I teaspoonful Repeat above doses every 1/2 hour to 1 hour if needed until 8 dose are taken. If you do not get better within two days, see a doctor. SHAKE WELLBEFORE USING. What is the largest amount of medicine that should be taken by an adult in four hours?
<extra_id_0>Eight doses
<extra_id_1>Six doses
<extra_id_2>Four doses
<extra_id_3>Two doses
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_0>
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<extra_id_5>Women with an hourglass figure have brains to go with their curves , scientists claim. Going in at the waist is said to be a sign of intelligence which leads to brighter children, too. Women such as Nigella Lawson with a big difference between their waist and hip measurements scored singificantly better in tests than those with thinner, straighter frames. Researchers concluded that it was not necessary for a woman to be skinny--what mattered is that her waist should be smaller than her hips. A ratio of 3:5 was found to be ideal. The study, by the Universities of Pittsburgh and Califrnia, involved 16,000 women and girls. According to the scientists, _ They claim that the fat around curvy hips and thighs holds higher levels of -3 fatty acids which are essential for the growth of the brain during pregnancy . The fat which collects around the waist, however, is more likely to contain -6 fatty acids, which are less suited to brain growth. Reporting in the journal Evolution an Human Behaviour,the researchers found that the children of curvy mothers are more likely to do well in cognitive tests than others. They claim that this could help explain why the children of teenage mothers--who might not yet be physically mature enough to have developed real curves--tend to do less well in school. As well as boosting brainpower, -3 fatty acids found in oily fish are considered to be of huge health benefit. Althoug the study analysed women's bodies only, -3 fatty acids are also stored in men's hips. However, it is not known whether men with wide hips benefit from the same brainpower boost. According to the researchers, teenage mothers tend to have less bright children because .
<extra_id_0>they aren't so good at childcare
<extra_id_1>they usually have less fat than mature women
<extra_id_2>they aren't physically strong enough
<extra_id_3>their waist and hip measurements differ less
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_3>
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<extra_id_5>John is my best friend. We live in the same building. We study in the same school but not in the same class. We often play football together after school. We have been good friends for two years. John is tall and strong with black hair. He has a round face, a small nose and big, brown eyes. I like his eyes because they are always bright and smiling. John is always friendly and helpful. When I feel bored or unhappy, he tells me funny jokes and makes me laugh. He'll give me help when I need. John is very smart. He reads a lot of books. He is good at singing and acts very well. He would like to make people happy with his songs and performance when he grows up. I believe that he can become as popular as Jackie Chan and travel around the world in the future. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>They often play basketball.
<extra_id_1>The writer has big eyes.
<extra_id_2>John can tell funny jokes.
<extra_id_3>John can dance well.
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<extra_id_2>
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<extra_id_5>Miss Green is very fat. She weighs 100 kg and she is getting heavier and heavier every day. So one day she goes to see the doctor. The doctor says,"You need a diet, Miss Green, and I have a good one here." He gives her a small book and says, "Read this carefully and eat the things on Page 11 every day. Then come back and see me in two weeks' time." Miss Green comes back again two weeks later. She isn't thinner. She is fatter instead. The doctor is surprised and says, "Are you eating the things on Page 11 of the small book?" "Yes, doctor." she answers. The next day the doctor visits Miss Green during her dinner. She is surprised to see the doctor. "Miss Green," he says, "why are you eating potatoes and bread? They aren't on your diet." "But, doctor," Miss Green answers, "I ate my diet at lunchtime. This is my dinner." Miss Green goes to see the doctor because _ .
<extra_id_0>she is ill
<extra_id_1>she is getting fatter and fatter
<extra_id_2>she wants to know her weight
<extra_id_3>she isn't feeling very well
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<extra_id_5>A scar will develop from a
<extra_id_0>tap
<extra_id_1>slash
<extra_id_2>run
<extra_id_3>walk
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<extra_id_5>While Mr. Wan, his wife and their little daughter were in Europe, they decided to drive three days to Germany. His little daughter had never travelled at night before. She was scared the first night in the car, with the deep darkness outside. "Where are we going, Daddy?" "To your uncle's house in Germany." "Have you been to his house before?" "No." "Do you know the way?" " _ ." "Do you know how to read the map?" "Yes, we will get there safely." "Where are we going to eat if we get hungry before arriving?" "We can stop at a restaurant if we get very hungry, my honey." "Do you know if there are restaurants on the way?" "Yes, there are." "Do you know where?" "No, but we will be able to find some." The same dialogue repeated a few times during the first night and second night. But on the third night, the daughter was quiet. He couldn't help wondering why she was not asking the questions anymore. "Honey, do you know where we are going?" "Germany, to uncle's house." "Do you know how we are getting there?" "No." "Then why aren't you asking me any more?" "Because Daddy is driving." Because Daddy is driving. That answer from his little girl gave Mr. Wan strength for many years after, whenever he had questions and fears about his life journey. When the little girl didn't ask any questions more her father felt _ .
<extra_id_0>excited
<extra_id_1>satisfied
<extra_id_2>surprised
<extra_id_3>relaxed
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<extra_id_5>His first fight was for the equal rights of black people in South Africa. Then, as the first black president he fought to unite the country and organize the government. Now Nelson Mandela has set his sights on a new enemy, AIDS. On March 19 the 82-year-old, former president, hosted his second AIDS-awareness concert. He warned that 25 million people in Africa were already infected with the fatal disease. Mandela was born in a small village in South Africa in 1918. He was adopted by the chief of his tribe and could have been a chief himself and lived a happy country life. But he refused to be a chief when his people lived under racial discrimination ( ). He decided to fight for equal rights for all the people in South Africa. Before 1990, under the country's Racial Segregation Law , colored and white people lived separately. Black people were treated unfairly even when taking a bus. Blacks had to stand at the back of the bus to make room for white people even when there were only a few of them on board. For his opposition to the system Mandela was arrested and spent 27 years in prison. He was freed in 1990 and become the president of the country after the first elections were held in which everyone could vote. Mandela was not only a political fighter who attacked with speeches. He was also a trained boxer and fought in the ring when he was young. " Although I did not enjoy the violence of boxing, I was interested in how one moved one's body to protect oneself, how one used a strategy both to attack and retreat ," he wrote in his autobiography. As a skilful fighter, he chose music as his weapon against AIDS. He hopes to win another victory against AIDS. Nelson Mandela succeeded in doing the following except _ .
<extra_id_0>winning the equal rights for the black people in South Africa
<extra_id_1>uniting South Africa
<extra_id_2>organizing a government in South Africa
<extra_id_3>controlling the spread of AIDS
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<extra_id_5>John bought a new puppy. He named the new puppy Spike. Spike was a good dog and minded John. John took Spike to the pond behind his house. Spike loved playing in the water. John would throw the frisbee to Spike. He would also throw a bone to Spike. Spike loved running. Jessica came to the pond to visit John. Jessica and Tom always played with John. Jessica was John's best friend. They both loved Spike and Spike loved them. Jessica brought lunch to the pond. She also brought colas to the pond. They ate and Spike sat by them being a good dog. When they were done eating they packed their lunch up. They put Spike on his leash and they went home. What did Jessica bring to the pond?
<extra_id_0>Lunch and colas
<extra_id_1>Spike
<extra_id_2>Bone
<extra_id_3>Frisbee
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<extra_id_5>I hated dinner parties. But I decided to give them another _ because I'm in London. And my friend Mallery invited me. And because dinner parties in London are very different from those in New York, "I'm having a dinner party" means: "I'm booking a table for 12 at a restaurant and we'll be sharing the cheque evenly , no matter what you eat." In Manhattan there is always someone who leaves before the bill arrives. They'll throw down cash, half of what they owe, and then people like me, who don't drink, end up paying even more. But if you try to use the same trick, the hostess will shout: "Where are you going ?" And I cannot say I have somewhere to go because everyone knows I have nowhere to go. But in London, dinner parties are in people's homes. Not only that, the guests are an interesting mix. The last time I went to one, the guests were from France, India, Denmark and Nigeria; it was like a gathering at the United Nations. In New York, the mix is less striking. It's like a gathering at Bloomingdatle's, a well-known department store. For New Yorkers, talking about other parts of the world means Brooklyn and Queens in New York. But at Mallery's, when I said that I had been to Myanmar recently, people knew where it was, while In New York people would think it was a usual club. What is the author's opinion of some New Yorkers from her experience?
<extra_id_0>Easy-going.
<extra_id_1>Self-centered.
<extra_id_2>Generous.
<extra_id_3>Conservative.
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<extra_id_5>Who are the elders in your family? The most common answer is that they are your parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and elder cousins ------in a word, any who is older than you. But that doesn't really answer the question, does it? In a normal family, there is a big difference between being elderly and being an elder. Elders are the storytellers, the cooks, the historians, the authorities, the knitters, and the workhorses. They are the people we respect and turn to for answers or help when we are in trouble, because of their many years of life experience. Most of all, they are the people who raised you and your loved ones and helped you growing into the people you are. For many years, they carried the burden of caring for your family and leading it to better times. Now it's your turn to dote on them. Ensuring the welfare of your elders should come as naturally to us as raising our children. Unfortunately, too many people take their parents' and grandparents' ability to care for them for granted. And in a country where so many of us live hundreds of miles from our families, looking after loved ones can be difficult. Even so, you should make sure your loved ones are taken care of no matter where they live, and try to look after the seniors living alone in your neighbor, too. Taking responsibility for the elders in our society in an important thing that all citizens should do. According to the author, elders are those who_.
<extra_id_0>are much older than us
<extra_id_1>bring us up by working hard
<extra_id_2>give us money and food
<extra_id_3>have many interesting stories
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<extra_id_5>No matter what your age or style, MNA (Museum of Northern Arizona) Education Programs have a program to fit your desires. Stay close to home and enjoy the following: MNA Ventures The MNA Ventures program offers opportunities to discover and explore the Colorado Plateau -- 130,000 square miles of mountains and canyons centered in the Four Corners area of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Discovery Programs The Discovery Programs offer educational experiences that emphasize the artistic traditions, natural sciences, Native American culture, and history of the Colorado Plateau. A variety of program choices provide fun learning opportunities for students of all ages and interests. Programs range in length from half-day classes to week-long classes, and offer experiences for three-year-olds to adults. Discovery classes take place mainly in the Museum grounds but may include field trips to go with the experience. Custom Tours The Museum of Northern Arizona's Custom Tours offer opportunities to discover and explore the wonders of the Colorado Plateau. Experience the rich natural wonders and cultures of this area through experts' eyes by traveling with scientists, writers, artists, and professional guides. Group Exhibit Tours There are self-guided programs for the archaeology of the Colorado Plateau, Native American culture, and the geology and biology of the Colorado Plateau. Which of the following is TRUE about Discovery Programs?
<extra_id_0>There are classes at varying times.
<extra_id_1>They are intended for art students.
<extra_id_2>They are mainly for teenage students.
<extra_id_3>The activities are held in the museum.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_5>Astronaut Zhai Zhigang became the first Chinese man to walk in space on Saturday, climbing out of prefix = st1 /China's Shenzhou VII spacecraft in a technological feat that made the Chinese people excited. "I'm feeling quite well. I greet the Chinese people and the people of the world," Zhai said as he climbed out of the craft at around 16:40 Beijingtime, a historic achievement telecast live on CCTV. Tens of millions of Chinese viewers gathered before TV screens to watch the moment. Chinese President Hu Jintao and other top leaders had appeared at the BeijingAerospaceControlCenterto watch the live transmission of Zhai's spacewalk. Zhai, 42, chosen by an expert team for the first "extra-vehicular activity". unveiled a red national flag, helped by colleague Liu Boming, who also briefly popped his head out of the capsule. Zhai slowly made his way towards a test sample of solid lubricant outside the capsule, took a sample and handed it to Liu. Zhai safely returned inside the craft after about 20 minutes. The walk marked the high point of China's third manned space journey, which has received widespread media coverage. Zhai wore a$4.4 million Chinese-made suit weighing 120kg. Liu wore a Russian-made one and acted as a back-up. The third crew member, Jing Haipeng, monitored the ship from inside the re-entry module. The risky manoeuvre is a step towards China's longer-term goal of assembling a space lab and then a larger space station, analysts said. "On this flight, Chinese people's footprints will be left in space for the first time," said a commentary by the Xinhua News Agency. The astronauts embarked on their walk after receiving a clean bill of health from doctors on the ground at mission control in Beijing, Xinhua said. Zhai's suit has 10 layers and takes up to 15 hours to assemble and put on. China's first manned spaceflight was in 2003. A second, two-manned flight followed in 2005. The only other countries that have sent people into space are Russiaand theUnited States. According to the text,China's goal of its space program is .
<extra_id_0>to send man into space.
<extra_id_1>to build a space lab on the moon.
<extra_id_2>to build a space station.
<extra_id_3>to leave Chinese people's footprints in space.
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<extra_id_5>Volunteer Day schedule: 7:30 a.m.: Meet at the Community Center for breakfast. 8-8:30 a.m.: Visit with people from the many participating organizations. Choose which activity you'd like to help with for the day. 8:30-9 a.m.: Board the bus for your chosen activity, and ride with other volunteers to your activity site. 9-12:00 a.m.: Work as a volunteer. 12:00 a.m.-1 p.m.: Share lunch with your volunteer group. Don't forget to bring food for lunch from home! 1-3:30 p.m.: Continue your volunteer work. 3:30 p.m.: Board the bus that will take you back to the Community Center, where you will be able to talk with other volunteers and share your experiences. See below for a list of volunteer opportunities for Volunteer Day so you can begin thinking about which activity you might want to join. Happy Homes: it provides home repairs for needy people in the form of painting. It also provides painters to create beautiful paintings inside schools of community centers. Elder Care: Elder Care sends volunteers into nursing homes to spend time with them, play board games with them, and talk with them. City Parks Association: you can help plant flowers and bushes in city parks or pick up trash around the river banks. These activities are very active, so remember to be prepared with plenty of drinking water! Love and Learning: it provides volunteers to help children with learning disabilities. Read books out loud to groups of children aged four to six, or read one-on-one with struggling readers aged seven to eight. According to the schedule, how long will a volunteer work a day?
<extra_id_0>3 hours
<extra_id_1>5.5 hours
<extra_id_2>7.5 hours.
<extra_id_3>8 hours.
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<extra_id_5>Jack London had endured more hardships by the age of twenty-one than most people experience in a lifetime. His struggles developed in him sympathy for the working class and a lasting dislike of hard work and provided inspiration for his career as a writer. London grew up in San Francisco in extreme poverty. At an early age, he left school and supported himself through a succession of un skilled jobs ----working as a paper boy, in bowling alleys, on ice wagons, and in canneries and mills. Despite working long hours at these jobs, London was able to read constantly, borrowing travel and adventure books from the library. The books London read inspired him to travel, and his job experiences led him to become active in fighting for the fights of workers. He sailed to Japan on a journey aiming at catching seals and joined a cross-country protest march with a group of unemployed workers. After being arrested for vagrancy near Buffalo, New York, London decided to educate himself and reshape his life. He quickly completed high school and entered the University of California. After only one term, however, the appeal of fortune and adventure proved uncontrollable. London gave up his studies and traveled to the Alaskan Yukon in 1897 in search of gold. Jack London was among the first of these miners. He may have searched for more than gold, however. London once commented, " True, the new region was mostly poor; but its several hundred thousand square miles of coldness at least gave breathing space to those who else would have choked at home." Although he was unsuccessful as a miner, London's experiences in Alaska taught him about the human desire for wealth and power and about humankind's inability to control the forces of nature. While in Alaska, London also absorbed memories and stories that would make him known one hundred years later. Once back in California, London became determined to earn a living as a writer. He rented a typewriter and worked up to fifteen hours a day, spinning his Alaskan adventures into short stories and novels. According to legend, London's piles of rejection slips from publishers grew to five feet in height! Even so, London preserved. In 1903, he earned national fame when he published the popular novelThe Call of the Wild. He soon became the highest paid and most industrious writer in the country. During his career, he produced more than fifty books and earned more than a million dollars. Several of his novels, includingThe Call of the Wild(1903),the Sea-Wolf(1904),the White Fang(1906),have become American classics. In fact, he was a creative writer whose fiction explored several regions and their cultures: the Yukon, California, Hawaii, and the Solomon Islands. He experimented with many literary forms, from traditional love stories and dystopias to science fantasy. His noted journalism included war communication, boxing stories, and the life of Molokai lepers . He was among the most influential figures of his day, who understood how to create a public persona and use the media to market his self-created image of poor-boy-turned-success. London's great passion was agriculture, and he was well on the way of creating a new model for spreading through his Beauty Ranch when he died of kidney disease at age 40. He left over fifty books of novels, stories, journalism, and essays, many of which have been translated and continue to be read around the world. His best works describe a person's struggle for survival against the powerful forces of nature. "To Build a Fire", for example, tells the story of a man's fight to survive the harsh cold of the Alaskan winter. What can we learn from Jack London's final success?
<extra_id_0>Failure is the mother of success.
<extra_id_1>Practice makes perfect.
<extra_id_2>Knowledge is powerful.
<extra_id_3>All of above.
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<extra_id_5>An animals brain controls what?
<extra_id_0>said organism
<extra_id_1>others
<extra_id_2>plants
<extra_id_3>fauna
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<extra_id_5>Are you looking for something to do? You might like to try one of these four experiences. Crocodile watching Do you fancy getting up close to some of the most terrifying animals on earth? Crocosaurus Cove, in Darwin (Australia) has the "Cage of Death". It's an enclosure that's lowered into a pool. This gives you a 360 degree view of a crocodile as it's being fed. The cable broke once and the cage sank to the bottom, but they've fixed it since then. Edge walk How about walking along the edge of a building several hundred meters up in the air? If that sounds like fun, head off to the CN Tower in Toronto (Ontario, Canada). Built in 1976, the tower is 553.33 meters tall. The Edge walk consists of a 20-30 minute stroll along a 1.5 meter wide platform that runs around the tower's restaurant roof. During the walk, you're encouraged to lean forwards as you look over Toronto's skyline . Plastic ball rolling Do you fancy rolling down a hill in a plastic ball? Plastic ball rolling is popular all over the world, but the place to give it a go is in Rotorua (New Zealand). Brother David and Andrew Akers came up with the idea in 1994. A typical orb is about 3 meters in diameter, with an inner orb size of about 2 meters. There's no brake or steering mechanism, but the inner layer of the plastic ball helps absorb the shock. Volcano bungee jumping If you're looking for the adventure of a lifetime, how about going bungee jumping off a helicopter into the crater of a live volcano? As part of the jumping, a helicopter ride takes you to the Villarreal volcano, one of the most active in Chile. Once you're at the drop zone, you leap off the helicopter and fall into the volcano. Finally, you enjoy the ride back to the airport flying at 130kph. Attracted by the above? If so, please contact us. Only half price from March 22 to April 25th. For more information, please click here. Which of the following was first invented in New Zealand?
<extra_id_0>Edge walk.
<extra_id_1>Crocodile watching.
<extra_id_2>Plastic ball rolling.
<extra_id_3>Volcano bungee jumping.
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