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<extra_id_5>Walt had a strong commercial sense of what would appeal to the public. Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and finally the other Disney theme parks around the world all came about because Walt Disney insisted that he could build an amusement park that was so much bigger and better than other amusement parks that it shouldn't even be called an amusement park. In 1940 he disclosed a plan to show Disney characters in their fantasy surroundings at a park across the street from the Disney studio in Burbank. The idea of an amusement park grew in Walt's mind as he traveled through the US and Europe and visited attractions of all kinds. Walt was sure that an amusement park would be successful in the United States if it offered a "good show" that families could enjoy together, was clean, and had friendly employees. In 1948 he shared his concept with trusted friends, a modest amusement park with a central village including a town hall, a small park, railroad station movie theater, and small stores. Outlying areas would include a carnival area and a western village. Soon he added spaceship and submarine rides, a steamboat, and exhibit halls. Four years later, he decided on "Disneyland" for the name and formed a company to develop the park, Disneyland, Inc. In 1953 he got Stanford Research Institute to examine the economic future of Disneyland and to find the perfect location. They broke ground in July, 1954, and one year later, Disneyland opened. Within 7 weeks, a million visitors had visited Disneyland, making it one of the biggest tourist attractions in the US. Walt combined his talent and his sense of what the public would want with lots of hard work. In 1960, with a mixture of huge successes and failures, Disney had created something that was successful beyond Walt's own dreams. What would a successful amusement park be like in Walt's opinion?
<extra_id_0>Its service was free.
<extra_id_1>It could show fantastic programs.
<extra_id_2>It included attractions of all kinds.
<extra_id_3>It could make families satisfied.
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<extra_id_5>For millions of people, the American dream of owning a home seems to be slipping out of reach. "Maybe young couples can no longer afford to buy a ready-made house as their parents did,'' says 40-year-old building instructor Pat Hennin. "But they can still have a home. Like their pioneer ancestors, they can build it themselves, and at less than half the cost of a ready-made house." The owner-builders came from every occupational group, although surprisingly few are professional building workers. Many _ with little or no experience. "I learned how to build my house from reading books," says John Brown, who built a six-room home for $25, 000 in High Falls, New Jersey. "If you have patience and the carpentry skill to make a bookcase, you can build a house." An astonishing 50 percent of these owner-builders hammer every nail, lay every pipe, and wire every switch with their own hands. The rest contract for some parts of the task. But even those who just act as contractors and finish the insides of their homes can save from 30 percent to 45 percent of what a ready-made home would cost. One survey revealed that 60 percent of owner-builders also design their homes. Many others buy commercial house plans for less than $100 or use plans available from the U. S. Department of Agriculture. What does the passage mainly tell us?
<extra_id_0>The cost of having a house built.
<extra_id_1>The American dream of owning a house.
<extra_id_2>The life of owner-builders in America.
<extra_id_3>A comparison between young couples and their parents.
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<extra_id_5>Large populations of tortoises inhabited the Galapagos Islands before humans. When humans settled on the islands and introduced goats, the number of tortoise declined. What is most likely the explanation for the decrease in the tortoise population?
<extra_id_0>Goats consume tortoise hatchlings.
<extra_id_1>Goats pollute water sources.
<extra_id_2>Goats compete with tortoises for vegetation.
<extra_id_3>Goats contribute to soil erosion.
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<extra_id_5>Randall is picking lettuce from his garden for dinner. His mother told him to leave some leaves on each plant. Why is it important to leave some leaves on the plant?
<extra_id_0>Leaves help the plant make food.
<extra_id_1>Leaves help the plant absorb water.
<extra_id_2>Leaves help the plant stand upright.
<extra_id_3>Leaves help the plant make seeds.
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<extra_id_5>In nature, you may see many insects and animals of different colors. Have you ever wondered why? Locusts are super delicious food for birds,but it is not always an easy job for birds to catch them.It is neither because locusts are good jumpers or runners nor because they are smarter than their enemies. The reason is that the colors of locusts change with the colors of crops . When crops are young,locusts look green. But when autumn comes, locusts change to the yellow and brown color as crops do. Brown bears,tigers and other animals move quietly through forests. They can't be seen easily by their enemies. This is because they have colors similar to the trees. For the same reason, polar bears that live on a land of snow and ice are white. Butterflies and bees living among the flowers are colorful like flowers. Soil insects are mostly dark-colored and they live under the soil in a dark and wet environment. However, insects with colors different from plants can easily be found and eaten by others. So in order to _ they have to hide themselves in the daytime and appear only at night. Have you ever noticed some even stranger acts? The ink fish in the sea can send out some very black ink when it faces danger. As the ink spreads over , its enemies will find themselves suddenly in a dark world. At the same time the ink fish immediately swims away. That is how it keeps itself safe though it is not strong at all. What is the main idea of this passage?
<extra_id_0>Some insects and animals have different skills.
<extra_id_1>Some insects and animals are clever than we think.
<extra_id_2>Some insects and animals use colors to protect themselves.
<extra_id_3>Some insects and animals can get used to the environment easily.
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<extra_id_5>Hurricane Sandy was a hurricane that destroyed parts of the Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States during late October 2012, with minor impacts in the Southeastern and Midwestern states and Eastern Canada. Sandy, classified as the eighteenth named storm and tenth hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, was a Category 2 storm at its peak intensity. While it was a Category 1 storm off the coast of the Northeastern United States, the storm became the largest Atlantic hurricane on record. Previous estimates of losses due to damage and business interruption are estimated at $65.6 billion, which would make it the second-costliest Atlantic hurricane, behind only Hurricane Katrina. At least 253 people were killed along the path of the storm in eight countries. Sandy developed from a tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22, quickly strengthened, and was upgraded to Tropical Storm six hours later. Sandy moved slowly northward toward the Greater Antilles and gradually becoming stronger. On October 24, Sandy became a hurricane, made landfall near Kingston, Jamaica, a few hours later, entered into the Caribbean Sea again and strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane. On October 25, Sandy hit Cuba, and then weakened to a Category 1 hurricane. Early on October 26, Sandy moved through the Bahamas. On October 27, Sandy briefly weakened to a tropical storm and then restrengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. Early on October 29, Sandy turned from north to northwest and then moved ashore near Atlantic City, New Jersey, as a post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds. In the United States, Hurricane Sandy affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin, with particularly severe damage in New Jersey and New York. Its storm hit New York City on October 29, flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city. Damage in the US is estimated at over $63 billion. We can learn from the passage that _ .
<extra_id_0>Sandy caused 253 deaths totally in the USA.
<extra_id_1>Sandy reached its strongest in the Caribbean Sea.
<extra_id_2>Sandy resulted in great loss in most states in the USA.
<extra_id_3>Sandy is the second largest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded.
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<extra_id_5>In 1834, the clock tower in London was burned down. People planned to build a new clock which would be the biggest and best in the world. So the clock had to be big and keep very good time. The big clock was made in two years. Five more years later the tower was finished. Then people put the big clock in the tower, and made it ring out for the first time on July 11, 1859. In order to give the bigclock a good name, people held a meeting. Someone wanted to call it the Queen of Bells, and someone thought Victoria was good. At last, a man named Benjamin Hall stood up. He was a big man. Before he started to speak, someone shouted, "Why not call it Big Ben? "Everybody laughed and agreed with him. From then on, Big Ben became its name. And it also became a famous building of London. People all over the world write to Big Ben. They even send birthday presents--bottles of oil-to help keep Big Ben running. Big Ben is not only a clock but also a dear friend ofpeople. The phrase "keep very good time" means _ .
<extra_id_0>have a good time
<extra_id_1>show people the correct time
<extra_id_2>keep running
<extra_id_3>be made in time
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<extra_id_5>As is known, it is a respectful job to be a teacher serving students heart and soul. And most people also compare a teacher to a gardener who takes great care of various plants. Ever since my high school days, my heart has been set on becoming a teacher. I am now studying at a teacher's college, and I am making great efforts to study, because there are so many things to learn about education. But I thoroughly enjoy my studies, and every day I am amazed at the great influence education has on the human soul. I think it is only natural that I have always _ to become a teacher because my father and his father were also teachers. My father is now retired, following a brilliant career, and it has always been his dream to have me, his only son, follow in his footsteps. Although it sounds like my father's dream that I will become a teacher, it is also my dream and I am quite willing to realize the dream. I still have one more year to go at university, and after I graduate, I will go to the western part of China to become a teacher at a village school. I understand a teacher's job will not make me a millionaire, but it is not the prospect of making a lot of money that has propelled my ambition to become a teacher. Rather, it is my sincere desire to assume a responsible role in society, and make as many people well--educated as possible through my hard endeavors. Education plays an essential and important role in our society. If everyone can receive a good education, it will not only do good to our country but also benefit individuals' lives. Ten years from now, therefore, I hope to be established as an excellent teacher with hundreds of thousands of students who have benefited from me and carry on the family tradition with efficiency and honour. What's the best title of the passage?
<extra_id_0>How can I be an excellent teacher?
<extra_id_1>Where do I see myself ten years from now?
<extra_id_2>Why do I follow in my father's footsteps?
<extra_id_3>How can I make my dream come true?
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<extra_id_5>In 1997, a group of twenty British women made history. Working in five teams with four women in each team, they walked to the North Pole. Apart from one experienced female guide, the other women were all ordinary people who had never done anything like this in their lives before. They managed to survive in an environment which had defeated several very experienced men during the same time period. The women set off as soon as they were ready. Once on the ice, each woman had to ski along while dragging a sledge weighing over 50 kilos. The temperature was always below the freezing point and sometimes strong winds made walking while pulling so much weight almost impossible. It was also very difficult for them to put up their tents when they stopped each night. In such conditions, the women were making good progress if they covered fourteen or fifteen kilometers a day. But there was another problem. Part of the journey was across a frozen sea with moving water underneath the ice and at some points the team would drift back more than five kilometers during the night. That meant that after walking in these very severe conditions for ten hours on one day, they had to spend part of the next day covering the same ground again. Furthermore, each day it took three hours from waking up to setting off and another three hours every evening to set up the camp and prepare the evening meal. So, how did they manage to succeed? They realized that they were part of a team. If any one of them didn't pull her sledge or get her job done, she would endanger the success of the whole expedition. Any form of selfishness could result in the efforts of everyone else being completely wasted, so personal Feelings had to be put on one side. At the end of their journey, the women agreed that it was mental effort far more than physical fitness that got them to the North Pole. What was so extraordinary about the expedition?
<extra_id_0>There was no one to lead it.
<extra_id_1>The women did not have any men with them.
<extra_id_2>It was a new experience for most of the women.
<extra_id_3>The women had not met one another before.
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<extra_id_5>My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage. This can't be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying, "What do you want? Take my wallet," but at the time I thought of nothing. I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house --- Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen's voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he was being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy's head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy, and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn't crouch behind it but screamed instead. I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming "Help, help!" at eight o'clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea to the more specific "Help, let me in, please let me in!" But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy's screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled. The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the police to come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely, "Please go and eat. We're O.K." I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals, of bringing back the death penalty and how the President is going to clean up the country. I was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer sentences wouldn't change a thing. In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, comfortable homes talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy and me? People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out in force twenty minutes later. They were ill-tempered about what was, to them, much trouble about nothing. After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to describing the gunmen. "Typical," said one policeman when we couldn't even agree on how tall the men were. Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two policemen who stayed to make the report didn't think that would be much help. The policemen were matter-of-fact about the whole thing. The thin one said, "That was a stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do what you're told." Jeremy looked properly embarrassed. Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the house. "That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys," he said. "If you had gone into the house with them..." His voice became weaker. "They would have hurt her" --- he twisted his head toward me - "and killed you both." Jeremy looked happier. "Look," said the fat policeman kindly, "there's no right or wrong in the situation. There's just luck." All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time --- no intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right. There's only luck. The next time I might end up dead. And I'm sure there will be a next time. It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. Security is an illusion ; there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they're fooling themselves. When the writer saw the gun pointing against the car window, _ .
<extra_id_0>she felt very annoyed
<extra_id_1>she lost consciousness
<extra_id_2>she felt very much nervous
<extra_id_3>she lost the power of thinking
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<extra_id_5>Frank was clever, but he never liked to work hard. He often said to his friends, "If you work hard, you will make a lot of money, but it is not so good. I want easy work and a lot of money. That's the most interesting thing in the world."So he could only be a thief. But he still thought it was too much work, so he only told his friends what to do and got money from them. One day, Frank sent one of his friends to a very large and beautiful house. He told him to get money from that rich family. It was evening, and a man and a girl were in the room. They were playing a duet on a piano. Then the thief came into the house. When he returned, Frank asked him what he had got. But he said, "I didn't take anything. That family can't have much money. You know, two people were playing on the same piano there. They did not have money to buy another piano." From the story we know that Frank _ .
<extra_id_0>was more clever than most of the people
<extra_id_1>had many clever friends
<extra_id_2>didn't want to do any work
<extra_id_3>knew many interesting things in the world
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<extra_id_5>Fast food giant, McDonald's said on Tuesday that they would be cutting out excess calories in their kids' menu choices starting in September. McDonald's will reduce the amount of French fries in Happy Meals and will also include sliced apple "dippers" in every meal. McDonald's say it will still include the ever-popular toys with each meal. "We are going to introduce more food groups such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains," said Cindy Goody, McDonald's senior director of nutrition. After getting much of the blame for childhood obesity, fast food chains, especially McDonald's, began selling more nutritious menu items. But the restaurant was most criticized for its marketing which is often aimed at young children. Some cities, such as San Francisco, California, have banned toys from all kids' meals that didn't meet strict nutritional guidelines for fat, salt and sugar content because the prizes attracted more children to the fast food. McDonald's felt public pressure to change their offerings. It reduced French fry portions from 2.4oz to 1.1oz in every meal. This decreases calorie content by about 20 percent, which means a new Happy Meal is less than 600 calories. Currently, the unhealthiest Happy Meal consists of a cheeseburger, fries and 1 percent chocolate milk, which contains 700 calories and 27 grams of fat. Meanwhile, Goody and her team plan to cut sodium by 15 percent across the entire menu by 2015, with more cuts to sugar and calories by 2020. The Happy Meal changes will be in place in every place across the United States. According to Cindy Goody, McDonald's menu for kids _ .
<extra_id_0>did no harm to the young people
<extra_id_1>included more fruits and vegetables
<extra_id_2>didn't include any grains and fruits
<extra_id_3>would be improved for kids' health
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<extra_id_5>Several animal species including gorillas in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction if the impact of climate change and extreme weather on their habitats is not addressed, a UN report showed on Sunday. Launched on the sidelines of global climate negotiations in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation and excessive land use have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa. "Many ecosystems have already been stressed by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, unsustainable management practices and even invasive species," Eduardo Rojas-Briales, assistant director general at the FAO's forestry department, said at the launch of the report. The most affected areas include mountains, isolated islands and coastal areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to migrate elsewhere and create new habitats. "The remaining populations become surrounded in very small ecosystems, they have inbreeding problems ... and at the end these species may disappear," he added. Other examples of affected animals included elephants in Mali, lions in the Serengeti and crocodiles in Malawi. The report said an estimated 20-30 percent of plant and animal species will be at higher risk of extinction due to global warming and a significant proportion of native species may become extinct by 2050 as a consequence. Other consequences could include the spread of invasive species and infectious diseases, it said. The report urges more focus on restoration of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to dealing with climate change such as mangroves , inland waters, forests, savannahs and grasslands. The FAO also called for the creation of migration corridors for animals in areas where their movement was limited. The organization said while more resources were flowing to biodiversity conservation, more action at the government and policy level was needed. It also urged local communities to develop projects that _ the impact of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example. What would serve as the best title for the passage?
<extra_id_0>Animals at risk due to climate change.
<extra_id_1>Global warming and its consequences.
<extra_id_2>Climate change and ecotourism.
<extra_id_3>Solutions to animal distinction.
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<extra_id_5>Scientists are concerned about the presence of heavy metals like lead and mercury in the environment because
<extra_id_0>heavy metals threaten some forms of life.
<extra_id_1>heavy metals will increase available resources.
<extra_id_2>exposure to heavy metals causes healthy mutations.
<extra_id_3>mining for heavy metals causes environmental stability.
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<extra_id_5>I had been a step-mother for six years, and with my husband,I had watched his young children growing into teenagers. Although they lived mostly with their mother, they spent a lot of time with us. Over the years, we all learned to become more comfortable with each other. However, I continued to feel somewhat like an outsider. When the children moved to a town five hours away, my husband was understandably destroyed. In order to keep in touch with the kids, we set up an e-mail and chat-line service. Ironically , this technology can make us feel out of touch and more in need of real human contact. If a computer message came addressed to "Dad", I'd feel forgotten. If my name appeared along with his, it would brighten my day. _ not just over the telephone wires. Late one evening, as my husband was snoozing , I was catching up on my e-mail, an "instant message" appeared on the screen. It was Margo, my oldest stepdaughter, also up late in front of her computer. We sent several messages back and forth, exchanging the latest news. When we "chatted" like that, she wouldn't necessarily know if it was me or her dad unless she asked. That night she didn't ask and I didn't tell her it was me either. After hearing the latest volleyball scores and the details about a coming dance at her school, I said that it was late and I should go to sleep. Her return message read, "Okay, talk to you later! Love you!" At this, a wave of sadness ran through me and I realized that she must have thought she was writing to her father the whole time. She and I would never have openly exchange such words of love. Feeling guilty for not telling her the truth, yet not wanting to embarrass her, I simply replied, "Love you too! Have a good sleep!" I thought again of their family circle and I felt again the sharp ache of emptiness and "otherness". Then, just as my fingers reached for the keys to return the screen to black, Margo's final message appeared. It read, "Tell Dad good night for me too." With tear-filled eyes, I turned the machine off. The author thought that Margo must have mistaken her for her father because _ .
<extra_id_0>her father liked to chat about her activities
<extra_id_1>her father always stopped chatting like that
<extra_id_2>Margo never said goodbye to the author in this way
<extra_id_3>Margo never chatted with the author alone
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<extra_id_5>Nobody is sure where and when the expression "apple-pie order" began. Some say that Scottish and English writers used the expression a long time ago. Others say it was first used in the northeastern American states known as New England. The housewives of New England cut their apples in even slices. Then they filled pie pans with them in an organized way, row upon row. As one writer said, the women of New England loved to have everything in its place. This perhaps explains why it generally is believed that the expression "apple-pie order" began in New England. Another old expression, "apple of discord", comes from ancient mythology ,however. The myth says that all the gods and goddesses were sitting around the table tocelebrate the marriage of Thetis and Peleus. One of the goddesses-Discord-was a troublemaker. She threw away a golden apple on the table to be given as a prize to the most beautiful goddess. At one time, the tomato was called a love apple. That was a mistake. This is how the mistake happened: In the sixteenth century, Spain brought the tomato from South America after Spanish explorers had landed there. Spain then sold the tomato to Morocco. Italian traders carried it on to Italy. The Italian name for the tomato was "pomo di Moro"-apple of the Moors. When French growers brought it in from Italy, they thought "di Moro" meant"d'amour"-the French word for love. And so "pomo di Moro" became the apple of love. People believe many things about the apple. One belief is that it has great power of keeping people healthy. A very common expression is "an apple a day keeps the doctor away. " Another belief is based on fact. The expression is "one rotten apple spoils the barrel. "When an apple begins to go bad, it ruins all the other apples around it in the container. The expression has come to mean that one bad person in a group can cause everyone to act bad. What's the meaning of "apple of discord"?
<extra_id_0>Cause of disagreement.
<extra_id_1>Everything in good order.
<extra_id_2>Everything in agreement.
<extra_id_3>Situation of danger.
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<extra_id_5>I often dreamed about Pisa when I was a boy .I read about the famous building called the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But when I read the word Pisa, I was thinking of pizza. I thought this tower was a place to buy pizza. It must be the best place to buy pizza in the world, I thought. Many years later finally saw the Leaning Tower . I knew then that it was Pisa and no pizza. But there was still something special about it for me. The tower got its name because it really does lean to one side. Some people want to try to fix it. They are afraid it may fall over and they don't like it leans over city. I do not think it's a good idea to try to fix it. The tower probably will not fall down. It is 600 years old. Why should anything happen to it now? And , if you ask me, I like what it looks like. To me it is a very human kind of leaning. Nothing is perfect, it seems to say. And who cares? Why do people want things to be perfect? Imperfect things may be more interesting. Let's take the tower in Pisa. Why is it so famous? There are many other older, more beautiful towers in Italy. But Pisa tower is the most famous. People come all over the world to see it. The writer _
<extra_id_0>doesn't like what the tower looks like
<extra_id_1>likes what the tower looks like
<extra_id_2>thinks it's the most beautiful tower in Italy
<extra_id_3>doesn't like towers
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<extra_id_5>A boy named Eduardo in a far away place is thinking about a girl he loves. He is cold. It is snowing where he lives. He lives in Argentina. It's warm where she lives in Hawaii. She eats fresh fruit. Her shower is outdoors under the warm sun as red birds fly around her. It is nice, but she misses him. She remembers he is very pretty. She wondered if he would really love her always, because she is older. He didn't care. Eduardo was poor, so he could not visit her. Maybe a time machine would help!! She can give back her birthdays! But she didn't want to bring back any dinosaurs back by accident. Like last time. Then an angel flew down from a star called the Pleiades to help her. His name was Eh. He said, "close your eyes! Then remember the most happy you have ever felt! Let go of any thing that feels like clouds. Imagine puppies hugging you, and kitties purring with you. Imagine you are eating chocolate ice cream! As long as you remember how to be happy you can ALWAYS be as young as Eduardo! And you can think of GREAT ways you can see him again!" It worked! She had an idea. Someone in a place called MR was buying stories that people wrote. She wrote one about her & Eduardo! It paid for her airplane ride. Wow. Then they were together again. Hugging each other in happiness, they said, "Thank you everyone, for helping us!" How does she travel to see the boy?
<extra_id_0>On an Airplane
<extra_id_1>on a Dinosaur
<extra_id_2>On a bird
<extra_id_3>In a time machine
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<extra_id_5>Most painters discover a style of painting that suits them and stick to that, especially if people admire their pictures. But Picasso, the great Spanish painter, was like a man who had not yet found his own particular style of painting. He kept on struggling to find the perfect expression till his death in 1973. Some of Picasso's paintings are rich, soft color1ed and beautiful. Others are ugly and cruel and strange. But such paintings allow us to imagine things for ourselves. They force us to say to ourselves, "What does he see that makes him paint like that?" And we begin to look beneath the surface of the things we see. Picasso painted thousands of pictures in different styles. Sometimes he painted the natural look of things. Sometimes he seemed to break them apart and throw the pieces in our faces. He showed us what the mind knows as well as what the eye sees. At the age of 90 he remained as curious about the world as he had been when he was young. That's why people have called him "the youngest painter in the world.. The ugly* cruel and strange paintings by Picasso let us .
<extra_id_0>question anything we see in life
<extra_id_1>notice what's hidden in the paintings
<extra_id_2>think why Picasso is different
<extra_id_3>wonder why Picasso is so successful
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<extra_id_5>What would life be like if you give up using your cell phone? Will it become boring? Twenty-eight eighth-graders at St. Matthew School in San Francisco will tell you it can still be rich and colorful. These students took part in their school's "tech-free" challenge. They couldn't use cell phones for two weeks from Nov 11 to Nov 22. The idea was to help students understand how technology has affected their lives, said Denise Uhl, principal of the school. Uhl did a survey on technology usage among the eighth-graders before thinking of the challenge. She found that 84 percent of the students said they didn't like it "when everyone was on their cell phones", but they didn't know what to do about it. The answer was actually easy --- to stop constantly using cell phones. To help students understand the point, Uhl created the activity. It was warmly welcomed among students. "I wanted to sign up for the tech-free challenge because it was just really a good idea to do it," eighth-grader Joe told local newspaper Catholic San Francisco. "I wanted to get closer to my family. And it really worked. I started to hang out with my family more. We watched more family movies and we played a lot of board games." The activity also helped students develop their interests. During the two weeks, Lucas said he spent much more time outside, picking lemons in his garden. Maddie finished a painting and Cassie created a scarf on a loom . The aim of the "tech-free" challenge was to _ .
<extra_id_0>help students focus on their study
<extra_id_1>reduce the use of technology in school
<extra_id_2>make studying more difficult for students
<extra_id_3>help students understand how technology has affected their lives
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<extra_id_5>As the sound of footsteps behind her grew louder, she quickened her pace. She didn't want to turn around as the memory of that morning's newspaper headline made her afraid of what she would see: "City Killer Claims Fourth Victim." "Why did I stop for a few drinks in the bar after work?" she thought to herself. Now it was dark and the streets deserted. She was alone and _ She felt as if she was walking in the rain. Her clothes were damp from nervous sweat and as each short hot breath hit the night air, it turned to steam, coating her glasses in a thin film so all she saw seemed covered in fog. The footsteps were closer now. She needed to get off this street. Her eyes began a useless search for an open store or lighted window. Passing a small lane she looked through,for a possible escape route. But the lane was a dead - end and she laughed to herself at the irony. The sound of a car behind her turning onto the street interrupted her self - pity. Escape was at hand. But as she was about to throw herself onto the road and shout for the car to stop, the car's headlights cast a shadow that paralyzed her with terror. It was the footsteps' owner. The figure was huge and in its raised arm it held what looked like a lead-pipe, no doubt the one that was about to claim victim number five. The shadow dissolved as the car passed by and disappeared into the distance. She felt a hand on her shoulder. It was all happening as if in slow - motion. She was waiting for her life to flash before her eyes like all those novels said it would - but it didn't. The only thing she thought of was her dear husband. She recalled phoning him from work that very afternoon and joking about, of all things, the city killer. It was a night full of ironies. There was a voice talking to her now but she was lost in thoughts of her fate and didn't respond. The hand then began turning her around. It was surprisingly gentle given what was about to come. She allowed it to guide her without resistance. (;) She looked up. She recognized the face, but she didn't know from where. Its mouth was still talking to her but she couldn't understand. Then she remembered. The face belonged to the foreign looking man who had served her at the bar. She looked down to his hand and saw in it not a lead - pipe but a rolled up copy of a work report she had been correcting in the bar as she drank. His words suddenly started to register in her brain and she could hear him. "Miss, Miss. Are you OK? You left this in the bar and it looked important so I thought I'd better give it to you." Why did the woman laugh when she looked into the lane?
<extra_id_0>She was excited because she thought it may be a way to escape.
<extra_id_1>She felt bitter because she had no chance to escape.
<extra_id_2>She was becoming more and more nervous.
<extra_id_3>She realized that she was behaving foolishly.
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<extra_id_5>Prolonged exercise stimulates muscle cells to absorb sugar from the blood. This mechanism reduces stress placed on the body by signaling the body to produce
<extra_id_0>insulin.
<extra_id_1>lipids.
<extra_id_2>hemoglobin.
<extra_id_3>hydrochloric acid.
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<extra_id_5>I have many teachers now and I love them all, but I think I love my English teacher, Sophia, best. Sophia is from the UK. But she loves Chongqing very much. She thinks Chongqing is great. She loves Chongqing food. Do you know what she likes for breakfast? Bread and milk? No, she doesn't. She only has noodles . Hot pot is her favorite and she always eats it on Saturday and Sunday. Sophia has a daughter and a son. Her daughter's name is May. Her son's name is Jack. They are 8 years old. They go to the same school. They like hot pot, too. They are all in Chongqing now. We have English from Monday to Friday. So Sophia is very busy. But she is always nice and happy. All my classmates like her and her classes very much. She often plays English games and sings English songs with us. When we have questions, we like to ask her for help. Now I think I can do well in English because I have the best English teacher, Sophia. _ like(s) hot pot very much.
<extra_id_0>May
<extra_id_1>Jack
<extra_id_2>Sophia
<extra_id_3>May, Jack and Sophia
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<extra_id_5>More than 30 million kids buy school lunch each day. This year, many schools raised lunch prices to fight raising costs. Students pay about $2 a meal now. That is 27 cents more than last year. But they still get a good deal. The average cost for schools to produce one meal has gone up 30 cents, and is now $3. So, how do schools neither make money nor lose money? To start, the government pays for a small part of the difference. Schools have to make up the rest. Peggy Eller, a leader of school nutrition service in Hudson, Wisconsin, said her district is cutting costs by using fewer paper products and serving smaller portion . Well, portion control is one key to healthful eating! The push for more healthful food has grown in recent years. One in five kids aged 6 to 19 is overweight. Being overweight can cause health problems. Many states passed laws that require schools to serve nutritious meals. Since 2004, more than 90% of all U.S. Schools have removed the fat from lunches. Foods high in fat, salt and sugar have been replaced by low-fat milk, fresh fruits and vegetables. These new items on lunch menus have encouraged kids to change their eating habits. "It makes easier to try new things at home, "said Savanna Mackey, a Florida fifth-grader. Students need healthful meals to grow strong and do well in school. "Rising prices won't stand in the way,"says school nutritionist Jane Thornton. "We'll just be more clever in how we do things." Many school districts raised lunch prices because _ .
<extra_id_0>there is less healthful food on the menus
<extra_id_1>the cost of food has gone up
<extra_id_2>kids often forget to bring lunch money
<extra_id_3>some school dining-halls are serving smaller portions
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<extra_id_5>Weeks have passed since the world lost contact with Malaysia Airlines flightMH370and its 239passengers and crew. Although there is little hope of finding any of the passengers and crew alive,China has been making all-out efforts to find what remains of the plane in the southern Indian Ocean,where the plane is believed to have crashed.The search operations involve the navy,the marine police,scientific research and so on.While China's authorities and military forces have passed the test,the search operations have also shown some weaknesses.It is necessary to address these problems because China is a nation that faces many natural disasters. Lack of professional equipment has been the most notable problem.Among all the ships involved in the search for MH370,only Nanhai jiu 115and Donghai jiu 101and a few other ships have professional rescue equipment.There are also gaps between China and the US in other technologies such as sea-probing equipment and telecommunications.China mainly sent transporter planes,which lacked the necessary equipment to probe the ocean.While the United States sent P-3C and P-SA planes and MH60-R helicopters with equipment that can probe to depths of 76meters and cover 770sq kilometers in four hours. China's technology clearly needs to be improved,After the plane lost contact on March 8,more than one satellite received signals from it,but there is no report of any of China's satellites receiving a signal. Besides technology,China urgently needs to strengthen its international soft power,because almost all the important information was first obtained by Western media,which put pressure upon the Malaysian government for more timely and accurate information.Chinese media mainly forwarded the news broken by their Western colleagues. Last but not least,more attention should be paid to international cooperation.The search and rescue efforts could well have been a race against time to save lives,but limited by international laws and the absence of cooperation mechanisms,China and some other countries involved did not fully share timely information. What is the best title for this passage?
<extra_id_0>MH370,come back home now
<extra_id_1>China makes all-out efforts to find what remains of MH370
<extra_id_2>Lessons to be learnt from MH370search
<extra_id_3>Why the missing MH370cannot be found.
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<extra_id_5>When one person gains weight, their close friends often follow. Researchers have just offered evidence in a study that says obesity appears to spread through society. But the findings might also offer hope. If friends help make obesity acceptable, then they might also be influential in losing the fat. The researchers note that support groups are already an effective tool in dealing with other socially influenced problems, like alcoholism . The findings appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine. The researchers used information collected from 12,000 people. It was collected between 1972 and 2003 as part of the Framingham Heart Study. The information was highly detailed. There was even contact information for close friends of the people in the study. The researchers examined more than 40,000 social ties. They found a person's chances of becoming severely overweight increased by 50% if a friend had become obese. A sister or brother of a person who became obese had a 40% increased chance of becoming obese. The risk for a wife or husband was a little less than that. Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School was a lead researcher in the study. He says there is a direct causal relationship between a person getting fat and being followed in weight gain by a friend. The study found that the sex of the friends was also an influence. In same-sex friendship, a person had a 71% increased risk of becoming obese. Men had a 44% increased risk of becoming obese after weight gain in a brother. In sisters, it was 67%. The researchers also considered the effect of where people lived in relation to each other. James Fowler of the University of California was the other lead expert. He says a friend who lives a few hundred kilometers away has as much influence as one in the same neighborhood. He says the study demonstrates the need to consider that a major part of people's health is tied to their social connections. Both researchers say their research shows that obesity is not just a private medical issue, but also a public health problem. Which of the following statements would Nicholas Christakis agree to?
<extra_id_0>If one gains weight, one's friends are likely to get fat.
<extra_id_1>Social problems like alcoholism are easy to deal with.
<extra_id_2>Friends usually don't follow each other to lose weight.
<extra_id_3>One might influence others on their social behavior.
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<extra_id_5>We can see ads everywhere. Here are four ads. Please read them carefully. (1)WANTED Are you hard-working? Do you like to meet people? If your answer is "Yes", then we have a job for you as a waiter. Call AL Hotel at 8556779! (2)SUMMER JOB Do you like to talk with people? Do you like to write stories? If you want to work for our magazine as a _ , please call Karen at 85558366. (3)HELP WANTED Do you like babies? Can you look after one baby for two days? If you are sure to take good care of it, call us at 8766588. $80 or more. Today! Hurry! (4)CLEANER WANTED Can you make a large house clean and tidy? If you hope to get the job paid at $ 20 once, call us this evening 18:00~20:00. Tel: 8633800 If you like writing stories, you will be more interested in the job in _ .
<extra_id_0>Ad(1)
<extra_id_1>Ad(2)
<extra_id_2>Ad(3)
<extra_id_3>Ad(4)
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<extra_id_5>Gia was new in the neighborhood. She really wanted to meet some new friends. She was lonely and tired of playing with her toys all by herself. Her mother told her that the best way to meet new friends was to go somewhere where other kids are at. She remembered seeing a park on the corner when they were moving in. She asked her mother if she could go to the park. Her mother walked her down the street to the park. When Gia got to the park she was not happy. There was no one there. She sat on a swing and looked at the ground. It seemed like this was going to be another lonely day. Gia heard a noise and looked up. There was a girl coming down the hill. She smiled, but she was a little scared. What if she wasn't nice? That would make her sad. Gia was so happy when the girl walked up and said, "Hi, my name is Julie. What's yours?" Who walked with Gia to the park?
<extra_id_0>Julie.
<extra_id_1>Her friends.
<extra_id_2>She walked by herself.
<extra_id_3>Her mother.
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<extra_id_5>When I was a kid, I was close to my dad, but as I grew older, my dad and I grew further apart. We always had totally different opinions. He thought that college was a waste of time, but for me it was important to finish college. He wanted me to work my way to the top as he had done in his field, but I wanted a different life. There was a time when we did not talk with each other. A few months ago, I heard that my 84-year-old dad was in poor health. When he called and asked whether I could move from Colorado back to Tennessee to help him, I knew he was seriously ill. I am his only child and so it was time to meet my father's requirement. Two weeks after moving back, we bought a boat and started fishing again. Fishing was one of the few things that we did while I was young and that we both enjoyed. It is strange but true that as we are fishing we are able to put things that have kept us apart for so many years behind us. We are able to talk about things that we have never talked about before. Fishing has been healing the old wounds that have kept us apart It is not important how many fish we catch. It is about enjoying the relationship that we have not had for years. I'm 62 and he is 84. When we are on the lake fishing, it is like two kids enjoying life. It is far better to find a way to put the unhappy past behind. I am so lucky to spend the happy time with my father in his last years. Now my heart is filled with love. A smile always graces my lips. The author and his father became further apart because _ .
<extra_id_0>they had different views on things
<extra_id_1>they lived very far from each other
<extra_id_2>they only communicated by phone
<extra_id_3>they seldom went to see each other
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<extra_id_5>We have met the enemy, and he is ours. We bought him at a pet shop. When monkey-pox, a disease usually found in the African rain forest, suddenly turns up in children in the American Midwest, it's hard not to wonder if the disease that comes from foreign animals is homing in on human beings. "Most of the infections we think of as human infections started in other animals, " says Stephen Morse, director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness at Columbia University. It's not just that we're going to where the animals are, we're also bringing them closer to us. Popular foreign pets have brought a whole new disease to this country. A strange illness killed Isaksen's pets, and she now thinks that keeping foreign pets is a bad idea. "I don't think it's fair to have them as pets when we have such a limited knowledge of them," says Isaksen. "Laws allowing these animals to be brought in from deep forest areas without stricter control need changing," says Peter Schantz. Monkey-pox may be Researchers believe infected animals may infect their owners. We know very little about these new diseases. A new bug may be kind at first. But some strains may become harmful. Monkey-pox doesn't look a major infectious disease. But it is not impossible to pass the disease from person to person. Why did Isaksen advise people not to have foreign pets?
<extra_id_0>They attack human beings.
<extra_id_1>We need to study native animals.
<extra_id_2>They can't live out of the rain forest.
<extra_id_3>We do not know much about them yet.
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<extra_id_5>The Doll and the White Rose I was walking around in a mall, when I saw a cashier hand this little boy some money back.The cashier said, "I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll."The little boy seemed very disappointed. I walked toward him and asked him who he wished to give this doll to."It's the doll that my sister wanted so much for Christmas.She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her: But Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now.I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there."His eyes were so sad."My sister has gone to be with God.Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister." My heart nearly stopped.The little boy looked up at me and continued, "I told Daddy to tell Mommy not to go yet.I need her to wait until I come back from the mall." I quickly reached for my wallet and said," Suppose we check again, just in case you do have enough money for the doll." "OK, I hope I do have enough," he said.I put some of my money with his without him seeing and we started to count it.There was enough for the doll and even some spare money. Surprisingly, the little boy cried, "Thank you God for giving me enough money!" Then he looked at me and added, "I asked last night before I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll, so that Mommy could give it to my sister. He heard me! I also wanted to have enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much.But he gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose ! " Then I remembered two days before a local newspaper reported an accident in which a woman and a little girl were badly injured.The little girl died right away, and the mother was left in a critical state.Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after I met the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the woman had passed away.I couldn't stop myself from going to the funeral.Teary-eyed, I felt that my life had been changed forever. We can learn from the story that _ .
<extra_id_0>the boy's sister died after staying in hospital for two weeks
<extra_id_1>the boy's family were all seriously injured in a car accident
<extra_id_2>the author gave the boy some extra money without his notice
<extra_id_3>the boy's mother always wished to receive a white rose on Christmas
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<extra_id_5>Will Bowen is the author of the famous book-A Complaint Free World, and he is a minister With a very simple message: quit complaining. If you do ,you'll be happier and healthier. The goal is to live for 21 continuous days without complaint That's how long it takes to break a habit according to Bowen. In your hands, you hold the secret to change your life. Will Bowen developed the life-changing plan based on the simple idea that good thing will happen to you if you can just leave your complaint behind Less than a year later, more than six million people took up the challenge, trying to go 21 continuous days without complaining. By changing your words, you can change your thoughts and then begin to create your new life. People have shared stories with Will Bowen on relationships cured, careers improved, and becoming all overall happier person. If you stop complaining, _ .
<extra_id_0>some people will attack you
<extra_id_1>.you will become upset soon
<extra_id_2>you won't be happy
<extra_id_3>others will also stop complain.
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<extra_id_5>Beethoven, a famous musician in the world, was born in Germany in 1770. In his childhood Beethoven didn't have a happy life.His father was a singer. When he was only four, his father began to make him practise hour after hour on different musical instruments . If he did not put his heart into it, his father would beat him or make it hard on him. Beethoven loved music and he learned so fast that he was able to go around to give concerts, when he was only a boy of eleven. At the age of seventeen, he won high praise from Mozart, the great musician at that time. Beethoven was often poor and ill during his life. After one illness, he suddenly found himself deaf. At that time he was only thirty-one. It was a blow to him indeed. But he still went on working and writing music pieces. To people's surprise, some of his best pieces were written after he lost his hearing. In 1827, leaving more than 300 pieces, the great musician died. But his name is still remembered to this day. The great musician lived in the world for only _ years.
<extra_id_0>43
<extra_id_1>70
<extra_id_2>57
<extra_id_3>60
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<extra_id_5>Not so long ago, a sailor sailing across the cold waters of the northern Pacific Ocean might have had every chance of being confronted by a sea cow. This cow would have measured 10 meters long, and weighed between five and ten tones. And it would spend most of its day cruising the seas, eating grass growing underwater. The cow in question was known as Steller's sea cow, which is now extinct. Today, many people are unaware that such an extraordinary creature once existed, or don't know its incredible story. But scientists have discovered many fundamental facts about this mystical animal. Surprisingly, the first recorded sighting of a Steller's sea cow didn't happen until 1741, when a sailing expedition was stuck on an uninhabited island, later named Bering Island. The sailor survived by hunting and eating the huge sea cow. Like its modern relatives, the sea cow lived in herds. _ and its slow-moving behaviour made it easy to be caught. Those sailors that escaped Bering Island spread word of the bounty of meat to be found off its shores. As a result, more and more expeditions came to hunt the animals. One report stated that one sea cow could feed 33 men for a month. Incredibly, just 27 years after the island and species had been discovered by modern man, the last sea cow was reported killed. That makes the Steller's sea cow one of the few truly large mammals known to have been driven extinct in the modern age. In which year did the Steller's sea cow become extinct?
<extra_id_0>In 1741.
<extra_id_1>In 1768.
<extra_id_2>In 1785.
<extra_id_3>In 1876.
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<extra_id_5>Christmas was coming, I was considering what present I should prepare for my father.My dad never wants anything, for he is a hard person to buy for . I pulled out my phone to read text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father.My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming,and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower,a lone dandelion standing against the bright blue sky,inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father. I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind .The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe;my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming,and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples,twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer,the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood. I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate. Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he unwrapped those swirling black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame,I knew I had given the perfect gift. The idea for a special gift began to form when the author was _ .
<extra_id_0>doing shopping
<extra_id_1>having a debate
<extra_id_2>reading a message
<extra_id_3>leaving for Wyoming
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<extra_id_5>79 Mayfair Road Plumton, Kent October 10th Dear Rosemary, I was very glad to get your letter this morning. I really ought to have written to you---it was my turn, I know----but I have been terribly busy. The children seem to take up all my time. I am thinking of sending Ann to a nursery school. She'll be four next month. Baby has just started to walk and doesn't give me a moment's peace. But you know what it is like! How are all your children? I'm sure they love living in the country. I'm afraid we can't come over to see you next Sunday, as you suggest. Tom's mother is coming to spend the day with us. What about the Sunday after that----- the twenty-second? We are free that day and should love to come. We're longing to see your house. Let me know, then, if the Sunday after next suits you. May we come for lunch? We'd like to leave fairly early in the evening to avoid the heavy traffic on the roads. Love from us all, Edna Edna can not see Rosemary the following Sunday because _ .
<extra_id_0>she is afraid of the traffic
<extra_id_1>Tom's mother is coming to see them that day
<extra_id_2>she prefers to come on 22nd
<extra_id_3>she is terribly busy with the children
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<extra_id_5>With its 190 million inhabitants, Brazil has the largest population in Latin America and ranks fifth in the world. However, Brazil's population growth rate has dropped greatly and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. This achievement really becomes the envy of many other Third World countries. Brazil has become one of the developing world's great successes at reducing population growth-----but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had a better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard. Martine _ , among other things, soap operas(TV series) and installment plans introduced in the 1970s. Both played an important, although indirect role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world's biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil's most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most TV series are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities. "Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction , they describe middle and upper class values-----not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working," says Martine. "They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package." Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers. "This led to an enormous change in consumption patterns and showed that consumption was in contradiction with unlimited reproduction," says Martine. The phrase "puts it down to"(Line1, Para. 3) is closest in meaning to " _ ".
<extra_id_0>attributes it to
<extra_id_1>finds it a reason for
<extra_id_2>sums it up as
<extra_id_3>compares it to
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<extra_id_5>Sixty-year-old grandmother, Fiona McFee, is going to stop working next year and she decided to realize a childhood dream and sail around the coast of Scotland in a small boat. Although the inside of the boat is very _ it has no running water or electricity. Fiona says she can live without these things but she plans to take her small CD player, her hot water bottle and a bag of books to make sure life isn't too uncomfortable. We asked her if she was afraid of being at sea for so long. She said, "Well, I'm going to take a good compass . Anyway I'm not afraid of death because I love the sea---I just hope it loves me." Fiona certainly has plenty of energy; in her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano, rock-climbing, canoeing and dancing. Although she is sixty, she doesn't want to have a quiet and peaceful life. "I'm looking forward to having fun in the rest of my life and that's exactly why I'd like to be a sailor for a while." When Fiona McFee said "---I just hope it loves me." What she meant was _
<extra_id_0>Of course , it loves me , since I love it .
<extra_id_1>If I love it , it should love me.
<extra_id_2>I hope it will bring me a safe sailing as a return for my love of it .
<extra_id_3>I hope it will save my life when I am in time of danger .
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<extra_id_5>Washoe, a female chimpanzee believed to be the first non-human to acquire human language, has died of natural causes at the research institute where she was kept.The chimp died on Tuesday night, according to Roger and Deborah Fouts, co-founders of The Chimpanzee and Human Communications Institute in Washington, where she lived. Washoe was born in 1965 in Africa, where she was captured by the Air Force and taken to the US for research use in the space program. In 1966, she left the program and began living with two scientists, Allen and Beatrix Gardner, who led a project to teach the chimp American Sign Language (ASL) in Washoe, Nevada, for which it was named. Washoe had been living on Central Washington University's Ellensburg Campus since 1980. She had a vocabulary of about 250 words. Also, Washoe taught sign language to three younger chimps: Tatu, 31, Loulis, 29, and Dar, 31 Primate researcher Jane Goodall, in Fouts' book Next of Kin, noted the importance of the work with Washoe. "Roger, through his ongoing conversations with Washoe and her extended family, has opened a window into a chimpanzee's mind," Goodall said. Though previous efforts to teach chimps spoken languages had failed, the researchers believed there was a better chance using signs. But Washoe's language skills were disputed by scientists who believed that language is unique to humans. Among those who doubted that chimps could use language were linguist Noam Chomsky and Harvard scientist Steven Pinker. They believed primates simply learn to perform certain acts in order to receive rewards, and do not acquire true language. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Washoe was the first animal to be taught human language.
<extra_id_1>Washoe, the chimp, was named in honor of a place.
<extra_id_2>There were four chimps in total at Ellensburg Campus.
<extra_id_3>Chomsky believed primates only perform silent signs.
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<extra_id_5>Twenty years ago almost all nurses were women, and almost all pilots were men. Today women fly planes, and men care for patients. The jobs are the same, but not both men and women are working as nurses and pilots. There are many other examples of changing job roles for men and women. Forty years ago there were no women news reporters on television. Now women report the news, the weather, and even men's sports. Women are reporting games and interviewing athletes. Fifty years ago there were almost no women lawyers or doctors, but today over half of all medical students are women. Today men teach very young children. Men work as librarians and secretaries. Some men stay at home to take care of the house and children. They are called "househusbands" or "stay-at-home dads". However, many women still work as homemakers. Jobs are changing. Today men and women are working in every field. Which one of the following is true about men and women today?
<extra_id_0>Men like their jobs, but women don't.
<extra_id_1>Women don't like sports, but men do.
<extra_id_2>There are no women pilots.
<extra_id_3>Both men and women take care of children.
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<extra_id_5>When my son, Mark, was in the third grade, he saved all his pocket money for over three months to buy holiday presents. The third Saturday in December Mark said he had made his list and had twenty dollars in his pocket. I drove him to a nearby supermarket. Mark picked up a hand basket and went in while I waited and watched in the car. It took Mark over 45 minutes to choose his presents. Finally he came to the checkout counter and reached into his pocket ... Mark stood there holding his basket, tears falling down his face. Then a surprising thing happened. A woman came up to Mark and took him in her arms. "You would help me a lot if you let me pay for you," said the woman. "It would be the most wonderful gift you could give me. I only ask one day you will pass it on. When you grow up, I would like you to find someone you can help. When you help others, I know you will feel as good about it as I do now." Mark took the money, dried his tears and ran back to the checkout counter as fast as he could. That year we all enjoyed our gifts almost as much as Mark enjoyed giving them to us. I would like to say "thank you" to that very kind woman, and tell her that four years later, Mark went house to house collecting blankets and clothes for the homeless people in the fire. And I want to promise her that Mark will never forget to keep passing on. When did the story probably happen?
<extra_id_0>On Christmas Day.
<extra_id_1>Before Christmas Day.
<extra_id_2>On New Year's Day.
<extra_id_3>After New Year's Day.
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<extra_id_5>Today's Britain is full of TV shows like Fame Academy, which claim to offer young hopefuls an instant passport to fame and riches. But a very different kind of academy may provide a new generation of Brits with a slower, steadier path to wealth. A 'pig academy' in the east of England is aiming to train up new pig farmers to help promote local agriculture and meet the UK's growing demand for pork. Last year consumption of pork products increased by 6,000 tonnes. But British farmers have not benefited from this rise in demand. A combination of increasing feed prices, competition from cheaper imports and an outbreak of foot and mouth disease have all eaten into their profits. Pig numbers in the UK have actually almost halved in the last decade. Now, Fresh Start Pig Academy in Lincolnshire is launching a course which intends to redress the balance. They say pig husbandry is a growth industry and newcomers are welcome. For those of you who fancy _ , the course will teach you everything you need to know, from keeping pigs healthy to raising the capital needed to start up. Pig farmer Anne Longthorp followed her father into the industry and believes that farming pigs is very rewarding work: "They're great, curious animals to work with. Just watching their behaviour - it's really interesting work. There is a lot more to pig farming than people give us credit for. It's very scientific." So, while most of Britain's young people may continue to dream of overnight stardom, others will hope a more traditional career will help them bring home the bacon. From the passage we can infer that the Pig Academy will _ .
<extra_id_0>lead the youth to riches faster than the Fame Academy
<extra_id_1>provide geilivable help for whoever attends the course
<extra_id_2>be more popular with young people than other academies
<extra_id_3>make some young people overnight star
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<extra_id_5>If there's a child in your house who likes pixies , nature, or magic, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is sure to be a hit. This beautifully animated film is a first class production in every way, and features the familiar voices of Kristin Chenoweth, Anjelica Huston, Jane Horrocks, Lucy Liu, and Raven Symone. The movie offers up an adventure that's easy enough to follow, but complex enough to hold one's attention, and even throws in a nice little moral about friendship. What can I say? I'm pleasantly surprised. The up-and-coming Mae Whitman voices Tinker Bell herself, a far more dynamic character than we met in Peter Pan. Though Tinker still possesses her fiery temper, it doesn't manifest itself immediately, and takes a backseat to this pixie's many good qualities. As it turns out, Tinker Bell is extremely skilled at tinkering , so she is a natural choice to build a special scepter , for Pixie Hollow's Autumn Celebration. The scepter will hold the moonstone through which the light of the Blue Moon will pass, supplying Pixie Hollow with enough pixie dust for the year ahead. For days, Tinkers works hard on the perfect scepter design while her good friend Terrence does his best to assist. When Terrence accidentally breaks the Moon Stone, Tinker Bell "explodes" and sends him away. One of Tinker's more literal friends finds this extremely concerning, as she doesn't quite understand that the outburst was emotional rather than physical ----- very funny indeed. After hearing the legend of the lost treasure, Tinker Bell strikes out on her own to find a new Moon Stone. She faces many difficulties and meets new friends along the way, but when Terrence comes to the rescue at Tinker's darkest hour, she realizes the value of a truly loyal friend. Though the film is engaging and offers a positive message to young viewers, it's the animation that makes Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure stand out. Pixie Hollow is a charming, visually stunning world basked in lush color1s. It's so lovely, so detailed, so three-dimensional that you almost want to step inside. The article picked from a website is a(n)_.
<extra_id_0>movie poster
<extra_id_1>movie review
<extra_id_2>introduction to a book
<extra_id_3>person introduction
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<extra_id_5>American English is full of colorful expressions. One such expression is to touch all bases. There are four bases in baseball - first, second, third and home plate. When a baseball player hits the ball, he must run to each base - in order - and touch it with his foot. It is the only way to get a point. If the player hits the ball and fails to touch all the bases, the point will not be counted. The importance of touching all the bases was shown at the start of the 1974 baseball seasons. Hank Aaron was a player with the Atlanta Braves team. He was trying to find the record for hitting the most home runs . Aaron needed just one home run to be well matched with the record held by Babe Ruth, the greatest hitter in baseball history. Aaron got that home run the very first time he had a chance to hit the ball. That gave him 714 home runs - the same as Babe Ruth. After that day, baseball fans held their breath every time when it was Hank Aaron's turn to hit. When would he hit home run number 715? The wait was not long. In the second week of the season, Aaron again hit the ball over the wall. He had beaten Babe Ruth's record. But first, he had to run around the four bases. The other players on his team watched carefully to make sure he touched each one. So, to touch all bases means to do what is necessary to complete an activity. The expression is used to business and politics. No business deal or political events are really complete until you discuss all the problems involved. Or, as it is said, until you touch all bases. Who hit home run number 715?
<extra_id_0>Babe Ruth.
<extra_id_1>Hank Aaron.
<extra_id_2>Babe Ruth's partner.
<extra_id_3>Hank Aaron's friend.
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<extra_id_5>A professor I have worked pretty closely with has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. It has been devastating for his family and heartbreaking for his students. What made him extraordinary was not only that he was a rising star. He had only recently collected the highest honors for young researchers at the White House. We truly admire him--as someone put it, 'He always has a smile and a kind word for everyone." It is very hard to find someone who is extremely intelligent should be so nice a human being. I decided that we needed him to know _ and also how we are all praying for his recovery. I bought him a simple card which read, 'Healing thoughts and wishes coming your way." I met all the students he worked closely with and got them to sign on it. Each student in his laboratory signed and also added a message. 'We love you so much", 'We miss you! We need you back here--recover soon"... These were some of the messages that were written. Most of the students were really glad we were doing this and said it was a very good idea to give it to him. He is still undergoing intense treatment, and along with his family is trying his best to stay optimistic and hopeful. I didn't see a trace of self-pity or sadness when I met him last week. Instead, he paid attention to every word of my presentation and asked me several questions related to my work. I was amazed at how much he gave his 100% on that day in spite of being in pain because of chemotherapy( ),he did not know if he even had another month to live. "I am trying to focus on staying positive, hoping to be back this summer," he said. Needless to say, I saw an expression of joy and hope on his face as he opened the card. He said he was truly touched to see the messages from the students he worked closely with. There is one thing I learnt from last week: It is so important to tell people how much they mean to us and what an inspiration they are before it becomes too late. My professor, in spite of being too sick to teach classes, has managed to continue being a great teacher, introducing his last valuable message to us. The professor was admired because _ .
<extra_id_0>he was very intelligent
<extra_id_1>he had won many honors
<extra_id_2>he had noble personalities
<extra_id_3>he was very determined
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<extra_id_5>Scientists have written a report on the future of trade and industry. They talk about the role robots will play in industry. What is a robot?Basically ,it is a machine which is designed to do the work of a human being. It is usually controlled by a computer. Once it has been given a set of things to do,it will do the job on its own. Nowadays,Britain has 120 robots at work in industry. This compares badly with other industrial countries. In Japan,there are 4,000 robots in use. In the USA there are 2,000 and in Germany there are 500. According to the report,the government must help people understand how robot technology can be used. Also,people must be educated to know how important this new technology is. The designing of new robots will be very important in the future. The report says that special robot centres should be set up where people who design robots and people who will use them work together. The assembly work of the future will be complex . So firms must develop robots to do it. The report was written by _ scientists.
<extra_id_0>English
<extra_id_1>American
<extra_id_2>German
<extra_id_3>Japanese
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<extra_id_5>Look at this photo. 1 _ . He has two sisters. 2 _ . The other one in the yellow dress is his sister, Mary. Rose and Mary have the same age. They look the same. They are 3 _ . John and his sisters are in different schools.4 _ . Their dad and mom are English teachers. They like their students. The family are happy. ,. (10) : 1.
<extra_id_0>The boy is Jhon.
<extra_id_1>The boy name is Jone
<extra_id_2>The boy are John
<extra_id_3>The boy isn't John : 2, .
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<extra_id_5>I wonder whether there is any girl or boy who does not like to see a rainbow in the sky. It is so beautiful. There is a story, saying that whenever you see a rainbow you should run at once to the place where it touches the ground, and there you would find a pot of gold. Of course it is not true. You could not find the pot of gold or its end. No matter how far you run, it always seems far away. A rainbow is not a thing which we can feel with our hands as we can feel a flower. It is only the effect of light shining on raindrops. The raindrops catch the sunlight and break it up into all the wonderful colours which we see. It is called a rainbow perhaps because it is made up of raindrops and looks like a bow . That is why we can never see a rainbow in a clear sky. We see a rainbow only when there is rain in the air and the sun is shining brightly through the clouds. Every rainbow has many colours in the same order. The first or the top colour is always red, and the next comes orange, then yellow, and last of all, blue. A rainbow is indeed one of the wonders of nature. Children like rainbows because _ .
<extra_id_0>they are beautiful
<extra_id_1>they are like bows
<extra_id_2>they can find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow
<extra_id_3>they are good to crops
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<extra_id_5>Modern life is impossible without traveling. The fastest way of traveling is by plane. With a modern airliner , you can travel in one day to places which needed a month or more to get to hundreds of years ago. Traveling by train is slower than by plane, but you can see the places you are traveling through. Modern trains have comfortable seats and dining-cars. _ even make the longest journey enjoyable . Some people prefer to travel by sea. You can visit many other countries or different parts of your country. Ships are not so fast as trains or planes, but traveling by sea is a very pleasant way to spend a holiday. Many people like to travel by car. You can make your own timetable. You can travel three or four hundred miles or only fifty or one hundred miles a day, just as you like. You can stop if there is something interesting, for example, at a good restaurant where you can enjoy a good meal, or at a hotel to spend the night. That's why traveling by car is popular for pleasure trips, while people usually take a train or a plane when they travel on business. When people travel on business, they usually take _ .
<extra_id_0>a plane or a car
<extra_id_1>a car or a boat
<extra_id_2>a boat or a train
<extra_id_3>a train or a plane
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<extra_id_5>What Will Be Done-With All This Denim? All the denim will be donated to Cotton From Blue to Green, which recycles jeans into UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation , which is used to help build houses in places that have been damaged by hurricanes and other natural disasters. Your jeans will help keep clothes out of landfills , and build houses for families to live in! UltraTouch is made of 85% recycled fibers and is an environmentally safe, natural cotton fiber insulation. It's a Fact It takes about 500 pairs of jeans to recycle enough denim to insulate one average-size U.S house. Here's How You Can Get Involved! 1. Get a parent's permission and select as many denim jeans as you like. (Any denim clothing is OK) 2. The denim must be used. 3. The denim can be any brand. 4. The denim can be any color or size but must have been worn by a human (no doll clothes!). 5. Jeans must be received by June 30, 2017. By donating denim, you can give it a "new life" by converting it into UltraTouch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation. _ for more information about the denim drive. UltraTouch is composed of 85% recycled fibers and is an environmentally safe, non- itch natural cotton fiber insulation. For more information about UltraTouch, _ Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the ad?
<extra_id_0>The deadline of the denim clothing donated is July 30, 2017.
<extra_id_1>Ultra Touch can protect houses from natural disasters.
<extra_id_2>Ultra Touch may be the name of a building material.
<extra_id_3>The denim clothing is collected to provide clothes for the homeless.
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<extra_id_5>Which material is primarily a mixture of weathered rock and organic matter?
<extra_id_0>minerals
<extra_id_1>soil
<extra_id_2>ocean water
<extra_id_3>seashells
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<extra_id_5>Do American children still learn handwriting in school? In this age of the keyboard, some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out. Steve Graham, a professor at Vanderbilt University, says he has been hearing about the death of handwriting in the past fifteen years. So is it still being taught? Steve Graham says, "If the results of a survey we have published this year are accurate, it is being taught by about ninety percent of the teachers in grades one to three." Ninety percent of the teachers also say they are required to teach handwriting. But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it. Professor Graham says one study found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting." Steve Graham says, "And then when you look at how it's taught, you have some teachers who are teaching handwriting by providing instruction for only ten to fifteen minutes a day, and some teachers who basically teach it for sixty to seventy minutes a day, meaning the death of handwriting." Many adults remember learning that way-by copying letters over and over again. Today's thinking is that short periods of practice are better. Many experts say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. After all, that is why we write. Professor Graham says handwriting involves two skills. One is legibility, which means forming the letters so they can be easily read. The other is fluency-writing without having to think about it. The professor says fluency continues to develop up until high school. But not everyone can master these skills. Teachers commonly report that about one-fourth of their kids have poor handwriting. Some people might think handwriting is not important any more because of computers and voice recognition programs. What's the purpose of the text?
<extra_id_0>To remind people of the importance of handwriting.
<extra_id_1>To tell us how to improve our handwriting.
<extra_id_2>To state the current situation of handwriting in America.
<extra_id_3>To call on more professional teachers to teach handwriting.
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<extra_id_5>Which of the following sentences best explains what happens when puddles evaporate?
<extra_id_0>The water absorbs into the ground.
<extra_id_1>The particles of matter move more slowly.
<extra_id_2>The water changes from one form to another.
<extra_id_3>The particles of matter move closer together.
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<extra_id_5>These days many students like to make friends online. Most of them think it's interesting to know an unknown person through the Internet. So, many students like to use computers to talk with those friends. And they spend too much time on it. Some of them can not do well in their school work. Their parents often don't think the children are as good as before. So many teachers and parents are worried about their children. In fact, only very few of them can get real good friends in this way. Most of them were _ by those unseen friends. And some of the students did wrong things online. It's terrible for students to use too much time to make friends and talk online. So we should be careful of making friends online and should not spend too much time on it. We'd better pay more attention to study. We will be really happy when we do well in school and at home. Many teachers and parents are worried about their children because _ .
<extra_id_0>the students don't work so hard as before
<extra_id_1>the students spend too much time chatting with online friends
<extra_id_2>the students think lessons are less interesting than before
<extra_id_3>all of above
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<extra_id_5>Tea bag drinking is most westerners' favorite way of drinking tea. Do you know how it came about? The tea bag was invented in 1908 by Thomas Sullivan, an American tea seller. He was sending out free tea in silk bags for people to try. People put the bags together with the tea leaves into the cup and added hot water. The tea tasted good, and people thought it was easy to clean the cup. They were not happy when Sullivan started sending them loose tea again. Sullivan realized that he had a hot new thing in his hands, and he built a machine to pack the bags. As tea bags became popular, they were changed from silk to gauze and later paper. In 1952, Lipton Tea made the tea bag even more popular with its invention of the four-sided tea bag. _ , and today 85% of the tea in the UK is packed in paper bags. However, many people still prefer loose-leaf tea. This is because some tea companies put not very good tea in their tea bags. But for most drinkers, tea bags are still the easy, tasty way to go. Who invented the tea bag?
<extra_id_0>An English tea seller.
<extra_id_1>Chinese.
<extra_id_2>Lipton.
<extra_id_3>Thomas Sullivan.
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<extra_id_5>Bay Village Branch, 502 Cahoon Road, 440-871-6392. The Egyptian Pyramids, 7 p. m. Sept. 17. Join us as Don King, a long-time student of Egyptology, discusses the pyramids and presents the possible theories of the construction, design and mysteries surrounding these ancient wonders. Join us as local Bay Village resident, Tom Bell, discusses his book "My Dad Is a Freak: a Memoir", 7 p.m.Sept. 27. Fairview Park Branch, 21255 Lorain Road, 440-333-4700 or cuyahogalibrary. org. Dress for Success, 7 p. m. Sept. 17. First impressions count. Some job recruiters use appearance to determine self-esteem, respect, confidence and organizational skills. Learn how to dress to emphasize your strengths and improve your employ ability. Registration required. Music Study Groups, 1:15--2:45 p. m. Wednesdays, Sept. 19--Nov. 28. Explore current concert music performed by The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall through informal lectures and listening. Classes are designed for both new and experienced music lovers and are led by Dr. Rose Breckenridge. Practical Herbs, 7 p. m. Oct. 3. Famous doctor Sarah Hurt will talk about growing, drying and storing herbs and how to use them. Registration required. North Olmsted Branch, 27403 Lorain Road. 440-777-6211 or cuyahogalibrary. org. Job Club, 1:30--3 p. m. Tuesdays. Join Jim Hansen for helpful tips on resumes, job search strategies and interviewing. Anyone who is job hunting or looking to change careers is welcome. War of 1812, 7--8:45 p. m. Sept. 17. This year marks the 200thanniversary. Professor Catherine Rokicky From Cuyahoga Community College will give a presentation about the war, and immediately following we'll discuss the book "Mr. and Mrs. Madison's War: America's First Couple and the Second War of Independence" by Hugh Howard. Registration required. Olmsted Falls Library, 7850 Main St. , Olmsted Falls. 440-235-1150 or cuyahogalibrary. org. Family Story-time, 7--7:30 p. m. Wednesdays, through Nov. 27. Join us for rhymes, songs, finger-plays and a story or two. For children ages birth through age 8 with their caregivers. Huntington Practice SAT Test, 10 a. m. to 1 p. m. Sept. 15. Follow up, 4--5 p. m. Sept. 26. Get ready for college by taking a practice SAT exam. Discuss strategies to improve your score, and get tips on preparing for the real exam. Registration required. Imaginative Illustrations, 11 a. m. to noon Sept. 29. A hands-on drawing program where children exercise their imagination while experiencing some basic techniques of cartooning. Grades K-5. Registration required. It is learned from the passage that _ .
<extra_id_0>you can study music for more than one month in Fairview Park Branch
<extra_id_1>you can get the information about the four branches on the Internet
<extra_id_2>you can choose to take part in all the mentioned events in the afternoon
<extra_id_3>both Don King and Catherine Rokicky are college professors
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<extra_id_5>Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus . Finally, there was only one family between the ticket counter and us. This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. You could tell they didn't have a lot of money. Their clothes were not expensive, but they were clean. They were excitedly talking about the clowns, elephants, and other acts they would see that night. The father and mother were at the head of the pack, standing proud as they could be. When the ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted, he proudly answered, "Please let me buy eight children's tickets and two adults tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady told him the price. The man's wife lowered her head. The father`s lip began to quiver and he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again quoted the price. The man didn`t have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn`t have enough money to take them to the circus? Seeing what was going on, my dad put his hand in his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground. My father reached down, picked up the bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said ,"Excuse me, sir. This fell out of your pocket." The man knew what was going on. He wasn`t begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a heartbreaking and embarrassing situation. He looked straight into my dad`s eyes, took my dad`s hand in both of his, holding the $20 bill, and with a tear running down his cheek, he replied, "Thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family ." My father and I went back to our car and drove home. _ The writer`s father didn`t give the money to the man directly, because _ .
<extra_id_0>he didn`t want to let the man feel embarrassed
<extra_id_1>the money wasn`t his
<extra_id_2>he wanted to show what a kind man he was
<extra_id_3>he son would stop him
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<extra_id_5>You are what you eat and fats are a main food for Asia's fast-food generation. Dr.Chwang, director of the Department of Food Nutrition, says children are consuming more meat and soft drinks. That is a thorough departure from the traditional diet of vegetables and rice and little meat." They like big pieces of fried meat with a soft drink. So although they may eat the same volume of food, their calorie intake has increased. Now that 40 to 45 percent of their calories come from fat," says Chwang. Although on the whole Asians tend to thinness, culture--namely Asians' hospitality--is a reason for the fatness of today's generation, according to Chwang. "Asian people love food," she says." Eating and drinking are important social and family functions." In the past, however, big meals were only hosted on special occasions, as people were more careful with money. In today's climate of wealth and remarkable consumption,10-course meals are no longer reserved for significant occasions. "In the past, people had four or more children--now, they have one or two, so they tend to spoil them," says Chwang. "The earliest way is to give them quality food. Parents think feeding them well is showing their love. They feel bad when their children look thin." When describing the physical condition of most overweight Asian children, Chwang says: "there is a clear relation between fatness and indoor play. Children get fat because they don't move, and eventually, they don't want to move because they are fat." Thanks to technology, a growing army of children prefer video games to old outdoor sports. "What do children do when watching TV or sitting in front of the computer playing video games? They eat chocolate and drink Coke," says Chwang. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Asian people tend to save more money.
<extra_id_1>Asian children depart from their diet tradition.
<extra_id_2>Asian children eat big meals on more occasions.
<extra_id_3>Culture contributes to the fatness of Asian children.
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<extra_id_5>John is 14 years old. He is a student of Grade Eight. He was a very active and happy boy two years ago. But everything changed after he started to play computer games. He never plays basketball or football with his friends any more. And when he sits in the classroom, he can't listen to the teachers. He sleeps in class. And he spends less and less time in studying. So he gets bad marks in tests. But he is very different after school is over. He stays in the net bar until it is closed. Ah, he loses himself in computer games. His parents can do nothing to stop him. Every morning in the school, when we see that he is so tired after a night's "busy working", we really feel sad. He is too tired! John _ plays basketball with his friends now.
<extra_id_0>usually
<extra_id_1>often
<extra_id_2>always
<extra_id_3>never
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<extra_id_5>You may feel curious about students in other countries: Do they also have so much homework? What do they do in their free time? On April 8, a report came out on the life of high school students in China, Japan, South Korea and the US. It surveyed around 6,200 students from the four countries last year. You will find the answers to many of your questions in this report. Who studies hardest? Chinese students spend the most time studying. Nearly half of Chinese students spend more than two hours on their homework every day. That's much more than students of the US(26.4%), Japan(8.2%) and South Korea(5.2%). Who sleeps most often in class? Japanese students fall asleep in class most often. About 45% of them said they sometimes doze off in class. In South Korea is 32%; in the US, 21%; and 5% in China. South Korean students don't like taking notes. About 70% said they write down what the teacher says in class, many fewer than in Japan(93%), China(90%) and the US (89%). Who is the most distracted ? American students are the most active in class, but also the most distracted: 64.2% said they talk with friends in class; 46.9% said they eat snacks in class; and 38.9% said they send e-mails or read unrelated books in class. What do they do after school? In their free time, most Chinese students study or surf the Internet. Most American students go out with their friends. Most Japanese students do physical exercises. Most South Korean students watch TV. What do American students do in their free time?
<extra_id_0>Do physical exercises.
<extra_id_1>Study or surf the Internet.
<extra_id_2>Watch TV.
<extra_id_3>Go out with friends.
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<extra_id_5>A ban on smoking in public places has come into effect on May 1,2011 in China--home to one third of the world's smokers. The ban is aimed at controlling the number of deaths from smoking-related diseases, running at a million deaths a year.That figure is predicted to double by 2020.The new smoking ban is an attempt to prevent that prediction coming true. The new rules forbid people from smoking in places like hotels, railway stations or theatres, but not including the office.Employers can warn their staff of the dangers of smoking but cannot forbid them from smoking at their desks. But the new rules have been criticized because they do not describe in detail the punishments for businesses or individuals who _ them.Quite many smokers do not seem to take much notice of them.Often you find people smoking at next table while you are eating your meal or having a drink in a bar.In bus stops as well as in railway stations smoking can also be seen here and there.Business owners are also angry at the efforts to force them to ban smoking on their premises , because many customers refuse to go to restaurants or places of entertainment where smoking is forbidden. It appears that many Chinese people are unaware of the dangers of smoking.Research suggests that only one in four knows the harm cigarettes can cause.Officials say they have to try to persuade people not to smoke to try to reduce the numbers dying from smoking-related diseases.At the same time, however, the local governments make a lot of money from the sales of cigarettes by the state-owned firm that makes and sells tobacco products throughout the country. From May 1, 2011, it is forbidden to smoke _ .
<extra_id_0>at the restaurant
<extra_id_1>in the car
<extra_id_2>in the office
<extra_id_3>in any places
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<extra_id_5>During a rainstorm, leaves wash down a gully on a hillside. The water slows down at the foot of the hill and fans out, depositing the leaves. What geologic structure is formed in a similar way?
<extra_id_0>a basalt column
<extra_id_1>a stalactite
<extra_id_2>a fault line
<extra_id_3>a delta
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<extra_id_5>O. Henry, a famous American writer of short stories, was born in North Carolina in 1862. O. Henry was a pen name. His real name was William Sydney Porter. When he was a young boy, he did not go to school for long because of being born in a poor family, but he tried to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas. There he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank. But he got himself into some trouble. Some money went missing from the bank. O. Henry was believed to have stolen it, so he was sent to prison . During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and went on writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because almost all of them finished with a sudden change. This made the readers surprised. Which of the following is true?
<extra_id_0>O. Henry was from a rich family
<extra_id_1>O. Henry was in school for a long time.
<extra_id_2>O. Henry learned everything he needed by himself.
<extra_id_3>O. Henry liked writing stories when he was a little boy.
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<extra_id_5>In the depths of the French Guianese rainforest, there still remain unusual groups of indigenous people. Surprisingly, these people live largely by their own laws and their own social customs. And yet, people in this area are in fact French citizens because it has been a colony of the French Republic since 1946. In theory, they should live by the French law is often ignored or unknown, thus making them into an interesting area of "lawlessness" in the world. The lives of these people have finally been recorded thanks to the effects of a Frenchman form Paris called Gin. Gin spent five months in early 2015 exploring the most remote corners of this area, which sits on the edge of the Amazon rainforest, with half its population of only 250,000 living in its capital, Cayenne. "I have a special love for the French Guianese people. I have worked there on and off for almost ten years," says Gin. "I've been able to keep firm friendships with them. Thus I have been allowed to gain access to their living environment. I don't see it as a lawless land. But rather I see it as an area of freedom." "I wanted to show the audience a photographic record touching upon the uncivilized life," continues Gin. "I prefer to work in black and white, which allows me to show different specific worlds more clearly." His black-and-white pictures present a world almost lost in time. These pictures show people seemingly pushed into a world that they were unprepared for. These local citizens now have to balance their traditional self-supporting hunting lifestyle with the lifestyle offered by the modern French Republic, which brings with _ not only necessary state welfare, but also alcoholism, betrayal and even suicide. Why does the author feel surprised about the indigenous people in French Guiana?
<extra_id_0>They seldom follow the French law.
<extra_id_1>They often ignore the Guianese law.
<extra_id_2>They are separated from the modern world.
<extra_id_3>They are both Guianese and French citizens.
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<extra_id_5>In the year 480 BC the Greek allies faced invasion by the King of Persia,Xerxes,who commanded a huge army of about half a million men. When the Persian army marched into northern Greece,the Greek states,led by Athens and Sparta,were ill equipped to deal with the threat. The Persians were well supplied with food and weapons. Their army included infantry,cavalry,and a large navy. It seemed that they would easily defeat the Greeks. The Greek allies decided to send 10,000 men northwards to slow down the Persians,while the rest prepared to defend their homelands. A group of 300 best Spartan soldiers were chosen to lead the force going north,with Leonidas in command. Leonidas realised that the only hope of slowing the Persians would be to block the narrow passage of land at Thermopylae. The Pass of Thermopylae was the route between the mountains and the sea,and was so narrow that only a few men could get through at a time. When the Persian army arrived at Thermopylae,they found Leonidas' tiny army opposing them. The Persians attacked,but could not get through. They attacked again and again,but each time they were driven back by the Greeks,led by the fearless Spartans. Leonidas'plan worked well until a Greek traitor called Ephialtes went to Xerxes. He told the Persian king about a goat's path in the mountains that would take the Persian army past Thermopylae. When Leonidas saw the enemy crossing the mountains,he realised that he could no longer hold Thermopylae. He sent all the Greek soldiers except the 300 Spartans back to their homelands. The Spartans waited for the 500,000 Persians at the goat's path. Although hopelessly outnumbered,the Spartans fought bravely. They all died,but the other Greeks were able to get home to strengthen the defences. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Leonidas was a great commander.
<extra_id_1>The Persians failed to pass Thermopylae.
<extra_id_2>Ephialtes betrayed his own country.
<extra_id_3>The 300 Spartans would be regarded as heroes by the Greeks.
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<extra_id_5>June is from England. Her family are in Beijing now. She is fourteen years old. The date of her birth is September seventh. Her father, Mr Smith, is an English teacher. And her mother, Mrs Smith, is an English teacher, too. They all like Chinese movies. Mr Smith likes action movies. He thinks they are really exciting. His favorite actor is Jet Li. Mrs Smith likes Beijing Opera. She thinks she can learn much about Chinese history by seeing them. And June herself likes comedies. Her favorite actor is Zhao Benshan. She thinks he is very funny. She also thinks Zhao Benshan's movies are better than Rowan Atkinson's. Mr Smith and Mrs Smith like Beijing Roast Duck . They often go to Quanjude to have it. June is _ .
<extra_id_0>twelve
<extra_id_1>thirteen
<extra_id_2>fourteen
<extra_id_3>fifteen
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<extra_id_5>Have you ever been to the world's smallest bookstore? The World's Smallest Bookstore,whose official name is just these three words,sits quietly about 100 miles northeast of Toronto. The bookstore is about 10 feet by 10 feet,so it is easy to imagine how tiny it really is.The bookstore is open 24 hours a day.Inside the bookstore are various books,especially literary books and classic authors' works.So if you are looking for something less popular,you may get a bit disappointed there. Another special feature of this bookstore is that each book only costs three dollars.All the expenses are paid on the honor system,which means buyers should make a note of what they've bought and leave their money by themselves.So the tools of the trade in this bookstore are quite simple: pens,papers,light bulbs and a label-maker. In order to catch passers-by's attention,the billboards of the bookstore are several times bigger than the store itself.With these large eye-catchers,many people are willing to stop by and have a visit. What's the passage mainly about?
<extra_id_0>The world's smallest bookstore.
<extra_id_1>A strange way of selling books.
<extra_id_2>The popular books nowadays.
<extra_id_3>The popular bookstores in the world.
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<extra_id_5>Which of the following would be more likely to pollute a river?
<extra_id_0>allowing beavers to build a dam
<extra_id_1>spreading fertilizer near the river
<extra_id_2>mowing the grass on the river bank
<extra_id_3>fishing from a bridge over the river
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<extra_id_5>How to wash clothes in a flash LAUNDRY is never an easy part of housework. But if piles of sweaty T-shirts and smelly socks drive you crazy, then two Chinese scientists might have the answer. Long Mingce and Wu Deyong of Shanghai Jiao Tong University have invented a kind of cotton that cleans itself. No need for soap or water, the scientists say. All you have to do is put the clothes out in the sun. According to the Guardian, this magical self-cleaning ability comes from a special chemical mixture. The material is covered with this mixture. It can break down dirt and remove bad smells after only a few hours in the sun. One of the chemicals is called titanium dioxide . Scientists have known for some time that titanium dioxide can clean fabrics . However , it only works under ultraviolet light and so is not yet widely used - ultraviolet light cannot be seen. "We knew that self-cleaning cotton fabrics with titanium dioxide coating had already been developed, but they cannot work, or they work weakly, under sunlight," Long said. "If we want to use the fabrics in daily life, we must develop cotton that cleans itself under daylight." The scientists worked hard for years to find a better chemical. Finally , they added silver iodide into the mixture. This made the chemical reactions in sunlight faster. The new mixture is also nearly seven times better than the former one with pure titanium dioxide at removing dirt and killing bacteria. The experiment was only carried out on cotton clothing. However, according to Long, the technology can be "applied to all kinds of fabrics and their related products." It is also cheap and environmentally friendly , he said. The self-cleaning material is not yet ready for the market. Scientists still need to know whether it could harm people. Although titanium dioxide is used in some foods, it can cause health problems if it gets into the lungs . Scientists need to make sure it is safe before we can start to enjoy the benefits of this technology . In what way is the new material better than previous materials ?
<extra_id_0>It works using any kind of light.
<extra_id_1>It works more quickly and effectively.
<extra_id_2>It is widely found in nature.
<extra_id_3>It can be used for all kinds of fabrics .
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<extra_id_5>While shell-like roofs, unlike anything else in the world, make the Sydney Opera House an image of timeless beauty. It is famous for being a symbol, not only of a city, but a whole country and condition too. Its creator, Danish architect Jorn Utzon , turned 85 last Wednesday. And he was awarded the Prizker Prize, known as the Nobel Prize of Architecture, on April 6. But Utzon has never seen his Opera House. The story began in 1957 when Utzon won an international competition to design an opera house in Sydney. But not everyone was enthusiastic ( ) . Utzon left his Opera project in 1966 after an argument with the local government and a storm of public criticism over the building's design. It was not completed until seven years later and Utzon has never returned to Australia to see the result of his work. "Utzon made a building well ahead of its time, and he persevered through criticism to build a building that changed the image of an entire country," said Frank Gehry, a Pritzer Architecture Prize judge. Although the Sydney Opera House was Utzon's masterpiece, it damaged his career. Upon his return to Denmark, he found work hard to come by , so he become a teacher at a university in Hawaii. Utzon said he once saw posters of the Opera House. The interiors were different from his design. But, he said, "There is no regret, for it gave me such a wonderful experience in Australia and towards which I only have love and appreciation ." Britain's Queen Elizabeth opened the Opera House in 1973, and it now holds around 3000 events every year. It is recognized as one of the great symbolic buildings of the 20th century. Utzon has never seen his Opera House because _ .
<extra_id_0>it has white shell-like roofs, unlike anything else in the world
<extra_id_1>its creator is Danish architect, who returned to Denmark
<extra_id_2>he was not awarded the Pritzker Prize, known as the Nobel Prize of Architecture
<extra_id_3>he argued with the local government and was criticized over his design
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<extra_id_5>Iceland is experiencing a book boom . It is hard to avoid writers in Reykjavik. There is a phrase in Icelandic, "ad ganga med bok I maganum", meaning everyone gives birth to a book. Literally, everyone "has a book in their stomach". One in 10 Icelanders will publish one. "Does it get rather competitive?" I ask the young novelist, Kristin Eirikskdottir. "Yes. Especially as I live with my mother and partner, who are also full-time writers. But we try to publish in alternate years so we do not compete too much." "Writers are respected here," Agla Magnusdottir tells me. "They live well. Some even get a salary." Magnusdottir is head of the new Icelandic Literature Centre, which offers state support for literature and its translation. "They write everything --- modern sagas , poetry, children's books, literary and extraordinary fiction --- but the biggest boom is in crime writing," she says. So what has led to this phenomenal book boom? I would say it is due to a crop of good writers, telling interesting tales with elegant economy and fantastic characters. Iceland's black lava riverbeds, its steaming, bubbling earth, with its towering volcanoes and fairytale streams also make it the perfect setting for stories. Solvi Bjorn Siggurdsson, an Icelandic novelist, says writers owe a lot to the past. "We are a nation of storytellers. When it was dark and cold we had nothing else to do," he says. "Thanks to the poetic works and medieval sagas, we have always been surrounded by stories. After independence from Denmark in 1944, literature helped define our identity." Siggurdsson shows respect to Iceland's Nobel Literature winner, Halldor Laxness, whose books are sold in petrol stations and tourist centres across the island. Locals name their cats after Laxness and pay a visit to his home. "When Laxness won the Nobel Prize in 1955 he put modern Icelandic literature on the map," Siggurdsson tells me. "He gave us confidence to write." What kind of book is the most popular in Iceland?
<extra_id_0>Poetry.
<extra_id_1>Medieval sagas.
<extra_id_2>Crime novels.
<extra_id_3>Children's stories.
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<extra_id_5>Pat O'Burke was a poor Irishman with a large family, and one morning, waking up very early from cold and hunger, he decided to go shooting in a wood near his cottage. The wood belonged to Lord Northwood, a rich gentleman, Pat had no _ to go there, but in it there were swarms of rabbits and flocks of birds that were good to eat, and Pat determined to take the risk. Suddenly he saw the owner, with a group of friends, coming towards him in the wood. There was a look of anger on Lord Northwood's face as he caught sight of the gun in Pat's hands. Pat's heart sank with fear, but he saw there was no hope of escape, so he walked boldly up to the group and said to Lord Northwood, "Good morning, sir, and what has brought you out so early this morning?" Lord Northwood, rather surprised, said he and his friends were taking a little exercise to get an appetite for their breakfast. Then, looking at Pat with suspicion , he said, "but why are you out so early in the morning?" "Well, sir" said Pat, "I just came out to see if I could get a breakfast for my appetite." The whole crowed burst into laughter at Pat's ready wit(,), and with a smile Lord Northwood walked on, leaving Pat to try his luck with the rabbits. This is a story about _ .
<extra_id_0>a rich man who owned a big wood
<extra_id_1>a poor Irishman who lived all by himself
<extra_id_2>a clever man who tried to get something to eat
<extra_id_3>an Irish hunter with a large family
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<extra_id_5>My friends and I had just finished lunch at a hotel when it started to rain heavily. When it became lighter, I decided to get my car which was parked at my office three streets away. My friends argued that I shouldn't go, mainly because I was seven months pregnant then. I promised that I'd be very careful. One of them wanted to come with me but I asked her to stay with another friend who needed help with her baby. I walked out of the hotel and started making my way to the car. At the crossing, a black car stopped and a man came out with an umbrella. Before I knew what was happening, he walked right through me and told me he'd escort me. Although I refused, he insisted that he would. During our walk, he kept telling me to walk slower, as the ground was wet. When we got to the car-park, I thanked him and he went away. I did not get his name and can hardly recognize him now. Did he stop for me? I'll never know. So how did I pay it forward? I was at home when I noticed two Indian workers walking in the heavy rain. They were probably on their way to the working place near my home. _ They were surprised by my action. They were very grateful to me, probably wondered why a stranger was offering such kindness. I was so relaxed and happy that day. What did the writer do after she had just had lunch?
<extra_id_0>She took a walk in the rain
<extra_id_1>She argued with her friend
<extra_id_2>She returned to the hotel
<extra_id_3>She decided to get her car
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<extra_id_5>Leaders of the World Health Organization say they are concerned about the air quality and health efiects on citizens during a recent outbreak of heavy pollution in Beijing.Still,they said they were unsure of the exact amount the air pollution takes on any person's body,casting doubts on local reports tying the area's dirty air to particular cases of illness. Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday,the WHO's Western Pacific regional director, Shin Young--Soo,cited reports about poor air quality causing lung cancer in recent weeks. "The WHO is skeptical of the information,"she said."We're cautious of whether the illness is related to air po11ution. We know it has an impact on health,but we don't know how much." The officials didn't cite particular reports.The comments follow a number of articles since late last year connecting some cases of diseases like lung cancer with pollution,.including one in November regarding an 8-year-old girl. The health impact of Beijing's gray skies has been on the minds of many over the past week. Local authorities on Tuesday preserved an orange alert the city's second highest pollution-warning level--and again warned people to stay indoors.Experts widely agree that small particulates known as PM2.5 carry significant short-and long-term health risks,particularly with children.Other studies find a certain link between pollution and shorter life spans. Chinese state media have noted a rise in cancer levels in Beijing,without specifying whether the new cases are the main result of pollution,smoking,other sources or some combination. Bernhard Schwartlander,the organization's China chief,said he is concerned and has been in contact with national authorities."There is no easy solution,"Dr. Schwartlainder said,adding that solving the problem requires managing industry and the economy.WHO leaders advised citizens.to stay indoors and limit exposure to the harmful particulates.When asked if wearing a face mask has any proven efficacy in preventing health effects of air pollution,Dr. Schwartlainder said,"Whatever you do,it's better than nothing." What would be the best title of this passage?
<extra_id_0>The dangers of heavy pollution
<extra_id_1>The impacts of pollution on health
<extra_id_2>The importance of protecting the environment
<extra_id_3>The uncertainty of relationship between pollution and health
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<extra_id_5>A group of Mississippi hunters who shot and killed an alligator weighting 910 pounds on Sunday, were amazed when they discovered that the animal already bore injuries caused by musket from the Civil War era. A total of 9 bullets was found, and the various tests and analysis have confirmed that they were indeed fired at the animal in the 19th Century. Nine of the wounds on the animal are believed to have been caused by Enfield Pattern 1853 muskets. These old injuries were concentrated around the animals tail and hind legs, suggesting that the alligator could have possibly been used as a target for shooting practice by Confederate troops. The huge animal also bore five other bullet wounds from three different calibers of hunting guns, as well as many dents and scars, which shows that it survived many firearm injuries in the past. It did not however, survive the six 50-caliber bullets fired at him by the group of amateur hunters from Jackson, who were finally able to take it down. The bullets were confirmed as true musket from between 1850 and 1870. This incredible animal brings a whole new view on this large animal native to the southeastern United States. American alligators have been known for years to live well over 50 years and were thought capable of possibly living as long as 70 or 80 years, but this one was estimated to have been 185 years old at the time of its death. Others like turtles, have been known, to have lifespans of over 150 years, but it is the first of crocodile of such an old age ever found. It is also one of the biggest alligators ever killed in the United States. The heaviest ever recorded, weighing in at an unbelievable 1,011.5 lbs, was pulled out of a river in Alabama in August of this yea. What can be inferred from the passage ?
<extra_id_0>People's understanding of American alligators may be changed
<extra_id_1>Rivers in Alabama must be full of such huge alligators
<extra_id_2>American alligators are in danger of dying out.
<extra_id_3>The six 50-caliber bullet is the most powerful one.
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<extra_id_5>The oldest and most common source of renewaBle energy known to man, Biomass is one of the most important forms energy production in the United States and elsewhere. Since such a wide variety of Biomass materials is everywhere ---- from trees and grasses to agricultural and city ---- life wastes ----Biomass promises to play a continuing role in providing power and heat for millions of people around the world. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists(UCS), Biomass is a kind of renewaBle energy source that produces no carBon dioxide , Because the energy it contains comes from the sun. When plant matter is Burned, it gives off the sun's energy. In this way, Biomass serves as a sort of natural Battery for storing the sun's energy. As long as Biomass is produced continuously ----with only as much grown as is used--- the "Battery" lasts forever. According to the Energy Information Administration, Biomass has Been one of the leading renewaBle energy sources in the United States for several years running through 2007, making up Between 0.5 and 0.9 percent of the nation's total electricity supply. In 2008----although the numBers aren't all in yet----wind power proBaBly took over first place Because of the rapid development of wind farms across the country. Producing power from Biomass helps reduce some 11 million tons of carBon dioxide each year. Some homeowners also try to make their own heat By using Biomass materials. Such practice may save homeowner's money, But it also produces a lot of pollution. So, the Best way is to encourage power plants to use it. Where does the text proBaBly come from?
<extra_id_0>A research plan.
<extra_id_1>A science magazine
<extra_id_2>A Book review.
<extra_id_3>A Business report.
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<extra_id_5>A fellow speaker from California named Geri flew to Japan, in her favorite jeans and a casual jacket, to give her first speech. Fourteen hours later, four perfectly dressed Japanese gentlemen greeted her at Narita Airport. Smiling and bowing low, they handed her their business cards. With her bag in one hand, Geri took their cards with the other. She thanked them, glanced briefly at the cards, and put them into her jeans pocket quickly. When the five of them arrived at the hotel, they invited Geri to tea in the lobby . While sipping tea, the gentlemen presented her with a small gift which she eagerly opened. She was thrilled with the gift and shouted excitedly, "Oh, it's beautiful!" At this point, the four Japanese gentlemen stood up and, bowing only very slightly, said "Sayonara" and left immediately. Poor Geri was left astonished. What did she do wrong? Everything! Her jeans were the first gaffe. Even if you're coming off a bicycle in Japan, you do not meet c1ients casually dressed. The second mistake was Geri's handling of their business cards rudely. In Japan, the business card is one of the most important communicative tools. It is always presented and accepted respectfully with both hands. However, Geri put their cards away much too quickly. In Japan, people use business cards as a conversation starter. You chat about each other's cards and work and do not put theirs away until they gently and respectfully place yours in safekeeping. Putting it carelessly into her jeans pocket was the ultimate disrespect. Then, the fourth horror of horrors was that Geri should not have opened the gift in front of her clients. In a land where saving face is critical, it would be embarrassing to discover the gift they gave was not as nice as the one they received. What is worse, Geri hadn't even given them a gift! Why did the four Japanese gentlemen leave Geri suddenly?
<extra_id_0>Because they couldn't bear Geri's behavior any longer.
<extra_id_1>Because they had finished the task.
<extra_id_2>Because Geri had something more important to do.
<extra_id_3>Because Geri felt embarrassed.
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<extra_id_5>Once upon a time there was a cute brown puppy. He was a very happy puppy. His name was Rudy. Rudy had a best friend. His name was Thomas. Thomas had a nice dad named Rick. Thomas and Rudy had been friends for almost a year. Rudy and Thomas loved to play in the big back yard. Sometimes, Thomas would ask his friend Jacob to come to the back yard and play with them. Jacob would always bring his puppy too. Jacob's puppy was named Sally. Thomas and Jacob would run around the back yard and Rudy and Sally chased them and barked. They all had so much fun playing together. One day, Thomas told Rudy that tomorrow would be a very special day. It would be Rudy's birthday. Rudy was very excited. The next day came and Thomas threw a birthday party for Rudy. All of Rudy's friends were there and they had presents for him. Jacob brought Rudy a new ball and Sally brought him a bone. There was one more present for Rudy to open. When he opened the gift from Thomas, Rudy was so exited that he jumped and barked. It was a new red collar with a shiny name tag on it. It was the best gift Rudy had ever been given. Where did Rudy and Thomas love to play?
<extra_id_0>the back yard
<extra_id_1>at the park
<extra_id_2>in the garden
<extra_id_3>in the house
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<extra_id_5>Although April did not bring us the rains we all hoped for, and although the Central Valley doesn't generally experience the sound and lightning that can go with those rains, it's still important for parents to be able to answer the youthful questions about thunder and lightning. The reason these two wonders of nature are so difficult for many adults to explain to children is that they are not very well understood by adults themselves. For example, did you know that the lightning we see flashing down to the earth from a cloud is actually flashing up to a cloud from the earth? Our eyes trick us into thinking we see a downward motion when it's actually the other way around. But then, if we believed only what we think and we see, we'd still insist that the sun rises in the morning and sets at night. Most lightning flashes take place inside a cloud, and only a few can be seen jumping between two clouds or between earth and a cloud. But, with about 2,000 thunderstorms taking place above the earth every minute of the day and night, there's enough _ to produce about 100 lightning strikes on earth every second. Parents can use thunder and lightning to help their children learn more about the world around them. When children understand that the light of the lightning flashing reaches their eyes almost at the same moment, but the sound of the thunder takes about 5 seconds to travel just one mile, they can begin to time the interval between the flash and the crash to learn how close they were to the actual spark . What is TRUE about lightning according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Only a small number of lightning flashes occur on earth.
<extra_id_1>Lightning flashes usually jump from one cloud to another.
<extra_id_2>Lightning travels 5 times faster than thunder.
<extra_id_3>There are far more lightning strikes occurring on earth than we can imagine.
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<extra_id_5>Beijing is the capital of China. It is also one of the birthplaces of the Chinese civilization and one of the six ancient capital cities in China. It is the second biggest city with an area of 17,020 square kilometers. Beijing is changing every day and it is becoming more and more beautiful. Now there are a lot of new buildings, modern shopping malls and large markets. In the past, Beijing was very clean and quiet and most people went to work or school by bike. Things have changed a lot. Now people can take the bus, the underground or the taxi to go to work or school. It is fast and convenient. The changes in Beijing have brought many advantages but they have also caused some problems: air pollution, noise pollution, sandstorms and lots of traffic. How many kinds of problems are mentioned in this passage?
<extra_id_0>four
<extra_id_1>five
<extra_id_2>six
<extra_id_3>seven
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<extra_id_0>
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<extra_id_5>Think of life as a game in which you are playing with five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit and you keep all of them in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce( )back. But the other four balls, family, health, friends and spirit, are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be broken. They will never be the same. You must understand that and try to have balance in your life. How? Don't look down on your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different and each of us is special. Don't let other people set goals for you. Only you know what is best to yourself. Don't give up when you still have something to give. _ Don't be afraid of difficulties. Be brave! Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going. Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is a treasure you can always carry easily. Don't use time or words carelessly. You can't get them back. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery , and today is a gift; that's why we call it " the present". Life is not a competition, but a trip ,step by step. The passage tells us not to _ because everyone is special.
<extra_id_0>be afraid of difficulties
<extra_id_1>compare yourself with others to look down on yourself
<extra_id_2>run through life so fast
<extra_id_3>be afraid to learn
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>Mozilla has shown off a prototype for a $25 (PS15) smart phone that is aimed at the developing world. The company, which is famed mostly for its Firefox browser , has partnered with the Chinese low-cost chip maker Spreadtrum. While not as powerful as more expensive models, the phone will run apps and make use of mobile internet. It would appeal to the sorts of people who currently buy cheap "feature" phones, analysts said. Feature phones are highly popular in the developing world as a halfway point between "dumb" phones --- just voice calls and other basic functions --- and fully-developed smart phones. Mozilla hopes that it will take an early lead in a market that is now being targeted by mobile phone producers who see the developing world as the remaining area for massive growth. It will face fierce competition from bigger, more popular brands, however --- with more announcements of this kind expected over the course of the next couple of days at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. "These solutions expand the global accessibility of open web smart phones to first-time and entry-level smart phone buyers by reducing the time and cost required for handset makers to bring these phones to market," said Spreadtrum in a press statement. Mozilla said the phone "redefines" the entry-level phone market. The concept of a cheap smart phone may seem likely to appeal to consumers in developed countries, particularly those who locked into long contracts in order to pay part of the cost of the likes of the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy range. But analyst Carolina Milanesi, from Kantar World panel, said it should not be seen as a competitor. Which of the following held a negative attitude towards the cheap smart phone?
<extra_id_0>Mozilla.
<extra_id_1>Spreadtrum.
<extra_id_2>Samsung.
<extra_id_3>Carolina Milanesi.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_3>
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<extra_id_5>"A child is dying---out of breath!" I had just begun my working day in the city, when those words came through the radio of the police car I was driving. I turned on the red lights and siren and drove off as fast as I could. "Just my luck!" I thought. I did not know this city well and my first call of the day was a life-and-death sudden happening, several kilometers away. I got to the house. A mother, filled with fear, handed me her baby, his face already blue. Was I too late? Dear me! I did what I had been taught to do in such a serious condition. A small thing flew out of the baby's mouth onto the floor. It was a button. Thanks heavens! The holes in it let a little air through. The doctor rushed into the room. He had with him an oxygen bag. The child began to cry at the top of his voice, turned red and started to look for his mother. He was angry but saved. What did the writer mean when he said to himself "Just my luck!"?
<extra_id_0>It was a good chance for him to practice what he had learned before
<extra_id_1>He was happy to have such a serious matter on his working day
<extra_id_2>He was not at all happy to have so serious a matter on his working day
<extra_id_3>He had been long waiting for the day to come.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_2>
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<extra_id_5>Zhang Feng, a 23-year-old man from Zhengzhou, China, has developed a special kind of kungfu skill. He called it "Shaolin Sunshine Hand". It allows him to get enough energy with his fists to put out candles up to three meters away. I used to watch those Chinese kungfu films during the 80s and 90s. I used to love seeing kungfu actors make things far away with their fists, but at that time I knew it was not true. However, after I watched the video, I changed my idea. The video went very popular in China recently. It showed that the young man named Zhang Feng put out 15 candles in a line three meters away with air or energy generated by his flying fists. You may say it's not true, and you're not the only one. But the young man actually invited two reporters from The Zhengzhou Evening News newspaper into his home to see his act and then film him doing it. The two reporters tried their best, but were only able to put out one of the 15 candles set 10 cm apart, and even blowing air didn't put out all the candles. Zhang Feng, on the other hand, put them all out just by throwing punches. The two reporters were _ and couldn't explain how he did it. They said that Zhang Feng was a great Shaolin master. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Zhang Feng is 23 years old.
<extra_id_1>Zhang Feng comes from Zhengzhou, China.
<extra_id_2>Zhang Feng developed "Shaolin Sunshine Hand".
<extra_id_3>Zhang Feng can beat anyone by "Shaolin Sunshine Hand".
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_3>
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<extra_id_5>My name is Takashi. I am ten years old. I live in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Now I'd like to tell you something about my school day. In the morning I get up at seven, and I eat breakfast at half past seven at a table called a kotatsu. We usually sit on mats with our legs under the table. After breakfast, I start going to school at ten to eight. I usually wear a yellow hat and a T-shirt. The clothes can tell other people my address and my school. I go to school from Monday to Friday and every other Saturday. When it's lunch time, we eat in our classroom. Our teacher eats with us, too. Sometimes we have sushi, a kind of popular Japanese food. Many people in Japan like it very much. We make it with rice, fish and eggs. My school day is not easy, but most of us enjoy it because we want to have a good future. Where does Takashi eat his lunch?
<extra_id_0>At home
<extra_id_1>In the classroom.
<extra_id_2>In the hotel.
<extra_id_3>In the restaurant.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>In America, just as in Europe, men usually open doors for women, and women always walk ahead of men into a room or a restaurant, unless the men have to be ahead of the ladies to choose the table, to open the door of a car or do some other things like the above. On the street, men almost always walk or cross the street on the closer side of the ladies to the traffic. But if a man walks with two ladies, he should walk between them. Then if the host or hostess or both of them come in a car to get their guest for dinner, the guest should sit at the front seat and leave the back seat though there is no people sitting on it. ,. If a man walks with two ladies, he should _ .
<extra_id_0>walk between them
<extra_id_1>run before them
<extra_id_2>follow them
<extra_id_3>go away
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_0>
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<extra_id_5>The fame of Jane IN the 19th century the novel came into its own. Thousands upon thousands of novels were published. Of those novels, very few are remembered today. However, there are exceptions ; the works of Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility - for example. They achieved only modest success at first but grew and grew in fame and reputation. How did Jane Austen become so popular? Of course, the novels are romantic. Everyone knows the love story of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett (in Pride and Prejudice), and how they overcome their own pride and prejudice to live happily ever after. The lovers are almost as famous today as Romeo and Juliet. But there is more to Austen's popularity than the fact that she wrote about love. The books are very witty and ironic , and show a great understanding of society and of people. Pride and Prejudice opens with what must be the most famous sentence in the English novel: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." The truth, of course, is the opposite: wealthy, unmarried young men are extremely attractive to young women. And women - especially penniless or near-penniless ones - are the subjects of Austen's tales. Women nowadays may be more equal to men than they were in Jane Austen's day. However, a sense that women still basically live in a world dominated by men ensures that Austen still has many keen readers. What is the point of the article?
<extra_id_0>To describe the status of women in Jane Austen's time.
<extra_id_1>To promote Jane Austen's novels among teenagers.
<extra_id_2>To explore the characteristics of Jane Austen's novels.
<extra_id_3>To analyze why Jane Austen's novels have such a lasting appeal.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_3>
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<extra_id_5>Sophia is very happy these days. The 13-year-old girl from the UK has a lot of fun during her trip in Beijing. She eats dumplings, tries Chinese calligraphy , climbs the Great Wall and speaks Chinese, all for the first time! She even stays with a Chinese family for a week. "Beijing is very big and beautiful. And the people here are very nice!" She says. Sophia comes with her teachers and classmates from the UK. The students in Shangdi Experimental Primary School of Haidian District receive them. These two schools are "Heart to Heart" schools. There are 200 "Heart to Heart" schools in Beijing. Each of them has a partner school in a foreign country. They meet and get to know each other. How long did Sophia stay with a Chinese family?
<extra_id_0>Two days.
<extra_id_1>Seven days.
<extra_id_2>A year.
<extra_id_3>6 months.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>Blind tasting is a very strange activity. Contrary to what many people imagine, it has nothing to do with blindfolds. It involves tasting a wine without seeing the label and it can deliver shocking surprises. I tasted seven champagnes blind with a group of professionals recently. There was a shock when they discovered the wine most of them preferred carried a label they regarded as their least favorite. That sort of result is especially common with champagne, the most image-driven rather than quality-driven wine of all. But it happens all the time when wine is tasted blind. Because I'm interested in how wines really taste instead of how I think they should, I taste wine blind as often as I can, especially when assessing similar young wines. But blind tasting when you know absolutely nothing about the wine in front of you is something completely different. The most difficult Master of Wine exams include three sessions during which you have a dozen glasses in front of you and nothing more helpful than a printed exam paper asking you to identify each wine as closely as possible, and assess its quality. Now that the MW is behind me, I taste wine completely blind only very rarely, and never in public. So my blind tastings these days are round the dinner table with good friends and once a year when I act as a judge, with Hugh Johnson, in the Oxford vs Cambridge wine-tasting competition. This is the most extraordinary match, always held before the Boat Race but taken just as seriously nowadays. This year's taste-off took place at the end of last month, as usual in the Oxford and Cambridge Club on Pall Mall in London. Why did the professionals get shocked at the result of their blind tasting?
<extra_id_0>They got all the results correctly.
<extra_id_1>They didn't recognize their favorite at all.
<extra_id_2>The writer made no mistakes.
<extra_id_3>Champagnes can not be tasted blind.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>When you think of all the ways your body can get hurt---falling off a bike, stepping on a nail, being bitten by a crazed dog---the aches and pains that come from sitting at a computer may not seem like much. But more doctors are getting worried about just that. If you sit at a PC the wrong way, the nerves and muscles in your back, neck and arms can get out of line. _ is the study of how people work and how jobs and equipment can be designed so that people are safer and more comfortable in the things they do---whether that's working on a factory assembly line or sitting in front of a computer. The monitor You should not have to tilt your neck up or down to lock at the screen. Your eyes should be level with the top of the screen. How far away should you sit? Reach your arm out so your fingertips just touch the screen. The keyboard It should be directly in front of you. Don't unfold the legs on the bottom of the keyboard so that it tilts up toward you---it should be as flat as possible, or even tilted away from you. You want your wrists "neutral," which means straight, not bent. This puts less strain on your nerves and muscles. Arms should be close to the body. Don't look at your fingers as you type. Use a document holder to hold papers at the same level as the monitor. Keep the mouse on the same level as the keyboard and close by--- so you don't have to reach for it. The chair Your feet shouldn't dangle---the blood will pool in your feet. They should rest flat on the floor, or on phone books, if necessary. Your back needs support. Roll up a towel and stick it there. The Body If you think of your body as a collection of right angles when you sit at a computer, you should be just fine. Your hips should be at a 90-degree angle to your back. That takes the pressure off the spine. And your knees should bend at a 90 degree angle so your feet are flat. The passage mainly talks about _ .
<extra_id_0>avoiding pains caused by using PC
<extra_id_1>the science of ergonomics
<extra_id_2>illness caused by a computer
<extra_id_3>how to keep fit
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_0>
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<extra_id_5>Family relationship, love and friendship are the three most important emotions in the world. Family relationship is the inborn connection, which you can't avoid or choose at will. Love, for a student, is not always within our reach and as for friendship, personally, it's most important. Nowadays, it is common to see friendship in colleges or middle schools. What is difficult is how to deal with personal contacts between different sexes. The key is to know how to tell love from friendship. The term, friend, covers a much wider range of meanings. It can be a nodding acquaintance, a comrade, a confident , a partner, a playmate, a brother, etc. Everyone needs friendship. No one can sail the ocean of life single handed. We need help from, and also give help to, others. In the modern age, people attach more importance to relations and connections. Without stars, the night sky won't be so beautiful; without friendship, our life won't be meaningful. With friendship, life is happy and harmonious. So, friendship may be a quiet walk in the park with the one you trust if possible, while love is the company you are always feeling like keeping. And friendship is when someone gazes into your eyes, you feel only care and calm while love is when someone gazes into your eyes, you will not keep calm. Love is not a word spoken out easily. In a way, love is selfish, while friendship is selfless and extensive. Love is not necessarily to be returned. But friendship needs something in exchange. You can't wish "let there be love in our hearts", for love needs enough time to sow, to water and to take good care of and also needs a rosy, calm, relaxed, emotional and private atmosphere. With such heavy feelings of high pressure and nervousness, do you think the schoolyard the proper field for us middle school students to sow our love? The writer of the passage is probably a _ .
<extra_id_0>parent
<extra_id_1>student
<extra_id_2>teacher
<extra_id_3>headmaster
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>March is a month of fun-filled activities for the entire family! When you want some family fun activities for March, consider these ideas centered on some of the events and holidays happening in this month. Dr. Seuss's Birthday March 2ndis Dr. Seuss's birthday and kids and adults of all ages can celebrate with books, games and more to honor this famous author of kids' books. Take some time in March to read your favorite books with your children or to read some you have never read before. Spring Break Spring Break can be the perfect time for families while the children are out of school. There are many places for families during this time period. For example, you might consider a trip to a local theme park or a national park. They often run junior camps and other activities during Spring Break that you can enjoy as a family. St. Patrick's Day St. Patrick's Day is on March 17thand you don't have to be Irish to enjoy this holiday. This is a great time to get all the family together to enjoy quality time together. You can also take this time to explore the holiday, its history and what it means. You can also start or continue with your own St. Patrick's Day traditions that your family can continue year after year. Seasonal Arts and Crafts Arts and crafts can be a fun family activity all year round. So if you're looking to spend this fun time together in March, you can look for some seasonal arts and crafts ideas. You can do early preparation for Easter, spring plants and pictures, sun catchers for hanging in the windows or other seasonal related ideas. This is also a great time to consider planting a flower garden or working on outdoor craft projects. Which of the following is holiday for family?
<extra_id_0>Dr. Seuss's Birthday.
<extra_id_1>Spring Break.
<extra_id_2>St. Patrick's Day.
<extra_id_3>Seasonal Arts and Crafts.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_2>
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<extra_id_5>Hello! My name is Joy. I'm a girl. I'm eleven. I'm in Class Eight, Grade Seven. This is my friend, Joan. She is twelve. She is in a Middle school. She is in Class Seven, Grade Eight. My English teacher is Miss White, but her English teacher is Miss Green. Look!Who's that? Oh, she's my mum. She's a Chinese teacher. Joy's English teacher is _ .
<extra_id_0>Miss White
<extra_id_1>Miss Green
<extra_id_2>Joy's mum
<extra_id_3>Joan
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_0>
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<extra_id_5>It is a beautiful day in June. The sun is hot. It's time to harvest strawberries ,and the strawberry fields are full of people. These people are picking strawberry. They are not farmers, and they are picking fruit for fun. They can buy strawberries in a supermarket but it is cheaper to pick their own fruit. Strawberries from the farm are also flesher . Most people also like to pick their own fruit because it is a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. One little boy is walking between the rows of plants. He is picking the strawberries and eating them as fast as he can. Two young women in pretty dress and high-heeled shoes are getting out of their car. Now they are taking off their shoes. These women are taking a break from their work. They want to pick fruit and enjoy the sunshine. What time of the year do the people in the passage pick strawberries?
<extra_id_0>Early spring.
<extra_id_1>Early autumn.
<extra_id_2>Early summer.
<extra_id_3>Early winter.
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_2>
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<extra_id_5>A frog would most likely eat
<extra_id_0>a cockroach
<extra_id_1>another frog
<extra_id_2>a maple leaf
<extra_id_3>a mouse
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_0>
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<extra_id_5>Onceupon a time, some visitors went to an island for a vacation, and each was having a good time. Suddenly a warning of a strong storm came to them, so all rushed to their boats. Yet, Love did not wish to run away quickly. There was so much to do. But as the clouds got darker, Love realized it was time to leave. But there was no boat to go into. Love looked around with hope. Just then Richness was passing by in a great large boat. Love shouted, "Richness, can you take me with you? Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold in my boat. There is no place here for you. " Love decided to ask Vanity for help who was also passing by in a beautiful boat. But Vanity said with a cold voice, "No, I can't take you with me. My boat will get dirty with your wet feet. " Sadness passed by after some time. Again, Love asked for help. But it was useless. "No, I can't take you with me. I am so sad. I want to be alone. " When Happiness passed by a few minutes later, Love again called for help. But Happiness was so happy that he didn't hear Love calling to him. Love was becoming restless and hopeless. Just then somebody called out, "Come, Love! I will take you with me. " Love did not know who was so kind, but jumped into the boat happily. After getting off the boat, Love met Knowledge. Love asked, "Knowledge, do you know who was so kind to give me a lift when no one else wished to help?" [:Zxxk.Com] Knowledge smiled, "Oh, that was Time. " "Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?" Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is. " Other visitors passed by in their boats one by one. Which is the right order according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Richness- Vanity- Sadness- Happiness- Time
<extra_id_1>Richness- Happiness- Sadness- Vanity- Time
<extra_id_2>Time- Richness- Vanity- Sadness- Happiness
<extra_id_3>Richness- Happiness- Vanity - Sadness- Time
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_0>
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<extra_id_5>Welcome to the zoo Opening time: Price: From Monday to Friday Adults:Y=20 8:30 a.m.--5:30 p.m. Childen:Y=10 On Saturday & Sunday 8:30 a.m.--6:00 p.m. Location:Xiaohe Street, ChangchunDistrict ,Binhai City . The zoo is in the city called _ .
<extra_id_0>Xiaohe
<extra_id_1>Binhai
<extra_id_2>Changchun
<extra_id_3>Beibei
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>Just outside the northern Italian town of Bra, there rises a church tower with a clock that is a half hour slow. Though not far from the industrial city of Turin, Bra smells of roses, and leisure is the law. It is both the home of an international movement that promotes slow food and one of Italian cities that have joined the slow cities. In Bra, population 27,866, the town fathers have declared that all small food shops be closed every Thursday and Sunday. They forbid cars in the town square. All fruits and vegetables served in local schools must be organic . And as the movement goes well, the slow concept gradually spreads across Europe. The argument for a Slow Europe is not only that it is good, but also that it can work. The Slow City Movement, which started in 1999, has improved local economies by promoting local goods and tourism. Young Italians are moving from larger cities to Bra, where unemployment is only 5 percent, about half the nationwide rate. Slow food and wine festivals draw thousands of tourists every year. Shops are doing well, many with sales rising at a rate of 15% per year. "This is our answer to the world." says Paolo Samrnini, the founder of Slow Cities. France is in favor of slow economics. Most outsiders have long been doubtful of the French model: short hours and long vacations. Yet the French are more productive than those in the United States and Britain, and have been for years. The mystery of French productivity has risen an Europewide debate about the advantages of working more slowly. The church clock that is a half hour slow severs as a symbol of _ .
<extra_id_0>industrial development
<extra_id_1>slow movement
<extra_id_2>global economy
<extra_id_3>city growth
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_1>
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<extra_id_5>Dear Editor, I'm now busy in preparing for the Postgraduate Entrance Exam. A few days ago, I happened to see some new guidebooks for those who want to take next year's exam. With too many hopes and without taking it into too much consideration, I bought several that were written by some known for helping candidates for master's degrees. What made me really angry was the starting discovery that the contents of those books were almost exactly the same as some I had bought before. There were only superficial changes in their covers, with more attractive new titles and better designs. The contents were the same. People say that the publishing industry is in a state of chaos these days but I used to be doubtful abut that. I was of the opinion that only people of noble character, prestige , and exceptional talent would produce books for higher education. But these editors are caring little about their readers. I hope that authors and publishing houses will be more responsible for their readers. Don't destroy the image that you have with your readers. The writer was angry because _ .
<extra_id_0>there were a lot of printing mistakes in the books that he had bought
<extra_id_1>the books were so expensive that he couldn't afford any of them
<extra_id_2>he found the books he had bought were thin but of poor quality
<extra_id_3>the books had the same contents as what he had bought before
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_3>
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<extra_id_5>Found: A black pen is in the library. Is it yours? I am Lucy. E-mail me at lucy556@hotmail.com. Lost: I am Anna. I lost my computer game. It is blue. My telephone number is 471-4295. Call me! Thanks! Lisa, Is this your dictionary? Your name is on it. I found it in Classroom 6A. Tom Found: I found a ring. It is nice. Please e-mail me at frank996@gmail.com. Frank The dictionary may be _ .
<extra_id_0>Lucy's
<extra_id_1>Anna's
<extra_id_2>Lisa's
<extra_id_3>Frank's
<extra_id_4>
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<extra_id_2>
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