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The rain had continued for a week and the flood had created a big river which were running by Nancy Brown's farm. As she tried to gather her cows to a higher ground, she slipped and hit her head on a fallen tree trunk. The fall made her unconscious for a moment or two. When she came to, Lizzie, one of her oldest and favorite cows, was licking her face.
At that time, the water level on the farm was still rising. Nancy gathered all her strength to get up and began walking slowly with Lizzie. The rain had become much heavier, and the water in the field was now waist high. Nancy's pace got slower and slower because she felt a great pain in her head. Finally, all she could do was to throw her arm around Lizzie's neck and try to hang on. About 20 minutes later, Lizzie managed to pull herself and Nancy out of the rising water and onto a bit of high land, which seemed like a small island in the middle of a lake of white water.
Even though it was about noon, the sky was so dark and the rain and lightning was so bad that it took rescuers more than two hours to discover Nancy. A man from a helicopter lowered a rope, but Nancy couldn't catch it. A moment later, two men landed on the small island from a ladder in the helicopter. They raised her into the helicopter and took her to the school gym, where the Red Cross had set up an emergency shelter.
When the flood disappeared two days later, Nancy immediately went back to the "island." Lizzie was gone. She was one of 19 cows that Nancy had lost in the flood. "I owe my life to her," said Nancy with tears. | [{'question': 'What did Nancy try to do before she fell over?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Measure the depth of the river', 'Look for a fallen tree trunk', 'Protect her cows from being drowned', 'Run away from the flooded farm']}, {'question': 'The following are true according to the passage except _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['It took Lizzie and Nancy about 20 minutes to get to safety.', 'It was raining harder when Nancy managed to get up.', 'The bad weather made it difficult for rescuers to find Nancy.', 'Nancy took hold of the rope and climbed into the helicopter.']}, {'question': 'What did the local people do to help those in the flooded area according to the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['They put up shelter for them in a school.', 'They used helicopters to help carry cows.', 'They helped farmers gather their cows.', 'They set up an organization called Red Cross.']}] |
There is probably no field of human activity in which our values and lifestyles are shown more clearly and strongly than they are in the clothes that we choose to wear.The dress of an individual is a kind of "sign language" that communicates a set of information and is usually the basis on which immediate impressions are formed.Traditionally,a concern for clothes was considered to be an affair of females,while men took pride in the fact that they were completely lacking in clothes consciousness .
This type of American culture is by degrees changing as man dress takes on greater variety and color.Even as early as 1955,a researcher in Michigan said that _ White collar workers in particular viewed dress as a symbol of ability,which could be used to impress or influence others,especially in the work situation.The white collar worker was described as extremely concerned about the impression his clothing made on his superiors .Although blue collar workers were less aware that they might be judged on the basis of their clothing,they recognized that any difference from the accepted pattern of dress would be made fun of by fellow workers.
Since that time,of course,the patterns have changed:the typical office worker may now be wearing the blue shirt,and the laborer a white shirt;but the importance of dress has not become less.Other researchers in recent years have helped to prove its importance in the lives of individuals at various age levels and in different social and economic status groups . | [{'question': 'The passage tells us that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['our values and lifestyles are in no field of human activity', 'the clothes that we choose to wear have something to do with our values and lifestyles', 'our values and lifestyles are from the sign language', 'the clothes we choose to wear depend on a set of information and immediate impression']}, {'question': 'Traditionally,people usually thought that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['men cared very much for clothes', "women were concerned greatly about what they wore while men didn't", 'both men and women paid great attention to their clothes', 'neither men nor women showed interest in clothes']}, {'question': 'Blue collar workers pay attention to their clothes because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['they are concerned about the impression their clothes make on their superiors', 'they know very clearly that people will judge them on the basis of their clothing', 'they want to impress and influence others', "they don't want to be laughed at"]}, {'question': 'The passage mainly suggests that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['now men pay more attention to their clothes than women do', 'women always like beautiful dresses', 'people have paid more and more attention to the importance of dress', 'American culture is changing greatly']}] |
Little Tommy was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything--tutors, cards, special learning centers--in short, everything they could think of. Finally they took Tommy to a catholic school.
After the first day, little Tommy came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn't kiss his mother hello. Instead, he went straight to his room and started studying. Books and papers were spread out all over the room and little Tommy was hard at work. His mother was surprised. She called him down to dinner and as soon as he finished eating, he went back to his room, without a word. In no time he was back hitting the books as hard as before. This went on for some time, day after day while the mother tried to understand what was happening.
Finally, little Tommy brought home his report card. He quietly put it on the table and went up to his room and hit the books. His mom looked at it and to her surprise, little Tommy got an A in math. She could no longer hold her curiosity. She went to his room and asked, "Son, what was it? Was it the nuns ? "
Little Tommy looked at her and shook his head, "No. "
"Well then," she asked again. "WHAT was it? "
Little Tommy looked at her and said, "Well, on the first day of school, when I saw that man nailed to the plus sign , I knew they weren't joking. " | [{'question': "Tommy's mother felt surprised that his son _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['was still the same as usual', 'ate so much at dinner', 'kissed her hello after school', 'worked hard but said little']}, {'question': 'The last sentence in the passage shows that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Tommy felt sorry for the man', 'Tommy was afraid of being nailed', "Tommy didn't like the plus sign", 'Tommy liked playing jokes on others']}, {'question': 'From the passage, we can infer that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['teachers should be strict with their students', 'mistakes might do good sometimes', 'a catholic school is much better than other ones', 'nuns are good at helping children with their math']}] |
Give it five minutes
I used to be a hothead. Whenever anyone said anything, I'd think of a way to disagree. I'd push back hard if something didn't fit my world-view.
It's like I had to be first with an opinion -- as if being first meant something. But what it really meant was that I wasn't thinking hard enough about the problem. The faster you react, the less you think. Not always, but often.
This came to a head back in 2007. I was speaking at the Business Innovation Factory conference in Providence, RI. So was Richard Saul Wurman. After my talk Richard came up to introduce himself and compliment my talk. That was very generous of him. He certainly didn't have to do that.
And what did I do? I pushed back at him about the talk he gave. While he was making his points on stage, I was taking an inventory of the things I didn't agree with. And when presented with an opportunity to speak with him, I quickly pushed back at some of his ideas. I must have seemed like such an asshole.
His response changed my life. It was a simple thing. He said "Man, give it five minutes." I asked him what he meant by that? He said, it's fine to disagree, it's fine to push back, it's great to have strong opinions and beliefs, but give my ideas some time to set in before you're sure you want to argue against them. "Five minutes" represented "think", not react. He was totally right. I came into the discussion looking to prove something, not learn something.
This was a big moment for me.
Richard has spent his career thinking about these problems. He's given it 30 years. And I gave it just a few minutes. Now, certainly he can be wrong and I could be right, but it's better to think deeply about something first before being so certain you're right.
There's also a difference between asking questions and pushing back. Pushing back means you already think you know. Asking questions means you want to know. Ask more questions.
Learning to think first rather than react quick is a life-long pursuit. It's tough. I still get hot sometimes when I shouldn't. But I'm really enjoying all the benefits of getting better.
If you aren't sure why this is important, think about this quote from Jonathan Ive regarding Steve Jobs' reverence(respect) for ideas:
And just as Steve loved ideas, and loved making stuff, he treated the process of creativity with a rare and a wonderful reverence. You see, I think he better than anyone understood that while ideas ultimately can be so powerful, they begin as fragile, barely formed thoughts, so easily missed, so easily compromised, so easily just squished.
That's deep. Ideas are fragile. They often start powerless. They're barely there, so easy to ignore or skip or miss.
There are two things in this world that take no skill: 1. Spending other people's money and 2. Dismissing an idea.
Dismissing an idea is so easy because it doesn't involve any work. You can scoff at it. You can ignore it. You can puff some smoke at it. That's easy. The hard thing to do is protect it, think about it, let it marinate, explore it, riff on it, and try it. The right idea could start out life as the wrong idea.
So next time you hear something, or someone, talk about an idea, pitch an idea, or suggest an idea, give it five minutes. Think about it a little bit before pushing back, before saying it's too hard or it's too much work.
Those things may be true, but there may be another truth in there too: It may be worth it. | [{'question': 'What did the author do while Richard was talking in the business conference?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['He kept notes for things that he did not agree with.', 'He pushed Richard and beat him.', 'He was preparing for his own speech.', 'He was getting ready to compliment him.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is the reason for quoting Jonathan Ive?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The author thinks Steve Job is the best when it comes to creativity.', "The author is inspired by Steve Job's attitude towards new ideas.", 'The author respects Steve Job because he is creative and he likes ideas.', 'The author thinks Steve Job has ideas that are strong and powerful and are hard to miss.']}, {'question': 'What is the core argument that the author put forward?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Dismissing ideas is an effortless thing to do so you should always protect ideas carefully.', 'The right idea always starts from a wrong idea and you need to protect it from being dismissed.', 'One should be careful when it comes to judge a new idea.', 'Every idea, whether powerful or fragile deserves five minutes']}] |
Bungee jumping is an activity about jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord . The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air balloon or helicopter, that has the ability to stay over one place on the ground; fixed-wing aircraft are unsuitable because they only stay high when moving quickly forward.
When the person jumps, the cord stretches to absorb the energy of the fall, then the jumper flies upwards again as the cord jumps back. The jumper oscillates up and down until all the energy is used up.
The word bungee first appeared around 1930 and was the name for a rubber eraser. The first modern bungee jumps were made on 1 April 1979 from the 250-foot Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, by David Kirk, Chris Baker and Alan Weston of the Dangerous Sports Club. The jumpers continued with jumps in the US from the Golden Gate and Royal Gorge bridges, spreading the concept worldwide. By 1982 they were jumping from mobile cranes and hot-air balloons. Later they put on commercial shows, which began in 1986.
As with any sport, injuries can still happen, and there have been deaths. A relatively common mistake in the cases that may cause death is to use a cord that is too long. The cord should be fully shorter than the height of the jumping place to allow it room to jumper either starts to slow down or keeps speeding up depending upon the speed of falling. | [{'question': 'Which of the following is NOT suitable for bungee jumping?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The fixed-wing aircraft', 'The helicopter', 'The hot-air balloon', 'The mobile crane']}, {'question': 'The purpose of writing this passage is to _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['teach people how to carry out a bungee jumping', 'remind people of the danger of bungee jumping', 'advise people not to take the risk of bungee jumping', 'introduce some knowledge about bungee jumping']}] |
A girl with blue eyes is a blue-eyed girl. A man with long legs is a long-legged man. A woman with white hair is a white-haired woman. Children who have good looks are good-looking children. What do you do when you want to buy clothes? You go to a shop. If you can find clothes that are the right size for you, and if they are ready to wear, you will probably buy them. They are called ready-made clothes. If you can not find clothes that are the right size, you will go to a tailor's shop. A tailor is a man who makes clothes. He will measure you carefully and will then make clothes for you. Such clothes are called tailor-made clothes.
What do we call a man who is dressed badly? We call him a badly-dressed man. A woman who is dressed well is called a well-dressed woman.
What do you wear when it rains heavily? You wear a coat that will keep the rain out. Such a coat is called a raincoat. It is made of waterproof cloth--cloth that does not let water pass through. We have a lot of rain in England. If you come to England, bring a raincoat and an umbrella. You will find them useful.
If the floor, walls and ceiling of a room are made so that sound cannot pass through the wall, we say that the room is sound-proof. There are sound-proof rooms in all broadcasting stations. | [{'question': '55. The clothes which you buy from the supermarket are called _ clothes.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['tailor-made', 'ready-made', 'hand-made', 'mass production']}, {'question': '56. If you come to England, bring both a raincoat and an umbrella because _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['there is a lot of rain in England', 'there are few umbrellas in the country', 'gentlemen usually carry umbrellas with them in England', 'walking with an umbrella in hand is popular in England']}, {'question': '57. On back of a watch we can often see the word "water-proof". The word means_.', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["water won't get into the watch", 'you can put water into the watch', 'not putting the watch into water', 'you can see the watch clearly in water']}, {'question': '58. What do you think is the best title for the article?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The Forms of Compound Words.', 'Compound Words in Everyday Life', 'How to Use Compound Words.', 'Water-proof Cloth in the Best.']}] |
My legs don't do much because I have a serious disease. _ just sit there and look pretty. When people look at me, they only see the chair -- my wheelchair. I've been in one since I was 3 years old. And it doesn't matter if I graduate at the top of my class and go to law school. To some, I'll always be the girl in the chair.
But I don't think of myself as the kid who can't walk. Most of my friends don't even notice the chair anymore. I'm just the girl they've been friends with. My friends are good at lifting me in and out of my small car when we go to the movies. We even took the car to the dance. One of the boys helped me out of the car and all the girls helped me to fix my dress. Even in the crowded school elevator, there's always someone around to carry me.
There are a lot of things I can't do for myself, such as lifting my arms, dressing myself, and feeding myself. Even so, I do very well at school and I always tell myself that I'm just like any other kid in my school.
The truth is that my parents raised me to be proud of my disability . There are plenty of things I wish I could do differently. I wanted to be a doctor. But that's not going to work out. So I'll be a lawyer instead. I also wanted to dance and play soccer. My parents taught me that I'm like this for a reason -- to educate people and show them that this disease affects my bones -- not my brain. My friends Erica once said to me, "Kennedy, you're not disabled. You just can't walk." | [{'question': "Kennedy's story mainly tells us that we should _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['work hard', 'smile at life', 'have dreams', 'thank our parents']}] |
Today, whether or not you follow the latest trends, one's fashion and choice of dress is a reflection of one's individual style and tastes. Can you still remember how you dressed at the start of China's opening-up? Today's program is one of a special series commemorating the 30th anniversary of reform and opening-up in China. In these two episodes we focused on fashion and style and were honored to invite two special guests to join us in studio--Ms. Zhang Ling from Raffles-BICT Inter-national College and Alex from Esquire magazine.
When we talk about fashion, color is absolutely crucial. A color can reflect the mood of an individual person or the spiritual temperament of entire society or age. Mrs. Zhang and Alex talked about the colors which have left the greatest impression on them. In the 1960s and 70s, blue and grey were the dominant colors at the time and people had limited choices to dress up. But fast forward to the present, you will find no difficulty in choosing from array of vivid colors in the market.
We also gave our guests a list of keywords--traditional brands, jeans, DIY, international brands, personal dress for them to choose from in order to represent the fashion of their generation. We find out that for every keyword our guest chose, there was a special story behind it. Some of the stories brought us back to old times--we even brought some vintage clothing from the 60s and 70s up on stage and invited some audience members to try them on.
When we mention fashion, we must mention brand. With increasing disposable income and purchasing power of the Chinese, many luxury brands have flocked into China. However, you could imagine in 1980s, when the first inter-national brand came to China, it unveiled a fashion storm among the Chinese. | [{'question': "China's opening-up dates back to _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['the 1960s', 'the 1970s', 'the 1980s', 'the 1990s']}, {'question': 'All of the following EXCEPT _ are keywords in representing the fashion of our generation.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['traditional brands', 'international brands', 'personal dress', 'special stories']}, {'question': 'The fact that many luxury brands have flocked into China shows that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['China has given up its own culture', 'Chinese have been tired of array of vivid colors in the markets', 'Chinese have increased their disposable income and purchasing power', 'China has grown tired of its traditional brands']}] |
A couple who held hands at breakfast every morning even after 70 years of marriage have died 15 hours apart. Helen Felumlee, died at 92 on April 12. Her husband, 91-year-old Kenneth Felumlee, died the next morning.
The couple's eight children say the two had been inseparable since meeting as teenagers, once sharing the bottom of a bunk bed on a ferry rather than sleeping on night apart.
They remained deeply in love until the very end, even eating breakfast together while holding hands, said their daughter, Linda Cody. "We knew when one went, the other was going to go," she said. According to Cody, about 12 hours after Helen died, Kenneth looked at his children and said, "Mon's dead." He quickly began to fade, surrounded by 24 of his closest family members and friends when he died the next morning. "He was ready," Cody said, "He just didn't want to leave her here by herself."
Son Dick said his parents died of old age, surrounded by family.
The pair had known each other for several years when they eloped in Newport across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, on Feb. 20, 1994. At two days shy of his 21stbirthday, Kenneth-who went by Kenny-was too young to marry in Ohio. "He couldn't wait.' son Jim said.
Kenneth worked as a railroad car inspector and mechanic before becoming a mail carrier for the Post Office. He was active in the church as a Sunday teacher.
Helen stayed at home, not only cooking and cleaning for her own family but also for other families in need in the area. She taught Sunday school, too, but was known more for her greeting card ministry, sending cards for birthdays, sympathy and the holidays to everyone in her community, each with a personal note inside. "She kept Hallmark in business," daughter-in-law Debbie joked.
When Kenneth retired in 1983 and the children began to leave the house, the Felumlees began to explore their love of travel, visiting almost all 50 states by bus. "He didn't want to fly anywhere because you couldn't see anything as you were going," Jim said.
Although both experienced declining health in recent years, Cody said, each tried to stay strong for the other. "That's what kept them going," she said. | [{'question': 'From what Cody said, we can learn the children _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['were not in front of their father', "don't look after their father", 'foresaw their father would go', 'surrounded their father']}, {'question': 'How many jobs did Kenneth get?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Four.', 'Three.', 'Two.', 'One.']}] |
Very soon the Rabbit noticed Alice, as she went hunting about, and called out to her, "What are you doing out here? Run home this moment, and fetch me a pair of gloves and a fan! Quick, now!"
Alice was so much frightened that she ran off at once in the direction it pointed to. She saw a little house, on the door of which was a plate with the name "W. RABBIT". She went in and hurried upstairs.
By this time she had found her way into a tidy little room with a table in the window, and on it a fan and two or three pairs of tiny white kid gloves: she took up the fan and a pair of the gloves, and was just going to leave the room, when her eye fell upon a little bottle that stood near the looking-glass. There was no label this time with the words' DRINK ME,' but she opened it and put it to her lips ."I know something interesting is sure to happen," she said to herself. Before she had drunk half the bottle, she found her head touching the ceiling. She went on growing and very soon had to get down on her knees on the floor. Still she went on growing, and as a last _ , she put one arm out of the window, and one foot up the chimney , and said to herself, "Now I can do no more, whatever happens. What will happen to me?"
Luckily for Alice, she grew no longer: still it was very uncomfortable, and as there seemed to be no sort of chance of her ever getting out of the room again, no wonder she felt unhappy. | [{'question': 'According to the passage, we can know that Alice _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['felt comfortable when she grew no longer', 'was afraid when the Rabbit called out to her', 'knew what would happen to her if she continued to grow', 'saw a label "DRINK ME" on the bottle and drank half of it']}, {'question': 'Alice grew so big because she _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['had special magical power', "wore the Rabbit's gloves.", 'drank something in the bottle', 'wanted to frighten the Rabbit']}, {'question': 'The passage may come from a(an) _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['science book', 'wildlife magazine', 'guide book', 'English novel']}] |
My favourite book is The Adventure of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.Tom lives with his aunt Polly in a quiet street of St. Petersburg, Missouri.He's a lively and clever young boy,and he finds himself in many exciting adventures.He runs away with his two friends,Huck Finn and Joe,to an island in the middle of the Mississippi River for several days.With Huck he goes looking for treasure, with Becky he gets lost in a cave.and finally,they find a box of gold.
My favourite scene in the book is when everyone thinks Tom is dead.He decides to go to his own funeral.He hides and watches for a time and then suddenly he appears. Everyone is astonished to see him but they're also pleased to see him alive.
Tom is the hero of the story,but there are other important characters.Huck is an outsider and everyone is afraid of him.Becky is pretty with fair hair,Joe is Tom's best friend.and Injun Joe is the bad man of the story.
The theme of the story is about children growing up.It describes how strangers are seen in small towns of America. Finally, it talks about freedom,social rules and how people are punished for bad behaviour.
Why do I think The Adventure of Tom Sawyer is a great book? Mark Twain wrote the story in 1876,but it's still read and loved by people all over the world today. And although it's only a story, Twain wrote it in the everyday English of the southern states of America in the 19th century,so it sounds very real. Today it's thought to be one of the greatest books in American literature. Go on--- read it! I know you'll enjoy it,too. | [{'question': '.How did people feel when Tom appeared at his own funeral ?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['They were surprised and happy.', 'They were surprised and sad', 'They were worried and excited.', 'They were frightened and happy.']}, {'question': '.The whole book is mainly about _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['freedom and social rules', "children's bad behaviour", 'the growth of young children', 'strangers in American small towns']}, {'question': '.The writer writes the article to _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['ask us to read the book', 'tell us how popular the book is today', 'tell us when Mark Twain wrote the story', 'tell us why the story sounds very real']}] |
What does it mean to say that we live in a world of persuasion? It means that we live among competing interests. Your roommate's need to study for an exam may take priority over pizza. Your instructor may have good reasons not to change your grade.
In such a world, persuasion is the art of getting others to give fair and favorable consideration to our points of view. When we persuade, we want to influence how others believe and behave. We may not always _ -- other points of view may be more persuasive, depending on the listener, the situation, and the merit of the case. But when we practice the art of persuasion, we try to ensure that our position receives the attention it deserves.
Some people, however, object to the very idea of persuasion. They may regard it as an unwelcome interruption into their lives. Just the opposite, we believe that persuasion is unavoidable -- to live is to persuade. Persuasion may be ethical or unethical, selfless or selfish, inspiring or degrading. Persuaders may enlighten our minds or get our vulnerability . Ethical persuasion, however, calls on sound reasoning and is sensitive to the feelings and needs of listeners. Such persuasion can help us apply the wisdom of the past to the decisions we now must make. Therefore, the most basic part of education is learning to resist the one kind of persuasion and to encourage and practice the other.
Beyond its personal importance to us, persuasion is necessary to society. The right to persuade and be persuaded is the bedrock of the American political system, guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution . | [{'question': 'According to the passage, persuasion means _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["changing others' points of view", 'exercising power over other people', 'getting other people to consider your point of view', 'getting people to agree with you and do what you want']}, {'question': 'The passage states that some people object to persuasion because they think it is _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['a danger to society', 'difficult to do well', 'unwelcome behavior', 'never successful']}, {'question': 'The passage mainly discusses _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['that people persuade to get what they want', 'that people persuade in different ways', 'that persuasion is widely accepted and appreciated', 'that persuasion is important and it is all around us']}] |
Hi, everybody!
Welcome to our newly-opened Richards Cinema Bookstore!
Now let me introduce to you some of the new film books in our store.
Are you Chinese film fans? OK, here comes the latest 25 New Takes about Chinese films. It is a collection of 25 fresh readings of different Chinese films from the 1930s to the present. In recent years, Chinese films are very popular in the States, such as Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon, Hero, and Flowers of Shanghai.
Do you like French films? Well, here is The French Cinema Book. It covers French films from the 1890s to the beginning of the 21st century. It is written for all lovers of French cinema: students and teachers, specialists and fans, and so on.
Maybe you are Indian film fans and star-chasers. Then here is Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. The book is complete introduction to all the best Indian films. It also offers a full list of names of the famous and successful film stars in the past ten years. You know, the Indian film industry is the largest in the world after our Hollywood.
If you like British films, we have The British Cinema Book. It is a good review of British cinema. This book contains a good many nice pictures.
In our bookstore, you can also find books about Mexican, Japanese, Australian, German and Italian films.
Well, please help yourselves to some coffee or tea, and have a good time here! | [{'question': 'The speaker of the passage is most probably _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['the author of 25 New Takes', 'a tourist in the cinema bookstore', 'the manager of the cinema bookstore', 'a reader of Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema']}, {'question': 'The purpose of the speaker is _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["to satisfy the customers' various tastes", 'to keep the authors in the cinema bookstore', 'to offer the tourists chances to meet the film stars', 'to turn the readers into film producers']}] |
A rare butterfly has been discovered in Britain for the first time in 60 years,having moved from Eastern Europe.The only previous record of a wild yellow-legged Tortoiseshell in Britain was in 1953,when it was seen just once in Sevenoaks,Kent.Several weeks ago,there were already four confirmed sightings,along the East coast in Norfolk,Suffolk and Kent,and six further reports of the butterfly in coastal areas. Conservationists are very excited about the sightings,which are rare in the butterfly world.
The butterflies are thought to have flown on easterly winds across Europe in the last few weeks.The large and colourful insect mainly lives in Eastern Europe.In recent years,it has spread into Scandinavia and its number increases rapidly during warm weather.Also known as the Scarce Tortoiseshell,it has an orange and blue colour and is about one third bigger than our own Small Tortoiseshell.
Butterfly Conservation was starting its annual Big Butterfly Count,a yearly survey of the butterflies across the nation.Sir David Attenborough,President of the charity,said,"The UK is a nation of amateur naturalists and we have a proud tradition of celebrating and studying our wildlife.By taking part in the Big Butterfly Count this summer,you can contribute to discovering the fantastic butterflies and other wildlife that share your garden,parks and countryside."He added,"Butterflies fought back last year after a terrible 2012 but despite this,butterfly numbers were still below average.Three quarters of the UK's butterflies are in decline and one third are in danger of dying out.This is bad news for the UK's birds,bees,bats and other wildlife. | [{'question': 'These rare butterflies usually live in _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Eastern Europe', 'Norfolk,Suffolk and Kent', 'coastal areas', 'Sevenoaks,Kent']}, {'question': 'The annual Big Butterfly Count is Intended to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["inspire amateurs'studying interest", 'teach people to do good gardening', 'study butterflies across Britain', "celebrate naturalists'contributions"]}, {'question': "What's the main idea of the text?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Butterflies are quite rare in Britain.', 'Butterflies like travelling frequently.', 'A rare butterfly appeared in Britain.', 'The butterfly world changed a lot.']}] |
The first time Luca heard the Island of Inventions, he was very young, but the wonders he heard about sounded so unbelievable to him that they were forever kept in his memory. Since then, he never stopped searching clues which might lead him to that place of wonder. He read widely to collect information.
Taking a little from here and there, he got quite a clear idea of what the Island was really like. It was a secret place, where all the great men learn and invent together. To be able to join that select club, you had to have created great inventions. Only then could you receive the invitation.
To get a chance, Luca spend the years studying and inventing. Every new idea he got, he made it into an invention, and if there were anything he didn't understand, he would seek help. Soon he met other brilliant inventors too, and he told them of the secrets of the Island. These young inventors would likewise dream of being sent "the letter".
As time passed, the disappointment of not being sent the letter gave rise to even greater cooperation and help between them. Their inventions soon became known throughout the world.
But no invention came.
They didn't lose heart. They continued learning and inventing, trying to come up with better ideas. Fresh talent was added to their group. One day, Luca, already very old, was speaking with a brilliant young man who had written to join their group. Luca told the young man the secrets of the Island, and of how he was sure that they would receive an invitation. Surprised, the young inventor said: "What? You mean this isn't really the Island of Inventions?"
It inspired Luca and he realized that his dream had become true. | [{'question': 'Luca read widely to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['get information about the great inventions', 'get clear ideas about the island for vacations', 'seek massages about the secret club of inventions', 'get more knowledge for the benefit of his inventions']}, {'question': 'Luca and other brilliant inventors around him shared a dream of _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['being great inventors of worldwide fame', 'being accepted as members of the Island of Inventions', 'being inventors envied by members of the Island of Inventions', 'being remembered for the contribution to scientific development']}, {'question': 'What is the effect of their not being given "the letter"?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['They were disappointed, while it encouraged them to work harder.', 'They became desperate and decided to have another way of living.', 'They changed their strategy and promote their inventions publicly.', 'They gave up their dream while continued their inventions together.']}] |
One of the traditions which is now a necessary part of Christmas is a that of Father Christmas, or Santa Claus. According to the modern legend, he is a magical figure who visits all the children of the world during the night before Christmas Day, leaving presents which they find the next morning. He flies through the night sky in a sledge pulled by reindeer, and enters houses by climbing down chimneys. This strange legend is based on the life of a man called Nicholas, but in fact we know very little about him. Historians think he was a Christian bishop in Turkey in about 285--350 A.D. One of the stories about him is that he helped three poor girls. No one would marry them because they were so poor. To provide them with money for their weddings, Nicholas secretly dropped some gold coins down the chimney of their house. After Nicholas died, he was made a saint by the church.(The name Santa Claus thus comes from St Nicholas.) His feast day was celebrated in December, and parents started giving their children secret presents from St Nicholas. Over the years, this custom became part of our Christmas traditions.
Recently, a psychologist has claimed that Father Christmas is "the perfect fantasy" for children. According to Professor Anthony Clare, children love the character of Father Christmas because he is like an ideal father: he loves children and gives them presents, but he never criticizes them, is never angry, and children do not even need to thank him for the presents. Other writers, however, point out that Father Christmas can be a frightening character to some children. Jane Bidder says that some children are terrified of this fat, bearded old man. It can certainly confuse many children. As parents, we warn our children to be careful of strangers and never to let them into the house, and yet we tell children that a strange man will come into their bedroom at night! Some children can become very worried about this idea and fear that he is a kind of burglar.
Most children, however, understand from their parents and from the media that Father Christmas is basically a _ character, and look forward to his annual visit with joy and excitement. | [{'question': "The writer mentions details such as Father Christmas's sledge, the reindeer and the way he climbs down chimneys because he/she _", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['wants to make it clear that these things are impossible', 'is describing the history of St Nicholas', 'wants everyone to believe that Father Christmas is real', 'is explaining the modern legend of Father Christmas']}, {'question': 'Why does the writer mention the story about St Nicholas helping three poor girls?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['It shows us that historians know very little about him.', 'This story explains why parents give secret presents to children.', "It supports the writer's main point that Father Christmas is based on an untrue story.", 'This story explains why we celebrate Christmas in December.']}, {'question': 'The best title for this passage would be _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Is Father Christmas Dangerous?', 'The True History of St Nicholas', 'The Legend of Santa Claus', 'The Traditions of Christmas']}] |
A new law helps people with disabilities. The law says that people with disabilities must be able to get into and out of all public buildings. It also says that business must offer special services to people who have special needs. Companies can not refuse to hire disabled workers. Many businesses may have to change their buildings and services.
--Ramps must be built so people can get into buildings.
--Movie theatres must have space for people in wheelchairs and seats for their friends to sit near them.
--Elevators must have floor number in _ .
This law will help millions of people. One woman who has been in a wheelchair for many years said, "It is like a dream." | [{'question': 'According to the passage we can see that_.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['it will be difficult for the normal persons to get into the public buildings', 'the buildings of all the businesses will have to be changed', 'Most businesses used to offer special services to people who have special needs', 'it was difficult for the disabled workers to find jobs in the past']}, {'question': 'Ramps can help people_.', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['with hearing problems', 'who have difficulty in using their hands', 'who have difficulty in using their legs or feet', "who don't like stairs"]}, {'question': 'The word "Braille" means_.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['words known by foreigners', 'words known by common people', 'words on walls', 'words known by the blind']}, {'question': 'What do you think the disabled would feel about the new law?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['They may think the new law reasonable.', 'Some of them are sure to be for the new law.', 'They must feel very excited and happy.', 'They feel it is like a dream.']}, {'question': 'The fact that the new law has been passed shows that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['the government has paid no attention to the disabilities', 'the government wants to help these disabilities', 'normal people show mercy to the disabilities', 'companies will hire millions of disabled people']}] |
"What is the most important thing you've done in your life?" The question was put to me during a presentation I gave to a group of lawyers.
The answer came to me in an instant. It's not the one I gave, because the situation was not right. As a lawyer in the entertainment industry, I knew the audience wanted to hear some amusing stories about my work with well-known people, but here's the true answer:
The most important thing I've ever done occurred on October 8,1990. I began the day playing tennis with an old friend I hadn't seen for a while. Between points we talked about what had been happening in each other's lives. He and his wife had just had a baby boy, who was keeping them up at night.
While we were playing, a car came screaming up the road toward the courts. It was my friend's father, who shouted to my friend that his baby had stopped breathing and was being rushed to the hospital. In a flash my friend was in the car and gone, disappearing in a cloud of dust.
For a moment I just stood there, paralyzed . Then I tried to figure out what I should do. Follow my friend to the hospital? There was nothing I could accomplish there, I convinced myself. My friend's son was in the care of doctors and nurses, and nothing I could do or say would affect the outcome. Be there for moral support? Well, maybe. But my friend and his wife both had large families, and I knew they'd be surrounded by relatives who would provide more than enough comfort and support, whatever happened. All I could do at the hospital, I decided, was to get in the way. Also, I had planned a full day with my family, who were waiting for me to get home. So I decided to head back to my house and check in my friend later.
As I started my car, I realized that my friend had left his truck and keys at the courts. I now faced another problem. I couldn't leave the keys in the truck. So I decided to go to the hospital and give him the keys.
When I arrived, I was directed to a room where my friend and his wife were waiting. As I had thought, the room was filled with family members silently watching my friend comfort his wife. I went in and stood by the door, trying to decide what to do next. Soon a doctor appeared. He approached my friend and his wife, and in a quiet voice told them that their son had died.
For a long time the two held each other and cried, unaware of the rest of us standing around in pained silence. After they had calmed themselves, the doctor suggested they spend a few moments with their son.
My friend and his wife stood up and walked past their families. When they reached the door, my friend saw me standing in the corner. He came over and hugged me and started to cry. My friend's wife hugged me, too, and said , "Thanks for being here."
For the rest of that morning, I sat in the emergency room of that hospital and watched my friend and his wife hold the body of their infant son, and say goodbye.
It's the most important thing I have ever done. The experience taught me two lessons.
First: The most important thing I've ever done happened when I was completely helpless. None of the things I had learned in university, in three years of law school or in six years of legal practice were of any use in that situation. Something terrible was happening to people I cared about, and I was powerless to change the outcome. All I could do was standing by and watching it happen. And yet it was critical that I do just that--- just be there when someone needed me.
Second: The most important thing I've done almost didn't happen because of things I had learned in classroom and professional life. Law school taught me how to take a set of facts, break them down and organized them. These skills are critical for lawyers. When people come to us for help, they're often stressed out and depend on a lawyer to think logically. But while learning to think, I almost forget how to feel. Today I have no doubt that I should have leapt into my car without hesitation and followed my friend to the hospital.
From that one experience I learned that the most important thing in life isn't the money you make, the status you attain or the honors you achieve. | [{'question': 'When he was asked about the most important thing he had done in life at a presentation, the author _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['felt it was not an interesting question', 'thought for a while and spoke his mind', "gave an answer from a lawyer's point of view", "didn't give the real answer"]}, {'question': 'When he saw his friend rush to the hospital, the author could not decide whether to follow mainly because he thought _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['he had to stay with his family', 'his friend did not need his help.', 'he would not be of much help', "the baby would be in the doctor's care"]}, {'question': "What can we infer from the author's description of the scene at the hospital?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['He found out that he was in the way.', 'He would have felt guilty if he had not been there.', 'He regretted that he went too late.', 'His friend would have felt better if he had not been there.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is conveyed in this story?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Family and relatives can not take the place of friends.', 'More people are a great comfort when one is in trouble.', 'It is best to be here when someone needs you.', 'You can certainly help a friend if you want to.']}, {'question': 'The author learned from his own experience that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['what is taught in school is usually of no use.', 'a lawyer cannot learn much in classrooms', "a lawyer should know people's feeling first", 'he needs to be able to feel as well as think logically']}] |
A desert is a beautiful land of silence and space. The sun shines, the wind blows, and time and space seem endless. Nothing is soft. The sand and rocks are hard, and many of the plants even have hard needles instead of leaves.
The size and location of the world's deserts are always changing. Over millions of years, as climates change and mountains rise, new dry and wet areas develop. But within the last 100 yeas, deserts have been growing at a frightening speed. This is partly because of natural changes, but the greatest makers are humans.
Humans can make deserts, but humans can also prevent their growth. Algeria Mauritania is planting a similar wall around Nouakchott, the capital. Iran puts a thin covering of petroleum on sandy areas and plants trees. The oil keeps the water and small trees in the land, and men on motorcycles keep the sheep and goats away. The USSR and India are building long canals to bring water to desert areas. | [{'question': 'In this passage, "needles" refers to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['small, thin pieces of steel.', 'long, thin pieces of branches.', 'small pointed growth on the stem of a plant.', 'small, thin pieces of sticks.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is NOT true?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The greatest desert makers are humans.', "There aren't any living things in the deserts.", 'Deserts have been growing quickly.', 'The size of the deserts is always changing.']}, {'question': 'People in some countries are fighting a battle against _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['the growth of deserts', 'the disappearance of desert plants', 'natural changes', 'congenital climate']}, {'question': 'We can guess that Mauritania and Algeria belong to _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Asian countries', 'American countries', 'European counties', 'African countries']}, {'question': 'Choose the sentence which best gives the main idea of the passage.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The deserts of the world are always changing.', "Man is to take measures to control the growth of the world's deserts.", 'Deserts are lands of silence and space.', 'Deserts have grown at a fast pace in the past 10 years.']}] |
Nelson Mandela was a figure of international fame, and many details of his life and career were public knowledge. But here are four things you may not have known about the late South African leader.
1. He was a boxing fan.
In his youth, Nelson Mandela enjoyed boxing and long-distance running. Even during the 27 years he spent in prison, he would exercise every morning. "I did not enjoy the violence of boxing so much as the science of it. I was curious by how one moved one's body to protect oneself, how one used a strategy both to attack and retreat, how one paced oneself over a match," he wrote in his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.
2. His original name was not Nelson.
Rolihlahla Mandela was nine years old when a teacher at the primary Methodist school where he was studying in Qunu, South Africa, gave him an English name "Nelson" in accordance with the custom to give all school children Christian names.
3. He forgot his glasses when he was released from prison.
Mr. Mandela's release on 11 February 1990 followed years of political pressure against apartheid . Mr. Mandela's reading glasses stayed behind in prison Mr. Mandela and his then-wife Winnie were taken to the centre of Cape Town to address a huge and exciting crowd. But when he pulled out the text of his speech, he realized he had forgotten his glasses and had to borrow Winnie's.
4. He had his own law firm, but it took him years to get a law degree.
Mr. Mandela studied law on and off for 50 years from 1939, failing about half the courses he took. A two-year diploma in law on top of his university degree allowed him to practice, and in August 1952, he and Oliver Tambo set up South Africa's first black law firm, Mandela and Tambo, in Johannesburg. He kept on studying hard to finally secure a law degree while in prison in 1989. | [{'question': 'What is the main idea of the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["Nelson Mandela's life in the prison.", 'The achievements of Nelson Mandela.', "Nelson Mandela's hobbies and career.", 'Unknown things about Nelson Mandela.']}, {'question': 'Why did Nelson Mandela love boxing?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Because he wanted to be a boxer.', 'Because he enjoyed the violence of boxing.', 'Because he appreciated the strategy in boxing.', 'Because he had nothing else to do in the prison.']}, {'question': 'What happened to Mandela when he was about to give the speech?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['He broke his glasses into pieces.', "He had to use his wife's glasses.", 'He left his own glasses at home.', 'His wife wanted to borrow his glasses.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Nelson Mandela was not his original name.', 'Nelson Mandela was the name given by his teacher.', 'Nelson Mandela had been studying the law nonstop for 50 years.', 'Nelson Mandela had started his own law firm before he got a law degree.']}] |
New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that people who struggle with mood problems or addiction can safely quit smoking and that kicking the habit is associated with improved mental health.
Cavazos-Rehg, an assistant professor of psychiatry, found that quitting or significantly cutting back on cigarette smoking was linked to improved mental health outcomes. Quitting altogether or reducing by half the number of cigarettes smoked daily was associated with lower risk for mood disorders like depression, as well as a lower likelihood of alcohol and drug problems.
"We don't know if their mental health improves first and then they are more motivated to quit smoking or if quitting smoking leads to an improvement in mental health," Cavazos-Rehg said. "But either way, our findings show a strong link between quitting and a better psychiatric outlook."
In addition, she believes the serious health risks associated with smoking make it important for doctors to work with their patients to quit, regardless of other psychiatric problems.
"About half of all smokers die from related to smoking, so we need to remember that as complicated as it can be to treat mental health issues, smoking cigarettes also causes very serious illnesses that can lead to death," she explained.
Cavazos-Rehg and her team analyzed questionnaires gathered as part of the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions. In the early 2000s, just under 35,000 people were surveyed. As part of the study, they answered questions about drinking, smoking and mental health in two interviews conducted three years apart.
The researchers focused on data from 4,800 daily smokers. Those who had addiction or other psychiatric problems at the time of the first survey were less likely to have those same problems three years later if they had quit smoking. And those who hadn't had psychiatric problems at the initial survey were less likely to develop those problems later if they already had quit.
"We really need to spread the word and encourage doctors and patients to tackle these problems," Cavazos-Rehg said. "When a patient is ready to focus on other mental health issues, it may be an ideal time to address smoking cessation, too." | [{'question': 'What is the main idea of the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Smoking was associated with alcohol and drug problems.', 'Quitting smoking may help to improve mental health.', 'Smoking can lead to cancer or other deadly problems.', 'Those who had mental problem are more motivated to quit smoking.']}, {'question': 'It can be inferred from this passage that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["Having quit smoking, tobacco addicts won't have the same problems again.", 'About half of the daily smokers die from deadly mental diseases.', 'More than 35,000 people were surveyed, 4,800 of whom were daily smokers.', 'Quitting smoking may help avoid alcohol and drug problems.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following does professor Cavazos-Rehg agree?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Quitting smoking leads to a better psychiatric outlook.', 'If you want to quit smoking, you have to improve your mood problems first.', 'There is a strong link between mental health and quitting smoking.', 'There is no need to stop smoking when patients center on mental health.']}, {'question': 'Which type of writing is the article likely to be?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Science fiction', 'A health report', 'An education report', 'A news report']}] |
School is out for the summer in some areas, and for many children, that means weeks of sleeping in late, trips to the swimming pool or hours spent in front of the TV. These months of inactivity--- away from the daily tiring things of school--- are something that young people look forward to, but it can have a detrimental influence on the knowledge they have.
Studies have shown that children lose a lot in math skills during the summer months. Children who spend little time learning experience a much greater amount of learning loss than those who often take part in summer programs.
So when school starts again in the fall, teachers often have to spend several weeks reteaching children material that they have forgotten.
Experts suggest that parents make sure the summer months are a time of continued learning. For example, they suggest that lunch time is good time to improve a child's spoken skills, simply through conversation. A trip to the supermarket can be an opportunity to improve a child's math skills by having him or her add up the cost of food. And there is no better way to prevent learning loss than by having a child read every day.
Fortunately, there are many programs that can help parents. The best place to start is at your local library. Most libraries have summer reading programs that are filled with fun activities. A. strong musical education also improves learning. Find out summer music camps in your area.
We think that children should have fun during the summer break, but it should not be a vacation from learning. We strongly suggest parents should take advantage of the many educational opportunities available for their children during the coming weeks. | [{'question': 'Children lose a lot in learning in the summer break because they_.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['do homework before the TV', 'stay up late at night', 'visit the swimming pool', 'spend little time learning']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is true?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["It isn't good for children to have fun in summer.", 'Children will get bored with reading programs', 'Summer programs can be helpful for children.', "Teachers needn't help children review lessons."]}, {'question': 'might be most interested in this passage.', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Students', 'Teachers', 'Parents', 'Reporters']}] |
A new study has been carried to test the role of story telling in lowering blood pressure. Dr. Thomas Houston, a professor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, led a group of scientists that investigated how pre-recorded videos of hypertension patients' talking about their medical histories helped another group of patients with high blood pressure to control their condition over several months.
Houston was surprised by their studies that suggested that communication can be a powerful tool in medicine. They showed that those who had had similar experiences, when talking to someone with a similar background, could help change their behavior to become healthier. Hypertension is difficult to control, since it is dependent on diet, exercise and mental state. Medical treatments with drugs, and lifestyle therapies have been ly ineffective because people find it hard to follow those medical requirements.
In the test, his team carefully chose their story-tellers from 230 members of a patients' community with whom they could most easily relate. Next, they divided their study population into two groups. One received three interactive DVDs containing the tellers' stories of their experiences in living with and treating their hypertension. The other were given educational discs on an unrelated health topic. The study volunteers reported that they had listened to the DVDs, and after three months, those who heard the stories of the hypertensive patients lowered their blood pressure.
While the study did not _ how the story-telling influenced the patients' behavior, Houston suspects that watching patients of similar backgrounds who had a similar medical experience helped to motivate them to seek medical help to their hypertension. They found that after six months the difference in blood pressure between those who watched the story-tellers and those who observed the unrelated videos remained, suggesting that the story-telling continued to have an effect. | [{'question': 'We can learn from the text that the pre-recorded videos _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['tell medical histories of hypertension patients', 'introduce some medical treatments of hypertension', 'introduce a good lifestyle for hypertensive patients', 'tell scientific discoveries of the scientist group']}, {'question': 'Houston was surprised to find that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['hypertension is really difficult to control', 'communication has some medical effects', 'medical treatments have no effect at all', "people don't follow the medical requirements"]}, {'question': 'Which of the following could be the best title of the text?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The stories of some hypertension patients.', 'Medical treatments of blood pressure.', 'Storytelling may help lower blood pressure.', 'Suggestions about how to lower blood pressure.']}] |
Some people collect stamps. Other people collect works of art or musical instruments. But a man in the American state of Maryland collects secrets.
For the past 10 years, people have been sending Frank Warren postcards and other objects with secrets written on them. He now has a million secrets. "It's a drawing of a lift. And the secret says: 'I feel guilty when I take lifts for one floor, so I limp when I get out.'" Frank said.
Ten years ago, Mr. Warren created an art project called PostSecret. People then began to send him postcards, other objects and emails telling their secrets. Every Sunday, he chooses 10 secrets and puts them on the website.
Mr. Warren says he created PostSecret so people could share their secrets in a safe place. "I was struggling with secrets in my own life. And it was by creating this safe place where others could share their secrets with me, I think that space was something I needed just as much as they did."
He has published six books full of the secrets people have shared with him. One secret in each book is his. Eric Perry delivers mail for the U.S. Postal Service. He has brought thousands of secrets to Frank's home over the past three years. "I have a couple of the books that Frank's given me and I've read them all and my family has read them all and it's wild!"
The project itself was once one of Frank's secrets. His wife Jan didn't know exactly what he was doing until the first book was published. The publisher told him that the address was going to be on the book, and he refused. However, the address was there just because of the contract between them. Actually Warren wasn't very happy about that.
Some people tell Frank of their secret desire to kill themselves. So he and the PostSecret community have raised more than $1 million to help prevent suicides . | [{'question': 'Mr. Warren created PostSecret in order to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ["satisfy his curiosity about others' secrets", 'collect more materials for his series of books', 'offer a safe place for people to share their secrets', "earn a lot of money by sharing others' secrets online"]}, {'question': 'What do we know about Eric Perry from the passage?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['His family are eager to collect the books written by Frank.', 'His main job is to deliver mails and postcards for Frank.', 'He has been a postman who has a great many secrets.', 'He has developed a good relationship with Frank.']}, {'question': "What was Mr. Warren's secret according to the passage?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['He once took the lift only for one floor.', "He is interested in collecting others' secrets.", 'He created an art project without telling his wife.', 'He helped prevent others from committing suicides.']}] |
What's your idea of a good time? What about dancing in a rainy field with one hundred and fifty thousand other people while a famous rock band plays on a stage so far away that the performers look like ants?
It may sound strange but that is what many hundreds of thousands of young people in the UK do every summer.Why? Because summer is the time for outdoor music festivals.
Held on a farm, the Glastonbury Festival is the most well-known and popular festival in the UK.It began in 1970 and the first festival was attended by one thousand five hundred people each paying an admission price of PS1 -- the ticket included free milk from the farm.
Since then the Glastonbury Festival has gone from strength to strength -- in 2004 one hundred and fifty thousand fans attended, paying PS112 each for a ticket to the three-day event.Tickets for the event sold out within three hours.Performers included superstars, such as Paul McCartney and James Brown, as well as new talent, like Franz Ferdinand and Joss Stone.
Although many summer festivals are run on a profit-making basis, Glastonbury is a charity event, donating millions of pounds to local and international charities.
Glastonbury is not unique in using live music to raise money to fight global poverty.In July of this year, the Live 8 concerts were held simultaneously in London, Paris, Rome and Berlin.Superstars such as Madonna, Sir Elton John and Stevie Wonder performed in order to highlight international poverty and debt. | [{'question': 'What does the author mean by saying "the Glastonbury Festival has gone from strength to strength"?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The festival has achieved growing success.', 'Great efforts have been made to hold the festival.', 'The festival has brought in a large amount of money.', 'There have been thousands of fans attending the festival.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The Glastonbury Festival is run on a profit-making basis.', 'Tickets for the 2004 Glastonbury Festival were in great demand despite the high price.', 'Both James Brown and Joss Stone were born in poor families.', 'In the 1970 Glastonbury Festival, one could have lunch on the farm for free.']}, {'question': 'What is the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['How to have a good time', 'Charity events around the world', 'The Glastonbury Festival', "Superstars' performances in charity events"]}] |
The best selling children's book, Pipilu Sending You 100 Lives, has been adapted into a homonymous play that will be put on for the first time next March and tour around 50 cities in China.
The book was adapted by the Hangzhou based Star Dream Factory.
"We don't want to descend to the average children's dramas that are overly eager to please the kids," said Huang Qin, director of Star Dream Factory. "We want to provide something practically useful and mystically entertaining."
The original book by Chinese children's book writer Zheng Yuanjie focuses on safety tips for kids. With Zheng's usual _ and simplicity, the book avoids sugar-coating reality. Instead, it illustrates the potential dangers in everyday life and provides possible solutions.
Zheng recalled that when he saw his new-born baby in the hospital, the first thought that hit him was to do his utmost to guarantee his son's safety.
"Safety is of the greatest importance to a human being," said Zheng. "If the person is gone, nothing else will matter."
According to Zheng, there is no preaching or soapboxing in his book. He said that he just wanted to talk and tell the plain truth to the children in an easily understandable way.
This line of thought will be echoed in the theatrical reproduction, said director Guo Yan. She also said that the play will place emphasis on multimedia effects and the interaction with the families.
"Theatre may not ensure the children a path to professional esteem and better jobs in society, but it does have the power to give them strength (at heart)," said Huang Qin.
Huang also calls for consistent attention to child safety, pointing out the lack of universal education and effective legal channels.
The show is expecting an estimated audience of more than 100,000 people during its domestic tour in the upcoming year. | [{'question': 'Pipilu Sending You 100 Lives has been adapted into a play by _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Huang Qin .', 'Zheng Yuanjie.', 'Guo Yan.', 'Star Dream Factory']}, {'question': 'The book Pipilu Sending You 100 Lives is trying to tell the readers _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['how Pipilu give you 100 lives in a clear way', 'how Pipilu can live a more interesting life in a simple way', 'how we can live a safer life in an understandable way', 'how we can have 100 lives in a pleasing way']}, {'question': 'According to Zheng,safety _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['is more important to people than any other things', 'is an essential part only to all the children', 'is more important to the old than the young', 'is more important to the young than the old']}, {'question': 'The purpose of the passage is to _ ?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['introduce a play to remind children of the importance of safety', 'introduce a book and its homonymous play to the readers', 'tell the readers how to keep safe', 'tell the readers how important safety is']}] |
Many people hate wet, sticky August, but to some, it's an especially bitter time. A new working paper finds that, March and August are the months in which divorce filings peak.
For the paper, the University of Washington's Brian Serafini and Julie Brines analyzed the most recent years of divorce filings in Washington and drew their conclusion: divorce rises sharply in March and August. The result is supported by some nation-wide, anecdotal evidence. Online searches for "divorce" and "child custody" dramatically grow early in the year, peaking in March, they point out.
The authors guess that unhappily married couples schedule their divorce filings around both the winter holidays and Valentine's Day, as well as summer vacations. (More Americans vacation m July than any other month.)
There are a few explanations why people might time their marital dissolutions this way, It might just be too difficult to announce a divorce around family-oriented Christmas time, especially if there are kids involved, so many couples weigh the decision to divorce around the new year and progress from there. February is a period in which couples tend to look around for representation on legal sites. And by March, they're prepared to file for divorce.
But the authors think the more likely reason is that people decide their differences are irreconcilable right after a big trip. It could be that people don't want to ruin a family getaway, or that vacations are so stressful that they drive the already-dissatisfied to divorce. ("I told you to pack your suitcase last night; now we've missed the train!")
Then there's the "broken promise" theory. "6People are discontent with their marriages, they look at vacation as an opportunity to give it one last shot, and what they were hoping would happen didn't occur," explained Brines, an associate professor of sociology.
It's not you; in other words, it's your failure to print the boarding passes. | [{'question': "Which of the following can support Brian and Julie's conclusion?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The divorce rate rises sharply in March and August.', 'They carried out online surveys and analyzed the results.', 'More people search for key words about divorce early in the year.', 'Conflicts in marriage tend to get more serious during Christmas.']}, {'question': 'According to Brian and Julie, why does divorce rise in March and August?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['People need time to decide and prepare before they divorce.', 'Many couples want to have a new beginning in a new year.', 'Kids are less involved in winter and summer vacations.', 'Couples see more marital problems in their vacation trips.']}] |
When was the last time someone did something unexpectedly nice for you? Not someone you knew, but a total stranger? It's happened to me a few times, but two instances really stand out.
A few years ago, I was dining out with a person who kept going on and on about himself, completely unaware of the fact that I was sitting there in misery . It wasn't his company that disappointed me. I was recovering from a bad grade in my study. I could have collapsed in tears right there at the table.
When we picked up the check, the waitress said, "Your meal was already paid for." My friend and I didn't have a clue how it happened. Then I remembered a man coming in out of the corner of my eye. He was dressed in mostly white, sat down at the bar, had a glass of wine, stayed for maybe ten minutes and then left. The waitress said, "Yes, the gentleman who was in here a while ago paid for you."
Just last year, I was running a half-marathon. With just 0.1 miles to go, I was out of gas. Runners call it "hitting the wall"; I thought I couldn't move another muscle. Out of nowhere, a teenager jogged up next to me and said, "What's your name sweetie? Jennifer? Okay, Jennifer, let's go! Come on! It's just around the corner! You can do it!". And he ran with me until I picked up my pace. I found him at the finish line to thank him for the encouragement only to learn he wasn't even supposed to be in the race that day. He was running in place of someone else.
I still shake my head when I think of these momentary angels that came to me at my point of need. Do you have any experiences like this? | [{'question': 'Why did the author say she was in misery?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Because she got into trouble with her friend.', "Because she couldn't enjoy her meal quietly.", 'Because her friend complained so much.', 'Because she was doing poorly in her study.']}, {'question': 'What do you think of the man who paid for the meal?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['He was generous and warm-hearted.', 'He knew the author well and always helped her.', 'He showed his kindness to his girlfriend.', 'He liked making fun of others.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is the best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['The Kindness of Strangers', 'An Unpleasant Friend', 'Two Unbelievable Experiences', 'Hitting the Wall']}] |
If there is a building which symbolizes a country--such as the Eiffel Tower for France and Sydney Opera House for Australia--then it has to be the Taj Mahal for India.
It was set up by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. From the time they got married, they wouldn't be separated. She followed him to wars, advised him on affairs of state, and was loved by his people for her good work. But she died in 1631 during childbirth. The emperor was heart-broken and had the Taj Mahal built as a sign of his love.
It took more than 20 years for the Taj Mahal to be built. Workers were brought in, not only from all over India, but from Central Asia too. A total of 20,000 people worked on the building.
In 1657, Shah Jahan fell ill, and in 1658 his son Aurangzeb, imprisoned his father and seized power. Shah Jahan stayed in prison until his death in 1666. He was finally buried there with his wife he could never forget.
The Taj Mahal is definitely worth more than a single visit. As it is built with white marble stones, its character changes in different lights. It looks more beautiful at sunrise and sunset. At sunset, for example, the colour of the Taj changes from white to yellow, then to pink. As the moon rises, it turns a silvery white.
To show respect to the Taj, tourists are asked to take off their shoes during their visit. | [{'question': 'Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['make it symbolize India', 'memorise his wife', 'show his great power', 'give his wife a present']}, {'question': 'Which of the following about the Taj Mahal is NOT true?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['It is a symbol of India.', 'It took over 20 years to build the Taj Mahal.', 'All workers building the Taj Mahal came from Central Asia.', 'The Taj Mahal was built with white marble stones.']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, we know that Shah Jahan _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['lived a hard life in his last few years', 'lost his life just because of his old age', 'was not popular with his people at that time', 'treated his son badly when he was young']}] |
According to Andrew, it never would have happened if he had not had a flat tire on Highway 10 last night at about 7:30. He was on his way to attend a three-day sales meeting when he had the flat. tyre. Unfortunately, he did not have a spare, so he pushed the car off the road, locked it up, and managed to thumb a ride back to Pine Grove. It was after eleven o'clock when he finally got home, and it was then that his real problems started.
When Andrew left home at about 5:30, he had told his wife not to expect him back until Thursday or Friday. Knowing that his wife was nervous about staying in the house alone at night, Andrew took the precaution of checking all the windows in the house to be sure they were locked, so that he could report to his wife that the house was secure. He convinced his wife that the house was burglar-proof, and that she would be perfectly safe, providing she bolted the front door as soon as he drove away.
Andrew's only thought as he made his way in the dark to his front door was how surprised his wife was going to be to see him, since he was not supposed to be back until Thursday or Friday. He had forgotten about the bolt on the front door. When he turned his key in the lock and the door wouldn't _ he remembered the bolt. And he remembered that he had carefully locked all of the windows.
Although Andrew didn't know it at the time, a next-door neighbor had seen him approaching the house and had watched him go up the steps to the front door. In the dark, it was impossible for the neighbor to recognize Andrew, and, besides, the neighbor knew that Andrew had gone out-of-town for a three-day meeting. As a matter of fact, Andrew had asked the neighbor to keep an eye on the house while he was gone.
Finding that he couldn't get in, Andrew began pounding on the front door to get his wife to open the door. According to Andrew, however, his wife is a very sound sleeper, and he knew it was going to be hard to wake her up. In the meantime, because of all the noise he had been making, the neighbor was convinced that somebody was trying to break into the house; so she called the police.
When we talked to Andrew at the country jail this morning, he said that he still didn't understand how the police managed to circle the house without his seeing them. He stated that he had decided the only way to get in was to break one of the dining room windows, and that he was about, to hurl his briefcase into the window to break it when two of the officers grabbed him from behind.
Andrew could not make the officers believe that he lived there; so they took him off to jail. Apparently, he did succeed in convincing them that they ought to wake up the woman in the house to check his story. But there was no answer when they knocked at the door. He tried to explain to them that his wife was a very sound sleeper, but they concluded there was nobody in the house. | [{'question': 'As Andrew had a flat tyre on the way, he _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['had to take another car to attend the meeting', 'rode on a bike to attend the meating', 'asked for a lift to go back home', 'borrowed a car to go back home']}, {'question': 'When Andrew was approaching the house _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['he was sure he would pleasently surprise his wife', 'he was deep in thought', 'he was sure that his neighbor would help him', 'he was worried about how to wake his wife up']}, {'question': 'Why did the police officers take Andrew off to jail?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["It was too late for them to contact Andrew's wife.", 'Andrew did not explain clearly why he broke into the house.', "They thought it unnecessary to check Andrew's story.", "they concluded that Andrew's story was a complete invention."]}] |
Owning a smartphone may not be as smart as you think.They may let you surf the Internet,listen to music and snap photos wherever you are...but they also turn you into a workaholic,it seems.A study suggests that,by giving you access to emails at all times.the all-singing.all-dancing mobile phone adds as much as two hours to your working day.
Researchers found that Britons work an additional 460hours a year on average as they are able to respond to emails on their mobiles.The study by technology retailer Pixmania,reveals the average UK working day is between nine and ten hours,but a further two hours is spent responding to or sending work emails,or making work calls.Almost one in ten admits spending up to three hours outside their normal working day checking work emails.Some workers confess they are on call almost 24 hours a day,with nine out
of ten saying they take work emails and calls outside their normal working hours.Nearly two-thirds say they often check work emails just before they go to bed and as soon as they wake up,while over a third have replied to one in the middle of the night.
Ghadi Hobeika,marketing director of Pixmania,said:"The ability to access literally millions of apps,keep in contact via social networks and take photos and video as well as text and call has
made smartphones valuable for many people.However,there are _ .Many companies expect their employees to be on call 24 hours a day,seven days a week,and smartphones mean that people literally cannot get away from work.The more constantly in contact we become. The more is expected of us in a work capacity." | [{'question': 'The text is probably taken from _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['a scientific report', 'a financial report', 'a newspaper', 'a literary journal']}, {'question': 'Ghadi may agree that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['employees are supposed to be on call 24 hours a day', 'the ability to access many apps made smartphones worthless', 'smartphones might turn a person into a workaholic', 'people literally cannot get away from work without smartphones']}, {'question': 'What is the main idea of this passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Smartphones are lengthening working hours.', 'Smartphones are becoming valuable for many people.', 'Britons work art additional 460 hours a year on average.', 'Smartphones are more beneficial to our life than we think.']}] |
I've done many things that would make any parent proud. I've taken part in sports, community work and school events, but I am most proud to be a good big brother. I have to watch over four sisters and a brother, plus myself. That's quitea task, but one I feel I have gotten good at.
My brother needs more attention than most siblings. When he was nine, he was hit by a pick-up truck on the way to the bus stop and lost use of the lower two-thirds of his body. He's been in a wheelchair for six years. My brother does many things, but sometimes he tries to do things he used to do but can't now. I' m always there with words of encouragement.
I now watch my brother struggle to do as many things as he can within and beyond his limits. Should he fall, I will be the person to pick him up. I also watch as my younger sisters grow up into intelligent, beautiful young women. Whenever my brother or sisters need a helping hand or words of encouragement, I'm on the job. That's what I, the big brother, am for. | [{'question': "How many people are probably there in the author's family? _ .", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['5', '6', '7', '8']}, {'question': "The author's brother needs more attention because _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['he is the youngest child of the family', 'he lost the functions of his lower body', 'he was disabled by a careless bus driver', 'he needs the words of encouragement']}, {'question': 'We can learn from the text that a big brother _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['sometimes takes more responsibilities', 'must put up with the incredible hardship', 'can be asked for help whenever needed', 'is the most important guy in a big family']}] |
People in Mutsuhito, Japan, lived through one hundreds, and sometimes thousands, a day.But they couldn't get used to it.
What was it? It was a string of earthquakes that made the small town shake all the time.This went on for more than a year.Sometimes the quakes were very small.Only certain instruments could pick them up.At other times, the quakes damaged houses and land.The people were always afraid.They wished they knew how to stop the ground from shaking.
People all over the world would like to know when an earthquake is coming.But an earthquake is almost always a surprise.Under the surface of the Earth, huge blocks of rock drift apart or slide against each other.The ground above splits apart or rumbles and shakes.
Some scientists hope to predict quakes by keeping a close watch on animals.It seems that some animals can sense an earthquake coming.In 1969, animals in a Chinese zoo began to act funny one day.Swans flew out of their pond.A panda sat down, covered its eyes with its paws, and groaned.The animals seemed to know that something was about to happen.And it did.An earthquake struck.What was it that the animals sensed? Scientists are trying to find out.
Keeping close track of the Earth's magnetic force in earthquake areas may also help.A few years ago, in Hollister, CA, scientists kept a record of the area's magnetic pull.For one week, the force grew stronger.Then it weakened suddenly.A day later, an earthquake struck.
It may become possible to know when and where an earthquake will happen.But it will be much harder to stop one from happening.
Many scientists think that the Earth's covering is not smooth.They say the earth's "skin" is made up of huge puzzle pieces called plates.Land and ocean floors make up these huge plates.Under the Earth's crust , or plates, is hot rock.The plates float on top of this rock.Sometimes the rock forces its way through the crust.What happens then? A volcano is born! More often, the rock moves and forces the plates to pull away from each other, causing earthquakes to happen.(Volcanoes and earthquakes often go together.)
Sometimes, the plates end up on top of each other.When this happens, the land above may look strange.Seen from the air, there seems to be a long scar in the Earth.This is called a fault .The areas along faults have more earthquakes than other parts of the Earth.
For now, we'll just have to shake along with the Earth.It goes through millions of small earthquakes every year.With luck, you won't feel a thing! | [{'question': "When the rock forces its way through the Earth's crust, _ .", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['a volcano is born', 'an earthquake happens', 'a fault forms', "the Earth's covering becomes smooth"]}, {'question': 'How does a fault form?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['When California rests on two separate plates.', 'When the plates end up on top of each other.', 'Before an earthquake happens.', 'After volcano comes.']}] |
The United States is full of cars. There are still many families without cars, but some families have two or more. However, cars are used for more than pleasure. They are a necessary part of life.
Cars are used for business. They are driven to offices and factories by workers who have no other way to get to their jobs. When salesmen are sent to different parts of the city, they have to drive in order to carry their products. Farmers have to drive into the city in order to get supplies.
Sometimes small children must be driven to school. In some cities school buses are used only when children live more than a mile away from the school. When the children are too young to walk too far, their mothers take turns driving them to school. One mother drives on Mondays taking her own children and the neighbors' as well. Another mother drives on Tuesdays, another on Wednesday, and so on. This is called forming a car pool. Men also form car pools, with three or four men taking turns driving to the place where they all work.
More car pools should be formed in order to put fewer cars on the road and use less gas. Too many cars are being driven. Something will have to be done about the use of cars. | [{'question': 'The United States is filled with cars, but _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['not every family has a car', 'few families have two cars or even more', 'every American has a car', 'every family has a car']}, {'question': 'Mothers form car pools in order that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['they can drive to school', 'they can take turns driving their children to school', 'they reach school quickly', 'they can drive their children to school in time']}, {'question': 'The traffic in and around cities is a great problem because _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['too many cars are being driven', 'there are too many car pools', 'people put fewer cars on the roads', 'there is less gas']}] |
Ariau Amazon Towers
The Ariau Amazon Towers hotel lets you sleep in a tree house. Eight towers make up this hotel that offers over 300 rooms. If you really want to get into the spirit, book the Tarzan Suite which is large enough for a big family. You'll be thirty feet up in the air and can travel between the towers through their wooden walkways.
Prices: starting at $300 one night for each person for a regular room and going all the way up to $3000 for the Tarzan Suite.
For more information, visit the website: http://www.ariautowers.com
The Ice Hotel
Every winter in Jukkasjarvi, Sweden, a special kind of hotel called the Ice Hotel is built. Each year, world-famous artists are invited to design and produce works of art from the ice, many of which can be found in the rooms. You'll have your choice between hot or cold rooms, but you will be well advised to stay at least one night in a cold room for a true experience.
Prices: starting at $318 one night for each person for either a cold room or a warm one.
For more information, visit the website: http://www.icehotel.com
Propeller Island
Propeller Island City Lodge is a very special hotel that was designed by a German artist. Each room provides you with the possibility of living in a work of art. Every single piece of furniture in the thirty rooms of the hotel has been hand-made and each room is completely different. You'll be able to choose a room based on your own personal tastes.
Prices: starting at just $91 a night, and an additional person for only 20 extra dollars.
For more information, visit the website: http://www.propeller-island.com
For information about other cool hotels in the world, visit the website:
http://www.bahamabeachclub.com | [{'question': 'What is special about the Ariau Amazon Towers hotel?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['You can sleep in tree houses.', 'You can choose any of the towers.', 'It is designed for big families.', 'Every room has a walkway.']}, {'question': 'For two persons spending a night in one of these hotels, they have to pay at least _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['$111', '$182', '$600', '$636']}, {'question': 'Which website should you visit if you want to find out whether there exists a hotel under the sea?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['http://www.icehotel.com', 'http://www.ariautowers.com', 'http://www.propeller-island.com', 'http://www.bahamabeachclub.com']}, {'question': 'Which hotel would invite artists to come to work every year?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Propeller Island City Lodge.', 'Ariau Amazon Towers.', 'The Ice Hotel.', 'Bahama Beach Club.']}] |
Welcome to Coteborg University
Coteborg University is one of Sweden's largest and most popular universities.
We are very proud of this and believe that there are several reasons for our popularity. The principal reasons we believe to be the high quality of our education and research and the broad range of courses that we offer. In addition to this, Coteborg University provides an attractive and exceptionally high-standard study environment. Most parts of the university are situated in the city centre and this enriches city life as well as student life.
Coteborg has a lot to offer its students: it has a rich and varied cultural life with many theatres, concerts and festivals. For those looking for outdoor life, forests and vast recreation areas are not far away from the city centre; the sea and the archipelago are also within easy reach. Industry and commerce are expanding, and have a joint interest with the University in meeting the ever-changing and growing demands of society.
Coteborg University strives to be an attractive choice for students from all over the world.
We look forward to welcoming you to Coteborg University. | [{'question': "The main reasons for Coteborg University's popularity according to the passage is _ .", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['the high quality education and research and the wide range of courses', 'the convenient traffic', 'its excellent location and fast developing economical environment', 'famous professors and friendly students']}, {'question': 'Which of the following statements is true?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The university is in the city centre.', 'The students can live outdoor.', 'The cultural life of the university is very rich.', 'The University has no interest in growing demands of society.']}, {'question': "What's the main purpose of this passage?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['To bring fame to Coteborg University.', 'To introduce the wonderful cultural life in Coteborg University.', "To declare Coteborg University's goal and interest.", 'To attract students all over the world to apply for Coteborg University.']}] |
Any high school students lucky enough to be accepted to Harvard University can easily count themselves among the country's best and brightest.
The story of David Boone's journey from sleeping on a park bench to one of Harvard's dorm rooms, certainly stands out from the crowd of his peers.
David, a 17-year-old senior at a MC2 Stem, a high school in Cleveland, Ohio that focuses largely on engineering and science classes with the help of a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was offered a full-ride scholarship to Harvard in the fall.
His family life has been complicated for the past few years after gangs and economic hardships resulted in him being separated from his family and forced to look after himself on the streets and park benches in Cleveland.
Because both his grandmother and mother could not afford to house the teenagers, his siblings split up to stay with various family friends, but because of space issues and his allergies to the families pets, David was unable to stay. He ended up in the safer neighborhood of Coventry where there was a safer park with fewer dangers.
"All of these life lessons have shaped me into who I am, transforming my dreams and aspirations and allowing me to free myself from what was becoming an unproductive environment," he wrote in his blog post.
David's thirst for knowledge had never been reduced and his enthusiasm for engineering and science was growing. A short while later, Jeff McClellan, the principal of MC2 Stem was immediately impressed by David's dedication in the face of adversity, as well as his academic talent.
"Here's a kid who's doing everything in his power to get where he wants to go and we had the available resources to provide a little additional support, "Mr McClellan told the local ABC News.
At MC2 Stem, David found the exact fit, where it seems he was born to absorb what they were offering. Principal Jeff McClellan found David to be a great student and all-around person, but with a serious living situation, so he stepped in to help. After a home discussion with his wife, McClellan decided to offer David a place to live until he could find another home. Mr McClellan and his wife took the teen in and helped him before he found a permanent solution.
When it came to his next step, David aimed high and applied for a list of top colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania, MIT, Princeton, Cornell, Yale, Harvard and Washington University in St. Louis. In the end, only MIT rejected his application and he was left to choose his own fate from the selective prestigious and mostly Ivy League schools.
David's next challenge is to fight back tears at graduation this weekend. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry. But I realize that's what everyone does before they cry. I'm pretty sure there's going to be a lot of emotion there." he said. | [{'question': 'According to the passage, what is one of the reasons that made David homeless?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["His parents' divorce.", "His parents' unemployment.", 'His desire to be adventurous', 'His facing acts of violence.']}, {'question': "Jeff McClellan was impressed by David's _ .", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['honesty and sincerity', 'positive attitude towards life', 'courage when facing difficulties', 'great academic achievement']}, {'question': 'How does David feel now when he thought of his life of being homeless?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Grateful.', 'Painful.', 'Shameful.', 'Doubtful.']}, {'question': "What's probably the best title for the passage?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Chances are there, making an effort to seize them', 'Deal with adversity, being determined', 'Best way to experience, choosing to be homeless', 'From a park bench to a Harvard dormitory An incredible story']}] |
Winter is the time of year when people feel very blessed. This isn't because people feel thankful for the cold weather, nor because the important festivals---Christmas or Spring Festival---offer an excuse to celebrate. In fact, "Bless you!" is a common response if someone sneezes, a symptom of catching a cold or the flu.
Colds and the flu are the most common illnesses of autumn and winter as the weather gets colder. Viruses cause them. If you get one you will feel annoyed, but it is not usually serious. The flu is spread from person to person when we come into contact with a person with the virus. We get the virus on our hands and then we touch our noses and our mouths. We can pass on the flu before we realize we have it. You can infect others one day before symptoms develop and for up to five days after becoming sick.
Getting a flu vaccination is the best way to prevent the illness. Even if your body has built up antibodies for one kind of flu. The vaccine is only effective for one year and viruses are different from year to year, so it is necessary to get a flu vaccination every year. The best time to get the vaccination is October or November. Besides, there are other ways to reduce your chance of getting a flu. Wash your hands. Get enough rest. Eat garlic regularly. Don't let stress control you. Exercise regularly. | [{'question': 'We say "Bless you!" when _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['we feel annoyed at someone.', 'someone sneezes.', 'someone catches a cold or the flu.', 'we celebrate some important festivals.']}, {'question': 'How many ways are mentioned in the passage to stop you from catching the flu?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['6', '5', '7', '3']}, {'question': 'The passage is intended to tell us _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['how to keep healthy .', 'the causes of flu .', 'the influence of flu .', 'what to do about flu.']}, {'question': 'We can infer the passage that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['People catch a cold or the flu only in autumn or winter.', "people getting a flu vaccination won't catch the illness for life.", 'flu can cause symptoms such as sore throat and a runny nose.', 'people with the virus of flu but having no symptoms can still infect others.']}] |
If you go into the woods with your friends, stay with them. If you don't, you may get lost. If you do get lost, this is what you should do.
Sit down and stay where you are. Don't try to find your friends -- let them find you. You can help them to find you by staying in one place.
There is another way to help your friends or other people nearby to find you. Give them a signal by shouting or whistling three times. Stop. Then shout or whistle three times again. Any signal given three times is a call for help. You will be helped by others.
Keep up the shouting or whistling, always three times together. When people hear you, they will know that you are not just making noise for fun. They will let you know they have heard your signal. They will give two shouts, two whistles or two gunshots. When a signal is given twice, it is an answer to a call for help.
If you don't think that you will get help before night comes, try to make a little house and cover up the holes with branches with lots of leaves and grass. What should you do if you get hungry or need to drink some water? You should have to leave your little branch house to look for a brook. Don't just walk away. Pick off small branches and drop them as you walk so that you can find your way back.
The most important thing to do when you are lost is -- stay in one place. | [{'question': 'How do you let people believe that you are not just making noise for fun?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Stop now and then.', 'Go on shouting or whistling.', 'Shout over and over at the top of voice.', 'Shout or whistle three times once a while.']}, {'question': 'If nobody answers you after your signal, what should you do then?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Give two gunshots.', 'Shout louder.', 'Stop shouting.', 'Make a house.']}, {'question': 'If you feel thirsty when you are lost in the forest, what should you do?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Go and find a brook.', 'Light a fire and make yourself some tea.', 'Go to find a brook and leave marks behind you.', 'Find something to hold the water.']}, {'question': "What's the best title for the passage?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['What Do Three Shots And Two Shots Mean In A Forest', 'How To Find Your Friends When You Are Lost In The Woods', 'What To Do If You Get Lost In A Forest', 'The Most Important Thing To Do Is To Stay In One Place']}] |
Three Central Texas men were honored with the Texas Department of Public Safety's Director's Award in a Tuesday morning ceremony for their heroism in saving the victims of a fiery two car accident.
The accident occurred on March 25 when a vehicle lost control while traveling on a rain-soaked State Highway 6 near Baylor Camp Road. It ran into an oncoming vehicle, leaving the occupants trapped inside as both vehicles burst into flames.
Bonge was the first on the scene and heard children screaming. He broke through a back window and pulled Mallory Smith, 10, and her sister, Megan Smith,9,from the wreckage.
The girls' mother, Beckie Smith, was not with them at the time of the wreck, as they were traveling with their baby sitter, Lisa Bow bin.
Beckie Smith still remembers the sickening feeling she had up on receiving the call informing her of the wreck and the despair as she drove to the scene.
Bozeman and Clemmons arrived shortly after Bonge and helped rescue the other victims and attempted to put out the fires.
"I was nervous," Bozeman said." I don't feel like I'm a hero. I was just doing what anyone should do in that situation. I hope someone would do the same for me."
Everyone at the accident made it out alive, with the victims suffering from nonlife-threatening injuries. Mallory Smith broke both femurs, and Megan had neck and back injuries. Bowbin is still recovering from a broken pelvis, ankle and foot.
The rescuers also were taken to the hospital and treated for cuts and smoke breathing, Bonge said.
In addition, Bozeman not to meet accident victim Anthony Rus so in the hospital after the accident, where Russo presented him with a glass frame inscribed with" Thank you," Bozeman said. Those involved in that fateful encounter on Highway 6 credited God blessing for bringing them together.
"Whatever the circumstances, Tuesday's ceremony provided a time to be grateful for those who put their lives on the line for the lives of complete strangers," Beckie Smith said," We're calling it The Miracle on Highway 6." | [{'question': 'Which of the following can be used to describe Bozeman?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Kind.', 'Modest.', 'Excited.', 'Smart.']}, {'question': 'Who saved Megan Smith from the damaged car?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Clemmons.', 'Anthony Russo.', 'Bozeman.', 'Bonge.']}, {'question': "What's the main idea of the passage?", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Three persons were awarded for rescuing victims in a car accident.', 'Three ordinary people were regarded as great heroes.', 'Several victims were carried to safety from the burning cars.', 'A car accident occurred on a rain-soaked State Highway 6.']}, {'question': 'It can be inferred from what Beckie Smith said that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['she regarded the accident as a wonder', 'she was frightened by the serious accident', 'she thought highly of the rescuers', 'she called on others to learn from the rescuers']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is true according to the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Luckily, no one received too serious injuries in the accident.', 'All the victims received slight injuries in the accident.', 'The rescuers were taken to the hospital to visit the victims.', 'The injured will soon recover from their injuries.']}] |
This girl is almost without shelter. She may not realize it, but she's more exposed to the world than she's ever likely to be again. And it isn't because she's a girl. It could be a boy. It could be you.
But why is she 'shelter less ? She s got a place to live in quite a pleasant place by the look of it and if shelter .
Doesn't' t mean a house, then what does it mean? When we say someone "lives a sheltered life" , we don't only mean that their house is comfortable. We mean that they're protected from too many worries and troubles, that they live in a settled home, probably surrounded by friends and family, and that they don't have to cope with the difficulties the world is full of alone.
Certainly no one would say that this girl was leading a sheltered life; she's leaving home to earn her living in a strange city and live by herself in a bed sitter. She may be just as well protected physically as a "sheltered life" person, but she's lost all the other shelters in her life--family, friends, the home she grew up in, school, the groups she belonged to. She s on her own now and unless she's very self-reliant , she's likely to feel unhappy and insecure at times.
A young person setting out on her own like this is between the two main kinds of shelter most of us spend our lives in. One is our parents home where we grow up, and the other is the home we make ourselves and where we bring up our own children. For most people the time they spend between or outside these two shelters is only a small part of their lives. | [{'question': 'It can be inferred from the passage that this girl _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['has nowhere to live', "will have problems because she's a girl", 'is probably going to feel lonely', 'wants to live in her home again']}, {'question': 'When we say someone "lives a sheltered life", we mean they _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['live in the country', 'have a comfortable house', 'don t have any worries', 'have a secure home life and don t have to face problems alone']}, {'question': 'What would be best title for the passage?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Leaving Home', 'Finding a House', 'Living with the Family', 'Making a Better Shelter']}] |
A 16-year-old South Dakota boy who became lost while hunting and spent 16 hours alone in the Black Hills National Forest says he was scared but still managed to make a survival plan.
Austin DuVall, of Rapid City, became lost on Nov.3 while hunting with his father. He ran after a deer, and soon found himself alone. "I ran after a deer, but I didn't get it," he said. "Then I was really lost."
He had only his hunting rifle and the clothes he was wearing. He had no food or water and had nothing that could help him find his way to safety. "I knew that no one could hear me. I decided to just sleep and get up in the morning and find safety," he said.
Austin climbed up on a rock and slept through the night. Then he awoke and relied on skills he learned in a hunter safety course. He followed a stream to an occupied cabin. The couple there called his parents and cooked him a breakfast. " It's probably one meal I'll never forget for the rest of my life," he said.
After DuVall's disappearance, a lot of emergency officials and more than 100 volunteers went searching for him. "He wasn't sitting there waiting for someone to come and find him," said his father, Steve DuVall. "We didn't find him; he found himself."
Mike Kintigh, regional supervisor for the Game, Fish & Parks Department, said one or two hunters will go missing each year, but rarely for more than 24 hours. "We're a little bit unique in the Black Hills as it's hard to get lost for a very long time. That's because we've got so many roads here compared to the Rocky Mountains," Kintigh said. "You can certainly spend a very uncomfortable night in the woods like Austin did." | [{'question': 'After Austin realized he lost his way, he _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['was very nervous but excited', 'cried aloud for help', 'tried to find a safe place', 'decided to sleep in the wild']}, {'question': 'Who saved Austin according to his father?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['The couple in the cabin.', 'Emergency officials.', 'Volunteers.', 'Himself.']}, {'question': 'From what Mike Kintigh said, we learn that _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['if someone gets lost in the Rocky Mountains, it is hard to find a way out', 'too many people go missing in the Black Hills every year', 'the rescue team is skillful enough to find the lost people in less than 24 hours', 'people who are lost in the Black Hills have to spend a night in the woods']}] |
Dear Earthmen ,
I have enjoyed my stay on your interesting unusual planet. I think I understand the life on earth now and I would like to give you my impressions.
First of all you live in boxes. Every morning you leave your big boxes and get into smaller boxes on wheels. All these small boxes race around and around, and finally stop to rest. You then leave these boxes on wheels and go to very large tall boxes.
After testing all days you get back in your little boxes and return to your big boxes. There you sit and stare at tiny glowing boxes with moving pictures on the front.
Only one thing puzzles me. One day I went to a football game. A bunch of angry boys fought over a little round ball. Everyone yelled for them to stop but they kept on fighting. They were angry, I suppose, about being cooped up in boxes all day.
Thank you earthmen for this chance to get to know you.
Gratefully,
The man from the Mars | [{'question': 'The small boxes on wheels are _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['toys', 'ears', 'houses that can be moved', 'boxes in which there are wheels']}, {'question': 'The tiny glowing boxes with moving pictures on the front are _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['cameras', 'cinema screens', 'TV sets', 'telescopes']}, {'question': 'In the football game _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['the players were very angry because there was only one ball on the playground', 'the man from the Mars thought the players were fighting', 'the man from the Mars saw a fighting among the angry boys', 'the players were very angry because everyone yelled at them']}, {'question': 'The best title of this passage is _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['The Man from the Mars', 'Something about Boxes', 'A Letter from the Mars', 'A Football Game']}, {'question': 'The man from the Mars thinks _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['it interesting to experience a lot on our unusual planet', 'there are so many boxes on the earth', 'the tiny glowing boxes are moving pictures', 'the angry boys are too foolish to fight over a little round ball']}] |
In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an intemational festival of music,dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
At the same time, the "Fringe" appeared as a challenge to the official festival.Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947,in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform,and they did so in a public house disused for years.
Soon,groups of studentsfirstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge,Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little-known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the "Fringe",once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre,music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959,with only 19 theatre groups performing,some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1,25 million tickets were sold. | [{'question': 'Point was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at he beginning?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['To bring Europe together again.', 'To honor heroes of World War 11.', 'To introduce young theatre groups.', 'To attract great artists from Europe.']}, {'question': 'Why did some uninvited theatre groups come to Edinburgh in 1947?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['They owned a public house there.', 'They came to take up a challenge.', 'They thought they were also famous.', 'They wanted to take part in the festival.']}, {'question': 'Who joined the "Fringe" after it appeared?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['they owned a public house there', 'University students.', 'rusts from around the world.', 'Performers of music and dance.']}, {'question': 'We may learn from the text that Edinburgh Festival.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['has become a non-official event', 'has gone beyond an art festival', 'gives shows all year round', 'keeps growing rapidly']}] |
Growing up in Philadelphia, Lieberman started cooking with his stay-at-home dad when he was seven. His food-loving family had two kitchens, and he quickly learned what was the best way to bake his cakes. Lieberman improved his kitchen skills during a year abroad beforo college, learning from a cook in Italy and study local specialties in Gerrnany, Spain and France. At Yale,he was known for throwing dinner parties, single-handedly frying and baking while mixing drinks for dozens offriends. Just for fun, he and some friends decided to tape a show named Campus Cuisine about his cooking. Lieberman was a real college student showing his classmate how to do things like making drinks out of dining-hall fruit. That helped the show become very popular among the students. They would stop Lieberman after classes to ask for his advice on cooking. Tapes of the show were passed around,with which his name went beyond the school and finally to the Food Network.
Food Network producer Flay hopes the young cook will find a place on the
network television. He says Lieberman's charisma is key."Food T-V isn't about
food anymore." says Flay, " It's about your personality and finding a way to keep
people's eyeballs on your show."
But Lieberman isn't putting all his eggs in one basket. After taping the first season of the new show, Lieberman was back in his own small kitchen preparing
sandwiches. An airline company was looking for someone to come up with a tasteful,
inexpensive and easy-to-make menu to serve on its flight. Lieberman got the job. | [{'question': "We can learn from the text that Lieberman's family _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['have relatives in Europe', 'love cooking at home', 'often hold parties', 'own a restaurant']}, {'question': 'The Food Network got to know Lieberman _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['at one of his parties', 'from his teacher', 'through his taped show', 'on a television program']}, {'question': 'What does the word"charisma" underline in the text refer to ?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['A natural ability to attract others.', "A way to show one's achievement.", "Lieberman's after-class interest", "Lieberman's fine cooking skill"]}, {'question': 'Why did the airline company give Lieberman the job?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['He could prepare meals in a small kitchen.', 'He was famous for his shows on Food TV.', 'He was good at using eggs to make sandwiches.', 'He could cook cheap, delicious and simple meals.']}, {'question': 'What can we learn about Lieberman from the text?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['He is clever but lonely.', 'He is friendly and active.', 'He enioys traveling around.', 'He often changes his menus.']}] |
As the train approached the seaside town where I was going to spend my holiday, I went into the corridor to stretch my legs.I stayed there for a short while,breathing in the fresh air and exchanging a few words with one of the passengers,whom I had met earlier on the station platform.
When I turned to go back to my seat,I happened to glance into the compartment next to mine.Sitting there was a man who many years before had been my neighbor.He was a great talker, I remembered;it used to take hours to get away from him once he began talking.I was not at all sorry when he went to live in another part of London.We had not met since then,nor did I wish to meet him now, when my holiday was about to begin.
Luckily at that moment he was much too busy talking to the man opposite him to have the chance to notice me.I slipped back into my compartment,took down my two suitcases and carried them to the far end of the corridor so as to be ready to get off the train as soon as it stopped.The moment the train came to a stop,I called a porter, who _ carried my luggage out of the station and found a taxi for me.As I drove towards the small hotel on the other end of the town,I breathed a deep relief and felt happy that there was little chance that I should run into my boring ex-neighbor again.
When I reached the hotel, I went straight to my room and rested there until it was time for dinner.Then I went to the lounge and ordered a drink.I had hardly raised the glass to my lips when a too familiar voice greeted me.I had not escaped from my tiresome neighbor after all ! | [{'question': 'The writer went into the corridor because _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['he wanted to take a rest', 'he wanted to meet his friend', 'he wanted to get off the train', 'he wanted to have a walk']}, {'question': 'Whom did the writer see in the compartment next to his?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['One of his former neighbors.', 'One of his old friends.', 'One of his s.', 'One whom he wanted to see.']}, {'question': '"in no time" means_.', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['having no time', 'very quickly', 'in the near future', 'sooner or later']}, {'question': 'This story is about a man who_.', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['got off the train to avoid meeting an ex-neighbor.', 'went with an ex-neighbor to spend holiday at the seaside*', 'tried to get away from an ex-neighbor but did not succeed*', 'was surprised to meet his ex--neighbor in a small hotel*']}] |
It is well known that Einstein was the father of the famous Theory of Relativity. But do you know it owes a great deal to Marits, Einstein's former wife?
In 1896, 17-year-old Einstein went to Zurich to study physics. There he met a girl from Hungary. They studied in the same class. The same interest brought the two together and the young man fell in love with Marits. In 1903, when Einstein was 24 years old, he married Marits, who was 4 years older than he.
After their marriage, Einstein devoted himself to the research of the great theory. To give her husband more help, Marits gave up her own work, and became a good wife and assistant. She tried her best to encourage him whenever possible and she was sure that her husband would succeed. They often discussed the theory while walking outside or sitting together in the room. They even discussed it in their letters when one of them was away from home.
In 1914, the Einstein moved to Berlin and settled there. At that time, Einstein's theory proved to be correct and he had become famous all over the world. Marits was very proud of him and his success. But it was not long before the First World War broke out. Marits as well as her two sons, who were all on holidays in Switzerland, couldn't come back to Berlin. The war not only stopped Einstein's work but broke up the warm, happy family. In 1919, Einstein and Marits had to get divorced.
Einstein himself, however, later said that Marits was really an outstanding woman. | [{'question': 'Einstein fell in love with Marits mainly because they _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['were in the same school', 'wanted to do research together', 'had the same interest', 'came from different countries']}, {'question': 'By the year of 1914, Einstein had _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['become famous all over the world', 'been proud of his success', 'suffered from the 1st World War', 'lost touch with Marits']}, {'question': 'Einstein and Marits got divorced because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['they no longer loved each other', 'the 1st World War broke out', 'Marits went away with the children', 'Einstein had become famous']}] |
Golf in the USA was until quite recently the hobby of old,middle class white men.Not any more.The fact that the class,age and race barriers that existed in the sport have finally been broken down is due almost entirely to two people.Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie.
Tiger Woods was born in California in 1975 and is one of the greatest golfers of all time.His ethnic background is marvelously rich and varied.His father Earl was of mixed of black,Chinese and Native American ancestry and his mother Kultida,who was originally from Thailand,also had Chinese and Dutch forefathers.
Woods became a professional golfer in 1996 and,less than a year later,astonished the world easily winning the prestigious Masters Colf Tournament,an annual event which takes place at the Augusta Golf Club in Georgia,USA.At 21,he was the youngest golfer ever to win the tournament,but much more important,he was also the first Asian American to do it.
Woods'amazing achievement is put into perspective when you realize that until 1990,no non-white American had ever been allowed to join Augusta Golf Club.Even in 2000,it only had two black members.In fact,in 1977,Clifford Roberts,the chairman of the club and founder of the Masters Tournament,proclaimed:"As long as 1 am alive,golfers will be white and caddies
will be black."Roberts died not long after making this racist remark...
Fortunately,his views were not shared by his successors and the dramatic appearance of Tiger Woods on the Golf scene radically changed attitudes to the sport and prompted a major surge of interest in the game among ethnic minorities end young people in the USA.
Michelle Wie,a Korean American born in 1989 whose mother was an amateur golf champion in Korea,will probably became the greatest woman golfer of all time.She's 1.85 meters tall and she can play a golf ball further than most men.Like Woods,she has transformed the world of golf,and wants to do so in even more dramatic ways.She has expressed her determination to play on the men's tournament circuit,not just the women's,and has already appeared in several professional men's tournaments.
Thanks to Woods and Wie,golf in America will never be the same again. | [{'question': 'What is the text about?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["Tiger Woods'life in playing golf.", 'The achievements of two golf players from ethnic minorities.', "Michelle Wie's determination.", 'Playing golf in USA was once the hobby of old,middle class while men.']}, {'question': 'Less than a year after turning professional.Tiger Woods', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['easily won a major golf tournament.', 'nearly won a major golf tournament.', 'joined the Augusta Golf Club.', 'won a completely new golf tournament.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following sentences is true?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Tiger Woods was of mixed black,Chinese,and Native America.', 'Tiger Woods was not the first Asian American to win the Tournament.', "Tiger Woods'achievement was amazing because he was the youngest golfer.", "Tiger Woods'dramatic appearance on the golf scene had the attitude to this sport in USA changed."]}, {'question': "Michelle Wie's ambition is to_.", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['play like Woods.', 'play in a dramatic way', 'compete on equal terms with male golfers.', 'hit the golf ball further than most men.']}] |
There is no doubt about it.The best way to learn new words is to do it unconsciously.I don't mean while you're unconscious.I mean while you are unconscious of the fact that it is sinking in.
That is how I learnt the 30,000 words in my vocabulary by living in an English-speaking world, mother tongue.I just pick them up.But some of _ may be misunderstood.Now, to misunderstand does not mean not to understand.To misunderstand is to understand but incorrectly.
The 5 % mislearnt of all the words we "know" will be the least frequently used words, as the more frequently used words are less likely to be mislearnt.Some of the misunderstandings may live with all our lives, without knowing that we got them wrong.
Many English teachers think that this natural method of learning words in one's own mother tongue can be used for a second language learning.They teach their students how to play the Guessing Game."There is no time to look up in your dictionaries all the new words you come across," they will say."You have to practise guessing what the word means from the context."
This method of guessing in a second language learning does not work.It may succeed in many cases, but results in hundreds or thousands of wrongly-guessed meanings of words.
And what's more, there are more separate meanings than there are words themselves.Our learners' dictionaries usually have many meanings.A good dictionary is what makes self-learning possible.
Don't guess! Look it up! | [{'question': 'It is certain that the best way to learn new words is _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['to learn them by oneself', 'to learn by living in an English-speaking world and using them frequently', 'to guess them from the context', 'to get more separate meanings of each word']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is most likely NOT true?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Some of the words the writer knows must have been misunderstood.', 'Most of the 30,000 words the writer learned are frequently used ones.', 'How many words the writer got wrong are not known.', 'All the words the writer knows were learned by reading them.']}, {'question': 'It can be inferred that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ["when somebody is conscious, he or she usually can't learn new words by heart", 'we must use the words as often as possible in order to master them', "it's the best way to learn new words that one should only guess their meanings from the context", 'only dictionaries can help us learn language well']}] |
If you had a strange sound in your ear, what would you do? One man in Wales who thought he had a fly in his ear called 999, the emergency services number in Britain. And so did a woman who was worried about her green potatoes. Could she make chips with them? Were they poisonous? She didn't hesitate about calling the local ambulance service to ask. According to a recent report, more than 31,000 non-urgent calls were made to the Welsh Ambulance Service in the last year.
Inappropriate calls are a headache for health professionals everywhere. In the US, prank calls to 911 happen on a daily basis. Many callers use apps which hide their identity. But those who try to be funny shouldn't be surprised if the police _ . One man from Colorado was arrested for making more than 1,200 prank calls, according to a report on the US television station KOAA--TV.
People who take these calls are trained to stay calm and keep a straight face, no matter how strange the call sounds. "There's no way for us to know whether the call is real, accidental or a prank call," said a public safety worker interviewed by the American TV channel.
The Head of Clinical Services at the Welsh Ambulance Service, Richard Lee, has a warning for prank callers. He says:" When people misuse the service it means our precious time is being taken away from someone who really does need our help." Indeed, these hotlines are supposed to help the seriously ill or those with a life-threatening injury. You never know, one day, the person who needs assistance could be you or someone in your family. | [{'question': 'How does the author introduce the topic of the text?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['By giving examples.', 'By telling a story.', 'By listing figures.', 'By making a comparison.']}, {'question': 'According to the text, prank calls are usually _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['meant to be helpful', 'dealt with in time', 'thought highly of', 'made to play tricks']}, {'question': 'What does the author intend to suggest in the text?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Prank calls are usually easy to identify.', 'Operators feel annoyed by strange callers.', 'Prank calls may cause serious results.', 'Prank callers should be punished by law.']}] |
Directions: Read the following passage. The passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A,B,C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
It may be open to discussion which city is the most beautiful in the world. But in terms of " the most livable", Melbourne has ranked top in a survey done by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in August. In fact, four cities Down Under are among the top ten most livable cities.
The climate in Australia is warm and mild, particularly in major coastal cities. As a result, people spend much time outdoors. They go to the beach, to the countryside, or play sports outdoors in fields.
Take Melbourne for example. The city features many open green spaces and beautiful long beaches. Melburnians
(people from Melbourne) have a strong love for sports. The city hosts the annual Australia Open,
the Formula One Grand Prix, cricket, rugby and homegrown football. It is also home to museums, art exhibitions and drama festivals.
The comfortable environment has encouraged many people to migrate to the country and Australia is known for being very multicultural or its cultural diversity .
"We have tried to introduce a sense of belonging in Australia," said Chris Bowen, the Australian Minister for Immigration . "Multiculturalism is about inviting every individual member of society to be everything they can be ... to develop as individuals."
This could be the reason behind another Australia quality that Guardian reporter Stephen Brook has noticed: Australians do patriotism much better than the Brits.
"I once witnessed two Australian viewers at a tennis tournament show more support for the Aussie player than the rest of the British arena," he wrote.
It is also an Australian tradition to stand up for the _ . In the 2000 Olympic Games, the Sydney public watches an African swimmer who was barely able to swim 50 meters. Even though most people in the stands knew that even they could have swum better than him at that point, they cheered his every stroke as if he were on his way to a good medal. During the 2003 Rugby World Cup, the level of support they showed for the Japanese team surprised viewers since Japan had little hope of winning.
"Australians don't need to be victorious in order to feel like a worthy person. When they cheer for the underdog, seeing other human beings having the courage to take on hardship, they get the emotional satisfaction they need," wrote a blogger on convictcreations.com, a website dedicated to Australian culture. | [{'question': 'What is the article mainly about?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Multiculturalism in Australia.', 'Qualities that make Australia stand out as "the most livable" place in the world.', 'The comfortable environment and lifestyle in Australia.', "The world's most livable city, Melbourne."]}, {'question': 'What can be concluded from the article?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Melbourne is the most culturally diverse city in the world.', 'The majority of Australians are fascinated with sports and art.', 'The Australian government tries to make immigrants feel at home.', 'Australians are considered to be the most patriotic in the world.']}, {'question': 'With the example of the African swimmer, the author intends to show that Australians _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['are very good at swimming', 'understand the feelings of the underdog', 'are courageous in face of hardship', 'understand that having fun and playing a game does not have to mean winning']}, {'question': 'Which will be the best title for this passage?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Australia --- famous for its cultural diversity', 'Australia --- home to sports', 'Australia --- the most livable place in the world', 'Australia --- fantastic natural environment']}] |
China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. In Panama, it is said that medicine made with a poisonous chemical sickened some people. A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol ( []), a low - cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze .
Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical, melamine, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousands of dogs and cats became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including children's toys covered with lead paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva, commissioner for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And _ dismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption for approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next Week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation. | [{'question': 'How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Six', 'Five', 'Four', 'Three']}, {'question': 'We can infer the followings except that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Chinese- made toothpaste is safe', 'the safety of "made in China" is doubted', 'there are safety problems with more Chinese products', 'the Chinese government is to blame partly for the product safety problems.']}, {'question': 'The passage is mainly about _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['China is facing product safety problems', 'more controls are taken of Chinese goods', 'overstated problems with Chinese goods', 'China is losing its trade partners']}] |
A gentleman put an advertisement in a newspaper for a boy to work in his office. Out of the nearly fifty men who come to apply, the man selected one and dismissed the others.
"I should like to know," said a friend, "the reason you preferred that boy, who brought not a single letter--not a recommendation ,"
"You are wrong" said the gentleman. He had a great man. He wiped his feet at the door and closed the door after him, indicating that he was careful. He gave his seat immediately to that old man, showing that he was kind and thoughtful. He took off his cap when he came in and answered my questions, showing that he was polite and gentlemanly.
" All the rest stepped over the book which I had purposely put on the floor." He picked it up and placed it on the table; and he waited quietly for his turn instead of pushing and crowding.
When I asked to him, I noticed his tidy clothing, his neatly brushed hair, and his clean fingernails. " Can't you see that these things are excellent recommendations? I consider them more significant than letters." | [{'question': 'A gentleman put an advertisement in a newspaper _', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['in order to hire an office boy', 'so as to dismiss the others', 'in order to select one among the fifty applicants', 'so as to select one and dismiss the others']}, {'question': '_ was the very person the gentleman preferred.', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['He who has a great many letters', 'He who had no letters', 'He who wiped his feet before entering the room', 'he who was careful, kind , polite and thoughtful']}, {'question': 'The gentleman dismissed the other boys because _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["they didn't pick up the book lying on the floor", 'they pushed and crowded', 'they were impolite', 'all the above']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, we know that the gentleman hired the boy _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['not by his letters but by his good manners', 'by the relationship between them', 'by the feelings', 'by his letters']}] |
School education is very important and useful. Yet no one can learn everything from school. A teacher, no matter how much he knows, he can not teach his students everything they want to know. The teacher's job is to show his students how to learn. He teaches them how to read and how to think. So much more is to be learned outside school by the students themselves.
It is always more important to know how to study by oneself than to learn some facts or a formula by heart. It is actually quite easy to learn a certain fact in history or a formula in mathematics. But it is very difficult to use a formula in working out a maths problem. Great scientist, such as Einstein, Newton and Galileo, didn't get everything from school. But they were all so successful and invented so many things for men. They worked hard all their lives, wasting not a single moment. They would ask many questions as they read and they did thousands of experiments. | [{'question': 'According to the passage, a good teacher should be one who is to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['help his students to gain a good memory.', "train his students' ability to learn", 'teach his students everything he knows', 'have his students studying long hours']}, {'question': 'If a student want to learn better, the most important thing for him to do is _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['to learn all the useful facts and formula by heart', 'to do everything as his teacher have said in class', 'to absorb as much knowledge from his teacher as possible', 'to think more while he is studying']}, {'question': 'The main reason for the success of the great scientists is that _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['the teachers who had taught them were all experienced.', "they used to work and study without a moment's rest.", 'they had received more schooling than other people', 'they know how to study and worked hard']}, {'question': "What's the good advice the writer gives us?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['We can learn better without teachers', 'We should do more asking and thinking while studying', 'We should pay enough attention to classroom', 'Book knowledge is little use']}] |
There are a growing number of pet owners who feed their pets on raw, which means, "uncooked" meat and bones. William Burk, a pet food specialist from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), believes that feeding raw meat to pets is against its goal of protecting the public from health dangers, and that raw meat and bones do not have all the required nutrition that a pet needs every day.
Recognizing how popular these foods are, the FDA has provided guidelines for producers of pet foods which contain uncooked meat for dogs, cats and other pets. The guidelines give rules to protect pet owners and pets from dangers about food safety and lack of nutrition.
Pet owners who feed raw meat and bones to their pets should deal with these products very carefully to protect themselves against possible dangers, says Burk. Just as when you are preparing foods for human beings, use hot water and soap to wash your hands, containers, and surfaces that come into contact with the food. Don't put your hands near your mouth until you have washed them, and don't allow your pet to touch your face right after it has eaten raw meat.
"If pet owners choose to feed bones to their pets, they should watch their pets carefully when they are eating bones," Burk says. "If a pet eats a big piece of bone that won't pass through its digestive system , it is likely to kill the pet." | [{'question': 'The FDA has provided guidelines for producers of pet foods with raw meat because _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['pet safety is a serious problem', 'most pets are lack of nutrition', 'feeding pets on raw is popular', 'the quality of pet foods is dropping']}, {'question': 'Those who feed pets on raw should do some necessary cleaning when _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['preparing raw meat for pets', 'touching the food containers', 'taking their pets out for a walk', 'preparing foods for human beings']}] |
There are a number of different ways to study a language, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. You may find a combination of these is a best choice for you.
If you can find a course in the language you want to learn in your country, this is quite a good way to study. A variety of courses are usually available, including part-time and full-time courses. If you look around, you can probably find a course that suits your needs.
The main advantage of such courses is that you'll have a teacher to provide you with instructions, support and with whom to practice your language. You will also be studying with others who are at more or less the same level and you can exchange ideas with them and help one another.
One choice is to study a language in a country where it's spoken. There are many schools teaching English, French, Spanish, Italian and German, but far fewer teaching other languages. The main advantage of studying abroad is that you are totally in the language, not just in class, but the rest of the time as well. As a result, you can make rapid progress.
The main disadvantage of studying abroad is the cost, not just of your course, but also of your food and travel. However, if you're a native speaker of English, you could get a job teaching English in a country where the language you want to learn is spoken.
Studying online is also a good choice. There are plenty to choose from a lot of languages. Many are free but there are some you have to pay for. Some of the paid ones provide support from teachers via email, chat programs, video conferencing, telephone or even face to face. | [{'question': 'Studying in your country has many advantages except that _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['there are many courses to choose from', 'you can study with others of the same level', 'all the courses are free of charge', 'the teacher can offer you instructions and practice']}, {'question': 'Compared with two other ways, the obvious disadvantage of studying abroad lies in its _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['various courses', 'high cost', 'studying time', 'job chances']}, {'question': 'The online courses _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['are all free of charge', "can't be found everywhere", 'can be easily taken on the Internet', 'are all supported by teachers']}, {'question': 'What can we learn from this passage? _', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Studying abroad is the only good way to study English.', 'All the online courses are very easy to study.', 'If you study a language in your own country, you can study with more partners of the same level.', 'You can get any job you like after studying abroad.']}] |
Boys' schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.
Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity ,the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to be consistent to a stereotype ,a US study says.
Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their abilities to express their emotions,rather than feeling they had to obey to the"boy code"of hiding their emotions to be a"real man".
The findings of the study are against the received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.
Tony Little,headmaster of Eton,warned that boys were being ignored by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls.He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.
The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.
But in single-sex schools teachers can adjust lessons to boys'learning style,letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom,wrote the study's author, Abigail James of the University of Virginia.
Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with "boy-focused" approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them.Because boys generally have sharper vision,learn best through touch, and are physically more active,they need to be given"hands-on"lessons where they are allowed to walk around."Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine and prefer the modem type in which violence and sexism are major themes,"James wrote.
Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to give in to a stereotype that men should be"masterful and in charge"in relationships."In mixed schools boys feel pressed to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means,"the study reported. | [{'question': 'The author believes that a single-sex school would _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['force boys to hide their emotions to be"real men"', 'help to form masculine aggressiveness in boys', 'encourage boys to express their emotions more freely', 'naturally place emphasis on the traditional image of a man to boys']}, {'question': 'It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['perform ly better', 'grow up more healthily', 'behave more responsibly', 'receive a better education']}, {'question': 'What does Tony Little say about the British education system?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['It fails more boys than girls academically.', 'It focuses more on mixed school education.', 'It fails to give boys the attention they need.', 'It places more pressure on boys than on girls.']}, {'question': 'According to Abigail James,one of the advantages of single-sex schools is _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['teaching can be adapted to suit the characteristics of boys', 'boys can focus on their lessons without being absent-minded', 'boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in', "teaching can be designed to promote boys'team spirit"]}, {'question': "Which of the following is the characteristic of boys according to Abigail James'report?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['They enjoy being in charge.', 'They act the same to stereotypes.', 'They have sharper vision.', 'They are violent and sexist.']}] |
Chances are that you've had to apologize plenty of times in your life. And there's a goodchance that you've also expressed the phrase, "I never meant to hurt you."
Stop doing that, says author Caroline Myss.
In a talk Myss - a spiritual researcher - took on the topic of forgiveness and healing, and explained in no uncertain terms why "I never meant to hurt you" is never a sufficient apology, no matter who it comes from.
"Picture that person coming up to you and saying, 'Wow, l'm sorry I did this, but, you know ,l never meant to hurt you. And, hey, can we just call it a day?"' Myss says.
Though it can make the two bur\ the hatchet and keep friendship, that type of apology won't sit well with the person on the receiving end. "That whole little thing - 'I never meant to hurt you' - that's the thing you can't forgive," she says. "It goes right to your soul, that toxic (, ) , sick feeling."
Instead, Myss says it's important to approach the conversation differently. Basically, it's about offering more than an apology. It's about sharing a soul-to-soul confession . "Let's redo the scene," Myss says. "The person comes up to you and says... 'I need to tell you something. Iconsciously knew what I was doing. I know I went against you. This is not an apology. 1 amconfessing my soul to you, and l'm asking now for your forgiveness."'
Even saying those words on stages makes Myss visibly emotional, and she points out that this is how deeply apologies within the soul are supposed to resonate .
"That's what heals," she says. | [{'question': 'How should we apologize according to Myss?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['We should confess our faults and ask for forgiveness.', 'We should say sincerely "I never meant to hurt you".', 'We can go into a deep conversation to argue with our friend.', 'We are supposed to make up with the other by giving some gifts to him.']}, {'question': "What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['To encourage people to apologize first.', 'To tell people how to apologize sincerely.', 'To introduce the topic of forgiveness and healing.', 'To explain why people can\'t say "I never meant to hurt you".']}] |
Oliver Radtke believes Chinglish mistranslations may be fun, but are not to be made fun of. "My message on Chinglish is: It should be conserved . It shouldn't be treated as a cheap joke for foreign tourists to laugh at but as a cultural treasure," said the 32-year-old multimedia designer, who frequently visited China for almost a decade before moving to Beijing in 2007.
"I'm trying to challenge the idea that there is only one type of standard English -- the English that's spoken in America or in the British Isles -- which is shortsighted, because Chinglish is already being used by millions of people to communicate with one another."
So, since 2005, he has collected more than 5,000 examples of "the wonderful results of an English dictionary meeting Chinese grammar" on his website www.chinglish.de and has published two books on the subject.
"The two books are unique in that they talk about the academic value of Chinglish, the creative combination of English and Chinese, and why we should keep it," Radtke said.
Patricia Schetelig, who works for the German Embassy in Beijing and regularly contributes to www.chinglish.de, said she appreciates Radtke's approach to Chinglish.
"What's important to me is that he's not making fun of the way things are translated," said she. "There are other websites doing similar things, but they're making fun of Chinglish or saying it shouldn't be done this way."
Part of his mission, Radtke said, is to conserve rapidly disappearing Chinglish examples.
He was disappointed while watching the government replace Chinglish signs with standard English ones in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. "That was a sad day for me and a sad day for Chinglish," Radtke said.
But American David Tool, who has been closely involved in cleaning up Chinglish in Beijing since 2001, disagreed.
"Chinglish takes away from the aesthetic , educational and cultural value we want these signs to provide," said Tool, "We get distracted when we're trying to explain something. It's not dealing with the issues with respect." | [{'question': 'Which of the following statements does Radtke agree with?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Chinglish will gradually disappear as years go by.', 'Chinglish is invented to amuse foreign tourists.', 'Chinglish will be treated as a cultural treasure.', 'Chinglish is actually a variety of English.']}, {'question': 'The two books are unique because it involves the following EXCEPT _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['the academic value of Chinglish', 'the creativity of the Chinese people', 'the meaning of keeping Chinglish', 'the creative combination of English and Chinese']}, {'question': 'It can be inferred that David Tool and Radtke _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['disagree on Chinglish signs', 'have both lived in China for nine years', 'once argued face to face about Chinglish', 'both have much knowledge of Chinese culture']}] |
We produce 500 billion of plastic bags in a year worldwide and they are thrown away polluting oceans, killing wildlife and getting dumped in landfills where they take up to 1000 years to decompose. Researchers have been unsuccessfully looking for a solution.
The 16-year old Canadian high school student, Daniel Burd, from Waterloo Collegiate Institute,
has discovered a way to make plastic bags degrade in as few as 3 months, a finding that won him first prize at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, a $10 000 prize, a $20 000 scholarship, and a chance to revolutionize a major environmental issue.
Burd's strategy was simple: Since plastic does eventually degrade, it must be eaten by microorganisms . If those microorganisms could be identified, we could put them to work eating the plastic much faster than under normal conditions.
With this goal in mind, he ground plastic bags into a powder and concocted a solution of household chemicals, yeast and tap water to encourage microbes growth. Then he added the plastic powder and let the microbes work their magic for 3 months. Finally, he tested the resulting bacterial culture on plastic bags, exposing one plastic sample to dead bacteria as a control. Sure enough, the plastic exposed to the live bacteria was 17% lighter than the control after six weeks.
The inputs are cheap: maintaining the required temperature takes little energy because microbes produce heat as they work, and the only outputs are water and tiny levels of carbon dioxide.
"Almost every week I have to do chores and when I open the closet door, I have piles of plastic bags falling on top of me. One day, I got tired of it and I wanted to know what other people are doing with these plastic bags. The answer: not much. So I decided to do something myself." said Daniel Burd. | [{'question': 'Daniel Burd won first prize at the Canada-Wide Science Fair because _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['he found a new kind of microorganism', 'he contributed much to environmental protection', 'he found a way to degrade plastics in shorter time', 'he could encourage microbes growth in an easier way']}, {'question': 'Daniel Burd exposed one plastic sample to dead bacteria to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['make the live bacteria work better', 'test how effective his method was', 'know which bacteria worked faster', 'control the temperature in the process']}, {'question': 'Maintaining the required temperature takes little energy because _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['plastics can get hot easily', 'microbes can produce heat themselves', 'much carbon dioxide is produced', 'the temperature can be controlled']}, {'question': 'Daniel Burd got his idea from _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['his school textbook', 'the failure of researchers', 'his everyday work', 'the practice of other people']}] |
Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet m discuss them. Now, the website BookCrossing.com rums the page on the traditional idea of a book group.
Members go on the site and register books they own that they would like.sham.
BookCrossing provides an identifying numb" .stick inside the book. Then the person
'releases' the book by leaving it in a public place. The hope is that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.
Bruce Pederson is the chief executive of BookCrossing. He and his wife
Hearer started the site with Ron Hombaker in 2001. Mr. Pederson says, "One of the founding
principles was the two things that change your life: tha people you meet and the books you mad. BookCrossing combines both."
Members leave books on park beaches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops
BookCmssem hope that whoever finds their book will go m the site and record where they
found it. People who find a book can also leave some renurks describing what they thought of it. E-mails are then sent to the BookCrossers to keep them updated. Pederson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping.book to gather dust on a shelf at home.He says."BookCrossing is a tool that allows you to uniquely identify your book and follow it on its journey. We all have this life-changing literature that we tend to keep on our shelf and BookCrossing encourages its members to read and release and out be 'shelf-ish'.
The read and release idea of BookL1essing has spread.The site now has more than one
million members in more than 135 cwrntries. | [{'question': 'What should a member do first before releasing a book?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Register the back online.', 'Leave the book in a coffee shop.', 'Stick an identifying number on it.', 'Remind~m read it.']}, {'question': 'The passage is mast probably written to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['attract more people to join BookCrossing', 'encourage readers m surf the insurer', 'introduce a new style of reading and sharing', 'describe how BookCrossing was set up']}, {'question': 'Which of the followings is the east probable place where a member leaves a book?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['A bookshelf.', "A Mend's home", 'A bas.', 'A school bag.']}, {'question': 'People who find a book from BookCrossing are expected to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['send entails to the owner of the book', 'make some comments on the book', 'keep the book for himself after reading', 'leave another book where the book was found']}] |
College is a fresh start, and a chance to make new friends. These friends may become your lifelong friends, or the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Whether you are going to a nearby college or the university far away from home, you are likely to meet new people wherever you are. Here are some advice to help you make friends at college.
Clearly, your classmates are all possible friends! Get to class early on the first day, and if you get there early enough, you will be in the room, or waiting outside it, with one other person, or a small group. A good casual opener would be to ask if you're in the right classroom, then introduce yourself, and explain that you're new, and a _ . Do this at all of your classes, and you will have a group of friends that you can make study groups with, take notes for you when you're absent or sick.
If you live in a dormitory, your hall will most likely have many fun activities to take part in. Take advantage ofthem, and go to as many as you can. Knowing your friends living in the same hall will also come in convenience because they will be the ones hosting and inviting you to parties that you will be missing out. Joining as many organizations as possible will also help you make new friends quickly. Parties are there to help students form close relationship with each other. Doing a team sport is another great idea. The best part of joining an organization is that you'll find people who share your interests, and with whom you'll therefore have a lot to talk about. | [{'question': 'Getting to class early will _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['give you more information about the teacher', 'let you concentrate more on your class', 'give you a good chance to make friends', 'leave a good impression on others']}, {'question': 'According to the text, the friends you get to know in class may _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['share your interests', 'invite you to parties', 'help you to become a good player', 'take notes for you']}, {'question': 'Which piece of advice is NOT given by the author?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Make friends with your classmates.', 'Take part in dorm activities.', 'Do the same team sports as your classmates.', 'Join as many organizations as possible.']}] |
On a small farm in Mexico, there are no schools. A bus is the school! The driver of the bus is the teacher! It is a school bus, but it doesn't take children to school. It just goes round from place to place, and sometimes it comes to this farm. The bus will stay here for three months. The farmers call it a school on wheels .
Every time the bus comes, the farmers come running to it, shouting and laughing. They warmly welcome the school bus!
When the bus is on the farm, in the morning, the teacher teaches the small children. In the afternoon, the bigger children come to have their lessons because they must work in the morning. At night, the fathers and mothers come to school. They want to learn, too. How the farmers hope that some day they can have a real school on their farm! | [{'question': '. . The driver of the bus is _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['the teacher', 'the student', 'the farmer', 'the school']}, {'question': '. The bus school will _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['take children to school', 'stay there for lunch', 'take the fathers and mothers to school', 'go round from place to place']}, {'question': '. . When the school bus comes, the farmers are _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['sad', 'angry', 'be happy', 'disappointed']}, {'question': '. . Which one of the following is true?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ["A school bus is a real school for farmers' children.", 'The bus school has no teacher at all.', 'The bus school has no students.', 'The children and their parents on the farm all come to the bus school to learn.']}] |
The Mysterious Universe
By Ellen Jackson and Nic Bishop
How did the universe begin? How big is it? What is dark matter? Cosmologist and expert supernova hunter Alex Filippenko hopes that supernovas can help us answer some of these questions. But first we've got to find them! Join Alex and his team as they go on the hunt with huge telescopes and banks of computers.
The Time and Space of Uncle Albert
By Russell Stannard
What would you say if your uncle asked you whether you would like to go into space? You'd say, "When do I leave?", just like the girl in this story. Gedanken is speeding across the universe trying to help her uncle answer some questions, such as "How big is space?" and "Where does gravity come from?" Along the way she also discovers how to get heavier without getting fat, how to live forever without knowing it, and the strange things that can happen when you go really fast.
George's Secret Key to the Universe
By Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking
When George chases his pet pig through a hole in the fence, little does he expect that he will soon be riding a comet around Saturn . But just as he discovers the joys of space exploration with the computer Cosmos, which can open doors anywhere in the universe, everything starts to go wrong. When George's lest-favorite teacher steals Cosmos and traps his friend's dad in a black hole, can George set things right in time?
A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky
By Michael Driscoll
With a telescope or without one, this book can get you started exploring planets, stars and even strange stuff like time, space, and black holes. The universe is a big place, but this book comes with a handy star finder that you can take out with you at night to help you find your way around the stars. Look up and discover the universe! | [{'question': 'According to the text, Alex Filippenko _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['invented huge telescopes', 'is looking for supernovas', "doesn't need many computers", 'knows a lot about dark matter']}, {'question': "What do we know about George's Secret Key to the Universe?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['It is a sad story', 'It is about a pet pig', 'It is a co-authored book', 'It is based on a real life story.']}, {'question': 'Which book would you read if you want to know about gravity?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The Mysterious Universe', 'The Time and Space of Uncle Albert', "George's Secret Key to the Universe", "A Child's Introduction to the Night Sky."]}, {'question': 'What do the four books have in common?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['They have the same topics?', 'They are intended for adults.', 'They have the same number of characters', 'They leave many questions to the readers']}] |
Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it's painful ? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle.
During the hours when you labour through your work you may say that you're "hot". That's true. The time of day when you feel most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak . For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening No one has discovered why this is so , but it leads to such familiar monologues as : "Get up, John! You'll be late for work again !" The possible explanation to the trouble is that John is at his temperature-and -energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has.
You can't change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Habit can help, Dr. Kleitman believes . Maybe you're sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway . Counteract(/)your cycle to some extent by habitually staying up later than you want to .If your energy is low in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won't change your cycle, but you'll get up steam and work better at your low point.
Get off to a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a leisurely yawn and stretch . Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor . Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Whenever possible, do routine work in the afternoon and save tasks requiring more energy or concentration for your sharper hours. | [{'question': 'If you wants to work more efficiently at your how point in the morning, you should _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['change his energy cycle', 'overcome his laziness', 'get up earlier than usual', 'go to bed earlier']}, {'question': 'You are advised to rise with a yawn and stretch because it will _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["help to keep your energy for the day's work", 'help you to control your temper early in the day', 'enable you to concentrate on your routine work', 'keep your energy cycle under control all day']}, {'question': "What's the best title of the passage?", 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['Change Your Habits', 'Save Your Energy', 'Daily Energy Cycle', 'Temperature- and-Energy Peak']}, {'question': 'The text is probably taken from a _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['news report', 'research paper', 'medical textbook', 'fashion journal']}] |
Bob was born in Cambridge. When he was in elementary school, he asked his mother to take him to parks in their community so he could collect empty soda cans to recycle. His mother agreed, as long as he saved part of the money he earned for college.
Bob's mother remembers Bob as the most determined of her seven kids. Bob's persistence paid off. On Friday, he will become the first person in his family, originally from El Salvador, to graduate from college. And he's graduating with university honors.
For his honors thesis he researched unmanned solar-powered airplanes, which BYU students have been building and testing for about 10 years. Bob's study helps discover the best way to fly a solar-powered airplane so that it uses the least amount of power. The goal is to design and build an airplane that flies indefinitely. Bob's thesis helps lay the foundation for this work.
"My parents were always diligent," Bob said. "They often tell us hard work leads to success. " Bob's father taught him to read at the age of 3, and his mother is currently a student at Utah Valley University in a way to becoming a dentist.
Bob acknowledges he overcame some obstacles to get where he is. For starters, English is his second language. He also faced stereotypes . Although Bob never doubted that he would be a college graduate, other people assumed he wouldn't because he didn't come from a family of high income. There were other obstacles as well, but Bob viewed them all as opportunities.
Bob's mother says she feels very happy and proud that her son is about to graduate with honors, and remembers the sacrifices he's made to get there. "He has worked very hard. He started something, and now he has finished it," Cathy says. "I have always told him, 'If this is your dream, then you can get it! Keep working hard and you can get it!'" | [{'question': "From the passage we can know that Bob's honors thesis _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['makes his mother feel surprised', 'helps to save the power of flying a solar-powered airplane', 'is done with BYU students', 'doubts the way of flying a solar-powered airplane']}, {'question': 'According to the passage, Bob _ .', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['researched unmanned solar-powered airplanes for 10 years', 'paid for all his study by collecting empty soda cans', 'worked hard and has graduated from college', 'was affected by his family and has made some achievements']}, {'question': "People thought Bob couldn't graduate from college because _ .", 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['his parents had little money to support him', "his teacher didn't think he could graduate", "he didn't work hard on his study", "he didn't dare to face the obstacles for short of confidence"]}, {'question': 'It can be inferred that _ .', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ["Bob's mother is in a way to becoming a dentist", "Bob's mother works in their community", "Bon's father will graduate from Utah Valley University on Friday", "Bob's father learnt to read at the age of 3"]}] |
He looked like a pirate.
With his handkerchief tied in a knot behind his little nine-year-old head, he looked like a pirate, a sad pirate. The first time little David came to our camp, he was hairless and worn out from medical treatments. He was also very angry.
Paul Newman's camp counselors ( ) were hoping to fill David's days with fun and laughter. But David stayed inside himself, wanting to be alone, or in a corner of the cabin. At this camp for children with life-threatening illnesses, we had seen some pretty tough children worn out by cancer recover full of energy despite their illness. But we saw little progress in David no matter what we tried with him. Five days into the eight-day session saw a quiet, sad little pirate.
Then something happened on that fifth night. Something at camp that we would call "huge".
It was cabin night. That's the time when campers and counselors spend lime together in each individual cabin instead of an all-camp activity. Campers love cabin nights because there's always a bedtime snack. On the cabin table that night were bags of potato chips.
David slowly walked over to the table, leaving his comer to join the rest of us. He took one of the bags of the potato chips and started smashing it with his little fists, as all the other campers looked on in disbelief, I wondered what the cabin counselor would do.
The college-age volunteer counselor positioned a bag of chips on die table in front of himself, and he, too, started smashing it with his fist. The campers went crazy as everyone ran to the table to get in on the fun of smashing potato chips with their fists.
Somehow everyone knew, everyone sensed, that anger within him was now being released.
For the last couple days of the session, David was a different kid. He was a little nine-year-old boy again, trying to fill the hours of each remaining day at camp with as much fun as could be possible.
Several days after the session, David came back again. This time, there wasn't anything he wouldn't try to fit in to his day. He sure was having a great time at camp. David asked me if I needed an altar boy when I celebrated Mass in the woods. Sure enough, he was my altar boy. I remembered how carefully he listened to me when I talked about death. 1 said it's only a doorway. You walk through the door and there's the Lord God and behind God a whole line of people waiting to hug you.
After Mass, he said to me, "Hey Fatha, a door, huh?"
A couple more days of fun passed and tonight was the talent show. The tradition is that campers and counselors dress up in costumes, and everyone gets a standing applause for singing and dancing or simply just acting like fools on stage.
The show had begun: lights, camera, action.
Unfortunately, the only action taking place in our row of seats was little David making his way from counselor to counselor to say an early good-bye to camp. He had become quite ill and had to go to the hospital because of this new crisis.
When this little nine-year-old pirate stood in front of me, he gave me a hug and a big wet kiss on my cheek. 1 was crying. He was crying. A whole row of counselors was in tears. After the hug and kiss, he put his hands on my shoulders, and tears still in his eyes, said: "See you on the other side of the door, Fatha." | [{'question': "The camp counselors failed to fill David's beginning days with fun and laughter, mainly because David _ .", 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['behaved like a pirate', 'remained in a bad mood', 'was left alone at the camp', 'was teased by other campers']}, {'question': 'Seeing David smashing the potato chips, the counselor did the same thing in response because he _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['would like David to eat more of them', 'hoped all the other campers would join', 'found it possible to help David release anger', 'wanted to show that he was as angry as David']}, {'question': 'What can we learn from this article?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['The camp was intended for those talented in singing and dancing.', 'The purpose of the camp was to give diseased children caring love.', 'The camp was popular among the children who enjoyed their vacation here.', 'Medical treatment could be provided to diseased children at the camp.']}, {'question': 'Which of the following does NOT show the change in David?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['David came back to the camp for a second session after the first ended.', 'David had become quite ill and had to go to the hospital because of this new crisis.', 'David made his way from counselor to counselor to say an early good-bye to camp.', 'David stood in front of me and gave me a hug and a big wet kiss on my cheek.']}, {'question': 'What do you think the theme of the story is?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Children with deadly diseases are usually difficult to get along with.', 'People should have patience with children with life-threatening illnesses.', 'People should tell children with life-threatening illnesses to care nothing about death.', 'Love and proper guidance can help people look at something negative in a positive way.']}] |
Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to sleep, tossing and turning . Your mind is racing, going over everything that happened that day. Night noises keep you awake. What can you do? Here are some things you can do to help you to fall asleep.
Sleep only when sleepy
This reduces the time you are awake in bed.
If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something boring until you feel sleepy.
Don't expose yourself to bright light while you are up. The light tells your brain that it is time to wake up.
Don't take naps
This will ensure that you are tired at bedtime. If you just can't make it through the day without a nap, sleep less than one hour, and take a nap before 3 p.m.
Get up and go to bed at the same time every day
Even on weekends! When your sleep cycle has a regular rhythm, you will feel better.
Regular exercise can help you sleep well, but the time to do exercise is important. Exercising in the morning or early afternoon will not interfere with sleep.
Have a snack before bedtime
If your stomach is too empty, that can interfere with sleep. However, if you eat a heavy meal before bedtime, that can interfere as well. Have a warm glass of milk.
Take a hot bath 90 minutes before bedtime
A hot bath will raise your body temperature, but it is the drop in body temperature that may make you feel sleepy. | [{'question': '_ can help you fall asleep at night.', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Reading an uninteresting story', 'Thinking over what happened during the day', 'Sitting quietly with the light on', 'Taking some exercise']}, {'question': 'Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['You should follow the routine even on weekends.', 'Go to bed right after you take a hot bath.', 'The time to take exercise is important.', "Don't take a long nap even though you are very sleepy."]}, {'question': 'According to the passage, one had better not take naps _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['when they have many things to do', 'before 3 p.m', 'for over one hour', 'when they are tired']}, {'question': 'What can we infer from the passage?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['A regular sleep cycle will make you feel better.', 'Taking exercise now and then can help you sleep well.', 'Have a little food when you feel very hungry before bedtime.', 'The drop in your body temperature makes you feel sleepy.']}] |
For 52 years my father got up at 5:30 am every morning, went to work, and returned home at 5:30 pm. I never saw my father stayed home from work ill, nor did I ever see my father lay down to take a nap. He had no hobbies, other than taking care of his family. All he asked from me, his daughter, was to help him while he was repairing something, so we could have some time to talk.
For 22 years, after I left home for college, my father called me at 9:00 am every Sunday. Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours a day for three days painting my house. He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked for was a glass of iced tea. Five years ago, at age 71, my father spent five hours putting together a swing set for my daughter.
On the morning of January 16, 1996, my sister telephoned me; my father was in the hospital with an aneurysm in Florida. I got on an airplane immediately, and on the way I realized that I hadn't communicated with him as much as I'd always wanted to. I vowed that when I arrived, I would have a long talk with him. I arrived in Florida at 1 am, only to find that my father, at the age of 76, had passed away at 9:12 pm. This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me. | [{'question': 'The author wrote the article in order to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['praise her father', 'remember her father', 'show her father loved her', 'let her father be known']}] |
Sociable people seem to gain extra rewards from their relationships by feeling less stressed, taking better care of themselves and having less risky lifestyles, they claim.
A review of studies into the impact of relationships on health found that people had a 50% better survival rate if they belonged to a wider social group. Psychologist Holt-Lunstad's team reviewed 148 studies that observed the social activities and health of 308,849 people over an average of 7.5 years.
From these they worked out how death rates varied depending on how sociable a person was. Being lonely and isolated was as bad for a person's health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic. It was as harmful as not exercising and twice as bad for the health as being very fat.
Holt-Lunstad said friends and family can improve health in lots of ways, from help in tough times to finding meaning in life. "When someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility to other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks."
Holt-Lunstad said there was no clear figure on how many relationships are enough to improve a person's health, but people fared better when they rarely felt lonely and were close to a group of friends, had good family contact and had someone they could rely on and confide in. | [{'question': 'According to the text, which of the following is NOT a benefit of being sociable people?', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Getting better in the state of heath.', 'Losing weight more easily.', 'Taking better care of themselves.', 'Having more safe lifestyles.']}, {'question': 'Psychologist Holt-Lunstad says that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['the studies were based on the work life of 308,849 people', 'he knows how death rates changes as how sociable a person is', "being lonely can't do too much harm to one's health", "two kinds of relationships are needed to improve one's health"]}, {'question': 'People who have lots of friends tend to take fewer risks, mainly because _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['their friends often ask them to do so', 'they want to stay with their friends', "they feel they're responsible to do so", "their friends don't do so either"]}, {'question': "What's the text mainly about?", 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['The benefits people can get from having many friends.', 'A review of 148 studies on the influence of relationships on health.', 'The ways friends and family can improve health.', "The influence of relationships on people's health."]}] |
Discover Artistic Talents across the Country
Redtory, Guangzhou
Redtory, established in 2009, is a spacious art district often referred to as Guangzhou's 798. Made up of more than 30 old halls, mostly buildings of red brick, the place was originally built in 1956 as Chinese largest can factory. Some of the rusty machines from the old factory have been kept as art equipment, giving the zone an old charm.
Where: No. 128 Yuancun Siheng Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
Opening hours: Mon-Sun 10:30 am-9 pm
Tank Loft, Chongqing
This 12,000-square-meter art center was established on the site of a used military tank warehouse . It is the largest contemporary art base in western China, featuring modern exhibition, galleries, design studios and art bookstores. The art zone is located on the campus of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute and was created by the school in the early 2000s.
Where: No. 108 Huangjueping Center Street, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing
Opening hours: 9 am-5 pm(closed Mondays)
M50, Shanghai
M50, also known as 50 Moganshan Road, is the center of Shanghai's contemporary art scene, with more than 100 artists whose studios are open to the public. This district, on the bank of Suzhou Creek, was previously a textile factory until it seized production in 1999. Xue Song, a Shanghai artist, was the first to establish a studio there in 2002.
Where: No. 50 Moganshan Road, Pudong District, Shanghai
Opening hours: 10 am-5 pm(closed Mondays)
798 Art Zone, Beijing
Attracted by ordered designing, convenient traffic and unique style of Bauhaus architecture, art organizations and artists have crowded in the vacant plants and transformed them since 2001, gradually forming a district gathered galleries, art studios, cultural companies, fashion shops etc. As the earliest area where the organizations and artists moved in located in the original area of 798 factory, this place was named as Beijing 798 Art Zone.
Where: No. 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Opening hours: 10 am-6 pm | [{'question': 'If you are going to visit an art zone at 7pm, which one can you go to?', 'answer': 'A', 'options': ['Redtory, Guangzhou.', 'Tank Loft, Chongqing.', 'M50, Shanghai.', '798 Art Zone, Beijing.']}, {'question': 'Tank Loft, Chongqing is quite different from the others in _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['size', 'site', 'feature', 'weather']}, {'question': 'Which of the following was built first?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Redtory, Guangzhou.', 'Tank Loft, Chongqing.', 'M50, Shanghai.', '798 Art Zone, Beijing.']}] |
As many people hit middle age, they often start to notice that their memory and mental attention are not what they used to be. We suddenly can't remember where we put the keys just a moment ago, or an old friend's name, or the name of an old band we used to love. It happens to most of us, but is it unavoidable?
Scientists are increasingly showing that there's actually a lot that can be done. It turns that the brain needs exercise in much the same way as our muscles do, and the right mental workouts can improve our basic cognitive functions.
Now, a new San Francisco Web-based company has taken it a step further and developed the first "brain training program" designed to actually help people improve and regain their mental sharpness. Called Lumosity, it was designed by some of the leading experts from Stanford University. Lumosity is far more than an online place to exercise your mental skills. That's because they have combined these exercises with a Web-based program that allows you to systematically improve your memory and attention skills.
Apparently it works. One study showed students improved their scores on math tests by 34 percent after using Lumosity for six weeks, greater gains than those made by other students in the same class, who were not training with the Lumosity program. The company says its users have reported clearer and quicker thinking, improved memory for names, numbers, directions, increased alertness and awareness, high mood, and better concentration at work or while driving. | [{'question': 'What is the purpose of Lumosity?', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['To exercise the brain and muscles.', 'To combine exercises with a web-based program.', 'To improve basic cognitive functions.', "To improve students' scores on test."]}, {'question': 'Which of the following is true?', 'answer': 'D', 'options': ['Memory losing is unavoidable.', 'Lumosity is unreasonable.', "Muscles don't need exercise.", 'Brains need exercise.']}, {'question': 'The author explains the training results by _', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['making a comparison.', 'presenting training findings.', 'analyzing facts.', 'setting down rules.']}] |
Worn by the rich and famous around the world and now a $799.04 million-a-year enterprise , Ugg boots have come a long way since their 1973 creation--designed to keep surfers' feet warm in cold Australian conditions.
Twenty-eight years after selling the rights to his woollen-lined creation, Aussie Ugg boot inventor Shane Stedman says he has no regrets though missing out on a great footwear fortune .
A lifelong surfer, Mr. Stedman, now 69, who lives at beachside Mona Vale in Sydney, said his invention grew from need. "The sea is bloody cold in the Aussie winter...I used to wear football jerseys to keep them (feet) warm", Mr. Stedman said.
But his sheepskin invention soon solved the problem and Mr. Stedman went on to spend a decade selling the sturdy boots, until 1983 when he sold the rights to US company Deckers, for PS10,000 plus three pairs of Ugg boots each year for the rest of his life.
"If I had wanted to make my Uggs the number one band, I'd have to move to the US and that's just not me," Mr. Stedman said. "I'll never give up Sydney and surfing. It's my life. So I was happy to let go." | [{'question': 'The text mainly tells us that _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Ugg inventor is unwilling to sell his rights', 'Ugg inventor is happy to trade dollars for surfing', 'Ugg boots were made of special materials', 'Ugg boots were invented specially to surfers']}, {'question': 'Ugg boots were invented by _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['Mona Vale.', 'Stedman.', 'Deckers.', 'An American surfer.']}, {'question': 'The Ugg inventor sold the rights to the Ugg boots to _ .', 'answer': 'C', 'options': ['make more money', 'pay off his debts', 'keep his hobby of surfing', 'help improve the US company']}, {'question': 'From the text we know that Ugg boots are mostly made of the skin of _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['wolves', 'sheep', 'pigs', 'cows']}, {'question': 'When Mr. Stedman said, "...I was happy to let go. ", he meant he was happy to _ .', 'answer': 'B', 'options': ['go to the USA', 'give up his boots company', 'go surfing in Sydney', 'buy an American company']}] |
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"race" Grouped by Article
This is a modified version of https://huggingface.co./datasets/race that returns documents grouped by article context instead of by question. Note: This dataset currently only contains that test set of the high subset of the data.
The original readme is contained below.
Dataset Card for "race"
Dataset Summary
RACE is a large-scale reading comprehension dataset with more than 28,000 passages and nearly 100,000 questions. The dataset is collected from English examinations in China, which are designed for middle school and high school students. The dataset can be served as the training and test sets for machine comprehension.
Supported Tasks and Leaderboards
Languages
Dataset Structure
Data Instances
all
- Size of downloaded dataset files: 25.44 MB
- Size of the generated dataset: 174.73 MB
- Total amount of disk used: 200.17 MB
An example of 'train' looks as follows.
This example was too long and was cropped:
{
"answer": "A",
"article": "\"Schoolgirls have been wearing such short skirts at Paget High School in Branston that they've been ordered to wear trousers ins...",
"example_id": "high132.txt",
"options": ["short skirts give people the impression of sexualisation", "short skirts are too expensive for parents to afford", "the headmaster doesn't like girls wearing short skirts", "the girls wearing short skirts will be at the risk of being laughed at"],
"question": "The girls at Paget High School are not allowed to wear skirts in that _ ."
}
high
- Size of downloaded dataset files: 25.44 MB
- Size of the generated dataset: 140.12 MB
- Total amount of disk used: 165.56 MB
An example of 'train' looks as follows.
This example was too long and was cropped:
{
"answer": "A",
"article": "\"Schoolgirls have been wearing such short skirts at Paget High School in Branston that they've been ordered to wear trousers ins...",
"example_id": "high132.txt",
"options": ["short skirts give people the impression of sexualisation", "short skirts are too expensive for parents to afford", "the headmaster doesn't like girls wearing short skirts", "the girls wearing short skirts will be at the risk of being laughed at"],
"question": "The girls at Paget High School are not allowed to wear skirts in that _ ."
}
middle
- Size of downloaded dataset files: 25.44 MB
- Size of the generated dataset: 34.61 MB
- Total amount of disk used: 60.05 MB
An example of 'train' looks as follows.
This example was too long and was cropped:
{
"answer": "B",
"article": "\"There is not enough oil in the world now. As time goes by, it becomes less and less, so what are we going to do when it runs ou...",
"example_id": "middle3.txt",
"options": ["There is more petroleum than we can use now.", "Trees are needed for some other things besides making gas.", "We got electricity from ocean tides in the old days.", "Gas wasn't used to run cars in the Second World War."],
"question": "According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?"
}
Data Fields
The data fields are the same among all splits.
all
example_id: astringfeature.article: astringfeature.answer: astringfeature.question: astringfeature.options: alistofstringfeatures.
high
example_id: astringfeature.article: astringfeature.answer: astringfeature.question: astringfeature.options: alistofstringfeatures.
middle
example_id: astringfeature.article: astringfeature.answer: astringfeature.question: astringfeature.options: alistofstringfeatures.
Data Splits
| name | train | validation | test |
|---|---|---|---|
| all | 87866 | 4887 | 4934 |
| high | 62445 | 3451 | 3498 |
| middle | 25421 | 1436 | 1436 |
Dataset Creation
Curation Rationale
Source Data
Initial Data Collection and Normalization
Who are the source language producers?
Annotations
Annotation process
Who are the annotators?
Personal and Sensitive Information
Considerations for Using the Data
Social Impact of Dataset
Discussion of Biases
Other Known Limitations
Additional Information
Dataset Curators
Licensing Information
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~glai1/data/race/
RACE dataset is available for non-commercial research purpose only.
All passages are obtained from the Internet which is not property of Carnegie Mellon University. We are not responsible for the content nor the meaning of these passages.
You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, trade, resell or exploit for any commercial purpose, any portion of the contexts and any portion of derived data.
We reserve the right to terminate your access to the RACE dataset at any time.
Citation Information
@inproceedings{lai-etal-2017-race,
title = "{RACE}: Large-scale {R}e{A}ding Comprehension Dataset From Examinations",
author = "Lai, Guokun and
Xie, Qizhe and
Liu, Hanxiao and
Yang, Yiming and
Hovy, Eduard",
booktitle = "Proceedings of the 2017 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing",
month = sep,
year = "2017",
address = "Copenhagen, Denmark",
publisher = "Association for Computational Linguistics",
url = "https://aclanthology.org/D17-1082",
doi = "10.18653/v1/D17-1082",
pages = "785--794",
}
Contributions
Thanks to @abarbosa94, @patrickvonplaten, @lewtun, @thomwolf, @mariamabarham for adding this dataset.
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