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I woke at dawn when Digger climbed over me to get out of bed, and I woke again an hour later when Pa called, "Everyone up who wants breakfast!" Across the room, Little Bit was dressing in a T-shirt and jeans that had been mine a year before. Ma had put a stack of clean clothes at the foot of the bed for me. I dressed without caring what I put on. The only important items were my cowboy boots and my Roy Rogers belt with two holsters for cap guns, even though I only had one cap gun left, and its trigger was broken.
When I used the toilet, I sat on the front edge of the seat, watching the water beneath me, and scooted off as soon as I was done. I had seen a cartoon in a book at Grandpa Abner's that showed a fish leaping out of a toilet bowl and a woman staring at it with big eyes. I thought that was funny and I knew it was impossible, but I didn't think there was any reason to take chances.
Ma called, "Little Bit has to use the bathroom."
I yelled, "I'm almost done."
Ma called, "Are you off the toilet?"
I yelled, "Yes!" Ma opened the door and brought Little Bit in. Squeezing toothpaste onto my toothbrush, I said, "I wasn't done yet."
Ma said, "Your father's making breakfast in the restaurant." That meant we should hurry, so I slid the brush over my teeth while Little Bit sat next to the sink, and then I ran out of the house.
Stepping into the sunlight was stepping into Florida. I didn't smell oranges -- Ma had explained that oranges grew further south -- but I smelled a humid pinelands that was not like the New Orleans suburb I had known. | Who needed to hurry in the bathroom? | The narrator and Little Bit. | ['The narrator and Digger.', 'Little Bit and Digger.', 'not enough information'] |
Every Friday we have a fire alarm test at nine o'clock sharp, and even though the sound is very noisy, I am so happy because when I heard that it reminded me today is Friday and tomorrow is weekend, it is the last working day of the week and I have two days off, it's so excited!Sometimes we have a fire drill, when you hear the fire alarm, everybody have to run out through the fire exit.
One Monday at nine o'clock, the alarm was sounded and I was working behind the fish house and didn't hear it. The department manager and staff were looking for me thoroughly, finally they found me and asked me to stop my job and follow them went out.
"I am busy, No problem! You leave, I work." I said.
"No, this is the law, everybody has to leave." The manager said.
I understood that if I insisted not to leave, they must carry me out. I went out with them together finally, no choice.
One afternoon, when I was working outside, the fire alarm cropped up sounding wildly, nobody knew what's happening, some were standing and looking around, some were asking questions, some were running, I knew this wasn't a test or drill, must be a real one. At that moment, one lady called me from a distance:"Jinglebell: leave your job, go out quickly."I joined the crowded flow of customers and staff going out. I asked somebody what's happened? And they told me this is a real one as there was some smoke on the shop floor.Finally I found out, actually there was no problem, that it was an electrician who used the equipment for the carpet and made a little smoke.
After that I asked somebody how to deal with the customer's food in the restaurant in that case, because they went out to leave because of the fire, but hadn't finished their food. They told me that the customers who had bought food or drinks there could get a new one.
I don't understand, if in China, under that situation, everybody must carry a bucket or some other water containers to the fire spot, to fight the flames.
I agree with the English emphasis the human right, but maybe a very small problem could become a big problem while everybody had withdrawn from the shop, because the fire fighters could not come at once.
I was just thinking. | Why does the author think that a very small problem may become a big one while everybody had withdrawn from the shop? | Because the author thinks the fire fighters could not come at once | ['Because the author thinks the fire is dangerous', 'Because the author thinks the fire spreads fast', 'Because the author thinks the human right is important'] |
If you visited the Getty Center in July or early August, you may have encountered a group of high school students wearing white lab coats with “Teen Lab” splattered across the back. You might have spotted them testing kinetic sculptures made from recycled materials, sketching in front of artworks in the galleries, or taking Polaroid self-portraits inspired by David Hockney’s photocollages. Online, you may have seen the playful social media stories they created to share their experiments with artistic and scientific processes.
The teens were participants in the Getty Teen Lab, a four-week paid internship for high school students. Supported by a generous grant from the Vera R. Campbell Foundation, Teen Lab was the first of several teen-focused initiatives that the J. Paul Getty Museum is launching in 2017 and 2018.
The Getty’s Education Department developed Teen Lab in response to several seemingly disconnected questions that many art museums are grappling with today: How can we engage diverse youth in meaningful ways? How can museums help meet the rising demand for K-12 curriculum that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM)? Can art museums themselves be sites for STEAM learning?
To address these questions, we looked at other teen programs and discovered that the most successful models are those that give teens agency and a voice in the museum.(1) For example, many museums have teen councils that program events for their peers or offer opportunities for students to collaborate on projects with artists.(2)
The Getty wanted to build on these models by empowering teens to be active creators of educational content. In keeping with this goal, we designed the program using the project-based learning approach, which develops skills and knowledge by inviting students to explore solutions to authentic, real-world problems. | What is probably true about David Hockney? | He was an artist. | ['He gave a generous grant.', 'He was a musician.', 'not enough information'] |
He picked me up at my house, and after getting back on the main road he turned up the volume on the radio.
"Why do you even listen to that stuff?" I asked. It was schlock-rock, simple and unadorned wailing backed by incessantly grating guitars.
"I don't really know."
"You don't actually like it, do you?" I knew he didn't; I knew what he preferred. His apartment walls were lined with recordings of classical, even archaic music, European folk instrumentals. Maybe rock, once in a while, but he had had something amplified and pitch-altered on every time we'd been together lately.
"I think we listen to pop music to punish ourselves," he said. "An aural bed of nails to compensate for our sins."
"Those sins being...?"
"I don't know... sometimes, don't you ever get so sick of everything you just want to cram your ears full of garbage to spite it all?"
This was not normal second-date dialogue, but Phillip and I had known each other for a long time.
"It's like you'd rather inflict pain," he said, "like you want to inflict pain on yourself, just for pure spite against... the stuff around us."
"You'd choke on garbage to get back at a culture who would do it for you anyway?"
"Yeah, kind of. Does that make sense?"
"In a very cliched, pop-psychology sort of way, yes." I turned down the volume, then shut the radio off entirely.
"Don't you ever want to hurt like that?" he asked. "It's why you read some thriller instead of a classic, it's why you watch TV instead of reading a book, it's why you watch a sitcom instead of PBS, it's why you watch Family Guy instead of the Simpsons." (I might have snorted at this point.) "Because you have to do the bad thing." | How long was the radio playing before the author shut it off? | Five minutes | ['Fifteen minutes', 'Half an hour', 'not enough information'] |
Take this , stupid weather ! ) Anyway . Only minutes after the first drop of rain had fallen the steady drip hat turned into buckets of ice water . I wore a bin liner over my head . | What is the reason I wore a " bin liner " ? | None of the above choices . | ['I have to line the bins on the curb', 'I need it to put my garbage in .', 'I need it for later .'] |
He turned a bit , shooting her a cold look over his shoulder . " Here 's some advice for you , baby . Wake up , grow up , call up any sane and supportive friends and family if you have any , check yourself into rehab . | What may be a valid fact if his statement is spot on ? | He no longer wants to be near her . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They need some help with their baby .', 'He is her therapist .'] |
It’s always interesting to read back on why people do things, especially people who end up making a career or a fortune out of the seemingly benign choices they make. Thelma Schoonmaker, the film editor whom my previous post was about was one of those people; she got into editing after seeing an ad in the New York Times. I’m in no way suggesting I’m going to make a fortune, nor that I’m a Thelma Schoonmaker in the making, but I certainly do make a lot of benign choices.
Art blogging, for me, was one of those benign choices. I made the decision to start an art blog very randomly, so randomly I’m not even sure where the idea came from. At the time I had been studying a bachelor of psychology for about two years and found myself interested in the subject, but underwhelmed with the lack of creative ideas and media I was being exposed to.
I’d always been interested in art and most creative mediums, often recording music or taking photographs on the side. But the pages and pages of white and black scientific journal articles must have got to me, because I found myself yearning for splashes of colour, moving imagery, challenging concepts and undefinable ideas. The next thing I knew I had started an art blog aptly titled: Artistic Expansion and I began spending hours a day searching through the internet for content, often finding my best pieces in the most random places, often not even defined intentionally as ‘art’.
Over the last two years I must have blogged hundreds of multi-coloured, multi-textured and multi-layered images, accumulated over 2000 followers and consumed more art than I ever had in my entire life. I find it interesting not because of it’s success, but because before I started my art blog, I really had no idea how much I did or could love art and once I had made my art blog I couldn’t imagine how I ever functioned without it. | Why did the author choose art blogging? | it was random | ['not enough information', 'the author planned it carefully', "the author didn't care about which topic so decided on art"] |
Nervous suspects locked up in Britain's newest police station may feel relieved by a pleasant yellow Colour on the door. If they are close to confessing a crime, the blue on the wall might tip the balance.
Gwent Police have abandoned colours such as greys and browns of the 20th-century police cell and have used colour psychology to decorate them.
Ystrad Mynach station, which recently opened at a cost ofPS5 million, has four cells with glass doors for prisoners who suffer from claustrophobia . Designers have painted the frames yellow, which researchers say is a calming colour. Other cells contain a royal blue line because psychologists believe that the colour is likely to encourage truthfulness.
The station has 31 cells, including 12 with a "live scan" system for drunken or disturbed prisoners, which detects the rise and fall of their chest. An alarm alerts officers if a prisoner's breathing stops and carries on ringing until the door is opened.
Designers and psychologists have worked for years on colour. Blue is said to suggest trust, efficiency, duty, logic, coolness, thinking and calm. It also suggests coldness and unfriendliness. It is thought that strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft colours will calm the mind and aid concentration.
Yellow is linked with confidence, self-respect and friendliness. Get the colour wrong and it could cause fear, depression and anxiety, but the right yellow can lift spirits and self-respect.
Ingrid Collins, a psychologist who specializes in the effects of colour, said that colour was an "energy force". She said: "Blue does enhance communication but I am not sure it would enhance truthful communication."
Yellow, she said, affected the mind. Red, on the other hand, should never be considered because it could increase aggression. Mrs Collins praised the designers for using colours in the cells. Gwent is not the first British force to experiment with colour to calm down or persuade prisoners to co-operate. In the 1990s Strathclyde Police used pink in cells based on research carried out by the US Navy. | Which of the following colours should NOT be used in cells according to me passage? | Red. | ['Pink.', 'Yellow', 'Blue.'] |
When I was a high school student , mathematics looked like a big hurdle for me and several of my classmates.When we reached the ninth class, we got Mr. Iyer, a strict maths teacher who was also our class teacher.He always stuck to his discipline.We had to arrive on time, pay undivided attention to his lectures, and dared not neglect any of h is homework.
Even so, as our class teacher, we got to know him better.Noticing some of us fidgeting one day as the mid -term exams approached, he stopped solving a mathematical problem to ask us why." There' s too much to do," we sighed."We're afraid we'll never manage to finish our revision before the exams."
"Nothing is impossible," Mr. Iyer told us. "This classroom is on the second floor. Do you have a problem reaching here ?"
We reacted with blank stares.
"No, you don' t !"he said , answering his own question."You have a staircase to help you climb up to this level.No one expects you to make it in two giant leaps.You simply take one step at a time.Any task can be solved if you focus on the immediate action to be taken.The rest w ill take care of itself, if you keep at it.One step at a time.That' s the secret."
Then he wrote down an o ld motto on the blackboard --the longest journey starts with a single step.Having heard his staircase analogy , w e understood why he asked us the question and we saw him in a new light.
Most of my classmates scored distinctions in maths.And I went on to become an English teacher.To this day , whenever I pass on Mr.Iyer's invaluable advice to my own students , they brighten up at the prospect of a lighter academic burden. | The staircase analogy implies that. | goals can be reached step by step | ['one can reach his/ her goals in a giant leap', 'tasks can be solved under the guide of the teacher', 'there is only one step between success and failure'] |
Corned Beef & Cabbage.
From Quick Cooking
"I've been making this meal for more than 40 years," remarks Ruth Warner of Wheat Ridge, Colorado. "It is so easy and so delicious. It's especially good served with a salad of peaches and cottage cheese."
INGREDIENTS
4 cups water
1 corned beef brisket with spice packet (2 pounds)
1 medium head cabbage , cut into 8 wedges
2 large red potatoes , cut into 2-inch chunks
1 can (14--1/2 ounces ) chicken broth
4 large carrots , cut into 2--inch chunks
1 medium onion , cut into 2--inch pieces
SERVINGS, 4--6
CATEGORY , Main Dish
PREP , 10 min.
METHOD, Pressure Cooker
COOK, 45 min.
TOTAL, 55 min.DIRECTIONS
In a 6-qt. pressure cooker ,combine water and contents of corned beef seasoning packet; add beef. Close cover securely ;place pressure regulator on vent pipe .Bring cooker to full pressure over high heat .Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 45 minutes .(Pressure regulator should maintain a slow steady rocking motion; adjust heat if needed.)
Meanwhile ,in a large saucepan ,combine the cabbage ,potatoes and broth .Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes .Add carrots and onion. Cover and simmer 20--25 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender ;drain.
Remove pressure cooker from the heat; allow pressure to drop on its own. Remove beef to a serving platter. Discard cooking liquid .Serve beef with cabbage ,potatoes ,carrots and onion.
Yield: 4--6 servings.
For more recipes ,click here. | Which of the following materials are not needed in this course? | flour and vinegar | ['cabbage and onion', 'carrot and potato', 'beef and water'] |
As a child , i was in awe of her toast making efforts . She cooked it on the stovetop with only a coat hanger fashioned in a triangle keeping the bread off the burner directly . She had no use for ' toaster appliances ' and said as much . | Why did n't she have a use for a toaster ? | She was a minimalist due to circumstance . | ['She was waiting on a newer toaster model .', 'None of the above choices .', 'She preferred the most convenient cooking methods .'] |
Witnesses said people jumped over broken railings and bodies to save themselves . Children lost their grip on their mothers ' hands and were crushed under the feet of scared pilgrims . " Many children and women were shouting for help and I saw people tumbling down the hillside , " pilgrim Dev Swarup , 48 , told Reuters by telephone from Bilaspur . " There were rumors of boulders coming down on us and we all ran like the others , " said Swarup , his voice choked with emotion . | Where did the tragedy seem to have taken place ? | It was at a religious event . | ["It was at a children 's play .", 'It was at a Reuters event .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Not everyone can sit around and daydream while twirling hair or worrying about how they are going to style it for school pictures or a special event. Some kids have no hair at all due to illness. Locks of Love is an organization that helps kids deal with their hair loss by providing real hair wigs from donors.
Jessica Moon, a photo editor, donates her hair whenever she cuts it, waiting each time for it to grow the necessary 10 inches.
"I don't miss my hair at all," Moon said. "And it grows really quickly."
At Locks of Love, the focus is on helping kids who have gone bald and feel embarrassed to go out in public to go on with the activities they normally enjoy. Lauren Kukkamaa, who works for the organization, believes that it is important for kids to live out their lives as normally as possible.
"Many times, a lot of children feel embarrassed by their baldness, " she said. "They have low self-confidence, so they may want to stop playing sports or going to summer camps. When they get the hair wigs, they feel confident to start doing these things again."
"For a donor, I think it's a very personal donation," said Kukkamaa. "You're giving of yourself. If you're looking for a way to get involved and give back, I think it's a great opportunity for someone."
Moon, who first donated her hair when she was 15 after she found out her father had cancer, said donating is a good way to make a difference.
"The best part is that it's helpful for someone and it does make a difference for patients who need the hair," she said. | One of the reasons why Moon is glad to donate is that _ . | her hair could grow back very quickly | ["she needn't worry about how to style it", 'she looks more beautiful with short hair', 'she could earn extra money by doing it'] |
Brazil is the greatest football nation in the world. There are 170 million Brazilians. How many of them are football fans? 100 million! All of them think they know all about football. This makes life very difficult for the Brazilian team managers. When things go bad for the Brazilian team, the newspapers would demand that the team manager should leave his job. "If we win, they me in heaven," a manager once said. "If we lose, they put me in hell ."
You can't escape football in Brazil. There are football matches on every street and beach. On television, the results of football matches come before the main news programs. There are six television channels in Rio de Janeiro. On Sundays each channel shows a different football match.
Brazil is not the richest country in the world, but the government spends lots of money on football. It cost more than one billion pounds to prepare for the 1978 World Cup. That's 10 pounds for every Brazilian man, woman, and child. And many Brazilians don't earn as much as 10 pounds a week. Is it worth it?
"Brazil must have a great football team," says one journalist. "If it costs one billion pounds, that's all right. If the government doesn't give us a good team, then it will become unpopular. Football is more than a game in Brazil."
Football is more than a game in Brazil. This is certainly true in its largest city, Sao Paulo. The most popular team is Corinthians. Corinthians' fans are the most loyal and emotional in Brazil. When Corinthians win, production in the Sao Paulo car factories increases by fifteen per cent. When they loses, it drops. At one time Corinthians won the national championship for the first time, for four days fans danced and sang in the streets,
Why are people so loyal to one football team? What makes a football fan? One man says, "Without Corinthians my life would be sad. Corinthians bring some joy and excitement into my life. We all need that, don't we?" | Some people danced and sang in the streets for four days in Sap Paulo because _ . | Corinthians won a national football championship | ['production in the Sao Paulo car factories increased', 'Corinthians won the World Cup', 'the newspapers put a team manager in heaven'] |
How could we have thought so wrongly of as banana peel that it always hits the garbage? Utility of anything seems to be in the eyes of the beholder. The banana peel hasn't been an exception.
What most of us looked at as waste was converted to a thing of utility by Prithwis Mukhopadlyay, a 14-year-old prodigy. This Bengali boy, nourished in the US, Lake Junior High in Woodbury, Minnesota, has come up with an idea to convert banana peels to biogas. .
It's well known that almost any organic waste can be converted to biogas. But why biogas from banana peel has hit the news is because it produced five times as much biogas as manure , a commonly used source for producing biogas, in the experiments Prithwis conducted.
He filled two airtight containers, one with manure and the other with banana peels. Then he mixed each content with water and connected them to empty jars via pipes to collect the gas produced. He placed a heater next to each jar and measured the gas collected for 60 days. His studies proved that banana peels produced five times more biogas than manure.
This project titled 'Comparison analysis: Eco-friendly source of energy for the future,' earned him a spot in Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge. This weekend, the young whiz is to showcase his research work along with 40 other finalists at Washington. "Initially, I thought of doing a project that would reduce global warming. Things changed after I visited a biogas plant in a village in India during my summer vacations. It was an amazing experience," Prithwis says. | Why could Prithwis's finding receive the attention of the media? | Because his research proved that banana peels can produce more biogas. | ['Because he is a prodigy.', 'Because he is of Bengali descent.', 'Because he used an extremely rare organic waste to produce biogas.'] |
Jeff and I have been car shopping for about a week and I think I found the vehicle I really want ! ! I ' ve always wanted a trailblazer .. I went and test drove one today and it was such a SMOOTH riding ! Comparing to my van -- it 's falling apart . | How does the narrator feel about car shopping ? | They feel decided on a SUV . | ['None of the above choices .', 'They are still looking for a vehicle .', 'The are going to test drive one .'] |
New York City consists of five parts: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. The population is about 7.5 million and there are 1.5 million in Manhattan alone.
Manhattan, the center of the city, is on the island between the Hudson River and the East River. Most of the famous buildings such as the Empire State and the United Nations and other skyscrapers are in Manhattan. Some of its districts are: Broadway, which has many theatres and cinemas, Fifth Avenue, with stores and apartments, Greenwich Village, where many artists and writers have lived, and Central Park, with a skating rink . From Manhattan you have to cross to the other parts of New York City through a tunnel or over a bridge. The bridge from Brooklyn to Staten Island is the longest in the world.
New York is the second biggest port in the world and it has two airports. The people who live there come from all over the world and speak many different languages. There are 324,000 Germans and 390,000 Poles as well as people from Greece, Scotland, Ireland, Italy and Romania. People call one district "Little Italy" and another "China town". | From the article we understand _ . | Staten Island and Brooklyn are separated by the sea | ['Staten Island and Brooklyn are one landmass', 'Manhattan and Queens are one landmass', 'Brooklyn and Queens are separated by the sea'] |
You put a great deal of effort into reaching the college of your choice. It' s time to get started. But what' s next? Beginning college can be an exciting but awkward time. Follow these tips to adjust to your new life rapidly and make the most of your college experience.
* To save time and money, use the college' s bus system. Taking the bus to school is quick, easy and free in most college towns. You won' t have to locate or afford a place to park either. It' s also a good way to be environmentally aware.
* Save pennies on books by waiting until class starts. You might not even need all of the recommended books. New textbooks cost an arm and a leg. Try buying used textbooks -- it' s a surefire way to save money and serves the purpose as well.
* Do never look at college life as an endless series of parties and social activities. But there is a whole lot more to college if you're serious about graduating. Having a good college experience is all about balancing work and fun.
* Be mindful of your diet. Make healthy food choices and watch what you eat. Avoid foods that are processed or high in sugar. The "freshman 15"is real. Many college students gain at least 15 pounds during their freshmen year.
* While electives can be helpful when figuring out your major, you shouldn't entirely rely on them. Clubs and other organizations exist around. Get involved. Make sure, though, that you still have time to study. Having too much on your plate can hurt your grades. | The "freshman 15"tells the fact that some freshmen _ . | take relaxed attitudes to their diets | ['have little regular physical exercise', 'focus less on their academic work', 'attend limited activities on campus'] |
One of the challenges that every community faces, particularly teams inside a larger community, is the ability to coordinate what goals and ambitions the team is going to work on. Traditionally this has always been somewhat ad-hoc: people join a team and work on whatever they feel like. Ideas are ten-a-penny though. For most teams that work on larger projects (such as events, software, products and more) to actually be productive, coordinating this work can be complex: some projects require coordination across many people with different skill-sets, time-availability and resources.
Something I would like us to work towards in the Ubuntu community is encouraging a culture of best-practise in how we plan our work and coordinate our awesome teams to work together on projects. I believe this kind of coordination can help our teams increase the opportunity for success in their work, feel more empowered and productive and provide greater insight to people outside those teams on what the team is doing.
An effective way of doing this is to build a Roadmap for each cycle. This provides an opportunity to capture a set of goals the team will work together to achieve in each six-month period. This article outlines how to build such a Roadmap.
While at first a roadmap can feel a little like a nod to the gods of bureaucracy, they actually possess many benefits:
* Direction – one of the biggest complaints teams often report is a lack of direction. If a team gets into the habit of creating a roadmap at the beginning of a cycle, it gives the team a sense of focus and direction for the coming cycle.
* Documented commitments are more effective – a common rule in Project Management training is that actions assigned to people in a shared document are more effective than ad-hoc or private commitments. By documenting who will work on what in a cycle and putting their name next to an action can help seal a sense of accountability for their contributions to the project.
* Feeling of success – regularly revisiting a roadmap and checking off items that have been completed can develop a strong feeling of progress and success. It makes a team feel productive. | What is probably true about the narrator? | He likes being on a team | ['He wants a private commitment', 'not enough information', 'He hates teams'] |
I got my copy of ' Running with scissors ' in the mail today . I bent the rules with my ' read the book , watch the movie ' thing I do , cause I was dying to watch it and it was on the TV one night , so I sat down and watched it . I have heard some good things and bad things about the book . I ' ve heard its over the top in some parts . | Why would the narrator watch the movie ? | They liked the story it was based on . | ['They liked the comic book it was based on .', 'None of the above choices .', 'They liked the history book it was based on .'] |
Every day we go to school and listen to teachers, and the teacher will ask us some questions. Sometimes,the classmates will ask your opinions of the work of the class. When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics, remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying. You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat with friends--you are in a situation where a large group of people will remain silent, waiting to hear what you have to say. You must speak so that they can hear you loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout or appearing to force yourself.
Remember, too, that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you. The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease ordinary conversation but the situation is somewhat different from that of an ordinary conversation. You must take special care that you can he heard. | If you are having a conversation with an official,the most important thing for you is _ . | to make sure that you can he heard | ['to show your ability', 'to be very gentle', 'to put the official at ease'] |
It's 10:30 pm, and 11-year-old Brandon Blanco is sound asleep at home. Suddenly, a loud noise wakes him up. Naturally, Brandon reaches for his cell phone. The message becomes clear: "R U awake?"
Brandon' s use of technology doesn' t stop there. He also has a computer, a TV and three video-game consoles ( ) in his room. With so many choices, it' s no surprise that when he isn' t at school, he spends nearly every waking minute using one or more of these devices
Brandon is hardly alone. According to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids aged 8 to18 are spending more time than ever before using electronic devices. How much time? More than seven and a half hours a day on average, the study found.
The jump is the result of a huge explosion in mobile devices, says Victoria Rideout, the lead author of the study. Today, nearly seven out of ten kids have cell phones. Just five years ago, it was four out of ten.
Often, kids multitask, or use more than one device at a time. " If you've got a chance to do something on your computer and take a phone call and have the TV on in the background, why not?" media expert Cheryl Olson says.
Most experts agree technology has much to offer kids. But some worry the kids could be missing out on other activities like playing outside or hanging out with friends. " It' s a matter of balance," says Olson." You've got to work on it. "
Multitasking while doing homework is another concern. Some kids listen to music, watch TV or use the phone while doing their homework. "It' s important to make sure that you can stop and concentrate on one thing deeply, " says Rideout.
With new and exciting devices hitting stores every year, keeping technology use in check is more important than ever. " Kids should try," adds Rideout. " But parents might have to step in sometimes. " | Why do children spend more time in using electronic devices? | Because more electronic devices are available to them. | ['Because electronic devices are more exciting than before.', 'Because they have less other activities.', 'Because they have less homework to do.'] |
So his opponents have discarded that strategy and would rather try to beat him at his own game : striking . But they 're not stupid enough to try to duke it out with him because he 's at his best when you do that - they will stick and move and since Lidell is always waiting for that one big punch , they can wait for him to make that one mistake and they will pounce on it . Rampage did that and so did Evans . | What type of sport is being described here ? | It is mixed martial arts . | ['It is pugilism .', 'None of the above choices .', 'It is boxing .'] |
I looked up just in time to watch three separate bolts of lightning strike from the sky straight in front of me , many miles away toward Portland . I continue watching the storm for the next hour or so as I returned . As far as I could tell , it was somewhere over Tualatin . | What subject is the narrator interested in ? | The narrator likes weather . | ['The narrator likes Tualatin .', 'None of the above choices .', 'The narrator likes Portland .'] |
In Colombia , there are some unwritten rules that people are used to , These rules are not officially established , but people do respect them . For example , on a bus , a person keeps a distance from another person , and people don't like to touch each other . Many people come to work late because they prefer to wait for another bus if the first one is too crowded . They don't want to have to stand too close to another person , or maybe they are afraid of starting a conversation .
A friend of mine in Colombia once said his mom got angry because he came home late , so he asked her , " Mom , what do you think of most people arriving at their jobs so late ? " That gave her the answer to her question since everyone knows no one wants to get on a bus that is too crowded . His mother realized at that moment that customs have a big influence on a person's life .
Sometimes , people don't like to make any kind of conversation or make eye contact with others . For example , when they are in line at a bank , they prefer to look up or down rather than look at other people .
Moreover , people usually look down when they are in an elevator . Not only on a bus , in line at a bank , and in an elevator do people usually avoid talking to other people , but also in the streets when they are walking , they prefer to look down and to avoid contact with others . | From the text we learn that _ . | customs influence people's lives | ['a mother always understands her son', 'people respect each other in Colombia', 'people like to talk in elevators in Colombia'] |
Customs are social habits. They have been handed down through generations among groups, social classes, etc. Customs can be described as ways of doing things. They are particularly strong in social practices on the occasions of births, marriages and deaths.
In China, these days, some people in cities are learning from Western customs. For example, some brides dress in the long white dress that is usual bridal wear in many Western countries.
Every people has special customs for New Year. The Han people have many interesting Spring Festival customs. And now, quite a number of people living in the cities have followed the Western customs of sending New Year greeting cards for January 1st.
One interesting custom in China is that mothers wrap up their babies tightly .This is not the custom in Western countries, where babies are usually dressed in loose garments. | The difference about clothing between Chinese and Western babies is that_. | Western babies are dressed in bigger clothes while Chinese babies are usually wrapped | ['Chinese babies are usually dressed in new clothes', 'Chinese mothers are used to dressing their babies in colourful clothes', 'Western babies have more clothes than Chinese babies'] |
So lately , the headaches and nausea and dizziness have been coming back . I had no explanation . As far as I knew , I could still see well with my glasses . | What could the glasses have to do with these physical symptoms that the speaker is experiencing ? | The dizziness and headaches as well as the nausea result from a lack of compensation for impaired vision | ['None of the above choices .', 'The person could be suffering from migraines , but the placement of the glasses on the head relieves the symptoms', 'They are hyper focused on how they look , and believe they look less attractive without glasses , which leads to psychosomatic symptoms'] |
She was n't perfect . She would pick her nose and eat it ( she was like I was ) , and she would fight with her little sister , but she was in pretty good shape . Her little sister , this was our second potato chip , was cute but distractible ( she was like I was ) . We had to yell at her a lot to get her to get ready for school or to get dressed , or to finish up in her bath , or to brush her teeth or to do her homework , or to run to first base . | How does the narrator feel toward her ? | The narrator feels similar to her . | ['The narrator is shaped by her .', 'The narrator feels picked by her .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
In November we found out we were pregnant . At first we were scared but soon grew excited . In March we found out it was a girl . Soon after he left me in a text message and filed for a divorce . | Why did he file for divorce ? | He did n't want to raise a baby . | ['He got someone else pregnant .', 'He wanted to raise the baby on his own .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
" Hey , hey ... that 's some good shit ! " " It 's sake ? " Rin gripped the mane of Anotsu 's horse when it turned to touch noses with the other ; she still felt unstable on a horse by herself , especially since she had chosen to ride sidesaddle . " Nope , shochu . " Manji tilted his head back and took a long , stiff pull , his throat bobbing . He squinted against the sun , wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and let out a heated puff of breath . " Hahh ! | Why is riding sidesaddle unstable ? | Both legs are on the same side of the horse and it 's hard to balance . | ['You have to ride a dress to ride sidesaddle .', 'It is something that makes you mentally ill .', 'It makes you feel less beautiful and is stressful .'] |
About 1966 or so, a NASA team doing work for the Apollo moon mission took the astronauts near Tuba City. There the land of the Navajo Reservation looks very much like the lunar surface. Among all the trucks and large vehicles were two large figures that were dressed in full lunar space suits.
Nearby, a Navajo shepherd and his son were watching the strange creatures walk about, occasionally being watched over by other NASA workers. The two Navajo people were noticed and approached by the NASA people. Since the shepherd and his son did not know English, they asked the NASA people who the strange creatures were. The NASA people told them that they were just men that were getting ready to go to the moon. The shepherd became very excited and asked if he could send a message to the moon with the astronauts.
The NASA officials thought this was a great idea so they provided a tape recorder. After the man gave them his message, they asked his son to translate. His son would not.
Later, they tried a few more people on the Navajo Reservation to translate and every person they asked would chuckle and then refuse to translate. Finally, with cash in hand someone translated the message, "Watch out for these guys, they have come to take your land!" | When the older Navajo heard that the men in front of him were going to the moon, he _ . | tried to say something to the moon creatures | ['felt frightened and ran away quickly', 'chatted excitedly with the NASA workers', 'got on the modern trucks and large vehicles for fun'] |
Nonverbal Communication
When you are in another country, it is important to know the language, but it is equally important to know how to communicate nonverbally. Before saying anything, people communicate nonverbally by making gestures. According to an investigation ,only 30 to 35 percent of our communication is verbal. When people don't know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world.
In the United States, for example, nodding your head up and down means "yes". In some parts of Greece and Turkey, however, this motion can mean "no". In Southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying "I've heard you."
In ancient Rome, when the emperor wanted to spare someone's life, he would put his thumb up. Today in the United States, when someone puts his/her thumb up, it means "Everything is all right." However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there.
In the United States, raising your clasped hands above your head means "I'm the champion" or "I'm the winner". It is the sign that prizefighters make when they win a fight. When a leading Russian statesman made this gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner. In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship.
There are other nonverbal signals that people should be aware of when they go to another country, such as the distance to maintain between speakers. Americans stand closer to each other than English people. English people don't like touching somebody or being touched. Now in America, touch is important. For example friends touch each other on the arm. They often put an arm around a friend when they say "hello" or "goodbye". | It is very important to know how to communicate nonverbally when you are in another country because _ . | much of our communication is nonverbal on many occasions | ['most people speak different languages', 'people usually make gestures before saying anything', "it's easy to learn how to express oneself through gestures"] |
It was a village in India.The people were poor.However,they were not unhappy.After all,their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day,some visitors from the city arrived.They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog's legs.However,they did not have enough frogs of their own,and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing.There were millions of frogs in the fields around,and they were no use to the villagers.All they had to do was catch them.Agreement was reached,and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs.Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money.For the first time,the people were able to dream of a better future.But the dream didn't last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first,but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well.More worrying was that the children fell ill more often,and,there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn't just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak.They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides and medicines.Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening.It was the frog.They hadn't been useless.They had been doing an important job--eating insects.Now with so many frogs killed,the insects were increasing more rapidly.They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now,the people are still poor.But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs.These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.
(2010*,A) | What might be the cause of the children's sickness? | There were too many insects. | ["The crops didn't do well.", 'The visitors brought in diseases.', 'The pesticides were overused.'] |
There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as a result or product that can easily be identified and measured. The worker who gets a rise, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language--all these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts.
By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way. The process is not the road itself, but rather the attitudes and feelings people have, their caution or courage, as they meet with new experiences and unexpected obstacles . In this process, the journey never really ends; there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept.
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to face the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may "fail" at first. How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is extremely important to our ability to grow. Do we notice ourselves as quick and curious? If so, then we tend to take more chances and to be more open to unfamiliar experiences. Do we think we're shy and indecisive? Then our sense of fear can cause us to hesitate, to move slowly, and we think we're slow to adapt to change or that we're not smart enough to deal with a new challenge. Then we are likely to take a more passive role or not try at all.
These feelings of insecurity and self-doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow. If we protect ourselves too much, then we stop growing. We become trapped inside a shell of our own making. | Which of the following can be viewed as the process of personal growing? | Helen was always willing to accept challenges. | ['Jane won the first prize in the speech competition.', 'Jerry picked up French during his stay in Paris.', "Father's salary rose from 5,000 to 7,000."] |
Wanted,Someone for a Kiss
We're looking for producers to join us on the sound of London Kiss 100 FM. You'll work on the station's music programs. Music production experience in radio is necessary,along with rich knowledge of modern dance music. Please apply in writing to Producer Vacancies,Kiss 100.
Father Christmas
We're looking for a very special person,preferably over 40,to fill our Father Christmas suit.
Working days:Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December 17 to December 24 except Sundays, 10:30-16:00.
Excellent pay.
Please contact the Enterprise Shopping Centre,Station Parade,Eastbourne.
Accountants Assistant
When you join the team in our Revenue Administration Unit,you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division,dealing with post and other general duties. If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you. This position is equally suitable for a school leaver or for somebody who has office experience.
Wealden District Council
Software Trainer
If you are aged 24-45 and have experience in teaching and training,you could be the person we are looking for. You should be good at the computer and have some experience in program writing. You will be allowed to make your own decisions,and to design courses as well as present them. Pay upwards ofPS15,000 for the right person. Please apply by sending your CV to Mrs R. Oglivie, Palmlace Limited. | .Who should you get in touch with if you hope to work in a radio station? | Producer Vacancies,Kiss 100. | ['Mrs Oglivie,Palmlace Limited.', 'The Enterprise Shopping Centre.', 'Wealden District Council.'] |
Usually I do n't eat any sweet cereal except for occasionally I 'll eat frosted mini wheats like cookies ( one at a time , dunked in milk ) . Krogers has a version of shredded wheat that has the greatest ingredients list ever . " Ingredients Wheat . | Why might the person not eat frosted cereals ? | They consider them to be unhealthy | ['They are concerned for their teeth', 'They are allergic to sugar', "They are diabetic and ca n't eat sugar"] |
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he urged North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to directly engage with Washington to salvage the June 12 nuclear summit with the U.S., when the two leaders held a surprise second inter-Korean summit Saturday.
“I emphasized that the two sides must directly communicate in order to eradicate any misunderstandings, and preliminary talks through working-level negotiations on key agendas are necessary,” said President Moon at a press briefing in Seoul Sunday.
North Korea requested the meeting between Kim and Moon after U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled the Singapore summit. Trump said his decision was based on the “tremendous anger and open hostility displayed” by North Korea officials recently over U.S. demands that Pyongyang follow the Libya denuclearization model.
North Korea sees that model for rapid and complete denuclearization as a threat to the Kim government’s security, since Libyan leader Moammar Ghadafi was later overthrown and killed by his own people, with support from a multinational military coalition that included the U.S.
Pyongyang has called for a more incremental process that links concessions to partial nuclear reductions and postpones complete denuclearization until the North’s security demands are met.
Moon met with Kim on the North side of the inter-Korean border, in the same village of Panmunjom where the two leaders held a summit in April. At that meeting, on the south side of the border, the two leaders jointly declared their support for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
On Saturday Moon said Kim reaffirmed his commitment to end his country’s nuclear weapons program, but shared his key concern that the U.S. would work to destabilize his rule despite any security guarantees it offers.
“What is uncertain for Chairman Kim Jong Un is not his willingness for denuclearization, but he has concerns over whether North Korea can trust the fact that Washington will end its hostile relations, and guarantee the security of the regime if North Korea does denuclearize,” Moon said.
Trump has said Kim would be both secure in his rule and rich, as the U.S. and other countries would offer substantial economic aid and investment. | When did North Korea request the meeting between Kim and Moon? | After Trump canceled the Singapore Summit. | ['Before Moon met with Kim on the Korean border.', 'not enough information', 'Before Trump canceled the Singapore Summit.'] |
Homeschooling is a popular alternative to send your children to a public or private school. It seems to be especially popular with stayathome parents who would rather teach their children themselves in the privacy of their own homes. In order to homeschool your children,you will need to know the basics of how to do this,and like everything,there are steps you will need to follow.
Homeschooling is legal in all fifty states. The first step is to check with your state's Board of Education to find out what the legal requirements are and what you will need to do in order to _ them.
Next,you will need to determine whether or not you want your children to follow a structured curriculum. Most parents use this system to ensure that their children will study every subject that a child who goes to a private or public school would.
Homeschooling can not only provide your children with the essential learning of the basic subjects of reading,writing,and arithmetic,but it can also help your children to master muchneeded life skills. These skills can range from learning how to do the cleaning to balancing his or her own checkbook. They are skills that your child will need to know so that he or she can take care of themselves later on in life.
One last point about homeschooling:The question of interaction and socialization is most always brought up in the question on whether or not a child should be homeschooled. Public schooling is automatically thought to be a good place for a child to learn how to get along with his or her peers. While some social skills probably can be learned in this type of environment,peer pressure is always a constant concern for parents. Fortunately,parents who homeschool can teach their children moral values as well as the right way to get along with other people. | The best title for this passage would be _ . | Homeschooling in America | ['Basic Skills for Later Life', 'Education System in America', 'Parents and Children'] |
There are some topics that readers never grow bored with, and the search for a suitable partner is one of them. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, first published in 1813, tells the story of five young women, all of whom are looking for a husband. In order to fully understand the novel, the readers must know that at the time when Jane Austen was writing, if a family was not rich, the daughters needed to marry well in order to live a comfortable, independent life. That is the reason why Mrs Bennet, the mother of the five girls, is so eager to have her daughters married.
The heroine of the story is Elizabeth Bennet, and as in all good romantic novels, she and Darcy, the man she finally marries, remain separate until the very end of the story. The wealthy Darcy is a proud, unsociable man, and when Elizabeth hears that he has insulted both her and her family, she dislikes him very much. Poor Darcy then falls head over heels in love with Elizabeth, and has to work terribly hard to persuade her to change her mind about him. He succeeds of course, and they live happily ever after.
Set at the turn of the 19th century, the novel is still attractive to modern readers. It has become one of the most popular novels and receives great attention from literary scholars .Modern interest in the book has resulted in a number of dramas and a lot of novels and stories modeling after Austen's memorable characters or themes. To date, the book has sold some 20 million copies worldwide.
Jane Austen is rightly famous for her style. Her sentences have a wonderful rhythm , and she makes such clever, true comments about people. It is not surprising that Pride and Prejudice has lasted. | According to the passage, Pride and Prejudice _ . | inspired many other novels and many plays have been produced based on it. | ['was first published in 1813 and sold 20 million copies soon', 'tells a sad love story which moves generations of readers', 'is set at the turn of the 19th century and not well received worldwide'] |
It was the small hours of the morning when we reached London Airport. I had rung London from Amsterdam, and there was a hired car to meet, but there was one more unfortunate happening before I reached my flat. In all my travels I have never, but for that once, been required by the British customs to open a single bag or to do more than state that I carried no goods liable to duty, or rather, to declare. It was, of course, my fault; the extreme tiredness and nervous tension of the journey had destroyed my normal state of mind. I was, for whichever reason, so tired that I could hardly stand, and to the question, "have you read this?" I replied with extreme foolishness, "Yes, hundreds of times."
"And you have nothing to declare?"
"Nothing."
"How long have you been out of this country?"
"About three months."
"And during that time you have acquired nothing?"
"Nothing but what is on the list I have given you."
He seemed momentarily at a loss, but then he attacked. The attack, when it came, was completely unexpected.
"Where did you get that watch?"
I could have kicked myself. Two days before, when playing water games with a friend in the bath, I had forgotten to take off my ROLEX OYSTER, and it had, not unnaturally, stopped. I had gone into the market and bought, for no more than ten pounds, an ugly time piece that made a strange noise. It had stopped twice, without any reason, during the journey.
I explained, but I had already lost face. I produced my own watch from a pocket, and added that I should be grateful if he would _ the replacement.
"It is not a question of confiscation; you will have it," he said, "there is a fine for failing to declare dutiable goods. And now may I please examine that Rolex?"
It took another quarter of an hour to persuade him that the Rolex was not contraband ; then he began to search my luggage. | What did the writer think of the watch he bought in the market? | He didn't like the watch at all. | ['He was fond of the watch because it was a Rolex.', 'He will replace the Rolex with the new watch.', 'He found the watch useful though it was very cheap.'] |
I had this one guy, who enjoyed being a part time bully and part time neutral to me.
To say the least he was annoying. He'd take the liberty to hide my backpack, borrow my books without consent, doodle scandalous stuff on my notebooks with a pen and yada yada.
So one day, I was showing this cool trick I learned on an anatomy program on the TV to a couple of classmates who used to sit around me. The thing was that you can't flex your ring finger upwards if you put your middle finger under the palm (try that)
We were all kids, and soon everyone in the class started staring at us weirdos looking laughing at out hands. The bully noticed it too, and came near to inquire about this hand stuff. I described the trick and he was impressed.
And then,
I saw our teacher walking up the corridor, just a couple paces behind the class door. So, I asked him (the bully) if he wanted to see another trick and to that he nodded a big yes.
Cool,
What I did was, that I grabbed his right arm by the thumb and put it on my throat right above the larynx. Then I quickly shifted my grip to his wrist. He without batting an eye, asked what I was doing, but then I started beating the desk with my other hand and made squeaking noises while pushing his hand against my throat harder with every turning head. And voilà! Every one in the class (including the teacher) thought he was smothering me.
After a few ifs and buts between him and the teacher, he was summoned at the principal’s chambers, from where, later he was sent home, where presumably judging from the look on his face for the next few days, he was beat to crap by his folks.
And after that, never was I ever bothered by anyone in the school.(^^) | How does the bully feel when confronted by the teacher? | The bully felt misunderstood | ['The bully felt angry', 'The bully felt scared', 'not enough information'] |
Dear Miss Manners,
Friends of mine lost their home in a house fire.It was terrible.Another friend set up a "go fund me" type page for friends and funnily to donate and help the couple.Many friends, including me, helped with money, meals, lamprey and their dog while 'they were getting back on their feet.
Last week, they sent thank-you notes.My roommate received one addressed to her and I did not The notes were not in modularized; it was a printed one-size-fits-all message.My roommate realized I didn't receive a thank you, so she sent a private message to the couple just letting them know I had been left out.I didn't know she had done this until later.
The next day, I got a text message apologizing and saying that I had been left out because their friend who addressed the notes must have missed me!(Miss Manners, they didn't even address the notes themselves!)It was accompanied by a picture of the thank-you note, which was texted to me with- the message, "Here is a thank you just for you. "
I was a little annoyed.I helped them in their fume of need and didn't get a second thought.I have not responded to her text message.Is it fair of me to consider this friendship over? Should I tell her that I am upset, or should I accept that this rude thank you was better than nothing? | From the letter we can infer that _ . | so far Mary hasn't received a thank-you-note addressed to her. | ['the couple lost their car in the fire so they had to go everywhere on foot.', "Mary's roommate sent the couple a message to blame their carelessness.", 'the couple left Mary out by accident when they wrote the thank you notes.'] |
Maybe the purpose of living is to live . In every sense of the word . There 's more to life than frittering time away on tedious office tasks . | What might be something that the writer enjoys doing ? | They might enjoy traveling . | ['They might enjoy cleaning the house .', 'They might enjoy working long hours .', 'They might enjoy reaching economic goals .'] |
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[?]One Free container for Quickeats with the purchase of one Quickeats meal. | Which of the following can be cooled in a refrigerator before eating according to the ads? | Pasta Salad | ['Dried Fruit.', 'Noodles.', 'Nuts.'] |
About a year ago, I went to stay at a Detroit hotel. I didn't want to carry too much money with me, so I asked the desk clerk to put a one-hundred-dollar bill in the safe for me.
The next morning, however, the clerk said he knew nothing about my money. I didn't have any proof that I had given the man the money. There was nothing I could do but go to the nearest lawyer.
The lawyer advised me to return to the hotel with him and give another one-hundred-dollar bill to the clerk. This I did. An hour later, I went back to the desk alone and asked for my money. Since I had the lawyer as an eyewitness to the second one-hundred-dollar bill, the clerk could not say he knew nothing about it.
Another hour later, I put the second part of the lawyer's plan into action. This time both the lawyer and I went to the hotel. I asked for the one-hundred-dollar bill once again, and when the clerk insisted he had already given it to me, I denied it. The lawyer said to him, "I saw this gentleman give you a hundred dollars. If you don't hand it over immediately, I'll be forced to call the police."
The clerk realized he had been tricked, so he gave me back the first one-hundred-dollar bill.
"I don't know how to thank you enough for getting my money back," I said to the lawyer. And what do you suppose he answered me?
He said, "Oh, don't thank me. That will be a hundred dollars, please." | Which of the following statements is true? | The lawyer asked for 100 dollars as lawyer's fee. | ["The man didn't get his 200 dollars back.", 'The lawyer was happy that the man got both his bills back.', 'The man thanked the lawyer by paying him some money.'] |
We partook of the local bakery 's fare while sunning ourselves in the main street . Sunbury has all the big stores and seemed pretty well serviced . The locals , well , hmmm , interesting mix . We were welcomed to Rupertswood by what both R and I know as a Monkey Puzzle tree . Ok , the setting is perhaps not that great , because of parking for the school and outbuildings . Parts of the setting are nice . The front of Rupertswood . | What country may I be currently living in ? | Australia | ['Canada', 'England', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Although travelers can try dishes from around China and the globe in well-known food cities like Beijing and Shanghai, it is outside these major metropolises where a world of exciting Chinese cuisine awaits the true foodie . With this in mind and after three years of living in China and writing about Chinese food, I started a six-month journey with my husband and two daughters.
Here are four of the eight most amazing Chinese food cities I've come across so far. The list is in no particular order.
1. Chengdu, Sichuan Province
Crowned as Asia's first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2010, Chengdu is best-known for its fiery hot pot and spicy dishes, which are characterized by the use of Sichuan pepper and are usually layered with salty, sour and sweet flavors. There are also dishes that aren't spicy at all, such as beer-braised duck.
Hot pot is as _ in the city as the smell of chili. At Zigong Delicious Hotpot, the house specialty tiaoshui wa is a cauldron of fiery chili to which vegetables, noodles or other meats can be added.
For a real taste of Sichuan's signature pepper, hua jiao, spend a morning at the Chengdu Spice Market where the locals sell and buy it by the sack.
2. Lanzhou, Gansu Province
Synonymous in the minds of food-lovers with hand-pulled beef noodles, Lanzhou also has one of the liveliest street food night markets in China.
Just west of the city center, the buzzing Zhengning Road bazaar houses more than 100 street food stalls. Available is a broad selection of hot and cold dishes with emphasis on local Hui cuisine.
No trip to Lanzhou is complete without feasting on noodles at Wumule Penhui, the 2012 winners of Lanzhou's annual pulled noodle competition. The halal restaurant makes noodles spicy enough to satisfy even the most hardened heat-seekers.
3. Guangzhou, Guangdong Province
The birthplace of Cantonese food, Guangzhou is thought by many as the best place to eat in China. The city of 12 million has a passionate food culture, with equal excitement reserved for the opening of a hole-in-the-wall congee joint and a high-end restaurant.
The local cuisine is characterized by fresh clean flavors , seafood, barbecued meats and the wonderful tradition of yum cha, which is tea drinking accompanied by dumplings and small dishes.
Congee is the way locals love to start their day, and one of the most popular vendors is Ru Xuan Sha Guo Zhou. Here, one can get a bowl of signature seafood congee any hour of the day.
Roast meats are Bing Sheng's most popular order--their roast goose is marinated with five-spice, boiled, air-dried, then roasted by a flame oven to give a crisp skin.
For something more home style and removed from the madness of downtown, head to Ji Cun for steamed chicken and simple farmer-style dishes.
4. Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province
This ancient canal city is home to huangjiu, an amber-colored rice wine that's important in Chinese cooking.
Open since 1894, the dining chain is known by almost every Chinese for its appearance in early 20th century novels by Chinese literati Lu Xun.
Xianheng's delicacies include crispy-skinned chicken, smoked red dates in rice wine, beans flavored with fennel , and crispy bream in rice wine.
Fried fermented tofu is also a local specialty, which is available all over town at small street stalls including one just outside Xianheng. | The writer's purpose of the passage is to _ . | share her story and impression on Chinese cuisines | ['tell readers how to comment on amazing Chinese food cities', 'talk the readers into enjoying the signature food such as hand-pulled noodles', 'express her preference for fiery hot pot and spicy dishes in Chengdu.'] |
Taxes, Taxes and More Taxes
Americans often say that there are only two things a person can be sure of in life; death and taxes. Americans do not have a corner on the "death" market, but many people feel that the United States leads the world with the worst taxes.
Taxes consist of the money which people pay to support their government. There are generally three levels of government in the United States: federal , state, and city; therefore, there are three types of taxes.
Salaried people who earn more than a few thousand dollars must pay a certain percentage of their salaries to the federal government. The percentage varies form person to person. It depends on their salaries. The federal government has a graduated income tax, that is, the percentage of the tax (14 to 70 percent) increases as a person's income increases. With the high cost of taxes people are not very happy on April 15, when the federal taxes are due.
The second tax is for the state government: New York, California, North Dakota, or any of the other forty-seven states. Some states have an income tax similar to that of the federal government. Of course, the percentage for the state tax is lower. Other states have a sales tax, which is a percentage charged to any item which you buy in that state. For example, a person might want to buy a packet of cigarettes for twenty-five cents. If there is a sales tax of eight percent in that state, then the cost of the cigarettes is twenty-seven cents. This figure includes the sales tax. Some states use income tax in addition to sales tax to raise their revenues . The state tax laws are various and confusing.
The third tax is for the city. This tax comes in two forms: property tax (people who own a home have to pay taxes on it) and excise tax, which is charged on cars in a city. The cities use these funds for education, police and fire departments, public works and municipal buildings.
Since Americans pay such high taxes, they often feel that they are working one day each week just to pay their taxes. People always complain about taxes. They often protest that the government uses their tax dollars in the wrong way. They say that it spends too much on useless and impractical programs. Although Americans have different views on many issues, they tend to agree on one subject: taxes are too high. | What does the title "Taxes, Taxes, and More Taxes" imply? | Americans are not satisfied with the three types of taxes. | ['The three levels of government do not use the taxes in a right way.', 'Americans complain that taxes are too high.', "Americans' taxes are diverse and confusing."] |
But I ' m not going to let him ruin my good time , I knew almost everyone there and it was easy enough to just stay away and let him do is thing . But here 's the good ( depending on how you take it ) stuff ; So I decided to get a Tarot reading because I ' ve never had one and have always been curious . So when I ' m shuffling the cards and cutting the deck I ' m just thinking , " Doug " . | What will happen after the reading that the narrator is going to ? | The narrator will ponder their future . | ['The narrator will want to buy more books .', 'The narrator will be bored with the present .', 'The narrator will want to read more .'] |
Although I was kind of sad that I would lose a few days in Georgia , I agreed -- after all , these people were fun , and I had never been to those places . Then , my Couchsurfing friend Hisham asked if he could come , too . It started to look interesting . Of course , one by one they started to drop out ( Hisham because of family issues , Ali because he had just started a new job and could n't take time off , and Pelin because she 's Pelin ) . | What region of the country is the person traveling to ? | The Southeast | ['The Southwest', 'The Northeast', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Many scientists are now exploring the idea of going to live on Mars. Some other scientists from the MASA AMES Center have already started the creation of a "Mars town" and many others are in fact already experimenting with it. Of course, these experiments are done on Earth itself but this "Mars town" has an environment practically like that of Mars.
The astronauts working in these towns wear their space suit and also do everything they would really have to carry out if they ever go to Mars in the future.
But Mars would be like Earth, a temporary place for humans. When the Sun starts swallowing up the planets, Mars will disappear only hours after Earth. So Mars only seems to be the ideal place to spread the human beings. It is also a good location to send humans if ever there is a disaster on Earth. By saying disaster, I mean asteroids hitting and things like that.
If we humans do not want to disappear when Earth or Mars gets swallowed up, we will have to go and live beyond the solar system. But are there any planets outside our solar system prepared to support life? Astronomers' answer is:
"If Earth can support life, why can't other planets do the same too? Astronomers have already discovered a Jupiter - like planet _ a Sun-like star, so why not an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star?
To achieve this goal though, many other problems have to be taken into consideration. How do we transform a dusty planet like Mars into one more or less like our Earth? How should we go on? There is still a long way to go. | Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? | Where to live in the Future | ['Mars Town', 'Living on Mars', 'The Future of Earth'] |
"Long time no see" is a very interesting sentence. When I first read this sentence from an American friend's email, I laughed. I thought it was a perfect example of Chinglish.
Obviously, it is a word-by-word literal translation of the Chinese greetings with a ruled English grammar and structure! Later on, my friend told me that it is a standard American greeting. I was too thrilled to believe her. Her words could not convince me at all. So I did a research on google.com. To my surprise, there are over 60 thousand web pages containing "Long time no see." This sentence has been widely used in emails, letters, newspapers, movies, books, or any other possible places. Though it is sort of informal, it is part of the language that Americans use daily. Ironically, if you type this phrase in Microsoft Word, the software will tell you that the grammar needs to be corrected.
Nobody knows the origin of this Chinglish sentence. Some people believe that it came from Charlie Chan's movies. In the 1930s, Hollywood moviemakers successfully created a world wide famous Chinese detective named "Charlie Chan" on wide screens. Detective Chan likes to teach Americans some Chinese wisdom by quoting Confucius. "Long time no see" was his trademark. Soon after Charlie Chan, "Long time no see" became a popular phrase in the real world with thanks to the popularity of these movies.
Some scholars refer to America as a huge pot of stew. All kinds of culture are mixed in the stew together, and they change the color and taste of each other. American Chinese, though a minority ethnic group in the United States, is also contributing some changes to the stew! Language is usually the first thing to be influenced in the mixed stew.
You can have some other examples than adoptions from Chinese, such as pizza from Italian, susi from Japanese, and deja vu from French etc. There is a long list! Americans do not just simply borrow something from others. They will modify it and make it their own, so you would not be surprised to find a tofu and peanut butter hamburger in a restaurant, or to buy a bottle of iced Chinese green tea with honey in a grocery store. Since Americans appreciate Chinese culture more and more nowadays, I believe more Chinese words will become American English in the future. In this way the American stew keeps adding richness and flavor. | The main idea of the passage is that _ . | American English keep being enriched from different cultures | ['some Chinese expressions are introduced into English', "you'll not be surprised at a tofu in a restaurant in America", 'some American expressions can be used in China'] |
Not smiling , not grining & my hands are certainly not moving at all . I do n't wanna face another F. The disappointment . I really ca n't take it for the 2nd time . I really ca n't . | What is the narrator feeling right now ? | They are scared they will be disappointed . | ['They are scared they will be caught in the act .', 'They are scared they will be exposed .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Are there fastest ways to lose weight? Yes, there are! This is no magic trick or miracle. It just needs sensible actions.
*Drink water
No, you don't have to fill up like a tub, but ensure that you drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Don't substitute for juice. With adequate water intake your body will be able to metabolize fat more effectively. And if you have a glass of water 10-15 minutes before your meal, you will feel full once you start eating. Another fun fact, did you know that you can lose 62 calories by drinking ice cold water?
*Eat 5 times a day
Start with breakfast. The more you eat for breakfast, the less food you will want to eat at night. Please don't skip this meal as you'll end up swallowing everything in sight for the rest of the day. You don't need to gobble up 5 large meals. Eat sensibly so your body doesn't crave for food.
*Use weights
Needless to say, exercise is crucial to weight loss. You can't expect to sit on the sofa all day, sip water and lose weight. Join a good gym that lets you work with _ It will help you build muscle and your metabolism rate will increase. You'll soon see the fat come off and in its place muscle will develop.
*Smaller bowls
It's better to substitute the huge bowls you usually use for small ones - when food starts to fall off, you'll know it's enough. Try to get these new bowls in dark colors. Dark blue will be your best choice since it is the number one color that fights off the appetite. Avoid red/orange/yellow colors in your dining area - they are the ones making your appetite go sky high.
*Read between lines
Food and drink products are all out to get you. They scream "Buy me! Buy me!" They could be "fat free" but they could still have a lot of calories. You need to analyze the nutrition label on the cover. Find out what's good for you and what isn't. Knowing in advance can help you stay away from products that are calorie-enriched.
*Don't punish yourself
Go easy on yourself at least one day in a week. If you begin to dislike your diet then there's something wrong. Find a diet that suits your body type and your lifestyle. | According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true? | If you are on a diet, you should always keep to your diet. | ['Use smaller bowls can help you eat less food.', 'Skipping breakfast is not a wise way to lose weight.', 'Reading the nutrition label on drink and food products is helpful.'] |
How do people traditionally manufacture things? They usually start with a sheet of metal, wood or other material and cut, drill and shave it to create a desired shape. Sometimes, they use a mold made of metal or sand, pour liquid plastic or metal into it and let it cool to create a solid part.
Now, a completely different method is gaining popularity.
On Oct. 9, 2013, London Science Museum kicked off its new exhibition, 3-D: Printing the Future, with over 600 3-D printed objects on display, including space probes , toy dolls and even human organs - basically any product you can think of, reported Live Science.
You might find it hard to believe that an object can actually be "printed out" like a picture. But it is not that hard to understand how it works. Just as a traditional printer sprays ink onto paper line by line, modern 3-D printers spread material onto a surface layer by layer, from the bottom to the top, gradually building up a shape.
Instead of ink, the materials the 3-D printer uses are mainly plastic, resin and certain metals. The thinner each layer is - from a millimeter to less than the width of a hair - the smoother and finer the object will be. And objects always come out in one piece, sparing you the trouble of putting different parts together afterward.
For example, 10 years ago a desktop 3-D printer might have cost PS20,000 (200,000 yuan), while now it costs only about PS1,000, according to the BBC. In fact, 3-D printers have been around for some time, but until recently they hadn't been very popular since few people could afford them. Last year, though, saw a big decrease in the price of 3-D printers.
However, as 3-D printing technology becomes more commonplace, it may trigger certain problems. One of them is piracy . "Once you can download a coffee maker, or print out a new set of kitchen utensils on your personal 3-D printer, who will visit a retail store again?" an expert on 3-D printing told Forbes News.
Even more frightening, the world's first 3-D printed gun was successfully fired in the US in May of this year, which means that 3-D printing could potentially give more people access to weapons. | According to the article, in the future, 3-D printing technology will probably _ . | change the way people make products | ['be applied as widely in our daily lives as computers', 'forbid many countries to make purchases of weapons', 'take the place of normal printers and save lots of energy'] |
He was 11 years old and went fishing every chance he got from the dock at his family's cabin on an island in the middle of a New Hampshire lake.
On the day before the bass season opened, he and his father were fishing early in the evening, catching sunfish and perch with worms. Then he tied on a small silver lure and practiced casting. The lure struck the water and caused colored ripples in the sunset, then silver ripples as the moon rose over the lake.
When his peapole doubled over, he knew something huge was on the other end. His father watched with admiration as the boy skillfully worked the fish alongside the dock.
Finally, he very gingerly lifted the exhausted fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass. The boy and his father looked at the handsome fish, gills playing back and forth in the moonlight. The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 P.M.-- two hours before the season opened. He looked at the fish, then at the boy.
"You'll have to put it back, son," he said.
"Dad!" cried the boy.
"There will be other fish," said his father.
"Not as big as this one," cried the boy.
He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were anywhere around in the moonlight. He looked again at his father. Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he caught the fish, the boy could tell by the clarity of his father's voice that the decision was not negotiable . He slowly worked the hook out of the lip of the huge bass and lowered it into the black water.
The creature swished its powerful body and disappeared. The boy suspected that he would never again see such a great fish.
That was 34 years ago. Today, the boy is a successful architect in New York City. His father's cabin is still there on the island in the middle of the lake. He takes his own son and daughters fishing from the same dock.
And he was right. He has never again caught such a magnificent fish as the one he landed that night long ago. But he does see that same fish-again and again-every time he comes up against a question of ethics . | Which word can not be used to describe the boy's father? | generous | ['honest', 'noble-minded', 'caring'] |
I bet the money was so she could get a cab home after grocery shopping . Argh , having $ 50 would have been nice . But knowing I probably made a difference in someone 's week is nicer . Still , the feeling of finding an envelope full of money . | What was the need of money ? | The money was enough for both the cab home and grocery shopping . | ['She cab home first before grocery shopping .', 'None of the above choices .', 'The amount was less for both cab home and grocery shopping .'] |
Data on British buying habits in 2015 reveals a move away from products such as sausages and bacon in favour of fish and poultry .
The move may be because high-end consumers are noticing growing warnings about their impact on health. That was reinforced by an assessment by the World Health Organization in October that placed cured and processed meats in the same category as asbestos, alcohol, arsenic and tobacco as major causes of cancer.
Sales of sausages and bacon were down 14.4% last year compared with 2014 and sales of red meat fell by 8.1%. In contrast, sales of poultry and fish rose by 13.1% and 25.1% respectively.
The sustained interest in organic food is driven by an increase in young and socially conscious"millennials"(born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s) with strong social, ethical and environmental values. They are prepared to pay extra for healthier options and shifting shopping patterns away from"the big weekly shop"in favour of"a few and often".
At Tesco sales of organic fruit and vegetables have risen by more than 18% over the last year -- double the market average. Tesco fruit commercial manager Gareth Wilcock said,"The revival of organic foods has been gathering pace over the last few years, with lower prices and better availability both playing a major part in that."
George Scott, food and grocery analyst with Verdict Retail, said,"Organic food is no longer niche and I think this upward sales trend is here to stay. It is very significant that we have acute consumers who are prepared to trade up to the foods where they want the best quality and assurances of provenance." | What can we know about"millennials"? | They're health-conscious. | ['They like buying in large quantities.', 'They used to buy a few things.', 'They share the same eating habits.'] |
Halloween was so much fun . I spent most of the day lounging and playing with Granny while Mommy did some stuff for her class . I was so excited for Halloween , look at the cute outfit that Nana gave me to wear for the big day ... As you can also see from this picture , I spent a lot of time looking out the window waiting for the kids to arrive . While I waited , I also tried to steal all the candy from Granny 's cute witch b asket ... Before I could get my hands on anything good , Mommy snatched me up and started putting this big , soft , yellow thing on me . | What may have been the reason the children would soon arrive at my house ? | They would come to my house while they were out trick - or - treating . | ["They were coming over to buy one of Granny 's cute Halloween outfits .", 'They were coming to my house for a class by my mommy and granny .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Gym workout day today . I used the rower for only the second time ever as it 's been one of those things I just consider a bit too scary but it was actually fun in a kind of a way and very challenging . I managed to knock about a minute off the time for 1000 m from the one and only other time I 'd used it so at least I can see I ' m inproving in my fitness . I discovered my biceps last night too . | What may happen after I use the rower ? | I will be sore | ['I will never use it again', 'I will feel not challenged', 'I will not see my biceps'] |
A "blogger" is a person who writes on an Internet computer Web site called a "blog ".The word "blog" is a short way of saying Web log, or personal Web site. Anyone can start a blog, and they can write about anything they like. There are millions of blogs on the Internet today. They provide news, information,advertisements, advice and ideas for many people who read them. They contain links to other Web sites. And they provide a place for people to write about their ideas and react to the ideas of others.
A research company called Perscus has studied more than 300 Web logs. It says that blogs are most popular with teenage girls. They use them to let their friends know what is happening in their lives. The study also says that more than 100,000 bloggers stopped taking part in the activity after a year.
However, some people develop serious blogs to present political and other ideas. For example, the Republican and Democratic parties in the southern state of Kentucky recently started their own blogs. And American companies are beginning to use blogs to advertise their products. At the same time, some long-standing blogs have ended. Last week, blogging leader Dave Winer closed his free blog service "weblogs. com". He says the site became too costly to continue. He started the blog four years ago. And thousands of people had written on it. They are now upset because they did not know that the site was closing. One blog that is still going strong is called Rebecca's Pocket. Rebecca Blood created the Web-site in 1999. She wrote about the history of blogs on the site. That article led to a book called "The Weblog Handbook". It has been translated into four languages so far. Ms. Blood says Rebecea's Pocket gets about 30,000 visitors a month. She writes about anything and everything -- politics, culture and movies. She recently provided medical advice. And she wrote about how to prevent people from stealing money from on -line bank accounts. | Dave Winer closed his "weblogs. Com" because _ . | He couldn't afford the increasing money needed to run the blogs | ['more than 100,000 bloggers stopped taking part in the activity', 'American companies used blogs to advertise their products', 'people stole money from on -line bank accounts'] |
Having a dental fear is a common problem. Learning to overcome your fear of the dentist is possible with a little determination and guidance. It is worthwhile to overcome the issue as healthy teeth might help you be healthy physically and spiritually.
Admission
Admitting you have a fear is the first step in overcoming dental fear. When you acknowledge your fear, you can start the process. Dentistry has come a long way over the years. The anesthetics are improved, the techniques are of higher quality and dental offices have a better understanding of these issues you are concerned and all these can help you overcome it.
Research
Speak to family and friends about your fear. Be open and honest about your issues and get feedback from them regarding their dental experiences. You can contact your local Dental Society and express your concerns. Another good approach is to simply call dental offices and get useful information from the front office staff.
First visit
Most dental offices schedule your first visit by a dental assistant. This gives you a chance to ease into the situation. Do not hesitate to express your fear and hesitation. Pay attention to what the assistant says. It can be very useful and it can gently guide you to a new attitude towards dentists.
Relaxation techniques
There are many things you can do to relax yourself. Slow, steady, deep breathes are keys to relax properly. Another aid in relaxation is to bring your iPod to play some relaxing music while you are in the dental chair. Music is a wonderful tool to use and is a helpful distraction .
Facing your fear and making the first dental appointment are necessary for your health. Ignoring your dental health because of your fear will only worsen the issues and cause you to have serious dental problems. | You can start the process of overcoming dental fear after _ . | making an appointment with a good dentist | ['learning something about dental health', 'admitting your dental fear', 'asking advice from other people'] |
Although there are many ways in which people communicate through speech, public speaking has probably received more study and attracted more attention than any other. Politicians winning an election, salespeople presenting products and etc. All depend upon this form of public communication. Even people who do not make speaking a part of their daily work are often asked to make public speeches: students at graduation, for instance, or members of churches, clubs or other organizations. Nearly everyone speaks in public at some time or other, and those who perform the task well often become leaders.
There are many reasons for speaking in public. A public speaker may hope to teach an audience about new ideas, or provide information about some topic. Creating a good feeling or entertaining an audience may be another purpose. Public speakers, however, most often seek to persuade an audience to accept new opinions, to take certain actions, or to see the world in a new way.
Public speakers usually know well in advance when they are scheduled to make a speech. Consequently, they are able to prepare their message before they deliver it. Sometimes, though, speakers must deliver the message unprepared, or off the cuff, such as when they are asked to speak at a wedding reception or to participate in an interview.
When they do not have to speak unprepared, most speakers write their own speeches. Politicians and business managers sometimes employ professional writers who prepare their speeches for them. These professional writers may work alone or in small teams. Although the speaker may have some ideas into the contents of the speech, the writers sometimes have a great influence over the opinions expressed by their employers. Regardless of how a speech is prepared, the person who delivers it is given credit for its effect upon its hearers. | Which of the following is rarely the purpose of public speaking? | To enjoy the satisfaction from one's own speech. | ["To influence people's ideas and behaviour.", 'To persuade the audience to accept an idea.', 'To develop public interest.'] |
Louis Pasteur, one of the world's great scientists, was born in 1822, and died in 1895.While still a young boy, Louis Pasteur made his decision to become a scientist. He spent much of his life time studying the diseases of cattle, chickens and other tame animals. His wife learned to help him with his work. Almost everyone knows that Pasteur is the man responsible for finding a way of preventing milk from spoiling . Not many people know he was the first to imagine and to prove that air we breathe is full of germs . One of his greatest successes was finding a treatment for people and animals to prevent a disease called rabies . Louis Pasteur won many honors and could have got large amount of money. But Pasteur preferred to live simply. The real happiness of this unusual man came from his work. Louis Pasteur did so well in his life that the French government took up his work and created the Institute Pasteur in the year 1888. | Pasteur could have got large amount of money if he had _ . | cared much about it. | ['made more discoveries.', 'lived a better life.', 'achieved more successes.'] |
Just because you are in a wheelchair doesn't mean you can't enjoy the competitiveness --the all-around fun --that playing sports offers you. More and more wheelchair users are playing sports every day --some even on a professional level. The following are just a few examples of the different choices you have.
Wheelchair basketball is a very common wheelchair sport. It was started over forty years ago as part of a medical recovery program. Over the years it has grown rapidly. Today wheelchair basketball is a professional sport that has more than 180 teams across the United States. In order to play wheelchair basketball, it is essential to have a lightweight wheelchair. Several different kinds of sports wheelchairs are on the market today just for sports fans.
Another wheelchair sport, quad rugby , was specifically designed for people who can't move their arms or legs and are unable to play wheelchair basketball. It is a mixture of wheelchair basketball and ice hockey. To play the game you must have two teams of four players each.
Power soccer is another fun wheelchair sport that can be very fun and exciting. Players in power soccer must have an electric wheelchair. Two teams have two 30-minute halves to push the soccer ball over the other team's goal line. The first team to reach the other team's goal line most frequently wins.
Based on the sport you choose to take part in, there are several things you can buy for your wheelchair, including belts, gloves, bags for carrying things, drink holders and special back supports. | What is the main idea of the passage? | To introduce some possible sports to wheelchair users. | ['To introduce some products to the wheelchair users.', 'To encourage wheelchair users to compete with each other.', 'To talk about the differences between these sports.'] |
The person filing for chapter seven credit card bankruptcy is allowed under law to state which items are to be exempt , but all items being claimed must be on the state 's approved list . The debtor 's state of residence has already declared those items that are under bankruptcy exemption . The second type of credit card bankruptcy or any consumer bankruptcy for that matter is chapter thirteen . This is a legal motion to have the bill collectors stop calling , but it also represents a desire on behalf of the cardholder to payback all monies owed , but only over an extended period of time . | Why is the narrator feeling financially restricted at the moment ? | None of the above choices . | ['The narrator is buying a house .', 'The narrator just got fired .', 'The narrator is buying a car .'] |
Free and secure accommodation, no bills and even the odd home-cooked meal. It sounds like the perfect living arrangement for cash-strapped students.
Two mothers believe they have devised a way for struggling students to save on accommodation costs when they leave home to study at university.
Kate Barnham and Amanda Flude have launched Student Swaps, an online accommodation forum for parents and students, in advance of the introduction in September of PS3,000 higher education top-up fees.
Their website says, "The principle behind Student Swaps is to enable students to literally swap family homes." The website will hold a database of students who would like to swap and link them with suitable matches. So those from one town / city could swap with those from a different town / city.
The site describes itself as offering a "cost-free accommodation alternative... at a time of growing student debt". There is no charge for the service at the moment but Ms Barnham and Ms Flude intend to introduce a PS10 annual fee if it becomes established.
However, the National Union of Students (NUS) has warned that, while the scheme may sound appealing to struggling freshers, it lacks any formal regulation.
Veronica King, NUS vice-president of welfare, said, "The fact that this scheme has even been suggested is evidence to the high levels of debt students now face on graduation." Recent research has shown that students are more likely to live at home in coming years, in a bid to cut down on the cost of a degree.
"This is worrying, as it may mean that students choose their university on the basis of where it is, rather than because it offers the best course for them. It also means students will miss out on what is for some a key part of the student experience-living away from home." | What can students do on Student Swaps? | They can find students to exchange homes with. | ['They can make friends with students from a different city.', 'They can borrow money to pay for their higher education.', 'They can voice their opinions against the rising cost of a degree.'] |
I enjoyed competing , but that was it - I wanted to enjoy it , I was n't relentlessly driven . Rowing was , at times , like meditation for me . Just me in the shell , the water and the oar connecting it all , in the early hours before the world got busy and loud . | Based on my love of rowing , what other sport would I probably most enjoy ? | None of the above choices . | ['I would probably really enjoy football .', 'I would probably really enjoy baseball .', 'I would probably really enjoy wrestling .'] |
You may not know a lot of people when you start high school. Even if you know some new students, you still feel nervous that you don't know any upperclassmen and teachers. How are you going to make friends among this sea of unknown faces?
Most high schools welcome new students before school actually starts. These are helpful not only because you learn your way around the buildings and get to meet some of your teachers, but also because you get to meet new students. That way, when you show up on your first day of school, you may already recognize a few familiar faces.
When you talk to people, you'll probably find that a lot of them are feeling just like you. They're all new to the school and don't know what to expect. Talking about a common concern with your classmates can help you develop friendships.
The work in high school is something freshmen are probably worried about. The work in high school builds on what you learned in middle school, giving you a more advanced knowledge of many subjects. So you may find you have more work to do or that it's a bit more challenging . If you ever find your work too difficult, teachers can give you extra help.
High school also has more activities after class than middle school, such as clubs, music and theater groups and sports teams. This is a good time to explore your interests and try new things.
Middle school taught you the basics of academics, time management, and social skills while providing you with a little extra support and guidance. High school gives you the chance to learn how to be more independent and responsible . | When new students come to school on the first day they usually feel _ . | nervous | ['proud', 'excited', 'happy'] |
This site contains 100 original short stories about life in America. These stories are written for ESL(English as a second language ) learners who are, at least, high beginners. We want to help ESL students learn English as quickly and effortlessly as possible. Learning should be interesting, not boring. We hope that learners will find that these stories are of some help to improve their English.
The stories have interesting topics and are easy to understand. Each story comes with an audio narrative so that learners can listen as they read. The audio requires downloading the free Real Player. Each story contains a search for pictures, definitions, and pronunciation." Following each story are four sets of exercises, and each containing 10 items.
Exercise A is "Yes / No Questions". The learner is asked questions like, "Does Sara have children?" The learner can then type in, "Yes, she does." Then the learner can check whether it's the right answer or not.
Exercise B is "Wh-Questions". The learner is asked questions like, "Where does Sara live?" The learner can then type in, "She lives in Pasadena." Then the learner can check his answer.
Exercise C is "Ask Questions". The learner is given an answer like, "They have two children." The learner must then type in a question like, "How many children do they have?"The learner can then check to see whether he is correct or not. Exercise D is "Dictation". The learner listens to a sentence. Most of the sentences duplicate the sentences in the stories. The learner types the dictation and then checks to see whether he is correct or not.
Work on the site is in progress. Help us make it better as the years go by. We welcome all comments, suggestions, complaints, new ideas, and questions. Click here to send us emails. | The main purpose of this passage is to _ . | give a brief introduction of an English learning site | ['tell English learners how to do exercises', 'ask the readers to help them improve the site', 'teach you how to download English articles'] |
I will say that we had a lot of both clearanced regular furniture left , and clearanced patio furniture . Still , getting rid of every single piece of furniture ( excluding the displays , of course ) seems like too extreme of a measure . If I were the store director , I would take that as a slap to the face . The message corporate is sending is that our store lacks the competence to sell any clearance furniture , and another store can do a much better job . | What will the narrator do in the store ? | Sell furniture and liquidate . | ['Place a furniture order .', 'None of the above choices .', 'Procure additional furniture .'] |
Earthquakes are common in nature and make sounds below the Earth's surface thousands of times a day. But most are too weak to feel and big earthquakes are less common. Here are some things to do to prepare for an earthquake and what to do once the ground starts shaking.
Preparation Tips
* Have a plan for an earthquake.
*Consult a professional to learn how to make your home sturdier, such as fixing bookcases to the wall, using strong locks on cupboards , and fixing the water heater to the war firmly.
*Locate a place in each room of the house that you can go to if an earthquake happens. It should be a place where nothing is likely to fall on you.
*Keep some canned food, an up-to-date first aid box, 3 gallons(11.4 liters) of water per person.
* Know how to turn off your gas and water mains.
If Shaking Begins
*Drop down; take cover under a desk or table and hold on.
*Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you are sure it's safe to leave.
*Stay away from bookcases or furniture that can fall on you.
*Stay away from windows.
*If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow.
* If you are outdoors, find a clear place away from buildings, trees, and power lines. Drop to the ground.
* If you are in a car, slow down and drive to a clear place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops. | One is advised to stay _ if the ground is shaking. | in the bedroom with two beds | ['in the kitchen with a bottle of gas', 'in a dining room with cupboards', 'in the study full of bookshelves'] |
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E-mail:[email protected] | Who will probably answer this advertisement? | High school graduates preparing to have at-home training. | ['College students preparing to work in some big companies.', 'College students preparing to study for a degree.', 'High school graduates preparing for college entrance examinations.'] |
Last summer, when Amanda R of Anaheim Hills, California, was running on a cross-country course with her team, she blacked out. "I got really dizzy," she says. "I was out for a few minutes." At first, Amanda thought she was just tired and didn't think she had a health problem. She did go to the emergency room, where she was fine after tests, but she fainted again several days later as she was talking with her coach. Another doctor guessed that Amanda had blacked out "because we were in heat so much with not enough water and not enough of the right kind of foods".
Teens often don't want to stop and take a break or don't notice when they start to feel bad, doctors say. However, paying attention if you're not feeling well is important, as Amanda learned.
As a result, Amanda has changed her habits. "I drink a lot more water," she says. "And put more salt in my diet. I'm eating more balanced meals." Amanda advises teen athletes to trust their coaches and speak up when they're not feeling well. "And recognize the difference between when you're tired and when there's something really wrong."
Some people - up to 3 percent of the population - sweat too much, even in cold weather. The condition, called hyperhidrosis , can affect many parts and it often runs in families - hands down from generation to generation. Too much sweating over the whole body could be a symptom of another medical condition. Doctors aren't sure what causes hyperhidrosis, but using special medications or other treatments can help. | What caused the happening mentioned in the passage during Amanda's running? | She neither drank enough water nor ate enough of the right kind of foods. | ["She couldn't breathe in enough air in the race.", "She didn't eat anything before the race.", 'She had been running all summer without a rest.'] |
Sometimes ideas do not appear when you are concentrating your attention and mysteriously appear when you are not. Modern science recognizes this as a result of incubating the problem in your subconscious , yet can't account for why it occurs.
When you quit thinking about a subject and decide to forget it, your subconscious mind doesn't quit working. Your thoughts keep making associations(,). This is why you've experienced suddenly remembering names, getting solutions to problems you've forgotten about, and ideas out of the blue when you are relaxing and not thinking about any particular thing.
You may try solving a problem with your subconscious mind by writing a letter to it. Now let go of the problem. Don't work on it. Forget it. Do something else. This is the incubation stage when much of what goes on occurs outside your focused awareness, in your unconsciousness. Open the letter in two days. The answer might magically pop into your mind.
An advertising agency was under pressure to come up with a marketing campaign. Bert, the creative director, wrote the following letter which he addressed to his subconscious mind.
Secret Expert,
I need to come up with a new marketing program to introduce a new season of television shows. I'm interested in some kind of campaign that will capture the audience's attention more than one time. Is there something people need that we can advertise on? What kind of products, foods and services should we investigate? I need your idea about a fresh approach to advertising.
Thanks, Bert
Bert mailed the letter to himself and when he read what he had written, he got his brainstorm, which was to advertise on "eggs". Somehow an association between "foods", "need" and "fresh approach" inspired the thought of using "fresh eggs to advertise." He arranged to put the ad for the television shows on eggs -- some thirty million.
The consumers look at a single egg at least a few times, when they buy the eggs at the store, when they transfer(,,) them to the refrigerator, and when they crack them open. It's unlike any other ad medium in the world, because you're looking at it while you are using it. | During the incubation stage, your focused awareness _ . | doesn't work | ['controls your thoughts', 'waits for an answer', 'leads to you being unconscious'] |
Anxiety is the appropriate emotion when the immediate personal terror--of a volcano, an arrow, a stab in the back and other disasters, all directed against one's self--disappears.
The kind of world that produces anxiety is actually a world of safety, a world in which no one feels that he himself is facing sudden death. The anxiety exists as an uneasy state of mind, in which one has a feeling that something unspecified and indeterminable may go wrong. If the world seems to be going well, this produces anxiety--for good times may end.If the world is going badly--it may get worse. Anxiety tends to be without focus; the anxious person doesn't know whether to blame himself or other people. He isn't sure whether it is the current year of the administration or a change in climate or the atom bomb that is to blame for this undefined sense of unease.
It is clear that we have developed a society which depends on having the right amount of anxiety to make it work...While we agree that too much anxiety is harmful to mental health, we have come to rely on anxiety to push us into seeing a doctor about a symptom which may indicate cancer, into checking up on that old life-insurance policy which may have out-of-date provisions in it, into having a conference with Billy's teacher even though his report card looks all right.
People who are anxious enough keep their car insurance up, have the brakes checked, don't take a second drink when they have to drive. People who are too anxious either refuse to go into cars at all--and so complicate the ordinary course of life--or drive so tensely and carefully that they help cause accidents. People who aren't anxious enough take chance after chance, which increases the terrible accidents of the roads. | According to the author, accidents of the road tend to be caused by_. | those who are not anxious enough | ['all those who are too anxious', 'all those who have anxiety', 'those who have no anxiety'] |
but he say he serious bout hooking up with me . right now we just talkin but later on he wants an answer . idk what to do . i might say yes , but then again i m waitng on somebody else . | Where is this romantic relationship going to go ? | The narrator will wait for someone else . | ['The narrator will stop dating all together .', 'The narrator will dedicate themselves to the subject .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
Dereck Joubert and his wife, Beverly, have made many films about wild animals in Africa. Their films and photographs are very popular and one of the photographs has been on the front cover of a National Geographic magazine.
A working day for Dereck and Beverly started very early--at 4:30 in the morning! That's when they get up and start filming. And it's a long day--they often work until 8:30 in the evening. In the winter it's very cold and in the summer it can be 40C. Dereck always does the filming--Beverly never does that, and she doesn't write. But Dereck never takes photographs or records the sound. They work very well as a team, and they both believe we should shoot animals with cameras--not with guns!
When they have finished filming and taking photographs for the day, they have dinner and Dereck usually writes while Beverly looks at her photographs. At night, they usually sleep in a small tent, but they sometimes sleep in the Land Cruiser--when they're very close to wild animals, it's sometimes safer to sleep in the car!
Dereck and Beverly have also traveled around the world and given talks about their work. Dereck says that the animals are not just something to look at--they play an important role. Beverly thinks the wild animals can teach us a lot about ourselves. | Dereck and Beverly usually sleep _ at night. | in a tent | ['in a car', 'in a house', 'in a hotel'] |
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Some people in Seoul on Tuesday said they are happy just to see U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talking to each other rather than trading threats of war.
“I am very happy because it is an epoch breakthrough after 70 years of division,” said Lee Jun-keun, a salesman working for a retail business.
Last year the two leaders traded insults, with Trump calling Kim “rocket man,” and the North Korean leader calling the U.S. president a “dotard,” and they both threatened military action as tension rose over the North’s accelerated weapons testing to develop an operational nuclear armed intercontinental ballistic missile capability.
But after North Korea successfully test-fired missiles it claimed could carry nuclear warheads capable of reaching the United States, Pyongyang pivoted to diplomacy by suspending further provocations and indicating a willingness to engage in denuclearization talks. Trump surprised allies and adversaries alike by immediately agreeing to meet with Kim, long before the specifics of a nuclear deal could be negotiated.
Tuesday’s first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader produced a broad declaration to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons and develop a peace treaty to end the long standing hostiles between the U.S. and North Korea.
Trump called the agreement “very comprehensive,” but it will be left to negotiators to later resolve differences between Washington’s call for complete and verifiable nuclear dismantlement before any sanctions relief is provided, and Pyongyang’s demand that concessions be linked to incremental progress.
Some in South Korea remain skeptical that the broad commitment reached at the U.S.-North Korean summit in Singapore will lead to North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons program.
“North Korea did not keep its promise in the past, even after signing the agreement. This is what I am disappointed and doubtful about,” said Shim Jae-yeon, a housewife who lives in Seoul.
Others however offered praise for President Trump for keeping the diplomatic momentum moving forward, despite the lack of details in the agreement. | How persuasive does the North Korea leader likely think his claim that he had missiles that could reach the US was, following the summit conclusion? | likely very convincing | ['probably not believable at all', 'not enough information', 'not too persuasive'] |
Not exactly. I have no problem with divorce since, as others have stated, everyone has their reasons, however there was one person that I dated briefly but upon hearing the reason why he divorced I opted to end the relationship. I remember, we were having brunch and were talking about our past relationships and what happened. He brought up his marriage. I had previously known his divorce but, up until this point, not the reasoning. He told me, straight out, that he had cheated. Now, cheating in itself is one thing. I try not to judge since everyone has a past and I was never always innocent myself, however his attitude about it was what was very off-putting to me.
He didn’t seem remotely fazed by what he was telling me at all. There he was, spreading jelly on his toast as he told me about all the women he had cheated on his wife with. He told me about how it had started with a secretary (talk about cliches!) and then graduated to trysts in motels with girls off Tinder all with the same amount of casualness as someone describing how to make an omelette! And when he finally finished the tale of his cheating adventures I asked him if he regretted cheating on his wife with so many women, His answer? “Oh Definitely.” Oh good! So at least he regrets his actions, right? Or he’s at least a little sorry about it>
Wrong.
“One of the reasons I regret not divorcing her sooner. Had I divorced her sooner, I wouldn’t have to have cheated on her so much. But it is what it is and, well, I was unhappy.”
I have no problems with divorced men. I can forgive a man who has cheated in his past. But a man who had no problems cheating so frivolously and, in all honestly, would likely do it again without problems? Nope, not for me. | At the end of this story, the woman who wrote it probably | Does not want to see the man again | ['Will ask sooner about prior relationship problems on future dates', 'not enough information', "Won't go out to brunch again with the man"] |
His head looks huge and his legs ... I ' ve never seen his legs look so weird . I figured another salt water bath was in order , although his stained skin ( from dirty tank water ) was improving since the last time . Also , he 'd been peeling , which is normal . At least , I thought he was peeling . Turns out he 's covered in a layer of brown slime . And his thick , rough skin ... well ... it 's rather soft ... His shell is intact , though , which is the main thing . I was rather annoyed . While I ' ve been adding at least 3 gallons of fresh water to his tank every week , it really has n't been completely changed out since we moved in back in February . | What kind of animal is being discussed by the narrator ? | None of the above choices . | ['The narrator is talking about a lizard .', 'The narrator is talking about an alligator .', 'The narrator is talking about a fish .'] |
Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes in contact with them. Their values--this can't be repeated too often--are not necessarily our values. Physical comfort, cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important things. The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a flat with decaying food covered by small worms , and an old person lying alone in bed, taking no notice of the worms. But is it interfering with personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers, the ones who clear up the worms, think we are in danger of carrying this concept of personal freedom to the point where serious risks are being taken with the health and safety of the old.
Indeed, the old can be easily hurt or harmed. The body is like a car, it needs more mechanical maintenance as it gets older. You can carry this comparison right through to the provision of spare parts. But never forget that such operations are painful experiences, however good the results. And at what point should you stop treating the old body? Is it morally right to try to push off death by pursuing the development of drugs to excite the forgetful old mind and to activate the old body, knowing that it is designed to die? You cannot ask doctors or scientists to decide, because so long as they can see the technical opportunities, they will feel bound to give them a try, on the principle that while there's life, there's hope.
When you talk to the old people, however, you are forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or on health than it does on your ability to have fun. | In the author's opinion, _ . | the older a person, the more care he needs | ["the human body can't be compared to a car", "too much emphasis has been put on old people's values", 'it is easy to provide spare parts for old people'] |
As we all know, getting benched in sports is usually a bad thing. But at one school in Florida, a girl has taken a bench and turned it into something entirely different - a place to find friends. It's called the Friendship Bench. And it's the brainchild of a sixth grader at Palm Bay Elementary - a girl named Acacia Woodley.
Acacia's attitude toward life might be summed up best by a question she recently asked members of the Brevard County School Board - "what if we spend as much time putting the spotlight on kindness as we do on cruelty?" It's a philosophy Acacias has learned to live her own life -despite having a lot of people would consider a handicap. She was born without a right hand. And her left hand did not form properly. But Acacia says that she has not stopped her from achieving her goals. "You need to believe in your dreams. If you don't believe in you dreams, I can definitely tell you that they are not going to come true." She said.
Acacia came up with the idea for the Friendship Bench after seeing kids getting bullied at school. She says she has also experienced bullying herself - kids whispering about her or picking on her because she is different. "Some people say they feel sorry for me. I tell them not to," she said. "I don't care that I'm different. I like being different."
The Friendship Bench looks like a lot of other benches. It has arm sets and a place to lean on. But there are also words painted on it - words such as "hope", "respect", "listen" and "dream". Acacia put the benches together with the help from her mother and brother.
Any time a kid feels he or she needs a friend, all that kid needs to do is sit on the bench. It is then up to the other kids - or grown-ups - to fill that need. "It's a perfect idea," Palm Bay Elementary Principal Lori said. "It's something we've needed so badly."
The Friendship Bench has been such a success at Palm Bay Elementary that other schools are now interested in installing one too. "There's a saying in my teacher's classroom," Acacia said. "It says, 'it you can dream it, you can achieve it.'" | What can we infer from the passage? | More Friendship Benches will be installed in other schools soon. | ['Students stop bullying other schoolmates at Palm Bay Elementary.', 'The students at Palm Bay Elementary have become more friendly.', 'Acacia has become a very important figure at Palm Bay Elementary.'] |
Older people who have low expectations for a satisfying future may be more likely to live longer, healthier lives than those who see brighter days ahead, according to new research
"Our findings showed that being overly optimistic in predicting a better future was associated with a greater risk of disability and death within the following decade," said Frieder R. Lang, the leading researcher of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany." Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully, taking health and safety measures."
Lang and colleagues examined data collected from 1993 to 2003 for the national German Socio-Economic Panel, an annual survey on approximately 40,000 people from 18 to 96 years old. The researchers divided the data according to age groups: 18 to 39 years old, 40 to 64 years old and 65 years old and above. Through mostly in-person interviews, the participants were asked to rate how satisfied they were with their lives and how satisfied they thought they would be in five years.
Five years after the first interview, 43 percent of the oldest group had underestimated their future life satisfaction, 25 percent had predicted accurately and 32 percent had overestimated , according to the study. The researchers calculated that each increase in overestimating future life satisfaction was related to a 9.5 -percent increase in reporting disabilities and a 10- percent increase in risk of death.
Because a darker outlook on the future is often more realistic, older adults' predictions of their future satisfaction may be more accurate, according to the study. In contrast, the youngest group had the sunniest outlook.
"We argue, though, that the analysis may depend on age and available resources. These findings shed new light on how our perspectives can either help us take action or prevent us from taking action that can help improve our chances of a long, healthy life," Lang said. | The passage most probably appears in the _ section of a website. | health and fitness | ['arts and life', 'public education', 'psychology help center'] |
Many of Nalade Resorts' hotels have Kids Club with special facilities for young children, making holidays more relaxing for parents and undoubtedly more pleasant and interesting for youngsters!
Kids Club in Beau Rivage (9 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
The club has a lovely atmosphere, with a large room for activities and a fenced, grass play-area outside. The qualified hostesses really know how to get on with children, as they look after and entertain youngsters from 3 to 12.
Activities are adapted according to children's ages and talents and include:
*Glass-bottom boat trips to see the brightly colored games
*Drawing and painting
*Making things and a whole host of indoor games
*Learning how to snorkel and water-ski
A baby sitting service is also available on request, for a fee. Children's dinner is served in the main restaurant at 6:30 p.m.
Kids Club in Legends (9 a.m. to 10 p.m.)
Three qualified hostesses entertain youngsters from 3 to 11 years old. For children under 3, a baby sitting service is also available on request, for a fee.
Children's lunch is served between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. in the main restaurant or in the Kids Club depending on the day. The children have dinner in the main restaurant between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Kids Club in Les Pavillons (9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
Friendly, experienced, well-trained staff keep youngsters from 3 to 11 happy and occupied throughout the day and evening. Activities include:
*Learning the local dance, the Sega
*Gathering crabs on the beach by torchlight
*Making things and a whole host of indoor games
*Learning to play a traditional musical instrument
A special children's dinner is served from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Baby sitting service can also be provided, for a fee.
Kids Club in Diva
The ideal arrangement for both parents and their youngsters! Qualified staffs look after children aged from 3 to 11 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and organize a whole range of activities to keep them busy and happy.
Children have dinner between 6 and 7 p.m. A baby sitting service is also available, for a fee. | If you have a 12-year-old child, you can choose _ for your Family holidays. | Beau Rivage | ['Diva', 'Legends', 'Les Pavillons'] |
A woman planning "Harry Potter night" at a supper club she runs at home has been forced to change their name after a warning from film studio Warner Bros .
The evenings in Kiburn, north London, were due to include food and other elements from the Harry Potter books. However, Warner Bros, maker of the Harry Potter films, wrote to the club's organizer "Ms Marmite Lover" warning that the parties would infringe its rights.
The club will now hold two "Genetic Wizard nights" for Halloween. On her blog,Ms Marmite Lover explains that she researched and developed her menu with her Harry Potter-obsessed teenage daughter and a food writer.
Guests would have to enter the venue, called the Underground Restaurant, through "Diagon Alley" and by giving a password--while a "Sorting Hat" would decide the seating plan.
After Warner Bros learned about the event, he wrote to Ms Marmite Lover saying: "While we are delighted that you are such a fun of the Harry Potter series, unfortunately your proposed use of the Harry Potter Properties without our permission would amount to an infringement of Wamer's rights."
The letter added: "Warner does not, of course, object to you holding a generic wizard/Halloween night at the Underground Restaurant."
Ms Marmite Lover suggested in her blog: "JK Rowling herself, having at one time been a struggling single parent, and having donated to the National Council for one Patent Families, would probably approve of a single mother being entrepreneurial and creative".
The Underground Restaurant usually charges diners about 20-30 each, except alcohol. Warner Bros says it has guidelines to help Harry Potter fans run non-profit and charitable events true to the spirit of the stories.
The vast majority of non-commercial events are able to go ahead with the studio's support, it says. | From the passage we know that Ms Marmite was _ | a single parent | ['the maker of the Harry Potter films', 'a cooking-book writer', 'the researcher of Harry Potter films'] |
Red squirrels have been wiped out from a large area of northern Italy, threatening a further biodiversity crisis for the species similar to its near extinction in the British Isles.
There are now no red squirrels left in an area of more than 1,150 square kilometres (sq km) in Piedmont, according to research from the universities of Turin, Genoa and Varese. On the edge of this large region, the species is also under threat from the invasions of grey squirrels.
If the spread of the grey squirrel continues uncontrolled, the species could spread as far as France, the scientists fear. They are calling for more research and control and conservation measures aimed at preserving the remaining red squirrel populations and containing the spread of the greys.
Grey squirrels were introduced into Italy ly recently, in 1948. They were a gift from the US ambassador and kept in Turin, but escaped into the wild and rapidly colonized the surrounding area - despite warnings from the UK, where importing grey squirrels was forbidden from before the Second World War, when the destructive effects of having imported greys in the 1880s had become clear.
Grey squirrels are not only more aggressive than the native European red squirrel, which causes them to invade red-dominated areas and take over, but they also carry a deadly virus, the squirrel pox. While greys are largely immune to the virus, it is deadly to red squirrels, which typically die within one or two weeks of being infected.
From only four animals in 1948, at Stupinigi near Turin, the greys spread rapidly in recent years. Until 1970 the distribution of greys was limited to the Stupinigi woods, occupying an area of about 12 sq km. By 1990 this area had expanded to more than 200 sq km, stretching mainly southwards into the Cuneo province.
By 2000, grey squirrels occupied 900 sq km and this year, fresh research from the three universities shows that their distribution now extends to more than 2,000 sq km. In more than half of that area, the native reds have been entirely wiped out, and in the remainder they are under severe threat. | Grey squirrels_. | were forbidden to be imported to the UK from before the Second World War | ['were set free to the wild by people in Turin', 'were found to have destructive effects in the 1880s', 'were brought to Italy as a gift to the US ambassador'] |
Learn a Foreign Language
Spend the time!
The more time you spend with the language, the faster you will learn. This means listening, reading, writing, speaking, and studying words and phrases. This does not mean sitting in class looking out the window, nor listening to other students who do not speak well, nor getting explanations in your own language about how the language works. This means spending time enjoyably connected to the language you are learning.
Listen and read every day!
Listen wherever you are on your MP3 player. Read what you are listening to. Listen to and read things that you like, things that you can mostly understand, or even partly understand. If you keep listening and reading you will get used to the language. One hour of listening or reading is more effective than many hours of class time.
Focus on words and phrases!
Build up your vocabulary, you'll need lots. Start to notice words and how they come together as phrases. Learn these words and phrases through your listening and reading. Read online, using online dictionaries, and make your own vocabulary lists for review. Soon you will run into your new words and phrases elsewhere. Gradually you will be able to use them. Do not worry about how accurately you speak until you have _ plenty of words through listening and reading.
Take responsibility for your own learning!
If you do not want to learn the language, you won't. If you do want to learn the language, take control. Choose content of interest, which you want to listen to and read. Seek out the words and phrases that you need to understand your listening and reading. Do not wait for someone else to show you the language, nor to tell you what to do. Discover the language by yourself, like a child growing up. Talk when you feel like it. Write when you feel like it. A teacher cannot teach you to become fluent, but you can learn to become fluent if you want to.
Relax and enjoy yourself!
Do not worry about what you cannot remember, or cannot yet understand, or cannot yet say. It does not matter. You are learning and improving. The language will gradually become clearer in your brain, just make sure you spend enough time with the language. That is the greatest guarantee of success. | What is the author's intention by writing this passage? | To introduce the effective ways to learn a foreign language. | ['To make a comparison about which is the best way to learn a foreign language.', 'To make an advertisement for some foreign language training centre.', 'To encourage students to learn a foreign language well.'] |
So I left the interview a bit wiser , but without anything to go on . I have met with others in the hotel business who want to help me ; however , to be honest , I do not expect them to get back to me . I still wait for the results of the teaching interview and as to the job in Nigeria , I have yet to hear from them either . The week the house became more crowded . | What may happen to the narrator now that he assumes the one job went south ? | The narrator will wait for more interview responses . | ['The narrator will be out of hope .', 'None of the above choices .', 'The narrator will assume he has had no luck .'] |
I ' m doing this job as one , one last job for someone I once knew . For old time 's sake . I used to do jobs like this all the time ; I used to relish the dark . I used to be a PI , a man who could find things out on the quiet . | What may be the reason for them not doing PI work anymore ? | They are getting old . | ["They are n't as good at it anymore .", "They are n't paid enough .", 'None of the above choices .'] |
The largest limb is about 18 feet long . Susan is wondering what she can make out of a piece of it . I told Billy Bumpus that I 'd like to have this one piece to make a bow out of . Nice straight piece at that . | Why is the group scavenging parts ? | It 's a bunch of nice tree limbs . | ['None of the above choices .', "It 's a bunch of nice metal parts .", "It 's a bunch of metal ."] |
So we got to 5 and Danielle and I really needed to pee . So we went to the bathroom and there was this girl getting really sick in there , so we waited in line for the bathroom , cause we did nt want to go outside . So we went and it was nt all that bad , better than going at Puke . Danielle was drunk , and hast been in my presence before , and she wanted to have a dance party . There was this group of guys and they were kinda creepy and muscley , so i was like f*that . | Why is Danielle seemingly so sick ? | She drank too much . | ['She saw something gross in the bathroom .', 'A friend gave her the bug .', 'None of the above choices .'] |
So we ended up with 15 happy meals , 3 of which were gobbled up by the bf , and another 3 split among us and brought home . The games were really funny and spastic , but we all had fun ! I could n't bear to burst the balloon , so I got my bf to do it for me . Heh heh . | Why does the narrator and their friends feel so sluggish ? | None of the above choices . | ['They ate a lot of Big Macs .', 'They ate a lot of Burger King .', 'They ate a lot of Wendys .'] |
"Dad," I say one day, "let's take a trip. Why don't you fly out and meet me?"
My father had just retired after 27 years as a manager for IBM. His job filled his day, his thought, his life. While he woke up and took a warm shower, I screamed under a freezing waterfall in Peru. While he tied a tie and put on the same Swiss watch, I rowed a boat across Lake of the Ozarks.
My father sees me drifting aimlessly, nothing to show for my 33 years but a passport full of funny stamps. He wants me to settle down, but now I want him to find an adventure.
He agrees to travel with me through the national parks. We meet four weeks later in Rapid City.
" What is our first stop?" asks my father.
"What time is it?"
"Still don't have a watch?"
Less than an hour away is Mount Rushmore. As he stares up at the four Presidents carved in granite , his mouth and eyes open slowly, like those of a little boy.
"Unbelievable," he says, "How was this done?"
A film in the information center shows sculptor Gutzon Borglum devoted 14 years to the sculpture and then left the final touches to his son.
We stare up and I ask myself, Would I ever devote my life to anything?
No directions, no goals. I always used to hear those words in my father's voice. Now I hear them in my own.
The next day we're at Yellowstone National Park, where we have a picnic.
"Did you ever travel with your dad?" I ask.
"Only once," he says. "I never spoke much with my father. We loved each other--but never said it. Whatever he could give me, he gave."
_
In Glacier National Park, my father says, "I've never seen water so blue." I have, in several places of the world, I can keep traveling, I realize--- and maybe a regular job won't be as dull as I feared.
Weeks after our trip, I call my father.
"The photos from the trip are wonderful," he says. "We've got to take another trip like that sometime."
I tell him I've decided to settle down, and I'm wearing a watch. | What does the author realize at Mount Rushmore? | He should have a specific aim in life. | ['His father is interested in sculpture.', 'His father is as innocent as a little boy.', 'He should learn sculpture in the future.'] |
Eating is comforting for me , so I found myself indulging because of the news of her health , now I fear I am back to bad habits . I am stressed because my mom is sick and mad at me . She is staying with my sister who is next door , so I feel like I have to run and hide to avoid her . I know fighting is unhealthy for both of us , but I still feel like a heel . | Why might the person feel like a heel ? | Their mom is sick but they 've been fighting | ["They 've been ignoring their mom", 'They gave their mom their illness', "They 've been stealing from their sister"] |
As a leading Chinese language school and a cultural exchange institute in China, Global Exchange Education Center has been providing Mandarin (or Putonghua) language courses and cultural exchange programs for over a decade.
How to apply for our programs
#In order to apply for all of our programs, you must be
at least 18 years old.
in good health,
a senior high school graduate.
#Application Procedure for Chinese Language Programs
Step 1. Send us a completed application form by email or fax.
Step 2. Send us $ 60 application fee after receiving our email confirmation.
Step 3. Arrange the payment transfer.
Step 4. Plan the trip to Beijing.
#Application Procedure for Chinese Business Internship Program
Step 1. Send us a completed application form with your CV and personal statement for the program by email or fax.
Step 2. Send us $ 310, including $60 application fee and $ 250 internship placement deposit, after receiving our letter of acceptance for the program.
Step 3. Arrange final payment transfer after receiving our second confirmation.
Step 4. Plan the trip to Beijing.
#Personal Statement for applicants for Chinese Business Internship Program
You should state why you want to take this program and what your expectations of the program are. How you will make use of this program in your future career.
# APPLICATION DEADLINES
The applications for most programs are reviewed on a rolling basis. You are encouraged to submit your application ahead of the application deadlines.
#Confirmation
Having received your application, Global Exchange Education Center usually sends out an email confirmation for the booking within 2-5 working days. | If you apply for both of the programs, the total application fees will be _ . | $ 120. | ['$310.', '$250.', '$ 370.'] |
Then last night ( sunday ) i was out at Green Pastures . I ' ve wanted to go since it opened just to see what it was like . I must say that the worship was amazing , the singing was incredible , you could really feel the Spirit of God in that place . | What will the person likely do afterwards ? | Return to the service | ['Convert to a new religion', 'Not go back to the service', 'None of the above choices .'] |
I ' ve completely forgotten , " one man said to his companion . " At least I can still leave old men speechless , " I laughed to myself as I moved down another aisle . * * * In the end , my mom found just the right hostess gift for me to bring . | Why were the old men in the store rendered speechless ? | I walked by and they were mesmerized by me . | ['I was walking by and tripped when looking for my mother .', 'My mother found the hostess gift and yelled aloud .', 'The two men had completely forgotten why they were there .'] |
Inspired by a song but I did say I wo n't do any song - fics again . I honestly did not plan to write any follow - up of One drop of tear but the plot bunny came along and of course , then everything changes . And I apologise in advance for ... things I ' ve done in this fiction . | What may have happened if i wrote follow - ups ? | People would read them | ['People would ignore them .', 'People would not read them .', 'People woulod not be interested in them'] |
It was on the early afternoon of a mid-October day in 2012. Bismark Mensah, who came to America several months ago, was collecting carts outside a Walmart in Federal Way. It was a part-time job for him. He earned $9.05 an hour in charge of getting carts out of the parking lot.
He was used to finding stuff in carts that customers had somehow forgotten -- keys, credit cards, wallets. And he turned them into a customer service. But a particular item stood out. It was a white envelope with a clear window in the middle, and there was a lot of cash in it, around $20,000. Mensah turned them into customer services.
Because of what he did that afternoon, Mensah is now the winner of Walmart's national 2013 "Integrity in Action Award".
Bismark Mensah says that since the story ran, he has become the model the youth in Ghana (his native country).
He is now employed full-time at the Federal Way Walmart, earning $10.95 an hour, up from the $9.05 an hour he earned working part-time.
Mensah, 33, no longer collects carts and such. He is in the backroom, dealing with inventory . "I want to learn everything about operating a store like Walmart store," he says. He plans to return to Ghana to run some shops owned by his family. He also plans to go to college and earn a degree in business administration. | What's Mensah's future plan? | To run his own shops. | ['To teach in college.', 'To earn a degree in arts.', 'To work in a big factory.'] |