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high257.txt
The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit-card fraud. Your card information could even be for sale in an illegal web site. Web sites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care. On-line shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they thought they bought. The thieves then go shopping with your card number -- or sell the information over the Internet. Computers hackers have broken down security systems, raising questions about the safety of cardholder information. Several months ago, 25, 000 customers of CD Universe, an on-line music retailer , were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a Web site after the retailer refused to pay US $157, 828 to get back the information. Credit-card firms are now fighting against on-line fraud. Mastercard is working on plans for Web -- only credit card, with a lower credit limit. The card could be used only for shopping on-line. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated. Ask about your credit-card firm's on-line rules: Under British law, cardholders have to pay the first US $78 of any fraudulent spending. And shop only at secure sites; Send your credit-card information only if the Web site offers advanced secure system. If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. The Website address may also start https: //--the extra "s" stands for secure. If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone. Keep your password safe: Most on-line sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your passwords with care.
B
You are shopping on the site: http: // www. Shopping. com, and you want to buy a TV set, what does this article suggest to do?
[ "Order the TV set at once.", "Do not buy the TV set on this site.", "E-mail the site your credit-card information.", "Tell the site your password and buy the TV set for you." ]
high24095.txt
prefix = st1 /PITTSBURGH, Sept. 7 -- At 26, many people haven't even decided on a career. Luke Ravenstahl, cashing in on his family's political tradition, is already the mayor of Pittsburgh, the youngest mayor of any major city in the country. Although mayors elsewhere have been younger, Jeff Dunkel was 18 in 2001 when he was elected mayor of Mount Carbon, small towns inNew York, and elsewhere have also elected teenagers as mayors. But,Tallahassee, is the only other city with a population over 100,000 that has had a mayor as young as Mr. Ravenstahl. A supporter of Mr. Ravenstahl said concerns about Mr. Ravenstahl's age would _ once the city saw his work ethic. But now comes the hard part. As he strives to be taken seriously and take charge of a city only recently back from the brink of bankruptcy, the baby-faced mayor said that even the smallest decisions felt weighty, even what to wear in the Steelers game matters. And another pressing issue is to strengthen the city's economy. Pittsburghhas lost all its mills, nearly half its population and much of its downtown commercial district in the last several decades. "ButPittsburghhas 50,000 college students, and our challenge is to figure out how to retain them and to increase downtown development." He said. But one of the biggest uncertainties is how long he will remain in office. According to the city charter, Mayor Ravenstahl's term will not expire until November 2009. Some city lawyers, however, have argued that he must face the electorate next year. And residents in Pittsburghare still withholding judgment on him. Deli, Jimmy Cvetic, a sandwich shop owner, said "I call him Cool Hand Luke. He'll be all right, but he's going to need a cool hand to get through this." Mayor Ravenstahl said he was still coming to terms with the challenge he faced.
C
What can you infer from the article about Pittsburgh?
[ "It is a small town in New Yorkfamous for steel mills.", "It has always enjoyed prosperous economic success.", "Many young college students there are the new hope of the district.", "It is a major city in the U.S.A with a population slightly smaller than 100,000." ]
high24095.txt
prefix = st1 /PITTSBURGH, Sept. 7 -- At 26, many people haven't even decided on a career. Luke Ravenstahl, cashing in on his family's political tradition, is already the mayor of Pittsburgh, the youngest mayor of any major city in the country. Although mayors elsewhere have been younger, Jeff Dunkel was 18 in 2001 when he was elected mayor of Mount Carbon, small towns inNew York, and elsewhere have also elected teenagers as mayors. But,Tallahassee, is the only other city with a population over 100,000 that has had a mayor as young as Mr. Ravenstahl. A supporter of Mr. Ravenstahl said concerns about Mr. Ravenstahl's age would _ once the city saw his work ethic. But now comes the hard part. As he strives to be taken seriously and take charge of a city only recently back from the brink of bankruptcy, the baby-faced mayor said that even the smallest decisions felt weighty, even what to wear in the Steelers game matters. And another pressing issue is to strengthen the city's economy. Pittsburghhas lost all its mills, nearly half its population and much of its downtown commercial district in the last several decades. "ButPittsburghhas 50,000 college students, and our challenge is to figure out how to retain them and to increase downtown development." He said. But one of the biggest uncertainties is how long he will remain in office. According to the city charter, Mayor Ravenstahl's term will not expire until November 2009. Some city lawyers, however, have argued that he must face the electorate next year. And residents in Pittsburghare still withholding judgment on him. Deli, Jimmy Cvetic, a sandwich shop owner, said "I call him Cool Hand Luke. He'll be all right, but he's going to need a cool hand to get through this." Mayor Ravenstahl said he was still coming to terms with the challenge he faced.
C
Where can you find this article?
[ "A magazine", "A brochure about politicians", "A newspaper", "An advertisement about some mayor candidates" ]
high24095.txt
prefix = st1 /PITTSBURGH, Sept. 7 -- At 26, many people haven't even decided on a career. Luke Ravenstahl, cashing in on his family's political tradition, is already the mayor of Pittsburgh, the youngest mayor of any major city in the country. Although mayors elsewhere have been younger, Jeff Dunkel was 18 in 2001 when he was elected mayor of Mount Carbon, small towns inNew York, and elsewhere have also elected teenagers as mayors. But,Tallahassee, is the only other city with a population over 100,000 that has had a mayor as young as Mr. Ravenstahl. A supporter of Mr. Ravenstahl said concerns about Mr. Ravenstahl's age would _ once the city saw his work ethic. But now comes the hard part. As he strives to be taken seriously and take charge of a city only recently back from the brink of bankruptcy, the baby-faced mayor said that even the smallest decisions felt weighty, even what to wear in the Steelers game matters. And another pressing issue is to strengthen the city's economy. Pittsburghhas lost all its mills, nearly half its population and much of its downtown commercial district in the last several decades. "ButPittsburghhas 50,000 college students, and our challenge is to figure out how to retain them and to increase downtown development." He said. But one of the biggest uncertainties is how long he will remain in office. According to the city charter, Mayor Ravenstahl's term will not expire until November 2009. Some city lawyers, however, have argued that he must face the electorate next year. And residents in Pittsburghare still withholding judgment on him. Deli, Jimmy Cvetic, a sandwich shop owner, said "I call him Cool Hand Luke. He'll be all right, but he's going to need a cool hand to get through this." Mayor Ravenstahl said he was still coming to terms with the challenge he faced.
B
What kind of Challenges will not Luke Ravenstahl cope with?
[ "Distrust from his citizens", "pressure from other outstanding young majors", "economical standstill of his city", "decreasing population in his city" ]
high10466.txt
The literal meaning of philosophy is "love of wisdom". But this meaning does not tell us very much. Unlike the other disciplines ,philosophy cannot be defined by what you study, because it is actually unlimited. Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: art, history, law, language, literature, mathematics, medicine, psychology, religion, science, and values. Philosophy is one of the world's oldest subjects of study, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy. For this reason you get a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in biochemistry, or computer science, or psychology. Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy. Logic is the science of argument and critical thinking. It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasoning. The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and periods in the development of philosophy. Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement. It is necessary for understanding other disciplines. Only philosophy questions the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to other disciplines. And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis that can be applied to any field. There are a number of general uses of philosophy. It strengthens one's ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important from a large quantity of data.These general uses are of great benefit in the career field, not necessarily for obtaining one's first job after graduation, but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management and leadership later on. It is very short-sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one's first job. The useful skills developed through the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career advancement. No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to resolve human conflict.
D
With the study of philosophy, you can _ .
[ "become a great leader", "succeed in everything", "find a good job soon after graduation", "make progress in your career development" ]
high10466.txt
The literal meaning of philosophy is "love of wisdom". But this meaning does not tell us very much. Unlike the other disciplines ,philosophy cannot be defined by what you study, because it is actually unlimited. Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: art, history, law, language, literature, mathematics, medicine, psychology, religion, science, and values. Philosophy is one of the world's oldest subjects of study, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy. For this reason you get a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in biochemistry, or computer science, or psychology. Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy. Logic is the science of argument and critical thinking. It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasoning. The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and periods in the development of philosophy. Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement. It is necessary for understanding other disciplines. Only philosophy questions the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to other disciplines. And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis that can be applied to any field. There are a number of general uses of philosophy. It strengthens one's ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important from a large quantity of data.These general uses are of great benefit in the career field, not necessarily for obtaining one's first job after graduation, but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management and leadership later on. It is very short-sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one's first job. The useful skills developed through the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career advancement. No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to resolve human conflict.
B
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
[ "Philosophy is an independent discipline.", "Logic helps you to become a better thinker.", "The study of philosophy brings you immediate benefits.", "The meaning of philosophy is too limited to define." ]
high10466.txt
The literal meaning of philosophy is "love of wisdom". But this meaning does not tell us very much. Unlike the other disciplines ,philosophy cannot be defined by what you study, because it is actually unlimited. Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: art, history, law, language, literature, mathematics, medicine, psychology, religion, science, and values. Philosophy is one of the world's oldest subjects of study, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy. For this reason you get a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in biochemistry, or computer science, or psychology. Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy. Logic is the science of argument and critical thinking. It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasoning. The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and periods in the development of philosophy. Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement. It is necessary for understanding other disciplines. Only philosophy questions the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to other disciplines. And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis that can be applied to any field. There are a number of general uses of philosophy. It strengthens one's ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important from a large quantity of data.These general uses are of great benefit in the career field, not necessarily for obtaining one's first job after graduation, but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management and leadership later on. It is very short-sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one's first job. The useful skills developed through the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career advancement. No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to resolve human conflict.
C
From the passage, we can conclude _ .
[ "not all the subjects have to do with philosophy", "a person will get a Ph.", "philosophy can be helpful for the study of any other subjects", "philosophy is the only solution to all the problems to the world" ]
high4254.txt
I was brought up in the British, _ . Strong feelings aren't something you display in public. So, you can imagine that I was unprepared for the outpouring of public grief at a Chinese funeral. My editorial team leader died recently after a short illness. He was 31. The news was so unexpected that it left us all shocked and upset. A female colleague burst into tears and cried piteously at her desk. Somehow we got through the day's work. The next day was the funeral. Our big boss stepped forward to deliver a eulogy and was soon in tears. She carried on, in Chinese of course, but at the end said in English: "There will be no more deadlines for you in heaven." Next came a long-term colleague who also dissolved in tears but carried on with her speech despite being almost overcome by emotion. Then a close friend of the dead man paid tribute , weeping openly as he spoke. Sorrow is spreading. Me and women were now sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, the man's mother, supported between two women, addressed her son in his coffin. At one point, the mother almost collapsed and had to be held up. We were invited to step forward to each lay a white rose on the casket. Our dead colleague looked as if he was taking a nap. At the end of the service I walked away from the funeral parlor stunned at the outpouring of emotion. In the UK, families grieve privately and then try to hold it together and not break down at a funeral. Here in China it would seem that grieving is a public affair. It strikes me that it is more cathartic to cry your eyes out than try to keep it bottled up for fear of embarrassment, which is what many of us do in the West. Afterwards, a Chinese colleague told me that the lamenting at the funeral had been restrained by Chinese standards. In some rural areas, she said, people used to be paid to mourn noisily. This struck me like something out of novel by Charles Dickens. But we have all seen on TV scenes of grief-stricken people in Gaza and the West Bank, in Afghanistan, Iraq and the relatives of victims of terrorist bombings around the world. Chinese grief is no different. I realized that it's the reserved British way of mourning that is out of step with the rest of the world. It was our newspaper's production day. We were bussed back to the office to resume work. No more deadlines for our former colleague, but we had to pull together to put the newspaper to print. The boss invited the team to go out for dinner after work. We relaxed, smiled, joked. There was no mention of the funeral or our poor colleague. Enough sorrow had been shed already. We needed a break.
D
At the funeral, _ .
[ "five individuals made speeches", "the boss's speech was best thought of", "everyone was crying out loudly", "the writer was astonished by the scene" ]
high4254.txt
I was brought up in the British, _ . Strong feelings aren't something you display in public. So, you can imagine that I was unprepared for the outpouring of public grief at a Chinese funeral. My editorial team leader died recently after a short illness. He was 31. The news was so unexpected that it left us all shocked and upset. A female colleague burst into tears and cried piteously at her desk. Somehow we got through the day's work. The next day was the funeral. Our big boss stepped forward to deliver a eulogy and was soon in tears. She carried on, in Chinese of course, but at the end said in English: "There will be no more deadlines for you in heaven." Next came a long-term colleague who also dissolved in tears but carried on with her speech despite being almost overcome by emotion. Then a close friend of the dead man paid tribute , weeping openly as he spoke. Sorrow is spreading. Me and women were now sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, the man's mother, supported between two women, addressed her son in his coffin. At one point, the mother almost collapsed and had to be held up. We were invited to step forward to each lay a white rose on the casket. Our dead colleague looked as if he was taking a nap. At the end of the service I walked away from the funeral parlor stunned at the outpouring of emotion. In the UK, families grieve privately and then try to hold it together and not break down at a funeral. Here in China it would seem that grieving is a public affair. It strikes me that it is more cathartic to cry your eyes out than try to keep it bottled up for fear of embarrassment, which is what many of us do in the West. Afterwards, a Chinese colleague told me that the lamenting at the funeral had been restrained by Chinese standards. In some rural areas, she said, people used to be paid to mourn noisily. This struck me like something out of novel by Charles Dickens. But we have all seen on TV scenes of grief-stricken people in Gaza and the West Bank, in Afghanistan, Iraq and the relatives of victims of terrorist bombings around the world. Chinese grief is no different. I realized that it's the reserved British way of mourning that is out of step with the rest of the world. It was our newspaper's production day. We were bussed back to the office to resume work. No more deadlines for our former colleague, but we had to pull together to put the newspaper to print. The boss invited the team to go out for dinner after work. We relaxed, smiled, joked. There was no mention of the funeral or our poor colleague. Enough sorrow had been shed already. We needed a break.
B
According to the writer, people in the West _ .
[ "are not willing to be sad for the dead", "prefer to control their sadness in public", "cry their eyes out at the public funeral", "have better way to express sadness" ]
high4254.txt
I was brought up in the British, _ . Strong feelings aren't something you display in public. So, you can imagine that I was unprepared for the outpouring of public grief at a Chinese funeral. My editorial team leader died recently after a short illness. He was 31. The news was so unexpected that it left us all shocked and upset. A female colleague burst into tears and cried piteously at her desk. Somehow we got through the day's work. The next day was the funeral. Our big boss stepped forward to deliver a eulogy and was soon in tears. She carried on, in Chinese of course, but at the end said in English: "There will be no more deadlines for you in heaven." Next came a long-term colleague who also dissolved in tears but carried on with her speech despite being almost overcome by emotion. Then a close friend of the dead man paid tribute , weeping openly as he spoke. Sorrow is spreading. Me and women were now sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, the man's mother, supported between two women, addressed her son in his coffin. At one point, the mother almost collapsed and had to be held up. We were invited to step forward to each lay a white rose on the casket. Our dead colleague looked as if he was taking a nap. At the end of the service I walked away from the funeral parlor stunned at the outpouring of emotion. In the UK, families grieve privately and then try to hold it together and not break down at a funeral. Here in China it would seem that grieving is a public affair. It strikes me that it is more cathartic to cry your eyes out than try to keep it bottled up for fear of embarrassment, which is what many of us do in the West. Afterwards, a Chinese colleague told me that the lamenting at the funeral had been restrained by Chinese standards. In some rural areas, she said, people used to be paid to mourn noisily. This struck me like something out of novel by Charles Dickens. But we have all seen on TV scenes of grief-stricken people in Gaza and the West Bank, in Afghanistan, Iraq and the relatives of victims of terrorist bombings around the world. Chinese grief is no different. I realized that it's the reserved British way of mourning that is out of step with the rest of the world. It was our newspaper's production day. We were bussed back to the office to resume work. No more deadlines for our former colleague, but we had to pull together to put the newspaper to print. The boss invited the team to go out for dinner after work. We relaxed, smiled, joked. There was no mention of the funeral or our poor colleague. Enough sorrow had been shed already. We needed a break.
A
It is implied that _ .
[ "the English might cry noisily for the dead in Dickens' time", "Chinese express their sadness quite unlike other peoples", "victims of terrorist bombings should be greatly honored", "English funeral culture is more civilized than the others" ]
high4254.txt
I was brought up in the British, _ . Strong feelings aren't something you display in public. So, you can imagine that I was unprepared for the outpouring of public grief at a Chinese funeral. My editorial team leader died recently after a short illness. He was 31. The news was so unexpected that it left us all shocked and upset. A female colleague burst into tears and cried piteously at her desk. Somehow we got through the day's work. The next day was the funeral. Our big boss stepped forward to deliver a eulogy and was soon in tears. She carried on, in Chinese of course, but at the end said in English: "There will be no more deadlines for you in heaven." Next came a long-term colleague who also dissolved in tears but carried on with her speech despite being almost overcome by emotion. Then a close friend of the dead man paid tribute , weeping openly as he spoke. Sorrow is spreading. Me and women were now sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, the man's mother, supported between two women, addressed her son in his coffin. At one point, the mother almost collapsed and had to be held up. We were invited to step forward to each lay a white rose on the casket. Our dead colleague looked as if he was taking a nap. At the end of the service I walked away from the funeral parlor stunned at the outpouring of emotion. In the UK, families grieve privately and then try to hold it together and not break down at a funeral. Here in China it would seem that grieving is a public affair. It strikes me that it is more cathartic to cry your eyes out than try to keep it bottled up for fear of embarrassment, which is what many of us do in the West. Afterwards, a Chinese colleague told me that the lamenting at the funeral had been restrained by Chinese standards. In some rural areas, she said, people used to be paid to mourn noisily. This struck me like something out of novel by Charles Dickens. But we have all seen on TV scenes of grief-stricken people in Gaza and the West Bank, in Afghanistan, Iraq and the relatives of victims of terrorist bombings around the world. Chinese grief is no different. I realized that it's the reserved British way of mourning that is out of step with the rest of the world. It was our newspaper's production day. We were bussed back to the office to resume work. No more deadlines for our former colleague, but we had to pull together to put the newspaper to print. The boss invited the team to go out for dinner after work. We relaxed, smiled, joked. There was no mention of the funeral or our poor colleague. Enough sorrow had been shed already. We needed a break.
D
This passage talks mainly about _ .
[ "an editor's death", "bad funeral customs", "western ways of grief", "cultural differences" ]
high19059.txt
Soon after you have your first child, the question of having a second one is raised by friends and family. However, as the pattern of having two children in a family is challenged by modern family units, there are a few reasons why it is not selfish to want only one child. Today, the role of women has changed a lot. But nowadays, a wife has to help her husband earn the bread and butter as well as well as looking after her family. In demanding times like these, a woman has to put in more physical and emotional effort than any other member of the family. Raising a child comes at a cost that remains only heard of, until you find yourself paying it. The good reality of double income with no kids suddenly comes crashing down when there is a child involved in the picture. When one parent (the mother) needs to take some time off to look after the newborn, only one person becomes the earning member. Of course, the expenses went up rapidly. According to Susan Newman, PhD, a social psychologist, the average cost of raising a child is $227,000 from birth to college. Most young mothers also think that having one child would mean that there is more income for the child, and thus, better facilities can be provided. It is much easier to educate a single child at a good school, and give him/her better life with more resources at hand. With several children in the house, it becomes increasingly difficult to find ways to spend time with all of them. Dividing your time with just one child means that you can devote a little more time to doing the things you want to. In a single child unit, there are less comparison and more chances for positive motivation to learn new things. A happy child, who deserves the rightful attention, love, care, and time from both the parents, always gets a meaningful childhood, for both the parents and the child.
A
What does the writer mainly want to tell us in the passage?
[ "It is not selfish to have only one child in a family.", "Raising a child costs a lot nowadays.", "It is more difficult to raise several children in a family.", "Women are playing a more important role in the family than before." ]
high19059.txt
Soon after you have your first child, the question of having a second one is raised by friends and family. However, as the pattern of having two children in a family is challenged by modern family units, there are a few reasons why it is not selfish to want only one child. Today, the role of women has changed a lot. But nowadays, a wife has to help her husband earn the bread and butter as well as well as looking after her family. In demanding times like these, a woman has to put in more physical and emotional effort than any other member of the family. Raising a child comes at a cost that remains only heard of, until you find yourself paying it. The good reality of double income with no kids suddenly comes crashing down when there is a child involved in the picture. When one parent (the mother) needs to take some time off to look after the newborn, only one person becomes the earning member. Of course, the expenses went up rapidly. According to Susan Newman, PhD, a social psychologist, the average cost of raising a child is $227,000 from birth to college. Most young mothers also think that having one child would mean that there is more income for the child, and thus, better facilities can be provided. It is much easier to educate a single child at a good school, and give him/her better life with more resources at hand. With several children in the house, it becomes increasingly difficult to find ways to spend time with all of them. Dividing your time with just one child means that you can devote a little more time to doing the things you want to. In a single child unit, there are less comparison and more chances for positive motivation to learn new things. A happy child, who deserves the rightful attention, love, care, and time from both the parents, always gets a meaningful childhood, for both the parents and the child.
C
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage to support the writer's opinion?
[ "better education.", "meaningful childhood.", "less generation gap.", "better care." ]
high16521.txt
Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears. One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning trials increase the length of time we will remember it. In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn. The multiplication tables are an exception to the general rule. that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood. The law of overlearning explains why cramming for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one's future development
B
What's the main idea of Paragraph 1
[ "Children have a better memory than grown-ups.", "People remember well what they learned in childhood.", "Poem reading is a good way to learn words.\"", "Stories for children are easy to remember" ]
high16521.txt
Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears. One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning trials increase the length of time we will remember it. In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn. The multiplication tables are an exception to the general rule. that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood. The law of overlearning explains why cramming for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one's future development
C
The author explains the law of overlearning by
[ "presenting research findings", "setting down general rules", "using examples", "making a comparison" ]
high16521.txt
Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears. One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning trials increase the length of time we will remember it. In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn. The multiplication tables are an exception to the general rule. that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood. The law of overlearning explains why cramming for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one's future development
A
According to the author, being able to use multiplication tables is
[ "a result of overlearning", "a special case of cramming", "a skill to deal with math problems", "a basic step towards advanced studies" ]
high16521.txt
Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears. One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning trials increase the length of time we will remember it. In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn. The multiplication tables are an exception to the general rule. that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood. The law of overlearning explains why cramming for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one's future development
D
What is the author's opinion on cramming?
[ "It leads to failure in college exams.", "It increases students' learning interest.", "It's possible to result in poor memory.", "It's helpful only in a limited way." ]
high3852.txt
For most of us, the rain that falls on our roof runs off into the ground or the sewer system. But if you want to save a little water and reuse it on your lawns or plants --- or even use it for laundry, dishes, or other needs --- collecting rainwater from your gutter's downspouts is a _ According to John C. Davis, writing in E / The Environmental Magazine, just about any homeowner can collect rainwater, given that the roof and gutters do most of the work. And since an inch of rain falling on a 2,000-square-foot roof produces some 1,200 gallons of water, you can harvest enough to water your lawn or garden. Plants and grass actually do better when fed rainwater instead of tap water, which is usually treated with substances that can hold back plant growth. Using rainwater can also extend the life of pipes, since the salts added to tap water may gradually damage the pipes. However, homeowners should set up a water purification system if they do plan to use rainwater for inside needs. Rainwater harvesting can also be good for the local community, as it reduces the erosion, flooding, and pollution associated with heavy rainfall, and reduces dependence on public water supplies. So some states fund rainwater collection systems in their local communities. Many varieties of rain barrel systems, starting at just $100, are available for home use. A typical setup is simply a rain barrel positioned under a gutter's downspout. Skillful homeowners can make their own water harvesting systems, but buying one is a lot easier. Most garden centres offer a range of choices as well as tips.
D
What is the topic of the passage ?
[ "Basic gardening skills.", "Water-saving techniques.", "Wastewater treatment systems.", "Roof rainwater collection." ]
high16748.txt
The day the letter arrived from my university telling me how much I owed them for my first semester, I felt a lump forming in my throat. I hadn't even started my degree and already I was in debt. But although the sum was unsettling, I had peace of mind: I had taken out a loan that would cover the next three years of tuition fees and living expenses. A government body in the UK, the Student Loans Company, provides loans to students whose parents cannot afford to cover the costs themselves. Students forward this amount to the university in advance and agree to repay the loan when they begin their first job. For me, it was a lot of money -around &6,000(60,860 Yuan) per year in total -and much more than I had ever been responsible for. I would receive a couple of thousand pounds per semester -half for tuition fees, half for living costs. Even though I will be paying off my debt for a long time, I don't regret my decision. Having a loan taught me a lot about money management, which I would not have learned otherwise. Each term I paid my tuition fees in one payment, but I also received my loan for living costs in one payment. It was up to me to organize how I would spend this. I divided the amount to calculate my weekly budget and it was important that I tried not to overspend. I had to be disciplined and keep a close eye on my expenditure. Food, clothes and going out are the main things students spend money on. With a loan, students have total financial freedom. Instead of having someone looking over their shoulder, they must make every financial decision for themselves. This year, university fees were tripled. But when it comes to money management, perhaps this generation will be the smartest yet.
D
How did the writer feel when the letter arrived?
[ "Unsettled.", "Calm.", "Relieved.", "Stressed." ]
high16748.txt
The day the letter arrived from my university telling me how much I owed them for my first semester, I felt a lump forming in my throat. I hadn't even started my degree and already I was in debt. But although the sum was unsettling, I had peace of mind: I had taken out a loan that would cover the next three years of tuition fees and living expenses. A government body in the UK, the Student Loans Company, provides loans to students whose parents cannot afford to cover the costs themselves. Students forward this amount to the university in advance and agree to repay the loan when they begin their first job. For me, it was a lot of money -around &6,000(60,860 Yuan) per year in total -and much more than I had ever been responsible for. I would receive a couple of thousand pounds per semester -half for tuition fees, half for living costs. Even though I will be paying off my debt for a long time, I don't regret my decision. Having a loan taught me a lot about money management, which I would not have learned otherwise. Each term I paid my tuition fees in one payment, but I also received my loan for living costs in one payment. It was up to me to organize how I would spend this. I divided the amount to calculate my weekly budget and it was important that I tried not to overspend. I had to be disciplined and keep a close eye on my expenditure. Food, clothes and going out are the main things students spend money on. With a loan, students have total financial freedom. Instead of having someone looking over their shoulder, they must make every financial decision for themselves. This year, university fees were tripled. But when it comes to money management, perhaps this generation will be the smartest yet.
B
Which of the following statements about the loan is right?
[ "It's meant for excellent students.", "It's well beyond what the author could be responsible for.", "Students must pay it off as soon as they get a job.", "Students can receive the money monthly." ]
high16748.txt
The day the letter arrived from my university telling me how much I owed them for my first semester, I felt a lump forming in my throat. I hadn't even started my degree and already I was in debt. But although the sum was unsettling, I had peace of mind: I had taken out a loan that would cover the next three years of tuition fees and living expenses. A government body in the UK, the Student Loans Company, provides loans to students whose parents cannot afford to cover the costs themselves. Students forward this amount to the university in advance and agree to repay the loan when they begin their first job. For me, it was a lot of money -around &6,000(60,860 Yuan) per year in total -and much more than I had ever been responsible for. I would receive a couple of thousand pounds per semester -half for tuition fees, half for living costs. Even though I will be paying off my debt for a long time, I don't regret my decision. Having a loan taught me a lot about money management, which I would not have learned otherwise. Each term I paid my tuition fees in one payment, but I also received my loan for living costs in one payment. It was up to me to organize how I would spend this. I divided the amount to calculate my weekly budget and it was important that I tried not to overspend. I had to be disciplined and keep a close eye on my expenditure. Food, clothes and going out are the main things students spend money on. With a loan, students have total financial freedom. Instead of having someone looking over their shoulder, they must make every financial decision for themselves. This year, university fees were tripled. But when it comes to money management, perhaps this generation will be the smartest yet.
A
The student loan has all of the advantages except that _ .
[ "It can make students live a comfortable life in university.", "It can enable students to carry on with their study.", "It can teach students to spent money wisely.", "It can help to reduce family burden." ]
high9216.txt
Do you love holidays but hate gaining weight? You are not alone. Holidays are times for celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. Here are some tips for preventing weight gain and maintaining physical fitness: Don't skip meals. Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack . This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods. Control the amount of food. Use a small plate that may encourage you to "load up ". You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist . Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables. Fill up beforehand on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables, or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you to feel full. Avoid high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy may have large amount of fat. Choose lean meat . Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of creamy food. Stick to physical activity. Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk helps to burn off extra calories.(238 words)
A
Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the passage?
[ "You should never eat delicious foods.", "Drinking some water or soup before eating helps you to eat less.", "Holidays are happy days but they may bring you weight problems.", "Physical exercise can reduce the chance of putting on weight." ]
high9216.txt
Do you love holidays but hate gaining weight? You are not alone. Holidays are times for celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. Here are some tips for preventing weight gain and maintaining physical fitness: Don't skip meals. Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack . This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods. Control the amount of food. Use a small plate that may encourage you to "load up ". You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist . Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables. Fill up beforehand on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables, or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you to feel full. Avoid high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy may have large amount of fat. Choose lean meat . Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of creamy food. Stick to physical activity. Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk helps to burn off extra calories.(238 words)
B
Which of the following can NOT help people to lose weight according to the passage?
[ "Eating lean meat.", "Creamy food.", "Eating raw fruit or vegetables.", "Physical exercise." ]
high9216.txt
Do you love holidays but hate gaining weight? You are not alone. Holidays are times for celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. Here are some tips for preventing weight gain and maintaining physical fitness: Don't skip meals. Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack . This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods. Control the amount of food. Use a small plate that may encourage you to "load up ". You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist . Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables. Fill up beforehand on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables, or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you to feel full. Avoid high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy may have large amount of fat. Choose lean meat . Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of creamy food. Stick to physical activity. Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk helps to burn off extra calories.(238 words)
A
Many people can't control their weight during the holidays mainly because they _ .
[ "can't help eating too much", "take part in too many parties", "enjoy delicious foods sometimes", "can't help turning away from foods." ]
high9216.txt
Do you love holidays but hate gaining weight? You are not alone. Holidays are times for celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. Here are some tips for preventing weight gain and maintaining physical fitness: Don't skip meals. Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack . This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods. Control the amount of food. Use a small plate that may encourage you to "load up ". You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist . Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables. Fill up beforehand on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables, or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you to feel full. Avoid high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy may have large amount of fat. Choose lean meat . Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of creamy food. Stick to physical activity. Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk helps to burn off extra calories.(238 words)
B
If the passage appeared in a newspaper, which section is the most suitable one?
[ "Holidays and Festivals section", "Health and Fitness section", "Fashion section", "Student Times Club section" ]
high9216.txt
Do you love holidays but hate gaining weight? You are not alone. Holidays are times for celebrating. Many people are worried about their weight. With proper planning, though, it is possible to keep normal weight during the holidays. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. Here are some tips for preventing weight gain and maintaining physical fitness: Don't skip meals. Before you leave home, have a small, low-fat meal or snack . This may help to avoid getting too excited before delicious foods. Control the amount of food. Use a small plate that may encourage you to "load up ". You should be most comfortable eating an amount of food about the size of your fist . Begin with soup and fruit or vegetables. Fill up beforehand on water-based soup and raw fruit or vegetables, or drink a large glass of water before you eat to help you to feel full. Avoid high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy may have large amount of fat. Choose lean meat . Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. Use lemon juice instead of creamy food. Stick to physical activity. Don't let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk helps to burn off extra calories.(238 words)
C
What is the best title of the passage?
[ "How to avoid holiday feasting.", "Do's and don'ts for keeping slim and fit.", "How to avoid weight gain over holidays.", "Wonderful holidays, boring experiences." ]
high8725.txt
Do you have a hobby--something you really enjoy doing in your spare time? Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could spend more time on your hobby and less time at work? Maybe it's not an either/or situation. Perhaps you can do both at the same time. When choosing a career, one of the things you must consider is your interests. Why then do so many people not even think about their hobbies when a hobby is, in fact, an interest? Perhaps it's because even Webster's Dictionary defines a hobby as "a pursuit (,) outside one's regular occupation ". Maybe this is a rule you should break. After all, no one ever said your hobby had to stay separate from your occupation. In addition people are usually very skilled at their hobbies. The combination of interest and skill is a very compelling reason to choose a particular career. "Who's going to hire someone who loves making beaded jewelry?" you may ask yourself. Good question. Don't wait for someone to hire you. Start your own business. That may be the best way to combine your hobby with your career. Those with hobbies that involve creating things, i.e. jewelry, clothing, or pottery, may do well to sell those items on their own. Before you go forward with your plans, though, you should find out whether being an entrepreneur is for you. When you attempt to turn your hobby into a career, don't forget to do your homework. Even though you may have enjoyed training your pet birds to sing the national song, that doesn't mean you're suitable to be an animal trainer. Be sure to research your career choice completely. There may be aspects of it that just aren't for you. In that case, stick to your day job, as they say, and save your hobby for your free time.
D
By writing this passage, the writer wants to introduce _ .
[ "how to choose a hobby for your free time", "how to develop your own hobby", "how to treat your job as a hobby", "how to turn a hobby into a career" ]
high13418.txt
Aqeela Asifi, who fled to Pakistan as a young woman, has spent her life teaching other Afghan refugees. For her efforts, Ms. Asifi, who is 49, has won the 2015 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. She also gets $100,000 to help pay for her education projects. The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award honors extraordinary service to people who have been forced from their homes. Eleanor Roosevelt, Graca Machel and Luciano Pavarotti are some of the other winners of the award. Asifi faced many problems in Afghanistan before she fled to Pakistan. Resources were limited and education for women was discouraged. However, in Pakistan, the 49-year-old was able to bring change to her conservative Afghan community. She persuaded parents to send their daughters to school in a tent at the Kot Chandana refugee village. The village was in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Since then, Ms. Asifi has guided more than a thousand refugee girls through their primary education. "When I began my mission to educate Afghan girls, I could not have imagined that one day it will win me this award. I cannot express my happiness," she told VOA. Ms. Asifi was a teacher in Kabul when she fled with her family in 1992. "In Afghanistan I was teaching both boys and girls," she told VOA. "When I left Afghanistan and ended up in this refugee village with my family, I was saddened to find out there were no facilities here, particularly for women and girls." They made their home in the distant refugee community in Kot Chandana. There she began teaching a small number of students in her tent. She made teaching materials by hand. Her tent school has led to the opening of several permanent schools in the village. These schools teach more than one thousand children. Support from the UNHCR, local government, and non-governmental organizations helped make these new schools possible. Ms. Asifi is a mother of six children. She has worked hard to pay for their education. She spends almost all her income to pay her son's tuition to study engineering at Kabul University. But seeking higher education for her four daughters is difficult. There is not enough money or secondary schools for girls in the village. The Afghan teacher hopes more and more children will receive an education in Afghanistan. She hopes her home country becomes better known for higher levels of education, instead of war. "I want my goal to be introduced in parts of Afghanistan where conservative traditions and customs still prevent parents from sending their daughters to outdoor schools," she said.
D
According to the passage, Asifi was able to win the 2015 UNHCR Nansen Refugee award mainly because _ .
[ "she suffered a lot more than other refugees who fled to Pakistan", "she was the kindest person all over the world", "she witnessed the cruelest event when she was in Afghanistan", "she made great contributions to refugees despite leaving her homeland" ]
high13418.txt
Aqeela Asifi, who fled to Pakistan as a young woman, has spent her life teaching other Afghan refugees. For her efforts, Ms. Asifi, who is 49, has won the 2015 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. She also gets $100,000 to help pay for her education projects. The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award honors extraordinary service to people who have been forced from their homes. Eleanor Roosevelt, Graca Machel and Luciano Pavarotti are some of the other winners of the award. Asifi faced many problems in Afghanistan before she fled to Pakistan. Resources were limited and education for women was discouraged. However, in Pakistan, the 49-year-old was able to bring change to her conservative Afghan community. She persuaded parents to send their daughters to school in a tent at the Kot Chandana refugee village. The village was in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Since then, Ms. Asifi has guided more than a thousand refugee girls through their primary education. "When I began my mission to educate Afghan girls, I could not have imagined that one day it will win me this award. I cannot express my happiness," she told VOA. Ms. Asifi was a teacher in Kabul when she fled with her family in 1992. "In Afghanistan I was teaching both boys and girls," she told VOA. "When I left Afghanistan and ended up in this refugee village with my family, I was saddened to find out there were no facilities here, particularly for women and girls." They made their home in the distant refugee community in Kot Chandana. There she began teaching a small number of students in her tent. She made teaching materials by hand. Her tent school has led to the opening of several permanent schools in the village. These schools teach more than one thousand children. Support from the UNHCR, local government, and non-governmental organizations helped make these new schools possible. Ms. Asifi is a mother of six children. She has worked hard to pay for their education. She spends almost all her income to pay her son's tuition to study engineering at Kabul University. But seeking higher education for her four daughters is difficult. There is not enough money or secondary schools for girls in the village. The Afghan teacher hopes more and more children will receive an education in Afghanistan. She hopes her home country becomes better known for higher levels of education, instead of war. "I want my goal to be introduced in parts of Afghanistan where conservative traditions and customs still prevent parents from sending their daughters to outdoor schools," she said.
B
Which of the following is TRUE about Asifi's experiences?
[ "Before she fled to Afghanistan, she had been a teacher in Pakistan.", "Asifi succeeded in changing attitudes of Afghan refugees toward girl education.", "Asifi determined to win the award when she began to educate Afghan girls.", "All the materials needed for teaching were borrowed." ]
high13418.txt
Aqeela Asifi, who fled to Pakistan as a young woman, has spent her life teaching other Afghan refugees. For her efforts, Ms. Asifi, who is 49, has won the 2015 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. She also gets $100,000 to help pay for her education projects. The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award honors extraordinary service to people who have been forced from their homes. Eleanor Roosevelt, Graca Machel and Luciano Pavarotti are some of the other winners of the award. Asifi faced many problems in Afghanistan before she fled to Pakistan. Resources were limited and education for women was discouraged. However, in Pakistan, the 49-year-old was able to bring change to her conservative Afghan community. She persuaded parents to send their daughters to school in a tent at the Kot Chandana refugee village. The village was in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. Since then, Ms. Asifi has guided more than a thousand refugee girls through their primary education. "When I began my mission to educate Afghan girls, I could not have imagined that one day it will win me this award. I cannot express my happiness," she told VOA. Ms. Asifi was a teacher in Kabul when she fled with her family in 1992. "In Afghanistan I was teaching both boys and girls," she told VOA. "When I left Afghanistan and ended up in this refugee village with my family, I was saddened to find out there were no facilities here, particularly for women and girls." They made their home in the distant refugee community in Kot Chandana. There she began teaching a small number of students in her tent. She made teaching materials by hand. Her tent school has led to the opening of several permanent schools in the village. These schools teach more than one thousand children. Support from the UNHCR, local government, and non-governmental organizations helped make these new schools possible. Ms. Asifi is a mother of six children. She has worked hard to pay for their education. She spends almost all her income to pay her son's tuition to study engineering at Kabul University. But seeking higher education for her four daughters is difficult. There is not enough money or secondary schools for girls in the village. The Afghan teacher hopes more and more children will receive an education in Afghanistan. She hopes her home country becomes better known for higher levels of education, instead of war. "I want my goal to be introduced in parts of Afghanistan where conservative traditions and customs still prevent parents from sending their daughters to outdoor schools," she said.
D
What can be inferred from the passage?
[ "Resources were unlimited and education for women was encouraged before Asifi fled to Pakistan.", "Eleanor Roosevelt, Graca Machel and Luciano Pavarotti all fled to other countries from Afghanistan.", "Asifi's daughters can enjoy equal opportunities like their brothers to receive higher education at university.", "Asifi still treats her own country with great affection though living as a refugee in another country." ]
high10068.txt
Dear son, The day that you see me old and I am already not in good health, have patience and try to understand me. If I get dirty when eating, if I can not dress, have patience and remember the hours I spent teaching it to you. If, when I speak to you, I repeat the same things thousand and one times, do not interrupt me, listen to me. When you were small, I had to read to you thousand and one times the same story until you got to sleep. When I do not want to have a shower, neither shame me nor scold me. Remember when I had to chase you with thousand excuses I invented, in order that you wanted to breathe. When you see my knowing little about new technologies, give me the necessary time and do not look at me with your mocking smile. I taught you how to do so many things: to eat good, to dress well, to confront life... When at some moment I lose the memory or the thread of our conversation, let me have the necessary time to remember, and if I cannot do it, do not become nervous, as the most important thing is not our conversation but surely to be with you and to have you listening to me. If ever I do not want to eat, do not force me. I know well when I need to and when not. When my tired legs do not allow me to walk, give me your hand, the same way I did when you made your first step. And when someday I say to you that I do not want to live anymore--that I want to rest forever, do not get angry. Someday you will understand. Try to understand that _ . Some day you will discover that, despite my mistakes, I always wanted the best thing for you and that I tried to prepare the way for you. You must not feel sad, angry or impotent for seeing me near you. You must be next to me, try to understand me and to help me as I did it when you starting living. I will pay you by a smile and by the immense love I have had always for you.
D
What does the father mainly want to say to his son in short?
[ "\" Help me to understand my life.\"", "\" Teach you how to live and survive.\"", "\" Share you how I taught you.\"", "\" Help to end my way with your love and patience.\"" ]
high23654.txt
Health insurance can be very expensive. Some working people do not make enough money to pay for it. In the US there is a program called Healthy Families. This program offers people health insurance at a low cost. Families are charged about $7.00 a month for every child, and $10.00 for every adult. It costs much less than any other kind of health insurance. Having health insurance is very important. With this insurance, people can see a doctor when they are sick or hurt. The program is not expensive at all, but many people are still not enrolling in it. People say that it still costs too much money. They need all of their money to pay for things like food and rent . It would be great if everyone could have health insurance. People are working hard to come up with ways to make this happen. One idea is to make the Healthy Families Program free for some people. It is important for people to see a doctor when they need to. The Healthy Families Program makes it possible for more people to do this. Many ideas are being considered. Hopefully some of them will allow even more families to get health insurance. The Healthy Families Program is made to help those who don't have welfare and cannot earn enough to pay for private health insurance. It is an important program, but officials say that too many people are signing up for it and then dropping out because of the Healthy Families Program's cost.
C
The aim of the Healthy Families Program is to _ .
[ "help people earn more and pay for the program", "make it free for people to see a doctor", "help more families get health insurance", "help families pay for private health insurance" ]
high23654.txt
Health insurance can be very expensive. Some working people do not make enough money to pay for it. In the US there is a program called Healthy Families. This program offers people health insurance at a low cost. Families are charged about $7.00 a month for every child, and $10.00 for every adult. It costs much less than any other kind of health insurance. Having health insurance is very important. With this insurance, people can see a doctor when they are sick or hurt. The program is not expensive at all, but many people are still not enrolling in it. People say that it still costs too much money. They need all of their money to pay for things like food and rent . It would be great if everyone could have health insurance. People are working hard to come up with ways to make this happen. One idea is to make the Healthy Families Program free for some people. It is important for people to see a doctor when they need to. The Healthy Families Program makes it possible for more people to do this. Many ideas are being considered. Hopefully some of them will allow even more families to get health insurance. The Healthy Families Program is made to help those who don't have welfare and cannot earn enough to pay for private health insurance. It is an important program, but officials say that too many people are signing up for it and then dropping out because of the Healthy Families Program's cost.
A
If a couple has two children, how much would health insurance cost every month?
[ "$34", "$40.", "$28.", "$24." ]
high23654.txt
Health insurance can be very expensive. Some working people do not make enough money to pay for it. In the US there is a program called Healthy Families. This program offers people health insurance at a low cost. Families are charged about $7.00 a month for every child, and $10.00 for every adult. It costs much less than any other kind of health insurance. Having health insurance is very important. With this insurance, people can see a doctor when they are sick or hurt. The program is not expensive at all, but many people are still not enrolling in it. People say that it still costs too much money. They need all of their money to pay for things like food and rent . It would be great if everyone could have health insurance. People are working hard to come up with ways to make this happen. One idea is to make the Healthy Families Program free for some people. It is important for people to see a doctor when they need to. The Healthy Families Program makes it possible for more people to do this. Many ideas are being considered. Hopefully some of them will allow even more families to get health insurance. The Healthy Families Program is made to help those who don't have welfare and cannot earn enough to pay for private health insurance. It is an important program, but officials say that too many people are signing up for it and then dropping out because of the Healthy Families Program's cost.
D
Why is it very important for people to have health insurance?
[ "They can see a doctor free of charge.", "They can get special medical care.", "They can go to see a doctor as soon as possible.", "They can afford to see a doctor when they need to." ]
high23654.txt
Health insurance can be very expensive. Some working people do not make enough money to pay for it. In the US there is a program called Healthy Families. This program offers people health insurance at a low cost. Families are charged about $7.00 a month for every child, and $10.00 for every adult. It costs much less than any other kind of health insurance. Having health insurance is very important. With this insurance, people can see a doctor when they are sick or hurt. The program is not expensive at all, but many people are still not enrolling in it. People say that it still costs too much money. They need all of their money to pay for things like food and rent . It would be great if everyone could have health insurance. People are working hard to come up with ways to make this happen. One idea is to make the Healthy Families Program free for some people. It is important for people to see a doctor when they need to. The Healthy Families Program makes it possible for more people to do this. Many ideas are being considered. Hopefully some of them will allow even more families to get health insurance. The Healthy Families Program is made to help those who don't have welfare and cannot earn enough to pay for private health insurance. It is an important program, but officials say that too many people are signing up for it and then dropping out because of the Healthy Families Program's cost.
B
In the passage we can learn all of the following EXCEPT that _ .
[ "health insurance is very important for ordinary people", "people should make more money to pay for private health insurance", "the program is still too expensive for many people", "many people don't make enough money to pay for health insurance" ]
high23654.txt
Health insurance can be very expensive. Some working people do not make enough money to pay for it. In the US there is a program called Healthy Families. This program offers people health insurance at a low cost. Families are charged about $7.00 a month for every child, and $10.00 for every adult. It costs much less than any other kind of health insurance. Having health insurance is very important. With this insurance, people can see a doctor when they are sick or hurt. The program is not expensive at all, but many people are still not enrolling in it. People say that it still costs too much money. They need all of their money to pay for things like food and rent . It would be great if everyone could have health insurance. People are working hard to come up with ways to make this happen. One idea is to make the Healthy Families Program free for some people. It is important for people to see a doctor when they need to. The Healthy Families Program makes it possible for more people to do this. Many ideas are being considered. Hopefully some of them will allow even more families to get health insurance. The Healthy Families Program is made to help those who don't have welfare and cannot earn enough to pay for private health insurance. It is an important program, but officials say that too many people are signing up for it and then dropping out because of the Healthy Families Program's cost.
B
The passage is mainly about _ .
[ "health insurance at a low cost", "the Healthy Families Program", "the cost of health insurance[", "the benefits of health insurance" ]
high12380.txt
Teenage life is quite dramatic but that doesn't mean you cannot enjoy your life in these years. Even with your daily troubles, your life is not very hard if you know how to deal with them. I know exactly how you feel. Life as a teenager can be hard. You are not a kid anymore, because you are smart enough to observe and analyze your surroundings. However, you are still not an adult because there are still lots of experiences that you need to have and lessons that you need to learn from these experiences. To top it all, the hormonal imbalance in your body can really mess you up emotionally. I have been there. I was in it for 6 years exploring what life is about. As a teenager, I had a major problem with completing my chores on time. And at that time, all that I need to do was finish my assignments, study for the upcoming test and clean my room. Now, I have lots of things to do: cooking, cleaning and working while striking a balance between all my relationships related to work, family and friends. That really is a lot of work. So, I will just give you one golden tip, quoting from Benjamin Franklin, "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today." Life becomes much easier because I finish all my work on time and I have enough time to _ . Half the problems as a teenager are because we hate doing things. We'd rather go and have fun than sit down and take care of our duties and responsibilities. That is why you have so much trouble in your life; your parents won't let you go out with friends because you didn't clean your room or your professor is always criticizing you because you haven't finished your assignments.
C
Whom is the text intended for?
[ "Parents", "Teachers", "Teenagers", "Scientists" ]
high12380.txt
Teenage life is quite dramatic but that doesn't mean you cannot enjoy your life in these years. Even with your daily troubles, your life is not very hard if you know how to deal with them. I know exactly how you feel. Life as a teenager can be hard. You are not a kid anymore, because you are smart enough to observe and analyze your surroundings. However, you are still not an adult because there are still lots of experiences that you need to have and lessons that you need to learn from these experiences. To top it all, the hormonal imbalance in your body can really mess you up emotionally. I have been there. I was in it for 6 years exploring what life is about. As a teenager, I had a major problem with completing my chores on time. And at that time, all that I need to do was finish my assignments, study for the upcoming test and clean my room. Now, I have lots of things to do: cooking, cleaning and working while striking a balance between all my relationships related to work, family and friends. That really is a lot of work. So, I will just give you one golden tip, quoting from Benjamin Franklin, "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today." Life becomes much easier because I finish all my work on time and I have enough time to _ . Half the problems as a teenager are because we hate doing things. We'd rather go and have fun than sit down and take care of our duties and responsibilities. That is why you have so much trouble in your life; your parents won't let you go out with friends because you didn't clean your room or your professor is always criticizing you because you haven't finished your assignments.
B
The author tries to persuade readers mainly by means of _ .
[ "quoting famous sayings by famous people", "setting his own experiences as example", "listing all of his troubles in his childhood", "showing the numerous assignments for children" ]
high10002.txt
You could feel sorry for Alberto Torres, who is blind. The last thing he remembers seeing was his daughter being born 13 years ago. Then the world went blank; he can only imagine what his only child looks like now, as a teenaged honor student. Bad luck is no stranger to this warm and thoughtful 37-year-old man. His mother died of cancer when he was 4, and his father, who was often ill, had to give him up to the care of the state when he was 11. He later worked for 19 years in a workshop making household goods, deathly boring work. Earlier this month, Alberto Torres's wife, who had just been laid off from her job, had to have a breast removed due to cancer and now faces a year of radiation treatments. Things seemed always to go from almost incredibly bad to worse. Even Mr. Torres's good luck has a dark side: Five years ago, his lovely guide dog pulled him out of the path of a truck. Mr. Torres was not hurt. The dog was killed. But Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himself. "These are just little bumps you have to go over in your life," he said. At 5 a.m. on a recent morning, we caught up with Mr. Torres at a subway stop in Brooklyn, New York, near where he lives in a third-floor apartment (with no elevator). He had been up since 3 a.m., feeding his new dog, making coffee, getting ready. "When you're blind, it takes a little longer to do things," he said. Mr. Torres was beginning his two-hour trip to his job developing film in the X-ray department of the emergency room of the Bronx hospital. He would take the G train to Queens Plaza station to the R train, heading towards Manhattan. He would then ride the R train to 59th Street where he would walk upstairs to switch to the Number 6 train. At one point along the journey, he might chat with a stranger. At another, someone would pat his dog, calling him by name. People offered assistance, even seats. At 125th Street, Mr. Torres would transfer to the Number 4 train by crossing the platform. At 149th Street, he would go down to the Number 2. He would take that to East 180th Street where he nearly always has a long wait for his final train, to Pelham Parkway. Then he and his dog would walk 20 minutes to the hospital. It was a hard job to come by. Before he got the job, Mr. Torres was determined to escape the workshop run by an organization dedicated to help people who can't see. He wanted a job developing X-ray film, something that everyone must do in the dark. He had to handle the long trip, as well as the work. "Our philosophy here is that blind people can do just about anything except drive buses," it was the thinking about disabled people at the Bronx hospital. "We find what a person can do rather than what he can't do," said the hospital's director. One day a while ago marked the first anniversary of Mr. Torres's hiring. He developed 150 or so X-rays, his usual output, to celebrate. Mr. Torres works by himself in a small, dark room that smells of chemicals. He cannot wear gloves, because he needs to feel. It is hard work, related to emergency of lives. His immediate supervisor says he trusts him 100%. Mr. Torres makes $20,000 a year. But his motivation goes beyond money. "If I start feeling like a victim, that makes me bitter. And why be bitter? That makes you go into a hole and stay there." he said. "I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary," insisted Mr. Torres as he quickly completed the task.
A
Mr. Torres became blind when _ .
[ "his daughter was just born", "he was thirteen years old", "his mother died of cancer", "his wife was out of work" ]
high10002.txt
You could feel sorry for Alberto Torres, who is blind. The last thing he remembers seeing was his daughter being born 13 years ago. Then the world went blank; he can only imagine what his only child looks like now, as a teenaged honor student. Bad luck is no stranger to this warm and thoughtful 37-year-old man. His mother died of cancer when he was 4, and his father, who was often ill, had to give him up to the care of the state when he was 11. He later worked for 19 years in a workshop making household goods, deathly boring work. Earlier this month, Alberto Torres's wife, who had just been laid off from her job, had to have a breast removed due to cancer and now faces a year of radiation treatments. Things seemed always to go from almost incredibly bad to worse. Even Mr. Torres's good luck has a dark side: Five years ago, his lovely guide dog pulled him out of the path of a truck. Mr. Torres was not hurt. The dog was killed. But Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himself. "These are just little bumps you have to go over in your life," he said. At 5 a.m. on a recent morning, we caught up with Mr. Torres at a subway stop in Brooklyn, New York, near where he lives in a third-floor apartment (with no elevator). He had been up since 3 a.m., feeding his new dog, making coffee, getting ready. "When you're blind, it takes a little longer to do things," he said. Mr. Torres was beginning his two-hour trip to his job developing film in the X-ray department of the emergency room of the Bronx hospital. He would take the G train to Queens Plaza station to the R train, heading towards Manhattan. He would then ride the R train to 59th Street where he would walk upstairs to switch to the Number 6 train. At one point along the journey, he might chat with a stranger. At another, someone would pat his dog, calling him by name. People offered assistance, even seats. At 125th Street, Mr. Torres would transfer to the Number 4 train by crossing the platform. At 149th Street, he would go down to the Number 2. He would take that to East 180th Street where he nearly always has a long wait for his final train, to Pelham Parkway. Then he and his dog would walk 20 minutes to the hospital. It was a hard job to come by. Before he got the job, Mr. Torres was determined to escape the workshop run by an organization dedicated to help people who can't see. He wanted a job developing X-ray film, something that everyone must do in the dark. He had to handle the long trip, as well as the work. "Our philosophy here is that blind people can do just about anything except drive buses," it was the thinking about disabled people at the Bronx hospital. "We find what a person can do rather than what he can't do," said the hospital's director. One day a while ago marked the first anniversary of Mr. Torres's hiring. He developed 150 or so X-rays, his usual output, to celebrate. Mr. Torres works by himself in a small, dark room that smells of chemicals. He cannot wear gloves, because he needs to feel. It is hard work, related to emergency of lives. His immediate supervisor says he trusts him 100%. Mr. Torres makes $20,000 a year. But his motivation goes beyond money. "If I start feeling like a victim, that makes me bitter. And why be bitter? That makes you go into a hole and stay there." he said. "I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary," insisted Mr. Torres as he quickly completed the task.
C
Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himselfbecause he _ .
[ "was once saved by his lovely guide dog", "is taken good care of by the government", "thinks it's natural to have setbacks in life", "believes it takes a little longer to do things" ]
high10002.txt
You could feel sorry for Alberto Torres, who is blind. The last thing he remembers seeing was his daughter being born 13 years ago. Then the world went blank; he can only imagine what his only child looks like now, as a teenaged honor student. Bad luck is no stranger to this warm and thoughtful 37-year-old man. His mother died of cancer when he was 4, and his father, who was often ill, had to give him up to the care of the state when he was 11. He later worked for 19 years in a workshop making household goods, deathly boring work. Earlier this month, Alberto Torres's wife, who had just been laid off from her job, had to have a breast removed due to cancer and now faces a year of radiation treatments. Things seemed always to go from almost incredibly bad to worse. Even Mr. Torres's good luck has a dark side: Five years ago, his lovely guide dog pulled him out of the path of a truck. Mr. Torres was not hurt. The dog was killed. But Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himself. "These are just little bumps you have to go over in your life," he said. At 5 a.m. on a recent morning, we caught up with Mr. Torres at a subway stop in Brooklyn, New York, near where he lives in a third-floor apartment (with no elevator). He had been up since 3 a.m., feeding his new dog, making coffee, getting ready. "When you're blind, it takes a little longer to do things," he said. Mr. Torres was beginning his two-hour trip to his job developing film in the X-ray department of the emergency room of the Bronx hospital. He would take the G train to Queens Plaza station to the R train, heading towards Manhattan. He would then ride the R train to 59th Street where he would walk upstairs to switch to the Number 6 train. At one point along the journey, he might chat with a stranger. At another, someone would pat his dog, calling him by name. People offered assistance, even seats. At 125th Street, Mr. Torres would transfer to the Number 4 train by crossing the platform. At 149th Street, he would go down to the Number 2. He would take that to East 180th Street where he nearly always has a long wait for his final train, to Pelham Parkway. Then he and his dog would walk 20 minutes to the hospital. It was a hard job to come by. Before he got the job, Mr. Torres was determined to escape the workshop run by an organization dedicated to help people who can't see. He wanted a job developing X-ray film, something that everyone must do in the dark. He had to handle the long trip, as well as the work. "Our philosophy here is that blind people can do just about anything except drive buses," it was the thinking about disabled people at the Bronx hospital. "We find what a person can do rather than what he can't do," said the hospital's director. One day a while ago marked the first anniversary of Mr. Torres's hiring. He developed 150 or so X-rays, his usual output, to celebrate. Mr. Torres works by himself in a small, dark room that smells of chemicals. He cannot wear gloves, because he needs to feel. It is hard work, related to emergency of lives. His immediate supervisor says he trusts him 100%. Mr. Torres makes $20,000 a year. But his motivation goes beyond money. "If I start feeling like a victim, that makes me bitter. And why be bitter? That makes you go into a hole and stay there." he said. "I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary," insisted Mr. Torres as he quickly completed the task.
D
The description of Mr. Torres's long trip to work shows _ .
[ "the effective traffic system", "the kindness of New Yorkers", "the loyalty of his guide dog", "his will to overcome difficulty" ]
high10002.txt
You could feel sorry for Alberto Torres, who is blind. The last thing he remembers seeing was his daughter being born 13 years ago. Then the world went blank; he can only imagine what his only child looks like now, as a teenaged honor student. Bad luck is no stranger to this warm and thoughtful 37-year-old man. His mother died of cancer when he was 4, and his father, who was often ill, had to give him up to the care of the state when he was 11. He later worked for 19 years in a workshop making household goods, deathly boring work. Earlier this month, Alberto Torres's wife, who had just been laid off from her job, had to have a breast removed due to cancer and now faces a year of radiation treatments. Things seemed always to go from almost incredibly bad to worse. Even Mr. Torres's good luck has a dark side: Five years ago, his lovely guide dog pulled him out of the path of a truck. Mr. Torres was not hurt. The dog was killed. But Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himself. "These are just little bumps you have to go over in your life," he said. At 5 a.m. on a recent morning, we caught up with Mr. Torres at a subway stop in Brooklyn, New York, near where he lives in a third-floor apartment (with no elevator). He had been up since 3 a.m., feeding his new dog, making coffee, getting ready. "When you're blind, it takes a little longer to do things," he said. Mr. Torres was beginning his two-hour trip to his job developing film in the X-ray department of the emergency room of the Bronx hospital. He would take the G train to Queens Plaza station to the R train, heading towards Manhattan. He would then ride the R train to 59th Street where he would walk upstairs to switch to the Number 6 train. At one point along the journey, he might chat with a stranger. At another, someone would pat his dog, calling him by name. People offered assistance, even seats. At 125th Street, Mr. Torres would transfer to the Number 4 train by crossing the platform. At 149th Street, he would go down to the Number 2. He would take that to East 180th Street where he nearly always has a long wait for his final train, to Pelham Parkway. Then he and his dog would walk 20 minutes to the hospital. It was a hard job to come by. Before he got the job, Mr. Torres was determined to escape the workshop run by an organization dedicated to help people who can't see. He wanted a job developing X-ray film, something that everyone must do in the dark. He had to handle the long trip, as well as the work. "Our philosophy here is that blind people can do just about anything except drive buses," it was the thinking about disabled people at the Bronx hospital. "We find what a person can do rather than what he can't do," said the hospital's director. One day a while ago marked the first anniversary of Mr. Torres's hiring. He developed 150 or so X-rays, his usual output, to celebrate. Mr. Torres works by himself in a small, dark room that smells of chemicals. He cannot wear gloves, because he needs to feel. It is hard work, related to emergency of lives. His immediate supervisor says he trusts him 100%. Mr. Torres makes $20,000 a year. But his motivation goes beyond money. "If I start feeling like a victim, that makes me bitter. And why be bitter? That makes you go into a hole and stay there." he said. "I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary," insisted Mr. Torres as he quickly completed the task.
B
What is the principle of the hospital in employing a worker?
[ "Sympathy counts most.", "Ability comes first.", "Preference for the blind.", "Easy job for the weak." ]
high10002.txt
You could feel sorry for Alberto Torres, who is blind. The last thing he remembers seeing was his daughter being born 13 years ago. Then the world went blank; he can only imagine what his only child looks like now, as a teenaged honor student. Bad luck is no stranger to this warm and thoughtful 37-year-old man. His mother died of cancer when he was 4, and his father, who was often ill, had to give him up to the care of the state when he was 11. He later worked for 19 years in a workshop making household goods, deathly boring work. Earlier this month, Alberto Torres's wife, who had just been laid off from her job, had to have a breast removed due to cancer and now faces a year of radiation treatments. Things seemed always to go from almost incredibly bad to worse. Even Mr. Torres's good luck has a dark side: Five years ago, his lovely guide dog pulled him out of the path of a truck. Mr. Torres was not hurt. The dog was killed. But Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himself. "These are just little bumps you have to go over in your life," he said. At 5 a.m. on a recent morning, we caught up with Mr. Torres at a subway stop in Brooklyn, New York, near where he lives in a third-floor apartment (with no elevator). He had been up since 3 a.m., feeding his new dog, making coffee, getting ready. "When you're blind, it takes a little longer to do things," he said. Mr. Torres was beginning his two-hour trip to his job developing film in the X-ray department of the emergency room of the Bronx hospital. He would take the G train to Queens Plaza station to the R train, heading towards Manhattan. He would then ride the R train to 59th Street where he would walk upstairs to switch to the Number 6 train. At one point along the journey, he might chat with a stranger. At another, someone would pat his dog, calling him by name. People offered assistance, even seats. At 125th Street, Mr. Torres would transfer to the Number 4 train by crossing the platform. At 149th Street, he would go down to the Number 2. He would take that to East 180th Street where he nearly always has a long wait for his final train, to Pelham Parkway. Then he and his dog would walk 20 minutes to the hospital. It was a hard job to come by. Before he got the job, Mr. Torres was determined to escape the workshop run by an organization dedicated to help people who can't see. He wanted a job developing X-ray film, something that everyone must do in the dark. He had to handle the long trip, as well as the work. "Our philosophy here is that blind people can do just about anything except drive buses," it was the thinking about disabled people at the Bronx hospital. "We find what a person can do rather than what he can't do," said the hospital's director. One day a while ago marked the first anniversary of Mr. Torres's hiring. He developed 150 or so X-rays, his usual output, to celebrate. Mr. Torres works by himself in a small, dark room that smells of chemicals. He cannot wear gloves, because he needs to feel. It is hard work, related to emergency of lives. His immediate supervisor says he trusts him 100%. Mr. Torres makes $20,000 a year. But his motivation goes beyond money. "If I start feeling like a victim, that makes me bitter. And why be bitter? That makes you go into a hole and stay there." he said. "I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary," insisted Mr. Torres as he quickly completed the task.
C
Mr. Torres works very hard in order to _ .
[ "make plenty of money", "win his supervisor's trust", "live like a normal person", "complete his daily task" ]
high10002.txt
You could feel sorry for Alberto Torres, who is blind. The last thing he remembers seeing was his daughter being born 13 years ago. Then the world went blank; he can only imagine what his only child looks like now, as a teenaged honor student. Bad luck is no stranger to this warm and thoughtful 37-year-old man. His mother died of cancer when he was 4, and his father, who was often ill, had to give him up to the care of the state when he was 11. He later worked for 19 years in a workshop making household goods, deathly boring work. Earlier this month, Alberto Torres's wife, who had just been laid off from her job, had to have a breast removed due to cancer and now faces a year of radiation treatments. Things seemed always to go from almost incredibly bad to worse. Even Mr. Torres's good luck has a dark side: Five years ago, his lovely guide dog pulled him out of the path of a truck. Mr. Torres was not hurt. The dog was killed. But Mr. Torres does not feel sorry for himself. "These are just little bumps you have to go over in your life," he said. At 5 a.m. on a recent morning, we caught up with Mr. Torres at a subway stop in Brooklyn, New York, near where he lives in a third-floor apartment (with no elevator). He had been up since 3 a.m., feeding his new dog, making coffee, getting ready. "When you're blind, it takes a little longer to do things," he said. Mr. Torres was beginning his two-hour trip to his job developing film in the X-ray department of the emergency room of the Bronx hospital. He would take the G train to Queens Plaza station to the R train, heading towards Manhattan. He would then ride the R train to 59th Street where he would walk upstairs to switch to the Number 6 train. At one point along the journey, he might chat with a stranger. At another, someone would pat his dog, calling him by name. People offered assistance, even seats. At 125th Street, Mr. Torres would transfer to the Number 4 train by crossing the platform. At 149th Street, he would go down to the Number 2. He would take that to East 180th Street where he nearly always has a long wait for his final train, to Pelham Parkway. Then he and his dog would walk 20 minutes to the hospital. It was a hard job to come by. Before he got the job, Mr. Torres was determined to escape the workshop run by an organization dedicated to help people who can't see. He wanted a job developing X-ray film, something that everyone must do in the dark. He had to handle the long trip, as well as the work. "Our philosophy here is that blind people can do just about anything except drive buses," it was the thinking about disabled people at the Bronx hospital. "We find what a person can do rather than what he can't do," said the hospital's director. One day a while ago marked the first anniversary of Mr. Torres's hiring. He developed 150 or so X-rays, his usual output, to celebrate. Mr. Torres works by himself in a small, dark room that smells of chemicals. He cannot wear gloves, because he needs to feel. It is hard work, related to emergency of lives. His immediate supervisor says he trusts him 100%. Mr. Torres makes $20,000 a year. But his motivation goes beyond money. "If I start feeling like a victim, that makes me bitter. And why be bitter? That makes you go into a hole and stay there." he said. "I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary," insisted Mr. Torres as he quickly completed the task.
D
In the eyes of the writer, Alberto Torres is a man of _ .
[ "deep thinking", "weak motivation", "special talents", "great independence" ]
high23017.txt
The challenge to drink to the limits of one's endurance has become a celebrated part of college life. In one of the most extensive reports on college drinking thus far, a 1997 Harvard School of Public Health study found that 43 percent of college students admitted binge drinking in the preceding two weeks (Defined as four drinks in a sitting for a woman and five of a man, a drinking binge is when one drinks enough to risk health and well - being ) Experts estimate that excessive drinking is involved in thousands of student deaths a year. And the Harvard researchers found that there has been a dramatic change in why students drink. 39 percent drank "to get drunk" in 1993, but 52 percent had the same objective in 1997. "What has changed is the across - the - board acceptability of intoxication ," says Felix Savino at UW - Madison. Many college students today see not just drinking but being drunk as their primary way of socializing. The reasons for the shift are complex and not fully understood. But researchers guess that it may have something to do with today's instant - satisfaction life - style--and young people tend to take into the extreme. While binge drinking isn't always deadly, it does have other, wide - ranging effects. Academics is one area where it takes a heavy _ (something paid, lost or suffered). Perhaps because alcohol increases aggression and affects judgement, it is also related to 25 percent of violent crimes and roughly 60 percent of vandalism on campus. Facing the many potential dangers, college campuses are searching for ways to reduce binge drinking.
C
Why has "binge drinking" caused widespread concern?
[ "Because it is directly responsible for the academic problem on campus.", "Because it has claimed many young lives every year.", "Because it has had harmful effects on the students' health and well - being.", "Because it is in close connection with school violence." ]
high23017.txt
The challenge to drink to the limits of one's endurance has become a celebrated part of college life. In one of the most extensive reports on college drinking thus far, a 1997 Harvard School of Public Health study found that 43 percent of college students admitted binge drinking in the preceding two weeks (Defined as four drinks in a sitting for a woman and five of a man, a drinking binge is when one drinks enough to risk health and well - being ) Experts estimate that excessive drinking is involved in thousands of student deaths a year. And the Harvard researchers found that there has been a dramatic change in why students drink. 39 percent drank "to get drunk" in 1993, but 52 percent had the same objective in 1997. "What has changed is the across - the - board acceptability of intoxication ," says Felix Savino at UW - Madison. Many college students today see not just drinking but being drunk as their primary way of socializing. The reasons for the shift are complex and not fully understood. But researchers guess that it may have something to do with today's instant - satisfaction life - style--and young people tend to take into the extreme. While binge drinking isn't always deadly, it does have other, wide - ranging effects. Academics is one area where it takes a heavy _ (something paid, lost or suffered). Perhaps because alcohol increases aggression and affects judgement, it is also related to 25 percent of violent crimes and roughly 60 percent of vandalism on campus. Facing the many potential dangers, college campuses are searching for ways to reduce binge drinking.
D
We can infer from the passage that young people today_.
[ "cherish their dream and are willing to work hard for it.", "value spiritual satisfaction over physical satisfaction.", "are idealistic and disillusioned by the dark reality.", "seek immediate satisfaction and indulge themselves too much" ]
high23017.txt
The challenge to drink to the limits of one's endurance has become a celebrated part of college life. In one of the most extensive reports on college drinking thus far, a 1997 Harvard School of Public Health study found that 43 percent of college students admitted binge drinking in the preceding two weeks (Defined as four drinks in a sitting for a woman and five of a man, a drinking binge is when one drinks enough to risk health and well - being ) Experts estimate that excessive drinking is involved in thousands of student deaths a year. And the Harvard researchers found that there has been a dramatic change in why students drink. 39 percent drank "to get drunk" in 1993, but 52 percent had the same objective in 1997. "What has changed is the across - the - board acceptability of intoxication ," says Felix Savino at UW - Madison. Many college students today see not just drinking but being drunk as their primary way of socializing. The reasons for the shift are complex and not fully understood. But researchers guess that it may have something to do with today's instant - satisfaction life - style--and young people tend to take into the extreme. While binge drinking isn't always deadly, it does have other, wide - ranging effects. Academics is one area where it takes a heavy _ (something paid, lost or suffered). Perhaps because alcohol increases aggression and affects judgement, it is also related to 25 percent of violent crimes and roughly 60 percent of vandalism on campus. Facing the many potential dangers, college campuses are searching for ways to reduce binge drinking.
B
Students regard drinking and binge drinking as_.
[ "tolerable", "acceptable", "necessary", "essential" ]
high21028.txt
Good Teachers A language training school at Yayuncun needs two full-time teachers and three part-time teachers to teach adults, 12 students a class, oral English and business English during afternoons and evenings. Full-time teachers 25--30 hours per week, 10 000--2 000 yuan per month. Part-time teachers can choose the class to teach, 100--150 yuan per hour, according to your experience. Need native English speakers with teaching experience. Please send your RESUME and PICTURE to eslchina@ yahoo.com.cn Writers/Researchers Currently, Fisher's Travel SOS is looking for the freelance writer and researcher with experience in journalism and the ability to computers, it is part-time positions for our project that will take a month to complete. Work is conducted at home, and will take a couple of hours per day or less. Full training is given. Please refer to www.Fisherstravelos.com for more information on our company. Journalists and writers interested in the positions should directly contact Danielle-Chu at daniellechu@ fisherstravelsos. com with your details and CV . Full-time Waiters/Waitresses/Bartenders We are a beautiful modern world famous Tiki Bar looking for FULL-TIME staff --waiters/waitresses/ bartenders for its current expansion. If you are 18 to 25 years old, with good looks, wit and charm, this job is for you. Good English and basic restaurant experience are necessary but not required. Please contact us. Tel: 13370153195 Mail :dacfxa@ 163bi. com Advertising Sales You must have a "sales" personality -- you need to love knocking on doors, giving presentations, closing deals, and keeping your customers happy. You don't need any special degrees, and you don't have to speak English. It would be better if you should have advertising sales experience, but that's not a requirement. If this sounds fit for you, please email your resume to jobs @ chinadeco, com. cu.
A
You must know English if you want to be _
[ "a teacher", "a waiter", "a writer", "a seller" ]
high21028.txt
Good Teachers A language training school at Yayuncun needs two full-time teachers and three part-time teachers to teach adults, 12 students a class, oral English and business English during afternoons and evenings. Full-time teachers 25--30 hours per week, 10 000--2 000 yuan per month. Part-time teachers can choose the class to teach, 100--150 yuan per hour, according to your experience. Need native English speakers with teaching experience. Please send your RESUME and PICTURE to eslchina@ yahoo.com.cn Writers/Researchers Currently, Fisher's Travel SOS is looking for the freelance writer and researcher with experience in journalism and the ability to computers, it is part-time positions for our project that will take a month to complete. Work is conducted at home, and will take a couple of hours per day or less. Full training is given. Please refer to www.Fisherstravelos.com for more information on our company. Journalists and writers interested in the positions should directly contact Danielle-Chu at daniellechu@ fisherstravelsos. com with your details and CV . Full-time Waiters/Waitresses/Bartenders We are a beautiful modern world famous Tiki Bar looking for FULL-TIME staff --waiters/waitresses/ bartenders for its current expansion. If you are 18 to 25 years old, with good looks, wit and charm, this job is for you. Good English and basic restaurant experience are necessary but not required. Please contact us. Tel: 13370153195 Mail :dacfxa@ 163bi. com Advertising Sales You must have a "sales" personality -- you need to love knocking on doors, giving presentations, closing deals, and keeping your customers happy. You don't need any special degrees, and you don't have to speak English. It would be better if you should have advertising sales experience, but that's not a requirement. If this sounds fit for you, please email your resume to jobs @ chinadeco, com. cu.
D
All the following are necessary as a researcher EXCEPT that _
[ "you are able to use the computer", "you should be interested in the job", "you can work several hours a day", "you must finish your work every day" ]
high21028.txt
Good Teachers A language training school at Yayuncun needs two full-time teachers and three part-time teachers to teach adults, 12 students a class, oral English and business English during afternoons and evenings. Full-time teachers 25--30 hours per week, 10 000--2 000 yuan per month. Part-time teachers can choose the class to teach, 100--150 yuan per hour, according to your experience. Need native English speakers with teaching experience. Please send your RESUME and PICTURE to eslchina@ yahoo.com.cn Writers/Researchers Currently, Fisher's Travel SOS is looking for the freelance writer and researcher with experience in journalism and the ability to computers, it is part-time positions for our project that will take a month to complete. Work is conducted at home, and will take a couple of hours per day or less. Full training is given. Please refer to www.Fisherstravelos.com for more information on our company. Journalists and writers interested in the positions should directly contact Danielle-Chu at daniellechu@ fisherstravelsos. com with your details and CV . Full-time Waiters/Waitresses/Bartenders We are a beautiful modern world famous Tiki Bar looking for FULL-TIME staff --waiters/waitresses/ bartenders for its current expansion. If you are 18 to 25 years old, with good looks, wit and charm, this job is for you. Good English and basic restaurant experience are necessary but not required. Please contact us. Tel: 13370153195 Mail :dacfxa@ 163bi. com Advertising Sales You must have a "sales" personality -- you need to love knocking on doors, giving presentations, closing deals, and keeping your customers happy. You don't need any special degrees, and you don't have to speak English. It would be better if you should have advertising sales experience, but that's not a requirement. If this sounds fit for you, please email your resume to jobs @ chinadeco, com. cu.
C
As a salesman, you need to love keeping the customers pleased because _
[ "you are always very friendly to others", "you would like to make friends with them", "you want to sell more products to them", "you have learned a lot of experience" ]
high21028.txt
Good Teachers A language training school at Yayuncun needs two full-time teachers and three part-time teachers to teach adults, 12 students a class, oral English and business English during afternoons and evenings. Full-time teachers 25--30 hours per week, 10 000--2 000 yuan per month. Part-time teachers can choose the class to teach, 100--150 yuan per hour, according to your experience. Need native English speakers with teaching experience. Please send your RESUME and PICTURE to eslchina@ yahoo.com.cn Writers/Researchers Currently, Fisher's Travel SOS is looking for the freelance writer and researcher with experience in journalism and the ability to computers, it is part-time positions for our project that will take a month to complete. Work is conducted at home, and will take a couple of hours per day or less. Full training is given. Please refer to www.Fisherstravelos.com for more information on our company. Journalists and writers interested in the positions should directly contact Danielle-Chu at daniellechu@ fisherstravelsos. com with your details and CV . Full-time Waiters/Waitresses/Bartenders We are a beautiful modern world famous Tiki Bar looking for FULL-TIME staff --waiters/waitresses/ bartenders for its current expansion. If you are 18 to 25 years old, with good looks, wit and charm, this job is for you. Good English and basic restaurant experience are necessary but not required. Please contact us. Tel: 13370153195 Mail :dacfxa@ 163bi. com Advertising Sales You must have a "sales" personality -- you need to love knocking on doors, giving presentations, closing deals, and keeping your customers happy. You don't need any special degrees, and you don't have to speak English. It would be better if you should have advertising sales experience, but that's not a requirement. If this sounds fit for you, please email your resume to jobs @ chinadeco, com. cu.
D
If you want to get a job that you can do at home you should get in touch with _
[ "jobs@ china&co, com. Cn", "eslchina@ yahoo, com. cn", "dacfxa@ 163bj. Com", "daniellechu@ fisherstravelsos, com" ]
high11080.txt
No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study suggests they used a little rock'n'roll. Long-ago builders could have attached wooden poles to the stones and rolled them across the sand, the scientists say. "Technically, I think what they're proposing is possible," physicist Daniel Bonn said. People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there's no obvious answer. On average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one kilometer away. The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many scientists suspect wokers first would have put the blocks on sleds . Then they would have dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either with wet clay or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and dragging heavy objects over sand. Evidence from the sand supports this idea. Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a large amount of stone and the remains of paths. However , physicist Joseph West think there might have been a simpler way , who led the new study . West said , "I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might have helped with pyramid construction . I thought , "Why don't they just try rolling the things ? " A square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides , he realized . That , he notes , should make a block of stone "a lot easier to roll than a square". So he tried _ He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block.That action turned the block into somewhat a wheel.Then they placed the block on the ground. They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled.The researchers found they could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths.They calculated that rolling the block required about as much force as moving it along a slippery path. West hasn't tested his idea on larger blocks,but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over sliding.At least,workers wouldn't have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.
D
It's widely believed that the stone blocks were moved to the pyramid site by _ .
[ "rolling them on roads", "pushing them over the sand", "dragging them on some poles", "sliding them on smooth paths" ]
high11080.txt
No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study suggests they used a little rock'n'roll. Long-ago builders could have attached wooden poles to the stones and rolled them across the sand, the scientists say. "Technically, I think what they're proposing is possible," physicist Daniel Bonn said. People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there's no obvious answer. On average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one kilometer away. The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many scientists suspect wokers first would have put the blocks on sleds . Then they would have dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either with wet clay or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and dragging heavy objects over sand. Evidence from the sand supports this idea. Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a large amount of stone and the remains of paths. However , physicist Joseph West think there might have been a simpler way , who led the new study . West said , "I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might have helped with pyramid construction . I thought , "Why don't they just try rolling the things ? " A square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides , he realized . That , he notes , should make a block of stone "a lot easier to roll than a square". So he tried _ He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block.That action turned the block into somewhat a wheel.Then they placed the block on the ground. They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled.The researchers found they could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths.They calculated that rolling the block required about as much force as moving it along a slippery path. West hasn't tested his idea on larger blocks,but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over sliding.At least,workers wouldn't have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.
B
Why is rolling better than sliding according to West ?
[ "Because more force is needed for sliding.", "Because less preparation on path is needed for rolling.", "Because sliding on smooth road is more dangerous.", "Because rolling work can be done by fewer cattle." ]
high11080.txt
No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study suggests they used a little rock'n'roll. Long-ago builders could have attached wooden poles to the stones and rolled them across the sand, the scientists say. "Technically, I think what they're proposing is possible," physicist Daniel Bonn said. People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there's no obvious answer. On average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one kilometer away. The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many scientists suspect wokers first would have put the blocks on sleds . Then they would have dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either with wet clay or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and dragging heavy objects over sand. Evidence from the sand supports this idea. Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a large amount of stone and the remains of paths. However , physicist Joseph West think there might have been a simpler way , who led the new study . West said , "I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might have helped with pyramid construction . I thought , "Why don't they just try rolling the things ? " A square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides , he realized . That , he notes , should make a block of stone "a lot easier to roll than a square". So he tried _ He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block.That action turned the block into somewhat a wheel.Then they placed the block on the ground. They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled.The researchers found they could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths.They calculated that rolling the block required about as much force as moving it along a slippery path. West hasn't tested his idea on larger blocks,but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over sliding.At least,workers wouldn't have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.
B
What is the text mainly about ?
[ "An experiment on ways of moving blocks to the pyramid site.", "An argument about different methods of moving blocks to the pyramid site.", "An application of the method of moving blocks to the pyramid site.", "An introduction to a possible new way of moving blocks to the pyramid site." ]
high22319.txt
Does your local town have a nickname ? If so, what does it say about the area and the people who live there? Many cities are recognized across the world by their unofficial names. New York is the Big Apple, London is the Big Smoke, and Los Angeles is famously called La La Land. A project has been carried out to make a survey on how the nicknames of some places came about. The University of Winchester's Professor Bill Lucas is a patron of the English Project. He explains that unofficial place names often show what people think about a place. "The name that people create for a place forms a connection with feelings," he says. Basingstoke is a town in central England. The local nickname, Amazingstoke, shows the love that locals seem to have for the area. Swindon, on the other hand, is sometimes called Swindump, showing that some people think it's a dump . Stanford Le Hope in Essex is called Stanford No Hope by locals. And Padstow in Cornwall is so closely connected with the local famous person Rick Stein that it's become known as Padstein. Some people say that the project may have a practical use. Glen Hart, the survey's head of research, says the information could be very helpful to the emergency services, for example. "By having the most complete set of nicknames we could help the emergency services quickly _ the right place as soon as possible, for people usually remember the nicknames of some places instead of their official names. And this will take the helpers less time to reach the places." he says.
B
The best title of the passage can be _ .
[ "People's Attitudes to Nicknames", "A Survey on Nicknames", "the Development of Nicknames", "the Usefulness of Nicknames" ]
high22319.txt
Does your local town have a nickname ? If so, what does it say about the area and the people who live there? Many cities are recognized across the world by their unofficial names. New York is the Big Apple, London is the Big Smoke, and Los Angeles is famously called La La Land. A project has been carried out to make a survey on how the nicknames of some places came about. The University of Winchester's Professor Bill Lucas is a patron of the English Project. He explains that unofficial place names often show what people think about a place. "The name that people create for a place forms a connection with feelings," he says. Basingstoke is a town in central England. The local nickname, Amazingstoke, shows the love that locals seem to have for the area. Swindon, on the other hand, is sometimes called Swindump, showing that some people think it's a dump . Stanford Le Hope in Essex is called Stanford No Hope by locals. And Padstow in Cornwall is so closely connected with the local famous person Rick Stein that it's become known as Padstein. Some people say that the project may have a practical use. Glen Hart, the survey's head of research, says the information could be very helpful to the emergency services, for example. "By having the most complete set of nicknames we could help the emergency services quickly _ the right place as soon as possible, for people usually remember the nicknames of some places instead of their official names. And this will take the helpers less time to reach the places." he says.
C
It can be inferred from the passage that _ .
[ "every famous place has a nickname", "the town Swindon must be a clean place", "sometimes nicknames can help save lives", "Rick Stein nicknamed Padstow Padstein" ]
high24064.txt
A thief who dropped a winning lottery ticket at the scene of his crime has been given a lesson in honesty. His victim, who picked up the ticket, then claimed the PS25000 prize, managed to trace him, and handed over the cash. The robbery happened when maths professor Vinicio Sabbatucci,58, was changing a tyre on an Italian motorway. Another motorist, who stopped "to help", stole a suitcase from his car and drove off. The professor found the dropped ticket and put it in his pocket before driving home to Ascoli in eastern Italy. Next day, he saw the lottery results on TV and, taking out the ticket, realized it was a winner. He claimed the 60 million lire prize. Then he began a battle with his conscience. Finally, he decided he could not keep the money despite having been robbed. He advertised in newspapers and on radio, saying: "I'm trying to find the man who robbed me. I have 60 million for him--- a lottery win. Please meet me. Anonymity guaranteed." Professor Sabbatucci received hundreds of calls from people hoping to trick him into handing them the cash. But there was one voice he recognized--- and he arranged to meet the man in a park. The robber, a 35-year-old unemployed father of two, gave back the suitcase and burst into tears. He could not believe what was happening. "Why didn't you keep the money?" he asked. The professor replied:" I couldn't because it's not mine." Then he walked off, spurning the thief's offer of a reward.
C
Hundreds of people phoned professor Sabbatucci because they _ .
[ "wanted to make fun of him", "knew who the robber was", "hoped to get the money", "lost the lottery ticket" ]
high24064.txt
A thief who dropped a winning lottery ticket at the scene of his crime has been given a lesson in honesty. His victim, who picked up the ticket, then claimed the PS25000 prize, managed to trace him, and handed over the cash. The robbery happened when maths professor Vinicio Sabbatucci,58, was changing a tyre on an Italian motorway. Another motorist, who stopped "to help", stole a suitcase from his car and drove off. The professor found the dropped ticket and put it in his pocket before driving home to Ascoli in eastern Italy. Next day, he saw the lottery results on TV and, taking out the ticket, realized it was a winner. He claimed the 60 million lire prize. Then he began a battle with his conscience. Finally, he decided he could not keep the money despite having been robbed. He advertised in newspapers and on radio, saying: "I'm trying to find the man who robbed me. I have 60 million for him--- a lottery win. Please meet me. Anonymity guaranteed." Professor Sabbatucci received hundreds of calls from people hoping to trick him into handing them the cash. But there was one voice he recognized--- and he arranged to meet the man in a park. The robber, a 35-year-old unemployed father of two, gave back the suitcase and burst into tears. He could not believe what was happening. "Why didn't you keep the money?" he asked. The professor replied:" I couldn't because it's not mine." Then he walked off, spurning the thief's offer of a reward.
B
The underlind word "spurning" in the last sentence can be replaced by _ .
[ "accepting", "rejecting", "claiming", "canceling" ]
high24064.txt
A thief who dropped a winning lottery ticket at the scene of his crime has been given a lesson in honesty. His victim, who picked up the ticket, then claimed the PS25000 prize, managed to trace him, and handed over the cash. The robbery happened when maths professor Vinicio Sabbatucci,58, was changing a tyre on an Italian motorway. Another motorist, who stopped "to help", stole a suitcase from his car and drove off. The professor found the dropped ticket and put it in his pocket before driving home to Ascoli in eastern Italy. Next day, he saw the lottery results on TV and, taking out the ticket, realized it was a winner. He claimed the 60 million lire prize. Then he began a battle with his conscience. Finally, he decided he could not keep the money despite having been robbed. He advertised in newspapers and on radio, saying: "I'm trying to find the man who robbed me. I have 60 million for him--- a lottery win. Please meet me. Anonymity guaranteed." Professor Sabbatucci received hundreds of calls from people hoping to trick him into handing them the cash. But there was one voice he recognized--- and he arranged to meet the man in a park. The robber, a 35-year-old unemployed father of two, gave back the suitcase and burst into tears. He could not believe what was happening. "Why didn't you keep the money?" he asked. The professor replied:" I couldn't because it's not mine." Then he walked off, spurning the thief's offer of a reward.
D
If the story appears in a newspaper, the best title might be _ .
[ "A Reward of Honesty", "A Popular Maths Professor", "A Magic Lottery", "A Thief's Lucky Day" ]
high8075.txt
High school announcements Do you have a high school announcement to make? Are you hosting a high school sports event or tournament? Are you looking for a coach? Let us know, and we'll share it with "Tribune" readers. August 21---- Sacred Heart is looking for two assistant baseball coaches immediately. Practices and games are held after school at 3:30 pm. Some experience in playing or coaching is preferred. If interested, e-mail Ron Schwartz at ramsad1@aol.com. August 7 ----- Loyola Academy will host its 12th Rambler Baseball Winter Workshop for students in fourth through eighth grades on Aug. 26. the early registration fee is $70 and registration at the door is $85. contact Loyola coach Bill San Hamel at 847-920-2523 to register early. July 17 ----- St. Patrick will host a Youth Holiday Baseball Camp for boys in grades three through eight Aug. 26 through Aug. 28 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm in St. Pat's gym. The registration fee is $90. for more information, visit www. stpatrick.orgor contact Coach Kusinski at (773) 282-8844 ext. 242 or dkusinski@stpatrick.org. June 12 ----- The Marist Girls' basketball team is looking for a game for the new season. The team can play all levels. If interested, please contact Mary Pat Connolly at (773) 881-5318, or e-mail connolly.marypat@marist.net. June 1 ----- Bartlett is hosing a high school football camp June 13-30 and July 11-28 from 8-11 am. The registration fee is $180. to register go to www.athletic2000.com/bartlett. Contact coach Tom Meaney with questions at 630-372-4700 ext. 8105. May 27 ----Hinsdale is hosting youth wrestling camps June 20-23 and June 27-30. There is no minimum age required. Even wrestlers in kindergarten are eligible to participate. The cost of registration is $80 per person. Contact head wrestling coach Jason Hayes at 815-762-1568 or e-mail jhayes@hinsdale86.org for more information.
D
If a fourth-grade girl wants to learn baseball, she may contact _ .
[ "Ron Schwartz", "Mary Pat Connolly", "Kusinski", "Bill San Hamel" ]
high8075.txt
High school announcements Do you have a high school announcement to make? Are you hosting a high school sports event or tournament? Are you looking for a coach? Let us know, and we'll share it with "Tribune" readers. August 21---- Sacred Heart is looking for two assistant baseball coaches immediately. Practices and games are held after school at 3:30 pm. Some experience in playing or coaching is preferred. If interested, e-mail Ron Schwartz at ramsad1@aol.com. August 7 ----- Loyola Academy will host its 12th Rambler Baseball Winter Workshop for students in fourth through eighth grades on Aug. 26. the early registration fee is $70 and registration at the door is $85. contact Loyola coach Bill San Hamel at 847-920-2523 to register early. July 17 ----- St. Patrick will host a Youth Holiday Baseball Camp for boys in grades three through eight Aug. 26 through Aug. 28 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm in St. Pat's gym. The registration fee is $90. for more information, visit www. stpatrick.orgor contact Coach Kusinski at (773) 282-8844 ext. 242 or dkusinski@stpatrick.org. June 12 ----- The Marist Girls' basketball team is looking for a game for the new season. The team can play all levels. If interested, please contact Mary Pat Connolly at (773) 881-5318, or e-mail connolly.marypat@marist.net. June 1 ----- Bartlett is hosing a high school football camp June 13-30 and July 11-28 from 8-11 am. The registration fee is $180. to register go to www.athletic2000.com/bartlett. Contact coach Tom Meaney with questions at 630-372-4700 ext. 8105. May 27 ----Hinsdale is hosting youth wrestling camps June 20-23 and June 27-30. There is no minimum age required. Even wrestlers in kindergarten are eligible to participate. The cost of registration is $80 per person. Contact head wrestling coach Jason Hayes at 815-762-1568 or e-mail jhayes@hinsdale86.org for more information.
B
Which of the following high schools wants to have a match?
[ "Sacred Heart.", "The Marist.", "Bartlett.", "hinsdale." ]
high8075.txt
High school announcements Do you have a high school announcement to make? Are you hosting a high school sports event or tournament? Are you looking for a coach? Let us know, and we'll share it with "Tribune" readers. August 21---- Sacred Heart is looking for two assistant baseball coaches immediately. Practices and games are held after school at 3:30 pm. Some experience in playing or coaching is preferred. If interested, e-mail Ron Schwartz at ramsad1@aol.com. August 7 ----- Loyola Academy will host its 12th Rambler Baseball Winter Workshop for students in fourth through eighth grades on Aug. 26. the early registration fee is $70 and registration at the door is $85. contact Loyola coach Bill San Hamel at 847-920-2523 to register early. July 17 ----- St. Patrick will host a Youth Holiday Baseball Camp for boys in grades three through eight Aug. 26 through Aug. 28 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm in St. Pat's gym. The registration fee is $90. for more information, visit www. stpatrick.orgor contact Coach Kusinski at (773) 282-8844 ext. 242 or dkusinski@stpatrick.org. June 12 ----- The Marist Girls' basketball team is looking for a game for the new season. The team can play all levels. If interested, please contact Mary Pat Connolly at (773) 881-5318, or e-mail connolly.marypat@marist.net. June 1 ----- Bartlett is hosing a high school football camp June 13-30 and July 11-28 from 8-11 am. The registration fee is $180. to register go to www.athletic2000.com/bartlett. Contact coach Tom Meaney with questions at 630-372-4700 ext. 8105. May 27 ----Hinsdale is hosting youth wrestling camps June 20-23 and June 27-30. There is no minimum age required. Even wrestlers in kindergarten are eligible to participate. The cost of registration is $80 per person. Contact head wrestling coach Jason Hayes at 815-762-1568 or e-mail jhayes@hinsdale86.org for more information.
A
If one wants to choose a relatively cheap sports camp, he may _ .
[ "phone 847-920-2523 to register early", "e-mail connolly.marypat@marist.net", "visit www.athletics2000.com/bartlett", "contact head wrestling coach Jason Hayes" ]
high19807.txt
Flying Ever since I was old enough to dream,I have imagined myself soaring with the eagles.My love of flying has shaped the way I live and the person I have become.Two years ago,that passion rocketed to new heights when I had the opportunity to visit Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona.For a whole week I lived in a college dorm,roomed with a total stranger and---best of all---I flew! My group took part in activities ranging from learning about the history of aviation to flying in state-of-the-art pilot training simulators .At least once a day,I devoted myself to learning one of the world's best training aircrafts,the Cessna 182.Not only did I receive thorough ground instruction,but I also got to fly.In total,I flew five hours to receive my private pilot's license. In that one joyous and oh-so-short week,my passion for aviation grew even stronger.Now, whenever I see a plane flying overhead,I feel a sense of pride thinking I've done that. During my time in and above the Arizona desert,I learned not only about the mechanics and techniques of aviation,but also about myself and how I see the world.As I floated in that seemingly endless sea of air,I became aware of the variety and complexity of the humanity below.On the ribbons of roadways,each tiny car carried people with hopes and dreams.I wondered if any of those people had ever wished to fly like an eagle.Then I realized that each must have his or her own dreams and ambitions.That's what makes us unique.We try to respond to something special inside us.I also realized that I was especially fortunate to be making my own dream come true. Everywhere I go,I hear,"Do what makes you happy and you will be happy."It sounds like standard advice,but I've really thought about it and taken it to heart.I couldn't care less about how much money I make or what benefits I receive.I know that I am already in hot pursuit of my dreams.And,even if they change,even if they finally don't involve aviation,I'll always aim to fly with the eagles.
B
Two years ago,the author .
[ "was admitted to a university", "stayed in a university for one week", "saw the launch of the rocket", "made good friends with an astronaut" ]
high19807.txt
Flying Ever since I was old enough to dream,I have imagined myself soaring with the eagles.My love of flying has shaped the way I live and the person I have become.Two years ago,that passion rocketed to new heights when I had the opportunity to visit Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Arizona.For a whole week I lived in a college dorm,roomed with a total stranger and---best of all---I flew! My group took part in activities ranging from learning about the history of aviation to flying in state-of-the-art pilot training simulators .At least once a day,I devoted myself to learning one of the world's best training aircrafts,the Cessna 182.Not only did I receive thorough ground instruction,but I also got to fly.In total,I flew five hours to receive my private pilot's license. In that one joyous and oh-so-short week,my passion for aviation grew even stronger.Now, whenever I see a plane flying overhead,I feel a sense of pride thinking I've done that. During my time in and above the Arizona desert,I learned not only about the mechanics and techniques of aviation,but also about myself and how I see the world.As I floated in that seemingly endless sea of air,I became aware of the variety and complexity of the humanity below.On the ribbons of roadways,each tiny car carried people with hopes and dreams.I wondered if any of those people had ever wished to fly like an eagle.Then I realized that each must have his or her own dreams and ambitions.That's what makes us unique.We try to respond to something special inside us.I also realized that I was especially fortunate to be making my own dream come true. Everywhere I go,I hear,"Do what makes you happy and you will be happy."It sounds like standard advice,but I've really thought about it and taken it to heart.I couldn't care less about how much money I make or what benefits I receive.I know that I am already in hot pursuit of my dreams.And,even if they change,even if they finally don't involve aviation,I'll always aim to fly with the eagles.
C
According to the author, makes people unique.
[ "flying like an eagle", "trying something special", "having their own dreams", "learning unusual techniques" ]
high19862.txt
Teamwork is all about working together to achieve a common goal or purpose.Is teamwork out of date?Why it is so hard to effectively conduct teamwork in those things? One way we employ teamwork in everyday lives is by becoming a parent.It is a parent's job to teach their children the fundamental skills and give them the knowledge they need to be successful in life.So why is teamwork disappearing in this aspect of our lives?Well in today's society,we find that more and more parents are experiencing that the teamwork is one-sided thing.According to a 2009report from the US,there are 13.7million single parents raising their children in the US and this amount could be due to the fact that parents are not stepping up and taking responsibility for their children or they don't have the means to,so they leave one parent to do it by themselves.This is a saddening fact,but it reflects that effective teamwork is losing ground in the parenting aspect of our everyday lives. Another place where teamwork affects us greatly is in our jobs.It doesn't matter if you are a small or large company; if you have at least one employee and yourself,then teamwork will be present.I have noticed that with the current economic recession ,people are racing to grab jobs but the quality of people work has gone down greatly.It just appears to me that people do not take part in their work anymore.They want to get to work and work as fast as they can,just to receive the paycheck,but their quality standards flew right out the window.This type of behavior is where I think teamwork is losing its ground in the workforce.There are too many people who want to work independently and forget they are a part of a team. As you can see,we run into the aspects of teamwork in just about everything we do.Do you believe teamwork is really losing ground in today's society?I think it is.What's your opinion?
C
Why does teamwork disappear in the parenting aspect of my daily life?
[ "Parents have no time to spare with their children.", "Parents have no chances to teach their children about it.", "Many children are often brought up by a single parent.", "Many children are independent to deal with their matters." ]
high19862.txt
Teamwork is all about working together to achieve a common goal or purpose.Is teamwork out of date?Why it is so hard to effectively conduct teamwork in those things? One way we employ teamwork in everyday lives is by becoming a parent.It is a parent's job to teach their children the fundamental skills and give them the knowledge they need to be successful in life.So why is teamwork disappearing in this aspect of our lives?Well in today's society,we find that more and more parents are experiencing that the teamwork is one-sided thing.According to a 2009report from the US,there are 13.7million single parents raising their children in the US and this amount could be due to the fact that parents are not stepping up and taking responsibility for their children or they don't have the means to,so they leave one parent to do it by themselves.This is a saddening fact,but it reflects that effective teamwork is losing ground in the parenting aspect of our everyday lives. Another place where teamwork affects us greatly is in our jobs.It doesn't matter if you are a small or large company; if you have at least one employee and yourself,then teamwork will be present.I have noticed that with the current economic recession ,people are racing to grab jobs but the quality of people work has gone down greatly.It just appears to me that people do not take part in their work anymore.They want to get to work and work as fast as they can,just to receive the paycheck,but their quality standards flew right out the window.This type of behavior is where I think teamwork is losing its ground in the workforce.There are too many people who want to work independently and forget they are a part of a team. As you can see,we run into the aspects of teamwork in just about everything we do.Do you believe teamwork is really losing ground in today's society?I think it is.What's your opinion?
B
Teamwork is losing ground in workforce mainly because .
[ "workers don't like to work together with others.", "workers'sense is affected by economic recession", "workers want to prove they are more capable", "fewer workers are employed to save money" ]
high19862.txt
Teamwork is all about working together to achieve a common goal or purpose.Is teamwork out of date?Why it is so hard to effectively conduct teamwork in those things? One way we employ teamwork in everyday lives is by becoming a parent.It is a parent's job to teach their children the fundamental skills and give them the knowledge they need to be successful in life.So why is teamwork disappearing in this aspect of our lives?Well in today's society,we find that more and more parents are experiencing that the teamwork is one-sided thing.According to a 2009report from the US,there are 13.7million single parents raising their children in the US and this amount could be due to the fact that parents are not stepping up and taking responsibility for their children or they don't have the means to,so they leave one parent to do it by themselves.This is a saddening fact,but it reflects that effective teamwork is losing ground in the parenting aspect of our everyday lives. Another place where teamwork affects us greatly is in our jobs.It doesn't matter if you are a small or large company; if you have at least one employee and yourself,then teamwork will be present.I have noticed that with the current economic recession ,people are racing to grab jobs but the quality of people work has gone down greatly.It just appears to me that people do not take part in their work anymore.They want to get to work and work as fast as they can,just to receive the paycheck,but their quality standards flew right out the window.This type of behavior is where I think teamwork is losing its ground in the workforce.There are too many people who want to work independently and forget they are a part of a team. As you can see,we run into the aspects of teamwork in just about everything we do.Do you believe teamwork is really losing ground in today's society?I think it is.What's your opinion?
D
The author wants us to believe his opinion by .
[ "listing some data", "giving some examples", "asking some questions", "analyzing some cases" ]
high19862.txt
Teamwork is all about working together to achieve a common goal or purpose.Is teamwork out of date?Why it is so hard to effectively conduct teamwork in those things? One way we employ teamwork in everyday lives is by becoming a parent.It is a parent's job to teach their children the fundamental skills and give them the knowledge they need to be successful in life.So why is teamwork disappearing in this aspect of our lives?Well in today's society,we find that more and more parents are experiencing that the teamwork is one-sided thing.According to a 2009report from the US,there are 13.7million single parents raising their children in the US and this amount could be due to the fact that parents are not stepping up and taking responsibility for their children or they don't have the means to,so they leave one parent to do it by themselves.This is a saddening fact,but it reflects that effective teamwork is losing ground in the parenting aspect of our everyday lives. Another place where teamwork affects us greatly is in our jobs.It doesn't matter if you are a small or large company; if you have at least one employee and yourself,then teamwork will be present.I have noticed that with the current economic recession ,people are racing to grab jobs but the quality of people work has gone down greatly.It just appears to me that people do not take part in their work anymore.They want to get to work and work as fast as they can,just to receive the paycheck,but their quality standards flew right out the window.This type of behavior is where I think teamwork is losing its ground in the workforce.There are too many people who want to work independently and forget they are a part of a team. As you can see,we run into the aspects of teamwork in just about everything we do.Do you believe teamwork is really losing ground in today's society?I think it is.What's your opinion?
D
What is the author's main purpose of writing the passage?
[ "To show the importance of housework.", "To introduce how teamwork works now.", "To tell us the current economic recession.", "To show his attitude towards teamwork." ]
high1788.txt
We live in a technological society where most goods are mass-produced by unskilled labor. Because of this, most people think that craft no longer exists. One of the ways these people wrongly support their view is by pointing to 100-year-old homes which are still solid, and arguing that it is the craftsmanship that is responsible for their durability. "Homes in those days were well-built," _ say. No doubt these homes were well-built, but what these people have done is mix up the quality of material used in the house with the quality of the craftsmanship. Homes today could be built to last just as long as those old homes if people were willing or able to pay the price. For example, most people can no longer afford solid oak stairways, although they were once fairly common in older homes. Nor can they afford the high labor cost of employing a carpenter to build the stairway. Yet if someone can pay the high cost, there are still plenty of carpenters around able to make those stairways. And not only would these carpenters know how to build them, they would probably do a better job than carpenters of old. One thing the modern carpenter has which enables him to do a better job is much more advanced tools. Such tools as laser beams and powerplanes help them lay out a house better and make more precision cuts on the wood. Also, it is not uncommon say more to find carpenters with college degrees and carpenters with a solid knowledge of mathematics, which would enable them to deal with more difficult house designs. The problem of modern quality, then, really boils down to the problem of material, for the modern carpenter is just as able to produce craftsmanship as the carpenter of fifty years ago, but only if given proper material.
B
Compared to the carpenters in the past, modern carpenters are _ .
[ "more successful", "more learned", "more imaginative", "more hardworking" ]
high1788.txt
We live in a technological society where most goods are mass-produced by unskilled labor. Because of this, most people think that craft no longer exists. One of the ways these people wrongly support their view is by pointing to 100-year-old homes which are still solid, and arguing that it is the craftsmanship that is responsible for their durability. "Homes in those days were well-built," _ say. No doubt these homes were well-built, but what these people have done is mix up the quality of material used in the house with the quality of the craftsmanship. Homes today could be built to last just as long as those old homes if people were willing or able to pay the price. For example, most people can no longer afford solid oak stairways, although they were once fairly common in older homes. Nor can they afford the high labor cost of employing a carpenter to build the stairway. Yet if someone can pay the high cost, there are still plenty of carpenters around able to make those stairways. And not only would these carpenters know how to build them, they would probably do a better job than carpenters of old. One thing the modern carpenter has which enables him to do a better job is much more advanced tools. Such tools as laser beams and powerplanes help them lay out a house better and make more precision cuts on the wood. Also, it is not uncommon say more to find carpenters with college degrees and carpenters with a solid knowledge of mathematics, which would enable them to deal with more difficult house designs. The problem of modern quality, then, really boils down to the problem of material, for the modern carpenter is just as able to produce craftsmanship as the carpenter of fifty years ago, but only if given proper material.
A
What would be the best title for the text?
[ "Is Craft Dead?", "Craft, Back to Life?", "History of Craftsmanship", "Carpenters Today and Yesterday" ]
high20063.txt
VINCOUVER (Reuters)----South Korea' s Kirn Yuna can finally relax and does fiot need to think about the future after she won the gold medal in the women' s figure skating on Thursday. The 19-year-old was the overwhelming favorite to finish top of the podium but said the pressure going into the event was large. "I feel now as if a huge burden has been lifted, " the Games' highest-earning female athlete-she makes an estimated $8 million a year --said after her near-perfect program where she nailed all of her 11 jumps. "I will enjoy this moment and think about things later.I was just thrilled on the podium and I feel so relieved.I had been running toward this dream of the Olympics and was so happy to be here, " she said. "Since I have achieved the most important goal in my life.I am going to enjoy this moment for a while and then think about what I am going to do," a smiling Yuna said. Japanese _ Mao Asada took silver while Joannic Rochette of Canada grabbed the bronze medal four days after her mother died. "I still cannot believe I did what I wanted to do at the Olympics.I have been dreaming about this moment and I cannot believe it is not a dream any more." said Yuna. South Korea was counting on her to grab their first gold medal in figure skating and the first Winter Olympics gold medal outside short track and speed skating. "I was just happy to have skated a clean program.It was the first time I skated two clean programs.During the program when I finished all elements I thought 'this is going to be yeah...this is it'."
B
Kim Yuna felt relaxed because _ .
[ "the competition was over", "her dream finally came true", "she won a large amount of money", "she became well-known overnight" ]
high20063.txt
VINCOUVER (Reuters)----South Korea' s Kirn Yuna can finally relax and does fiot need to think about the future after she won the gold medal in the women' s figure skating on Thursday. The 19-year-old was the overwhelming favorite to finish top of the podium but said the pressure going into the event was large. "I feel now as if a huge burden has been lifted, " the Games' highest-earning female athlete-she makes an estimated $8 million a year --said after her near-perfect program where she nailed all of her 11 jumps. "I will enjoy this moment and think about things later.I was just thrilled on the podium and I feel so relieved.I had been running toward this dream of the Olympics and was so happy to be here, " she said. "Since I have achieved the most important goal in my life.I am going to enjoy this moment for a while and then think about what I am going to do," a smiling Yuna said. Japanese _ Mao Asada took silver while Joannic Rochette of Canada grabbed the bronze medal four days after her mother died. "I still cannot believe I did what I wanted to do at the Olympics.I have been dreaming about this moment and I cannot believe it is not a dream any more." said Yuna. South Korea was counting on her to grab their first gold medal in figure skating and the first Winter Olympics gold medal outside short track and speed skating. "I was just happy to have skated a clean program.It was the first time I skated two clean programs.During the program when I finished all elements I thought 'this is going to be yeah...this is it'."
D
According to the passage, Kim Yuna _ .
[ "had a strong sense of team spirit in the Games", "won the first gold medal for South Korea in the Winter Olympics", "had expected she would surely win the gold medal", "joined in the competition with great pressure from her country" ]
high20063.txt
VINCOUVER (Reuters)----South Korea' s Kirn Yuna can finally relax and does fiot need to think about the future after she won the gold medal in the women' s figure skating on Thursday. The 19-year-old was the overwhelming favorite to finish top of the podium but said the pressure going into the event was large. "I feel now as if a huge burden has been lifted, " the Games' highest-earning female athlete-she makes an estimated $8 million a year --said after her near-perfect program where she nailed all of her 11 jumps. "I will enjoy this moment and think about things later.I was just thrilled on the podium and I feel so relieved.I had been running toward this dream of the Olympics and was so happy to be here, " she said. "Since I have achieved the most important goal in my life.I am going to enjoy this moment for a while and then think about what I am going to do," a smiling Yuna said. Japanese _ Mao Asada took silver while Joannic Rochette of Canada grabbed the bronze medal four days after her mother died. "I still cannot believe I did what I wanted to do at the Olympics.I have been dreaming about this moment and I cannot believe it is not a dream any more." said Yuna. South Korea was counting on her to grab their first gold medal in figure skating and the first Winter Olympics gold medal outside short track and speed skating. "I was just happy to have skated a clean program.It was the first time I skated two clean programs.During the program when I finished all elements I thought 'this is going to be yeah...this is it'."
B
It is known from the passage that _ .
[ "Kim Yuna is a person of great confidence", "Joannie Rochette joined in the games with great sorrow", "Kim Yuna is the richest athlete in South Korea", "Mao Asada took silver medal by accident" ]
high3635.txt
It is not a secret that these are _ times that put everyone on edge all the time and it makes people angry with their families, co-workers, friends and relatives, frustrated and highly annoyed just for the noise of the neighbors or the music coming from the opposite house. Anger and negative energy have a strong influence on everyone's life, even when they don't realize it. Being in a calm state of mind is simply wonderful. Results of this can be seen when parents no longer shout at their children over any small thing and when one can keep him cool when bad things happen and doesn't let the situation become worse by his negative influence. Also results can be seen on a larger scale. In 1993 a very interesting scientific experiment called The US Transcendental Meditation experiment was conducted in Washington. A company called TM got 4,000 calm and relaxed people to simply sit and meditate in a central Washington convention center. The results of this experiment showed that during those particular 8 weeks, violent crimes, such as murder, rape, assaults, clearly decreased by as much as 23%. This is evident proof that meditation can change the state of mind, bring back peace of mind and collective meditation is contagious , just as anything done collectively is contagious. For example, a person has the urge to become aggressive (while in normal circumstances that person is very calm and normal), just because he is sitting at a stadium watching a football game and everyone around is shouting and is aggressive. Isn't increasing the quality of life worth spending 20 minutes of time on meditation? Yes, very few people follow through with a meditation method that should be a joy to do. Many start and leave it after only a few sessions. So if collective meditation has proven that meditation works, that it calms people down and that it brings their levels of stress down, why not employ it in everyday life?
D
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
[ "Violent crimes are closely related to aggressive characters.", "People are sometimes easily annoyed by small things.", "Many people fail to carry out a meditation method.", "Meditation can cure people of many illnesses." ]
high7117.txt
"Show them the money!" That's what some people are saying for college athletes. They say students who play sports for their school should receive salaries. Top athletes should be paid because many of them practice full time, Mark Jameson argues. Rico Cannon, a former college football player, agrees. "Nonathletes can get a job for extra spending money, but many student athletes spend so many hours in training that they don't have time to work," he explains. "Shouldn't athletes be able to earn extra money too?" The students also make money for their schools when people buy tickets to their games. The players should receive some of that cash, supporter Robbie Pokora reasons. College athletes are about honor and tradition, but they're also a business. Thanks to ticket sales, there's money for schools to build new athletic stadiums and give the coaches high salaries. The cash should be shared with athletes. They're the ones out on the field or court working hard for their school. The money matter has others _ , though. Kaitlyn Rentala argues that colleges should not pay their athletes. Students are in school to get an education. Playing a sport is an extracurricular activity, not a job. If athletes need extra money, they can apply for college scholarships . Michael Massett is a middle school teacher and a football and a basketball coach. He agrees. "Athletes should be paid with scholarships, like nonathletes are," Massett explains. In addition, if colleges pay their athletes, those students might focus more on sports than on their education. "Most students do not become professional athletes after college. If they focus too much on sports, they may not learn the skills they need to get good jobs," Kate Macrae reasons. Plus, she says, many athletes have schoolships that help them pay for school.
B
What is Rico Cannon's opinion on paying student athletes?
[ "They make money for their schools and should receive salaries.", "Training leaves them no time to work and they should be paid.", "Playing a sport at school is not a job and they shouldn't be paid.", "They can apply for scholarships and should not be paid." ]
high7117.txt
"Show them the money!" That's what some people are saying for college athletes. They say students who play sports for their school should receive salaries. Top athletes should be paid because many of them practice full time, Mark Jameson argues. Rico Cannon, a former college football player, agrees. "Nonathletes can get a job for extra spending money, but many student athletes spend so many hours in training that they don't have time to work," he explains. "Shouldn't athletes be able to earn extra money too?" The students also make money for their schools when people buy tickets to their games. The players should receive some of that cash, supporter Robbie Pokora reasons. College athletes are about honor and tradition, but they're also a business. Thanks to ticket sales, there's money for schools to build new athletic stadiums and give the coaches high salaries. The cash should be shared with athletes. They're the ones out on the field or court working hard for their school. The money matter has others _ , though. Kaitlyn Rentala argues that colleges should not pay their athletes. Students are in school to get an education. Playing a sport is an extracurricular activity, not a job. If athletes need extra money, they can apply for college scholarships . Michael Massett is a middle school teacher and a football and a basketball coach. He agrees. "Athletes should be paid with scholarships, like nonathletes are," Massett explains. In addition, if colleges pay their athletes, those students might focus more on sports than on their education. "Most students do not become professional athletes after college. If they focus too much on sports, they may not learn the skills they need to get good jobs," Kate Macrae reasons. Plus, she says, many athletes have schoolships that help them pay for school.
B
Who supports the idea of paying student athletes?
[ "Kaitlyn Rentala", "Robbie Pokora", "Michael Massett", "Kate Macrae" ]
high7117.txt
"Show them the money!" That's what some people are saying for college athletes. They say students who play sports for their school should receive salaries. Top athletes should be paid because many of them practice full time, Mark Jameson argues. Rico Cannon, a former college football player, agrees. "Nonathletes can get a job for extra spending money, but many student athletes spend so many hours in training that they don't have time to work," he explains. "Shouldn't athletes be able to earn extra money too?" The students also make money for their schools when people buy tickets to their games. The players should receive some of that cash, supporter Robbie Pokora reasons. College athletes are about honor and tradition, but they're also a business. Thanks to ticket sales, there's money for schools to build new athletic stadiums and give the coaches high salaries. The cash should be shared with athletes. They're the ones out on the field or court working hard for their school. The money matter has others _ , though. Kaitlyn Rentala argues that colleges should not pay their athletes. Students are in school to get an education. Playing a sport is an extracurricular activity, not a job. If athletes need extra money, they can apply for college scholarships . Michael Massett is a middle school teacher and a football and a basketball coach. He agrees. "Athletes should be paid with scholarships, like nonathletes are," Massett explains. In addition, if colleges pay their athletes, those students might focus more on sports than on their education. "Most students do not become professional athletes after college. If they focus too much on sports, they may not learn the skills they need to get good jobs," Kate Macrae reasons. Plus, she says, many athletes have schoolships that help them pay for school.
D
What's the best title for the text?
[ "Pay to play? ---- Will it be popular with college athletes?", "College athletes make a lot of money for their schools.", "College athletes can apply for scholarships as their salaries.", "Pay to play?---- Should college athletes be paid?" ]
high1118.txt
Friends play an important role in our lives, and although we can't be more familiar with the fact of friendship, we often don't clearly understand how we make friends, especially with Americans. Here are some pieces of advice on making friends with Americans: 1. Visiting places Americans enjoy: parties, churches, restaurants, parks and sports clubs. 2. Be willing to take the first step. Don't wait for them to get close to you. Americans in China may not know you speak English. They may be uncomfortable if they can't speak your language. 3. Use small talks to open the conversation. Ask them where they're from, why they come to China, etc. . Remember: Be careful not to ask personal questions about age, salary and so on. 4. Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job. Americans like to talk about themselves! 5. Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific time. Americans sometimes make general invitations like "Let's go out for dinner sometime. "Often this is just a way to be friendly. It is not always a real invitation. 6. Don't expect too much at first. Maybe they're being friendly. But maybe they want to be your good friends. It will take time to tell.
A
According to the text, Americans like to visit the following places except _ .
[ "shopping centers", "parks", "sports clubs", "churches" ]
high1118.txt
Friends play an important role in our lives, and although we can't be more familiar with the fact of friendship, we often don't clearly understand how we make friends, especially with Americans. Here are some pieces of advice on making friends with Americans: 1. Visiting places Americans enjoy: parties, churches, restaurants, parks and sports clubs. 2. Be willing to take the first step. Don't wait for them to get close to you. Americans in China may not know you speak English. They may be uncomfortable if they can't speak your language. 3. Use small talks to open the conversation. Ask them where they're from, why they come to China, etc. . Remember: Be careful not to ask personal questions about age, salary and so on. 4. Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job. Americans like to talk about themselves! 5. Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific time. Americans sometimes make general invitations like "Let's go out for dinner sometime. "Often this is just a way to be friendly. It is not always a real invitation. 6. Don't expect too much at first. Maybe they're being friendly. But maybe they want to be your good friends. It will take time to tell.
C
What should you say when meeting an American for the first time?
[ "What's your age?", "How much do you get in a month?", "Nice to meet you! Are you from America?", "Let's get together sometime. I want to ask you some questions." ]
high1118.txt
Friends play an important role in our lives, and although we can't be more familiar with the fact of friendship, we often don't clearly understand how we make friends, especially with Americans. Here are some pieces of advice on making friends with Americans: 1. Visiting places Americans enjoy: parties, churches, restaurants, parks and sports clubs. 2. Be willing to take the first step. Don't wait for them to get close to you. Americans in China may not know you speak English. They may be uncomfortable if they can't speak your language. 3. Use small talks to open the conversation. Ask them where they're from, why they come to China, etc. . Remember: Be careful not to ask personal questions about age, salary and so on. 4. Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job. Americans like to talk about themselves! 5. Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific time. Americans sometimes make general invitations like "Let's go out for dinner sometime. "Often this is just a way to be friendly. It is not always a real invitation. 6. Don't expect too much at first. Maybe they're being friendly. But maybe they want to be your good friends. It will take time to tell.
B
What is mainly discussed in the text?
[ "It's very important to be a good friend of an American.", "Some advice on how to make friends with Americans.", "Something about the friendship in America.", "Friendship is the most important in our life." ]
high1118.txt
Friends play an important role in our lives, and although we can't be more familiar with the fact of friendship, we often don't clearly understand how we make friends, especially with Americans. Here are some pieces of advice on making friends with Americans: 1. Visiting places Americans enjoy: parties, churches, restaurants, parks and sports clubs. 2. Be willing to take the first step. Don't wait for them to get close to you. Americans in China may not know you speak English. They may be uncomfortable if they can't speak your language. 3. Use small talks to open the conversation. Ask them where they're from, why they come to China, etc. . Remember: Be careful not to ask personal questions about age, salary and so on. 4. Show an interest in their culture, their country or their job. Americans like to talk about themselves! 5. Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea. Try to set a specific time. Americans sometimes make general invitations like "Let's go out for dinner sometime. "Often this is just a way to be friendly. It is not always a real invitation. 6. Don't expect too much at first. Maybe they're being friendly. But maybe they want to be your good friends. It will take time to tell.
D
Which is the best way to make friends with an American?
[ "To ask him if he is willing to make friends with you.", "To spend a long time learning about him.", "To wait until he tells you his thoughts.", "To ask him to join you for dinner." ]
high16165.txt
I recently turned fifty, which is young for a tree, midlife for an elephant, and ancient for a sportsman. Fifty is a nice number for the states in the US or for a national speed limit but it is not a number that I was prepared to have hung on me. Fifty is supposed to be my father's age, but now I am stuck with this number and everything it means. A few days ago, a friend tried to cheer me up by saying, " Fifty is what forty used to be." He had made an inspirational point, Am I over the hill?People keep telling me that the hill has been moved, and I keep telling them that he high-jump bar has dropped from the six feet I once easily cleared to the four feet that is impossible for me now. " Your are not getting older, you are getting better." says Dr. Joyce Brothers. This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion. And so. as I approach the day when I cannot even jump over the tennis net. I am moves to share some thoughts on aging with you. I am moved to show how aging feels to me physically and mentally. Getting older. of course, is obviously a better change than the one that brings you eulogies . In fact, a poet named Robert Browning considered it the best change of all: Grow old along with me! The best is yet to me. Whether or not Browning was right, most of my first fifty years have been golden ones, so I will settle for what is ahead being as good as what has gone by. I find myself moving toward what is ahead with a curious blend of both fighting and accepting my aging, hoping that the philosopher was right when he said." Old is always fifteen years from now."
A
The author seems to tell us in Paragraph 1 that _ .
[ "time alone will tell", "time goes by quickly", "time will show what is right", "time makes one forget the past" ]
high16165.txt
I recently turned fifty, which is young for a tree, midlife for an elephant, and ancient for a sportsman. Fifty is a nice number for the states in the US or for a national speed limit but it is not a number that I was prepared to have hung on me. Fifty is supposed to be my father's age, but now I am stuck with this number and everything it means. A few days ago, a friend tried to cheer me up by saying, " Fifty is what forty used to be." He had made an inspirational point, Am I over the hill?People keep telling me that the hill has been moved, and I keep telling them that he high-jump bar has dropped from the six feet I once easily cleared to the four feet that is impossible for me now. " Your are not getting older, you are getting better." says Dr. Joyce Brothers. This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion. And so. as I approach the day when I cannot even jump over the tennis net. I am moves to share some thoughts on aging with you. I am moved to show how aging feels to me physically and mentally. Getting older. of course, is obviously a better change than the one that brings you eulogies . In fact, a poet named Robert Browning considered it the best change of all: Grow old along with me! The best is yet to me. Whether or not Browning was right, most of my first fifty years have been golden ones, so I will settle for what is ahead being as good as what has gone by. I find myself moving toward what is ahead with a curious blend of both fighting and accepting my aging, hoping that the philosopher was right when he said." Old is always fifteen years from now."
B
When the author turned fifty, people around him _ .
[ "tried to comfort him", "got inspiration with him", "were friendlier with him", "found him more talkative" ]
high16165.txt
I recently turned fifty, which is young for a tree, midlife for an elephant, and ancient for a sportsman. Fifty is a nice number for the states in the US or for a national speed limit but it is not a number that I was prepared to have hung on me. Fifty is supposed to be my father's age, but now I am stuck with this number and everything it means. A few days ago, a friend tried to cheer me up by saying, " Fifty is what forty used to be." He had made an inspirational point, Am I over the hill?People keep telling me that the hill has been moved, and I keep telling them that he high-jump bar has dropped from the six feet I once easily cleared to the four feet that is impossible for me now. " Your are not getting older, you are getting better." says Dr. Joyce Brothers. This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion. And so. as I approach the day when I cannot even jump over the tennis net. I am moves to share some thoughts on aging with you. I am moved to show how aging feels to me physically and mentally. Getting older. of course, is obviously a better change than the one that brings you eulogies . In fact, a poet named Robert Browning considered it the best change of all: Grow old along with me! The best is yet to me. Whether or not Browning was right, most of my first fifty years have been golden ones, so I will settle for what is ahead being as good as what has gone by. I find myself moving toward what is ahead with a curious blend of both fighting and accepting my aging, hoping that the philosopher was right when he said." Old is always fifteen years from now."
A
The author considers his fifty years of life
[ "peaceful", "ordinary", "satisfactory", "regretful" ]
high16165.txt
I recently turned fifty, which is young for a tree, midlife for an elephant, and ancient for a sportsman. Fifty is a nice number for the states in the US or for a national speed limit but it is not a number that I was prepared to have hung on me. Fifty is supposed to be my father's age, but now I am stuck with this number and everything it means. A few days ago, a friend tried to cheer me up by saying, " Fifty is what forty used to be." He had made an inspirational point, Am I over the hill?People keep telling me that the hill has been moved, and I keep telling them that he high-jump bar has dropped from the six feet I once easily cleared to the four feet that is impossible for me now. " Your are not getting older, you are getting better." says Dr. Joyce Brothers. This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion. And so. as I approach the day when I cannot even jump over the tennis net. I am moves to share some thoughts on aging with you. I am moved to show how aging feels to me physically and mentally. Getting older. of course, is obviously a better change than the one that brings you eulogies . In fact, a poet named Robert Browning considered it the best change of all: Grow old along with me! The best is yet to me. Whether or not Browning was right, most of my first fifty years have been golden ones, so I will settle for what is ahead being as good as what has gone by. I find myself moving toward what is ahead with a curious blend of both fighting and accepting my aging, hoping that the philosopher was right when he said." Old is always fifteen years from now."
C
We can infer from the passage that
[ "the old should led a simple life", "the old should face the fact of aging", "the old should take more exercise", "the old should fill themselves with curiosity" ]
high8404.txt
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. One day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it. You can't be positive all the time. How do you do it?" Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself 'Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life." I often thought about that when I made a choice about life. Several years later, Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling off 60 feet from a communica-tion tower. After l8 hours of operation, and weeks of intensive care, Michael was re-leased from the hospital with rods placed in his back.I asked him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon-to-born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. In the operation room, I told the doctors and nurses, 'I'm choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'." Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.
B
Each time something bad happens, Michael chooses to _ .
[ "be in a good mood", "learn from it", "complain about it", "ignore the negative side of it" ]
high8404.txt
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. One day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it. You can't be positive all the time. How do you do it?" Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself 'Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life." I often thought about that when I made a choice about life. Several years later, Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling off 60 feet from a communica-tion tower. After l8 hours of operation, and weeks of intensive care, Michael was re-leased from the hospital with rods placed in his back.I asked him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon-to-born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. In the operation room, I told the doctors and nurses, 'I'm choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'." Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.
B
From the passage we can infer that _ .
[ "most people manage to lead a positive life at any time", "most people can't lead a positive life at any time", "only Michael can be so positive", "the author is always a sad person" ]
high13460.txt
Lying within, the inner London Borough of Southwark, this hugely improved non-selective Secondary Academy School is looking to recruit and appoint a talented Science Teacher in April 2016 or sooner. POSITION:Science Teacher | KS3 --5| All Science specialists welcome DEPARTMENT:Popular & Ambitious Science Department LOCATION:Borough of Southwark -- Zone 2 -- Inner London PERSON:Qualified Science Teacher required -- experience in UK or overseas trained START DATE:April 2016 or sooner -- full time & permanent contract on offer SALARY:Inner London Pay Scale -- PS29,270 ~PS37,862 a year PERSON REQUIREMENT: All applicants will need to be suitably skilled, trained and qualified to be considered for this Science Teacher position. Applicants should feel confident across Key Stage 3, 4 and 5, in addition to having a real desire to make a difference and provide pupils under their care with a first class education . SCHOOL & TRAVEL INFORMATION: This is a typically diverse inner city school, suitable for a broad range of pupils aged 11 to 18 years old. The school has made huge steps and progressed from a satisfactory to a good school. Results are constantly improving, thanks to the staff in place, who are responsible for creating and delivering a broad curriculum. The school site is a short walk away from the nearest underground and rail stations, positioned within inner London, Zone 2. Those living in South and Central London are perfectly positioned for this position. If you are a hardworking Science Teacher, hoping to become part of an improving Inner London Secondary, get in touch today. Please apply and submit your up-to-date CV using the form . One of the Clarus Education Team will be in touch within 48 hours if shortlisted .
B
What is a must for the recruited teacher?
[ "Being trained in England.", "Experience in UK.", "Diploma of Higher Education.", "Being qualified for all grades." ]
high13460.txt
Lying within, the inner London Borough of Southwark, this hugely improved non-selective Secondary Academy School is looking to recruit and appoint a talented Science Teacher in April 2016 or sooner. POSITION:Science Teacher | KS3 --5| All Science specialists welcome DEPARTMENT:Popular & Ambitious Science Department LOCATION:Borough of Southwark -- Zone 2 -- Inner London PERSON:Qualified Science Teacher required -- experience in UK or overseas trained START DATE:April 2016 or sooner -- full time & permanent contract on offer SALARY:Inner London Pay Scale -- PS29,270 ~PS37,862 a year PERSON REQUIREMENT: All applicants will need to be suitably skilled, trained and qualified to be considered for this Science Teacher position. Applicants should feel confident across Key Stage 3, 4 and 5, in addition to having a real desire to make a difference and provide pupils under their care with a first class education . SCHOOL & TRAVEL INFORMATION: This is a typically diverse inner city school, suitable for a broad range of pupils aged 11 to 18 years old. The school has made huge steps and progressed from a satisfactory to a good school. Results are constantly improving, thanks to the staff in place, who are responsible for creating and delivering a broad curriculum. The school site is a short walk away from the nearest underground and rail stations, positioned within inner London, Zone 2. Those living in South and Central London are perfectly positioned for this position. If you are a hardworking Science Teacher, hoping to become part of an improving Inner London Secondary, get in touch today. Please apply and submit your up-to-date CV using the form . One of the Clarus Education Team will be in touch within 48 hours if shortlisted .
A
What should the applicant be able to do ?
[ "Teach KS3-5 pupils well.", "Be very confident across Key Stage 3 and 4.", "Be good at using traditional methods.", "Put advanced ideas into practice every day." ]
high15955.txt
WILD WEATHERMAN Name: Sam Champion Hot job: TV Weatherman Where: ABC-TV, New York City When you were a child, did you plan to forecast wind, rain, and snow on TV? I wanted to be a foreign journalist. I took courses in weather science at Eastern Kentucky University, but I majored in broadcasting news. How did you finally become a weatherman? My first job in the early 1980s was at the local TV station in Paducah, Kentucky. I did everything from turning on the lights in the morning to writing and delivering morning news. I put together weather forecasts, and became interested in them. Back then, how did you forecast weather? Independent companies collected computer information that showed, for example, how a single weather system might split into snow or snow mixed with rain. The information was often opposite and the job of a weatherman was to study the information and make the best educated guess about the storm. Has weather forecasting changed much with new technology? Advanced computers, satellites, and Doppler radar (sound waves used to track storms) have made forecasting more exact. But we still know very little about how weather is shaped. So far, we just have theories. Any advice for children who'd like to become weather scientists? To me, weather is the most exciting field in the world. There are still so many more questions about weather than answers. After all, if we can't foresee floods or hurricanes, how safe a society are we? Weather forecasting is wide open for scientists who love to solve puzzling problems. The next generation of meteorologists (weather scientists) will unlock many of Earth's weather secrets. So get a general knowledge of Earth science, and study meteorology in college. Thanks, Sam.
B
Judging from the writing style, the text is _ .
[ "a diary", "an interview", "a news story", "an announcement" ]
high15955.txt
WILD WEATHERMAN Name: Sam Champion Hot job: TV Weatherman Where: ABC-TV, New York City When you were a child, did you plan to forecast wind, rain, and snow on TV? I wanted to be a foreign journalist. I took courses in weather science at Eastern Kentucky University, but I majored in broadcasting news. How did you finally become a weatherman? My first job in the early 1980s was at the local TV station in Paducah, Kentucky. I did everything from turning on the lights in the morning to writing and delivering morning news. I put together weather forecasts, and became interested in them. Back then, how did you forecast weather? Independent companies collected computer information that showed, for example, how a single weather system might split into snow or snow mixed with rain. The information was often opposite and the job of a weatherman was to study the information and make the best educated guess about the storm. Has weather forecasting changed much with new technology? Advanced computers, satellites, and Doppler radar (sound waves used to track storms) have made forecasting more exact. But we still know very little about how weather is shaped. So far, we just have theories. Any advice for children who'd like to become weather scientists? To me, weather is the most exciting field in the world. There are still so many more questions about weather than answers. After all, if we can't foresee floods or hurricanes, how safe a society are we? Weather forecasting is wide open for scientists who love to solve puzzling problems. The next generation of meteorologists (weather scientists) will unlock many of Earth's weather secrets. So get a general knowledge of Earth science, and study meteorology in college. Thanks, Sam.
C
As a child, ABC-TV's Sam Champion wanted to be a _ .
[ "space scientist", "weatherman", "news reporter", "meteorologist" ]
high15955.txt
WILD WEATHERMAN Name: Sam Champion Hot job: TV Weatherman Where: ABC-TV, New York City When you were a child, did you plan to forecast wind, rain, and snow on TV? I wanted to be a foreign journalist. I took courses in weather science at Eastern Kentucky University, but I majored in broadcasting news. How did you finally become a weatherman? My first job in the early 1980s was at the local TV station in Paducah, Kentucky. I did everything from turning on the lights in the morning to writing and delivering morning news. I put together weather forecasts, and became interested in them. Back then, how did you forecast weather? Independent companies collected computer information that showed, for example, how a single weather system might split into snow or snow mixed with rain. The information was often opposite and the job of a weatherman was to study the information and make the best educated guess about the storm. Has weather forecasting changed much with new technology? Advanced computers, satellites, and Doppler radar (sound waves used to track storms) have made forecasting more exact. But we still know very little about how weather is shaped. So far, we just have theories. Any advice for children who'd like to become weather scientists? To me, weather is the most exciting field in the world. There are still so many more questions about weather than answers. After all, if we can't foresee floods or hurricanes, how safe a society are we? Weather forecasting is wide open for scientists who love to solve puzzling problems. The next generation of meteorologists (weather scientists) will unlock many of Earth's weather secrets. So get a general knowledge of Earth science, and study meteorology in college. Thanks, Sam.
D
Present weather forecasting technology _ .
[ "has made weather report more exact than ever", "is still not perfect", "hasn't changed much in the last 50 years", "both A and B" ]
high15955.txt
WILD WEATHERMAN Name: Sam Champion Hot job: TV Weatherman Where: ABC-TV, New York City When you were a child, did you plan to forecast wind, rain, and snow on TV? I wanted to be a foreign journalist. I took courses in weather science at Eastern Kentucky University, but I majored in broadcasting news. How did you finally become a weatherman? My first job in the early 1980s was at the local TV station in Paducah, Kentucky. I did everything from turning on the lights in the morning to writing and delivering morning news. I put together weather forecasts, and became interested in them. Back then, how did you forecast weather? Independent companies collected computer information that showed, for example, how a single weather system might split into snow or snow mixed with rain. The information was often opposite and the job of a weatherman was to study the information and make the best educated guess about the storm. Has weather forecasting changed much with new technology? Advanced computers, satellites, and Doppler radar (sound waves used to track storms) have made forecasting more exact. But we still know very little about how weather is shaped. So far, we just have theories. Any advice for children who'd like to become weather scientists? To me, weather is the most exciting field in the world. There are still so many more questions about weather than answers. After all, if we can't foresee floods or hurricanes, how safe a society are we? Weather forecasting is wide open for scientists who love to solve puzzling problems. The next generation of meteorologists (weather scientists) will unlock many of Earth's weather secrets. So get a general knowledge of Earth science, and study meteorology in college. Thanks, Sam.
A
The study of weather science is called _ .
[ "meteorology", "forecasting", "geography", "Earth science" ]
high19608.txt
Warm weather brought by El Nino has had mixed effects on animals in usually snowy places in North America, including New England, according to an Associated Press article. Some animals seem to benefit from having a chance to gather more food before winter, and from expending less energy in daily survival mode. Others, like snowshoe hares, are put at center stage in predators' view when they lack snow for disguising their white fur -- not a good thing for them, of course. Black bears, on the other hand, have been keeping busy gathering nuts and apples, when they would normally have settled into their winter homes by now. Vermont and Massachusetts officials have asked residents to wait till snow falls to take out their bird feeders for the sake of safety, the article said. "We suggest waiting for 6 or more inches of snow that lasts before taking out your bird feeders, especially if you have been visited in the past by bears or if there are sightings of bears in your neighborhood,"Forrest Hammond, Vermont Fish and Wildlife's bear biologist, said in the article."Due to lack of snow and frozen ground, birds are able to seek food in fields and forests for theirnatural foods." Snow amounts can also determine how comfortable bears are and how quickly they consume their accumulated fat during hibernation , noted Hammond in the article. This is because snow covers and traps them in their winter homes, and also hides them from predators.
A
What may upset snowshoe hares because of El Nino?
[ "Their being caught more easily.", "Their failing to gather more food.", "Their consuming more energy.", "Their losing sight of their enemies." ]
high19608.txt
Warm weather brought by El Nino has had mixed effects on animals in usually snowy places in North America, including New England, according to an Associated Press article. Some animals seem to benefit from having a chance to gather more food before winter, and from expending less energy in daily survival mode. Others, like snowshoe hares, are put at center stage in predators' view when they lack snow for disguising their white fur -- not a good thing for them, of course. Black bears, on the other hand, have been keeping busy gathering nuts and apples, when they would normally have settled into their winter homes by now. Vermont and Massachusetts officials have asked residents to wait till snow falls to take out their bird feeders for the sake of safety, the article said. "We suggest waiting for 6 or more inches of snow that lasts before taking out your bird feeders, especially if you have been visited in the past by bears or if there are sightings of bears in your neighborhood,"Forrest Hammond, Vermont Fish and Wildlife's bear biologist, said in the article."Due to lack of snow and frozen ground, birds are able to seek food in fields and forests for theirnatural foods." Snow amounts can also determine how comfortable bears are and how quickly they consume their accumulated fat during hibernation , noted Hammond in the article. This is because snow covers and traps them in their winter homes, and also hides them from predators.
C
Why did the officials ask people to keep bird feeders until snow falls?
[ "They may disturb bears.", "There's no need to do so.", "To avoid attracting bears.", "For the safety of bears." ]
high19608.txt
Warm weather brought by El Nino has had mixed effects on animals in usually snowy places in North America, including New England, according to an Associated Press article. Some animals seem to benefit from having a chance to gather more food before winter, and from expending less energy in daily survival mode. Others, like snowshoe hares, are put at center stage in predators' view when they lack snow for disguising their white fur -- not a good thing for them, of course. Black bears, on the other hand, have been keeping busy gathering nuts and apples, when they would normally have settled into their winter homes by now. Vermont and Massachusetts officials have asked residents to wait till snow falls to take out their bird feeders for the sake of safety, the article said. "We suggest waiting for 6 or more inches of snow that lasts before taking out your bird feeders, especially if you have been visited in the past by bears or if there are sightings of bears in your neighborhood,"Forrest Hammond, Vermont Fish and Wildlife's bear biologist, said in the article."Due to lack of snow and frozen ground, birds are able to seek food in fields and forests for theirnatural foods." Snow amounts can also determine how comfortable bears are and how quickly they consume their accumulated fat during hibernation , noted Hammond in the article. This is because snow covers and traps them in their winter homes, and also hides them from predators.
D
What do the bear biologist's words imply?
[ "A heavy snow is on the way.", "Bears are common nowadays.", "Bears live mainly on birds in winter.", "Warm weather benefits birds in winter." ]
high19608.txt
Warm weather brought by El Nino has had mixed effects on animals in usually snowy places in North America, including New England, according to an Associated Press article. Some animals seem to benefit from having a chance to gather more food before winter, and from expending less energy in daily survival mode. Others, like snowshoe hares, are put at center stage in predators' view when they lack snow for disguising their white fur -- not a good thing for them, of course. Black bears, on the other hand, have been keeping busy gathering nuts and apples, when they would normally have settled into their winter homes by now. Vermont and Massachusetts officials have asked residents to wait till snow falls to take out their bird feeders for the sake of safety, the article said. "We suggest waiting for 6 or more inches of snow that lasts before taking out your bird feeders, especially if you have been visited in the past by bears or if there are sightings of bears in your neighborhood,"Forrest Hammond, Vermont Fish and Wildlife's bear biologist, said in the article."Due to lack of snow and frozen ground, birds are able to seek food in fields and forests for theirnatural foods." Snow amounts can also determine how comfortable bears are and how quickly they consume their accumulated fat during hibernation , noted Hammond in the article. This is because snow covers and traps them in their winter homes, and also hides them from predators.
D
Which of the following is the proper title for the passage?
[ "Warm Weather Helps Animals Survive", "Snow Amounts Determine Animals' Winter Life", "Measures Should Be Taken to Protect Wildlife", "Lack of Snow Affects North American Animals" ]
high13919.txt
Every spring Beijing is choked by huge sandstorms.The sky turns a strange and frightening yellow colour as clouds of sand sweep down from the deserts of Mongolia and north-western China.Strong winds blow up the dust and cover everything in sight--in 2006,a storm dumped 330,000 tonnes of dust on Beijing in one night. The number of sandstorms has grown alarmingly over the years as the deserts have expanded.This is partly man-made and partly because of climate .Many grasslands have been overgrazed by sheep and goats,or ploughed up,leaving the soil dangerously exposed.Too much water has been taken out of rivers,and the situation is made worse by increasingly long-lasting droughts that have affected the northern half of China as the climate grows warmer and drier.The result is probably the worst loss of rich land to deserts in the world and a dust bowl of extremely large proportions.The nearest sand dunes to Beijing are now only 70 km away and drifting closer each year.At this rate,the desert will reach the city by 2040,and Beijing could become the world's first modern city to disappear under sand.To hold back the deserts,a huge programme of forest planting called the Great Green Wall has been under way for over 30 years.The barrier is planned to be 4,500 km long when completed in several decades ,but the drought is having a very bad effect on the trees and the deserts carry on growing.
D
All the following are the reasons for the expansion of the deserts EXCEPT _ .
[ "the soil of the grasslands is exposed", "too much water in rivers has been used", "it doesn't rain for a long time", "the climate in northern China is colder and drier" ]
high13919.txt
Every spring Beijing is choked by huge sandstorms.The sky turns a strange and frightening yellow colour as clouds of sand sweep down from the deserts of Mongolia and north-western China.Strong winds blow up the dust and cover everything in sight--in 2006,a storm dumped 330,000 tonnes of dust on Beijing in one night. The number of sandstorms has grown alarmingly over the years as the deserts have expanded.This is partly man-made and partly because of climate .Many grasslands have been overgrazed by sheep and goats,or ploughed up,leaving the soil dangerously exposed.Too much water has been taken out of rivers,and the situation is made worse by increasingly long-lasting droughts that have affected the northern half of China as the climate grows warmer and drier.The result is probably the worst loss of rich land to deserts in the world and a dust bowl of extremely large proportions.The nearest sand dunes to Beijing are now only 70 km away and drifting closer each year.At this rate,the desert will reach the city by 2040,and Beijing could become the world's first modern city to disappear under sand.To hold back the deserts,a huge programme of forest planting called the Great Green Wall has been under way for over 30 years.The barrier is planned to be 4,500 km long when completed in several decades ,but the drought is having a very bad effect on the trees and the deserts carry on growing.
C
At what speed do the nearest sand dunes move towards Beijing according to the passage?
[ "More than 15 km a year.", "More than 2 km a month.", "More than 2 km a year.", "More than 15 km a month." ]
high13919.txt
Every spring Beijing is choked by huge sandstorms.The sky turns a strange and frightening yellow colour as clouds of sand sweep down from the deserts of Mongolia and north-western China.Strong winds blow up the dust and cover everything in sight--in 2006,a storm dumped 330,000 tonnes of dust on Beijing in one night. The number of sandstorms has grown alarmingly over the years as the deserts have expanded.This is partly man-made and partly because of climate .Many grasslands have been overgrazed by sheep and goats,or ploughed up,leaving the soil dangerously exposed.Too much water has been taken out of rivers,and the situation is made worse by increasingly long-lasting droughts that have affected the northern half of China as the climate grows warmer and drier.The result is probably the worst loss of rich land to deserts in the world and a dust bowl of extremely large proportions.The nearest sand dunes to Beijing are now only 70 km away and drifting closer each year.At this rate,the desert will reach the city by 2040,and Beijing could become the world's first modern city to disappear under sand.To hold back the deserts,a huge programme of forest planting called the Great Green Wall has been under way for over 30 years.The barrier is planned to be 4,500 km long when completed in several decades ,but the drought is having a very bad effect on the trees and the deserts carry on growing.
C
What is the purpose of the huge programme"the Great Green Wall"?
[ "To protect the Great Wall.", "To plant as many trees as possible along the Great Wall.", "To stop the deserts from moving towards Beijing.", "To plant as many trees as possible in Beijing." ]