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<extra_id_5>Today, Anne is hungry. She wants to eat somewhere in town. There is a popular diner in town. She goes there and asks them if she can get fries and a chocolate milkshake. Her friends come into the diner and sit with her. Their names are Jane, Jake and Dave. All of them are 15 years old. Jake gets a big cheeseburger with onions. Jane wants a vanilla ice cream cone with sprinkles. Dave doesn't eat anything. He talks with them instead. After they finish eating, they go back to Jane's house to hang out and play games. Dave wins most of the puzzle games. Jane beats them at a few. They're racing games. Dave leaves after an hour. He needs to go do his reading homework. Jake and Anne leave that evening because it's a school night. They all promise to meet up again the next day to hang out after school. Why does Dave leave Jane's house after only an hour?
<extra_id_0>he has to do his reading homework
<extra_id_1>he has piano practice
<extra_id_2>the others don't like him
<extra_id_3>his mother is waiting for him
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Studying abroad is an amazing experience, especially when you come to Australia as an overseas( ) high school student. You can have a lot of fun here, especially on holidays. There are many festivals in Australia. The most important one is obviously Christmas. Each year, the summer holidays at every high school last about two months from the beginning of December to February, which covers the Christmas time. Since it is a long holiday, most overseas students love to fly back to their home countries to spend the time with their families and friends, but a few students still stay in Australia during the holiday to get part-time jobs. It is quite easy to find a part-time job at Christmas. Students often take part in another major social activity. They go to the beach to have fun in the sunshine. The summer in Australia is from December to February, so going to the beach in December is very popular among Australians. Easter in March is another important holiday in the year. It actually combines "Good Friday" and "Easter Monday". Almost every shop closes on Good Friday. And people usually go to see Easter Show. The Chinese New year is not a public holiday in Australia, so every Chinese student still has to go to school to study and do his or her normal duties. Probably people seldom _ on Good Friday in Australia.
<extra_id_0>go shopping
<extra_id_1>spend the time with their friends
<extra_id_2>have fun
<extra_id_3>give chocolate eggs to each other
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>From age eight to eleven, I studied at a small school in Bath, England. It was a small school of four classes, with about twenty-five children in each class according to age. For the most part, one teacher had to teach all subjects. However, sometimes the headteacher , Mr. Ronald Broaches would come in and spend an hour or so. He was a large man with a very happy nature. He had a sense of humor and would be glad in telling the children small stories which make us laugh. I found that he took great interest in me and he quickly found that I enjoyed puzzles. He would stop me as I was going to class and take a piece of paper out of his pocket, often with a puzzle on it. As time went on, they slowly gave me an interest in math and problem -solving that stays with me to this day. To this day, I can remember Mr. Broaches' cheerful cry of "Well done!" whenever I got a problem right. I shall always be thankful that our paths crossed. Mr. Bruoaches died just two weeks after I won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Unfortunately, I had no chance to speak to him before he died. I learnt late that he had heard of my success and I will always hope that he knew the deep influence he had made on my life. The writer felt sorry because _ .
<extra_id_0>Mr. Broaches passed away before he won the Nobel Prize
<extra_id_1>he didn't express his thanks before Mr. Broaches died.
<extra_id_2>he couldn't find Mr. Broaches after he grew up
<extra_id_3>Mr. Broaches didn't know about his success.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>My grandfather Jack is 96 years old, and he has had an interesting life. He has travelled a lot in his life in the Far East. He visited the Taj Mahal in India and the Pyramids in Egypt. He hunted lions in Africa, and rode a camel in the Sahara Desert. He says the most beautiful place he has travelled to is Kathmandu in Nepal. Jack has married twice. His first wife died when she was 32. He met his second wife Maria while he was cycling round France They have been married for 50 years, and they have lived happily in a small village since they got married. Jack says that he has never been ill in his life. The secret of good health, according to my grandfather, is exercise He goes swimming every morning. He has done this since he was a boy. He also has a glass of wine every night! Perhaps that is his secret! What does Jack do every night?
<extra_id_0>He has a glass of wine.
<extra_id_1>He goes swimming
<extra_id_2>He hunts lions.
<extra_id_3>He rides a camel.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>There is an old man living with his granddaughter. Every morning the old man goes out for a walk in the park and comes home at half past twelve for lunch. But one morning a police car stops outside the house at twelve. One of the policemen says , "The old man can't find his way home in the park and call us for help, so we bring him home ." The old man's granddaughter is very surprised ,but she thanks the policemen and they leave. "But my grandfather," the granddaughter asks, "You go to the park every day for twenty years. How can't you find your way home ?" The old man smiles, "I'm just tired and don't want to walk home." The old man can't find his way home. Is it really true ?
<extra_id_0>Yes, it is.
<extra_id_1>No, it isn't.
<extra_id_2>We don't know.
<extra_id_3>All of the above.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Mr. Smith teaches English in a university . He is often busy with his work. When summer or winter holidays come, he often goes out to take vacations to relax. Usually he goes to France because he thinks it's an interesting country. And he can speak French very well. But last month he said to his wife, " I'm not visiting France this time. I want to go to a different country. I _ China. But I can hardly speak Chinese, so I'm going to study it for a month before I go." he studied pretty hard for a month, and then his vacation began. Ten days later, he came back home. His wife asked him, " How about your short vacation in China? Did you have any trouble with your Chinese there?" "No, I didn't." answered Mr. Smith. "But the Chinese did!" Mr. Smith goes out to _ when it's summer or winter holidays.
<extra_id_0>have a rest
<extra_id_1>learn languages
<extra_id_2>look for interesting jobs
<extra_id_3>visit musuems
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Earth Day has come and gone, but it's a fact of daily life that 1.6 billion people around would have no electricity in their homes. Instead, most of them use wood, coal or even animal waste to heat and cook in their homes ,which also gives off greenhouse gases, causing indoor air pollution that kills 1.6million people a year, most of whom are children and women. It's not expected to improve much, and in Africa it's becoming worse now. By 2030, when the Earth's population will be likely to top 8billion, 1.3 billion people will still lack electricity. Of those, 700 million will be in Africa, and 490 million in South Asia. Ghana, in West Africa, most of the northern half of the country lives without lights. As a result, three out of four Ghanans in the north are without electricity to refrigerate with and to cook with, to study with and to start businesses with. Like most others around the world in the same situation, these Ghanans use traditional fuels( wood, coal, animal waste) to meet their cooking needs. What would electricity for everyone around the world cost? The International Energy Agency, which is made up of 28 member countries, figures it would run35 billion dollars a year from 2008 to 2030 to reach _ . The United Nations has been busy with the issue, organizing a meeting on April 28 hosted by Secretary-General Ban Kimoon. ' Energy services are very important formeeting basic human needs, reducing poverty, creating and getting together wealth and keeping advances in social development," He said in an announcement. Why do many children and women die of indoor air pollution?
<extra_id_0>Because they would rather heat and cook with traditional fuels than with electricity.
<extra_id_1>Because of no electricity they have to use traditional fuels for heating and cooking.
<extra_id_2>Because wood, coal or animal waste does great harm to their health.
<extra_id_3>Because there are too many greenhouse gases from factories.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Which force keeps the planets in their orbits around the Sun?
<extra_id_0>gravity
<extra_id_1>magnetism
<extra_id_2>electricity
<extra_id_3>friction
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>According to the studies from the UN, the increase of CO2in the air is responsible for 85% of the temperature increase. CO2goes into the air when we burn fossil fuels to run our industries, cars and so on. Luckily, half of the CO2that we produced is taken in by plants, trees, land and the oceans. The rest gases are still large to cause worry. At the same time, we are cutting down forests that take in carbon from the air. To solve the problem is not an easy job. Developed nations such as the USA, Germany and Australia will have to promise to cut down greenhouse gases by as much as 25-40%. Countries such as India and China that have a large population and growing industry, have to leave a smaller greenhouse gas footprint. Everybody must be active and stick to it. How many countries are mentioned in this passage?
<extra_id_0>2
<extra_id_1>3
<extra_id_2>5
<extra_id_3>6
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Gail Mirabella works as a dog trainer for a circus . She used to train her dogs to do _ when she was a kid. Finally, her hobby turned into her job. Several days ago, she talked to Time Magazine reporter, Cameron Young, about her love for dogs. Reporter: Did you always want to be a dog trainer in a circus? Mirabella: When I was a little kid, I did my first dog show, a kid's dog show. And I took first place . From then on, I knew I wanted to work with dogs, but who would know I'd be in a circus? Reporter: Did you have any dogs growing up? Mirabella: Of course. I had a white dog when I was a little baby. Three years later, it died. And then we got two family dogs. On my fourteenth birthday, my uncle bought me a dog. It was a big dog. Reporter: How long does it take you to train a dog, one month, half a year or one year? Mirabella: That depends on the dog. I have thirteen dogs and I let them all play together, but I do a lot of special work with each dog. They know I am their owner because I do all the feeding. Reporter: If you aren't a dog trainer, what will you be? Mirabella: A dog. Just joking. I will probably still work with animals. What job will Mirabella do if she isn't a dog trainer?
<extra_id_0>Taking care of animals.
<extra_id_1>Doing tricks in a circus.
<extra_id_2>Selling all kinds of dogs.
<extra_id_3>Working for Time Magazine.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>The Peales were a famous family of American artists. Charles Willson Peale is best remembered for his portraits of leading figures of the American Revolution. He painted portraits of Franklin and Jefferson and over a dozen of George Washington. His life-size portrait of his sons Raphaelle and Titian was so realistic that George Washington reportedly once tipped his hat to the figures in the picture. Charles Willson Peale gave up painting in his middle age and devoted his life to the Peale museum, which he founded in Philadelphia. The world's first popular museum of art and natural science mainly covered paintings by Peale and his family as well as displays of animals in their natural settings. Peale found the animals himself and found a method to make the exhibits more lifelike. The museum's most popular display was the skeleton of a huge, extinct elephant, which Peale _ on a New York farm in 1801. Three of Peale's seventeen children were also famous artists. Paphaelle Peale often painted still lives of flowers, fruit, and cheese. His brother Rembrandt studied under his father and painted portraits of many noted people, including one of George Washington. Another brother, Rubens Peale, painted mostly landscapes and portraits. James Peale, the brother of Charles Willson Peale, specialized in miniatures . His daughter Sarah Miriam Peale was probably the first professional female portrait painter in America. Which of the following is NOT the child of Charles Willson Peale?
<extra_id_0>Titian Peale.
<extra_id_1>Rubens Peale.
<extra_id_2>Raphaelle Peale.
<extra_id_3>Sarah Miriam Peale.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Families come in many shapes and sizes-they can be just two people, or hundreds of aunts, uncles and cousins. Every family is different, and what makes a family is different for everyone. Families don't even have to be related -some families are formed by choice. For this contest, draw us a picture of your family. Contest rules: 1. Your picture must be your very own artwork. Ideas and words should not be copied. 2. Be sure to include your name, age and full address on your picture. 3. Only one picture each person, please. 4. If you want your picture returned, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. 5.Your picture must be signed or e-mailed by a parent, saying it's your own work and that no one helped you. 6.Mailed picture must be postmarked by April 30, 2014. 7.E-mail scanned picture to ask@askmagkids.com, or mail to: Ask Contest, 70 East Lake St., Suite 300, Chicago, IL60601. No faxes, please. The theme of the contest is _ .
<extra_id_0>robots
<extra_id_1>family
<extra_id_2>friends
<extra_id_3>art
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Della has a mixture of soil and water in a jar. Which of the following tools would best help Della separate the soil from the water?
<extra_id_0>a filter
<extra_id_1>a measuring cup
<extra_id_2>a balance
<extra_id_3>a magnifying glass
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>One night last February, a seventeen-year-old Duffy drove home along a winding road, he saw a strange light thrown against the tree. "I knew it wasn't the moon", he said. "I drive this road all the time and I notice little things out of place." Duffy stopped his car and got out to examine. Below him far down in the deep valley lay a broken car with its headlights on. Thirty minutes earlier, a man had driven off the edge of the road, which has no guardrail. His car fell and rolled end over end, landing on its top more than two hundred feet below. Duffy rushed to call for help, then returned and got down to reach the injured driver. Snow covered the valley and the temperature was below freezing. After struggling back up the cliff, Duffy took off his jacket and shirt and wrapped the injured man in time, along with the blankets from his car. Life-saving deeds are starting to become usual action for Duffy, the oldest of seven children. When he was 12, he saved his ten-year-old brother from drowning. Two years ago, his three-year-old sister ate rat poison, and Duffy cleaned out her mouth, make her drink milk to protect her stomach and called doctors. "We have tried to teach the children good values, and it looks like we have got some reward for it." His father says. The phrase" landing on its top" means the car lay _ .
<extra_id_0>on the top of the cliff
<extra_id_1>with its wheels upward
<extra_id_2>with its head upward
<extra_id_3>on the road as usual
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>A job is more than a job,especially to the old. "It's not the money that matters,but the sense of self-worth."56-year-old Cbeng Wonlan said. So,every day Ms Cheng carries a bag of parcels,letters and documents and does her rounds in North Point. She's a courier Five years ago.Ms Cheng was a nurse at a private clinic. She had worked there for 30 years but was Jobless when the doctor migrated. It was difficult for her to find another job as a nurse. "People do not trust my ability when they learn how old I am,"she said. After two years of searching, she eventually found another nursing job. But then after two years,she quit Why? 'My colleagues were young and they didn't understand me because of my age. They often asked me 'You are so old what are you working for? I was very unhappy" She said. So while the rest of her family left for work,she was left to lonely boredom at home .Then her neighbours told her about Employee's Retraining Board(ERB)offering retraining courses for older people. These courses are specifically designed to encourage the older people back to work. "I was interested in courier work. I didn't think my age was a barrier because I was fit." She said .Upon graduating,Ms Cheng was offered a job by the Speeding Shuttle Courier Service Company. But then Ms Cheng was faced with a conflict:she was caught between honour and employment"I felt embarrassed about carrying and delivering letters and parcels." she said. It took Ms Cheng 24 hours to make up her mind:there was nothing wrong or embarrassing about doing the job. So she went off to work as a courier. Ms Cheng's employer is delighted with her responsible attitude and said."I hired older people because they were able and reliable .Age is not an important factor but attitude is Many old people will not run from difficulties but the young ones will" According to Anthony Chong,young people _ .
<extra_id_0>are more likely to give up than the older ones
<extra_id_1>are less experienced than the older ores
<extra_id_2>are filler and stronger than the older ones
<extra_id_3>are able and reliable
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?" Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son, mentally and physically disabled, were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence. Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning .I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the final inning. Shay struggled over to the team's bench and put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the final inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously joyful just to be in the game and on the field. In the bottom of the final inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. Would they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was almost impossible. The first pitch came and Shay missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to throw the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The pitcher could have easily thrown he ball to the first baseman and Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game .Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, beyond the reach of all teammates, The audience and the players from both teams started screaming, "Shay, run to first! " Never in his life had Shay ever run that far but made it to first base, wide-eyed and shocked.. Everyone should, "Run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time, could have thrown the ball to the second baseman, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head. All were screaming,"Shay,Shay,Shay,all the way Shay." Shay reached third base when one opposing player ran to help him and shouted, "Shay, run to third." As Shay rounded third, all were on their feet, crying,"Shay, run home!"Shay ran to home, stepped on the home base and was cheered as the hero who the who won the game for his team. That day, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece true love and humanity into this world. Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully hug her little hero of the day! What to you think is the theme of the story?
<extra_id_0>True human nature could be realized in the way we treat each other.
<extra_id_1>Everyone has his own strength even if mentally or physically disabled.
<extra_id_2>Everyone can develop his team spirit in sports and please his parents.
<extra_id_3>The results of the game should not be the only concern of the players.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>An Apple's Words I am an apple. You can find me growing in many places in the world. I am like my cousins, pears and bananas. I am more round than a pear, and bananas are longer than I. I am delicious , so people all over the world like to eat me. I cost very little money and I help make people healthy. There is a saying in English : . Don't you think I'm great? The best title of the passage is _
<extra_id_0>All kinds of fruits
<extra_id_1>Apples are delicious
<extra_id_2>An apple a day keeps the doctor away
<extra_id_3>Apples
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>The following is the story of a SARS patient named Wang and his fight with the disease. I woke up around 6 : 30 this morning, on my ninth day in hospital since I caught SARS. Glancing over at my roommate, Xiao Huang, a 27-year-old employee of a Beijing software company, I saw he was also awake. After a light breakfast, a nurse came in and took my temperature. It was 36.6 centigrade. We're at Changxindian Hospital in southwestern Beijing, a newly named SARS patient hospital. It seems I am now recovering as my fever has gone down in recent days. When I first got the disease , I spent four days with a temperature above 39.5 centigrade--at one point it reached 40. 1 centigrade. At 8 : 30 am, a nurse took a blood sample and X-ray of my chest. Then my daily treatment began with the help of the experts from Guangdong and WHO. Before the first bottle finished, my wife rang me. I talked with her on my mobile phone. It has become a major connection with the outside world. Several friends also called me in the morning. I am feeling great these days--no fever, no headache and no pain in the chest, which are all symptoms of SARS. My slight cough is gone since I began taking a new round of medicines yesterday. The doctor told me that I may be set free from hospital in two weeks and a half. How long does the writer have to stay altogether in the hospital before he is sent home?
<extra_id_0>Seventeen days.
<extra_id_1>Nine days
<extra_id_2>More than thirty days.
<extra_id_3>More than twenty-five days.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>SALT LAKE CITY--The Utah Jazz basketball team signed a 5-year-old.Free-agent player to a one-day contract for a special performance in October.The Utah Jazz has just made his dream come true.The boy has suffered from blood cancer since 2012. JP Gibson,who was diagnosed with severe blood cancer,signed his contract with Jazz President Randy Rigby before joining the team for the pre-season training play at Utah Jazz's sport center.JP was joined by his parents,Josh and Megan,and his 2-year-old sister,Elsie. The activity was hosted by the Jazz and photographer Jon Diaz's"Anything Can Be"project,which provides support and hope to families like the Gibsons.Jon Diaz asks children with cancer what their dreams and wishes are,and he writes their stories in a book. JP,wearing a No.1 shirt,even got to play in the play.He passed the ball,and Rudy obert,a player of Utah Jazz,lifted him up so he could dunk and shake hands with some players as fans were cheerful. "JP loves most sports,but basketball is absolutely his favorite," Megan Gibson said in a statement released by the Jazz."When he was just over one year old,he would sit with my husband,Josh,watching games.He started insisting on shooting hoops for an hour each night before bedtime when he was just 15 months old.He knows he has to be 6 before he can play Junior Jazz,and he reminds us all the time that he can't wait until he's 6." Anything Can Beproject _ .
<extra_id_0>raises money to help the development of NBA
<extra_id_1>provides support and hope to kids loving basketball
<extra_id_2>has kids with cancer write their stories in a book
<extra_id_3>offers assistance to those who are in misfortune
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>We have designed all our bank cards to make your life easier. How to use your NatWest Servicecard . As a Switch card, it lets you pay for all sorts of goods and services, wherever you see the Switch logo. The money comes straight out of your account, so you can spend as much as you like as long as you have enough money ( or an agreed overdraft to cover it. It is also a cheque guarantee for up to the amount shown on the card. And it gives you free access to your money from over 31,000 cash machines across the UK. How to use your NatWest Cashcard You can use your Cashcard as a Solo card to pay for goods and services wherever you see the Solo logo. It can also give you access to your account and your cash from over 31,000 cash machines nationwide. You can spend or withdraw what you have in your account, or as much as your agreed overdraft limit. Using your cards abroad You can also use your Servicecard and Cashcard when you're abroad. You can withdraw cash at cash machines and pay for goods and services wherever you see the Cirrus or Maestro logo displayed. We take a commission charge of 2.25% of each cash withdrawal you make. . We also apply a foreign-exchange transaction fee of 2.65%. How to use your Nat West Credit Card With your credit card you can do the following: * Pay for goods and services and enjoy up to 56 days interest-free credit. * Pay in over 24 million shops worldwide that display the Mastercard or Visa logos. * Collect one AIR MILE for everyPS20 of spending that appears on your statement . (This does not include foreign currency or traveller's cheques bought,interest and other charges.) If you carry the Servicecard or the Cashcard , _ .
<extra_id_0>you can use it to guarantee things as you wish
<extra_id_1>you can draw your money from cash machines conveniently
<extra_id_2>you can spend as much money as you like without a limit
<extra_id_3>you have to pay some extra money when you pay for services in the UK
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>The secret of carrier pigeons' unbelievable ability to find their way home has been discovered by scientists: _ follow the roads just like we do. Scientists now believe the phrase "as the crow flies" no longer means the shortest most direct route between two points. They say it is likely that crows and other day birds also choose AA-suggested routes, even though it makes their journeys longer. Scientists at Oxford University spent 10 years studying homing pigeons using global positioning satellite (GPS) and got a surprising result. The birds often don't use the sun to decide their directions. Instead they fly along motorways, turn at crossing and even go around roundabouts , adding miles to their journeys. "It really has knocked our research team sideways to find that after a decade-long international study, pigeons appear to ignore their inbuilt directional instincts and follow the road system," said Prof Tim Guilford, reader in animal behavior at Oxford University's Department of Zoology. Guilford said pigeons use their own navigational system when doing long distance trips or when a bird does a journey for the first time. "But once homing pigeons have flown a journey more than once, they can fly home on a habitual route, much as we do when we are driving or walking home from work," said Guilford. "In short, it looks like it is mentally easier for a bird to fly down a road. They are just making their journey as simple as possible." What does the words " _ " refer to?
<extra_id_0>The crows.
<extra_id_1>The pigeons.
<extra_id_2>Day birds.
<extra_id_3>Animals that can fly.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Going Zero Waste means more than just managing the rubbish we create.It means reducing it too.While it might seem like a difficult thing to do, it's well worth it.And what better time to start than Christmas? We need to copy the way Nature wastes nothing.Many things are created by human society that we know will soon become useless and be thrown out.How many plastic bottles or even PCs end up in the rubbish bin? Instead,we should design products that can be more easily repaired,reused and recycled. Kamikatsu, a Japanese village,has already gone Zero Waste.The 2,000 villagers compost their leftovers,and recycle everything else.There are 34 different boxes at the re-cycling centre! Residents grumble about the inconvenience,but they also see the benefits. People who live Zero Waste lives are careful about what they do.They never take more than they need.Reusing plastic bags at supermarkets is a great way to reduce waste.And those who plan before they shop avoid having to throw food out later.Also,it's best not to go food shopping when you're hungry:You'll be sure to buy too much! Let's think about how to enjoy a Zero Waste Christmas.By sending recyclable cards,we can help our friends and family reduce waste.And what better way to enjoy the spirit of Christmas than with a real tree that can be replanted in the spring? Going Zero Waste requires us to think more about what happens before and after we act.It takes ambition,and it's not always easy.But just think how good it would be,both for ourselves and for the environment, if we never had to waste anything. What's the main purpose of this passage?
<extra_id_0>To enjoy a clean Christmas.
<extra_id_1>To complain about the pollution.
<extra_id_2>To educate people to behave well.
<extra_id_3>To call on people to attend Zero Waste.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>A safari park is a park in which wild animals are kept. They are mainly located in east or central Africa. They often occupy a very wild area, with mountains and rivers. To visit the park and look at the animals, people have to drive around in a car for a few of hours because the park is huge. In south Africa there is a safari park, which contains all sorts of wild animals like lions, elephants, rhinoceroses, zebras, wild pigs, deer and giraffes. There is a wild road leading through the park, but nobody is permitted to walk on the road. Anyone traveling in the park has to go in a car because wild animals may fiercely attack people. From the car he may see almost every types of African wildlife. Some of these are getting rare because people kill them for various reasons. For example, rhinoceroses are killed for their horns, which are used in traditional Chinese medicines for colds and headaches. Perhaps they will be seen only in museums and books one day. Travels may purchase food for the animals. They can feed them when they tour the park. Of course, they should not feed them in a close distance because the wild animals may attack people. In addition, they should only give proper food to the animals. A traveler may carry a gun with him in his journey. The gun is given to him by the government. However, it is not used for hunting. In fact, a seal is fixed to it. The traveler may fire at a wild beast to defend himself in case he is attacked. However, he has to prove to the government that he has been attacked and that he has not fired at a harmless animal. What is the best title of this passage?
<extra_id_0>Protecting Wild Animals
<extra_id_1>Traveling in South Africa
<extra_id_2>A Safari Park in South Africa
<extra_id_3>Wild Animals in South Africa
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Audrey is a Chinese-American student. She has found many value differences between Chinese and Americans. About money Americans would like to spend more than they have, so many of them are always in debt . Chinese usually spend less than they have, so many of them have money left in the bank. American kids love to make money by themselves. Chinese kids always ask their parents for money. American parents think it is not useful to send their children to an expensive university. Chinese parents would do anything to send their children to a good university and that might make them very poor sometimes. About school Many American girls take part in sports, dancing and singing groups while Chinese girls take part in _ groups. Some American students think that "B" is a gift while Chinese students think that "B" is terrible. American parents and Chinese parents American parents allow their daughters or sons to go out to have some part-time jobs in their free time or at the weekends. Chinese parents usually don't allow their children to do so in middle or high schools. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
<extra_id_0>Chinese parents usually give their kids money.
<extra_id_1>American children love to make money by themselves.
<extra_id_2>The reason why Chinese parents would do anything to send their children to good universities.
<extra_id_3>Americans usually spend more money than they have.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Years ago, I worked for a trucking company as a driver. It was my habit to go to company on Saturday and spend a couple hours maintaining my truck. As I was under the truck, I noticed the owner's elderly father making his way over to his grandson's truck next to mine. The old man asked the kid to take him fishing. But the grandson told him all about how much he'd love to, but he couldn't due to the prior promises. The old man then walked away. Some minutes later, the father came out and asked his son what the old man had wanted. After telling the story, the kid ended it with saying, "I'm not taking that old man fishing. It's worse than taking a kid." That just broke my heart. I quit working immediately and headed home. I loaded up something like a lawn chair, a pole , and headed back to the yard. On the way I bought a big bobber and some worms. When I got there, I knocked on the door and invited him fishing. If I was like taking a kid fishing, I had determined to take him where I'd take a kid. When we got there I put him in the lawn chair beside the water, baited and cast the line, and handed him the pole. Soon that big old bobber started to dance; he set the hook, drew the fish in skillfully. And handed the pole to me. I unhooked the fish, re-baited and cast, and again handed it to him. This went on for about half an hour at which point he informed me he was tired and needed to go home. Then I got home. When I got him home I gave the fish to his daughter-in-law with instructions to make sure he got them for dinner and then left. Two weeks later, the old man died. His family told me later all he talked about during that time was his fishing trip. While I get the satisfaction of knowing I took an old man on his last fishing trip, his family has to live with the knowledge that a stranger took their grandpa on his last fishing trip. Whenever you get the chance, don't forget about taking grandpa fishing, you may be in the same place and you'll want your family to care about you too. Why did the grandson refuse the old man's request?
<extra_id_0>Because he had invited others.
<extra_id_1>Because he didn't know how to fish.
<extra_id_2>Because he had to take care of his kids.
<extra_id_3>Because he didn't want to take the trouble
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>A failed plot to kill Barack Obama, uncovered by US federal agents recently, has reminded people of the ideas that some humans associate with simple numbers. Two white American Neo-Nazi racists had planned to kill 88 African Americans, before finally assassinating Obama. The number "88" is equated with "HH", initials for the Nazi greeting, "Heil Hitler". "H" is the eighth letter of the alphabet . Many people were not familiar with the Neo-Nazi importance of 88, but associations attached to other numbers are more well-known, if not always believed. The number 13, for instance, is considered deeply unlucky. In the US, many buildings do not have a floor numbered 13. They instead label it 12A, or use the letter M, which is the 13th letter in the English alphabet. New York's John F. Kennedy International airport does not have a gate number 13. And the popular Irish flight carrier, Ryan Air, has banished row 13 from all its planes. Last year when Brussels Airline put 13 dots in their new logo, the flood of complaints was so vast the airline was forced to change their "unlucky logo" and add an additional dot. The fear comes from a Bible story, which states that Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th to sit at the table in the Last Supper. But the most fascinating fear of the number relates to Friday the 13th. It's a day of double bad luck. In the US, many people would not schedule a wedding for Friday the 13th. According to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in the US, an estimated 17 to 21 million Americans are affected by a fear of this day. From the passage, we can know that the Brussels Airline_.
<extra_id_0>doesn't have row 13
<extra_id_1>has 14 dots on its logo
<extra_id_2>has no flight take off on Fridays
<extra_id_3>was once stuck in a flood
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Human Capital - How what you know shapes your life Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 20 Feb 2007 Language: English ISBN: 9789264029088 Price: C15 I $19 1$10 This book explores the influence of education and learning on our societies and lives and examines what countries are doing to provide education and training to support people throughout their lives. Economic Policy Reforms -- Going/or Growth, 2007 Edition Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 15 Feb 2007 Language: English ISBN: 9789264030473 Price: $60|$75|$41 Based on a broad set of indicators of structural policies and performance, Going for Grcwth 2007 takes stock of the recent progress made in implementing policy reforms and identifies, for each OECD country, five policy priorities to lift growth. Climate Change in the European Alps -- Adapting Winter Tourism and Natural Hazards Management Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 22 Jan 2007 Language: English ISBN: 9789264031685 Price: $24 $32$ 17 The first systematic cross-country analysis of snow-reliability of Alpine ski areas under climate change for five countries in the region: France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany. OECD in Figures 2006--2007--Statistics on the Member Countries -- OECD Observer-- Volume 2006 Supplement 1 Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 05 Jan 2007 Language: English ISBN: 9789264022638 Price.; $15 |$20 |$10 A handy pocket reference containing key data covering the entire range of OECD work including the economy, employment, health, education, migration, the environment, science and technology, public finances, agriculture, trade, and development aid. OECD Economic Outlook -- December No, 80 -- Volume 2006 Issue 2 Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 26 Jan 2007 language-English ISBN: 9789264030954 Price: $80 | $97|$55 OECD's twice yearly assessment and projections for the economies of the OECD area and selected non-members. This edition also looks at the rise in household debt. We can learn from the passage that Alps is _ .
<extra_id_0>an Austrian interesting place most attractive in summer seasons
<extra_id_1>an European mountain belonging to three countries
<extra_id_2>a stadium for skiing lovers from five European countries
<extra_id_3>an European mountain famous for its winter skiing
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Two years ago my grandmother was going to turn 75. My family discussed what was the best way to celebrate. Should we throw her a party ? Should we take her on a trip ? We remembered that she had touched so many people's lives, and there were so many people for her to consider. Then someone got the idea that we should include everyone in the celebration by turning it into a tribute to my grandmother. We secretly sent out letters to the people in Grandmother's address book and asked them to send a letter with a memory that they had shared with her. People sent us letters with poems, stories and pictures. The deep feeling that was shared through the response surprised us. We compiled these letters into a memory book and amazed her with it on the morning of her birthday. The unusual thing about my grandmother's friends was not the number that she had, but the connection they shared. In many ways this book of friendship was the greatest achievement of my grandmother's life. I believe that developing true friendships is one of the most important things that anyone can do in one's lifetime. It is not a matter of the number of friends one has, but the quality of the bonds. If one has had at least one true friendship before dying, then one can say one has lived a successful life. I have made many friends and I believe I have begun to develop the same types of friendships my grandmother kept up over her lifetime. I only hope that I will be as successful as she has been. Which of the following words can best describe the author's grandmother ?
<extra_id_0>Kind.
<extra_id_1>Great.
<extra_id_2>Polite
<extra_id_3>Pleasant
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Steve Sparks was a young successful lawyer when a bruise on one of the legs of his 3-year-old daughter changed his life. The bruise led to a doctor's visit. The doctor said his daughter was suffering from leukemia . Steve said that in a moment his life changed from what restaurant he was going to take his clients to lunch to whether his daughter Katie was ever going to see her fourth birthday. For three years Katie received a lot of treatment at the Nemours Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and with the help of wonderful doctors, kind nurses, whom Steve and his wife Michelle called heroes, Katie's leukemia was cured . Forever changed by the experience and encouraged by the heroes at Nemours who saved his daughter's life, Steve felt he couldn't go back to business as usual. He felt there was something else he was meant to do and that something else led him to join the Nemours Foundation at the age of 28. The job change came with a 65% pay cut from what he was making as a lawyer, but Steve thought he was right and it was more important to help those who need help. Steve is glad to have made such a choice. Katie is now a healthy 20-year-old college student and Steve is one of the leaders of the Nemours Foundation. In three weeks Steve will have a party for Katie's 21st birthday, and give big thanks to the Nemours by riding his bicycle from Nemours in Jack-sonville, Florida to Wilmington, Delaware. He'll ride 900 miles in 9 days and raise $100,000 for the Nemours Foundation with the hope of saving more children's lives. From the text we can learn that _ .
<extra_id_0>Steve hated being a lawyer
<extra_id_1>Katie's bruise caused leukemia
<extra_id_2>Katie suffered from leukemia at four
<extra_id_3>Steve had ever doubted whether Katie could survive
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Which step will most likely ensure that the results of an investigation are valid?
<extra_id_0>using a computer to graph results
<extra_id_1>verifying that results match the original hypothesis
<extra_id_2>comparing the results with those of other scientists
<extra_id_3>eliminating any results that appear to be abnormal
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Running Man is a variety show which is aired in SBS, a famous South Korean TV channel. The show broadcasts on Sunday every week. The translation can be watched on the Internet every Monday. It's very interesting and funny. In the program, everyone should keep running. Here are some information of its hosts and hostess. Liu Zaishi, the main host of the show, is known as National Moderator(,). His friendly, witty and lovely hosting style makes him become one of the most popular hosts and comedians in South Korean. Jin Zhongguo, the strongest man on the show, is known as Sparta-kooks . During the race, he can capture others quickly. But sometimes, he can be very cute. Song Zhixiao, the beautiful actress who is also called Mong Zhi, where "mong" means "confused", because of her facial expressions which makes her seem confused. During the race mission, she is ace because of her superior ability to capture. Young people in Korea love the program very much. Why? Because some South Korean stars will be invited to take part in the race every week . They are divided into several teams with MCs. Many stars have participated in the program, for example, Li Minhao, Girls'Generation , Jin Xiuxian etc. What's more, the program is not only relaxing but also educational--- It teaches people the importance of team spirit. What makes Liu Zaishi one of the most popular hosts and comedians in South Korean?
<extra_id_0>His handsome look.
<extra_id_1>His friendly, witty and lovely hosting style.
<extra_id_2>His facial expressions.
<extra_id_3>His ability of capture.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>For Children Museum: Children's Museum, Sundays, 89 North Street, 67641235 Story time: Children's Library, 106 Green Street, Wednesdays during 9:30 a.m -5:00p.m. 66599624 Sports: Soccer Club, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 16 Yangtze Road, 96725643 Basketball Club, Wednesdays and Fridays, 79071632 Cinema: New films for children, 99 Brick Road, 69001354 Useful Phone Numbers Fast Food Restaurant: 66387901 Hospital: 68787451 Visitor Information Center: 800-120-9847 Taxi: 79210583 Visitor Hotel Information: 800-739-7302 You can not get any information about _ from the two notices.
<extra_id_0>looking for a hotel
<extra_id_1>eating fast food
<extra_id_2>doing eye exercises
<extra_id_3>taking a taxi
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Who is smarter, human being or artificial intelligence(AI, )?The question swept the world a few months ago. In March 2016, AlphaGo, an AI program developed by Google, had the Go match with Lee Sedol, a South Korean Go player. He is the world top player of this old Chinese game. In October 2015, AlphaGo became the first computer program to beat a professional human Go player. And this time, it beat Lee Sedol 4-1. In fact, before the match, most people believed that Lee would certainly be the winner, because they didn't think that AI was good enough to beat the human mind. However, the result was disappointing. As a machine, AlphaGo would never get tired, while Lee Sedol was only a human and humans must have some weaknesses. AlphaGo's wins over a human champion show that computers can do more difficult tasks. Some people may worry whether computers are now smart enough to beat us at everything. But scientists say that is not the case. Real life problems can be more difficult than the Go game. Thomas Johnson, a scientist of AI said, "It's not hard to get a computer program to remember and produce facts. What is hard is getting computers to use knowledge in everyday situation. " We believe we can use the technology of AI to improve the world. What was the result of the match?
<extra_id_0>Google program beat AlphaGo.
<extra_id_1>Lee Sedol won AlphaGo 4-1.
<extra_id_2>Lee Sedol was beaten.
<extra_id_3>Neither side won the match.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>In Washington D.C., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a very special address. It is the address of the White House, the home of the president of the United States. Originally the White House was gray and was called the presidential Palace. It was built from 1792 to 1800. At this time, the city of Washington itself was being built. It was to be the nation's new capital city. George Washington, the first president, and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer, chose the place for the new city. L'Enfant then planned the city. The president's home was an important part of the plan. A contest was held to pick a design for the president's home. An architect named James Hoban won. He designed a large three-story house of gray stone. President Washington never lived in the Presidential Palace. The first president to live there was John Adams, the second president of the United States, and his wife Mrs.Adams did not really like her new house. In her letters, she often complained about the cold. Fifty fireplaces were not enough to keep the house warm. In 1812 the United States and Britain went to war. In 1814 the British invaded Washington. They burned many buildings, including the Presidential Palace. After the war James Hoban, the original architect, partially rebuilt the president's home. To cover the marks of the fire, the building was painted white. Before long it became known as the White House. The White House is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States. Every year more than 1.5 million visitors go through the five rooms that are open to the public. The original home of the president needed to be rebuilt _ .
<extra_id_0>because John Adams' wife did not like it
<extra_id_1>because it was cold in winter even with 50 fireplace
<extra_id_2>because it had been burned down during the war
<extra_id_3>because George Washington was not willing to live in it
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>At first sight the planet Mars does not appear very welcoming to any kind of life. It has very little oxygen and water, the temperature at night is below 50 degrees and winds of 100 miles (161 kilometers)per hour cause severe dust storms. However, the surface of the planet seems to show that water flowed across it at some time in the past, and it is believed that there would be enough ice at the poles to cover the planet with water if it melted. Although there is no life on the Mars now, some scientists think there may have been some form of life a long time ago. At that time, the planet had active volcanoes ; the atmosphere was thicker and warmer; and there was water. In fact, in some ways the Mars may have been similar to the Earth, where life exists. Some people believe that the Mars could support life in the future if the right conditions were produced. The first step would be to warm the planet using certain gases which trap the Sun's heat in the planet's atmosphere. With warmth, water and carbon dioxide , simple plants could begin to grow. These plants could slowly make the Mars fit to live on. It is judged that the whole process might take between 100, 000 and 200, 000 years. In the meantime, people could begin to live on the planet in a special closed environment. They would provide a lot of useful information about conditions on Mars and the problems connected with living there. According to the passage, the planet Mars has no _ on it.
<extra_id_0>animals
<extra_id_1>mountains
<extra_id_2>dust
<extra_id_3>winds
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>We all need friends and we always have. Our ancestors found that gaining the basic necessities of life was easier in a group. It's estimated that the maximum number of people who lived in early communities of hunter-gatherers was 150. Friends aren't bound(......)by blood or family bonds, employment contracts or legal obligations. Our circle of associates includes work colleagues and people we meet at parties, in the pub or on the train to work. Some associates are much more important than our family. We are capable of exchanging an email with these associates, and may have mutual acquaintances with a good number of them, providing common ground. We do things for one another because we want to. Whether writing an answer to a photo put on Facebook, sending a birthday card by post, or making a hospital visit, the efforts we have made for our friends are out of kindness. It is this nature of friendship which requires nothing in return that makes it beneficial and valuable. Friendships take work, and they need to be nurtured, nourished and maintained. We feel good about helping our friends because we are friends. However, we often lose touch with our friends because of a lack of time and energy. When we are carrying a heavy load at work, involved in a serious relationship or raising children, it's hard to spare time for friends. In these situations, we need to remind ourselves of what friends are for and why they can be so important in our lives. In a survey of more than 2,000 married couples aged 55 or older, for both men and women, having friends was the best predictor of being satisfied in marriage -- possibly because they were more satisfied with their lives as a result of having friends. Researchers suggest social relationships are the reason why women live longer than men, Social bonds reduce the risk of disease by reducing blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate. A lack of good friends is as harmful to your health as smoking or being overweight. Indeed, people without friends are more likely to die younger. Not only do friendships prolong our lives, they make us happier too. People who are socially active don't feel so stressed or feel they can not enjoy anything easily -- they also tend to feel better about their lives and who they are. What makes friendship beneficial and valuable?
<extra_id_0>Its being not bound by blood or family bonds.
<extra_id_1>Its being easy to maintain.
<extra_id_2>The good we have done to our friends.
<extra_id_3>That we make efforts for friends out of kindness.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>A 26-year-old Montreal man appears to have succeeded in his quest to barter a single, red paper clip all the way up to a house. It took almost a year and 14 trades, but Kyle MacDonald has been offered a two-storey farmhouse in Kipling, Sask., for a paid role in a movie. MacDonald began his quest last summer when he decided he wanted to live in a house. He didn't have a job, so instead of posting a resume, he looked at a red paper clip on his desk and decided to trade it on an Internet website. The response was immediate --a fish pen was offered for exchange. MacDonald then bartered the fish pen for a handmade doorknob from a potter in Seattle. In Massachusetts, MacDonald traded the doorknob for a camp stove. He traded the stove to a U.S. soldier in California for a generator. Then he exchanged the generator for an "instant party kit" -- an empty keg and an illuminated Budweiser beer sign. MacDonald then traded the keg and sign for a snowmobile. He bartered all the way up to an afternoon with rock star Alice Cooper, a KISS snow globe and finally a paid role in a Corbin Bernsen movie. "Now, I'm sure the first question on your mind is, 'Why would Corbin Bernsen trade a role in a film for a snow globe? A KISS snow globe,' MacDonald said on his website."Well, Corbin happens to be arguably one of the biggest snow globe collectors on the planet. Now, the town of Kipling, Sask., Canada, with a population of 1,100,has offered MacDonald a farmhouse in exchange for the role in the movie. The town is going to hold a competition for the movie role. MacDonald said: "There're people all over the world that are saying that they have paper clips clipped to the top of their computer, or on their desk or on their shirt, and it proves that anything is possible and I think to a certain degree it's true." MacDonald, who has attracted international media attention in his quest, said the journey has turned out to be more exciting than the goal. "This is not the end. This may be the end of this part of the story, but this story will go on." What can we learn about MacDonald?
<extra_id_0>He wanted to gain fame through his quest.
<extra_id_1>His success largely depended on the Internet.
<extra_id_2>He never expected his aim could be achieved.
<extra_id_3>He intends to begin another quest on the Web.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Ladybirds didn't have black spots on their backs at first. Then a storm broke out, and their famous guide, Caius Insectus, disappeared into the flood , and the few ladybirds who survived had to choose a new leader to guide them out of trouble. They decided that their new leader would be the first ladybird to successfully travel south to the Great Lake and return to describe it. Many young ladybirds moved off immediately into this adventure. One by one they returned and told of how beautiful the southern lake was at that time of year, with its clear waters and flowers. However, the last of the ladybirds was late in getting back. He hadn't managed to reach the lake. Everyone criticized him, and they prepared to continue their journey the next day. Following their new guide, they spent a morning walking northwards until they reached some tall thick grassland, where they stopped. There were no clear waters or flowers in front of them. The heavy rain had turned the place into a huge green puddle . Everyone understood what had happened. When the ladybirds had gone out looking for the lake, they had gone in the wrong direction. Now they could see that, except that one late ladybird, they had lied in order to get what they wanted. And so, the late little ladybird was made the Great Guide. They also decided that every time one of them was discovered lying they would paint a black spot on that ladybird's back. From then on, when a ladybird looks at another's back, it can tell whether that ladybird can be trusted. Why did the ladybirds decide to choose a new guide?
<extra_id_0>They lost their way in the storm.
<extra_id_1>They weren't satisfied with Caius Insectus.
<extra_id_2>They needed someone to lead them out of danger.
<extra_id_3>They needed someone to help prepare for the storm.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Miss Benson was the kindest and sweetest person that ever walked the earth. She was my second-grade teacher, and I was going to marry her when I grew up. I would sit in my seat for the entire morning. I wouldn't miss one moment for her presence by leaving the room. My hand was always the first to be raised when Miss Benson called for volunteers to clean the blackboards or gather papers. I would arrange and rearrange the papers. They had to be in perfect order before I went back to my seat unwillingly. Early in the term, I started asking my mother to put an extra apple or peach in my lunch, but I never quite worked up the courage to hand my gift to her directly. Each day the delicacy found its way unobserved to the corner of her desk. And each day the response was the same. ''Why, how nice! '' She would pick up the offering and asked: ''What thoughtful little boy or girl brought me this? '' No one claimed the honor, least of all me. I kept my head down, looking at my desk. ''Can it be that I have a secret admirer? '' she added. I would feel the red rising in my face. I was certain that everyone was looking at me, and I would sigh with relief when Miss Benson put the fruit away and started the lesson. Friday was Miss Benson's birthday. Everyone wanted to get her a present. I would give her something, openly. That afternoon was spent combing the fields for wild flowers. Not many were in bloom at that time of year, but finally I managed a patch of beautiful flowers... In the morning I went to the desk and gave the beautiful flowers to Miss Benson. She accepted them happily and held them to her cheek for a moment. My reward was a smile and a pat on the head. The next Monday, Miss Benson was not in class. About the middle of the morning, I was asked to go to the headmaster's office. When I arrived, I was surprised to see my mother. On a table were my beautiful flowers... In the end I was told that the flowers were poisonous. Which of the following is true?
<extra_id_0>Sometimes the boy handed his gift to his teacher directly.
<extra_id_1>Some classmates of the boy's noticed him put his gift on the corner of her desk.
<extra_id_2>The boy was too shy to give his gift to his teacher.
<extra_id_3>The teacher knew the boy was her secret admirer.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>The Man Who Never Puts a Foot Wrong Some people do not like anything to be out of place. They are never late for work; they return their books to the library on time; they remember people's birthdays; they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Dodds is such a person. Mr. Dodds works in a bank, and lives on his own. The only family he has is in the next town: his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Mark. Mr. Dodds does not visit his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Mark's seventeen birthdays. Last week Mr. Dodds had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast. He parked his car where he always parked it, out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Straight away, there was a knock at the door. Mr. Dodds opened the door to find a policeman standing on the doorstep. "What have I done wrong?" Mr. Dodds asked himself. "Have I driven on the wrong side of the road? Has there been some trouble at the bank? Have I forgotten to pay an important bill?" "Hello, uncle," said the policeman, "my name is Mark." From the passage we know that his sister .
<extra_id_0>never writes back to him
<extra_id_1>is the only member of the family that he knows
<extra_id_2>lives in the next town with her husband and son
<extra_id_3>has a small family: a daughter, Mark and her husband
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>It's never easy moving schools. You're settled in the school you're in, you have your friends and you know your teachers and you just don't want the change. But unfortunately sometimes it is necessary to move schools and start again. Once you've started at the new school there are little tips and tricks you could try to help you fit in and make new friends easily. When you start at a new school you may be nervous and be keen to make new friends as soon as possible. You may feel like you need to make friends by changing who you are. If you want to make friends quickly you may feel like to fit in your need to alter your personality. This is not a good idea. Changing who you are for other people will only make you feel insecure and pressured. Be yourself, you don't need to change and you soon enough will find friends who like you for what you are. When you move to a new school in a new area you may want to keep in touch with friends from your last school and, depending on how far you now live from the old school, you usually can. But that doesn't mean you should avoid making friends at your new school. If you are invited to another pupil's house for tea, take up the offer. You may prefer to go out with your old friends but by getting involved with other pupils you'll find yourself making friends much more easily. The teachers at your new school will be happy to help you settle in. If you are having any trouble fitting in or even if you just want to talk to someone who understands, have a word with your teacher. He or she will be happy to listen to you. If you are having trouble with another class member and you don't know what to do about it, talk with your teacher. Your teacher is there to help so be sure to confide in him or her whenever you need to. Moving to a new school in an unfamiliar area can be hard. You'll be keen to fit in but don't worry too much. Before long you'll have made lots of friends and you'll be having fun again. After moving to a new school, you should _ .
<extra_id_0>listen to your teacher
<extra_id_1>try to be yourself
<extra_id_2>change your personality
<extra_id_3>forget your old friends
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Bob is 11 years old. He goes to a boarding school . He stays at school five days a week. He is in the baseball club and music club. He likes playing baseball very much and he is good at singing and playing instruments . He can play the violin , the piano and the guitar well. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, are music teachers. They teach in another school. They like music very much and are successful in music. They often sing at singing shows on TV. Bob's sister, Mary, is 5. She can sing a lot of songs. She can dance well, too. She says she wants to be a musician and a famous dancer. Mary is good at _ .
<extra_id_0>dancing
<extra_id_1>teaching
<extra_id_2>piano
<extra_id_3>drawing
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Driving on up to Yosemite with my family was exciting but nerve-racking . I had never been to such an amazing national park before, yet I wasn't the most athletic person so I knew that I couldn't stick through all the hiking up and down. It actually ended up being a fun and adventurous experience. The ride there was definitely long but worth it. As I woke up from my nap, I saw the beautiful scenery of the tall mountains and beautiful streams. The trails were made nicely for visitors. The waterfalls were breathtaking. Climbing up rocks was one of my favorite parts. Even though I fell a couple of times, I still have a lot of fun. The fact that my family and I spent so much time together all trying to find out which route to take and what views to watch really brought us closer together. The great thing about nature is that, it's just you, the views, and the people around you. There's nothing there to bother you and it's the best way to relax and enjoy yourself. Yosemite has 5 of the world's highest waterfalls, and about 300 lakes. The structure of each mountain is incredible; it's formed in ways that almost take your breath away. Some of them are of a deep dark color1 with waterfalls forming; some are formed with spots of green peeking out. It's definitely something you wouldn't want to miss. Yosemite isn't the only great National Park but based on my experience I highly recommend going out and enjoying nature with family and friends. It's a great time to bond, laugh, and take in what Mother Nature offers. According to the passage, Yosemite _ .
<extra_id_0>is crowded with visitors every day
<extra_id_1>is the only great National Park
<extra_id_2>is worth travelling to
<extra_id_3>is nothing but a common destination
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>I am a student in China now. My name is Kelly Smith. I live with my parents, two sisters and a brother in Beijing. My parents teach English in No.6 Middle School. I study in the same school. I am happy here, because I like my new school and the classmates. They are very friendly to me. They like to play with me because I look different from them. I have blue eyes and long blonde hair. They often say I look like a doll . Also I speak English well, so lots of students like to talk with me to improve their English. Why does Kelly like her new school?
<extra_id_0>Because it is very big.
<extra_id_1>Because it is very beautiful.
<extra_id_2>Because the classmates are friendly to her.
<extra_id_3>Because her parents teach her.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>There was a cat. Her name was Maggie. Maggie was a large cat. She was not tall but rather round. She was happy most of the time. Maggie lived with a family that loved her very much. They all lived in the city together downtown. They were no other animals that lived with them. They lived in an apartment. Maggie was lucky because she and her family lived on the ground floor and they had a big back yard that had a fence. This meant she got to go outside and play! Maggie's family loved her very much. She knew this because they took such good care of her. She had her very own purple cat bed. She loved her bed, and purple. This was her favorite color and her favorite place to sleep. If she did not sleep on the lap of one of her family this was her favorite place to sleep. She also knew that they loved her because they made sure to feed her every day. In fact, they fed many times a day. This is why she was so large. One day when she was in the yard a group of street cats came up to her. "Oink, oink" they said in mean voices. They were teasing her because she was so big. She did not know that other cats thought that being big was a bad thing. She knew they were upset because they did not have a family to feed them. Maggie went in and meowed to the family to come feed these new cats. They did, and from then on, every day, they came to Maggie's to eat, and Maggie became the most popular girl in the neighborhood. Where was Maggie's favorite place to sleep
<extra_id_0>in the backyard
<extra_id_1>on her purple cat bed
<extra_id_2>on her family's lap
<extra_id_3>on the street
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty. In fact, they say by the age of eighty-five, people are happier with their life than they were when they were eighteen years old. The findings came from a survey of more than three hundred forty thousand adults in the United States. The Gallup Organization questioned them by telephone in two thousand eight. At that time, the people were between the ages of eighteen and eighty-five. The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry. They also asked about mental or emotional stress. Arthur Stone in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-five. The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties. Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. The people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties. The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older. One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences. Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be linked to changes in how people see the world, or maybe even changes in brain chemistry. The researchers also considered possible influences like having young children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age. The study also showed that men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older. However, women at all ages reported more sadness, stress and worry than men. According to the researchers, what is probably the reason why people grow happier when they get older?
<extra_id_0>When people get older, they can't remember bad experiences.
<extra_id_1>When people get older, they have no young children to care about.
<extra_id_2>When people get older, they don't care about their feelings.
<extra_id_3>When people get older, they learn to adjust their feelings.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Japanese people,who never miss a chance to be photographed,were lining up to get their pictures on a postage stamp.Vanity stamps with personal photographs went on sale for the first time in Japan as part of an international postage stamp exhibition.The customer's photo was taken with a digital camera and then printed on stamp sheets,a process that takes about five minutes.Sold in a sheet of 10 stamps for $8.80,little more than the cost of lunch in Tokyo,each stamp printed a different scene from a traditional painting along with the photo. The stamps can be used normally to mail a letter,and postal officials hope they will help encourage interest in letter writing in the Internet age."Certainly e-mail is a useful method of communication,but letters are fun in a different way,"said Hatsumi Shimizu an official in the Post Ministry."We want to show young people that letters can be fun too."[ While similar stamp sheets appeared in Australia in 1999 and are now sold in some nations and territories,Japan's fondness for commemorative photos is likely to make them especially popular here.Indeed,officials had prepared 1 000 sheets but they were sold out in less than 30 minutes.Although the stamps are currently only available as a special service during the exhibition,postal officials said they may start selling them on a regular basis in the future. The purpose of this activity is _ .
<extra_id_0>to make the international postage stamp exhibition more interesting
<extra_id_1>to make more stamps for normal use
<extra_id_2>to draw interest in writing letters
<extra_id_3>to satisfy Japan's fondness of commemorative photos
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Putting a cardboard box in a bin instead of the trash can
<extra_id_0>conserve energy for later
<extra_id_1>save wild animal species
<extra_id_2>keep it from the trash
<extra_id_3>reduce the height of landfills
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>In spring, you may have seen white foam on a green tree or other plants. As a matter of fact, the foam is where young spittlebugs live. These insects are protected by the foam, and they usually don't do much harm to the plants. As we all know, in late summer, a mother spittlebug lays her eggs on the plant. The babies will hatch in spring. After they come to the new world, they begin to eat juice from the plant. The babies eat more juice than their bodies need for food. The extra juice mixes with a special waste that the spittlebugs produce. When this fluid is released, it mixes with the air, forming bubbly foam. What is so great about having a foam home? The space inside is so wet that it can keep the bugs' soft bodies from drying out. And the foam tastes bad, so it keeps away most animals that would eat the bugs. Some birds will reach their heads through the foam to find the bugs. Wasps and ants might eat them, too. But most of the bugs stay safe inside the foam. Once the bugs have grown into adults, they stop making foam. They leave their homes and jump from plant to plant in search of food. The adults look a little like tiny frogs. For this reason they are also called froghoppers. If you see some foam on a plant, you might want to take a careful look inside. Gently push some of the foam aside with a small stick. Deep inside you may see a few insects eating plant juice. They might also be making more foam. Be sure to push the foam back after a moment to cover the insects and keep them safe. Soon the spittlebugs will grow up and leave their foam home. They will join the other insects in the grassland. According to the passage, the white foam _ .
<extra_id_0>does much harm to the plant
<extra_id_1>protects the plant from being harmed
<extra_id_2>is where a mother spittlebug is living
<extra_id_3>is plant juice mixed with spittlebugs' waste and the air
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Once Mr King had a cat, and he loved it very much. He called it "Sky", because he thought "Sky" was the strongest name in the world. One day he had a meal at a restaurant with his cat. He met his old friend. He told him about his lovely cat and its name. His friend said, "How foolish you are! Sky is not the strongest thing in the world. My cat is called 'Cloud' because cloud is stronger than sky." After hearing this, Mr King called his cat "Wind" because he thought wind was stronger than cloud. After a few days he suddenly thought that "Wall" was stronger than wind. And "Mouse " was stronger than wall. So he went to his friend to ask for an idea. His friend said, "Don't you think 'Cat' is stronger than mouse?" "Yes, but..." The man thought and thought and then decided his cat's name had better be "Cat" because a mouse was always afraid of a cat. Don't you think Mr King is very silly or funny? He decided his cat's last name was _ .
<extra_id_0>Mouse
<extra_id_1>Wall
<extra_id_2>Cloud
<extra_id_3>Cat
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Films provide more than just entertainment.For many people,watching English films is a way to develop language skills.While watching a film,you are immersed in the language and can pick up new expressions that you might not find in a textbook.Some difficulties can arise when watching English films--for example,unfamiliar colloquial language or strong regional accents.With this in mind,here are my tips to help you make progress in English learning while enjoying the films. Choose a film genre that you enjoy. If you like action films,watch an action film--for example Indiana Jones.If you prefer comedies,watch a comedy--anything with Hugh Grant in always provides a laugh!It's simple enough,but if you choose something you enjoy watching in your native language,you're more likely to enjoy it in English. Choose something that you are familiar with. It's best to start off with something simple because in this way you have a higher chance of understanding the film.Disney films such asThe Lion King,or the more recently releasedTangled,are classic examples.Other cartoons such as Up and The Lego Movieare also worth a watch. Ask friends for advice Perhaps you have friends who have already seen English film? If so, they may be able to recommend one. If you need to,use the English _ Subtitles are very helpful for beginners.Using subtitles in your own language is the easiest choice,but for more advanced learners why not consider using English subtitles? This way,you can match the written subtitles to the words spoken on screen.It helps you to develop your language further. One way to get the most out of English films is watching films _ .
<extra_id_0>with a foreigner
<extra_id_1>about familiar topics
<extra_id_2>native speakers recommend
<extra_id_3>without words on the screen
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>A man punished his 5-year-old daughter for wasting some expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was little and he became more upset when the child used the gold paper to decorate a box and put it under a Christmas tree. However, the little girl brought the gift box to her father the next morning and said, " This is for you, daddy." The father was embarrassed by his earlier anger, but he got angry again when he found the box empty. He spoke to her in a serious manner, "Don't you know young lady, when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside the package?" The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh Daddy, it is not empty.I blew kisses into it until it was full." The father was moved. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his little girl and he begged her to forgive his unnecessary anger. An accident took the life of the child away only a short time later and it is told that the father kept the gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the child who had put it there. What happened to the girl in the end?
<extra_id_0>She went to primary school
<extra_id_1>She lost her life in an accident
<extra_id_2>She lost her father in an accident
<extra_id_3>She lived with her father happily.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Anna Koumikova was born on June 7th, 1981 in Moscow. Her parents' names are Allah and Sergel. When she was 5 years old, her parents sold their TV to buy her the first tennis bat for Christmas. She played in a club near her place until aged 11. Then she moved to Bradenton, Florida(USA) to train with Nick Bollitierri. At 14, she represented Russia in a Fed Cup match and became the youngest player ever to win a Fed Cup match. Kournikova made her WTA first show at 15 years old at the US Open where she finally lost against player Steffi Graf. But she made it to the double quarter finals that same match. In 1996, Kournikova won the Rookie of the Year award and the next year. She improved very much to even make it to the semi - finals in Wimbledon. She lost to world number one Martina Hingis at the French Open and at Wimbledon. In 1999 she won her professional title at Midland, Miehigon, an international Tennis Federation match. She was 5th favourite in Illinois the same year and won her 2nd career ITF match. She won her first grand slam title ill 1999 with Martina Hingis in doubles at the Australia Open. Since then, they have played regularly together and have quickly become one of the 'best pairs. Aim in 1999,she made her first career WTA final in key Biscayne against Venus Williams in a tough 3 set match. She alto won her first doubles tile with Monica Seles in Tokyo. At present Kournikova is more successful on the net than at the net. She remains the "most searched" and "most download " on the internet, three times more popular than the NO. 2 sports figure, Michael Jordan. She is still very young and she seems to have a great future ahead ! Kournikova won her first grand slam title in doubles at the Australia Open with_.
<extra_id_0>Steffi Graf
<extra_id_1>Venus Williams
<extra_id_2>Martina Hingis
<extra_id_3>Monica Seles
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>A tree frog with which characteristic is more likely to survive than other tree frogs?
<extra_id_0>a preference for rare insects
<extra_id_1>an unusually high-pitched call
<extra_id_2>skin that resembles tree leaves
<extra_id_3>a body larger than other tree frogs
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Built in 1794 for the 5th Duke of Bedford, this hotel in the heart of Bedford overlooks the River Ouse, which winds through the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside. We offer a flexible approach to conferencing. With purpose-built meeting rooms offering a flexible and functional space, our hotel is designed for comfort and convenience. Day Delegate (/),24 Hour Delegate or room hire only can be arranged to meet your needs and we offer a range of food and drinks for all requirements. The Bedford Swan Hotel provides an impressive range of conference, training and function rooms which are suitable for up to 300 delegates. Our hotel is located about 30 minutes' drive from Luton Airport and a 20-minute walk from Bedford Train Station with regular trains to and from Central London. What to expect: *A professional service from the beginning * Your own event consultant * A great location with car parking * Well-equipped rooms perfect for your meeting or event * Various Day Delegate packages * Personalized dining and refreshment breaks * Accurate billing Discounted Day Delegate Rates from PS 40 per person * Hold your meeting before 30th November 2014 and benefit from our special day delegate rates * Day Delegate Rate from PS40. 00 per person * Minimum numbers of 10 apply Call us on 02348 346566 or e-mail us on info@bedfordsvuanhotel.co.uk The special discount will be given if _ .
<extra_id_0>you spend more than 15 days in the hotel
<extra_id_1>12 delegates will hold a day meeting on October 10, 2014
<extra_id_2>guests pay PS40, 00 per person for the rooms they live in
<extra_id_3>a group of 20 delegates book the hotel rooms on December 2, 2014
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Teary Joe was a boy with a special ability: he could make himself cry in less than a second. If he disliked something, or things became difficult, Teary Joe would not hesitate to put on a pitiful face and set great big tears running down his cheeks. In this way he managed to get practically everything he wanted, because no one could resist the pity inspired by his tearful little face. But one day, Teary Joe met Pipo. Pipo was asking people in the street for some change, in return for him helping them in any way he could. Pipo was very poor; he had no home and no family, so he made a living however he could. Even so, Pipo always had the biggest smiles on his face. Joe took to Pipo, so he decided to help him out in making some money. He went over next to Pipo, took off his hat, put it face-up on the ground, and started crying with the most pitiful of expressions. Ina few minutes, Joe's hat was full of coins and sweets, but when Joe offered all this to Pipo, Pipo declined. "I prefer deserving what I receive," answered Pipo with his usual smile, "It's much more fun making an effort to get things. Maybe I haven't gotten everything I've wanted, but I've done a load of interesting things." Teary Joe didn't answer; he just walked sadly away. Joe had got everything he wanted, but he'd done practically nothing of interest the whole day. That evening, having returned home, Joe requested a delicious cake for his supper. When his mother said no, Joe tried to cry but, remembering Pipo and how joyful he was, he tried to get the cake in some other way. Joe spent the whole evening helping his mother to water the plants and organize the library books. In the end there was no cake. But that wasn't so bad, because Joe discovered it had been much more fun doing all those things that evening rather than just sitting crying to get a piece of cake that, in the end, wouldn't have been worth it. According to the passage, Teary Joe _ .
<extra_id_0>relied on others' sympathy before
<extra_id_1>was joyful in his life
<extra_id_2>hated working hard
<extra_id_3>was a naughty boy
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>A drunk walks into a bar and says to the waiter, "Waiter, buy everyone in the house a drink, pour yourself one, and give me the bill." So the waiter does just that and hands the man a bill for $57. The drunk says, "I haven't got it." The waiter slaps the guy around a few times, then throws him out into the street. The very next day the same drunk walks into the bar and once again says, "Waiter, buy everyone in the house a drink, pour yourself one, and give me the bill." The waiter looks at the guy and figures _ to _ himself that he can't possibly be stupid enough to play the same trick twice, so he gives him the benefit of the doubt, pours a round of drinks for the house, has a drink himself and hands the drunk a bill for $57. The drunk says, "I haven't got it." The waiter can't believe it. He picks the guy up, beats the living daylights out of him, then throws him out into the street. The next day the same drunk walks back into the same bar and says, "Waiter, buy everyone in the house a drink and give me the bill." In disgust , the waiter says, "What? No drink for me this time?" The drunk replies, "You? No way! You get too violent when you drink." What should be the best title of this story?
<extra_id_0>Rounds of Drinks, No Money
<extra_id_1>Don't Drink Too Much
<extra_id_2>The Clever Drunk
<extra_id_3>The Poor Waiter
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Mother Teresa was born in Yugoslavia, on August 27th, 1910. She attended the government school near her home until she was eighteen. At that time, some doctors and nurses from Yugoslavia were working in India, and they often wrote to the school about their work. She decided to join them one day. When she finished school, she went first to Britain. Then a year later she went to India, where she began to train to be a teacher. After training, she was sent to Calcutta, where she taught geography at a school and soon after became headmistress . However, although she loved teaching, in 1946 Mother Teresa left the school and went to work in the poor parts of Calcutta. Later she trained to be a nurse in Panta, and then began her work helping the poor and comforting the dying in the streets of the city. Slowly, others came to help her, and her work spread to other parts of India. Mother Teresa is now a well-known person. Many photos have been taken of her, as she travels the world to open new schools and hospitals in poor countries. In 1979, she was given the Nobel Peace Prize for the lifetime of love and service she has given to the poor. Mother Teresa is now a famous person because she has _ .
<extra_id_0>saved many poor people in India
<extra_id_1>helped to bring about world peace
<extra_id_2>helped to make India a more peaceful place
<extra_id_3>taken care of many poor people in the world
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Fertilizers added by farmers to the soil contain high amounts of nitrates. How do fertilizers affect the nitrogen cycle?
<extra_id_0>More nitrates are available for plants to absorb.
<extra_id_1>More nitrates are available for animals to eat.
<extra_id_2>More nitrogen gas is released into the atmosphere.
<extra_id_3>More nitrogen is converted by bacteria into nitrates.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Nowadays with the development of agriculture, farmers use more technology. However, they are being told more needs to be done to stop them injuring at work. One in five British workplace deaths happens in agriculture even though farmers are only a small part of the working population. During the year 2012/13 there were 1,061 injuries in total and it is thought many more go unreported. Jim Chapman from Warwickshire had his arm torn off by farm machinery seven years ago when he was 23. "You don't realize how much you rely on your second arm until it's gone," he said. He fell against a PTO shaft , a spinning metal bar at the back of a tractor. "It catapulted me from one side of the machine to the other," he said. "I landed on the floor, minus all my clothing. My left arm had been torn off." He admits that the machinery was missing part of its proper safety guard. "But again," he added, "it was a rushed day. There were a few machines that didn't work. Also, I was getting behind with the jobs." Over the last 10 years, other industries that you'd think of as dangerous, like building or quarrying , have lowered the number of workplace deaths and injures. In the farming industry though, deaths remain high with 34 deaths in 2012/13. Judith Hackett, the chair of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says it is "not acceptable" that the accident statistics for farming are still high. "People in farming don't have minor injuries. When they get injured, it's bad." She said. "When I said to the National Farmers' Union (NFU) that if I had sons I would not want them to work in agriculture, it really made them sit up and take notice." There's a whole host of reasons why farming is as dangerous as it is. It is a very rough industry. Also, it's often because people are left alone. They could be young and inexperienced, or older people, who would have retired maybe 5 or 10 years ago in other industries. Jim wants others to learn from his experience. "Look at what you're doing before you go running in," he said. "You could make a mistake that you'll live with for the rest of your life." What happened to Jim Chapman when he was 23?
<extra_id_0>He lost his job.
<extra_id_1>He lost one of his arms.
<extra_id_2>He lost both of his arms.
<extra_id_3>His farm machine broke down.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Mary Jean Price Walls graduated second in her class in 1950.She had high hopes when she applied to a local college,Southwest Missouri State College.But after sending off her application,she spent months waiting for a reply.It never came. Worse than simply being denied admission ,the school didn't reply to her at all.It wasn't a matter of her school records,but of her skin color:Wallsis African American,and in those days,that fact alone closed a lot of doors. "I was sad and I was hurt,"Walls toldABCNews."I did not expect the skin color would affect my application.I thought I could go to university like other students." Four years later,the government declared that all schools should not discriminate against African Americans-- but it was too late for Walls.She'd moved on with her life, becoming a wife and a mother,and working as an elevator operator.She retired last year,at the age of 77. She stayed quiet about the unfairness she'd faced in Missouri State.Her son,Terry,went through school records and found that she'd been the first black student to ever apply to the college.Today,four percent of the Southwest Missouri State College body is African American--including Terry. Although it's too late for Missouri State to change the past,the school is awarding Walls with an honorary degree from the school.While she knows it's too late for herto change the course of her own life with the degree,it's a chance for her to show her family that Missouri State has changed in the last 60 years,and there's not a single door closed to them anymore. Walls's honorary degree suggests that _ .
<extra_id_0>she could change her life with the degree
<extra_id_1>her dream of going to college has come true
<extra_id_2>she has been leading a happy life with her family
<extra_id_3>great changes have taken place in Missouri State
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>The Yale Peabody Museum is open: Monday through Saturday 10:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. M. Sunday Noon to 5:00 p. m. The Museum is closed on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Admission Fees: $9.00 Adults $8.00 Senior citizens 65 years and over $5.00 Children ages 3 through 18, and college students with ID $4.00 Group admission To receive this reduced admission, groups must make a reservation at least 2 weekdays in advance. Group admission is only available with a written confirmation brought to the Museum at the time of the visit. More attention: Some halls may be closed to the public on weekday mornings during the academic year for school group programs, so we recommend visiting after 1 p.m. on weekdays or at any time on the weekends. There is no cafeteria or lunchroom at the Peabody. Information on local eating places is available through our Restaurant Guide or at the Admission Desk in the lobby. Visitors are welcome to picnic on the lawns around the Museum. Photography with handheld cameras is permitted in exhibition halls for personal use only; photography of The Age of Mammals is prohibited at all times. All other uses require the advance written permission of the Yale Peabody Museum. Highlights Tours of the Museum are offered at no extra charge every Saturday and Sunday at 12: 30 and 1: 30 p.m. These 45minute tours of the Yale Peabody Museum's exhibition halls are led by one of our specially trained volunteer guides. The Museum offers free individual admission on Thursday afternoons from 2: 00 to 5: 00 p.m. during the months of September to June. Admission is free to any individual with a valid Yale ID. Check out a Peabody Museum pass at your local library. A Museum pass will give you $5 off each admission for up to 4 people. Ask for it at your local library. The passage is written to _ .
<extra_id_0>attract more visitors to the Yale Peabody Museum
<extra_id_1>introduce the exhibits in the Yale Peabody Museum
<extra_id_2>give instructions about visiting the Yale Peabody Museum
<extra_id_3>remind visitors how to get their admission to the Yale Peabody Museum
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>My name is Andrew.There are three people in my family--my father,my mother and I. My father is a bank clerk.And he works in a bank.He thinks it's a boring job.He wants to be a policeman.My mother is a teacher.She teaches Chinese.She thinks her job is very interesting.She works hard and often comes back home very late.In her free time,she likes writing stories for a magazine.I'm a student.I want to be a musician when I grow up. Where does Andrew's father work?
<extra_id_0>In a bank.
<extra_id_1>At the police station.
<extra_id_2>In a school.
<extra_id_3>In a shop.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>I had been rather proud of myself when my friends and family got the ticket, whether it was for speeding, parking or stop sign violations . It was something that happened to others. But last Friday I joined _ . I was asked to do a new project last week. On Friday morning on my way to work, I suddenly remembered that I had spent the past six weeks without considering that I had a week's vacation planned during that time. I was very disappointed with myself for not remembering it. The truth is that I was not paying enough attention to my driving and I did not come to a complete stop at the stop sign in front of a school. I was so distracted that I didn't even notice I had a policeman on my tail with his lights flashing. Finally I looked in my mirror and caught on. The policeman was rude and took my papers. Fortunately, I had everything up to date and since I had never had a ticket before, there was nothing for him to do but write me a ticket. While I was sitting there in the seat of "shame", I felt bad. If I had been that distracted and a child had run onto the road, perhaps I would have not reacted as well as I could have. It was a wake-up call. People at work asked me if I tried to talk my way out of it . Frankly, it never occurred to me. I felt sorry. Now I no longer have a clean driving record. Please be careful out there, as a moment's distraction can lead to tragedy. What made the writer unable to focus on her driving?
<extra_id_0>Planning how to spend the vacation.
<extra_id_1>Thinking of the forgotten vacation.
<extra_id_2>Thinking about her work
<extra_id_3>Missing her children.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Steven Jobs, the CEO of Apple, was not a good student when he was in school. At that time, he always got into trouble with his schoolmates. When he went to college, he didn't change a lot. Then he dropped out . But he was full of new ideas. After that, Steven Jobs worked as a video game designer in a company. He worked there only for a few months and then he went to India. He hoped that the trip would give him some new ideas and a new chance to change his life. Steven Jobs lived on a farm in California for a year after he returned from India. In 1975, he began to make a new type of computer. He designed the first Apple Computer with his friend in his garage. He chose the name"Apple"just because it reminded him of a happy summer he once spent in an apple orchard. His first Apple Computer was a great success. Because of this, Steven Jobs soon became famous all over the world. Steven Jobs designed the first Apple Computer with his friend _ .
<extra_id_0>in his school
<extra_id_1>in his company
<extra_id_2>in his garage
<extra_id_3>at home
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Who is your role model? Normally the answer to this question would be anyone around you who you find truly inspiring. It could also be someone like J. K. Rowling or Martin Luther King Jr. who have proven to be strong and intelligent people. However, in today's world, stars are regarded as role models along with the heroes listed above, despite their intentions or actions. Teens attempt to imitate their actions for two major reasons. First, to be fashionable and accepted by popular culture, and second>>because stars' actions are so well documented by the media that it seems to grab our attention and turns it to following stars' lives. Much of the reports about stars is shocking and exhibits bad morals or lifestyles that aren't right for teenagers. In addition, almost everything stars do is described beyond truth to make a shocking story by taking it to the next level. However, teens must take responsibility for their actions. We can't always blame stars for influencing us. Only you have control over yourself and only you choose to do something. Our bodies and actions are in the hands of no one else. Now, who ever said stars are role models? Whether they choose to be or not, stars set examples as soon as they step into the spotlight. With reporters following and recording every move they make, it is impossible not to be watched and then be imitated. These people influence, teens whether or not they want to. Why should someone who doesn't want to be setting an example set one? So,should we look up to them or to people who are true and good role models? It's our responsibility as teens to know right from wrong, and it's time for us to take responsibility for our actions. In doing so,we will lean toward those inspiring people that want to be setting an example, and follow in their steps to be like them. It can be inferred from the passage that .
<extra_id_0>stars have the responsibility for teenagers' actions
<extra_id_1>not all famous stars choose to influence teenagers
<extra_id_2>teenagers choose those inspiring people as their role models
<extra_id_3>stars set examples immediately they stepped into the spotlight
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>A long time ago there lived a poor slave whose name was Aesop. His face was white, but very homely. When Aesop was about twenty nine years old ,his master lost a great deal of money and was determined to sell his slaves. To do this, he had to take them to a large city where there was a slave market. The city was far away, and the slaves must walk the whole distance. A number of bundles were made up for them to carry. Some of these bundles contained the things they would need on the road. "Choose your bundles, boys," said the master. "There is one for each of you." Aesop at once chose the largest one. The other slaves laughed and said he was foolish. But he threw it upon his shoulders and seemed well satisfied. The next day, the laugh was the other way. For the bundle which he had chosen had contained the food for the whole party. "Aesop is a wise fellow," said his master. "The man who buys him must pay a high price." A very rich man, whose name was Xanthus, wanted a servant. As the slaves stood before him he asked each one to tell what kind of work he could do. All were eager to be bought by Xanthus because they knew he would be a kind master. So each one boosted of his skill in doing some sort of labor. One was a fine gardener; another could take care of horses; a third was a good cook; a fourth could manage a household. "And what can you do, Aesop?" asked Xanthus. "Nothing," he answered. "Nothing? How is that?" "Because, since these other slaves do everything, there is nothing left for me to perform," said Aesop. This answer pleased the rich man so well that he bought Aesop at once, and took him to his home on the island of Samos. In Samos the little slave soon became known for his wisdom and courage. He often amused his master and his master's friends by telling funny stories. His master was so much pleased with him that he gave him his freedom. Why did these slaves want to be bought by Xanthus ?
<extra_id_0>Because he was very merciful.
<extra_id_1>Because he was very rich.
<extra_id_2>Because he lived in Samos.
<extra_id_3>Because he would set them free.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Manners nowadays in metropolitan cities like London are practically non-existence, it's nothing for a big, strong schoolboy to elbow an elderly woman aside in the dash for the last remaining seat on the tube or bus, much less stand up and offer his seat to her. This question of giving up seats in public transport is much argued by young men, who say that, since women have claimed equality, they no longer deserve to be treated with courtesy , ) and that those who go out to work should take their turn in the rat race like anyone else. Women have never claimed to be physically as strong as men. Even if it is not agreed, however, that young men should stand up for younger women, the fact remains that courtesy should be shown to the old, the sick and the burdened. Are we really so lost to all ideals of unselfishness that we can sit there indifferently reading the paper or a book, saying to ourselves "First come, first severed", while a grey-haired woman, a mother with a young child stands? Yet this is all too often seen. Older people, tired and quick-tempered from a day's work, are not angels, either-far from it. Many a brisk argument or an insulting quarrel breaks out as the weary queues push and shove each other to get on buses and tubes. One cannot commend this, of course, but on does feel there is just a little more excuse. If cities are to remain pleasant places to live in at all, however, it seems imperative , not only that communications in transport should be improved, but also that communication between human beings should be kept smooth and polite. All over cities, it seems that people are too tired and too rushed to be polite. Shop assistant's won't bother to assist, taxi drivers growl at each other as they dash dangerously round corners, bus conductors pull the bell before their desperate passengers have had time to get on or off the bus, and so on and so on. It seems to us that it is up to the young and strong to do their small part to stop such deterioration . The author probably does NOT agree that in big cities _ .
<extra_id_0>Life will be even worse if no change is made
<extra_id_1>transport conditions are rather poor
<extra_id_2>it's not uncommon to see people quarrel in public places
<extra_id_3>it's unreasonable to require the tired people to be polite
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>As our globe makes a complete quick cycle it can and does see the passage of
<extra_id_0>multiple hours
<extra_id_1>eons
<extra_id_2>several years
<extra_id_3>decades
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>My name is Kitty. I have a very big and nice room and I have a great school things collection. My brother's room is near my room. He is Mike. And he has a big sports collection. I have twenty erasers, ten pencils, nine rulers and eight pens in my schoolbag. My brother has two baseballs, four soccer balls and five basketballs under his bed. How many balls does Mike have?
<extra_id_0>4
<extra_id_1>5
<extra_id_2>11
<extra_id_3>10
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Which of these organisms has cells with cell walls?
<extra_id_0>bluebird
<extra_id_1>A pine tree
<extra_id_2>A ladybug
<extra_id_3>A fox squirrel
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Aside from doing schoolwork and studying, American students must also participate in various extra-curricular activities. Many students get involved in their communities by doing volunteer work at various local organizations. In fact, the school I attend even requires students to perform a certain number of hours of volunteer work per semester. It is part of our study hall grade, as well as a graduation requirement. There are many places to do volunteer work in the community. Some of my classmates volunteer at the local animal shelter, the community table (which provides free meals for needy families), charity stores, and many others. Finding a suitable place to volunteer usually depends on what's available, as well as personal interests. For example, a friend of mine who enjoys swimming volunteers at the recreation center to teach young children how to swim. With all these options out there, I ended up doing most of my volunteer work at a school library and a non-profit bookstore called Friends of the Library. This bookstore sells donated books at cheap prices, and all the profits made are donated to the local library. I thought it was very fitting that I do my volunteer work at a library and a bookstore, because reading has always been very important to me. I love working in the bookstore now, because every sale we make helps our public library expand, and gives it the funds needed to purchase new books. I think everyone should have the opportunity to read, and that we each should do our part to help those who don't have the chance. There is a charity event, called One Book for A Window of Opportunity, in which Chinese students can donate a book to the children of the poor village Fangmaping. They don't have a lot of resources, so reading can be a challenge. To find out more about this event, please visit: http://bbs.enfamily.cn/thread-739278-1-1.html. This passage is written by _ .
<extra_id_0>a Chinese student
<extra_id_1>an American student
<extra_id_2>a Chinese teacher
<extra_id_3>an American teacher
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Montreal(Reuters)-Crossing the US-Canada border to go to church on a Sunday cost a US citizen $10,000for breaking Washington's strict new security rules. The expensive trip to church was a surprise for Richard Albert, who lives right on the Canadian border. Like the other half-dozen people of Township 15, crossing the border is a daily occurrence for Albert. The nearby Quebec village of St. Pamphile is where they shop, eat and go to church. There are many such situations in these areas along the largely unguarded 5,530-mile border between Canada and the US -- which in some cases actually runs down the middle of streets or through buildings. As a result, Albert says he did not expect any problems three weeks ago when he returned home to the US after attending church in Canada, as usual. The US customs station in this area is closed on Sundays, so he just drove around the locked gate, as he had done every weekend since the gate appeared last May, following a tightening of border security. Two days later, Albert was told to go to the customs office, where an officer told him he had been caught on camera crossing the border illegally. Ottawa has given out special passes to some 300 US citizens in that area so they can enter the country when Canadian customs stations are closed, but the US stopped a similar program last May. That forces the people to a 200-mile detour along hilly roads to get home through another border checkpoint. Albert has requested that the customs office change their decisions on the fine, but he has not attended a Sunday church since. "I feel like I'm living in a prison." he said. We learn from the text that Richard Albert is _ .
<extra_id_0>an American living in Township 15
<extra_id_1>a Canadian living in a Quebec village
<extra_id_2>a Canadian working in a customs station
<extra_id_3>an American working in a Canadian church
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Nick is a 14yearold school boy.His life is full of exams and studies on weekdays.He has little free time.He thinks playing computer games is the best way to make him relax.When he has free time,he sits in front of the computer.Just like that way,he neither eats nor drinks for several hours. Last weekend,he played games on the computer again.He was too excited and didn't want to move.He didn't have anything for six hours.When he had to go to the bathroom,he found he could not move.He was taken to the hospital.The doctor told him he should do some more different kinds of activities.In other words,he needs more exercise and outdoor activities to make him have a healthy body. After coming back from the hospital,Nick follows the doctor's advice.He often plays soccer with his friends.Sometimes he still plays computer games on weekends,but he never does it for long.Now,he lives a happy and healthy life. How old is Nick?
<extra_id_0>13.
<extra_id_1>14.
<extra_id_2>15.
<extra_id_3>16.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>When someone says, "Well, I guess I'll have to go to face the music", it does not mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this or that, and why you did not do this or that. Sour(; )music, indeed, but it has to be faced. The phrase "to face the music" is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. Where did the expression come from? The first information comes from the American writer James Fennimore Cooper. He said in 1851 that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage. After they got their cue(,) to go on, they often said, "It's time to go to face the music." And that is exactly what they did--- face the orchestra which was just below the stage. An actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of the audience that might be friendly or perhaps unfriendly especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. So, "to face the music" came to mean having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice. The other explanation comes from the army. Men had to face inspection by their leader. The soldiers worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean--shiny enough to pass inspection? Still, the men had to go out, and face the music of the band, as well as the inspection. What else could they do? The phrase 'to face the music" was first used by _ .
<extra_id_0>all the Americans
<extra_id_1>the American writer James Fennimore cooper
<extra_id_2>some American actors
<extra_id_3>the American orchestra
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Eve was waiting in the corridor outside her class.She was feeling sick.She had two exams that day and physics was first.She really hated physics.It was her worst subject.Lisa looked back at her, and then looked away quickly.Eve thought she looked guilty.She didn't have a problem with physics.She didn't have a problem with anything...Miss Perfect! "Hi, Eve! So what's wrong with you and Lisa?"asked Tina,"I thought you were friends.""Yes, so did I," said Eve."But she hasn't spoken to me for two weeks now.She promised to help me review for the physics exam too, but then she's ignored all my calls and texts." While in the exam, Eve found Lisa was holding her phone on her knee under the table and reading from it.Eve couldn't believe it! Is that how Lisa always got such good grades? She thought about telling the teacher, but she hesitated.The next exam was history.That was Eve's favorite subject but she couldn't concentrate.She didn't know what to do about Lisa.Just then, Mr.Reed, their teacher, walked past."Mr.Reed..." Lisa was called to the teachers' office and there waited Mr.Reed... The history test was over.Eve was walking towards the school gate when she heard footsteps behind her.It was Lisa.Eve could see that she had been crying."Listen," said Lisa."I'm really sorry I haven't answered your calls, but my dad had a heart attack two weeks ago and he's in hospital.He had a big heart operation today and I was very worried about him.So I was reading texts from my mum, but Mr.Reed caught me.He thought I was cheating.He believes me now, but I have to take the exam again.I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was happening.Will you forgive me?" The reason for Eve's feeling sick is most probably that _ .
<extra_id_0>she found Lisa was looking back at her
<extra_id_1>she had to take two exams within one day
<extra_id_2>she was worried about the physics exam
<extra_id_3>she had been waiting for too long a time
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Windy, cloudy, rainy, and cold are words that help describe
<extra_id_0>evaporation
<extra_id_1>deposition
<extra_id_2>matter
<extra_id_3>weather
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Dear Jack, Thank you for your congratulations,my congratulations to you! I remember Margaret Field very well--the girl with that wonderful red hair and those beautiful eyes. She was the most popular girl in our college. You're a very lucky fellow and I'm sure you'11 be very happy with her. Brenda and I are very lucky,too. Her father gave us this house as a wedding present,so we don't have to pay rent. The house and furniture are insured already,so I can't help you by giving you that kind of business. I wish I'd known earlier that you were in the insurance business. I'd certainly have asked you to give me a policy for the house and its contents. I'm rather doubtful about the value of life insurance. It's my duty,I know,to see that there will be money for my wife,and later on for the children,in the event of my early death. But I feel that it's wiser to put my money into the shares of good business companies. You say I can get a policy that will provide 50,000 when I'm 65. Yes,but that time is nearly forty years away,and what will 50,000 be worth then?The real value of money has been going down and prices go up a little every year,perhaps only 4%or 5%,but the movement is always up,never down. 50,000 in fifty years from now may be worth only two--thirds or even a half of what it is worth today. Now if I put my savings into the shares of the big oil companies,or aircraft manufacturers,the value of the shares will go up with the rise in costs and prices. So the real value of my money would remain about the same,wouldn't it?I know your answer. You'll say that your life insurance policy provides against my possible death. I've got to balance that possibility against the almost certain fall in the value of money* I'd very much like you to meet Brenda. Can you come for a weekend some time?What about next Saturday?If you can manage it,please let me know which train you're coming by,and I'll meet you at the station. We can have a talk about life insurance and perhaps you'll succeed in making me see that life insurance is a good thing. Yours sincerely, Fred This is a letter of_.
<extra_id_0>refusing
<extra_id_1>inquiring
<extra_id_2>complaining
<extra_id_3>negotiating
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Most American families like to have a vacation in summer. Summer is a good season for vacation. It is often hot in July and August. Children do not go to school in those two months. Some people like to stay at home, read books, or watch TV. Many families take their lunch to eat at a place with many trees or a nice lake. Some people have enough time and money to travel to other countries like France, Japan and Australia. They usually fly to these countries. Many families travel by car or train to see interesting places in their own countries. Their favorite cities are New York, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Not everyone likes to go to busy cities. Some families travel to mountains or beautiful valleys. ,A, B, C, D,. (5,1,5) _ is a good season for vacation.
<extra_id_0>Spring
<extra_id_1>Summer
<extra_id_2>Autumn
<extra_id_3>Winter
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>No one likes to make mistakes. But a new study says organizations learn more from their failures than from their successes, and keep that knowledge longer. One of the researchers was Vinit Desai, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Denver Business School. He worked with Peter Madsen from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University in Utah. They did not find much long-term "organizational learning" from success. It is possible, they say. But Professor Desai says they found that knowledge gained from failure lasts for years. He says organizations should treat failures as a learning opportunity and not try to ignore them. The study looked at companies and organizations that launch satellites--and other space vehicles. Professor Desai compared two shuttle flights. In two thousand two, a piece of insulating material broke off during launch and damaged a rocket on the Atlantis. Still, the flight was considered a success. Then, in early two thousand three, a piece of insulation struck the Columbia during launch. This time, the shuttle broke apart on re-entry and the seven crew members died. NASA officials suspended all flights and an investigation led to suggested changes. Professor Desai says the search for solutions after a failure can make leaders more open-minded. He points to airlines as an example of an industry that has learned from failures in the past. He advises organizations to look for useful information in small failures and failures they avoided. He also urges leaders to encourage the open sharing of information. The study appeared in the Academy of Management Journal. The mistakes we learn from do not have to be our own. We recently asked people on our Facebook page to tell us a time they had done something really silly. Fabricio Cmino wrote: Not long ago I wanted to watch TV, but it wouldn't turn on, so I did everything I could to start it. Thirty minutes later my mum showed up and, passing by, said to me "Did you try plugging it'? I'm just dusting, Mum!"So she wouldn't notice how dumb I am sometimes! Bruno Kanieski da Silva told about a time he looked everywhere for his key. It was in hispocket. He wrote: I always promise I will never do it again, but after-a few weeks,where is mywallet? For sure it will be in a very logical place. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Only organizations can learn from mistakes
<extra_id_1>We can also learn from failures that have been avoided.
<extra_id_2>Lessons from the shuttle flights are more important.
<extra_id_3>Leaders often lack an open mind and seldom share information.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>The number of accidents involving pedestrians wearing headphones is on the rise , a report suggests, causing fresh warning from road safety groups in Britain . A US-based study found a total of 116 reports of death or injury to pedestrians wearing headphones between 2004 and 2011 , jumping from 16 in 2005 to 47 in 2011 . Most victims were men (68%) and under the age of 30 (67%) , with around one in ten of all cases (9%) under the age of 18 .Some 89% of the cases occurred in urban areas and more than half (55%) of the victims were struck by trains . Eighty-one of the 116 accidents (70%) resulted in the person's death--- even though a warning was sounded in around a third of the cases . The study concluded , " The use of headphone may be a safety risk to pedestrians , especially in environments with moving vehicles(cars) . Further research is needed to determine if and how headphone use threatens pedestrian safety ." British road safety groups warned pedestrians to be careful. Floor Lieshout , director of Youth For Road Safety , said, " This study shows once more the importance of using all of our senses while we are near traffic . It is important that we find an attractive way to make youth learn about the risks of wearing headphones in traffic ." Andrew Howard , who is the head of road safety at the Automobile Association , added that some pedestrians can be "so focused in their own little world they forget the world going on around them".That can include headphone wearers , Howard said, but also people talking on phones. However , Howard said that more researches needed to be done. Earlier studies have shown that people wearing headphones or talking on phones can suffer "inattentional blindness" which makes them isolated from the world around them . Ian Harvey , at the charity Civic Voice , said that " to defeat isolation and to help build a civic society , people need to interact with each other . He said , " A basis for any civilized society is communication--- Surfing the web , listening to MP3s , reading blogs or sending e-mail is not interacting with a person; it's interacting with a machine. "If people feel socially isolated , they need to have more face-to-face interactions with other human beings and in time , will begin to feel happier and more connected to the world and place they live in ." Howard will probably agree that _ .
<extra_id_0>it is safe if you wear headphones in a proper way
<extra_id_1>people wearing headphones are more likely to go blind
<extra_id_2>most people wear headphones because of loneliness
<extra_id_3>it is dangerous to talk on phones while walking
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>One day, my wife and I went shopping. We took the car as we had a lot of things to buy because my brother and his family were going to spend the weekend with us. We stopped the car in front of the shop. An hour later we came back to the car with a lot of things. Then the trouble started. We could not open the car door. "Oh, dear," said my wife. "What are we going to do?" "Let's ask that policeman," I said. The policeman was very kind and glad to help us. Soon he got the door open. Just at that moment an angry man came up and shouted. "What are you doing with my car?" We looked at the number of the car, and our faces turned very red. They didn't know it was the wrong car until they looked at the _ of the car.
<extra_id_0>color
<extra_id_1>owner
<extra_id_2>door
<extra_id_3>number
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language? According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles. The study also found the effect is greater the younger people learn a second language. A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of "early _ " who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners. Scans showed that grey matter density in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference. " _ "said the scientists. It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn. Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and math skills. "Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible ," he said. "You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas." The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. "Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world," explained the scientists. Who can study a second language easier?.
<extra_id_0>The adults
<extra_id_1>The teenagers
<extra_id_2>The children
<extra_id_3>The old
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>On January 1, Awl and Howser agreed in writing that Awl would build a house on Howser's lot according to Howser's plans and specifications for $60,000, the work to commence on April 1. Howser agreed to make an initial payment of $10,000 on April 1, and to pay the balance upon completion of the work. On February 1, Awl notified Howser that he (Awl) would lose money on the job at that price, and would not proceed with the work unless Howser would agree to increase the price to $90,000. Howser thereupon, without notifying Awl, agreed in writing with Gutter for Gutter, commencing April 1, to build the house for $75,000, which was the fair market cost of the work to be done. On April 1, both Awl and Gutter showed up at the building site to begin work, Awl telling Howser that he had decided to "take the loss" and would build the house for $60,000 as originally agreed. Howser dismissed Awl and allowed Gutter to begin work on the house.""In a contract action by Awl against Howser, which of the following would the court decide under the prevailing American view?
<extra_id_0>Howser will win, because Awl in legal effect committed a total breach of contract.
<extra_id_1>Howser will win, because Gutter's contract price was $15,000 lower than the $90,000 demanded by Awl on February 1.
<extra_id_2>Awl will win, because Howser did not tell him before April 1 about the contract with Gutter.
<extra_id_3>Awl will win, because he attempted to perform the contract as originally agreed
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>The witch wanted to stop making poisons in her big pot. She wanted to be a cook instead. She could make all sorts of treats, like blueberry sandwiches, orange pizzas, and grape pie. Her best treat she made was strawberry eggs. She wanted the people from town to invite her to parties. She wanted them to ask her to cook for them. Most of all, she wanted them to be friends with her. Her plan was to get them to try her strawberry eggs. They were shaped like eggs but when you would chew on them they tasted like strawberries. They also had medicine in them so they would help people too. They were delicious. Finally the big day came. The witch brought her cart into the town. She was late to town because she got lost. Then her wagon broke and she had to fix its wheel. It was full of the strawberry eggs. The witch started handed them out. At first people were nervous. They did not know the witch well. They knew she was the witch who lived in the woods, all alone. They knew she had made poisons. But once the sheriff tried them, everyone started trying them. After everyone in town had one, they put the witch on their shoulders and cheered for her, even the town's baker. Finally the town's leader asked the witch if she would move into the town. The witch happily said yes and they all had as many strawberry eggs as they could ever want. Why was the witch late to town?
<extra_id_0>She had to stop and make medicine.
<extra_id_1>She ate some of the eggs.
<extra_id_2>She got lost and the wagon's wheel broke.
<extra_id_3>She went to a party.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>The fourth-graders at Chicago's McCormick Primary School are unaware of the difficulty in learning Chinese. For most, who speak Spanish at home, it's becoming their third language. They've been learning and using Chinese words since kindergarten, and it's now second nature to give a hearty "ni hao" when strangers enter the classroom. The classroom scene at McCormick is unusual, but it may soon be a common fixture in American schools, where Chinese is rapidly becoming the hot new language. Government officials have long wanted more focus on security--useful languages like Chinese, and pressure from them--as well as from business leaders, politicians, and parents--has driven a quick growth in the number of programs. Chicago itself is home to the largest effort to include Chinese in US public schools. The program here has grown to include 3,000 students in 20 schools, with more schools on a waiting list. Programs have also spread to places like Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and North Carolina. It's true that the number of students learning Chinese is tiny compared with how many study Spanish or French. _ see knowledge of the Chinese language and culture as a help in a global economy where China is growing in importance. "This is an interesting way to begin to engage with the world's next superpower," says Michael Levine, director of education at the Asia Society, which has started five new public high schools that offer Chinese. "Globalization has already changed the arrangements in terms of how children today are going to need to think about their careers... The question is, when not whether, the schools are going to adjust." In Chicago, the trend extends beyond schools with high numbers of Asian students. "The fact that my students are 98% low income and 99% Latino and they are succeeding in _ , tells me everyone should have a try at learning languages," says Virginia Rivera, principal at McCormick. "We want to give our young people opportunities to advance... and Chinese is a great opportunity to survive in today's economy," says Richard M. Daley, Mayor of Chicago. How many languages are mentioned in this passage?
<extra_id_0>Six.
<extra_id_1>Two.
<extra_id_2>Three.
<extra_id_3>Four.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>The name "cowboy" conjures up many different images from movies, songs and TV. These imagined cowboys range from white-hat-wearing heroes to gun-shooting hooligans .But, cowboys are actually real people from US history. When the US Civil War ended, many soldiers had no place to call home. So, they began to drift to the country's rural West. Ranchers hired these men to take care of the cattle and work around the ranch. When the ranch owner wanted to sell the cattle, the cowboys would round up the herd from the open prairie and drive the cattle miles to the market. With the invention of barbed wire ,the cowboy era(1865-1890) began to come to an end. But people in the East had always been curious about their lifestyle. Many country/western songs during this time tried to capture the true cowboy spirit. Newspapers published cowboy tales in serial form and adventure novels followed. The bigger the fiction, the better the sales. These novels often portrayed cowboys as cruel and violent men. Cowboys carried the bad reputation for many years afterwards. When movies began to be popular in the 1920s, the cowboy image changed again. Now, a cowboy became the great white knight that loved his horse more than the beautiful ladies he rescued. As the cowboy of the "Old West" spent more time with his horse than the ladies, this era's image was not entirely false. Then, in the 50s,Hollywood began producing so-called "spaghetti westerns ".They earned the nickname because Italian companies financed the films and TV shows. This started the decade's "Cowboy Craze". While this didn't last long, it made modern country / western music, fashion and dance extremely popular. In recent years, with the help of musicians, radio stations and bars, cowboy nostalgia has returned. Even though his image is still changing -- somewhere between ballad singing country boy and bar room fighter -- there's one thing for sure, _ . The purpose of this story is to _ .
<extra_id_0>introduce cowboy movies and novels
<extra_id_1>introduce various productions associated with cowboys
<extra_id_2>show the cowboy's everlasting charm
<extra_id_3>inform us about the cowboy's spirit
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>A boy was going to study at the best school in town. In the morning, his grandfather took him to the school. When they went into the playground, the children came up. "What a funny old man," the boy said, making a face. "Hey, fatty ,"another one shouted. The children _ the pair(,) and jumped up and down. Without saying a word, the old man took his grandson out of the school gate. "Wonderful! I don't have to go to school!" the boy said. "You do, but not this one," his grandfather said. "I'll find you another school to go to." Grandfather took his grandson back to his house, asked Grandmother to look after him, and then went out to look for a school alone. Every time he got to a school, the old man went into the playground, and waited for the children to come out at break time. In some schools the children completely ignored the old man, and in others, they made fun of him. When this happened, he would turn sadly and leave. Finally, he went into the very small playground of a very small school, and stood tiredly against the wall. The bell rang, and the children came out into the playground. "Sir, are you all right? Shall I bring you something to drink?" said a voice. "We've got a bench in the playground. Come and sit down," came another voice. Soon a young teacher came out into the playground. The old man greeted him and said, "Finally, I've found my grandson the best school in town." According to the old man,the best school should have the best _ .
<extra_id_0>students
<extra_id_1>teachers
<extra_id_2>library
<extra_id_3>playground
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>What is the main function of a plant stem?
<extra_id_0>to collect pollen from other plants to make seeds
<extra_id_1>to absorb water and plant nutrients from the soil
<extra_id_2>to carry food and water to the rest of the plant
<extra_id_3>to make food for the plant
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Rafting the GRAND CANYON Welcomes You! For an exciting,fun and challenging white water tours,Rafting the GRAND CANYON is here to help you plan the right tour for you.Whether you want to travel for two days or ten,hike in or not,go on an oar raft or motorized trip,we will help you find the trip that meets your needs. For those who will be vacationing on the offseason a trip on the Native American Red River rafting is available year around or a one day trip is available on the Colorado River from Diamond Creek to Pierce Ferry (about three hours from Las Vegas). Most of the trips depart from Lees Ferry,Arizona (approximately 21/2hours from the south rim of the Grand Canyon).We offer partial trips which allow you to get on or off at Phantom Ranch located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon National Park South Rim.Requiring a hike in or out,with proper planning the horse ride up or down is also an option.Most trips occur between April and October. Since all rafting on the Colorado requires a permit,planning and reserving your trip requires reservations well in advance.Please let us know when you would like to go and we will contact all the river concessionaires to help you find the best trip for you. For planning your trip,questions,concerns or to make your reservations,please email or call the toll free number below.Since these trips are limited we highly recommend you make your reservations months in advance. To talk to a live person call us toll free:18002226966or 7026556060 If you have any questions regarding a trip,please CLICK _ HERE to fill out our form.This will speed up the process of getting you accurate information regarding your trip. If you would like to send us an email other than about an upcoming trip you can contact us at info@raftingthegrandcanyon.com. We look forward to helping you plan your trip!(Please NO Travel Agents) People usually have a trip to the Grand Canyon in the months except .
<extra_id_0>June.
<extra_id_1>February.
<extra_id_2>October.
<extra_id_3>September.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Japanese people work very hard at studying English. They start studying English at the age of 12. Most young Japanese people spend a lot of time and work hard at studying English, but Japanese people are not good at English. Here are the reasons: There are few people from English-speaking countries in Japan. They don't have enough chances to speak with them. Japan is an island country and they feel that other countries are far away. So they don't use English very often. And the Japanese feel that it is strange to talk to each other in English. The Japanese education doesn't always follow the educational trends in the world. It puts a lot of importance on grammar and vocabulary, and less on speaking, listening and reading skills. Many Japanese students' English becomes worse after they go to university .They have to learn English again if they work in English-speaking countries. Sometimes the Japanese feel shy about speaking wrong or broken English. What's the best title foe the passage?
<extra_id_0>The Japanese Like English
<extra_id_1>When Do the Japanese Being to Learn English
<extra_id_2>Why Are the Japanese Weak in English
<extra_id_3>How to Study English Well for the Japanese
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>The revolution was over by the time Tom Ford started working in the fashion world. The expensive fashion design houses such as Channel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Christian Dior, which earned money by designing and making very expensive custom clothes, had lost many of their wealthy customers. To stay in business, they started selling more reasonably priced ready-to-wear clothing along with a wide range of accessories , that is, related products such as shoes, bags, watches. All of these products needed to blend with the clothing and with each other so that they made up a brand that everyone would recognize and wanted to buy. Though they did not use that name, each company needed a "master designer." Born in Texas and growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ford had a diverse background in the arts. Soon after completing high school, he moved to New York, where he studied art history, trained as an actor, and worked as a model. Following that, Ford completed a program in indoor design, but later decided that he was more interested in designing clothes than in decorating house. He was hired by the firm Cathy Hardwick in 1986, where he began to work as a fashion designer. His talent stood out from the rest and soon he moved to Perry Ellis, where he became design director. Then in 1990 he made an important move by taking a position with the New York branch of Gucci, the famous design house based in Milan, Italy. During his first years at Gucci, the company was going through a very difficult period. Its products were once considered highly desirable, and were worn by famous women such as Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, and Jacqueline Kennedy. However, by the early 1990s they had lost their reputation for quality. Other producers had started making cheap, widely available imitations of the brand, and the sales of Gucci's own products had dropped. Things were so bad at one point that Ford was almost fired. However, some people at the company believed in his talent, and in 1994 they hired him to work in Milan as the creative director for the entire company. In this position Ford had artistic control over all of the company's products, as well as its advertising and the design of its stores. Under Ford's direction, Gucci's reputation for cutting-edge style soon returned, and the company began to recover. The style shows starting in 1994 were wildly successful. People loved the low-cut velvet pants, unbuttoned silk shirts, and shiny boots in metallic color1s. By 1999 Gucci, which had almost gone out of business, was worth over $4 billion. When Gucci bought Yves Saint Laurent , Ford became creative director for that fashion house while continuing to design for Gucci. When asked how he would be able to keep the two styles apart, Ford said it wasn't a problem and offered a comparison. Yves Saint Laurent was like Catherine Deneuve, he said while Gucci was more like Sophia Loren. Both are sexy and beautiful women, but with very different styles. Ford left Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent in 2004 to form his own company called simply "Tom Ford". Not long after, he was working together with cosmetics producer Estee Lauder to bring out new beauty products, and then developed and sold a perfume under his own name. His plans for the future? Ford says that someday he'd definitely like to make a film. He puts it his way: "That is the main design project. You don't just get to design what people wear, but you design the whole world and whether characters get to live or die. There is what fashion lacks. In the 1990s, what company was Ford able to help recover from an unsuccessful period?
<extra_id_0>Gucci
<extra_id_1>Yves Saint Laurent
<extra_id_2>Perry Ellis
<extra_id_3>Tom Ford
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Yesterday was my stepmom's birthday. I hadn't been home for a long time so I wanted to stop by the house to see her on this special day. I have been struggling financially so I was afraid of the long trip. Gas is so expensive nowadays! Anyway, I filled my tank with gas and set off. I stopped at the shopping mall and found a present. It was the perfect gift and I knew she would love it. But when I got to the cashier my card was declined! I did not have enough money in my account to pay for the gift! So I _ the issue for a few minutes. I could put it back and get something cheaper, but I knew there was nothing else in the store she would like as much. So, I got on my smart-phone and transferred some money from my savings account so I was able to pay for the gift. It took a big chunk of my savings but I wanted her to have something special. She loved the gift and I felt that even though I had spent almost all my money my stepmom deserved the best and I was glad I gave her the best that I could. Before leaving my parents' house, my dad took me to one side and, with our secret hand-shake, he gave me some money. I had not said anything to him about my finances but I guess my dad had just known it. When I got to the car, I saw the amount he gave me was three times what I had spent on the gas and the gift! It goes to show that doing the right thing always comes with great rewards. Why did the writer's father shake hands with the writer in secret?
<extra_id_0>Because he wanted to ask the writer for something special.
<extra_id_1>Because he wanted to give the writer some money.
<extra_id_2>Because he knew the writer had been struggling financially.
<extra_id_3>Because he didn't want others to copy their handshake.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Enjoying a better life at school, with shorter class hours, greater privacy and more rights is all you dream of, right? For students in Shanghai, they are no longer just dreams. This week experts and law-makers in Shanghai had a meeting to talk about a new law . It is called the "Shanghai Underage Protection Law ". The law says students' diaries and letters are their secrets and "Nobody can read them if they don't agree." Do your teachers sometimes say something bad to you? Maybe they send you out of the classroom because you fail to finish doing your homework. If this happens in Shanghai, you can stand up and say "No". Shanghai students may have less homework because of the law. Class hours may become shorter for juniors next year, down from 45 minutes to 40 minutes in some schools. The law also talks about students' health. According to the rules,"Smoking in these places full of kids is not allowed."That means you can ask your teacher to stop if he smokes in a classroom. The law makes schools safer for students. "No dancing halls, Internet bars or computer game bars are allowed within(......)200 meters of a school gate." the law says. The law is great, right? Many students like it. "My mom reads my diaries sometimes. I think she will be afraid if I tell her she is doing something against the law." said Luo Jia, 13, at Shanghai Fuxing Junior School. If you want to know more about the law, go to "www.spcsc.sh.cn". ,. If your teacher smokes in a classroom, you can _ .
<extra_id_0>stop her
<extra_id_1>agree her
<extra_id_2>leave
<extra_id_3>smile
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Think of some of your favorite singers. When you listen, they can make you happy or sad, peaceful or angry. They can make you relax or want to get up and dance. Gifted singers have the power to affect us in many ways -- emotionally, physically and mentally. But becoming a great singer isn't as easy as listening to one. It takes practice, devotion and strong lungs! Just ask the well-known American opera star Carol Vaness. At the Metropolitan Opera in prefix = st1 /New York Citywhere she often sings, Carol's voice must be loud enough to be heard by four thousand people. It must reach every person in the theater, without a microphone, even when she's singing softly. The reason Carol can project her voice that far is the way she breathes. "When you breathe, it's like a swimmer taking a deep breath before going underwater," Carol explains. "You have to take a lot of air into your lungs." According to Carol, the main difference between pop singing and opera is "how you breathe, how much air you take in, and how you control it coming out. Regular singing is more like speaking, and it's a lot softer. When I sing for children, they're often surprised by how the vibrations strike their ears -- like waves on a beach, " Carol says. "In opera, the air doesn't just go out of your mouth -- it vibrates in your chest, the way a guitar vibrates when it's played. " Ever since she started piano lessons at the age of ten, Carol has loved music. As she got older, she decided to become a music teacher. When she went to college, she took singing lessons as part of her studies. Her voice teacher discovered that nineteen-year-old Carol had an exceptionally beautiful soprano voice - the highest singing voice for women. Carol decided to make opera her goal, not only because she loved to sing but also because she loved the drama. Opera is a play in which the characters sing the words instead of speaking them. The stories of opera can be tragic or comical. They can be personal stories about two people falling in love or grand stories about kings and queens who lived long ago. As the characters in an opera sing, the emotions expressed by words and music come to life. Today, Carol performs throughout the United Statesand Europe and she has song for almost twenty years. But she has never forgotten where she started singing in the first palace. "Put your heart into your singing and enjoy it," says Carol, "because singing is a great joy. That's why I sing. In fact, that's why everybody sings. " From the passage you can conclude all the following EXCEPT that _ .
<extra_id_0>Carol once learned to play the piano
<extra_id_1>Carol worked as a music teacher
<extra_id_2>Carol has been singing opera for 20 years or so
<extra_id_3>Carol is popular with Americans and Europeans
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Children form opinions about drugs and alcohol at a very early age. Even four and five year olds have definite opinions about alcohol. Preschoolers, because of the commercials they see on TV, often think that alcohol helps people have more fun and be better athletes! Images of alcohol are everywhere in out society--consumption of alcohol is represented twice per hour in daytime shows, and three times in an average evening program. Despite the wide spread of alcohol in our society, and the problems that can be connected with it, many parents feel uncomfortable when talking about alcohol with their children, or are not sure when and how to start. Many parents believe that teenage drinking is something that their children would never be involved in. Unfortunately, teenage drinking is very common in North Dakota. In a state wide survey of adolescents in junior and senior high school. Only 24% claimed to have never consumed alcohol. When asked about their drinking in the past 30 days: *61% adolescents reported drinking *42% drank five or more drinks in a row *17% reported binge drinking *4.2% reported driving and drinking Other research on rural youth in North Dakota has found that about 10% of a sample of fifth and sixth graders were engaged in frequent drinking. Teenagers who reported alcohol use (especially those who began use in late elementary school and junior high school) were more likely to be depressed, feel less positive about both their family and friends, and have poorer grades. Research has found that children and even teenagers look to their parents in making decisions about important things in their life. Decisions about using alcohol are undoubtedly something that parents will want to provide guidance about. Here are some suggestions about talking to children about alcohol. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
<extra_id_0>Keeping Away from Alcohol
<extra_id_1>Teenage Drinking Becoming Very Common
<extra_id_2>Tips on How to Talk to Children about Alcohol
<extra_id_3>Talking with Young Children about Alcohol
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>The best family vacation that ever had was going on a road trip to Myrtle Beach. The trip was for 2 weeks during the March break from school. This trip was probably about 20 years ago so it was before the time of things like portable video games and being able to watch movies in the back seat. So to pass the many hours of travel my brother and I had to entertain ourselves and each other. My mum would set the back set up so that it was out own little playroom. She would pack everything up in the feet well so that we had a big level area to play in. We would play cards and board games. When it got to the point that _ we would be sent back to out own side of the seat and would be forced to either nap or read by ourselves until we could be friendly to each other again. I can remember us playing for quite some time when we turned the back seat into a spaceship and travelled around the earth. Another time we turned it into a kitchen and had a bake-off . But the thing that I remember the most and that gave us many hours of enjoyment was using each other's faces as silly Plasticine and making funny faces. We would see how far we could stretch each other's mouth open, see how thin we could make the other's eye by pulling on it. We would keep going until one of us begged for mercy because we had to give our faces a rest. So while I can remember us having a great time on the beach, laughing a lot trying to put the tent up in the rain, what I remember the most of that trip and what always makes me smile the most is remembering the pain that our faces would be in after the trip. What impressed the author most during the trip?
<extra_id_0>Playing cards and board games.
<extra_id_1>Pulling each other's faces and eyes.
<extra_id_2>Having a cooking competition.
<extra_id_3>Playing with silly Plasticine.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>"If you talk to the plants, they will grow faster and the effect is even better if you're a woman." Researchers at Royal Horticultural Society carried out an experiment to find that the voice of a woman gardener makes plants grow faster. The experiment lasted a month and by the end of the study scientists managed to discover that tomato plants grew up two inches taller when women gardeners talked to them instead of male. Sarah Darwin was the one making the plants registered the best growth. Her voice was the most "inspiring" for plants than those of nine other gardeners when reading a passage from The Origin of Species. The great-great-granddaughter of the famous botanist Charles Darwin found that her plant grew about two inches taller than the plant of the best male gardener. Colin Crosbie, Garden Superintendent at RHS, said that the finding cannot yet be explained. He assumes that women have a greater range of pitch and tone which might have a certain effect on the sound waves that reach the plant. " _ ,"said Mr Grosbie. The study began in April at RHS Garden Wisley in Survey. Scientists started with open auditions for the people who were asked to record passages from John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids, Shakespeare's A Midsummer's Night Dream and Darwin's The Origin of Species.[:Z,xx,k.Com] Afterwards researchers selected a number of different voices and played them to 10 tomato plants during a period of a month. Each plant had headphones connected to it. Through the headphones the sound waves could hit the plants. It was discovered that plants that "listened" to female voices on average grew taller by an inch in comparison to plants that heard male voices. Miss Darwin said, "I think it is an honor to have a voice that can make tomatoes grow, and especially fitting because for a number of years I have been studying wild tomatoes from the Galapagos Island at the Natural History Museum in London." What does the passage talk about?
<extra_id_0>Plants enjoy men's voices than women's.
<extra_id_1>A botanical experiment in a museum.
<extra_id_2>Voice's influence on plant growing.
<extra_id_3>Strange phenomenon at Royal Horticultural Society.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Friends and Buddies This program is planned for teenagers who have special needs with the goal of meeting within a community with other peers . The purpose of the program is that it will lead to a better understanding of friendships. Gym, Swim, Surprise Guest, and Pizza are included. Ages 12-18, numbers of members are limited. Contact: Gloria Bass. This program is held 2 Fridays per month. Fees: $65/$85 Club Saturday Swim This program is available to anyone aged 5-14 who is challenged by mental, physical, or emotional trouble. The program will be held each Saturday afternoon, 12:00-12:30 pm or 12:30-1:00 pm. Fees: $136/$260 Sibshops (Ages 10-13) Sibshops is a program for siblings of children with challenges. It includes group activities and talk treatment ways with the focus on improving sibling relationships and whole family happiness. Location: Hope Church, Wilton CT. Wednesday: 4:00-5:00 pm. Fees: $50/$65 Banana Splits Banana Splits is an educational support group for children in family trouble. Children aged 9-13 will have the opportunity to meet other children whose parents have separated or divorced, learn to recognize feelings, think of healthy coping skills and have a place to share their struggles through verbal , physical, and artistic experiences. Location: Hope Church, Wilton CT. Tuesday:4:30-5:30 pm. Fees: $50/$65 If you go to Sibshops (Ages 10-13) , you can _ .
<extra_id_0>meet with other peers
<extra_id_1>solve your mental problem
<extra_id_2>improve sibling relationships
<extra_id_3>think of healthy coping skills
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>In June, 2007, a group of students from eight high schools in Winnipeg, the capital of Canada's Manitoba province, will begin test-launching a satellite the size of a Rubik's cube. The one-kilogram Win-Cub satellite, named for its home city and its shape, will be put into low orbit. Once in space, it can perform for a few months or up to several years, communicating information that could help find the signs of earthquakes. There are 80 similar satellite projects worldwide, but this is the first high-school based program of its kind in Canada. 30 Manitoba high school students are having a hand in designing and building the satellite, in cooperation with aerospace experts and 10 students from the University of Manitoba, and with support from two other organizations. The Win-Cube project is not something that goes on a piece of paper; it is real-world engineering, allowing high school students to have an opportunity to learn more about the exciting world of engineering through their participation in this challenging program. It is also taken as a wonderful example of the unique partnerships within Manitoba. Designing, building and launching a satellite with high-school participation will bring this world-class educational project into reality and Manitoba closer to space. "These Manitoba high school students deserve congratulations for their enthusiasm, innovation , and a strong love for discovery," said Education, Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjomson. "We want to make science more relevant, interesting and attractive to high school students by showing them how classroom studies can relate to practical experience in the workplace or, in this case, in space," Bjomson added. The Win-Cube program is mainly aimed at inspiring a strong desire for discovery on the part of the students. It also shows Manitoba's devotion to research and innovation and the development of a skilled workforce -- all important drivers of knowledge-based economic growth. 36. According to the passage, the Win-Cube satellite is _ .
<extra_id_0>named after Manitoba and its shape
<extra_id_1>intended for international communication
<extra_id_2>designed like a Rubik's cube both in shape and size
<extra_id_3>challenged by university students around the world
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |