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<extra_id_5>Having an exercise plan is important, but you should always ask your doctor for advice before starting it. Keep in mind that you can have too much of a good thing: overexercising and exercising in a wrong way can hurt your body. The following suggestions can help you avoid this. Warm up before exercise. This helps to prepare your body for activities. It's especially important in the morning. Cool down after exercise. Rather than stop immediately, do a few light activities to avoid aches and pains later. Exercise with your limits . Build up slowly. Never try to exercise when you feel painful. If you don't listen to your body, you will hurt yourself. Avoid being thirsty. Water is important to keep your normal temperature during exercise and prevent tiredness. Wear sports shoes. These shoes can keep your feet safe and prevent you from being hurt. This passage mainly tells us _ .
<extra_id_0>to warm up before exercise
<extra_id_1>how to keep healthy
<extra_id_2>how to exercise in a right way
<extra_id_3>not to exercise too much
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Many people hurt their backs when they try to lift heavy things from the floor. It is easy to hurt your back muscle when you try to pick up a heavy thing. However, there is a correct way to lift things from the floor. If you pick up heavy things correctly, you probably will not hurt your back. To lift something from the floor correctly, first bend your knees and lower yourself. Keep your back straight. Do not bent over, from your waist keep your back and hips and waist in a line. If you bent over, the muscles in your lower back can became hurt very easily. If you keep your back and hips straight, the muscles are stronger, because they hold up together. The other muscles can then help the lower back muscles. As you lower yourself, try to get as close to thing as you can, put one knee on each side of the thing. Remember at all times to keep your back straight. Put your hand under the thing that is in front of you, between y our knees. To lift the thing, you should stand up slowly. Use your leg muscles in order to stand up. lift with your legs, not with your back. Many people hurt their backs when they lift something because _ .
<extra_id_0>they are not strong
<extra_id_1>the things are very heavy
<extra_id_2>the way to lift the things is not correct
<extra_id_3>they are very heavy
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Robin's First Flight Robin was a little baby bird who was born only 6 weeks before. Her mother took care of her and her brothers and sister by feeding them bugs and worms. Robin had 2 brothers. She also had one sister. During this time, Robin grew and grew and got stronger and stronger. Her feathers got longer, too. The day had finally come when mother bird told Robin and her brothers and sister that they would be learning to fly for the first time. Chirps of joy were heard from all the baby birds. All except for Robin. She was too afraid to fly out into the world. She wanted to stay in her comfy nest with all of her family for the rest of her life. She also wanted her mother to feed her for the rest of her life. Mother bird told Robin how exciting it was to fly and see all the beautiful flowers and trees and told her she would help her learn like she did when she was a baby bird. She told her that she would meet lots of other bird friends, too. So Robin tried not to be scared, even as she saw both of her brothers and sister fly off the nest and out into the world. They looked so happy. Then it was her turn. She spread her wings, closed her eyes and jumped out of the nest. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes to see that she was actually flying. Oh happy day! It was everything her mother said it would be. The world looked so big and Robin couldn't wait to see it all. How many brothers and sisters did baby bird have?
<extra_id_0>No brothers and sisters
<extra_id_1>3 sisters and 1 brother
<extra_id_2>2 brothers and 1 sister
<extra_id_3>2 brothers and 2 sisters
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>"China now has 350 million smokers, accounting for one-third of the world total. Chinese smokers now become addicted to nicotine at the age of 19, five years earlier than the average starting age of 24 in 1997," a report said a couple of years ago. Of the 1.1 billion smokers all over the world. more than 800 million are in developing countries. And as the world's largest developing country, China also has the largest number of smokers. Some frightening facts start to appear when we examine who China's smokers are. Of the 350 million addicts, more than 100 million are under the age of 18, while more than 50 percent of male teachers and doctors are smokers. Such a high rate of addicts among male teachers and doctors will certainly have a bad impact on the young generation. Teachers are usually expected to be role models for students who tend to consider whatever they do is right and follow their example. It is very likely that the number of teenage smokers will increase in the near future unless measures are taken to forbid teachers from smoking in front of their students or designate schools as no-smoking zones. What is truly puzzling is why so many doctors smoke. They are aware of the results of the habit, such as high blood pressure and lung cancer. Their example only helps justify the addiction of so many others. If educated people set an example by stopping smoking at least in public places. it would be much easier to drive home the notion that it is uncivilized to smoke in public places. In China, there should also be a national law to ban smoking in public places. These would make a massive contribution to cutting the number of people in China who are smoking themselves into early grave. Which of the following can serve as the best title for the passage?
<extra_id_0>Time to Kick the Habit
<extra_id_1>China Bans Smoking in Public Places
<extra_id_2>Smokers in China
<extra_id_3>Make People Aware of Smoking
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Rachel Carson, born in rural Pennsylvania in 1907, had a great impact on the environment. Carson earned a master's degree in zoology in 1932. It was as a writer and not as a research scientist, however, that she made her mark, sharing her view that human beings are just one element in a larger natural order. In the articles on natural history Carson wrote for various publications, she expressed dry facts in poetic and persuasive language. She wrote five books. Two of them, The Sea Around Us and The Edge of the Sea, have been called "biographies of the ocean." Carson also made the world aware of how scientific discoveries can harm as well as help living things. In her best-selling book Silent Spring, Carson challenged the _ use of chemical pesticides by large agricultural and government organizations. She was the first to detail how the pesticide DDT had entered the food chain and damaged populations of bald eagles, falcons, and brown pelicans by causing the shells of their eggs to become so thin that they could not withstand the weight of the parent bird. Carson died of cancer in 1964. Today, the Rachel Carson Council collects and disseminates information on pesticide-related issues. In 1970, the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge, a large area of salt marsh and freshwater habitat in Maine, was dedicated to her memory. Which of the statements below expresses the main idea of the passage ?
<extra_id_0>Writers have played an important role in the battle against pollution.
<extra_id_1>The scientist Rachel Carson taught people about environmental issues through her writing.
<extra_id_2>Carson's book Silent Spring changed the way some pesticides were used.
<extra_id_3>Many of Carson's books were about pesticide-related issues.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child's acquisition of each new skill -- the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm for life and his desire to find out new things for himself. Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are severe over time of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, the controls represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child's own happiness. As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality . Also, parents should realize that "example is better than _ ". If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach , their children may grow confused when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled. A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents' principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment. Eagerly watching the child's acquisition of new skills, _ .
<extra_id_0>should be avoided
<extra_id_1>is universal among parents
<extra_id_2>sets up dangerous states of worry in the child
<extra_id_3>will make the child lose interest in learning new things
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>A well-dressed man goes into a restaurant one day. He sits down at a table near the window. A waiter comes up to him and says, 'Can I help you, sir?' The man says, 'Can I see the menu? ' 'Of course.' The man wants a good meal and he orders a lot of nice food. The waiter gets them for him. The man is having his meal. At this time, a boy comes in and sits beside the man. He asks the man to give him an ice cream. The man does so. Now the boy is eating his ice cream. The man says, 'I go out for a newspaper.' The man goes out. After the boy eats his ice cream up, he stands up and goes to the door. 'Excuse me, but your father doesn't give the money for the meal and your ice cream.' the waiter stops him and says. 'Father? You are wrong. He isn't my father. I don't know him. I meet him in the street. He says he will give me an ice cream if I come here at 12 o'clock.' The man asks the waiter to bring him _ .
<extra_id_0>a lot of ice cream
<extra_id_1>a newspaper
<extra_id_2>some bread
<extra_id_3>a lot of nice food
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Mrs. Black lives on Second Street. New Year is coming. She wants to send a card to her friend in Toronto, but she doesn't know where the post office is. She asks her neighbor Linda, " Is there a post office near here? I want to send a card." "The post office is far from here," says Linda, "but you don't need to go to the post office to post the card. There is a _ in front of the supermarket. You can put your card into the mailbox." The post office is _ .
<extra_id_0>next to Linda's house
<extra_id_1>far from Mrs. Black's house
<extra_id_2>across from the supermarket
<extra_id_3>in front of Mary's house
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>First Frenchman: I once heard someone shout, "Look out." I put my head out of a window and a glass of water fell on me. It seems that "look out" may mean "Don't look out." Second Frenchman: I was once on a ship and heard the captain shout, "All hands on deck . I put my hands on the deck and someone walked on them." Third Frenchman: I once went early in the morning to the doctor's and his nurse came to the door and said, "he's not up yet. Come back in half an hour." When I went a second time for him, she said, "he's not down yet." I had to go away again. Later I thought the doctor should be in the house in the evening, so I went there once more. "Oh, how sorry I am! He's not in ! I'd better tell him to wait for you if you could come tomorrow." said the nurse. "Well! He's not up, he is not down, and he is not in. please tell me where he stays!" I said angrily. When the nurse said "He's not up yet." She meant that _ .
<extra_id_0>he has not stood up yet.
<extra_id_1>he has not yet got up.
<extra_id_2>he has not walked up yet.
<extra_id_3>he has not yet come downstairs.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Since the Internet came into homes, the daily life has never been the same again. But the thing that worries most of us is that we can get viruses from the Internet. But can we catch viruses on our cell phones? A new study in the journal Science says yes, but the spread of such mobile software that can bring harm to our cell phones won't reach dangerous levels until more cell phones are on the same operating system. Computers are easily attacked by viruses because they share data, especially over the Internet. Of course, nowadays, more people are using their cell phones more and more frequently. They use them for emailing, text messaging and downloading troublesome ring tones, etc.,so it is obvious that cell phone viruses are a threat as well. Scientists used nameless call data from more than six million cell phone users to help model a possible outbreak. And they concluded that viruses that spread from phone to phone by Bluetooth are not much concerned, because users have to be in close physical relation for their phones to "see" one another. However, viruses that spread through multimedia messaging services can move much faster, because they can come in disguise , such as a cool tune sent by a friend. The good news is that to be effective, these viruses need their victims to all use the same operating system, which not enough of us do. Because there is no Microsoft operating system for mobile phones, yet. Thank goodness. What is the passage mainly about?
<extra_id_0>The operating system of cell phones.
<extra_id_1>The threat of cell phone viruses.
<extra_id_2>The wide use of cell phones.
<extra_id_3>Computer viruses.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>The earth is not the only body that travels around the sun. With it are eight other planets, fellow members of the sun's family. Two of them, Mercury and Venus, are nearer while the other six, namely Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, also in their given order from the sun, are farther from the sun than the earth is. The farther they are, the longer trips they make around the sun. People noticed long ago that these traveling bodies moved around in the sky in definite paths. It is a force called gravity that holds them in their paths. We know that every little bit of matter in the universe pulls upon every other bit of matter. The pull between two bodies is proportional to the product of their masses. Because the sun is so large the pull between the sun and the planets are thus great. If it were not for this pull, the planets would fly off into space. In the same way there exists a pull between the earth and the moon, which keeps the moon traveling in its orbit around our planet, the earth. Gravity holds you to its surface, and pulls back to it the ball which you throw into the air. Of course the ball also pulls on the larger earth but the earth is so much larger that the pull is not noticed. Now remember that large bodies exert a greater pull than smaller ones which contain less material. But each object in the universe, no matter how small, pulls on all other objects to some degree. There are _ that travel around the sun in the sun's family.
<extra_id_0>nine planets
<extra_id_1>eight planets
<extra_id_2>one star and ten planets
<extra_id_3>the earth and the sun
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Air is always around us. It is around us when we walk and play. From the time we are born, air is around us. When we sit down, it is around us. When we go to bed, air is also around us. We live in air. All the animals and plants need air. Living things can't live without air. We can live without food or water for a few days, but we can not live for more than a few minutes without air. We breathe in air. When we are walking or running, we need more air. When we are asleep, we need less air. We live in air, but we can't see it. We can only feel it. We can feel it when it is moving. Moving air is called wind. How can we make air move? Here is one way. Hold and open a book in you hand in front of your face. Close it quickly! What you feel is the air. We live in air, but we can't _ it.
<extra_id_0>look
<extra_id_1>see
<extra_id_2>get
<extra_id_3>feel
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Join in the holiday fun at the Powerhouse this month linked to our new exhibition, Evolution & Revolution: Chinese dress1700s to now. DON'T FORGET our other special event, the Club Med Circus School which is part of the Circus !150years of circus in Australia exhibition experience! *Chinese Folk Dancing: Colorful Chinese dance and musical performances by The Chinese Folk Dancing School of Sydney. Dances include: the Golden stick dance and the Chinese drum dance. A feature will be the Qin dynasty Emperor's count dance .Also included is a show of face painting for Beijing opera performances. Sunday 29 June and Wednesday 2 July in the Turbine Hall, at 11.30 am & 1.30 pm. *Australian Chinese Children's Arts Theatre: W ell-known children's play experts from Shanghai lead this dynamic youth group. Performances include Chinese fairy tales and plays. Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 July in the Turbine Hall, at 11.30 am & 1.30 pm. *Chinese Youth League: A traditional performing arts group featuring performance highlights such as the Red scarf and Spring flower dances ,and a musician playing Er Hu. Sunday 6 to Tuesday 8 July in the Turbine Hall,11.30 am to 1.30 pm. *Kids Activity: Make a Paper Horse :Young children make a paper horse cut-out.(The horse is a frequent theme in Chinese painting, including a kind of advancement.)Suitable for ages 8~12 years. Saturday 28 June to Tuesday 8 July in the Turbine Hall,12.00 pm to 1.00 pm. *Club Med Circus School: Learn circus skills, including the trapeze, trampolining and magic.Note only for children over 5.There are 40 places available in each 1 hour session and these must be booked at the front desk,level 4,on the day. Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 Julyat 11.30 am & 1.00 pm. Enjoy unlimited free visits and many other benefits by becoming a Family member of the Powerhouse.Our family memberships cover two adults and all children under the age of 16 years at the one address. Members receive Powerline,our monthly magazine,discounts in the shops and the restaurants,as well as free admission to the Museum.All this for as little as $50.00 a year!Call(02)9217 0600 for more details. When can you watch the Chinese drum dance?
<extra_id_0>On July 2.
<extra_id_1>On July 3.
<extra_id_2>On July 6.
<extra_id_3>On July 8.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Top lists are lecturing people on everything from "100 places to visit" to "100 books to read ". Aren't you just tired of being told what to do with your time? Now you have a list to end all lists! Take a look at the following two examples from the list of "101 things not to do": Swim with Dolphins ? Swimming with dolphins is one of the world's most profitable tourist activities. However, every dolphin will welcome having their busy, tiring day interrupted by tourists screaming and pushing around them in the water. Worse yet, when dolphins get too near to the boats loaded with tourists, they could get caught up in ropes and killed by propellers . Here's a little secret. Dolphins look like smiling at you, but actually they're just opening their mouths. Go to See the Mona Lisa? There must be something about the mysterious smile. The 6 million people who visit the lady in the Louvre every year can't all be wrong, after all. But they can be quite annoying, standing in front of you, holding up their cameras to prevent you from seeing anything. In fact, it is hard for you to see the painting clearly because you have to stay away from it for security reasons. After queuing for hours, many tourists can remain in front of the painting only for 15 seconds at most. If the mysterious lady in the picture knew her fate, she wouldn't just be smiling, she'd be laughing. So, still long to see the Mona Lisa? If you want to find out more about the list, read Visit and buy the book at a 20% discount. What is the main purpose of the passage?
<extra_id_0>To advertise a book
<extra_id_1>To introduce a website
<extra_id_2>To comment on popular lists
<extra_id_3>To recommend tourist activities.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>In Britain today, is it possible to tell a person's class just by looking at him? Physical details alone tell us about health, diet and the type of work a person does. A hundred years ago the working class often looked unhealthy, small and they were either too thin or too fat. The upper classes were often tall, sporting types who were used to a good diet and looked healthy. Today living and working conditions have improved, and such descriptions are no longer true. People are taller now than a hundred years ago. Everyone in Britain today is able to have free medicine, a good diet, acceptable working conditions and enough rest and leisure. WWW.K**S*858$$U.COM The clothes people choose to wear, however, do provide information about their backgrounds. Expensive clothes look expensive and show their wearer is rich. Clothes can provide other clues as well. The upper classes appear to be less interested in fashion and wear good quality clothes in non-bright colours, made of natural material like wool, leather and cotton. Lower working-class people often choose clothes in bright colours, made of man-made materials. A sociological explanation for this would be that colour and interest are missing from their lives, and therefore any opportunity to produce this is taken. Clothes are available at a price within most people's reach. New clothes make the wearer feel good and show some degree of wealth to the outside world. Today it is the younger people who spend most money on clothes. Fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich. Young people from all social classes spend a lot of money on clothes. Some new fashions are started by working-class people who want to look different and feel important. They want people WWW.K**S*858$$U.COMto look at them. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
<extra_id_0>Expensive clothes look expensive and show the wearer is rich.
<extra_id_1>Working-class people prefer clothes in bright colours because they lack colour in their lives.
<extra_id_2>Today, it is still the upper class people who spend most money on clothes.
<extra_id_3>Today, fashion is no longer for the upper classes and the rich.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>One of Britain's bravest women told yesterday how she helped to catch suspected police killer David Bieber --- and was thanked with flowers by the police. It was also said that she could be in line for a share of up to PS30,000 reward money . Vicki Brown , 30 , played a very important role in ending the nationwide manhunt . Vicki , who has worked at the Royal Hotel for four years , told of her terrible experience when she had to steal into Bieber's bedroom and to watch him secretly. Then she waited alone for three hours while armed police prepared to storm the building. She said : " I was very nervous . But when I opened the hotel door and saw 20 armed policemen lined up in the car park I was so glad they were there." The alarm had been raised because Vicki became suspicious of the guest who checked in at 8 pm the day before New Year's Eve with little luggage and wearing sunglasses and a hat pulled down over his face. She said : " He didn't seem to want to talk too much and make any eye contact." Vicki, the only employee on duty , called her boss Margaret , 64 , and husband Stan McKale, 65 , who phoned the police at 11 pm. Officers from Northumbria Police called Vicki at the hotel in Dunston , Gateshead , at about 11:30 pm to make sure that this was the wanted man . Then they kept in touch by phoning Vicki every 15 minutes. " It was about ten to two in the morning when the phone went again and a policeman said ' Would you go and make yourself known to the armed officers outside ?' My heart missed a beat ." Vicki quietly showed eight armed officers through passages and staircases to the top floor room and handed over the key. " I realized that my bedroom window overlooks that part of the hotel , so I went to watch . I could not see into the man's room , but I could see the passage . The police kept shouting at the man to come out with his hands showing . Then suddenly he must have come out because they shouted for him to lie down while he was handcuffed ." How long did the whole event probably last from the moment Bieber came to the hotel to the arrival of some armed officers ?
<extra_id_0>About 6.
<extra_id_1>About 8.
<extra_id_2>About 11.
<extra_id_3>About 14
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>I was on holiday in a strange place.One morning I got up early and went off into the forest looking for beautiful birds.But I lost my way,and don't know how to come back.I took a cell phone with me,but it didn't work there.It was night and I was frightened because I was alone and there were full of dangerous animals.I climbed up to a tree and was afraid of sleeping.Next morning I was tired.I thought what I should do to save myself.I tore my clothes into small pieces and tied them to the trees that I passed.At last my friend found me according to the pieces that I left.I was saved.That is an unforgettable experience in my life. Where did he stay at that night?
<extra_id_0>In the tree.
<extra_id_1>On the tree.
<extra_id_2>Under the tree.
<extra_id_3>Near the tree.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>There are some very good inventions which, for one reason or another, don't become popular. These inventions should be better known, even though I think that some of them are crazy. Let's have a look at some of these inventions and see if you agree that they should be more successful. The Australians had a great idea to stop people from drinking and driving. The idea was that if a driver wanted to start the car, she or he would have to blow into a bag first. If there was too much alcohol in their breath, the car wouldn't start. It sounded like a great idea to me, but people said that they might need to drive the car in an emergency even if they had drunk too much alcohol. Another idea I liked was an invention by a scientist who thought his children watched too much TV. He connected the TV to an exercise bike so that the electricity to power the TV was produced by the bike. If the children wanted to watch a lot of TV, they had to pedal very hard. I found another invention on the Internet which encouraged good habits. Believe it or not, this invention was an ashtray which spoke to you when you lit a cigarette! The "voice" of the ashtray was started by the heat from the cigarette and reminded you how dangerous it is to smoke. One of the strangest inventions I have come across is a bicycle which can cross rivers! The idea was that when you came to a river, you could _ a huge plastic ball all around the bike. You would then get into the ball which would float on the river while you pedaled the bike inside the ball! Why not use a bridge instead? A friend of mine at school once bought a strange pair of football shoes. On the bottom of the shoes there was a rotating pad of studs . The idea was that you would change direction more quickly if the studs rotated with you. The problem was that every time you stopped you changed direction whether you wanted to or not! I think he wore those shoes twice! One thing I would like is a baseball cap with a built-in radio so you can listen to sport all day with your hands free. While we are on the subject of sport, the Americans invented a kind of robot for sports fans. If you were watching your team on TV on your own, you could press a button and the robot would do "high fives" with you! Fantastic! I wonder if you have any good ideas for inventions like these. What's the best title for the passage?
<extra_id_0>Popular Inventions Today
<extra_id_1>Technology and Invention
<extra_id_2>Inventions with a Difference
<extra_id_3>The History of Invention
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Advertisers tend to think big and perhaps this is why they're always coming in for criticism. Their critics seem to resent them because they have a gift for self-promotion and because they have so much money to throw around. " It's unfair," they say, " that this entirely unproductive industry (if we can call it that) should absorb millions of pounds each year. It only goes to show how much profit the big companies are making. Why don't they stop advertising and reduce the price of their goods? After all, it's the consumer who pays." The poor old consumer! He'd have to pay a great deal more if advertising didn't create mass markets for products. It is precisely because of the heavy advertising that consumer goods are so cheap. But we get the wrong idea that the only purpose of advertising is to sell goods. Another equally important function is to inform. A great deal of the knowledge we have about household goods comes largely from the advertisements we read. Advertisements introduce us to new products or remind us of the existence of ones we already know about. Supposing you wanted to buy a washing machine, it is more likely that you would obtain details about performance, price, etc., from an advertisement. Lots of people pretend that they never read advertisements, but this claim may be seriously doubted. It is hardly possible not to read advertisements these days. And what fun they often are, too! Just think what a railway station or a newspaper would be like without advertisements. Would you enjoy gazing at a blank wall or reading only closely-printed columns of news in your daily paper? A cheerful, witty advertisement makes such a difference to a dull wall or a newspaper full of the daily amount of great disasters. We must not forget, either, that advertising makes a positive contribution to our pockets. Newspapers, commercial radio and television companies could not survive without this source of income. The fact that we pay so little for our daily paper, or can enjoy so many broadcast programs is due entirely to the money spent by advertisers. Just think what a newspaper would cost if we had to pay its full price! Another thing we mustn't forget is the "small ads", which are virtually in every newspaper and magazine. What a tremendously useful service they perform for the community! Just about anything can be accomplished through these columns! For instance, you can find a job, buy or sell a house, announce a birth, marriage or death in what used to be called the "hatch, match and dispatch" column but so far the most fascinating section is the personal or "agony" column. No other item in a newspaper provides such entertaining reading or offers such a deep insight into human nature. It's the best advertisement for advertising there is. What is the main idea of the text?
<extra_id_0>Advertisements create mass markets for all products.
<extra_id_1>Advertisers perform a useful service to communities.
<extra_id_2>The criticisms for advertisements.
<extra_id_3>Advertisements are fun to read.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Situated along Wangfujing Avenue, the Wangfujing Grand Hotel enjoys a prime location with easy access to many tourist attractions such as the Forbidden City, Tian'anmen Square and Beihai Park. Each luxurious room at the Wangfujing Grand is elegantly furnished and comes equipped with modern _ including satellite TV, internet access and attached bathroom. Most rooms overlook the Forbidden City or Wangfujing Avenue, providing stunning views. Hotel guests can swim in the indoor pool or workout at the fitness centre while a sauna and spa lets visitor relax and unwind. Other hotel facilities include a beauty salon, gift shop and travel and tickets service. The Regent Beijing Surrounded by the modern business district and the ancient streets of old Beijing, Regent Hotel is truly the place to enjoy a world of luxury at a good value. Situated within walking distance of the main commercial district, Regent Beijing is very close to shops, entertainment outlets, eateries and nightlife. Major attractions like Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square are just a 5-minute drive away. The world-class Regent Beijing not only offers excellent facilities for leisure and business, it also provides personalized and thoughtful service. Pamper yourself with a treatment in one of the spa's private rooms or relax in the elegant indoor pool. Energize in the large fitness centre or enjoy some retail shopping at the luxury boutiques. Raffles Beijing Hotel Raffles Beijing Hotel is in the heart of the prestigious business and commercial districts and a few minutes from the mystical Forbidden from the mystical Forbidden City, historical Tian'anmen Square, the Silk Market and other famous sights. It is also a short 15 minutes walk from Beijing railway station and less than 5 minutes from Wangfujing subway station, and approximately 40 minutes by car from Beijing Capital International Airport. Raffles Beijing Hotel was built in the 1900s, now already as an icon of Beijing's historical heritage. It is ideally situated at the crossroads of famous Chang An Avenue and the district of Wangfujing. Which of the following is closest to Raffles Beijing Hotel ?
<extra_id_0>Beijing railway station.
<extra_id_1>Wangfujing subway station.
<extra_id_2>Wangfujing Grand Hotel.
<extra_id_3>Beijing Capital International Airport.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Fear plays no part in this latest problem."I'm not afraid I'll lose my children.I won't lose my children. We live together, and nothing, nothing," she repeats, her voice rising when speaking to John's lawyer, "will stop me from being with my children. A law? Yeah, right. Don't disturb me when it comes to my children. You are never going to win. If John wants to see them, I cannot stop him. He's their father--I want them to see him! However, his visit in his present condition will disturb the children's stable life." John, who has spent much of his time in California, recently, has only hired a house for himself in Pennsylvania, according to his lawyer. "If he'd like to stick to a regular life, I'd be more than happy to do that," Jane says. "The best thing for any child of a divorced parent is a stable life. I want nothing more than for him to set up a stable life for himself, so that he can be part of making our children's lives more stable. " While matters of money and care won't be settled for weeks, Jane hardly puts her life on hold. Last week the ABC network announced that Jane would return with her own show, Twist of Jane, in which she gives advice to other moms.Jane and her eight children will also return to ABC in a series of Jane Plus 8 specials showing them on various adventures.It's a rest for Jane, who insists that she needs her new,busy life to provide for her family."I have to lead such a life, and I'm thankful that I've built it to the top where now I can support my children."she says. And whether a bellicose dance judge or a bellicose former wife, Jane plans to keep on facing attacks on her. "Some people try to knock me down--only to make me more fierce,more protective,more determined to do better,"she says."Go ahead, take me on. This will just make me stronger." Which word can best describe Jane?
<extra_id_0>Proud.
<extra_id_1>Fierce.
<extra_id_2>Determined.
<extra_id_3>Independent
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Audrey Hepburn is one of Hollywood's all-time greatest actress. She is famous not only in the USA, but also in other parts of the world. Hepburn was born in Belgium on May 4, 1929. She began taking ballet lessons at a very young age. She loved dancing and her dream was to become a successful ballet dancer. She had put most of her effort into ballet training before she entered the film industry. In 1951, Hepburn was chosen to play the lead role of a young princess in the Hollywood film Roman Holiday. It was a big success and Hepburn became famous immediately. She won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in this film. During her life time, Hepburn earned four more Oscar nominations . Some well-known films that she acted in include Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany and My Fair Lady. Hepburn also devoted much of her time to charity . She spent the last few years of her life working closely with UNICEF to help poor children in different parts of the world. She was honoured with a number of awards because of her efforts in helping them. Her dream was to become a successful _ when she was very young.
<extra_id_0>singer
<extra_id_1>trainer
<extra_id_2>dancer
<extra_id_3>director
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>A German taxi-driver, Franz Bussman, recently found his brother who was thought to have been killed twenty years ago. While on a walking tour with his wife, he stopped to talk to a workman. After they had gone on, Mrs. Bussman said that the workman was closely like her husband and even suggested that he might be his brother. Franz laughed at the idea, pointing out that his brother had been killed in action during the war. Though Mrs. Busman knew this story quite well, she thought there was a chance in a million that she might be right. A few days later, she sent a boy to the workman to ask him if his name was Hans Bussman. Needless to say, the man's name was Hans Bussman. And he really was Franz's long-lost brother. When the brothers were reunited, Hans explained how it was that he was still alive. After having been wondered towards the end of the war, he had been sent to hospital and was separated from his unit . The hospital had been bombed and Hans had made his way back into Western Germany on foot. Meanwhile, his unit was lost and all records of him had been destroyed. Hans returned to his home, but the house had been bombed up. Guessing that his family had all been killed during an air-raid , Hans settled down in a village fifty miles away where he had remained ever since. Walking along the street, _ .k*s*5u
<extra_id_0>Mr. Bussman recognized his brother at the first sight.
<extra_id_1>Mr. Bussman happened to meet a workman and talked to him.
<extra_id_2>Mrs. Bussman thought of the workman as her long-lost brother.
<extra_id_3>Mr. and Mrs. Bussman talked to the workman for he was like his brother.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Dear Eric, How are you? This is a picture of my room. You can see a nice computer on my desk. It is my birthday present from my uncle. A tape player is next to the computer, and some tapes are on the computer. My school-bag is on the chair. My pencil-box and two books are in the schoolbag. And you can see a set of keys in the schoolbag, too. My bed is blue, and my green quilt is on it. Under the bed, you can see a baseball, and I can play it well. My books are in the bookcase, and my white model plane is in it, too. My room is tidy, isn't it? Do you have a room? Can I have a picture of your room? Yours, Liu Peng Who is the computer from?
<extra_id_0>Liu Peng's father
<extra_id_1>Liu Peng's uncle
<extra_id_2>Eric's uncle
<extra_id_3>Eric's father
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>What do you usually do in your free time? Play sports? Watch TV? How about reading books? You must know the Chinese saying: " _ " .Books are important in our life. Reading books is good for us. It can help us know and understand the world better. It can help us get a lot of knowledge . It brings us a new and different world that we have never been before. Almost all the great men like reading, like Chairman Mao and Madame Curie. In a word, books are treasure and we must love them. But before you read, remember to choose a good one. Ask your parents or teachers about what books to read. Be sure you are interested in them. There are many different kinds of books. I like biography because I can learn something from the characters . What about you? Young friends. Please love books and read them. They are very helpful to you. Which of the following is TRUE?
<extra_id_0>Madame Curie doesn't like reading at all.
<extra_id_1>We shouldn't ask teachers about what books to read.
<extra_id_2>Reading books can give us little knowledge.
<extra_id_3>We have to choose a good book before we start to read.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Recently a Beijing father sent in a question at an Interact forum asking what "PK" meant. "My family has been watching the 'Super Girl' singing competition TV program.My little daughter asked me what 'PK' meant,but I had no idea,"explained the puzzled father. To a lot of Chinese young people who have been playing games online,it is impossible not to know this term.In such Internet games,"PK" is short for "Player Kill",in which two players fight until one ends the life of the other. In the case of the "Super Girl" singing competition."PK" was used to refer to the stage where two singers have to compete with each other for only one chance to go up in competition ranking. Like this father,Chinese teachers at high schools have also been finding their students' compositions using Internet which are difficult to understand.A high school teacher from Tianjin asked her students to write compositions with simple language,but they came up with a lot of Internet jargons that she didn't understand. "My 'GG' came back this summer from college.He told me I've grown up to be a 'PLMM'.I loved to 'FB' with him together;he always took me to the 'KPM',"went one composition. "GG" means Ge Ge(Chinese pinyin for brother)."PLMM" refers to Piao Liang Mei Mei (beautiful girl)."FB" means Fu Bai (corruption)."KPM" is short for KFC.Pizza Hut and McDonald's. Some specialists welcome Internet jargons as a new development in language. If you do not even know what a Kong Long(dinosaur,referring to an ugly looking female) ora Qing wa (frog,referring to an ugly looking male)is,you will possibly be regarded as a CaiNiao! The examples of the Beijing father and the Tianjin teacher are used to show that Internet jargons _ .
<extra_id_0>are used not only online
<extra_id_1>can be understood very well
<extra_id_2>are welcomed by all the people
<extra_id_3>cause trouble to our mother tongue
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Lemuel Gulliver enjoyed travelling. He was a ship's doctor. On May 4, 1699, they were going to the Far East in the ship called the Antelope. One night, his ship crashed against the rocks, Gulliver was washed to the land. He found himself a prisoner of tiny people. They were less than 6 inches tall and lived in the island country of Lilliput. After he promised to behave well, they set him free and he could visit the city. The people of Blefuscu wanted to attack Lilliput. The king of Lilliput turned to Gulliver. He stopped Blefuscu attacking Lilliput by pulling its ships to Lilliput. The king was happy. _ wanted to make the people of Blefuscu his slaves , so he asked Gulliver to bring some more ships. Gulliver did not like this plan. The king got angry. Some bad men in Lilliput wanted to kill Gulliver. Gulliver had to run away from Lilliput to Blefuscu. He was welcomed by the king of Blefuscu. They soon became good friends. Three days after that , he asked king to send him twenty of his largest ships and two thousand men to pull the boat to the shore. In this boat, he set sail for England. On the third day he saw a big ship to the southeast. He called out to the ship. The ship was moving very slowly. They raised a flag .His heart was full of happiness when he saw the English flag . _ wanted to make the people of Blefuscu his slaves. Who is he in this sentence?
<extra_id_0>The king of Lilliput.
<extra_id_1>The king of Blefuscu.
<extra_id_2>Gulliver.
<extra_id_3>One of the bad men.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Googlefight is a simple service available on the Internet which offers you the chance to compare two different items and see how many hits they get on the Google search engine. The seemingly simple device has proved invaluable to users, especially to help win arguments. For example, imagine that you and your friends are arguing about who are the most popular music or movie stars, you can decide the argument by writing the names in the Googlefight boxes. Let's say that you are arguing about Jackie Chan and Jet Li. You will quickly discover that Jet Li is mentioned 16 million times on Google pages, whereas Jackie Chan is mentioned a mere 12 million times! In this unscientific way, you can claim victory for one Star over another. But teachers have come up with ways of using Googlefight which are much more useful from an academic point of view, particularly when it comes to studying languages. You can, for example, find out the frequency of two words with the same meaning, and deduce from the answers which one is more common. For example, let's take the words "buy" and "purchase", which mean the same thing (although "buy" is only a verb and "purchase" is both a verb and a noun). It is immediately clear from Googlefight that "buy" is much more commonly used, with a massive three and a half billion hits, compared to only one billion occurrences for the more formal word. But the real value of Googlefight to the language learner is in determining which is the more common of two phrases. For example, "raining cats and dogs" is an old-fashioned English expression about the weather. Do English speakers still use it? Or are they more likely to say "pouring down"? Googlefight suggests the latter. "Pouring down" has 898,000 Google hits, whereas "raining cats and dogs" only has 326,000. With phrases, it's important to remember that you need to use quote marks to make the search more accurate. For example, if you type in the similar phrases "look after" and "take care of " without quote marks, the second phrase seems to be more common, but with quote marks, the result is reversed. What is Googlefight?
<extra_id_0>A fight between two people on Google.
<extra_id_1>A way to make sure you win an argument.
<extra_id_2>A website showing how many hits two different things have.
<extra_id_3>A list of all the websites on Google.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>We all want to be healthy. You know food is very important . There is lots of healthy food . You can have more bananas, apples, oranges, tomatoes and carrots. Fruits and vegetables are good for you . Healthy food can make you strong and happy. Remember there is a saying , " An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Sports can also make you healthy . Do some sports and eat healthy food every day and you will be healthy and happy . An apply a day keeps the doctor away means _ .
<extra_id_0>The doctor goes away when he sees an apple .
<extra_id_1>The doctor can't find good apples .
<extra_id_2>The doctor likes eating apples very much .
<extra_id_3>You eat an apple every day and you can be healthy .
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>There are various aspects that go into making a successful school, and success can be measured in various ways. Often, the teachers are praised for a school's success and blamed for its failure. Yet, in order for a school to be effective, it must be a place where teaching and learning can easily take place, and that requires the hard work of more than just educators. Students must take learning into their own hands and feel as if what they are doing is as important as it actually is. This can only be done with the cooperation of every adult that is involved in the students' life. Some of these individuals often go unnoticed, yet the role they play in the students' lives is immeasurable. In the school, administrative assistants greet students at the start of the day and answer a large quantity of questions. When an assistant remembers a student's name or even something special about that student, it communicates to him that he is cared for. The assistant can also give that extra encouragement for a student to make better choices, especially when they are visiting the principal's office. Meanwhile, though cafeteria workers have a short space of time to interact with students, they can make a big difference as well. Beyond meeting nutritional needs, cafeteria workers may also on occasion meet the emotional needs of the students they serve. Students benefit from positive interaction with adults, and cafeteria workers may give that extra bit of encouragement that a child needs. Custodians are usually underappreciated for what they offer to schools. They have to be knowledgeable about everything from cleaning to fixing the most intricate tools. They get to school early in the morning before teachers arrive and lock up late at night after the last student has left from the after-school event. They also make sure teachers are equipped with the necessary items and prepare the rooms so that they are ready for learning. A great custodian also gives that kind word or extra smile to that student who needs it most. How does the author feel about the staff mentioned in the text?
<extra_id_0>Disappointed.
<extra_id_1>Dissatisfied.
<extra_id_2>Appreciative.
<extra_id_3>Doubtful.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Sports may be fun, but you need to play them safely. Here are some tips to help you stay safe while you're playing sports in winter. * Get your body ready! Before you do any exercise, be sure to warm up for at least five minutes. During warming up you should stretch all parts of your body. * Wear the right clothes! Be sure to wear the right clothes for sports. If you play winter sports, make sure that you dress warmly. Also make sure to use suntan oil . It may be cold, but the sun is still bright! If you don't put on suntan oil, your skin may be hurt. If you go skiing, be sure to wear waterproof trousers and gloves. If you go running in cold weather, try to wear a scarf. It will keep your face, ears and neck warm. * Stop playing sports when you are hurt! If you get hurt when playing sports, don't play again until you get well. * Don't get thirsty! Drink a lot when playing sports because it is easy to become thirsty. ,. Which is the best title of the passage?
<extra_id_0>playing sports is fun.
<extra_id_1>Playing sports in summer.
<extra_id_2>What we should wear when playing sports.
<extra_id_3>Keeping safe when playing sports in winter.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>A pod of dolphins is swimming while searching for food. The youngest dolphin swims away from the pod and is lost. The rest of the pod searches for the young dolphin by clicking into the water. The young dolphin is found because of
<extra_id_0>echoes from noise
<extra_id_1>vibrations from drums
<extra_id_2>sound of water
<extra_id_3>movement in air
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>One of the candidates TIME's editors are choosing as the Person of the Year 2012 is a beautiful, little, dark-haired girl from remote, rural Pakistan who simply wanted to go to school. On October 9, 2012, 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in Pakistan.She survived the attack and was sent by helicopter to have a bullet removed from her head in a hospital 6,000 miles away in Birmingham, England. Malala has now become the most famous teenager on earth, a symbol of women's rights and has even been nominated for next year's Nobel Peace Prize. However, Malala is no shallow, empty-headed, media-created idol -she is a real flesh-and-blood young woman who has already challenged the fearsome Taliban militants .Reportedly, she wants to return to Pakistan, where her life would be in constant danger.Such courage would be rare for such a young girl. Malala began writing an anonymous blog for BBC when she was only 11 years old, criticizing the Taliban for their activities in her hometown and advocating for women's education in Pakistan. "I have a new dream," she once said."I must be a politician to save this country.There are so many crises in our country.I want to remove these crises." How many little girls have uttered something so mature, selfless and elegant as that She also possesses extraordinary courage ?years ago, militants had been threatening her life.In response to these threats, Malala calmly responded: "I think of it often and imagine the scene clearly.Even if they come to kill me, I will tell them what they are trying to do is wrong. Education is our basic right." According to the text, Malala is a young girl who is _ .
<extra_id_0>courageous and mature
<extra_id_1>poor and ill-educated
<extra_id_2>fearless and generous
<extra_id_3>sensitive and careful
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>It was the last day of final exams in a university. On the steps of one building, a group of engineering students were discussing the exam. On their faces was confidence . This was their last exam and then they would graduate. With all these four years of college behind them, they felt ready to go into the world. The professor had said they could bring any book or note they wanted, but they could not talk to each other. They went into the classroom happily. The professor gave them the papers. They smiled when they found that there were only five questions. Three hours passed and the professor began to collect the papers. The students no longer looked so confident . The professor faced the class. No one spoke. They just held papers in their hands. The professor then asked, "How many of you finished all five questions?" Not a hand was raised. "How many answered four?" Still no hand. "Three? Two?" The students looked worried in their seats. "One, then?" Certainly somebody finished one. However, nobody replied. The professor put down the papers. "That is just what I thought," he said. "I just want to tell you that, even though you have finished four years of engineering, there are still many things about the subject you don't know. These questions you could not answer are quite common in everyday practice." Then he added with a smile, "You will all pass this course, but remember----even though you are now college graduates, your education has just begun." Which is the best title for the passage?
<extra_id_0>Confident Students
<extra_id_1>A Common professor
<extra_id_2>An Easy Exam
<extra_id_3>So Much to Learn
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>The earth is changing. Tomorrow it will be different. All the living things on the earth are changing. Even people are changing, and tomorrow you will be different. There are many kinds of change, and many different things than cause change. People need to realize the changes, to learn to see them, and to learn what causes change. Human beings must solve many problems so that they can continue to live successfully. War is one of these problems. Disease and natural _ are problems. Having enough food and energy for the growing number of people in the world is a problem. Most problems can be solved, but some are impossible to solve. The way in which people solve problems affects how long and how well they can live. As people solve their problems, they change things, and changes often cause new problems for people and for other living things on the earth. Sometimes the new problems seem even worse than the old ones. Human beings will probably never stop having problems to solve. Can you use your imagination to describe a world that has no problems at all ? New problems appear _ .
<extra_id_0>because old problems aren't solved.
<extra_id_1>because people don't solve them
<extra_id_2>because some people are foolish
<extra_id_3>when people are solving old ones
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Uncertainty spreads through our lives so thoroughly that it dominates our language. Our everyday speech is made up in large part of words like probably, many, soon, great, little. What do these words mean?Such verbal expression is not necessarily to be criticized. Indeed, it has a value just because it allows us to express judgments when a precise quantitative statement is out of the question. We have been trying to pin down by experiments what people mean by these expressions in specific contexts, and how the meanings change with age. For instance, a subject is told "There are many trees in the park" and is asked to say what number the word many mean to him. Or a child is invited to take "some" sweets from a bowl and we then count how many he has taken. We compare the number he takes when he is alone with the number when one or more other children are present and are to take some sweets after him, or with the number he takes when told to give "some" sweets to another child. First, we find that the number depends, of course, on the items involved. To most people some friends means about five, while some trees means about twenty. However, unrelated areas sometimes show parallel values. For instance, the language of probability seems to mean about the same thing in predictions about the weather and about politics: the expression "is certain to" (rain, or be elected) signifies to the average person about a 70 percent chance; "is likely to", about a 60 percent chance; "probably will" about 55 percent. Secondly, the size of the population of items influences the value assigned to an expression. Thus, if we tell a subject to take "a few" or " a lot of" glass balls from a box, he will take more if the box contains a large number of glass balls than if it has a small number. But not proportionately more: if we increase the number of glass balls eight times, the subject takes only half as large a percentage of the total. Thirdly, there is a marked change with age. Among children between six and fourteen years old, the older the child, the fewer glass balls he will take. But the difference between a lot and a few widens with age. This age effect is so consistent that it might be used as a test of intelligence. Which of the following will least definitely influence the number of items a kid takes out of a box when he is invited to take "some"?
<extra_id_0>Whether the quantity of items is large or small.
<extra_id_1>Whether the items are candies or toys.
<extra_id_2>Whether the kid is a toddler or a youngster.
<extra_id_3>Whether the kid is alone or accompanied by other children.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>It was not the first time for Shi Benliang, a senior physics major at Peking University, to feed cats. But the 22-year-old felt sad when he saw the scars and wounds on the bodies of the little creatures. "I can imagine how they have suffered from being abandoned. They lead a harsh life wandering around," said the student..Shi is one of a dozen students at the university volunteering to feed the stray cats during the winter break. Recruited by the Stray Cat Rescue Association at the university through a Bulletin Board System (BBS), he took turns with other students to care for the homeless animals. It is estimated that there are more than 100 stray cats on the campus of Peking University. Jin Jing, 18, an economics freshman at the university, cared for the cats for two days. "At around 5 pm I cycled to the 22 feeding sites on campus marked on a special map," she said. "At each site I left some cat food and water."Jin was excited when the animals rushed to her feet. "Some are shy and timid, and others are more outgoing. Each of them has their own name such as 'Sweet Orange' or 'Karl Marx'," she said. "By feeding them I learned to respect life." Liu Chenhao, a senior electronics and computer science major, who is in charge of the association, said that feeding was just one part of their responsibilities."Our aim is to keep the stray cats in check and maintain harmony between them and the students on campus," he said. The organization also takes cats to the animal hospital to be treated for oral and skin disease. Another of its major tasks is to find new homes for the cats by uploading their photos and information online. "We're very careful when selecting owners and ask them lots of questions to ensure that they won't desert their cat under any circumstances, such as when they move house or get married," Liu said. But he stressed that their acts of kindness shouldn't encourage anyone to abandon their cat. "A cat's normal life expectancy is more than 10 years, but a stray one may survive for only two or three." (365words) Which of the following is NOT the task of the Stray Cat Rescue Association ?
<extra_id_0>To keep students have a harmonious relationship with cats.
<extra_id_1>To mourn the stray cats when they die of hunger or illness.
<extra_id_2>To choose suitable owners for stray cats deliberately.
<extra_id_3>To take stray cats to treat diseases when they were sick.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Center Stage Center Stage is a music and drama group for ages 12--16.Our aim is to build confidence Through movement and music.A11 ages work together to perform at the end of each term for families and friends. Working with our bodies and vices helps develop awareness of ourselves, physical and emotional intelligence and builds confidence in our relationships with others. Having fun, learning new skills,meeting friends--that is Center Stage. For further information please contact 01454851938 or see our website at www.centerstagebristol.co.uk. The Therapy Space "Inattentive.""Poor handwriting.""Lazy.""Can't sit still"."Dull." Some of these terms may be how your parents and teachers or other people view you. You may wonder why you seem slow at schoo1 and have difficulty with organization,handwriting,sitting still and concentrating. The Therapy Space can help you understand yourself from a new angle. We help you understand and deal with the root causes behind your behaviors. At The Therapy Space in South Bristol the specialist will assess and treat you in a fantastic,fun --filled environment. Teens beg to return to schools! Parents have told us it is the best present they have given to their child and themselves. "We have seen such a difference since coming to see you,and school is now being much more understanding after reading your very helpful report. We can't thank yon enough." Call Linda & Annie for friendly advice on telephone:01179079189. The prefix = st1 /ActionCenterski race team is looking for more keen and enthusiastic and experienced skiers to join their team. Having three highly experienced coaches to develop the potential of members of the team, we are currently looking into arranging races against other race teams.Whoever wants to join us must be able to ski to an intermediate level and know how to have fun While skiing.The Center is situated in Churchill A38 south of Bristol Airport.Contact 01934852335 What the three ads have in common is that _ .
<extra_id_0>people can call them if they want more information.
<extra_id_1>all the ads offer their phone numbers and websites to readers.
<extra_id_2>sports lovers are interested in the three ads a11.
<extra_id_3>They are popular among teenagers and their parents.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Soon computers and other machines will be able to remember you by looking at your eyes! The program works because everyone's eyes are different. So in the future you won't have to remember a number when you want to use a machine or take money out of a bank. You'll just have to look at the machine and it will be able to tell who you are. The eye-recognition program is already being tested in shops and banks in the USA, Britain and France. Soon, this technology will change all other ways of finding out who people are. However, scientists are working on other systems. Machines will soon be able to know you from the shape of your face or hands or even your smell! We already have machines that can tell who you are from your voice or the mark made by your fingers. Eye-recognition is better than other kinds because your eyes don't change as you get older, or get dirty like hands or fingers. And even twins have different eyes, so the program can be up to 94% correct, depending on how good the technology is. Some programs may only be right 51% of the time. In Britain, it was found that 91% of people who had tried it said that they liked the idea of eye-recognition. In the future your computer will be looking at you in the eye. So smile! We already have machines that can tell who you are from _
<extra_id_0>your eyes or your smell
<extra_id_1>your face or your voice
<extra_id_2>your face or your foot print
<extra_id_3>your voice or the mark made by your finger
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>In the past ten years, many scientists have studied the differences between men and women. And they all got the same answer: The sexes are different, because their brains are different. And this, the scientists say, makes men and women see the world in different ways. Boys, for example, generally are better than girls at mathematical ideas. Boys also generally are better than girls at the kind of hand and eye movements necessary for ball sports. Girls, on the other hand generally start speaking earlier than boys. And they generally see better in the dark than boys and are better at learning foreign languages. What makes men and women better at one thing or another? The answer is the brain. The brain has two sides connected by nerve tracks. The left side generally is used for mathematics, speech and writing. The right side is used for artistic creation and the expression for emotions . In men and women, different areas in each side of the brain develop differently. In boys, for example, it's the area used for mathematics. In girls, it is the area used for language skills. Another interesting difference is that the two sides of a man's brain are connected by a smaller number of nerves than the two sides of a woman's brain are. _ men and women think differently.
<extra_id_0>The different brains make
<extra_id_1>Sex makes
<extra_id_2>The different experiences make
<extra_id_3>The influences of society make
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Do you feel a little sleepy after lunch? Well, that's normal . Your body slows down then. What should you do about it? Don't drink coffee! Instead, take a nap . It's good to have a daily nap. First of all, you are more energetic after napping. You remember things better and make fewer mistakes. Also, you can learn things more easily after taking a nap. A nap may improve your self-confidence and make you more active. It may even cheer you up. But, there are some rules you should think about taking a nap. First, take a nap in the middle of day. Next, a 20-minute nap is best. If you sleep longer, you may fall into a deep sleep. After waking from a deep sleep, you will feel worse. Also, you should set an alarm clock. That way, you can fully relax during your nap. You won't have to keep looking at the clock so you don't sleep too much. Now, the next time you feel sleepy after lunch, don't get stressed. Put your head down, close your eyes, and take a nap. It is normal to get sleepy for you at noon after _
<extra_id_0>breakfast
<extra_id_1>lunch
<extra_id_2>dinner
<extra_id_3>supper
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced Peter, the Secretary of the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10. The winner will win a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of 8 million Swedish Kronor (about 1 million U.S. dollars). Mo Yan was born in 1955 and grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in eastern China. As a 12-year-old during that very unordinary time, he left school to work, first as a farmer like his parents, later as a worker in a factory. He didn't begin to study literature or write until he joined the People's Liberation Army in 1976. His first short story was published in 1981. In his writing, Mo Yan draws the readers' attention to his youthful experiences and the cultures in the province of his birth. His novel Hong Gaoliang Jiazu (1987, in English Red Sorghum 1993), which consists of five stories was successfully filmed in 1987, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In addition to his novels, Mo Yan has published many short stories and essays on many different topics. his stories have been translated into English, French , Japanese and many other languages. Mo Yan not only brings a great shot to the world but also a great joy to China. Which of the following is NOT true?
<extra_id_0>Mo Yan began writing stories in about 1976.
<extra_id_1>Zhang Yimou is a famous actor in China.
<extra_id_2>Mo Yan comes from Shangdong Province, China.
<extra_id_3>Chinese take great pride in Mo Yan's winning Nobel Prize in Literature
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>When Ben Franklin was only a boy, he always wanted to know about things. He was always asking his father and brothers 'What?' and 'How?' and 'Why?' They couldn't always tell him what he wanted to know. When they couldn't tell him, Ben tried to find out for himself. Many times Ben did find out things that no one knew before. The other boys would say, 'That is Ben Franklin! He's always finding out something new!' Ben lived close to the water. He liked to go there to see the boats. He saw how the wind blew them across the water. One day Ben said to himself: 'Why can't the wind help me float across the water? And I'm going to try.' Ben got his big kite.He took hold of the kite string and ran with it. The wind took the kite up into the air.Then Ben jumped into the water. The wind blew the kite high into the air.Ben began to float across the water.Soon he was on the other side, and he had not worked at all. One boy shouted, 'Look at Ben floating across the water! His kite takes him to the other side without any work!' 'Yes,' said another. 'He's always finding new ways to do things.' His father and brothers _ .
<extra_id_0>couldn't answer all his questions
<extra_id_1>could answer all his questions
<extra_id_2>tried hard to find out something new for him
<extra_id_3>were too busy to answer his questions
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>It had been a very disheartening day. The doctors had given us the worst of news. Our daughter, who had just completed her first brain surgery to remove a tumor and was going through radiation treatment, was now officially given a two percent chance of survival as this type of cancer had no cure. My wife and I decided to take our daughter to lunch before continuing our afternoon conversation. We went to a local restaurant where we sat in silence waiting for the waitress. I noticed a very elderly couple sitting a few booths away, who were also in silence and did not speak a word. I couldn't help but wonder what challenges they had faced in their life and if they ever faced such terrible news about a child of theirs. We eventually ordered our lunch and still sitting in silence we ate what we could. At some point I became intrigued by the old couple. I thought to myself that they hadn't yet spoken to each other and I wondered if it was the peace they were enjoying or the food or maybe both. However, at some point I lost interest and put my focus back on my lunch. Molly was still talking away and enjoying her meal. Her mom and I both listened and tried to be happy in her presence but it wasn't going very well. All of a sudden I saw a hand come out of nowhere. It was huge and I could tell that it had been afflicted with arthritis . I couldn't take my eyes off that hand. It landed on my daughter's tiny six-year-old hand and as it did I looked up; it was the old woman who had been sitting with the old man in silence eating their lunch. I looked into her eyes and she spoke, but not to me. She looked at my daughter and simply whispered, "If I could do more for you I would..." and then she smiled and moved away to join her husband, who had moved towards the door. "Look, a whole dollar," Molly spoke with excitement as she discovered a crumpled one dollar bill left behind by the old lady. I looked up to thank her, but she was gone. I sat stunned, not sure what had just happened and then I looked over at my wife. In almost unison, we broke out into a smile. The sadness of the day had been wiped out by the crippled hand and generous touch of the old lady. The dollar, although exciting to Molly, was not what made us smile; it was the offer from the old lady, who felt our suffering. The crippled hand symbolized a healing touch and made us realize that we did not have to fight this battle alone. What can we inferred from the passage?
<extra_id_0>The author and his wife were not satisfied with the food in the restaurant.
<extra_id_1>The old couple had once gone through the same trouble as the author did.
<extra_id_2>The one dollar bill made the author feel touched by the warmth from others.
<extra_id_3>The old woman sympathized with Molly because she suffered from serious arthritis herself.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Aunt Polly had told Tom to paint the whole fence in front of the house. He thought of the other boys out for the day enjoying themselves and he felt very unhappy. Then he had an idea! He picked up the brush and started painting slowly and carefully. Soon, his friend Ben Rogers appeared, eating an apple. Tom pretended not to see him. "Tom!" Ben said. "Why are you working?" "Oh, it's you, Ben,"Tom said, "I didn't notice you." "I'm gong for a swim," Ben said, "but you don't' want to come. You want to work, don't you? It's much nicer!" Ben laughed loudly. Tom looked seriously at Ben and said. "What is work? What do you call work?" "Isn't that work?" Ben asked. "Well, no. Does a boy get the _ to paint a fence every day? You've never painted a fence, have you? Auntie says I have to do it with great care!' "Pleas, Tom. Let me do a little," said Ben. "No, Ben. If you do, you'll do it wrong. You can't paint very well. If it was the back fence wouldn't mind, but it isn't." "I won't do it wrong. I'll be really careful. I'll give you my apple." Tom gave him the brush and paint with a sad face, but in his heart he was glad, His trick had worked. After Ben got tired and left, other boys came along and Tom said the same things to them. Soon, the whole fence was painted white, but not by Tom. He felt very clever because he had discovered something important about the way people are. People only want what they can't have or want to do what they shouldn't do. Why did Tom pretend not to see Ben?
<extra_id_0>Because he wanted Ben to believe that the was enjoying the work.
<extra_id_1>Because he would like to try his best to attract Ben's attention.
<extra_id_2>Because he did not want Ben to see the fact that he had to work.
<extra_id_3>Because he was afraid that Ben might laugh at him if the saw him.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>A few days ago my wife sent me out to buy something. When I came home, I handed her a paper bag and said, "Here are the apples you wanted." She looked in the bag, and then she looked at me. "I told you," she said slowly, "to buy some eggs." I felt worried about my _ , so I went to see a doctor. He was a very kind man. "I have seen many people like you. It's nothing to worry about," he said. "If you know you are absent-minded, you are all right. But if you do not know you're absent-minded, you may be really in trouble." "Many famous people were absent-minded," the doctor told me. "Thomas Edison was standing in line one day to pay his taxes . When he arrived at the window, he found that he had forgotten his own name. He had to ask the man who was behind him to tell him who he was." I felt much better and got up to leave. "Thank you, doctor," I said. "How much do I have to pay you?" "Ten dollars for the check-up ," the doctor said. "But doctor, I did not have a check-up!" For a moment the doctor looked puzzled. Then he said, "Oh, yes, it was the patient before you who had a check-up. How absent-minded I am!" The doctor took Edison's story for example _ .
<extra_id_0>to show absent-mindedness is common among people
<extra_id_1>because he liked telling stories
<extra_id_2>to make the author laugh
<extra_id_3>to make fun of Edison
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>TOSHIBA ELEVATORS LTD is one of the leading elevator companies in the world with more than 120 branch companies around the globe. SHENYANG TOSHIBA ELEVATORS LTD in Shenyang produces high-quality elevators. We are offering the following positions: * Plant Manager: Excellent Senior Engineer with experience in this field to manage our plant in Shenyang * Senior Engineers (Mechanical and Electrical): For production and Engineering Department, good command of Internet * Junior positions: For those who wish for success * One purchaser : Preferably with experience in a mechanical engineering company and international markets * Cost Accountant : 5 years experience in mechanical factory costing, good knowledge in Office 2000, CET level. For these senior level Positions, we expect preferably a university degree or an excellent job record. 3-5 years of experience on the job and good command of English. If you are ready to work with us, we will offer attractive salary packet and bright future. SHENYANG TOSHIBA ELEVATORS LTD Shenyang (024-82846556) Liaoning Province TOWER DAIRY PRODUCT COMPANY LTD is a well-known food company in Suzhou. We're offering the following positions: (1) Secretary * University graduate * Good at English speaking, writing&translating * Good PC knowledge and typing skill * Pleasant character with good personal skill (2) Accountants * College or university graduate * Good command of English and PC operation * Work experience (3) Production Trainees * College or university graduate * Food engineering/machinery or chemistry * Good command of English * 1-2 years experience in food factory * Leadership ability and PC knowledge (4) Production workers * Polytechnic school graduate * Food technology or chemistry * Knowledge of basic English *1-2 years experience in food factory TOWER DAIRY PRODUCT COMPANY LTD Suzhou (0512-86734157) Jiangsu Province If you want to get a senior position in TOSHIBA, you need to have _ .
<extra_id_0>work experience on the job
<extra_id_1>typing skills and know English well
<extra_id_2>good wishes for the job
<extra_id_3>pleasant character and PC skill
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Taking part in charity is not just for adult people. Kids can do it too! Melvin Sheppard, 14, an American student, has done charity work for 8 years. He has also encouraged his classmates to join him. Melvin studies at William Allen Middle School in Philadelphia. Recently, he collected $ 1,500 by himself and $487 from his classmates to donate to Cooper University Hospital. Melvin was born nine weeks premature in Cooper University Hospital, weighing 2.6kg. His father told him how Cooper saved his life, so he feels thankful to the hospital. Melvin's classmates joined him once they found out about his kind behavior. Their teacher, Michael Bemer, also held a class with them about helping others. "It wasn't really about the money," Bemer said. "It was about the fact that they were doing something good." "It feels great, helping someone that I know." said Jordan, Melvin' s classmate. Melvin's neighbors also helped out. Since Melvin was 6, he and his parents have given money to Cooper University Hospital every year. This year, Gray E. Stahl, the head of Cooper's division of neonatology , went to Melvin's school to accept the money. The money goes to a part of the hospital that helps about 500 young patients every year. "When they leave, we call them graduates," Stahl said, "my co - workers and I are pleased when our graduates and their families do well, like Melvin and his family." Which of the following is TRUE?
<extra_id_0>Many college graduates accept the money every year.
<extra_id_1>The money helps about 500 0ld patients every year.
<extra_id_2>Melvin does the charity work alone for many years.
<extra_id_3>Melvin's teacher thinks it is a great thing to learn to help others.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>The direction of our lives is determined by the choices we make every day. They accumulate and lead to our final destination. Success in life is not a gift that just falls on people like a ripe pawpaw! It is a choice you have to make. The life you are going to live tomorrow is just a direct product of your choice today. It is pointless to waste our time today and hope for a successful tomorrow. Everything that happens in your life depends on what you are doing today. Your future begins with a choice. Here are some tips that help you create a life of fulfillment and prosperity in the future. Choose to be positive. A positive mental attitude will put you miles ahead of your peers . Never say never. Your attitude determines your altitude. It is more valuable than skills. Choose a positive attitude and things will start to work for you. Choose to always treat others right. We come across all sorts of people, many of whom will treat us poorly. We can choose to treat them right, no matter how they treat us. When they lie, we will tell the truth. When they cheat, we will play by the rules. We may get the short end of the stick sometimes, but in the long run we will win. Choose to sow more than you reap. There are many takers in this world, but our lives will be better as we become givers. Give away your time, your money and your love and you will most likely get it back sooner or later! Choose to break bad habit. Take the big ones first. Make every effort to break them. Forget about the others, as you will get to them later. Stop smoking, get out of debt and lose your extra weight. Exercise the power to choose! Choose to get home for dinner more often. The family is the most important group of people you will ever belong to. Make a decision today to develop your relationship with your family. This one choice you will never regret. You have a chance today to change your life forever. Make the right choices . The purpose of writing this article is to _ .
<extra_id_0>persuade readers to make changes
<extra_id_1>illustrate how to succeed in career
<extra_id_2>tell readers to live a meaningless life
<extra_id_3>offer some tips on making choices
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Treasure Island isn't a true story, _ armed to the teeth and ready to go treasure hunting. But you will find, as you read this book, that although pirates can be murderous and treacherous ,they can also be cowardly, superstitious, and easily led. As it turns out, that is fortunate for Jim Hawkins. It's a brilliant story. Billy Bones, a retired seaman, comes to live at the Admiral Benbow inn. Jim is just a boy, but he can see that Billy Bones is a nervous man, always on the look-out for strangers arriving at the inn. And well he might be nervous, because he carries with him in his battered old sea-chest a map drawn by Captain Flint himself giving the whereabouts of all Flint's buried treasure! Captain Flint! -the most feared pirate ever to travel the high seas. Well,Flint is dead, but there are plenty of men who served with Captain Flint still alive who will feel they have a fair claim to the treasure. The map, though, ends up in the possession of Jim Hawkins---(it's a near thing, read the book to see how that happens) Jim tells the secret in the local doctor, who quickly joins forces to acquire a ship and crew to sail for Treasure Island There's a famous scene where Jim, hiding in the apple barrel on deck, discovers that mutiny is planned. It's a bad moment. The numbers suggest that the pirates are going to have it all their own way. There are nineteen mutineers and seven honest men, including Jim. And now, you will have to read the book for yourself. This is a fantastic tale of cheat, bravery and cowardice. I don't know how things would have turned out if it hadn't been for Jim Hawkins. For it is Jim who single-handedly steals the Hispaniola from under the very noses of the pirates and sails her round the island to a secret beaching place. And do you know what happens to Long John Silver, the greatest double-crosser of them all? No? Well, don't expect me to tell you. Don't be nervous of reading a 'classic'. I know it was published a long time ago, but that doesn't mean it is difficult to read. There is one piece of advice I will give, though. I don't think this book is ever out of print---there are hundreds of different copies around. If you can, choose a copy with large enough print to be able to read comfortably, and exciting illustrations. It makes all the difference. Go ahead! Read the book. I think you'll love it. What's the purpose of this passage?
<extra_id_0>to make a book review
<extra_id_1>to recommend the book to the readers
<extra_id_2>to sell the book
<extra_id_3>to tell a story
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>The longest solar eclipse of the century cast a wide shadow for several minutes over Asia and the Pacific Ocean on 22th July, drawing people outside to watch the sight in the sky. Day turned into night. Temperature turned cooler in cities and villages filled with fans of astronomy. The total eclipse could be seen starting in India on Wednesday morning and moving eastward across China and parts of the Pacific. Millions cast their eyes towards the heavens to catch an unusual view of the sun's colorful ring. Cloud in some areas prevented people from fully enjoying the sight. Still, many were frightened. The total eclipse occurs about twice a year as the moon passes between the earth and the sun on the same plane as earth's circle. The local astronomy society gave a flash on how an eclipse happens. Wednesday's event lasted up to more than six minutes in some places. In India, thousands bathed in the Ganges River in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi to clean their souls. It was sunny sky in Hong Kong for the eclipse, where students, parents and the elderly flooded in a primary school to watch. In Shanghai, children climbed up ladders to look through two large telescopes on the school roof to catch sight of the moon moving across the sun. Others looked through a pair of glasses covered with solar filter paper, where they could take pictures of the moon moving over the sun. In some cultures, many old stories are about eclipse. In India, a eclipse was considered unfavorable. In Chinese tradition, there is a story about a heavenly dog eating the sun. As the story goes, people would make noise to frighten off the dog and save the sun. Which of the following statements about eclipse is TURE according to the text?
<extra_id_0>Most Chinese people used to think eclipses would bring about misfortunes.
<extra_id_1>Chinese fathers were pleased to watch solar eclipses.
<extra_id_2>Indians think bad fortune will come about along with eclipses.
<extra_id_3>The Chinese people are too frightened to go outside when eclipses occur.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Life-long learning is the concept that "It's never too soon or too late for learning." -- a philosophy that has taken root in a larger number of different organizations. Life-long learning is an attitude -- learners believe that one can and should be open to new ideas, decisions, skills or behaviors. Life-long learning throws the well-known rule "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" out of the door. Life-long learning provides the general public with learning opportunities at all ages and in different ways: at work, at home and through leisure activities, not just through formal channels such as school and higher education. Life-long education is often achieved through distance learning or e-learning, continuing education, home schooling, etc. It also includes training programs for those who want to improve their qualifications, bring their skills up to date or retrain for a new line of work. In later life, especially in retirement, continued learning takes various forms, crossing traditional academic limits. One of the reasons why life-long education has become so important is the rapid progress of modern science and technology. Although the period of primary, secondary and university education is increased, the knowledge and skills gained there are usually not _ for a professional career spanning three or four decades. The philosophy of life-long learning goes against the concept that " _ ".
<extra_id_0>It's never too late to learn.
<extra_id_1>Whoever cares to learn will always find a teacher.
<extra_id_2>A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
<extra_id_3>You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Which situation is the best example of ecological succession?
<extra_id_0>An organism survives a difficult winter.
<extra_id_1>The populations in an area remain the same.
<extra_id_2>One species replaces another species in an ecosystem.
<extra_id_3>Each of several species uses the same amount of resources.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Group buying is one of the fastest growing trends in South Africa today. Industry leaders are confident the growth potential remains strong since group buying is location-specific. Start-up costs are low and profit room remains high, so many sites continue to receive invested money despite widespread criticism and Facebook's decision to _ deal business due to privacy concerns. In the early stages of all industries, some companied fail because they cannot compete with stronger companies in difficult economic conditions. To deal with difficult conditions, an alarming number of businesses are developing group buying websites in places like China and India, so the increase of group buying in South Africa is nothing more than a natural progression into the international mainstream. The group buying concept is fairly new and consumers have accepted this concept because they can now make full use of the rich information available on the Internet. Group buying is convenient and easy so it works. Anyone can view a site, join a mailing list, subscribe to RSS or print out a coupon . The current group buying structure offered by the industry leaders works although there are still challenges to overcome. Perhaps, the future of group buying is tied to the joining together of social media and mobile devices. Mobile devices are with us wherever we go and almost everyone is using some type of social media site like Facebook or Twitter to stay informed. Using GPS and social media technology to provide real time location-specific promotions would be beneficial to every consumer looking for the best deals in town. Pause for a moment and think about it! What is better than signing on to your phone while having fun in town and you receive a real time information that your favorite shop across the street is offering a killer dial? The future of the group buying in South Africa is bright and we can expect to see more advanced approaches to this concept in the future. In addition to the technological advances consumers will see the range of promotions expand to include new products and services. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>People have accepted group buying because it's a new concept
<extra_id_1>Social media and mobile devices have been joined
<extra_id_2>GPS and social media technology will be helpful in group buying
<extra_id_3>Shops usually offer a killer deal when their customers are having fun
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Many students feel it difficult to remember new words when they begin to study English. Now I will give you some advice. 1. Do not waste time in learning a list of English words. It is the hardest way to remember English words. How do you learn to speak Chinese? You did it by listening carefully to the people talking to each other. You can find radio programs, TV programs and records, and listen to them carefully. The best way to learn all new words is through ear. As you listen to more and more dialogues, you will learn how English is pronounced in phrases and sentences. Of course, it is not enough to learn new words; you must learn how words are put together, and why some words in English are emphasized. 2. Some people have found that they can learn the names of everyday objects, such as box, cup, desk and so on, in the following way. They write the names of subjects, they say the words. Try this and see if this way works for you. If it does not, then go on to practice your dialogues. The writer wrote this passage to give us some advice about _ .
<extra_id_0>how to learn English well.
<extra_id_1>how to remember the spelling of the words
<extra_id_2>how to learn new words
<extra_id_3>how to write the names of the objects on paper
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>A pepper would be hottest if it was
<extra_id_0>defecated into a bottle by a yeti
<extra_id_1>frozen in a commercial freezer
<extra_id_2>left it in the sun
<extra_id_3>eaten by a super model
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>People say time is .But to what.I do know that sometimes time"seems"to be moving slower.Remember Christmas Eve when you were a child? It was the longest night of the year.It lasted forever! And now it seems like I just paid my bill yesterday...and it's due again! People tell me all too frequently...I need more time! Oh ,really?...Mother Teresa, Michelangelo,and Helen Keller all had 24 hours a day.Look what they did with their time! Is it that we need to manage our time better...or our priorities ?You've heard the expression"first things first."The first step in understanding the power of time is to understand that it is limited.Why is it then that some people get a lot more done? We know the answer.They use their time smartly. One day an expert on time management was speaking to a group of students and announced a quiz.He pulls out a wide-mouthed jar.Next,he places about a dozen fist-sized rocks,one at a time , into the jat, until no more will fit."Is it full?"he asks."Yes,"responds the class."Oh really?"he asks.So he takes out a bucket of gravel . which he manages to work down into the spaces between the larger rocks."Is it full now?"he asks. Wising up,one answered,''Probably not."Sure enough. he takes out a bucket of sand,which he pours into the empty spaces."Is it full now?"he asks."N0 1"reply the students confidently.So he takes a glass of water and fills it in.Then he asks,"What is my point?'' One said,''No matter how full your schedule is,if you try really hard,you can always fit some more things into it!" "No,"the speaker replied,"It tells us if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all.'' What are the big rocks? The things you should put in to your jar first. The rich don't get 25 hours and the poor don't get 23...we all get the same.Let's use them wisely! Invest your time wisely! The text is written mainly _
<extra_id_0>to explain the origin of the expression"first things first"
<extra_id_1>to call on us to use our time in a smart manner
<extra_id_2>to introduce a meaningful class given by an expert
<extra_id_3>to tell us about the relativity and the power of time
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>In 2004, Maryland recycled more than 35% of all of the waste the state produced. Which of these benefits does recycling provide to Maryland?
<extra_id_0>fewer wild animals
<extra_id_1>decreased farm crops
<extra_id_2>less trash sent to landfills
<extra_id_3>decreased use of electricity
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>There is a place where Christmas lives all year long. It is called Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The family-owned business calls itself the world's largest Christmas store. The late Wally Bronner started the business in 1945. Wayne Bronner, Wally's son, is president and CEO of what is now a multi-million dollar corporation. He learned the business from an early age. Some of his best memories are traveling to other countries with his father to find new products for the store. Bronner's sells more than 50,000 holiday products from 70 nations. Half of the products cost less than ten dollars. Wayne Bronner says the demand for small objects to hang on Christmas trees has expanded over the years. People spend more time, effort and money into decorating their homes with these ornaments, lights and religious scenes. Bronner's is famous for its nativity scenes which show the birth of Jesus Christ. Michigan has the nation's highest unemployment rate. Bronner's has been affected by the recession, too. But not in reduced sales. Wayne Bronner said: "Even though people are spending less, we're having more people visit here. And as a result we've actually had a sales increase." Bronner's success is also linked to community cooperation and investment. Frankenmuth is a town of 5,000 people in eastern Michigan's farm country. The town was settled by Bavarian Germans in the 1800s. It has kept its traditions alive in buildings and restaurants. Bavarian cultural themes and Bronner's huge store bring 3,000,000 visitors a year. The town is the most popular place for tourists in the state. Bronner's business is aimed at a single day of the year. But that is not too different from other businesses. "About half of our business is done in the last quarter of the year, in the last three months. And actually when you compare that with most retailers, that follows the same pattern." Wayne Bronner says the family's long-term planning and willingness to reinvest profits has developed the company into what it is today. Still, it does not hurt to build a business on a holiday which is celebrated worldwide. Currently, about only two percent of sales are overseas. But Wayne Bronner sees room for growth, especially through the Internet. In what way has the financial crisis affected Bronner's Christmas Wonderland?
<extra_id_0>Many of its staff have lost their jobs.
<extra_id_1>Only two percent of sales are overseas.
<extra_id_2>People are spending less in Bronner's.
<extra_id_3>The sales of the corporation have been instead of going down.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Bissel is a small village of the West Sahara. It lies next to a l.5-square-kilometer oasis , from where three days and nights are generally required to go out of the desert. However, before Ken Levin discovered it in 1926, none of the Bissel villagers had ever walked out of the desert. Reportedly, they were not unwilling to leave this barren land. Many had previously tried but failed, always somehow finding themselves back at the oasis after several days of trying to walk out. When interviewed by Ken Levin, an expert at the British Royal College of Sciences, the villagers explained that no matter which direction they walked it always brought them back to the village.Why couldn't the Bissel villagers walk out of the desert? Levin was very puzzled. He had, by himself, managed to walk north from the village and reach the nearest town in three and a half days. He decided to carry out an experiment to solve the mystery. He and a Bissel villager called Argutel, would walk out of the desert together. They prepared enough water for a half-a-month journey and two camels. But this time Ken Levin didn't bring his compass. Levin would follow Argutel. Ten days later, they had walked for about 500 miles but were still in the desert. On the 11th morning, an oasis came into their view. They were back at Bissel. Levin now understood why the Bissel people couldn't escape the desert. They had no knowledge of the North Star, which had for centuries provided sailors and other travelers with a point of direction. In the desert, if a person goes forward relying only on their senses, they will not be able to travel in a straight line. Rather they will travel in a very large circle and eventually track back to where they began. Levin explained to Argutel the function of the North Star and said, "As long as you rest in the daytime and walk towards the brightest star at night, you would be able to walk out of the desert." Argutel did as he was told. Three days later, he came to the edge of the desert. Now in the West Sahara, Bissel has become a bright pearl, where tens of thousands of tourists come every year. Argutel's bronze statue stands in the center of the town. On its base are the words: _ . According to the passage, Ken Levin _ .
<extra_id_0>knew Argutel before he came to the village
<extra_id_1>came to Bissel to do experiments on behalf of his college
<extra_id_2>became the first man to walk out of the desert from Bissel Village
<extra_id_3>taught Bissel villagers knowledge of the North Star when he first arrived
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Mr. Smith works in an office. He is very busy and has no time to have a good rest. Every evening, when he comes from his office, he's always tired and wants to go to bed early. But his wife often has a lot of interesting things to tell him after supper. She doesn't stop talking until she falls asleep, but it's usually too late and Mr Smith has to get up in time in the morning when she is asleep. One day the man felt terrible and couldn't go to work. He decided to go to see a doctor. And Mrs Smith went to the hospital with him. Before her husband said what was the matter with him, the woman told the doctor all and the man understood why. He wrote out a prescription. And when Mr Smith brought the medicine to the resulting-room, the doctor said to her, "The bottle of medicine is for your husband and the pills are for you." "For me?" the woman said in surprise, "I'm fine. I don't need any medicine!" "I don't think so, madam," said the doctor, "They are sleeping pills, your husband will soon be all right if you take them." Why couldn't Mr. Smith go to work one day?
<extra_id_0>Because he didn't want to work
<extra_id_1>Because his wife didn't let him go
<extra_id_2>Because he felt ill
<extra_id_3>Because he was too tired to go to work
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Little Lopsy fluttered into our home and our hearts one Saturday morning this summer. My husband went out to do something, and when he opened the door there was a great flutter on the ground and something came into the living room. It was clear that whatever it was was hurt. I was in a bit of a shock and didn't know what to do next. Fortunately it calmed down and tried to hide itself in a corner. I realized it was a sparrow chick . There are a few sparrow nests under the roof of our apartment, and this little fellow must have fallen out and hurt itself. It was also very young, and obviously far from ready to leave the safety of the nest. I ran to the place and found a box. Having read somewhere that one shouldn't touch a baby bird with one's hands, I picked the chick up with a hand towel and put it in the box. I placed the box outside the front door in the hope that the parents would try to feed it. They never came near it and I brought it inside. I placed the box on a table and it slept for about twenty hours. We later learned that it is quite normal for a hurt bird to sleep so much after undergoing such a hurt experience. When it finally woke up we carefully examined it for wounds, but fortunately there wasn't any. It had hurt its right wing and leg, which meant it must have landed on its right side when it fell out of the nest. We named it Lopsy. After doing some research we felt there was a chance that it might survive, but we weren't sure that it would ever be able to fly. A hurt bird doesn't stand much of a chance of survival and could fall easy pray to cats, other animals. Was it fair to allow it to live if it meant keeping it in a cage its whole life? It was a hard decision, but we decided to give it a go. We started off by dripping drops of water into its mouth. It was very thirsty and drank quite a bit. Next we fed it with bread soaked in water. Our household routine soon revolved around Lopsy who needed to be fed about every three hours during the day. Fortunately we live on campus and my husband could come home during his breaks to feed our new baby. Soon Lopsy was growing nicely. The bigger it got, the more vocal it became. There was no doubt as to who was ruling the house. We remained concerned because its leg did not heal, and its wing seemed quite useless. I took it outside for exercise every day. I also hoped it would get used to the sights and sounds of nature. In the beginning all it was interested in was staying as close to me as possible. Anyway, it got stronger and started running on the grass, and one day Lopsy found a fence it liked. It got to the point where I would leave it outside under its fence for about two hours at a time while I kept an eye on developments from our kitchen window. Soon Lopsy figured out how to get from one branch to another.[: ] It also got to the point where it could flutter down from my hand to the ground, and I let it do this over and over again to exercise its wings. Then came the day that it actually flew into the fence. We were overjoyed when this happened. Finally it got to the point where I left it outside in its fence all day and night, but I would still go outside to feed it. Lopsy remained vocal and would jumped over for its food as soon as I came into view. I left some bread on the wall next to its fence, but it would have none of it. The little fellow was totally spoilt and wanted to be spoon fed, but I saw him eating quite happily as soon as I left his line of vision. Some of the bigger species of birds were a bit aggressive towards Lopsy, and I continued to keep a close eye on it. Not long after this we saw Lopsy flying without a problem. It still jumped to the side, but that didn't seem to stop it in any way. Other birds seemed quite curious about Lopsy. At first it chased them away if they came too close to its fence, but Lopsy soon seemed to realize that they were of its own kind and it stopped doing so. Then, one day, our fellow left the nest. We never saw it again, but I know Little Lopsy is now leading a happy life. This experience has taught me much. For the couple, among all the household duties, the most important is _ .
<extra_id_0>feeding their newly born baby
<extra_id_1>finding a place that could accept Lopsy
<extra_id_2>the work of taking care of Lopsy
<extra_id_3>the routine of cleaning and cooking
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>I have had the privilege of meeting some very interesting people over the years. Some of these people made a great impact on my life, my views and personal philosophy. Others I met had the opposite effect because they represented attitudes, behavior and beliefs that were directly opposed to my views on life and my feelings about the value of all people. One such person I met was a woman in her late seventies. She had been an active woman, raised a family and had engaged in helping others, and developed her own crafts to sell at selected craft shows throughout the year. When I met her for the first time, I couldn't believe that she was in her late seventies -- I would have placed her age more in her early sixties. After speaking with her for a short period, it was only then that the conversation seemed to turn to age. And, it wasn't a conversation about thefrailty of age, or the aches and pains, or about pleasures lost. The conversation, instead, focused on her _ for life and all the things that she was in the planning stages of doing. And, what she was planning to do wasn't about going to a seniors group so she and her husband could go on a bus tour. What she was planning was an excursion to Europe, unaccompanied by any tour operator or taken around the usual sights by a local guide. She really impressed me a lot because of her zest for life; for an uncompromising view of the future not in the least affected by her age; for the undying faith in knowing that there was a great deal of life yet to be discovered and experienced and yearning for each new image, discussion, smell, cultural uniqueness or experience. From the text we know _ .
<extra_id_0>the woman had much sight-seeing around the world.
<extra_id_1>the woman was willing to help others.
<extra_id_2>the woman made great wealth by selling crafts.
<extra_id_3>the woman talked a lot about her age.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>A man and his girlfriend were married. It was a large celebration. All of their friends and family came to see the lovely ceremony and to partake(,) of the festivities and celebrations. All had a wonderful time. The bride was gorgeous in her white wedding gown and the groom was very dashing in his black tuxedo . Everyone could tell that the love they had for each other was true. A few months later, the wife came to the husband with a proposal, "I read in a magazine, a while ago, about how we can strengthen our marriage," she offered. "Each of us will write a list of the things that we find a bit annoying with the other person. Then, we can talk about how we can fix them together and make our lives happier together." The husband agreed. So each of them went to a separate room in the house and thought of the things that annoyed them about the other. They thought about this question for the rest of the day and wrote down what they came up with. The next morning, at the breakfast table, they decided that they would go over their lists. "I'll start," offered the wife. She took out her list. It had many items on it, enough to fill three pages. In fact, as she started reading the list of the little annoyances, she noticed that tears were starting to appear in her husband's eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Nothing," the husband replied, "keep reading your list." The wife continued to read until she had read all three pages to her husband. She neatly placed her list on the table and folded her hands over the top of it. "Now, you read your list and then we'll talk about the things on both of our lists," she said happily. Quietly the husband stated, "I don't have anything on my list. I think that you are perfect the way that you are. I don't want you to change anything for me. You are lovely and wonderful and I wouldn't want to try and change anything about you." The wife, touched by his honesty and the depth of his love for her and his acceptance of her, turned her head and wept. In life, there are enough times when we are disappointed, depressed and annoyed. We don't really have to go looking for them. We have a wonderful world that is full of beauty, light and promise. Why waste time in this world looking for the bad, disappointing or annoying when we can look around us, and see the wondrous things before us? According to the passage, we know that _ .
<extra_id_0>the bride ignored the feeling of the husband on purpose
<extra_id_1>the husband did not agree to write down the list
<extra_id_2>it's unwise to waste time to seek unpleasant things
<extra_id_3>they didn't love each other as we could see
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>The complete removal of decomposers from an ecosystem will have the greatest effect on which of the following?
<extra_id_0>the spread of disease
<extra_id_1>the availability of water
<extra_id_2>the recycling of nutrients
<extra_id_3>the distribution of organisms
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>These days the subject of security on campus is talked about quite often. Some students' mobile phones are stolen, some students fight with and hurt one another, and others are knocked down by the fast running bikes or cars. These problems arc common on campus. I think there are three causes for these. Firstly, some students do not take good care of their properties. They are still young and not careful enough. Secondly, some students want to do everything well. They want to be the winners in exams, and they also want to be the winners in fightings. And thirdly, the campus guards do not carry on their duties well. They don' t regulate the traffic in the busy hour. In order to have a secure campus, all the students should be very careful about their properties. They should also mind their behaviors and act politely. The campus guards are supposed to be devoted to the security on campus, and it is their duty to safeguard a secure campus to help provide a good environment for the students. Some students want to he the in exams and fightings.
<extra_id_0>players
<extra_id_1>singers
<extra_id_2>winners
<extra_id_3>teachers
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Antifreeze is a liquid that is added to water to keep it from freezing. When water freezes and turns to ice,it expands .The force of water expanding is so great that it will break the hardest metal.Water is used in car engines to keep them cool while they run,and if this water is allowed to freeze in winter it can break the iron block of the engine.That is why antifreeze is necessary. Water freezes at 0degC;the usual kind of antifreeze will not freeze until the temperature is-40degC.A mixture of five parts of water and four parts of antifreeze will prevent freezing at-18degC;four parts of water and five parts of antifreeze reduce this to -22degC. Alcohol is a kind of good antifreeze,but when the air is running it becomes hot and the alcohol boils away,so it must be changed very often.Most people use antifreeze that does not boil away when the engine is running.There are several chemicals that do this.One of the most popular is called ethylene glycol. The text is written to _ .
<extra_id_0>tell us what antifreeze is
<extra_id_1>make people buy antifreeze
<extra_id_2>tell us that cars need antifreeze
<extra_id_3>show us how to protect car engines
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Tom arrived at the bus station quite early for Paris bus. The bus for Paris would not leave until five to twelve. He saw a lot of people waiting in the station. Some were standing in line , others were walking around. There was a group of schoolgirls. Their teacher was trying to keep them in line. Tom looked around but there was no place for him to sit. He walked into the station cafe . he looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. He found a seat and sat down before a large mirror on the wall. Just then, Mike, one of Tom's workmates came in and sat with Tom. "What time is your bus?" asked Mike. "There's plenty of time yet," answered Tom. "Well, I'll get you some more tea then," said Mike. They talked while drinking. Then Tom looked at the clock again. "Oh! It's going backward !" he cried. "A few minutes ago it was twenty to twelve and now it's half past eleven." "You're looking at the clock in the mirror." said Mike. Tom was so sad . The next bus was not to leave for another hour. Since then Tom has never liked mirrors. ,. Which of the following is the title of the story?
<extra_id_0>The Mirror of the Station.
<extra_id_1>Not A Careful Man.
<extra_id_2>Missing A Bus.
<extra_id_3>The Clock In The Mirror.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>In the Arctic Ocean waters live the social animals---belugas, which is also known as white whales. Highly intelligent, these whales use different sounds to communicate and find their way. Belugas are also among the smallest kinds of whales. More than 210 belugas, including 31 in the United States, live in aquariums around the world. The Georgia Aquarium has asked for permission to bring 18 more belugas into the U.S. The whales were caught off the coast of Russia. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is considering the aquarium's request thoroughly. A law called the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) says the animals can only be brought into the country and put on display if they are caught without being hurt and there is an educational reason for doing so. Georgia Aquarium officials say the 18 belugas will help people learn more about the species and allow scientists to better understand how to protect it. The aquarium would also breed the whales so the U.S. aquariums can continue to display them. "When we can study and observe, we gain a better understanding of their biology and diseases that affect them, and learn how to aid populations in their natural habitats," says William Hurley, Georgia Aquarium's chief officer. "Much of this research would be impossible in the remote locations and extreme climates where the animals live." The Georgia Aquarium would own the 18 belugas and would rent some to aquariums across the country. Meanwhile, many scientists, including Lori Marino, a whale expert, feel strongly that the whales belong in the ocean, not in tanks. These scientists say the whales are being used for entertainment and not for education, and having them in aquariums is not necessary for the species to survive. Marino said, "Not only is it unfair to the belugas but there is no educational value in putting these whales on display." If the Georgia Aquarium's request is allowed, _ .
<extra_id_0>there'll be 210 belugas in the world
<extra_id_1>259 belugas in all will be kept in aquariums
<extra_id_2>there will be 49 belugas kept in aquariums in the U.S.
<extra_id_3>18 belugas will be caught by Russians
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>There was once a fairy who was learning how to be a fairy godmother. She was the kindest and cleverest of all fairies. However, she was also a very ugly fairy. And no matter how friendly she was to others, it seemed that everyone always believed that the most important thing about a fairy was her beauty. In the fairy country, she was always laughed at. Every time she flew off to help a child or anyone else in trouble, before she could say a word they were already shouting: "Ugly! Get out of here!" Although she was little, her magic was very powerful because she studied very hard in the fairy school. And more than once she had considered using her magic to make herself beautiful. But then she remembered what her mother had always told her: "My dear, you are what you are, so just be yourself. Remember, you are this way for a very special reason." Then, one day, the witches of the neighboring land invaded the country, putting all the fairies in prison. The ugly fairy was helped by her ugly face, since the witches believed all fairies were beautiful. So no witches thought she was a fairy. That way she was able to follow the witches back to their home. Once there she used her magic to prepare a big party for everyone. The witches got really excited. They sang and drank. While _ , the fairy hurried off and set free all the fairies. Then they worked together and succeeded in locking the witches inside the mountain for the next hundred years and more, everyone remembered the great bravery and intelligence of the fairy. From that day on, no one in that land ever saw ugliness as a bad thing, and whenever someone ugly was born, people were filled with joy, knowing that for that new person great things waited ahead. In most fairies' opinion, it was the most important to _ .
<extra_id_0>learn the most powerful magic
<extra_id_1>become a good fairy godmother
<extra_id_2>be a beautiful and attractive fairy
<extra_id_3>help more people get out of trouble
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Solar radiation has a part in the water cycle by
<extra_id_0>affecting ocean tides.
<extra_id_1>helping in the absorption of groundwater.
<extra_id_2>determining the type of clouds formed.
<extra_id_3>changing water to a vapor.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>One day Mrs Jones goes shopping alone . When Mr Jones comes home in the evening, she begins to tell him about a beautiful dress. "I see it in a shop this morning," she says, "and..." "And you want to buy it," says Mr Jones, "how much is it?" "Fifteen pounds." Every evening, when Mr Jones comes back from work, his wife goes on talking only about the dress. And at last, after a week, he says, "Oh, buy the dress! Here's the money!" She is very happy. But the next evening, when Mr Jones comes home and asks, "Have you got the famous dress?" She says, "No." Why not?" he says. "Well, it is still in the window of the shop after a week. I think nobody else wants this dress. So I think it is not a good one!" Mrs Jones tells Mr Jones about the dress every day because _ .
<extra_id_0>it is really beautiful
<extra_id_1>she wants the shop
<extra_id_2>she wants Mr Jones to buy it for her
<extra_id_3>she likes it very much
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>The English language started about 1500 years ago in England.Three groups of people came to the country.They were the Angles,the Saxons,and the Jutes.These three groups brought their languages with them to England.After some time,the three languages became one new languageEnglish.The name "English" comes from the Angles.They lived in most of England."England" means "Angle Land" or "Country of the Angles". The language that we speak todayModern Englishis not the same as the English that people used 1500 years ago,including Old English(before 1150)and Middle English(up till 1500).That languageOld Englishsounds different,and it has some different rules of grammar. There were only a few thousand words in Old English.But Modern English does come from Old English,and it is still like it in many important ways. When did Modern English start?
<extra_id_0>About the year 1150.
<extra_id_1>Before the year 1500.
<extra_id_2>Between the 12th century and the 16th century.
<extra_id_3>About 1500 years ago.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>This is the place for you to come to share stories with other real kids who are trying hard to improve their bodies and minds! Did you score a goal in your soccer game? Have you got rid of a bad habit? Are you working to reduce your stress in life? Tell the world what makes your body and mind healthy! Posted by DP, Ohio I have been working on a fitness equipment to exercise for over four months. I have completed my goal of losing weight and I am very proud of myself. That is so cool! Posted by MK, Missouri I was always tired at school, because I used to stay up late watching TV. I even fell asleep one day in my history class, and when I woke up, the teacher was looking at me and laughing! I decided that minute to start going to bed on time. It's kind of a drag missing the shows I like, but I can tell my body loves it----I feel so much better. Posted by SP, Georgia Last year , I didn't make the soccer team at school. I didn't want to try out again this year, but a few weeks before tryouts , I started kicking the ball around and practicing. When tryout day came, I decided to give it another shot. Guess what? I made the team! Posted by JS , New York I'm deaf, so I've had more trouble playing sports than other people. But who wants to sit at home all the time? I like to play basketball with guys in my neighborhood. I can't hear the ball bounce or listen to the guys call plays, but I've taught them to use some sign language, and so far, we've been unstoppable. The kids mentioned in the text came here _ .
<extra_id_0>to talk about their efforts to keep fit
<extra_id_1>to learn to tell stories
<extra_id_2>to make new friends
<extra_id_3>to share weight-losing experiences
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Everybody knows the saying "Two steps forward and three steps back". That described my life pretty well as a single mom. I was raising two teenagers on a teacher's aide's salary. It wasn't nearly enough to cover the bills, so I moonlighted as a waitress. Every time I thought that I had found a solution to my money worries, something would fall through and I would end up feeling worse off than before. The next evening at the restaurant I tried on my apron, wishing I could be home with my kids. I walked up to my first table. Around it was a cheerful older couple. The woman gave me a smile that warmed me. I couldn't help but notice her unusual glass ring. "What a beautiful ring," I said. We chatted for a minute then I took their order and left. When I came back with their drinks, the woman held out her ring. "I would like to give this to you," she said. "Oh, no, I couldn't," I said, embarrassed. She gently placed the ring in my hand and closed my fingers around it. "It's yours," she said. "Please accept it and your things are going to be okay." Right there at their table in the middle of the restaurant I broke down in tears. "Thank you for giving me hope," I said. Long after that night, that sense of peace stayed with me. I knew the right job would come in time. Nine months later it did. I got a better position at another school and I started waitressing at a restaurant where I was allowed to spend more time with my kids. Now in these tough times, I have money worries again, but they don't get me down. I know things will turn out okay. And when I wear that unusual glass ring, I'm reminded I'm not alone. The writer worked as a waitress in the restaurant in order to _ .
<extra_id_0>live with her children
<extra_id_1>serve the older couple
<extra_id_2>search for a glass ring
<extra_id_3>make more money
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>None of our early ancestors could digest milk as adults because their bodies never had to -milk drinking simply wasn't an option.As people began to extract milk from animals, though, some people developed the ability to keep drinking it throughout their lives. Scientists mow know of a milk-related mutation in our genes--the chemical instructions for life that we carry in almost every cell in our bodies.People who have a mutated form of one particular gene can drink milk just fine.People without the mutation tend to get sick from milk. To figure out where, and possibly why, milk drinking started, some scientists have been looking at who has the milk-digesting mutation to day Pattems are striking. Most adults in Northern and Central Europe are able to digest milk--and they do.Cheese, butter and other dairy products are popular in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Germany and England.Because European settlers dominated North America, most people here can handle milk just fine, as well.That may explain why ice cream is such a popular dessert in the United States. In much of Africa, Asia and South America, on the other hand, people tend to avoid dairy products because they lead to diarrhea and other stomach problems.(That's why you won't typically find cheese on the menu at a Chinese, Japanese or Ethiopian restaurant.) Native Americans are also unable to digest milk. Based on these genetic patterns, scientists have long thought that milk drinking started in Northern Europe, where dairy is an institution and the milk-digesting mutation is everywhere. A recent study painted a different picture.With a computer model, Thomas and colleagues looked at the spread of the milk-drinking mutation, farming and other related factors.Working backward, the scientists concluded that the first milk-drinkers lived in Central Europe around what's now Hungary about 7500 years ago.The practice didn't start farther north, as scientists had thought before. Most people in the USA can digest milk because _ .
<extra_id_0>they have strong stomachs
<extra_id_1>their ancestors were Europeans
<extra_id_2>that's where milk drinking started
<extra_id_3>farmers raise a lot of cows there
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>My name is Tom. My father, Mr. Read works on a farm, and my mother works in a factory. My father and my mother work six days a week and I am at school from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays we all stay at home. We often go out in a car on Sundays. We often go to the rivers or lakes. Dad likes fishing and I like swimming. Mum sits there and watches us. Dad is very good at fishing. He often catches a lot of fish. Then we take them home for supper. We often have a good time. Sometimes we go to see my uncle. He has a son, Jim. We often play football together. My uncle and Jim like meat very much. My mother cooks meat for them. I often help her. I like cooking meat and eating, too. What do Tom and Jim like eating?
<extra_id_0>Tom likes eating fish and Jim likes eating meat.
<extra_id_1>They like eating fish.
<extra_id_2>They like eating meat.
<extra_id_3>Jim likes eating fish and Tom likes eating meat.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>When couples get married, they usually plan to have children. Sometimes, however, a couple can not have a child of their own. In this case, they may decide to adopt a child. In fact, adoption is very common today. There are about 60 thousand adoptions each year in the United States alone. Some people prefer to adopt _ , others adopt older children, some couples adopt children from their own countries, and others adopt children from foreign countries. In any case, they all adopt children for the same reason ---- they care about children and want to give their adopted child a happy life. Most adopted children know that they are adopted. Psychologists and child-care experts generally think this is a good idea. However, many adopted children or adoptees have very little information about their biological parents. As a matter of fact, it is often very difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents because the birth records of most adoptees are usually sealed. The information is secret so no one can see it. Naturally, adopted children have different feelings about their birth parents. Many adoptees want to search for them, but others do not. The decision to search for birth parents is a difficult one to make. Most adoptees have mixed feelings about finding their biological parents. Even though adoptees do not know about their natural parents, they do know that their adopted parents want them, love them and will care for them. What can we infer from the passage?
<extra_id_0>Early adoption makes for closer parent-child relationship.
<extra_id_1>Most people prefer to adopt children from overseas.
<extra_id_2>Understanding is the key to successful adoption.
<extra_id_3>Adoption has much to do with love.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>There is a library in John's school. It's new and big. It's behind the classroom building. It has three floors. On the first floor, there are two reading rooms. There are five big desks and thirty chairs in each reading room. John comes here and does his homework after class every day. On the second floor, there are a lot of books for students and teachers. They can't take the books away. They can only read books in the library. John thinks that _ is bad. On the third floor, there is a computer room with sixty computers. Students have IT lessons here. It's John's favourite lesson. What's the library like?
<extra_id_0>It's small.
<extra_id_1>It's big but old.
<extra_id_2>It's big and new.
<extra_id_3>It's small but new.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap . On September 11th, 1958, mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my arms, saying, "I promised you a gift, and here it is." What an honor! I became four years old a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told stories. I told it again and again how much I loved it! One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it. Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard mum and dad whispering such words as "hopeless", "pitiful"and "dying", and all these words sounded _ Christmas was coming. "Don't expect any presents this year," Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living rooms. "If your baby brother lives, that'll be Christmas enough." As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I had never seen him cry before. The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say, "What? He's all right?"He hung up and shouted upstairs. "The hospital said we can bring Richard home!" "Thank God!" I heard mum cry. From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them so happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I ran downstairs. My socks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty:they were filled with love! What happened to the author on September 11th, 1958?
<extra_id_0>He got a baby brother.
<extra_id_1>He got a Christmas gift.
<extra_id_2>He became four years old.
<extra_id_3>He received a doll.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>When people communicate, they need words to express themselves. People living in different countries made different kinds of words. Today there are about fifteen hundred languages in the world. Each contains many thousands of words. A very large dictionary, for example, contains four or five hundred thousand of words. But we do not need all these. To read short stories you need to know only about two thousand words. Before you leave school, you will learn only one thousand or more. Vocabulary means a lot of words. The words you know are called your vocabulary. You should try to make your own vocabulary bigger. Read as many books as you can. There are a lot of books written in easy English for you to read. You will enjoy them. When you meet a new word, find it in your dictionary. Your dictionary is your most useful book. To make your vocabulary bigger, you must _ .
<extra_id_0>get as many dictionaries as you can
<extra_id_1>read as many books as you can
<extra_id_2>buy a lot of books
<extra_id_3>have a very large English dictionary
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>The time of year a baby is born can shape what profession they will _ in later life, a new study has suggested. Being born in a certain month appears to indicate the possibility of what job a person will end up with, the study by the Office for National Statistics found. Researchers have uncovered that the month in which babies are born could also affect everything from intelligence to length of life. A child born in December is more likely to become a dentist while someone whose birthday falls in January will tend to a debt collector, they found. A February birth appears to increase the chances of being an artist while March babies appear to go on to become pilots. Meanwhile, April and May are said to have a fairly even spread of professions, births in the summer months mean a much lower chance of becoming a high-earning football player, doctor or dentist. The study was gained by researchers who analyzed the birth months of people in 19 separate occupations using information from the last census , the Daily Mail reported. Although these trends may be difficult to explain, relations between birth months and specific health problems have a scientific basis. Spring babies are at greater risk of illnesses including schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, asthma and autism. They may also be less clever than classmates born in other parts of the year. (http://www.ebigear.com/news-115-76605.html) What can be included from the passage?
<extra_id_0>There exist connections between birth date and occupations
<extra_id_1>The fate has been already decided when people are born
<extra_id_2>People born in Autumn would be more successful than those born in Spring
<extra_id_3>The time of year one is born decides which specific health problems one has
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>You may know about " junk food" like French fries. But do you know about "junk sleep"? Recently, a British survey found that electronic products in teenagers bedrooms are affecting their sleep. The survey was done among 1,000 British kids from 12 to 16. It found that thirty percent of them got just 4 to 7 hours sleep every day. But doctors say they need 8 to 9 hours. Almost a quarter of the kids said they fell asleep more than once a week while watching TV, listening to music or using other electronic products. "This is very worrying." Said Dr Chris Idzikowski, a British expert, "We call it 'junk sleep', It means you don't get enough sleep and the quality of the sleep is bad, too. If you don't get good rest, you don't perform well in school the next day." The survey found that 40 percent of the kids felt tired each day, with girls between 13 and 16 feeling the worst. Nearly all the teenagers have a phone, Mp4 or TV IN THEIR BEDROOM. And many of them have all three. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
<extra_id_0>Teenagers need 4 to 7 hours of sleep each day.
<extra_id_1>Few of the teenagers have a phone in their bedrooms.
<extra_id_2>Teenagers spend too much time on electronic products.
<extra_id_3>Girls between 15 and 16 spend the least time on electronic products.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Open today's newspaper. What do you see? Ads! Turn on the TV. Still more ads! Everywhere you look, someone has something to sell. Here are some ways ads get us to buy. Some ads use famous people. Stars are paid to sell a product. Think about it. Do they really know about medicine? Do they know about soft drinks? These people may be famous. But they may not know about what they are selling. Some ads make you think you're getting the words of experts . A man in a white coat comes on TV. He looks nice. "I use White and Black, " he says. This man looks like a doctor. But he is an actor. He has been paid to sell this product. Does soap have anything to do with a pretty child? Not much. But ads may show their products with something nice, such as the sun, the flowers and so on. Such an ad is about feelings rather than fact. Ads are full of strong words like "new" and "power" . They can help a product sell. The soap may be called "Spring Rain". A car may be called "Tiger". Strong words work on our feelings. Some ads make promises . But can they keep them? No. Some ads use our fear of being too late. "Buy now! " they say, "Selling ends soon. " Check to see if this is true. Don't hurry. Take time to think. All ads hope we will buy something, do something, or think in a certain way. Know what ads are doing. Ask questions to yourself. Don't let their words and pictures fool you. uld not always believe the ads. According to the passage, we know that "Spring Rain" is the name of _ .
<extra_id_0>a kind of soap
<extra_id_1>a kind of car
<extra_id_2>a kind of medicine
<extra_id_3>a kind of flower
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Poor Oral Health Leads to Social and Emotional Problems A new report says nearly four-billion people have major tooth decay, or cavities. That number represents more than half of the world's population. Health officials are warning that failure to repair cavities can lead to social and emotional problems. Wagner Marcenes is with the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London. He led a team of researchers as part of the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. About 500 researchers attempt to collect and examine studies about all major diseases. They used the information to estimate rates of the infection. The report says untreated tooth decay is the most common of all 291 major diseases and injuries. Professor Marcenes says cavities or holes in permanent teeth are also known as caries. "Caries is a chronic disease that shares the same risk factors as cancer, cardiovascular disease. What we're having now is an increase in disease from highly developed countries happening in sub-Saharan Africa and probably it will be in other areas of Africa, too." He says an increase in tooth decay in Africa could be a result of developing countries becoming more like Western nations. "It is likely to be related to a change in diet. Our industrialized diet leads to chronic disease, which includes caries. And that may be the main explanation." Western diets are rich in sugar, a leading cause of health problems in the mouth. Wagner Marcenes says oral health problems can have a major effect on a person's quality of life. First, cavities make eating difficult. Second, people may change what they eat. They may eat softer foods that are not hard to chew. However, softer foods are often fattier foods. But professor Marcenes says the biggest issue in tooth decay is both social and mental. He says the researchers found strong evidence that the mouth has a big influence on socialization. He says many people want to hide bad teeth. They smile less and communicate less. Wagner Marcenes is calling for an "urgent, organized, social response" to the widespread lack of oral health. He believes in a natural method to fight tooth decay by having a healthier diet. He is also calling for the development of new and less costly dental materials and treatments. From the passage, we know that Wagner Marcenes _ .
<extra_id_0>works as the leader of the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London.
<extra_id_1>and his researchers accumulate some studies to find out some ways to cure all major disease.
<extra_id_2>is in charge of the activity to estimate the infection rate with the collected and examined studies about all major studies.
<extra_id_3>thinks that the most serious problem caused by tooth decay is cancer that will last for a long time.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<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." That day, _ take(s) the old man home.
<extra_id_0>his granddaughter
<extra_id_1>the policemen
<extra_id_2>his friends
<extra_id_3>his neighbor
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Isabella Stewart was born in New York City in 1 840.Her father made a great deal of money in the trade.During school,her parents took her to Italy to explore the country's many cultural treasures. One of the private art collections Isabella visited in Milan had a deep influence on her.She wrote to her friends about her dream of owning a house one day with an art collection like the one she had seen in Italy. In Paris,Isabella became close friends with one of her classmates,Julia Gardner,whose family was from Boston.Julia would later introduce Isabella to her brother,Jack.In 1 860,Isabella Stewart married Jack Gardner. The couple had too much art to fit inside their home.So they decided to start planning a museum.Mrs. Gardner didn't like the cold and empty.spaces of many museums during her time.She wanted a warm museum filled with light.She once said that she decided years ago that the greatest need in her country was art.America was a young country developing quickly in other areas.But the country needed more chances for people to See beautiful examples of art. After her husband's death in 1 898.Isabella knew she had no time to lose in building her museum.She bought land,hired a building designer,and supervised every detail of her museum's construction. Mrs.Gardner opened her museum on January 1,1 903,which was then called Fenway Court.She invited her friends that night for a special musical performance.The next month,she opened the museum to the public.At first,visits were limited to twenty days out of the year.Visitors paid one dollar to enter. Isabella Stewart Gardner died in 1 924 in Boston.In her will,she left the museum a million dollars and a series of requirements about how it should be managed, one that the permanent collection cannot be changed. From the passage,we can learn that the museum_.
<extra_id_0>helps earn much money for its collections of art
<extra_id_1>is called Fenway Courtby the visitors
<extra_id_2>was opened to the public on January 1st,1903
<extra_id_3>is still affected by Isabella Gardner in management now
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Many young people want to become pop-stars. It is their great ambition in life. They think pop-stars earn a lot of money, they lead interesting and exciting lives, thousands of fans love them, and they become famous! Yes, but first they must become stars. Most performers star life with a group. This is the pattern nowadays. But there are many groups and competitions are hard. Groups appear and disappear almost overnight. Only a small number survive. Almost without exception they have to work very hard before they reach the top. And very few reach the top and stay there. In England there are perhaps thirty or so groups at the top. Most of these do not earn so much money, perhaps 500 pounds each time they perform. What's more, they have quite a lot of expenses . They have to pay a manager, for example. He is the key person in their lives and takes about 20% of their earnings-perhaps more. Then there are their clothes, their instruments and their van. Sometimes they are still playing for the last two items. And don't forget, they have to travel a great deal-sometimes 2,000 miles in one week. At times they even sleep in their van instead of a hotel, just to save money. So now, what do you think? Are pop-stars so rich? And do they have such exciting lives? Which of the following is the reason that many young people want to become pop-stars?
<extra_id_0>Living an exciting life.
<extra_id_1>Becoming a rich man.
<extra_id_2>Being loved by thousands of fans.
<extra_id_3>All of the above.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>We all know that different people have different hobbies. Some like planting flowers, some like exercising and others like building model ships. I am Jack and I like collecting stamps. There are four people in my family and they are my parents, my brother and I. My father works in a big company. He usually goes abroad three or four times a year. Two years ago when he was working abroad, he sent home a letter with a beautiful stamp on the envelope. The stamp was very beautiful and I like it very much. Since then, when my father goes abroad, I always ask him to send me different stamps from different countries. My brother went to college last year and he often wrote me letters instead of chatting with me or sending e-mail to me, so that I could see the beautiful stamps on the envelopes and I always took them down and put them in my box. Now I have more than a thousand stamps. From these stamps I can learn a lot of knowledge like the history persons. Whenever I look through the beautiful stamps, I will feel relaxed and happy. They are like my "good and nice friends." Jack's brother often _ in the colleges.
<extra_id_0>chatted with him online
<extra_id_1>sent him e-mail
<extra_id_2>made some beautiful stamps
<extra_id_3>wrote him letters
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>If a stone is broken down into sand it is
<extra_id_0>glass
<extra_id_1>mechanically weathered
<extra_id_2>garden compost
<extra_id_3>grits
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>Sigmund Freud was one of the first scientists to make serious research of the mind. The mind is the collection of activities based in the brain that involve how we act, think, feel and reason. He used long talks with patients and the study of dreams to search for the causes of mental and emotional problems. He also tried hypnosis . He wanted to see whether putting patients into a sleep-like condition would help ease troubled minds. In most cases he found the effects only temporary. Freud worked hard, although what he did might sound easy. His method involved sitting with his patients and listening to them talk. He had them talk about whatever they were thinking. All ideas, thoughts and anything that entered their mind had to be expressed. There could be no holding back because of fear or guilt. Freud believed that all the painful memories of childhood lay buried in the unconscious self. This part of the mind he said contains wishes, desires and experiences too frightening to recognize. He thought that if these memories could somehow be brought into the conscious mind, the patient would again feel the pain. But this time, the person would experience them as an adult. The patient would feel them, be able to examine them and, if successful, finally understand them. Using this way, Freud reasoned, the pain and emotional pressure of the past would be greatly weakened. They would lose their hold over the person's physical health. Soon the patient would get better. Many of Freud's theories about how the mind works also had strong sexual connections. These included what he saw as the repressed feelings of sons toward their mothers and daughters toward their fathers. If nothing else, Freud's ideas were revolutionary. Some people rejected them. Many others came to accept them. But no one disputes his great influence on the science of mental health. How many methods did Sigmund Freud use to study the mind?
<extra_id_0>One.
<extra_id_1>Two.
<extra_id_2>Three.
<extra_id_3>Four.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Everyone needs friends. We all like to feel close to someone. It is nice to have a friend to talk, laugh and do things with. Surely, there are times when we need to be alone. We don't always want people around. But we would feel lonely if we never had a friend. No two people are the same. Sometimes friends don't get along well, which doesn't mean that they no longer like each other. Most of the time they will go on being friends. Sometimes friends move away, then we feel very sad. We miss them much, but we can call them and write to them. Maybe we would never see them again, and we can make new friends. It is surprising to find out how much we like new people when we get to know them. Families sometimes name their children after a close friend. Many places are named after men and women, if they are friendly to people in a town. Some libraries are named this way. So are some schools. We think of these people when we go to these places. There's more good news for people, if they have friends. These people live longer than those people if those don't have friends. Why? It could be that they are happier. Being happy helps you stay well. Or it could be just knowing that someone cares, if someone cares about you, you take better care of yourself. This passage tells us _ .
<extra_id_0>that people are all friends
<extra_id_1>that people need friends
<extra_id_2>how to get to know friends
<extra_id_3>how to name a place
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_1> |
<extra_id_5>I hate nosy neighbors and it's very unlucky that I had one for myself. They moved in a couple of months back and although I never felt that they were a strange family, I've always hated the way they get "too close" to me, my house, my garden, and even my garbage cans. One day, my neighbors were mowing their lawn . My garbage cans were near their lawn. For some strange reason, I found the wife looking through my garbage cans. I felt angry but since they were from a different culture, I thought that maybe it was "normal" from their ideas. That afternoon, the couple knocked on my front door. When I opened, they gave me a plastic bag. Inside were my old daily bills, credit cards and bank statements, and an old birthday card that my old uncle sent. They said that they were returning them to me because these documents contained very private information that may be used by others. I've heard it before. I asked them how those documents can be used by others and they started telling me their very own experience, which forced them to leave their home and move next door to us. The wife told me that she never destroyed the bills. They also had a "nosy neighbor" who looked through their garbage cans which they actually thought was pretty strange. Little did they know that this "nosy neighbor" was collecting their personal information from their rubbish. Then all their money was taken out from the bank by their neighbor. It was a very painful experience for all of them and they wanted to leave them all behind so they left. I was very thankful. They were not nosy neighbors. They simply didn't want us to experience the same thing that they did. The neighbors came to live next door to the author because _ .
<extra_id_0>they no longer had money to live in their former home
<extra_id_1>they didn't want to live in such a noisy home as before
<extra_id_2>their personal documents were used by their former neighbor
<extra_id_3>they thought the author was much better than their former neighbor
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>In the 1930s, a lot of people in the USA were out of work. Among these people was a man named Alfred Butts. He always had an interest in word games and so, to fill his time, he planned a game which he called 'Lexico'. However, he was not completely satisfied with the game, so he made a number of changes to it and, in time, changed its name from 'Lexico' to 'Alph' and then to 'Criss Cross'. He wanted to make some money from his new game but he didn't have any real commercial success. In 1939, Butts happened to meet a man called Jim Brunot who showed an interest in the new game. The two men worked together on developing the game and in 1948 it was offered for sale in the United States under its new name -- 'Scrabble'. At first, it didn't sell very well. In the first year it sold just 2,250 sets and by 1951 it had only reached 8,500 sets a year. Then, in 1952 the manager of Macy's department store in New York, Jack Strauss, happened to play 'Scrabble' while he was on holiday. He thought it was a wonderful game and, when he went back to work after his holiday, he insisted that Macy's should stock the game and make an effort to call the public's attention to it. As a result, 'scrabble' became a big success in the United States and it soon spread to Australia and then to other English-speaking countries. Alfred Butts invented the game 'Lexico' _ .
<extra_id_0>to make himself famous
<extra_id_1>to make spelling simpler
<extra_id_2>when he was out of work and looking for a job
<extra_id_3>when he was playing word games to pass the time
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_3> |
<extra_id_5>Expo 2010 Shanghai China Duration: May 1 to Oct 31, 2010 Welcome to the World Expo 2010 Shanghai China. In order to ensure a safe and orderly visit, the organizer of Expo 2010 has formulated these rules. Operation Time The operation time of the Expo Site shall be 9:00~24:00. The opening hours of the pavilions shall be 9:30 ~ 22:30. Visitors shall enter the Expo Site before 21:00 and leave before 24:00 on the day of admission. Those with evening admission tickets may enter the Expo Site between 17:00 and 21:00. Orderly Entry Visitors shall go through ticket check and security check before entering the Expo Site. Those who refuse to cooperate may be denied entry. Children eligible for free admission and other visitors with walking difficulties may only enter the Expo Site when accompanied by adults. Codes of Conduct Visitors are required to observe public order within the Expo Site, and shall queue up to enter the pavilions or event venues . In the Expo Site, visitors are prohibited from: (1) damaging any buildings, facilities or exhibits. (2) climbing over any buildings or fences (3) conducting any exhibitions or promotional or fundraising activities without permission. Special Management Measures In case of bad weather, too many visitors and technical problems, the organizer may restrict the entry of visitors into the Expo Site, pavilions or event venues. _ Visitors Service Centers are available in the Expo Site, providing visitors with such services as inquiries, rental, lost and found, first aid, mother-baby service, and assistance for lost persons. The centers also accept and process visitors' complaints. Free rental of wheelchairs are available for the disabled. If you have evening admission tickets, you are allowed to enter the Expo Site at _ .
<extra_id_0>4 p.m.
<extra_id_1>10 a.m.
<extra_id_2>6 p.m.
<extra_id_3>10 p.m.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Without this a sword would be made of wood
<extra_id_0>safety regulations
<extra_id_1>ice
<extra_id_2>ore
<extra_id_3>cheap labor
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>If you are looking for the place that has everything, there ' s only one place to visit, and that's New York. It's a whole world in a city. The World Of Theatre: All of New York is. And it begins with Broadway. Where else can you find so many hit shows in one place? Only in New York! The World Of Music: Spend an evening with Beethoven at Lincoln Center. Swing to the great Jazz of Greenwich Village. Or rock yourself silly at the hottest dance spots found anywhere. The World Of Art: From _ to Picasso. From Egyptian tombs to Indian Teepees. Whatever kind of art you like, you'11 find it in New York. The World Of Fine Dining : Whether it' s roast Beijing duck in China-town, lasagna in little Italy, or the finest French coq au vin found anywhere, there's a world of great taste waiting for you in New York. The World Of Sights: What other city has a statue of Liberty ? A Rocketfeiler center? Or a Bronx zoo? Where else can you take a horse drawing carriage through Central Park, only in New York! The above passage may be taken from _ .
<extra_id_0>a guidebook for foreign travelers
<extra_id_1>a handbook for English learners
<extra_id_2>a pocketbook for visiting businessmen
<extra_id_3>a storybook for native readers
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Zheng He was an amazing man. He was born in 1371. Eleven years later, he was caught by the army of a rich young man called Zhu Di and made to work for him. Over time the rich man saw that Zheng He was very clever and strong and they became close friends. In 1403 Zhu Di was made the King of China and he asked Zheng He to join his government. The King wanted to learn more about the world and show other countries his power. He ordered many new ships to be built and made Zheng He their leader. between 1405 and 1433, Zheng He led seven sea trips to different parts of the world. He certainly travelled to India, Africa and the Middle East. A few people think his ships have even reached South America and Australia. Each trip lasted between two and four years and it is believed he sailed more than 50,000 kms during the years of his travels.Zheng He led a fleet with 28,000 men and over 300 ships, such as boats for food, water and even soldiers' horses. On these trips he brought with him many Chinese goods like silk and medicine to give to foreign kings or to sell for local goods. He returned from each trip with boats filled with expensive things such as gold and treasures, foreign guests and strange animals like a giraffe. It is a pity that we may never learn everything about Zheng He' s travels. The Columbus of the east, Zheng He, died in 1433. After that, the new king, had these trips stopped and he burned almost all the books about Zheng He's travels, because he believed the trips were unlucky and too expensive. It is only in the last 50 years that historians have begun to carefully study the adventures of great Zheng He. What do we know about Zheng He from the passage?
<extra_id_0>He travelled to India and Africa.
<extra_id_1>Each trip lasted six years.
<extra_id_2>When he died, he was 72 years old.
<extra_id_3>He was a great king.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_0> |
<extra_id_5>Peter Owen has been making wigs since the 1980s. He has made wigs for the stars of more than seventy movies, including Tom Hanks inPhiladelphia, Johnny Depp in Sleepy Hollow, and Nicole Kidman in The Others. One of his biggest jobs so far has been designing the hair and make-up for the three Lord of the Rings movies. He had just six weeks to design and make more than a hundred wigs, each one a different style, colour, shape and length. The hair and make-up in a movie are just as important as the costumes or the sets. Over the years, Peter has made actors look older, younger, healthy and sick. For one movie he even made a female actor look like a man!"What people don't realize about wigs is that we are not always making people more beautiful," he says. "Often we are covering up beauty and making them look ordinary." All Peter's wigs are hand-made using human hair, so they look as real as possible. This also makes them very expensive--between US$4,500 and US$12,500 each! He knows he's done a good job when people don't realize the star of the movie is wearing a wig. So he was pleased when one newspaper said that Nicole Kidman had dyed her hair dark brown for a movie. "It was a wig and no one knew that," he says. What special feature about wigs does Peter mention?
<extra_id_0>They can make people more beautiful.
<extra_id_1>They can change people's hair styles.
<extra_id_2>They can cover up beauty and make people look ordinary.
<extra_id_3>They can make people look younger.
<extra_id_4> | <extra_id_2> |
<extra_id_5>Alice Walker makes her living by writing. And her poems, short stories, and novels have won many prizes for her. She was born in Eatonton, Georgia. She went to public schools there, and then to Spelman College in Atlanta before coming to New York to attend Sarah Lawrence College, from which she graduated in 1966. For a time she lived in Jackson, Mississippi, with her lawyer husband and small daughter. About Langston Hughes, American Poet, her first book for children, she says, "After my first meeting with Langston Hughes, I promised I would write a book for children someday. Why? Because I, at twenty-two, knew next to nothing of his work, and he didn't scold me; he just gave me a pile of his books. And he was kind to me; I will always be thankful that in his warmth he fulfilled my deepest dream (and need) of what a poet should be." "To me he is not dead at all. Hardly a day goes by that I don't think of him or speak of him. Once, just before he died, when he was sick with the flu, I took him a basket full or oranges. The joy I felt in giving that simple gift is undiminished by time. He said he liked oranges, too. " What is the main topic of the passage?
<extra_id_0>Langston Hughes' books about Alice Walker.
<extra_id_1>The childhood of Alice Walker and Langston Hughes.
<extra_id_2>Langston Hughes, American poet.
<extra_id_3>Alice Walker's reflection (,) on Langston Hughes.
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