Article: Weather Report (8:00 a.m. December 17--8:00 a.m. December 18) Influenced by a cold front northern Xinjiang, the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the northern and eastern parts of Heilongjiang are expected to experience light snow today. Drizzle is forecast for most areas of Sichuan and western coastal areas of South China. Northerly winds of force 4-6 are expected to affect western and southwestern Inner Mongolia, and most parts of Northeast China while northerly winds of force 5-7 will sweep across the Bohai Sea, the northern parts of the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, the Taiwan Straits, and the central and northern parts of the South China Sea. Weather forecast for major Chinese cities Question: The temperature in Harbin Min(degC) is _ lower than that in Guangzhou Min(degC). Yes or no, is the answer "23"?
Yes

(Question)
Article: Most of us spend our lives seeking the natural world. We go fishing, sit in the garden, have a picnic, live in the suburbs or go to the seaside. The most popular leisure activity in Britain is going for a walk. When joggers jog, they don't run the streets. Every one of them tend to go to the park or the river. But despite this, our children are growing up naturedeprived . I spent my boyhood climbing trees. These days, children are robbed of these ancient freedoms, due to problems like crime, traffic, the loss of the open spaces and strange new ideas about what is best for children, that is to say, things that can be bought, rather than things that can be found. The truth is to be found elsewhere. A study in the US: families had moved to better housing and the children were assessed for ADHD--attention deficit hyperactivity disorder . Those whose accommodation had more natural views showed an improvement of 19%; those who had the same improvement in material surroundings but no nice view improved just 4%. ADHD is one of the great problems of modern childhood. One study after another indicates that contact with nature gives huge benefits to ADHD children. However, we spend money on drugs rather than on green places. The life of old people is measurably better when they have access to nature. The increasing concern for the growing population of old people is in quality rather than quantity of years. And study after study finds that a garden is the single most important thing in finding that quality. Even problems with crime and aggressive behaviour are reduced when there is contact with the natural world. We need the wild world. It is essential to our wellbeing, our health and our happiness. Question: In what way do people benefit from their contact with nature? Yes or no, is the answer "A garden nearby improves the quality of old people's life."?
(Answer)
No

Ques: Article: Long Beach, a 28-mile area of beach, lies in southwestern Washington, and is generally called Long Beach Peninsula. Communities there take you back to old days of a simple life. Here, visitors can relax and enjoy the good of a total rest. Bird watching There are different kinds of birds on Long Beach. It's best if you watch them from a distance and don't try to frighten them. The Southwest Loop Route Map can be got through the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Office by calling 1-800-451-2542. Horses A popular activity on Long Beach is horseback riding. Two businesses in the city of Long Beach offer guided horseback tours along the beach: Black Country Wilderness Outfitters and Skipper's Equestrian Center. You may also bring your own horse. Among the adventures offered with horses is a wagon ride along the beach, a carriage ride through Seaview or Long Beach, a back country pack trip, or a sunset ride by horseback on the beach. Camping RV and tent camping aren't allowed on the beach. Camp fires are allowed within 100 feet off the beach, but must be away from the dry grass. Swimming and other activities Swimming is allowed, but you must be careful. The waters are very cold and dangerous. Surfing is advised only for experienced surfers. Beach driving is allowed at certain areas on the beach. The speed limit is 25 mph. Building sand castles, digging sand to find something, riding bicycles and flying kites are also popular activities in the area. Enjoy your trip to Long Beach, Washington! Question: Which of the following is allowed on Long Beach? Yes or no, is the answer "Digging sand to find something."?
Ans: No

(Q).
Article: World Car Free Day is a very important day on the environmental calendar. Every September 22, governments, green groups and ordinary citizens stress the damage cars are doing to the earth. The day is a reminder that we do not need to rely so much on cars. Those who take part in the activity hope that we all should realize we do not have to accept our car-controlled society. Carlos Pardo from Colombia's Sustainable Urban Transport Project said, "World Car Free Day is not only a celebration of fun ways to get around the city, but a demonstration of traffic-free streets and clean air is possible. But we do not want just one day of celebration and then a return to normal life. When people get out of their cars, they should stay out of their cars. It is up to us, our cities and our governments to help create lasting change to benefit walkers, cyclists and other people who do not drive cars. " Car-free days were organized as early as during the 1970s, and several car-free days were organized in European cities during the early 1990s. An international car-free day was organized in Europe in 1999. The European Union adopted the idea in 2000. Today, as many as 100 million people in over 1500 cities worldwide celebrate this day. World Car Free Day aims to take a large number of cars off the streets for all or part of a day. This will give people a chance to see what their town might look like with fewer cars. But some people say it is a one-day trick and does not make people give up their cars for the rest of the year. They say what is needed is a move towards a more sustainable city transportation system. Question: September 22 is a day _ . Yes or no, is the answer "that reminds us to drive our cars less"?
(A).
No

Article: I have always known my kids use digital communications equipment a lot. But my cellphone bill last month really grabbed my attention. My son had come up to nearly 2,000 incoming text messages, and had sent nearly as many. Of course, he was out of school for the summer and communicating more with friends from a distance. Nevertheless, he found time to keep a summer job and complete a college course in between all that typing with thumb. I was even more surprised to learn that my son is normal. "Teenagers with cellphones each send and receive 2,272 text messages a month on average, " Nielsen Mobile said. Some experts regret that all that keyboard jabber is making our kids stupid, unable to read non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, posture and other silent signals of mood and attitude. Unlike phones, text messaging doesn't even allow transmission of tone of voice or pauses, says Mark Bauerlein, author called The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future. Beyond that, though, I'm not sure I see as much harm as critics of this trend. I' ve posted before on how I initially tried to control my kids' texting. But over time, I have seen my son suffer no apparent ill effects, and he gains a big benefit, continuing contact with others. I don't think texting make kids stupid. It may make them annoying, when they try to text and talk to you at the same time. And it may make them _ when buzzing text message interrupt efforts to noodle out a math problem or finish reading for school. But I don't see texting harming teens' ability to communicate. My son is as accustomed to nonverbal cues as any older members of our family. I have found him more engaged and easier to communicate with from a great distance. because he is constantly available by means of text message and responds with faithfulness and speed. Question: The author's attitude to texting is _ . Yes or no, is the answer "supportive"?
No